“What are you working on?” Maeve asked.

“Just those letters to Brigid and Nadir I have been putting off.” Soleil looked up from a bundle of letters lit by a generously sized campfire to find Maeve outside of her armor for once. The knight seemed so much leaner and smaller without her armor.

Compared to the armor custom fit to her body, the sleeveless shirt and patchwork trousers struck Soleil as ill-fitting. Soleil was unsure how she felt about it.

“Not everyone gets to have a Demon Lord for a mother. Or three mothers, for that matter.” Maeve said, as if that were an answer to an unasked question of Soleil’s.

“I wasn’t thinking that at all.” Soleil said.

“Sure. Next you’re going to tell me that you think everyone has ears as pointy as yours.”

“Wait. Is that a demon thing? Do all humans have ears as small and… round like you have?”

Maeve laughed. “Okay Princess. You’re lucky to have me.”

Soleil pouted. "What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I knew you were a bookworm." Maeve explained. "But I am starting to get the impression that you never got out much.”

Eyes narrowing, Soleil's next words came out as a whine. “I think my question still stands.”

Maeve almost looked apologetic. “That is actually kind of my point. You are going to run into so much that no book could ever prepare you for. There are just some things that you will never learn while locked away inside a tower.”

Frustrated, Soleil piled yet another question atop her growing list of demands. “And just what what is wrong with wanting to live in a nice tower with a view and being surrounded with all the books I could ever want?”

This time Veilura’s laughter joined Maeve’s from across the camp.

“Just be glad you have me.” Maeve said with a smile.

Soleil blinked. “Did I not just express this a few hours ago?”

“Well, uh. Yeah. I’m still getting used to the idea is all. But I mean I can smooth out any misunderstandings you might have.”

“I’m really not sure you’re cut out for that. If this conversation is anything to go by. But for now I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.” Soleil turned back to her letters, attempting to find a quick stopping point. “We should actually get you a shield at the village. Pledging your shield and all to me is nice and all, but I think it would have worked better if you actually had one”

“Hey! I’ve got armor. I can just be your shield.”

Soleil made a face at that.

“Well. Luckily shields are common enough.” Maeve said. “For anything with a custom fit, made out of a specialty material, or requiring a high rank in a skill, you are going to want to put in a commission ahead of time.”

“How long do those take?”

Maeve looked over at Hope, who had a few hexagonal armor pieces peeled off and yet to be replaced. “No more than a few days for most things. But heavily enchanted equipment or anything involving a mana engine can take weeks.”

“Oh. But that’s like, everything I’m interested in.”

Maeve gave Soleil a look.

“What?”

“I intended for Princess to be something of a joke, but I am getting the feeling that it is an accurate nickname.” Before Soleil could begin to pout, Maeve seemed happy to explain herself. “You’re just kind of a spoiled brat is all. I actually find it quite endearing. You had moms who took good care of you and it shows.”

“Oh. Yeah. My moms are the best.” Soleil gave into the urge to hug her letters close to her.

Maeve returned to the task of looking over and polishing her armor that took up most of her downtime. “Maybe not Calamity though.”

“Yeah. She kinda dropped me after I asked her if she could teach me a skill.”

“Is that really how you got that skill that lifted me and a tree into the air?”

Soleil nodded before curling up and staring into the fire. “It came with a memory. One of Brigid fighting Calamity. I… really did not enjoy getting hacked into pieces by my own mother.”

Maeve said nothing. She just set aside what she was doing to join Soleil by the fire. “I am so sorry you had to experience that. Forget what that I asked. Are you okay?”

Soleil stopped herself from saying yes. She focused on that feeling of wrongness knotted up inside her and wondered what it would take to tug that feeling free. What would she be willing to allow herself to become?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Did she want to physically mold herself like Brigid did? After glancing sideways at Maeve’s bare arms, she added the knight to that category.

Or did she want to hone her mind and soul like Veilura and Nadir? How far would she push herself? After a hundred levels, could she still be mistaken for a human like Maeve had initially? Would there be room for her to run away from all of this and give up any obligations in favor of living a quieter life without anyone thinking of her as a monster?

What would opening herself up to corruption do for her and those around her? As noble as Maeve’s intentions, Soleil remained unconvinced that most would respond well to glancing at her soul and seeing the words Calamitous Herald.

“No.” Soleil said. “But I don’t think anyone could expect that of me. These Tokens of Goodwill though. I want to accumulate as many as I can. I want to show that I can handle not being okay with grace. I don’t want the trust placed in me by you, my mothers, and Calamity of all people to go to waste.”

“It won’t.” Maeve declared like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You care. And you’re willing to make the effort. When and if you fail, you will have built goodwill that you can fall back on to know you’re not alone and the effort you put in made a difference to someone.”

Soleil wanted to shake her head. What had she accomplished with her first ten levels? Save a single flower? Get on the nerves of two dangerous entities on the same day?

Soleil turned to look at Maeve, one of many knights she saved. “Like the difference I made for you?”

Her knight’s smile was answer enough. “Don’t stay awake too long. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

***

With Hope's armored plating replaced and letters to her mothers filled out to her satisfaction, Soleil barely found time to close her eyes before hearing her companions begin to stir.

The aroma of a morning stew being prepared over a fire coaxed Soleil out of her tent to find Maeve and Veilura well rested and already dressed for the day.

She expected to hear about it from Maeve or Veilura, but her mother gave her a knowing hug while Maeve piled extra bedding into the back of the cart. If she could manage it, she would be permitted to sleep the rest of the way to the valley’s village.

Soleil instantly knew when they crossed from the forest and into the valley on the eastern frontier. The drastic decrease in quality of the roads had an immediate effect on her ability to sleep.

Finally up and awake, Soleil climbed into the rider’s seat at the front of the cart alongside her mother. Maeve was seated atop Hope, dutifully guiding them towards their destination.

They could see it in the distance. All of the frontier villages setup in the valley were spread along the length of a single river. Mender's Crossing was the only one on the west end of the river with a stone bridge built wide enough to transport carts of materials. This made the crossing a first stop for a number of carts entering the valley from the west. Far to the north, at the valley’s mouth, Soleil could just make out a walled gate being built up in order to protect the valley from border threats.

The wall remained the concern of the Northern Knightly Orders. Every other faction prioritized ensuring the villages were well stocked to survive through the winter. After that, the hope was that this valley would ensure no faction ever needed to worry about growing hungry if their personal food supplies were ever threatened. It was to be a valley of abundance.

A threat to this endeavor was a threat to everyone. Banners of knightly blues, merchant caravan yellows, and the demonic reds all marked carts full of aid meant to ensure the valley could grow as green as the Eastern Grove’s banners marking each of the frontier villages.

Demi-humans made up the bulk of the Grove’s hunters. A pair of them with cat ears and tails strode out from the sparse tree coverage along the valley’s border in order to greet them.

“Knight Adjutant Maeve, reporting on behalf of Knight Captain Barnabas.” Maeve announced their presence with a stern voice.

“Is something the matter?” Asked the taller of the catfolk with black hair and fur.

The shorter calico with hair dyed to match her feline features looked past the cart before turning to eye Veilura with recognition. “We have a team of hunters available to fetch anyone who failed to make it.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Maeve said. “Our unit was intercepted and routed by Calamity.”

That got the two feline hunters to stand at attention. “Wait. Only routed?” The black furred hunter scratched their chin, visible concern twisting into confusion.

“Do we have you to thank for coming to the Knight’s aid? Lord Veilura?”

“No, actually. My daughter here is the one that any thanks should be forwarded to.”

“Aha!” The Calico’s expression turned to delight. “In that case. On behalf of Grove Tender Verda, I must present to you the entire valley’s thanks. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss-?”

“Soleil.” She said, before sheepishly donning her witch hat. She could put effort into hiding the exhaustion from reaching her voice, but there was only so much she could do about the bags under her eyes. Hopefully a little shade from the hat and playing humble would suffice. “I only wish I could have done more.”

“Nonsense!” The Calico purred the word aloud. “Any who can mitigate the destruction caused by Calamity through words or actions, however slight, is cause for celebration! I encourage you to ask around in Mender's Crossing this evening for a cat by the name of Fia. I would be happy to hear details and most locals will be able to direct you to me.”

“Really. It wasn’t that much trouble.”

Fia’s eyes flashed silver with appraisal. “I really must insist, young miss. While your mother is well known to us, you are new to these lands. We trade in goodwill and there is precious little in the world worth more than saving the lives of others.”

“We will make do without Captain Barnabas’s unit.” The black fur supported their companion with an easy smile. “But we might have to put some of the work best suited to Outriders on the board for anyone with an Emissary.”

“Or a Demon Lord for a mother.” Fia chimed in.

“My primary concern remains transporting supplies.” Veilura said with a gentle finality. “But I can see about arranging alternative transportation if my daughter and a certain knight feel up to the task.”

“Very well.” The black fur stepped back, waving them on through. “I already see another cart in the distance. Welcome, on behalf of the Grove. If this is your first time, the services of the kitchens and Houses of Healing remain freely available to any and all guests of the Grove Tender. Go with Mistress Verda’s blessing.”

“Thank you.” Veilura said, responding to the two catfolks’ bows with one of her own.

Soleil and Maeve exchanged smiles, both with each other and the catfolk before urging Hope down the dirt path that led into the valley.

Someday soon, they would have to discover and prevent what rotten threat Malady posed to the alliance now gathering in this soon to be plentiful river valley.