“I cannot.”

“You can’t or won’t?”

Mira crossed her arms and frowned at Sunodagh. He gripped the doorframe of Nara’s office as they whispered angrily at each other.

“I do not know if my master is involved,” She lowered her voice, “If I get there and he is, I—”

“My men have been scouting the area. There has been no sign of elves,” He reached towards her before he pulled his hand back, “Do you want those children to experience the same thing you did?”

She closed her eyes, “This might be the last time I see them, Sunodagh. I don’t want to leave them. Not before the festival.”

“It’s only a day’s ride away. I know you can make it quicker than that. One night. That’s all I need you for,” He grunted as he saw someone walk towards them, “Think about it.”

“How many?” Her cold gaze washed over him, “Ten? Twenty?”

“Nearly a hundred,” He waved politely to the approaching priestess, “That’s why it has to be you.”

Her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand, “A hundred children?”

“Yes. There’s been a number of kidnappings from orphanages. We think that baby you saw in Berten’s home was one of the targets,” He nodded curtly, “I will only need a day’s notice for you to—”

“I will go. Tonight. I have to be back for the festival.”

“Tonight? Bloody void, Mira! You don’t even know where you’re going.”

“Then you’ll just give me directions!” She shouted.

He lowered his head ashamedly. Mira saw Jonen approach and held a hand up to stop him from getting closer. He froze in his tracks as the older orc loomed over her. Whatever private conversation they were in seemed dubious.

“Get in the office. You are pushing it,” She growled under her breath, “Meet me outside after you get the map.”

“There won’t be anything after this, I promise,” He bowed his head, “If this is what I think it is, then my men can handle everything else.”

Mira kicked the door closed behind him and stomped down the hallway. Jonen realized it was the first time he ever actually heard her approach. She crossed her arms with a huff and stood in front of him.

“What?”

He raised his hands defensively, “What? I didn’t make you mad.”

“Sorry,” She sighed and ran a hand down her face, “I need to ask a favor.”

“What do you need?”

“I am… doing some work for Sunodagh’s tribe,” She hesitated, “I won’t be back until sometime later tomorrow. Can you watch Tella and Pallik?”

“Just for a day?”

“Less, if I have my way,” She nodded, “I will owe you a favor.”

Jonen held his arms out, “Then, I’m asking for a hug right now.”

Mira scrunched her nose and stepped into his arms. He wrapped them around her, despite her arms crossed firmly in front of her.

“I’m guessing this is work I can’t ask about?”

“It… may involve my master,” She whispered, “If he is there, I won’t come back.”

“So, watch them until you come back? I can do that.”

“Thank you,” She rested her head against his chest.

“Why do you do this to yourself? You could tell him no,” He whispered, “It doesn’t have to be you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. It has to be me,” She shook her head, “If I do this, Sunodagh will pay for the children until Pallik is old enough to get a job himself.”

“Really? Shit, that must be a big job,” He winced, “I shouldn’t curse in a temple. I thought I was being good about that.”

“Jonen?”

“Yes?”

“Can you… let go of me now? I’m uncomfortable.”

He dropped his arms and she took a step back. Once she looked up at him, he smiled brightly.

“I’ll watch them. I promise I’ll keep them safe. Take your time.”

“I’ll be leaving soon. I don’t when—”

“No, you can’t!”

Mira’s eyes grew as she heard the shriek. She turned to see a red-faced Tella crushing a piece of paper in her hands.

“You can’t leave yet! You promised to take me to the festival!”

“Tella—”

“Liar!” The girl’s eyes watered, “You missed my birthday, and now you’re lying to me again! You never wanted to go in the first place, did you?”

Mira clenched her fist. She walked down the hall towards the crying girl and squatted in front of her. She calmly sat on the ground and pulled the piece of paper from her hand. When she unfurled it, it showed a crude sketch of Tella, Pallik, Jonen, Mira, and Sunodagh from their picnic earlier that day.

“Is this for me?”

“Not if you’re leaving me!” She tried to swipe it back, “Give it back!”

“I’m only going to be gone until tomorrow. We still have a few days, right?”

Mira placed the paper on the ground and smoothed it with a hand until it was foldable. She folded it quickly and tucked it into her shirt, just beneath her amulet.

“I promised to take you, didn’t I? I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“You said you would come to my birthday, and you didn’t,” She pouted, “You better come to Pallik’s too.”

“I never promised, little one,” She chuckled, “But, I will try. I can promise that.”

“You better!” She huffed, “I worked hard to make sure Sunodagh makes him a good present.”

“Did you now?” Mira moved to crouch next to her, “You’ll have to tell me.”

“No! You’ll want to take the idea from me.”

“Do you want to help me pack? I won’t be gone long, but I might miss something.”

“You’re so silly,” Tella smiled, “You forget things all the time!”

Mira got to her feet and grabbed the girl’s hand. They walked towards Jonen and he bowed his head respectfully.

“Promise me that you and Pallik will behave for Jonen. He’s good to us,” Mira whispered, “If you are, I’ll get you a treat at the festival.”

“You don’t even need to ask that. I’m a good girl!”

“You are,” She laughed and ruffled her hair, “Can you make sure my bag is good to go? I still need to talk to him.”

“You better not leave before saying goodbye!” She waved as she ran down the hall.

Jonen waited for her to speak when she approached him again. Mira looked directly at the floor to avoid eye contact. He sighed loudly to get her attention.

“A whole day?” He teased, “Are you sure she can survive? I don’t know, especially with—”

“Oh, shut up,” She laughed and playfully shoved him, “I… I don’t want this to be goodbye for her.”

“What about me?”

“You understand my situation better than her,” She met his gaze, “And, should I not return, I think you would try to find me.”

“You’re right. I would.”

Mira tried to hide the blush on her cheeks by turning away from him, “Where’s Pallik? He should know that I’m going to be gone for a day.”

“He’s cleaning weapons out back. I can go get him if you want?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“No. The stable is back there. I can just leave after I speak to him.”

“You’re taking the horse?”

“No,” She shook her head, “Too slow. I just need to check on her in case I do not return.”

“You have a bag waiting at the stable, don’t you?” He whispered, “Were you just going to take off without seeing her again?”

“My personal things are in that bag. If… if I didn’t come back,” Her nails dug into her palms, “I don’t want to leave them, Jonen.”

“I don’t either.”

When his hand rested lightly on her shoulder, she jumped. Faster than he could react, her fingers dug into his wrist, and she jerked at his arm. As if she suddenly remembered, she let him go and took a step away.

“Apologies—”

“You don’t need to apologize. I keep touching you,” He laughed airlessly, “I should stop that if I don’t expect you to throw me to the ground again. I felt you hesitate just then.”

Mira smirked, “At least you’re learning.”

She turned and stared into his sapphire blue eyes. He smiled softly and nodded.

“I’ve had more fun here the past few days than any other time the last –what?—six or seven years?” Jonen chuckled, “So, come back so you can say goodbye to me before I say goodbye to all of you.”

Mira nodded curtly as the frantic footsteps approached them. Tella panted and handed the tattered bag to her.

“There! Everything you need,” She took a deep breath, “And there’s only enough snacks for one day, so you better come back quickly, or you’ll be hungry!”

Mira knelt down next to her and wrapped her arms around the girl. Tella stuttered to say anything at the shocking hug. Then, she squealed loudly and threw her arms around her neck.

“You gave me a hug?!”

“It is worth the pain,” She whispered, “Be good until I return, okay?”

“You better say bye to Pallik or he’ll be jealous!” Tella giggled, “But I’m the only one that gets hugs, right?”

“I’ll keep this one special just for you,” She squeezed lightly and let go, “Now, you need to bathe and get some rest. It’ll be a long day tomorrow with lessons and—”

“Bye Mira!” The girl grinned brightly and sprinted away at the thought of studying.

She chuckled and shook her head.

“She reminds me of my nieces,” Jonen chuckled, “All about fun and never about schoolwork.”

“I’m just glad she has fun.”

“Well, the festival should be fun, right?”

“You’re right,” She smiled, “I’m going to say goodbye to Pallik. Did you want to join me as well?”

“You don’t mind?”

“Of course not.”

Mira threw her bag over her shoulder and unbuttoned the top button of her blouse. She aired the high collar out and rummaged through the bag Tella brought her.

“Did she actually pack anything useful?” Jonen asked.

“She pack a shirt, that will come in handy,” She shrugged, “I’ll trade bags when we get to the stables. She’ll never know.”

The two walked quietly into the twilight of the day. When they saw Pallik, he waved happily at them. He tossed the sword onto the ground and walked up to Mira. He noticed the bag and frowned.

“I will be back before the festival.”

“Did you promise that to Tella?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” He nodded, “How long?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Pallik sighed, “You’re doing another job for Sunodagh, aren’t you?”

Mira pursed her lips.

“For us? Wait – don’t even answer that,” He shook his head, “Are you going to get hurt?”

“Unlikely.”

“Good. I don’t want you to pretend you can’t go to the festival because you’re injured,” He crossed his arms with a smirk, “I’ll keep an eye on Tella for you.”

“Actually, I asked Jonen to watch you both.”

Pallik immediately frowned, “I’m nearly sixteen. I can—“

“Jonen is a knight and has more battle experience. If anything—”

“I’m not listening to him!” He threw his arms up, “I’ll listen to Sunodagh. That’s what you do.”

Mira sighed, “Can you at least be civil while I’m gone?”

“Don’t worry!” Jonen hooked an arm around his shoulders, “We’re best buds, right?”

The teen shoved him off with a sarcastic scoff. The pair followed her to the stable and she pulled her bag from a pile of hay. She adjusted her belted bag against her waist and threw a small pack over her shoulder. The back door of the temple opened, and the yellow orc stepped out with a rolled-up paper in his hand. Mira met him halfway to get the orders.

“The location is marked,” He lowered his voice, “You’ll meet Narth. He’s my cousin’s son. Blue with a white tattoo on his face.”

“Very well.”

“He knows about your predicament,” Sunodagh grunted, “If your… friend happens to show up, he is prepared to distract the others and escape.”

“I see.”

“I hope you’re not angry with me. I am doing this for the people around us. They don’t need to know the dark things that we do.”

Mira unceremoniously unfurled the map and looked at the destination. Once she confirmed the direction, she needed nothing else.

“I will be going now,” She bowed and turned away from him, “If I am not back by tomorrow evening, I won’t be returning. You will explain that to them.”

“I will.”

Mira looked at the three men one last time before she pumped her legs full of mana. She stretched for only a second before her feet catapulted her forward. She felt the wind whip around her as she blurred into the creeping darkness around her. Once she was out of the sight of town, she pulled the mask from her side and placed it against her face. The fastest way to travel was as the monster she chose to become.

Magic erupted from her as she sprinted into the pain. Her body filled with agonizing bliss as it tore her apart. She craved the power it provided her, despite what it felt like being ripped away. Her limbs kept moving as they broke and elongated into the sickly thin arms of the wraith. The strides grew in distance and speed as it fully formed. Mist bellowed from it as it all but flew into the night.

The sounds of crickets and critters ended the moment the wraith heard them. The hushed terror that crept along its moving shadow licked across the ground. Out here, away from everyone, the wraith could exist in peace. Mira often wondered which she would prefer to be, but she knew the answer.

No one expected anything from the monster of the Unclaimed Isle. This creature would not be bound to the laws applied to its host. This wraith found its way through nearly every continent and country over the years. As it ran down the hidden path to their destination, it thought of the fifteen years of violence it reeked across the world.

If this monster was truly from the Unclaimed Isle, how did it come to be inside of her? Mira knew her master would never answer that question.

As the wraith passed another landmark, it shredded the map in its clawed fingers. No trace would be found of where it went. When a large building came into view, it slowed to a crouch.

Was this the place? No, Sunodagh said it was far away. It couldn’t have gone that far already.

How long had it been running? It felt like minutes. Maybe an hour? It was hard to tell when the endless power ran through its veins and wafted into a miasma around it. The moon was higher in the sky than the wraith remembered it being. The stars felt too sparkly for it to still be early night.

“What are we waiting for? He said she’d be here tomorrow.”

“He also said that she’d probably get here right away!” The hissed words caught the wraith’s attention.

It jumped behind a boulder and peered around to glance at the small group of orcs gathered outside of a bustling warehouse. It searched for any source of living but found none. A warehouse in the middle of the wilderness was exactly what Sunodagh said to look for. The wraith peeled the mask from its face. Bones snapped and wrapped in thicker muscle as it shrank back into Mira.

She leaned over and covered her mouth as she restrained the food in her stomach. The blurriness washed over her until she rested on her knees in the dirt. The transition ripped away her energy until she pulled whatever was left back into her. Her amulet dangled outside of her shirt helplessly. She ran her thumb over the rock to sooth herself and shoved it back into her chest bindings.

Mira cautiously approached the group of six younger orcs. The oldest was blue with white stripes under his eyes. As they peeked from behind their own hiding place, she snuck beside them.

“I’m telling you, he said she’s weird,” One grunted, “Apparently the other thralls call her Merawl, too.”

“Weapons and fire magic? A fine warrior, I bet,” Another chuckled, “What do you think, Narth? You’ve probably met her.”

“Sunodagh keeps his life at the temple as far away from the tribe as possible. I only know she’s a thrall that will find me when the time’s ready,” The blue orc scrunched his nose, “If not tonight, then tomorrow. We won’t be posted out for too long.”

“You are correct.”

Her whisper caused them all to jump. The six men eyes her suspiciously.

“Mira?” Narth asked.

She bowed, “I heard I am being sold tonight, right?”

“Why are you wearing a dress?” The red orc to his right asked.

“Never mind that! How the void did you—”

Narth elbowed the man mid-outburst, “Shut up! They’ll hear us.”

“I came from the temple. A dress will make me appear weaker,” She looked down, “If I am being sold, you will need to know my brand is at the base of my neck. I’m told you have fake paperwork ready?”

“Yes. Who… who do you want to sell you?”

She looked around the small group and landed on Narth, “You look the oldest. Younger orcs around here wouldn’t have reliable contacts in the slave trade.”

He nodded and grabbed his sword. He ran it through a loop at his side until he saw her scrunch her nose.

“That sword is not sharp enough to kill a man. Do you plan to bash their skulls in with it?” Her cold eyes met his, “You are selling a slave with magic. You must be prepared to defend your merchandise.”

“Talking about yourself like this is making me uncomfortable,” His hand shook, “Sunodagh said—”

“I am a thrall, Narth. Fake contracts or not, I know what to expect. If you can’t act the part, tell me who can.”

“No! I can do it,” He grunted, “What weapon can I use to look the part?”

Mira crossed her arms and looked at him. She scratched her chin in thought before she snapped and a short, curved sword appeared in her hand. The other orcs jumped back as she handed it to him.

“I will keep the spell going until I feel you are a far enough distance away. This will be better suited for your fighting style.”

“How would you even know that?”

“I guessed on your physique,” She put her bag on the ground and pulled out a rubber band.

Mira pulled her hair up to show her brand easily. She took a deep breath and looked around at the young men around her. Most stared at her with awe or confusion.

“Now, I need you all to try and beat me up.”

“What?! Why?” Narth said.

“I look too healthy,” She frowned, “Don’t worry, I can take it.”

“We couldn’t possibly—”

Her hand lashed downwards as a summoned dagger slammed into her stomach. The shrieks of terror around her confirmed what she already knew.

“None of you have killed someone, have you?” She snorted, “No wonder he wanted me here so bad.”

“You just—you just stabbed yourself!” The yellow orc behind her said.

“Someone has to hurt me,” She slashed across her shirt to expose her chest and let the blood soak her clothes.

As they tried to stop her, she found a rock on the ground and bashed it against her face. The group silently stared at her as she kept pounding it into herself. Once she felt her lip split and her eye swell, she stopped and dropped the rock.

“Goddess above,” One of them whimpered, “You’re fucking crazy.”

“I was sent here to slaughter and save children,” Mira cackled slightly, “I didn’t realize it would be extended to you as well.”

“Narth, how are you even going to –”

“I… I don’t think I can do this,” The blue orc whispered, “By the goddess, you just—”

“This is how they treat the children in there!” She yelled, “So, you can deal with seeing me cause my own pain to save them, can’t you? Or are you so pathetic you can’t get your hands dirty?”

“We’re here to save them, just like you!”

“Really? I don’t see any of you branding yourselves to sell off. I don’t see any of you willing to piss off your master and accept the beatings for saving children,” She grunted, “Only heroes when it’s convenient? Your mothers should be ashamed of you for being so weak. I bet they went back to the motherland without you, didn’t they?”

The slap across her face caused a dark chuckle to spread from her chest. Narth’s hand curled into a fist as she pulled rope from her bag.

“Good, something finally got you to hit me,” She spat on the ground, “Now, tie me up and take me over there before you change your mind.”

The group surrounded her and bound her arms against her. The rope dug into her skin as the cinched her tighter and tighter. When it was more difficult to breath, they secured her hands behind her. Narth grabbed the bundled of rope left as her leash and walked her onwards.

“All of you come. Only he speaks,” Mira commanded, “Don’t be gentle with me. It makes you look weak. Make the point that this little woman won’t get away. Make them believe it.”

“Why?”

“Because they’ll kill you and the children if they know their cover is blown,” She said coldly, “I won’t have the death of them caused by someone’s fumble.”

“Why would you say that?”

“This isn’t practice anymore. Sunodagh isn’t my master. I am doing this because he will owe me,” Her frigid tone caused the men around her to tense, “If you’re the reason these children die, I will slaughter your entire tribe as penance.”