I would have never guessed my first interactions with the famous Holy Sages would leave such an… impression. But their question stuck with me forever.

Who am I? I realised then I did not have an answer. Outside of being a Princess- a title, and nothing more- I had no accomplishments to my name. I only did what my father told… and reluctantly, at that.

Perhaps it was the effects of their artifact, but I am unsure why that had affected me so much, when others barely were able to reach me.

But their meeting set me on a path I could not undo, for I got a glimpse of my future. I caught a glimpse of… me, as a result.

Tell me, intruder.

Who are you?

-

Arwen stared at the two Sages as they exchanged silent glances, seemingly communicating without words. She wanted to ask questions, but was afraid of interrupting their wordless conversation.

Sovereignty finally met her eyes. “Your vessel, what is it called?”

“Ah... uh, the Ysbrydfarer.”

“The spirit-farer…” Sovereignty nodded to his female companion. “Tell the priests at Ymthil we’ll be away for a few days.”

Shielding wordlessly turned and started to walk north up the beach, leaving small footprints in the sand with her slender white boots. Arwen watched her for a moment. “Are you… joining us?”

Sovereignty conveyed no emotion nor tell. “Of course. The Dark Orb is an extremely dangerous artifice. Its return to the Church is of utmost importance.”

For the first time since embarking to Glannau, hope bloomed in Arwen’s chest. “What is it?”

“The Dark Orb is a Class-A artifice of terrible power,” Sovereignty explained. “It can produce mass shared hallucinations that are capable of driving men insane in the right hands. It also can compose targeted and potent concussive waves that will easily knock a man out, and our documents hint at precognition if the wielder is sufficiently comfortable with its use.”

Arwen didn’t really see how it was that dangerous, but understood how it could be an issue in the wrong hands. “You want to find its wielder… I guess.”

“That is the priority,” Sovereignty affirmed, his confident gaze never wavering. “Your description is encouraging, for it seems that its wielder values life despite their thievery. But make no mistake, the Dark Orb- like all artifices- exacts a heavy toll. If left much longer, I guarantee lives will be lost.”

Arwen had nothing to say about the low warning, so she returned to the question that had been bothering her ever since it was asked. “Uh… what was I supposed to answer, by the way?”

“Hmm?”

“That question- who am I? What was I supposed to say?”

“Something informative,” Sovereignty answered vaguely. “Most people have a vague idea. The ones who provide food, the keepers of peace, the wall stood before the defenceless. You, however, are lost. You have your fancy title, and nothing more. So… I ask again. Who are you?”

Arwen marvelled at how far her life had spiralled, since her old self would likely have disregarded the Sage’s words in an instance. But was that a good thing, or bad? The question, for a reason she could not fathom, weighed darkly on her mind.

“What are your plans for the pirates?” the Holy Sage interrupted Arwen’s self-reflection.

Arwen tried not to let herself grow red in embarassment. “I- I don’t… know. The islets didn’t show any sign of them, so I think we… uh, need to discuss.”

“Where do they attack?”

“In Pwynt estuary, near Glannau,” Arwen answered. “About an hour or two away, at least. Uh… how are we going to fight the Dark Orb?”

“This,” Sovereignty held up his right arm, showing off the Light Bracelet. “It’s a diagnostic artifact, firstly, but also a preventative. You hold the Light Gem, yes? Try to use it on me.”

“Oh… okay…” Arwen pulled her artifact from her pocket, eliciting a snort from the Holy Sage when he saw it was not around her neck. She clutched the cold pendant in her hand and met Sovereignty’s eyes, half-expecting to find herself deep in his memories.

Only nothing happened.

“See?” the Holy Sage fingered his artifact bracelet. “As its wielder, I am immune to the effects of other artifacts and artifices.”

Such an artifact would doubtlessly be useful in the oncoming war, for Helvetia would almost certainly hold a few of the Gods’ tools of their own. Sovereignty must have sensed Arwen’s hungry gaze, however, for his eyebrows quirked into a slight frown. “I’m afraid there is no chance to barter for it, Arwen Blayney. It is needed for the protection of this island.”

“What’s in there?” Arwen’s stare turned to the wood-piked wall.

“Nothing of your concern,” Sovereignty stated flatly. “And that will be answer enough for you.”

At this point, Shielding returned and nodded to her companion. “They’re pissed, but ultimately understood the importance of our departure. Let’s get the rowboat.”

The Holy Sages ended up rowing the boat back to the Ysbrydfarer after a completely unnecessary remark over Arwen’s amateur rowing prowess. Though, admittedly, the trip was a great deal quicker with two people who knew what they were doing.

The crew aboard the Ysbrydfarer along with Arwen’s retainers stared suspiciously as two Holy Lances were slammed aboard the main deck, allowing the two Sages to climb aboard. Despite polite offers of help, the two Church members resolutely refused to allow anyone near their weapons and instead waited for Arwen to clamber aboard, with help from Cai.

Sovereignty wasted no time taking charge. “We will join you to retrieve the Dark Orb from your pirates. How long to reach your destination home?”

Dai stepped forward and introduced himself as the captain, along with his brother. “It’s about a day and a half back to Glannau.”

“Very well,” Sovereignty nodded.

Shielding spoke up. “We will leave at once for Glannau. On the way, let us make preparations for our next move.”

Perhaps the authoritative tones of the Holy Sages intimidated the crew, or Arwen’s recounting of their reputation as people you do not mess with was realised, but Dai immediately set off the carry out their orders and the crew dispersed to their respective stations.

The Holy Sages then introduced themselves to Arwen’s retainers in the same careless manner they did with her, though the Princess noted the pair did not ask the boys the ‘who are you?’ question, which only made her more self-conscious. Accommodation for the two Church members was a slight concern, but both Sovereignty and Shielding claimed their comfort in sleeping on the floor, and two spare hammocks were found for them anyways. “Do you have proper names?” Cai asked Shielding, who seemed to be the friendlier of the pair.

“Yes,” Shielding confirmed, expressionless. “But we stop going by our names when we are admitted as a Sage.”

“Why?”

“The Holy Sages work best when we are anonymous. It is the same reason why we all wear the same uniform.”

“Okay,” Cai considered. “Can you tell me your actual name?”

A slight smirk. “No.”

The way back to Glannau was uneventful. Another night was without much sleep, despite her dogged tiredness, and her fatigue was beginning to truly be felt. The dark patches under her eyes had developed into full blown puffy bags, and her skin looked more constricted and clammier. Arwen also found herself quicker to anger, especially when that blasted question kept entering her mind. She still hadn’t found an answer for herself, at least one that wasn’t ‘the one who fails at everything’.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The Holy Sages were polite guests, though they rarely spoke and almost never separated from each other. Upon docking at Glannau once more, they asked Arwen for accommodations and were the first to disembark.

Arwen and her lot left with Cain and Dai, who were greeted by on dry land by two pale skinned girls who jumped into Cain’s arms. “Dad!” one of them cried.

“Hello, girls,” Cain smiled warmly. “I’ve missed the two of you.”

He separated from the girls, who also spared a hug for Dai, and Arwen took the moment to study their features. The girl on the left was a youth of slim stature, but hunched and withdrawn in a constant shy posture. She had blonde hair with contrasting platinum streaks falling across blue-grey eyes. A plain white summer dress was obscured by a heavyset black jacket several sizes too large for her, despite the hot weather, and she fiddled with a piece of cloth with slender fingers. “That’s Maygan,” Dai noticed Arwen’s stare. “She’s my younger niece. How old are you now, little Maygan?”

Maygan, despite being obviously younger, almost reached Arwen’s full height, much to the Princess’s chagrin. She stared at Arwen with her big eyes, as if terrified to speak, before her sister piped up. “She’s fourteen.”

The sister looked about Arwen’s age, and was slightly taller than her with a similar lithe and graceful build. Unlike her sister, the girl had long silvery blonde hair and watery blue eyes. She also wore a plain white summer dress, though the heavyset jacket was missing. “That’s Linette,” Dai introduced the older sister. “She’s Maygan’s older sister, and a right trouble-maker.”

“Only because you see it as trouble! Pleased to meet you, your Teyrn.” Linette offered a bright smile and clasped Arwen’s hand in her own.

“What are you two doing here?” Cain asked, though without much heat. “Where’s your mother?”

Linette dropped Arwen’s hand to turn to her father. “Mum told us we could come to the docks to meet you. I have something I need to show you!”

Maygan stared bashfully at Arwen’s retainers, so much so that her sister noticed and introduced her to the boys. “Maygan says hi.”

Gwyn gave her a little wave, but the others remained awkwardly mum.

“I’m afraid my daughters here require my attention,” Cain apologised to the Princess. “Will you be okay meeting us at the inn later?”

Arwen nodded her affirmation.

“I’ll be seeing you, too,” Dai bid his farewell along with his brother. “Please make sure those Sages don’t cause any trouble around here.”

At the Wrth y Traeth Inn, Arwen found the two Holy Sages sat crossed legged on a set of cushions in the main lounge, intently discussing something between themselves. When Arwen and her retainers joined them, they turned to share what they had been talking about. “We have a plan to draw out these pirates,” Shielding said by way of greeting.

“Let’s hear it,” Gwyn was all business, whilst Arwen suppressed a sigh. She was unbelievably tired and just wanted to go to bed, despite the sun still hovering high in the sky.

“We’ll take the Ysbrydfarer to Cyfoeth Port,” Sovereignty explained. “And take some supplies as if it were a normal merchant run, then sail back to Glannau.”

“That should hopefully draw out the pirates,” Shielding finished. “It’s been some time since the merchants have sailed, yes? The pirates should leap at the chance to rob a vessel after so long.”

It sounded to Arwen like it had the potential to be a colossal waste of time, but her retainers appeared eager with the plan to bait out the pirates. “Excellent,” Sovereignty shifted in his pillow. “I would ask you to inform the others and prepare the Ysbrydfarer for another outing.”

Cai easily agreed to the request. “Sure.”

Shielding must have sensed Arwen’s fatigue. “We’ll discuss details later.”

“Do you need money for your stay?” Gwyn asked the pair.

“No,” Sovereignty waved him off dismissively. “We always carry money with us, just in case.”

Arwen took the moment to stand and pat herself down. “I need some rest, everyone. I- I’ll see you all later.”

Three concerned looks greeted her, but they nodded regardless. Without another thought, the Princess excused herself and returned to her room, thankful the innkeeper hadn’t slyly rented it out in her absence. Those Sages, in what almost came across as effortless to the Princess, had shown Arwen what she should’ve been doing instead of being a waste of space. Why am I like this? She thought as she closed her door. Why can’t I just be good at something? Without even bothering to take off her sweaty uniform, Arwen fell onto the bed and the world went dark.

-cut-

“We believe we can offer some help.”

Cain sat with his older daughter, Linette, in the Inn’s lounge in the corner of the room, away from the bustling activity of the staff and innkeeper. Arwen, Owen, Gwyn, and Cai were also sat by along with the two Holy Sages; Sovereignty and Shielding. Arwen herself had enjoyed around two hours of sleep before being called down by Gwyn, who had explained that Cain had found something exciting that could explain part of the mystery of the crewless ship.

“Let’s hear it.” Sovereignty was all business, even as Arwen struggled to shrug the heavy blanket of sleep from her mind.

Linette was the one to speak up. “I think I know how they were able to make the winds stop the boat.”

“Was it not the Dark Orb?” Shielding cocked her head in what should’ve been a curious gesture, but what Arwen interpreted as somewhat creepy…

“The hallucinations could have made the crew of the Ysbrydfarer believe they had stopped, when they had kept sailing in reality,” Sovereignty concurred.

“But what if they had wind mages?” Linette couldn’t sit still on her pillow, and swayed constantly while she eagerly observed their reactions.

A moment of consideration passed through the group. Arwen thought it rather plausible, herself. It was obvious, in retrospect, that strange unnatural winds could be the result of a wind mage. But a wind mage using their power to drive boats? And stop others? It was unheard of.

“Elaborate,” Sovereignty wasn’t yet convinced.

“I did some experiments when the idea came to mind,” Linette placed a small wooden carving of a boat on the inn’s table. “And I think a wind mage can manipulate the winds in order to sail a ship.”

“Linette is a young wind mage,” Dai explained for the group’s sake. He ruffled her hair with pride, causing her to squirm away from him with a playful smile. “She’s the only one in the family to have ever manifested magic.”

“So, I went to Continent Garden while you were all out,” Linette readjusted her tussled hair. “And I put this little guy on a pond and got the wind to gust, and sure enough, it sailed! And when I forced the wind the other way, I was able to stop the boat.”

“That does not mean it can power a ship the size of the Ysbrydfarer.” Shielding stated the obvious, though she did pick up the little wooden boat and appeared to take an interest in it.

“But I could try!”

“I think it’s worth a shot,” Cain defended his daughter. “What have we to lose?”

“What I couldn’t figure out,” Linette’s voice turned dour, “is how to get one ship to keep moving, while having the other ship come to a stop… I think either they have a wind mage who is super good! Or… they maybe have two or three of them?”

“We need to leave as soon as possible, so that we can retrieve the orb and get back to The Island,” Sovereignty held up a hand when Dai started to protest. “But we can have Linette experiment on the Ysbrydfarer while we sail, so long as it doesn’t hamper out progress.”

Linette immediately appealed to her father. “Can I?!”

Cain ignored his daughter to scowl at the Holy Sage. “You want me to bring my daughter on a trip designed to bait pirates into attacking?! There’s no way I’d allow it.”

“But Dad!”

“She will stay by my side,” Sovereignty offered. “I want to oversee these experiments, anyways, for the Church could make a great use out of wind mages should they be able to effectively steer merchant-sized vessels. I will be immune to their artifice, and can protect Linette if the pirates attack.”

“And you’d be able to defend both yourself and her from a full ship of pirates?” Cain asked in angered-perplexment.

“There’s a reason Sovereignty has the Light Bracelet instead of the other Sages on The Island,” Shielding explained softly. “He’s the best of us.”

“We are unstoppable so long as we wield the Holy Lances,” Sovereignty elaborated in his matter-of-fact tone, though Arwen had no idea what he meant by ‘unstoppable’. “And I am not easily disarmed.”

“I think Linnie should go,” Dai whispered to his brother. “She hasn’t ever truly left the village, and I think she has the potential to discover something big here.”

“You want to risk my daughter’s life?” Cain hissed back.

Linette was wisely remaining silent, allowing her father and uncle to quietly argue between themselves. “You heard the Sage. He said he’d protect her.”

“So, I’m to trust an utter stranger with my daughter, then?”

“At first sign of trouble, I’ll lock her inside the captain’s quarters. It’s as far away from our barrels as can be in there.”

“I still don’t trust him.”

“Then join us,” Sovereignty grew tired of the quarrel. “You can lock yourself in with her.”

He failed to mention it wouldn’t do any good, for the Dark Orb would simply black out the both of them, but it seemed to somewhat pacify the protective father.

“Dad, please let me go!” Linette renewed her begging. “I really want to!”

“I’ll think about it,” Cain stood up and grabbed his daughter’s arm. “Come along, Linnie. Everyone, I’m going to make some preparations. Farewell.”

Cain and his daughter left in silence.

“You’ve upset him,” Shielding nudged at Sovereignty’s arm in the first display of friendliness Arwen had ever seen from the pair. “I think he’s mad at you.”

Sovereignty, however, was utterly unapologetic. “A friendly wind mage, even one as young as her, would be useful if it is indeed a pirate wind mage enabling the boardings. Someone fighting back against them might unbalance the pirates enough to give us the upper hand.”

“Well, I best get going. Need to prepare the Ysbrydfarer for tomorrow night,” Dai stood up and smiled thinly. “Either we see the pirates or we don’t, but no matter what, Glannau will finally get a supply run.”

“Can we not embark earlier than tomorrow night?” Sovereignty asked.

“Sorry,” Dai shrugged. “We’ve our hands full trying to unload the Ysbrydfarer as is, without even preparing it for another long journey. We may even have to leave later than tomorrow night- nothing I can do.”

“How bothersome.”

Before Dai left, Shielding spoke up to him. “Any training grounds we can use around here?”

“In Glannau? No, not really.”

Shielding turned to Sovereignty, who shrugged. “The forest will suffice.”

When Dai left, Arwen herself stood. “I better get some more sleep.”

The Sages were content to let her go, but Cai spoke up as she turned to leave. “Are you alright?”

Arwen faced him. “Me?”

“You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet. I’m worried.”

A surge of anger flashed up Arwen’s spine, instantly superheating her body. But she repressed her mood swing and instead flashed a strained smile. “I just need sleep.”

She waited in case anyone else had any issues to raise with her apparently getting a nap, but none came, and so the Princess left alone to her room once again.