“Is that her? The new cadet that bested Cecillia, the Blood Soaked Rose, at the entrance test?”

“Yeah, and she is said to possess a divine element as well.”

“No way!”

“My friend saw it with her own eyes, she wielded a sword of blue ice!”

“Where did she come from? It’s not often we get a transfer this time of year...”

“...I don’t know if this is true, but some of the cadets doing guard duty said that she came from the Whitefrost Mountains.”

“So they’re from the Kingdom of Macha?”

“No, he said their clothing were worn and accustomed to winter wear….”

Such were the rumors that Yuelei’s enhanced hearing caught as she made her way down the aisles. Silfy, who was a bit further down, was waving at her enthusiastically and patting the seat next to her.

“About time, Yuli. You look good in that uniform!” Silfy ran her arms over Yuelei’s new attire, consisting of a thick leather black and white uniform with matching beret, a scarf with colors based on their affiliation, and an insignia pin.

“Oh, this is my good friend, June.” Silfy patted the shoulder of the black haired girl next to her. “She’s a fine archer and healer. She left school last year due to a severe disease, but Lin took care of it.”

“Yuelei, is it? Silfy has told me a lot about you. I am also in debt to your mentor.” June suddenly clasped Yuelei’s hands. “Just like you, I am not originally an inhabitant of this land.”

“Nice to meet you.” Yuelei pulled her hands away, afraid that June would be too touchy-touchy like Silfy.

“Your hands are pretty cold, just like Silfy said.” June laughed.

“Sil, what have you been telling others about me?” Yuelei groaned helplessly. How was she supposed to remain incognito if Silfy kept blabbing about her all the time?

“Well, whatever I tell June certainly isn’t as impressive as what happened four days back. You’re the talk of the entire academy right now and I’m sure even sure Miss Florella and Miss Siegla have taken notice. ” Silfy shrugged. “It’s a shame that the entrance test doesn’t count as a proper duel, otherwise you would be ranked in the top ten.”

“I didn’t ask for this...” Yuelei sighed.

“Well, better buckle down, Yuli. You would have drawn eyes without the fame, but now, I’m sure you have quite a few admirers already.” Silfy laughed. “Both in the male cadet school, and our female one.”

“So, what are we waiting for?” Yuelei tried to change the conversation. “Is there a reason why the genders are split?”

“The Royal Knight Academy splits the males and females to… deter distractions.” June answered the second half of the question.

“But that usually doesn’t stop them. The boys are just a bunch of pigs. You should watch out, Yuli.” Silfy shook her head.

“I have no interest at all.” Yuelei replied. Ever since she received the Snow Princess’s sigil engraved on her heart, it was as if her heart had been bathed in ice. Furthermore, emotions only get in the way and she had suppress many of them during her time in the Whitefrost Mountains. Crying won’t put food on the table, or help you avoid being a magical beast’s next meal.

“Wait. Can it be that, Yuelei, you go the other way?!” Silfy exclaimed playfully. “Well. If it’s you, Yuli. I don’t mind~”

“No. Stop. You’re sounding like Lumnieve now.” Yuelei groaned again.

“The Snow Princess goes that way?!”

“Who’s this Snow Princess?” June asked, and before Silfy could answer her, a woman clad in metallic medium armor opened the door and stood in front of the room. The room instantly quieted as the woman rapped a gauntlet together against the chalkboard.

“Welcome to another year at the Church of Ecclisa’s sanctioned Royal Knight Academy. There are many familiar faces, and a new one I see.” The woman gave a slight nod at Yuelei’s direction. “I see you have made friends with Lady Justinia, so please go to her for questions.”

“Now, as you all know, if you end up in the top ten cadets, you can apply for early graduation. Five new spots have opened this year, and I hope to see some you filling them. That aside, I have several announcements to make.” A large scroll was pulled out from beneath the woman’s armor, and when it was unraveled, it rolled all the way to the ground.

“First off, the Spring Festival to celebrate Ecclisa's birth will be taking place at the end of the month. The Devout Guild, as usual, would be hosting the festivities, and we, the female cadets, will be hosting the Rise of Angelic Wings at the festival this year.”

An excited murmur ran through the gathered students.

“What’s the Rise of Angelic Wings?” Yuelei asked.

“It’s… a dancing competition, but the victor is not based on who wins, but who was the most graceful.” Silfy whispered back. “It’s a good way to earn points, and June is realllly good at it.”

“‘Was’ really good at it.” June whispered back.

“You’re still good!” Silfy shouted aloud.

“Miss Justinia, I know you’re enthusiastic about the competition, but please tone it down.”

“Yes, Lady Veela.” Silfy replied meekly, causing laughter to erupt from the gathered students.

“Now, last year, Priestess Geisla’s Twilight Tournament was well received, so we will be doing the same near the end of this year, in substitute of the usual ranking tournaments..”

Where it was a murmur before, it was now a loud cheering as friends in the cadets quickly glanced and smiled each other. Before Yuelei could even start to open her mouth, Silfy had a arm hooked in hers, and the other into Junes. “We’re going to be number one, my ladies!”

“Lady Justinia….” Instructor Veela sighed.

“Sorry, sorry.” Silfy waved back. “Please continue.”

“As usual, bonus points will be given to those that take up requests in tandem with the League of Adventurers, as long as you notify the Church first. Furthermore as usual the merit board will still be a viable source of points of those of you that wish for some extra credit. Do remember that it still operates in a first-come, first-serve basis. Any fighting over the postings will be heavily punished!

“Now finally, we have a message from Lady Geisla regarding the incident a few days back.”

The room was dead silent.

“Now as some of you already know, the Templar Order’s headquarters has been assaulted.”

“Which country was it?” A small voice asked out, and a chorus of voices on the left side of the room shouted out.

“None. It was done by a single man, and for your safety, we will not reveal his name.” Instructor Veela said coldly as she scanned ahead of the paper. “Now if you ladies will hush and let me speak, then we can move this along.”

The room went quiet as Veela’s normally kind voice turned strict.

“The Templar Order’s headquarters is now under repairs, and will not be available for at least a month. Priestess Geisla has pardoned the attacker after a thorough investigation and the fact that he is the bearer of the Rose Knight’s Crest. Yes, the last Holy Symbol.”

Murmurs tore through the crowd.

“Certain officials, their family names withhold, attempted to poison this man, his student, and those hosting them. This is dishonorable, blasphemous, and goes against everything in the code of a Knight.” Instructor Veela smashed a gauntlet against the wall, sending a loud crack throughout the room as bits of slate fell from the blackboard,.

“This man had every reason to retaliate, and justice deemed to be served that night. Knight-Captain Dustin has been stripped of his title and exiled. The Templar Order is temporarily suspended as a proper and just leader is found. ”

“That is all for Priestess Geisla’s message. All of you should take it to heart when you are tempted to go astray.” Instructor Veela shook her head in disapproval. “Personally, such dishonorable actions go against all we teach here at the Academy, and if one of you goes down this path, I will personally rally to strip you of your knighthood.”

“By Ecclisa...” Silfy murmured quietly to Yuelei as the students shuffled out. “I may actually fall in love with Lin at this rate.”

Yuelei had to struggle not to roll her eyes as she followed June to wind magic class. Unbeknownst to her, a girl eyed her as she left.

“...It’s her.” Cecillia murmured.

----------------------------------------

After noon classes were over, Yuelei was leaving from the water magic training facility, a large underground chamber with man-made waterfalls and reservoirs.

“What did you think, Yuelei?” Silfy asked.

“It’s… a bit different.” Yuelei replied, comparing the self-study curriculum against the strict personalized lessons given by her former mentor, Jourmind. Except for a few instructors cadets could ask guidance from, the cadets could practice as they like as long as it fit the theme. Silfy and Yuelei had sparred with water type spells.

“But it suits me.”

“Hands on training is pretty popular throughout all the countries actually, especially for weapon arts.” Silfy said. “ June had told me that you grasped wind magic almost instantly, and I just saw you do the same with water magic. It’s hard to believe it’s your first time.”

“They’re both weaker and simpler than my frost magic, and if anything, they will just supplement my spells.” Yuelei sat down in a bench next to Silfy as they waited for June.

Of course they will. Liur swooped down from above, gathering both admiring and fearful gazes from around them. Once upon a time the world had frozen over, what is a bit of water and wind in comparison?

“Why hello, Liur.” Silfy reached out to try and touch her, but Liur simply skirted away. “Aw come on, we’ve known each other for a long time!”

“...Not long enough” Yuelei translated over for her.

“I thought we were friends!” Silfy pretended to cry.

“A friend of a friend may be a friend, but a friend of family may not be my family.” Yuelei translated. “But I will consider us as friends.”

“Then let me touch your feathers!” Silfy reached out again, but Liur eluded her by hiding around Yuelei’s back. This went back and forth for a while until a thought suddenly struck Yuelei.

“Hey Silfy, back during the entrance tests, the two I fought against had magical beasts, is it common?”

“Well, if you are high ranked enough, you can call forth temporary magical beasts from the Church’s magical power supply.” Silfy replied. “It’s a complex and expensive ritual to bind the sigils onto your body for the summoning, so only a few can afford it.”

“Do you have one, Silfy?”

Silfy shook her head. “After seeing your relationship with Liur, as well as the other magical beings at the Frost Palace, I don’t think that sort of one-sided bond is what is right.”

A good choice. Liur nodded in agreement. Those that bind magical beasts, especially the ‘Monster Slavers’ from the Red Slate Republic will get hunted eventually

“Ah, there’s June!” Silfy stood up and waved at a figure dashing towards them, but quickly stopped. “...Something isn’t right.”

“Sorry for being late, archery class got held up because we had to go and fetch our arrows.” June apologized, hiding her face.

Silfy tugged away June’s arm before she could resist. Her eyes were red and several broken arrows were clutched in her arms.

“...Who did this?” Silfy’s voice grew quiet.

“It’s fine Silfy-”

“It is not fine!” Silfy shouted back, causing students to stop in their tracks and stare at her. “Those arrows are important to you, no?! You told me they were given to you by your family!”

“The arrowheads and tail feathers are fine-”

“Yuelei. Liur. Let’s go.” Silfy stormed towards the direction June had been walking from, dragging her along. Liur and Yuelei looked at each other, and quickly followed them.

The three of them, with Liur flying above them, passed a small gateway and entered the archery field, where several targets were picketed into the ground along an inclining hill. Silfy spotted her target amidst a group of laughing girls, and stormed up to them, still dragging June.

“Why, it’s Lady Silfy and the cannibal girl.” the eldest of the group, a browned hair girl, slightly taller than Yuelei, commented as she laughed with her friends. “What’s the problem? Still missing a few arrows?”

“Miss Korrin. My friend has a name, and it’s not ‘cannibal girl’.” Silfy snapped back. “I believe I have already warned you about your antics.”

“What are you talking about?” Korrin pretended to wipe dust off her shoulders.

“Don’t play the fool, Korrin. Or I swear to Ecclisa, regulations or not, I will put you to the sword.” Silfy shot back. “I want an apology.”

“You do understand that if you start something that isn’t an official duel, we don’t need to hold back right?” Several of Korrin’s friends nodded in agreement and placed their hands on their weapons. “It’s a shame you are higher ranked than me, and can’t challenge me to a formal duel.” Korrin laughed.

“You say that like it’s something to be proud of. Being under someone.” Silfy sneered. “I don’t mind losing a few ranks if it means dealing with a few bullies.”

“Bullies? We’re just providing the barbarian girl some lessons.” One of the girls interjected. “But by all means, be our guest and draw.”

The atmosphere tensed as Silfy reached for her weapons. Not quite understanding the entire situation, but sensing danger, Yuelei started conjuring several Winter Moons behind her back. Just as the atmosphere approached the snapping point, a small object flew through the air and bounced off Korrin’s chest, falling to the floor. Everyone stared at the object, a rank insignia that belonged to June.

Before anyone could speak, both the pin on the floor and Korrin’s pin started glowing and emitting a high shrilled screech. An instructor quickly ran over.

“Do both of you accept this duel?” He nodded to the two.

“Of course. I’m not losing to some savage from the northern wastes.” Korrin replied smugly.

June simply nodded her head, giving Silfy a smile and a thumbs up. “Thanks Silfy, but this is something I should settle.”

“Go get them June.” Silfy shook a fist at her. As the instructor started relaying the terms of the match, Yuelei took the opportunity to ask some questions.

“...Cannibal girl?” Yuelei asked quietly.

“June’s a bit like you, except she comes from a tribe that dwells in the northern dunes and tundras called the Shepherds.. They tribe has a tradition of consuming a bit of the flesh and blood of fallen warriors as a sign of respect.“ Silfy explained without turning her gaze away from June. “There are a lot of people that find it repulsive in the Church, especially since in the past, her kind and the Church has been at odds. ”

“Will she be alright?” Yuelei asked.

“Most of the people are content to leave her alone after I made friends with her. However, there are some that find loopholes in the rules and regulations that as a titled flower, I can’t deal with without repercussions.” Silfy shook her head ruefully. “June was away from school for a time due to her illness, and that was the reason our ranks have such disparity.”

“Not about that, I mean the duel.” Yuelei replied hastily.

“I don’t know. But at the very least, Korrin won’t be bothering June anymore after this. June may be quiet and reserved, but she is a deadly archer. All of the Shepherds are.“

“Good, The first to deliver a fatal blow will be the victor.” The instructor nodded motioned for the two Knights that have arrived to pick their student. The knight with a red plume stood a few meters behind Korrin, and the knight with the blue plume did the same behind June. They were to intervene at the final moment.

“Draw your weapons, and salute your opponent!”

June bought out a strange triangular shaped bow seemingly made entirely from metal. She held the bow by the handle with both hands as she bowed deeply, respecting her opponent. On the other hand, Korrin simply gave the slightest of nods while stringing her composite bow.

“Begin!” The instructor announced.

Korrin quickly nocked an arrow and shot it towards June, who knocked it aside with one of the blunt sides of the bow, causing a ring to echo throughout the area.

“Not bad, cannibal.” Korrin mocked as she put distance between them, while firing off several more arrows. “I heard your kind were legendary archers, but it seems to me that you don’t even know you are holding a bow.”

“You know nothing about me or my people.” June deflected the incoming arrows with unerring precision with the slightest of movements with her bow, a feat that even amazed Yuelei. “But I can tell from your shots that you are no archer.”

“I don’t see you being so outspoken when your arrows ‘accidentally’ broke.” Korrin scoffed and a gust started to pick up behind her. She nocked an arrow and took aim, the bow shaking erratically. The arrow, with wind magic increasing its speed, blasted towards June.

However, June did not move an inch. The magically charged arrow arced towards her, and then slipped by the side of her face leaving her unscathed.

“When you overcharge your shot, the bow becomes unstable as the arrow’s energy affects it. It may be effective as a blank point technique, but it takes training to utilize it at long range. Plus, your arrows are not suited for it.” June advised, as she carefully selected an arrow from a quiver.

“Who are you to be lecturing me on how to use a bow? You simply have to shoot until you hit the mark.” Korrin had already nocked another arrow and started enchanting it with wind energy.

“I am the better archer.” June replied as she gracefully nocked the arrow and pulled back the string in one smooth notion. “And the name we call this technique, is Storm Hunter.”

June knelt on one knee and dug one foot into the ground. Korrin took advantage of the time it takes to aim and shoot, but it fell short, buffeted by a strong gale surrounding June as she imbued a hurricane into the arrow.

Yet in the very center of the strong gales, the wind was calm as June sucked in her breath and took aim. And then breathing out, she released.

Faster than the speed of sound, the arrow shot towards Korrin’s head. Before she could even react, a loud crash, followed by ringing was heard as the red plumed knight had leaped into action. Two swords interlocked to block the blow, but the afterward ringing of the blades was enough to signify the deadly force behind the shot.

“Winner. June!”

----------------------------------------

“So as you see, Yuelei. After a duel, ranking points are adjusted for both participants. The rankings will be updated once a day at midnight. Of course, you can only request duels from those that are higher ranked than you are, and you are limited to one duel a day.” Silfy explained as June was apologizing profusely to the two safety knights. “Either participant can reject the duel, but it usually doesn’t happen. Usually the time and date is changed instead.”

“But how in Ecclisa’s name did June get so strong? Whatever Lin gave that girl, I want some too.” Silfy grumbled as June walked over to them. “June! When did you grow up and become such a dangerous person?!.”

“...I was always a good archer.” June said, embarrassed at being put on the spot. “I just don’t like showing off, plus this weapon is not meant to be a bow. It’s a boomerang.”

“Nonsense! You can just whack them with your bow!” Silfy shrugged. “Just like how you flipped those arrows out of the air!”

“I would prefer not to damage my bow.” June murmured. “And did you really have to put me on the spot like that?”

“Well, I was going to challenge them to a duel anyway. You just got ahead of me.” Silfy patted June’s shoulder. “Good for you, June.”

June sighed and warned Yuelei. “Watch out Yuelei, Silfy can be quite meddling. That’s a part of her that will never change.”

Quite isn’t the word she is looking for at all. Liur perched herself on Yuelei’s shoulder.

“Is that a phoenix?” June murmured as Liur started preening her feathers. “Yuelei, you are acquainted with a phoenix?”

“This is Liur. We’re family.” Yuelei exchanged a few words with Liur, and Liur bowed to June. “She says that your archery skills are top notch and she would not want you as an enemy.”

“I would never!” June shook her head hastily. “Phoenixes are well respected by my tribe. It is one of our most spoken stories that a phoenix with blue wings, much like Liur’s, had led our ancestors from the deserts in the south all the way north.”

That was my grandmother. Liur confirmed to Yuelei. Have you eaten lunch yet, Yuelei?

At the question, Yuelei suddenly remembered she was hungry and her stomach growled, causing laughter from Silfy and a smile from June.

“Right, right. We haven’t had lunch yet, and it’s already this late! Why don’t we show Yuelei to the dining hall?”

Sometime later...

“So, what do you think, Yuelei? Would you like to duel with me after lunch?” Silfy asked as she placed down her knife and fork. “It’s been awhile since we’ve sparred.”

“...Aren’t you in the top tens, Silfy?” Yuelei asked. “Wouldn’t you lose a lot of points if I win?”

“You cheeky little girl, thinking about the victory before we haven’t even started.” Silfy pulled on Yuelei’s cheek. “Our battles have always end up in a tie, because neither of us would use dangerous spells. In the case of a proper tie, both participants will receive points.”

“If that was the case, wouldn’t people just… farm points?”

“No, no, of course not. It’s up to the instructor to call it a tie, and if he did not believe that either side was fighting seriously, then points are deducted instead.”

“Let’s not.” Yuelei replied. “I’m not interested in this foolish point system anyway.”

“That sounds like you, Yuelei. But regardless, sooner or later you will have people challenging you to duels, or invite you to their teams for competitions. Well, not the invitation part because you are already on my team!”

“Do I even have a choice?” Yuelei rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Nope!” Silfy smiled back.

“Now, now, Sil. You shouldn’t force her to do things that she doesn’t want to do.” June gave Yuelei a knowing glance. Clearly she herself had been dragged in all sorts of situations thanks to Silfy.

“But she wants to do it. Right my dear, lovely, and talented friend, Yuli~?” Silfy gave an irresistible grin to which Yuelei could not help but crack a smile back at.

“Fine. Fine. I will do it for the experience.” Yuelei sighed. “What are we doing after this?”

“Shall we spar anyway? Or shall we look on the mission board and see if there’s anything that suits us?” Silfy leaned over and started suggesting plans. At this point, a certain red haired girl walked up to their table.

“Lady Justinia, Alia, and Daain. May I join you?” Yuelei looked up to see a familiar face, the girl she had fought at the entrance tests, Cecilla.

“By all means, Cecilla. Also, you can drop the formal titles.” Silfy nodded and Cecillia took the seat in front of them. “Can we help you with something?”

“If it is possible, I would like a rematch with Miss Yuelei.” Cecillia replied, glancing in Yuelei’s direction but not meeting her eyes. “I would ask for a duel myself but...”

“Your rank prevents you from issuing it.” Silfy nodded in understanding. “But why Yuelei? This isn’t because-”

“I hold Miss Yuelei in high regards, and believe that by sparring with her, would reveal my flaws and weaknesses.” Cecillia cut her off. “I have no ill intentions, but I will understand if you refuse.”

“Easy, easy, Cecillia. There’s no need to be so stiff.” Silfy patted her on the shoulder, but it only seems Cecilla was confused by the gesture. “Erm, well, it’s Yuelei’s call after all.”

“I don’t mind.” Yuelei replied, a bit eager to put to practice her knowledge of wind and water magic. “However, I would prefer to do it in a place away from prying eyes. I am not a fan of bystanders.”

“It is the same for me. A true duel between two combatants is not a show and there is no place for others.” Cecillia nodded in approval. “There’s an unaffiliated training building where we can avoid the crowd. We can grab an instructor and head there.”

“Well, I suppose we know what we’re going to do now.” Silfy wrapped an arm around June.

“...Don’t tell me.” June grumbled, the building spoken of was at least a mile away.

“We’re going to cheer for Yuli!”

About an hour later, with all the pomp and circumstance aside, the duel started. Yuelei and Cecilla had sparred with weapons only first, trying to gauge the other. If not for Yuelei’s blade of frost, the screech of metal on metal would have echoed around them as the two exchanged blows. Although Yuelei hated to admit it, Cecillia was better at wielding her halberd than her with her sword. Instead of going head on against Yuelei like in their prior engagement, she strafed around her so her blade of frost did not have the opportunity to freeze her weapon. After another rapid exchange, the two put some distance between them to catch their breath.

“You fight well.” Yuelei praised begrudgingly. “Much better since our last fight.”

“One can only grow stronger if they fight those which are stronger than them.” Cecillia replied. “Your weapon is a dangerous one and hinders me from committing my attacks. But I have yet to see you use that spell of yours that causes it to grow.”

“That spell is too dangerous for a match.” Yuelei shook her head. “And once the technique is release, I cannot control it.”

“I have high respect for you and yet you admit to holding back on me?!” Despite Yuelei’s confession, Cecillia started to get angry

“That wasn’t my-”

“Enough. We are in a duel, and our might will answer all questions!” Cecillia slammed her halberd into the ground, causing fire to leap from the ground and cover her weapon in flames. “On guard!”

Cecillia leaped towards Yuelei, slamming her weapon into Yuelei’s Frost Edge. Sensing something was wrong, Yuelei quickly leaped back and checked her weapon, where a deep gash had made its way through the blade. She quickly repaired it as Cecillia leaped towards her again.

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“Come on!” Cecillia shouted as her flurry of attacks tore into Yuelei’s blade of ice, forcing her to constantly repair it. “You were better than this! Where is that magic of yours!?”

“Fine!” Yuelei shouted in response, sending Primal Frost Bolts towards Cecillia while forming two Winter Moons above her. “You asked for it!”

“You will have to do better than that.” Cecillia shot back as she send Fire Bolts to intercept Yuelei’s spells. Before the Winter Moons can fully form, she pointed the halberd in their direction.

“Flame Lance!” Spears of fire shot through the Winter Moons, shattering them and sending ice falling down towards Yuelei.

Water Orb. Yuelei murmured as the ice fell around her, casting one of the water spells she’s learned. She sent the altered version of Water Bolt towards Cecillia, who sliced it in half, only to realize her mistake as the water splattered onto her body and started to freeze.

“...Tsk. A new spell?” Cecillia’s halberd grew red and she disappeared behind a blazing flame for a moment. When she returned into view, the flames returning to dance on the halberd, the ice over her body had melted awa, and any water that remained quickly evaporated from the heat.

“What else have do you have in store?” Cecilla grinned, and Yuelei realized that she was thriving in the feel of battle.

However, Yuelei smiled at the challenge. She could not help but come to like this stubborn girl, who declared herself her rival. The tattoo of butterflies at her feet flashed momentarily and she floated into the air, drawing admiring gasps from the instructors and safety knights. Flight was a relatively high leveled spell, although it was no spell that Yuelei was casting.

“...Come on!.” Cecillia was impressed but did not show it, instead she started sending Fire Bolts and the occasional Flame Lance at Yuelei, who dodged and deflected them. She flew higher up into the air out of the range of Cecillia’s spells.

Water Orb. Whirlwind. Dewdrops. Wind Blade. Yuelei combined several rudimentary wind and water spells, dowsing the air around her in millions of droplets of water. When she finished, Yuelei released her restrained Winter’s Breath, causing the water to freeze in thousands of round, hail-like crystal rocks. The preparations were finally done, and Yuelei released her imitation of Lumnieve’s spell, Crystal Hail.

Thousands upon thousands of hail, some the size of a grown man’s fist, came pelting down from above. Silfy quickly drew her shield and pulled June beneath her. The safety knights did the same, mumbling that this is starting to get out of hand to the instructor.

Cecillia on the other hand, had no shield of her own, instead conjuring up an Earthen Wall which she hid behind. Pinned down and unable to move, Cecillia could only wonder what was happening. As she took refuge, several Winter Orbs leisurely formed behind Yuelei in the air.

As the hailstorm ended and Cecillia peeked out from behind the wall, she was shocked to see eight Winter Moons levitating behind Yuelei, as well two dozen Primal Ice Bolts. However she was unfaltered and the flames along her halberd grew even fiercer.

“Halt! Victor is Lady Alia!” The instructor cried out.

“What? But it’s still-”

“Take a good look at your feet, Miss Solas!”

Cecillia looked down and saw the entire ground caked with broken ice from the blizzard. All of the fragments were pointed towards her, waiting for Yuelei’s command. Although Cecillia could melt and evaporate the small bits of ice with ease, there was no way she could manage to deal with the projectiles floating next to Yuelei.

“I admit defeat.” Cecillia admitted with reluctance that she had been outmaneuvered and outsmarted. Although she was a better melee fighter than Yuelei, Yuelei was several times stronger when it came to magic.

----------------------------------------

“Well fought.” Cecillia extended a hand and Yuelei took it.

“You had the advantage when we were crossing blades, but you lost it when you backed off.” Yuelei advised. “I honestly never expected someone to be able to shatter my weapon.”

“Still, a loss is a loss, albeit I will learn from it.” Cecillia smiled. “I would like to request a rematch.”

“And I, too.” Yuelei nodded in return. “By next time I will have improved my swordplay.”

“And I shall improve the number of spells I know. Until next time.” Cecillia walked away, following the instructors and safety knights that have already left.

“Dammit, Yuelei, can’t you control your spells?” Silfy complained as she brushed off the melting ice off her shield. “Did you really have to use such a large area spell? June was practically quivering behind me.”

“It’s not really an offensive spell.” Yuelei shrugged. “The one Lumnieve or Gallienoir would use would litter the ground with boulders of ice.”

“Well, either way, after beating a top ten ranked cadet, I’m sure your rank is going to go up a lot… It’s going to be a matter of conversation tomorrow.”

“Right. Points.” Yuelei mumbled. “Well, what’s going to happen is going to happen.”

Silfy shook her head and sighed. “June, can you believe how carefree this girl is? We’re the ones struggling to climb the ranks and she’s like ‘oh, whatever.’ “

“...You’re the one that’s rank eight Silfy.” June pointed out.

“...It’s not my fault that everyone wants to pick a fight with me.” Silfy shrugged.

“Actually, I think it’s the other way around. I don’t even know why they called you the White Azalea sometimes.” June sighed as the three started the hour long trek back.

After another exquisite meal made by Galvin, Silfy excused herself and Yuelei wandered to Lin’s workplace. Ever since the incident, Lin had locked himself in his new laboratory, requesting that his meals will be sent there. Every so often, he would come out with a list of ingredients that he would pass off to Galvin, or leave on his own to gather.

It was today when Galvin the butler had informed Yuelei that Lin wanted to see her, several weeks after she had last saw him. Yuelei stood in front of the heavy doors, not sure what sort of entrance she should make, and hesitated.

“Come in Yuelei, you’ve been standing outside for ten minutes already.” Lin’s voice called out from inside. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”

“Excuse me.” Yuelei pushed open the door and was shocked at what she saw. Or rather, what she didn’t see. There was no vials and chemistry stations, no pots and cauldrons filled with strange liquids, no rainbow colored array of ingredients. All there was, was Lin himself, who sat cross-legged on a carpet on the floor, tossing a strange white jewel resembling a diamond into the air and catching it with his other hand. “Did you call for me, teacher?”

“I did. I finally finished synthesizing the Ancient’s Spirit Crystal.” Lin went straight to the point. “I will be leaving this place in a few hours. I called you here to give you this.”

Lin held out a thin book,that Yuelei accepted and opened. The strange characters written on them were foreign to her, and as she tried to make sense of them, the words seemed to wander around and Yuelei felt dizzy on her feet. When she closed the book, the feeling passed.

“It’s a list of recipes for potions, most of them are well known, but there are a few of my specialty brews. However, I did not include all that I know, since it is my belief that a true alchemist must experiment, and manage to synthesize their own creations.” Lin explained. “To prevent it from getting in the wrong hands, I have written it in an ancient tongue and bound it with magic. Liur will be able to read it. Anyone else that tries… will suffer what you just suffered.”

“That’s very meticulous...” Yuelei commented as she tucked the book away. “Out of curiosity, what is the strongest item in there?”

“...If you can manage it, Fallen Goddess’ Tears, a blue crystal which when consumed, will give you immense power for a limited time, but at a great cost.” Lin said after thinking it through. “If you consumed one, you may even be able to fight on par with me if I did not call out my Four Sacred Jewels.”

“And win?” Yuelei said hopefully, her eyes shining brightly.

“No.” Lin shook his head. “I said on par, we would be evenly matched until the effects expire.” Lin’s face grew grim. “However the cost is immense, Yuelei. In the best case scenario, you would fall into a deep slumber for a month and lose the ability to cast magic. In the worse case… you will die. ”

“Have you ever used one?” Yuelei couldn’t help but ask, to which Lin went silent as he thought back to a different time.

“Yes.” Lin replied quietly. “Four of my dear friends paid an even heavier price so I can be here today. Do not take this lightly, Yuelei.”

“What is that you have in your hands?” Yuelei pointed to the white crystal Lin was tossing around. “Or rather, what does it do?”

“This Ancient’s Spirit Crystal is… a link from our realm to Ava Na Isla, the realm of the spirits.” Lin admitted. “I suppose now is a good time as any.”

Lin tossed the crystal into the air where it floated. He brought out one of the Four Sacred Jewels, the one that signified water, where it floated above the Spirit Crystal. Yuelei watched in amazement as the Water Jewel seemed to melt into a deep azure liquid, entering the Spirit Crystal and changing the color from diamond white to a light larimar blue.

She watched as the translucent figure of a woman started become less and less transparent, until the blue crystal disappeared and a figure took its place.

“Yuelei, this is Eir.” Lin nodded to the woman with strange non-human features like a nereid. Where her ears were were a pair of blue fins, Behind the flowing mermaid like robe, Yuelei could catch patches of glittering blue scales on the woman’s delicate arms. And, floating above the ground, her face was… how should Yuelei put it, it reminded her of Lumnieve’s.

“I have known you for a long time now. Do you recognize me?” Eir spoke, and her voice was bewitching like that of a sirens. Yuelei’s mind clicked when she realized it was the same voice she heard while Lin played the flute during the ceremony of rebirth, as well when she was pinned by the herd of Glimstalkers.

“Thank you for your protection all this time.” Yuelei bowed with gratitude.

Eir simply nodded in return and floated behind Lin, placing a hand on his shoulder. There was a moment of silence, and Yuelei realized that Eir and Lin were communicating in the same way she and Liur did.

“Eir is a spirit of water.” Lin said, finally breaking the silence. “Before we leave, she said she would like to spar with you and show you one of her techniques since she never had the chance to mentor you in my place.”

“I… would be honored.” Yuelei was flabbergasted. Although she still did not quite understand who or what Eir was, she gave off the same aura of power as Lumnieve, perhaps a bit weaker.

“We’ll do it at the end of the week.” Lin sighed. “Eir, I suppose you would like to remain in that form?”

“Of course.” Eir murmured. “It has been so long since I have walked in this world.”

“But you don’t walk. You fly.” Lin pointed out.

One of Eir’s eyebrows twitched, and she floated to the ground, bare feet touching the woven carpet. Yuelei caught the briefest scent of the ocean breeze as Eir tugged on Lin’s hair.

“Please do not do that.” Lin’s face was stony as ever, but there was a rare smile on his face.

“Your hair is as dirty as ever. Don’t you ever wash it?” Eir commented, snapping her fingers and a torrent of water falling over Lin. “Morrighan would cry if she saw you in this condition.”

Lin grimaced and gave Yuelei a look telling her to get out. Yuelei quickly excused herself as Eir the water spirit had her way with Lin.

As Yuelei closed the door, she could hear Lin grumbling quietly.

“Eir, after centuries of working to bring you back, the first thing you do is fix my hair?”

Despite the fact that Lin was hard to read, even Yuelei could tell there was concealed happiness in his words.

----------------------------------------

The days passed quickly as Yuelei focused her attention on learning water and wind techniques. For a week, she followed a set routine. Wake up, go to classes with June and Silfy, sparring or dueling with June, Silfy, and occasionally, Cecillia, then return home to decrypted some of the recipes with Lin’s help. The days were not what one can call easy, but they were fruitful. Yuelei did not win all her battles, but she took refuge in the fact that she made progress.

But today, Silfy decided she had enough of being cooped up in classrooms for a week. As soon June joined her and Yuelei, she hooked an arm under both of them and dragged them to the mission board. June resigned herself to her fate when she saw the look on Silfy’s face while Yuelei knew it was wiser not to resist.

In a few minutes, they finally arrived on the mission board, a ten meter long slab of stone. Normally there would be hundreds of little fliers and notices on it, but as it was a week before the end of the month, only a few desolate posters remained, the ones that were either too strict, or not worth it.

Silfy clicked her tongue. “Tsk. None of these are worth anything!”

“Well… if you want to go on an adventure, we can try again next week.” June replied. “There’s also the League of Adventurers…”

“But after next week is the Rise of Angelic Wings contest, we need to prepare!” Silfy replied.

“...We can hold it off. I’m not too keen on participating anyway.” June closed her eyes quietly. Seeing her reaction, Silfy quickly changed the topic.

As Silfy and June argued back and forth playfully, Yuelei walked down the length of the mission board, she scanned the few remaining fliers.

“Refill the lampposts at XXX location… Deliver supplies to the Western Guard Post… Find a lost item….” Yuelei read out some of the names. They were certainly boring and unfulfilling jobs and the reward points were low.

“Huh?” An ancient and brown paper was sticking behind one of the fliers. “What’s this?”

“Did you find something, Yuelei?” Silfy and June walked over.

“Just this.” Yuelei held up the notice, the paper already starting to yellow and flake.

“Deliver a hundred combination Rejuvenating Warmth Potions to Priestess Lorrin in the infirmary. Upon successful delivery, twenty gold coins and one thousand points will be awarded. Listed below is the recipe.” Silfy read out.

“One stem of a Flame Lily, Distilled Spring Water, and two drops of diluted snake venom.” June continued. “One gram of powdered Glimstalker Gall Bladder, and two spoonfuls of powdered Rose Petals. These are some expensive ingredients...”

“Yuli, I know you’re an alchemist, but these sort of requests are usually not worth it.“ Silfy explained. “Glimstalker Gall Bladders and Flame Lilies are at least twenty silver pieces apiece, and we need at least a hundred portions, and from what I know, not all concoctions are successes.”

“...Must we follow the recipe?”

“Are you saying, what I think you’re saying, Yuli?” Silfy’s eyes grew wide. “...You’re going to substitute the ingredients?”

Yuelei nodded. “I don’t know the price of ingredients, but all I need is about four hundred strands of Fire Grass, and a pound of Taw Berries. I already have the gall bladders.”

“Two gold coins.” Silfy calculated the cost. “That’s a fifteen times return. If you pull this off Yuli…. ”

While Silfy and Galvin decided to go by horseback to fetch the ingredients, June and Yuelei made their way to Lin’s former lab, now belonging to Yuelei. He had gone off somewhere as usual.

“What do we need to do?” June asked, staring at all the strange apparatuses around her.

“Why don’t you fill the cauldron with water? We need to boil and remove the impurities.” Yuelei said as she used a bit of wind magic to carry the huge cauldron into the center of the room. It was much heavier than she thought and she almost dropped the cauldron.

“...That looks like one of those pots witches use while making some sort of green stew.” June shook her head as she received the bucket from Yuelei. “I don’t ever want to end up in one of those.”

“Don’t worry, June. There’s no reason to boil a human. The amount of elemental residue within our bodies is seldom worth it.” Yuelei said quietly.

June did not know if Yuelei was joking or not as she walked out to fetch water. After a few moments, Liur walked into the room.

Did you call for me, Yuelei?

“I did, I’m going to need your help chilling some of the ingredients and the final potion.” Yuelei explained the situation to Liur. By the time she finished, June was back with the bucket of water pouring it into the cauldron.

“...Do we need to fill in the entire cauldron?” June complained as she and Yuelei went to fetch water together. “Why don’t we just do it with magic?”

“Pure water gives the potion a foul taste.” Yuelei replied, easily lifting a bucket in each hand. “And one hundred bottles is… a lot. The recipe is simple but portions and balance will need to be controlled.”

“I will leave it to the expert.” June smiled. “All I can help with is the manual labor.”

“That’s plenty enough. I plan to split the reward with everyone anyway.”

“That’s not-”

“We’re going to share the reward.” Yuelei asserted. “And if you or Silfy says no, I’ll decline it entirely.”

“...Well if you put it like that. Thank you, Yuli. You’re a good person.”

“Only to my friends, few as they are.” Yuelei gave a rare smile, and for a moment, June’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.

“Wooooooah~ June, what are you doing to my Yuli?” Silfy had returned and had walked in onto the last of their conversation. “I thought we agreed to share her!”

“Yuli smiled. I have. Never. Seen her smile.” June told Silfy. “I was just a bit stunned, that’s all. You missed something extraordinary, Sil.”

“Yuli? Are we talking about the same person?” Silfy turned to Yuelei and poked on her cheeks. “Do it again, for me.”

Yuelei scowled and turned away. “Do you have the ingredients?”

“I do!” Silfy pretended to be shocked at the accusation. “Galvin has already unloaded everything from the wagon. He’s bringing it in now.”

“Hmph.” Yuelei turned away and stormed into the alchemy lab.

“...You took that a bit too far. Silfy.”

In the lab, Yuelei poured a few drops Essence of Fire Blossom into a few pints of water from her four chambered vial, causing steam to rise. She then poured the Fire Grass into the liquid, letting it soak in the essence for a moment.

“Is this minced enough?” June asked, holding up a gray-white powder.

“A little bit longer. The Glimstalker gall bladder needs to be really fine.” Yuelei responded. “Liur, how are the Taw Berries coming along?”

Already done. Liur jerked a wind towards the Taw Berries, which were encased in ice. I can remove the ice whenever you need them.

“Alright. Silfy, how is the cauldron looking?”

“The Belsrose petals melted as you said they would!” Silfy replied. “It smells so~ good~.”

“Don’t get close to the cauldron, the fumes will scald you!” Yuelei warned, pouring a bit of purified Aqua Orb from her diamond shaped bottle into the minced Glimstalker gall bladders, forming a gray poultice. She poured this foul smelling liquid into the cauldron, causing the deep red color to turn to a light crimson.

“Now, Liur.” Yuelei waved.

Liur flapped her wings, and the ice encasing the Taw Berries vanished. Yuelei signaled to June and Silfy, and they started tossing the Taw Berries into the cauldron by the handful. The crimson color started to thicken for a moment, but after a quick stir, the color was now a pale pink.

Finally, Yuelei picked up the bowl of Fire Grass which had absorbed the Fire Blossom infused water and bits of flame danced along the tips. She gingerly poured these into the cauldron, causing a violent reaction as flames burst on the top of the cauldron. Luckily, in a few moments, they were quelled.

“So uh... Are we done now?” Silfy asked.

Yuelei raised a finger to quiet her. She dipped a spoon into the cauldron and held it to her mouth while Silfy and June watched with bated breath. As the potion went down, Yuelei felt refreshed and warmth spread from her stomach to her fingers and toes.

“It’s done. The quality can’t compare to Lin’s though, but that’s within expectations. Let’s bottle them up and see how much we have.” Yuelei replied, reaching for the batch of vials.

“Two hundred and ten.” Silfy said in shock. “Did we really need this much potions?”

“I wasn’t sure of the portions, so I wanted to be safe.” Yuelei replied, she had substituted several ingredients with much more potent ones she had on hand. Halfway through the process, Yuelei had realized how valuable the Four-Chambered Flask, as well as what it contained, was. “Would it be possible to sell them?”

“Of course, Galvin is quite adept at managing our affairs, and I’m sure he has contacts who would be willing to pay at a reasonable price.” Silfy replied.

“But...why did we bring it all with us if we only needed a hundred?” June complained. Galvin had taken the carriage to bring them to the Royal Knight’s Infirmary, but they had to traverse the last stretch themselves. All three girls were carrying a large wooden chest that almost blocked their vision. After a while of walking up stairs and asking for directions, they arrived in the Head Nurse’s room.

“Come in.” A voice called out as Yuelei reached out to knock.

“Excuse us.” Yuelei pushed open the door with her back as the three of them walked in with the chests. Under the gaze of Priestess Lorrin, they placed these boxes at their feet and saluted.

“Madam, we are here about the notice for a hundred Rejuvenating Warmth potions.” Silfy explained, pulling out the tattered notice.

“Ah, that thing was still up there?” Lorrin waved a hand. “I didn’t think there was a cadet capable of delivering. May I inspect the potions?”

“As you like..” Silfy spoke for them, as she had the highest rank.

Lorrin walked over, her white dress dancing along the ground, and picked out one of the dark pink bottles from the chest.

“The color is a bit strange, I had thought it would be red.” Lorrin said with disapproval. “And the potion bottles are much smaller than what I expected.”

“We used another recipe, madam, but the effects are the same.” Yuelei quickly explained.

Lorrin turned to Yuelei, as if seeing her for the first time and glanced her all over. She took the stopper off and wafted some of the vapors to her nose.

“...It smells good.” Lorrin admitted. She tilted and dipped a finger in the liquid and dabbed it into her mouth. Her eyes opened wide. “Who concocted these?”

“Yuelei did.” Silfy nodded proudly.

“Brilliant. The portions are smaller but their effects are stronger.” Lorrin praised. “This makes it both easier to carry and more potent for the Knights that have to stay out in the cold. You, what’s your full name?”

“Yuelei Alia… Madam.” Yuelei replied hesitatingly.

“The new arrival?” Lorrin trained her eyes onto Yuelei, making her a bit comfortable. “How many potions of these do you have?”

“Two hundred Madam.”

“We will take them all.” Lorrin tapped a bell on the table and several white-gowned nuns came and took the chests away. “Here is fifty gold coins, and I will give you three thousand points for a job well done.”

“Please share the points among the three of us.” Yuelei asked. “We did it together.”

“As you wish.” Lorrin nodded. “I am glad that a talented alchemist has finally arrived at the Knight Academy. Sometimes, our troops rely too heavily on healing magic. Magic sickness from overuse is much harder to treat then using potions.”

As the three girls nodded and made to leave, Lorrin raised her voice to stop them.

“Yuelei, if you are in need of more alchemy related requests, please come to me. Alchemy regents will be provided and you can act as you see fit.”

Yuelei nodded before closing the door.

“So that is the disciple of our wanderer, is it?” Priestess Lorrin mumbled as she swirled the liquid inside the vial she had kept, marveling at the color and consistency. “Geisla was right when she said we should treat her well.”

Back at the Justinia residence.

“We’re going to have an extra two gold coins.” Yuelei said as she distributed the reward, both Silfy and June taking it hesitantly.

“That last two is yours.” Silfy and June said at the same time. They looked at each other and burst out laughing while Yuelei simply shook her head at them. She had always split food evenly with Liur, and it was standard of her to do so.

“Man, I’m beat!” Silfy stretched as their laughter ceased. “Actually I have an idea, why don’t we give the last two coins to Galvin? Galvin!” Silfy shouted.

“You called for me, Lady Justinia?” Galvin, the impeccable butler he was, arrived quickly.

“Please, accept this for your help.” Yuelei reached for Galvin’s hand and placed the two gold coins on it.

“Lady Yuelei, I can’t accept this.” Galvin placed the coins back onto Yuelei’s hand. “It was my pleasure to serve you, and that by itself, was my reward.”

“But I insist!” Yuelei tried to reach Galvin’s hand again, but Galvin simply shook his head and pushed her hand away.

“Now, now, how about this.” Silfy plucked the two coins from Yuelei’s hand and held them out to Galvin. “Galvin, use these two gold coins and buy whatever you’d like to make for dinner. I expect an extravagant meal!”

Galvin nodded and accepted the coins. “When you put it like that, Silfy, then this old crow can’t exactly say no…”

----------------------------------------

That night, after Galvin had prepared a meal that even managed to earn the seal of approval from Liur, Yuelei had returned to her room for the night. A flapping of wings signaled Liur’s arrival as she sat on the bed next to Yuelei.

“Hello, Liur.”

Greetings, Yuelei. You did well for yourself today.

“I had help. Is something the matter? You look bothered”

I came across a certain memory, but there are things in it that I don’t quite understand. I was hoping you could explain.

Yuelei made to sat up, but Liur stopped her with a wing. “What do you mean?”

It would be best if I showed you. Liur’s eyes glowed a dazzling blue, and Yuelei’s vision was blanketed in blue light for a moment. When the fog lifted, she was standing on the ground surrounded by a small battalion of strangely garbed men and women, who paid her no heed. They seemed to be soldiers, but were dressed quite strangely. They all wore a white and crimson uniform, with trims of red steel on the outside and white metal on the inside. The males had a strange cloak on their waists, and the women had regal battle dresses padded with steel. All had black hair and wielded pitch black obsidian weapons.

My grandmother is over there. Yuelei heard Liur’s voice point out a direction and she saw an Ice Phoenix sitting on the hilt of a giant two handed sword. Next to her splendor stood a noble and queenly woman with flowing red hair holding a large banner of a red dragon breathing fire, eyes closed.

It’s starting.

“You are all my people!” The piercing red eyes seemed to speak to Yuelei, even though she was not even there. She waved a hand and pointed behind Yuelei. “We have put aside our differences and arguments to be here today!”

“For centuries we have hid in the shadows, living under the colossus that threatens to end our way of life!” Yuelei turned around and her heart sank as she saw the thousands, no- millions of soldiers slowly marching towards them. “They call us abominations, exiled us from their lands, and now they seek to wipe us out!”

“Today, today we take a stand! If we fall, then let the world know that we did not simply wait for our doom!” The woman lifted the banner into the air and cheers deafened Yuelei’s ears. “Today, we fight for all we have lost, and so that our children can have a better tomorrow!”

“We are defending nothing! This is not our last stand!”

“No, my brethren! This is our incursion!”

Without realizing it, Yuelei had joined in the cheering. The woman hefted the standard and threw it like a spear at the enemy. As it landed, the ground cracked and lava spat forth.

“Brothers! Sisters! Let your heritage be known!”

The woman lifted her two handed sword and held it to the air and shouted a war cry. The black metal sizzled, and red intermixed with blue flames danced along it’s edge. All of the assembled warriors raised their black weapons into the air, and at the same time, their black hair changed to a crimson red. As their weapons were bathed in flames, their eyes too, changed to a flaming crimson.

“We will carve a life in these lands for ourselves! Forward my brethren! ” The woman leaped into the air and landed at the front of the group, facing the enemy.

As she charged towards to meet the enemy without glancing back, without realizing it, Yuelei was charging alongside the other warriors.

That’s enough. Liur’s voice called out just before the battalion collided with the enemy armies. Yuelei suddenly felt dizzy as the vision left her eyes and found herself back in her room, in a running position and her Frost Edge drawn and ready to do battle. Are you alright?

“That was....” Yuelei could still feel the adrenaline pumping in her veins as she withdrew her blade and sat down.“Who was that woman?”

Her people were inheritors of one of the Fire Lord’s embers and they were called the Red Mages. She went on to became one of the founders of a small nation that still exists today. Liur replied. What I wanted to ask you was why the people acted that way.

Why you, acted that way.

“...Inspiration? She... I….“Yuelei tried to recall that feeling. “It was as if... I was filled with liquid courage.”

Human are such interesting beings. Liur commented. To pit a mere four hundred against two million, and give courage through words alone..

“How did the battle go?” Yuelei asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Showing you the vision has drained me. I will be sleeping now. Liur curled up and went to sleep on the spot without answering her question.

Try as she might, Yuelei rolled listlessly around for awhile, unable to fall asleep. The cheering of the men and women around her, the feeling of her feet dashing through the dirt, and the image of the crimson queen, plagued her mind.

Instead of going to bed, Yuelei went out in the yard and started to train.

If Airen would one day be that person to inspire people to fight for him, she must not let him down.

----------------------------------------

The next day passed by in a flash. Yuelei was too focused on the upcoming battle with Eir to pay attention to her classes. Does she even have a chance of winning? How should she approach fighting Eir? Would the same combat style as Lin even work?

As such questions occupied her mind, she made her way back towards the Justinia manor as soon as classes were over. Silfy and June, who had noticed her strange behavior, were tailing her.

“I’m telling you, June. Yuli’s must have eaten something weird. I’ve never seen her act like this!”

“Silfy, I don’t think it has anything to do with what she’s eaten. It’s apparent she has something on her mind.”

“On her mind? Yuli’s not the brooding type, she acts on instinct, like a cat.”

“If anyone’s a cat, it’s you Silfy.”

“If I am going to be a cat, then I prefer to be a leopard or panther.”

“…Pft.” June stifled a laugh.

Ahead of them, Yuelei was still oblivious to them as she tried to visualize the battle in her head. Above all, she did not want to disappoint her savior.

“Hello, Yuelei.” Lin greeted as she made her way towards the yard. “We have been waiting for you.” At his words, Eir floated down from the roof from which she had been resting on.

Yuelei heard a gasp behind her, and she quickly turn around to see Silfy and June staring at Eir.

“Silfy and… June was it? This is Eir, my companion.” Lin introduced.

“Ah, the girl of rebirth.” Eir gave the gentlest of nods to the two. “And this must be your friend.”

Like Yuelei, Silfy quickly recognized the melodious voice. “Thank you for everything. This is a debt that I am afraid I can never repay.” Silfy bowed deeply, while June was still trying to comprehend what was happening.

“Be careful where you wander, young acolyte. That is my advice to thee.” Eir cautioned. “Now, Yuelei, shall I demonstrate a spell for you?”

Yuelei nodded and assumed her stance with her Frost Edge at her side. Lin waved a hand and Silfy, June, and himself were carried over to a safe distance. Yuelei started to form eight Winter Moons intending to go all out.

“No magic, Yuelei. Otherwise I fear this manor may have nothing left.” Eir waved her hand in front of her, forming a stream of water. She grasped at the end of the stream and a sky blue sword, exactly the same as Lin’s albeit a much deeper color, materialized out of the liquid. She pointed the sabre at the floating Winter Moons, and Yuelei watched in shock as they disintegrated into water, splashing down at her feet. After a moment, the same happened to her blade of ice.

“This is but a demonstration, my gift to you, a gift of inspiration.”

Yuelei looked at her empty and wet hands, then at the soaked ground at her feet, then finally at Eir, who was casually walking towards her, water dripping from the edge of her sword. Despite the fact that it was supposed to be a battle, the scene was as calm as the surface of a lake.

“Watch closely, Yuelei.” Eir lifted up her sword into the air with one hand, water seemingly orbiting the blade now, and gently slipped it into the ground. The next moment, a torrent of water burst on in a wave all around Eir, slamming into Yuelei like a tsunami and cutting off her vision. For a brief second, Yuelei felt as if she was drowning, but it quickly vanished as she realized she could breathe.

When her vision returned, Yuelei found herself inside a world of water, with Eir floating near the center. Dolphin-like creatures and fish swam around her curiously accompanied by glowing blue wisps. Dozens of underwater plants and vines adorned the walls of the sphere and Yuelei watched as blue lotuses blossomed from the vines, letting out a spray of glowing yellow pollen. She could even feel the sand beneath her feet, and an underwater sea breeze blowing on her face.

“This is… Siren’s Ocean Memoir.” Eir nodded as she knelt down and offered Yuelei a hand. When Yuelei touched Eir’s hand, Eir’s form dispersed into water and she reformed a few feet away, sitting on a throne of coral. “It is an imprinting of my reality from Ava Na Isla into your world, similar to Lady Lumnieve’s Frost Palace. Here, everything adheres to my command.”

Eir waved a hand and the peaceful currents that formed the walls of the globe started to churn and grow violent. Lances of water shot all around Yuelei, rapidly bouncing off the sides of the wall but not once harming her. Giant underwater whirlpools in the distance drew closer like hurricanes, and Yuelei could feel the sand beneath her feet writhing and binding her ankles.

With another casual wave of Eir’s arm, all of the scenery stopped and bubbles of air floated in the water, as if suspended in time. Eir’s form dissipated into air bubbles and Yuelei felt an invisible hand caress her face.

“Yuelei. I show you this as a sign of goodwill. In the future, I hope to see what sort of world you will envision and imprint in this world. After all you are-”

The next few words went unheard as the underwater world seemed to shake and distort, seemingly just vanishing into the air and being replaced. After a few seconds, Yuelei found herself standing in the courtyard once more.

It was like a fleeting dream, yet Yuelei's soaked clothing made it clear it was anything but. The cold air started to freeze Yuelei's clothing, but in the next moment her wet clothes instantly dried. She turned to face Lin, who had a writhing flame on his palm.

“Shall we go then?” Eir nodded to Lin, who walked up beside her.

“Take care, Yuelei. Our time has been short, but do not forget what I have taught you.” Lin reached out with a hesitant hand, and patted Yuelei’s head one last time. “This will be a temporary parting, for I have no doubt that we will meet again in the future. It is ordained to be so.”

He then turned to Silfy.

“Girl of rebirth. I understand that you feel as if you owe me a great debt.” Lin shook his head sadly. “Since I cannot convince you otherwise, then I have a task for you. Teach this one-” Lin rubbed Yuelei’s head again. “-how to live among humans again. ”

“I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry, Sir.” Silfy saluted in response. “Safe travels. And if you come by this way again, you are welcome anytime.”

"...And thank Galvin for me. I have already spoken with him, but he has been most helpful. Spend some time with your father as well."

"I will." Silfy was a bit surprised at Lin's words, but nevertheless nodded in agreement.

“Young archer.” June jumped as Eir addressed her out of the blue. Eir placed two fingers on her forehead, then moved it down to her lips. “May your arrows find their mark, and never doubt the outcome. Your assumptions are correct, and your people shall be safe.”

“...You...how...” June stuttered before regaining her composure and returning the gesture. “...Thank you.”

As they exchanged farewells, Eir suddenly reached forward and pulled Yuelei in a hug.

“May you find your brother, Yuelei Casteya.” Eir whispered into her ear as she released her. “And may you find the strength to continue on if you don't.”

Without another word, Eir and Lin started walked away towards the distance.

They too, were on a journey.