Sloane stepped into the auditorium of the Reinhart Center. Everyone was gathered, both those leaving and those staying. It was finally time for her to leave. The knights had packed all of their things—Nemura and Stefan theirs.
It was almost bittersweet, but she had to leave. She would return one day. With Gwyn. It was the middle of summer and they had to get to Swanbrook and set sail.
She looked around at those within. Sloane smiled when she noticed that Adaega was holding Ernald’s hand. The sun elf and the woman from an Africa of another Earth stood happily together. Sloane was so happy for the two of them. They deserved happiness and would be moving in together within Sloane’s manor soon. Adaega had a big smile as she nodded along while Elodie spoke.
Stefan and Nadia sat at a table and were deep in a conversation.
Rel and Kemmy stood at the bar and the orkun woman was making the smaller raithe a drink.
Orthan and his father were speaking with… Lady Emerys. Why is she here?
The sun elf woman had spoken with Sloane on and off during the siege, but both of them had been understandably preoccupied and thus had not worked on proceeding any further with their budding partnership. An opportunity that she looked forward to. Sloane glanced out the corner of her eye at Tiberius from where he was perched on her shoulder. That was a project for the distant future.
He also seemed to be looking around at those around them. His movements betrayed the growing intelligence of her creation. I wonder if we can make more. I am a bit wary of trying that tea again to recreate the effects.
“What was the term you’ve used? Creeping? Yes. You are creeping again,” Nemura said from behind her.
Sloane sniffed haughtily. “I am merely surveying my demesne.”
Her shoulder jerked forward from the nudge the big woman gave her. She turned and looked up–something she still hadn’t gotten used to doing with other women. “Nemura, we talked about this. You’re significantly stronger than anyone around. It’s your stats. Be careful with your strength.”
The woman huffed. “I am not sure about this system thing you have spoken of, still.”
“You saw it when we went to the church, Nemura.” Someone approaching made her pause and turn. “Speaking of…” Sloane narrowed her eyes.
Nemura stepped beside her. “Praetor Shalas. What an unpleasant surprise. To what do we owe the honor?”
The paladin also narrowed her eyes as she paused on Sloane before looking up at the telv. “Nemura Kho’lin. Lady Reinhart. You two will be leaving soon, yes?”
Sloane nodded. “We will.” I really do not like her.
“Good… You are traveling to the Kingdom of Avira, correct?”
“I do not believe I told you where I was going,” Sloane said hesitantly.
“It was not difficult to figure out,” the woman replied flatly. “You are not exactly subtle, and you have told many. The high priest would like to request that you deliver something to the temple within the Kingdom of Rosale on your way.”
“What is it?” Sloane asked. “And why can’t one of your people go?”
“Could we speak in private?”
Nemura placed a hand on her shoulder. Sloane took a step back and let the woman talk. “We will hear you out, Praetor.”
Sloane sighed but then nodded, gesturing to one of the rooms off to the side. As she led the two women away, she caught Gisele’s eye. The woman quirked an eyebrow, but Sloane rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. In a move that made Sloane smile, Gisele also sighed and nodded.
A few people were talking inside, but once the three women entered, they quickly exited–Sloane made sure to thank them on their way. Nemura leaned against the wall near the door, crossed her arms and stared at the paladin with a look. It wasn’t exactly threatening, but that was only because Sloane knew the woman. Shalas stopped and glanced back at the big telv before scoffing lightly.
“I’ve seen the Excerpt of your Journey, Ms. Kho’lin. Please do not assume that your steps will be enough,” the paladin snarked.
Sloane groaned exaggeratedly. She hated the wordy terminology the church used for someone’s system screens. I’ll have the last word though when I can figure out how to create a watch that anyone can use.
Nemura just smirked, and Sloane shook her head. She recalled the woman’s screens from when they had gone to the temple.
Nemura Kho’lin
“The Stalwart”
Telv
Path: Stalwart Warrior (Fighter)
Steps: 36
Core Quality: Remarkable
Alignment: Physical
Key Attribute: Constitution
Sloane knew that it irked the paladin to be so far behind her and Nemura. While she knew that the paladin would still kick her ass in a fight since Sloane, as a caster, had a mental alignment, it was not so certain when it came to Nemura. The woman’s stats, from what Sloane could tell, were high when it came to physicality. The former Empire’s Fist could likely overcome the paladin’s skill through sheer stats.
Posturing aside, she decided to get everything back on track so that she could return to the others. “So, what did you wish to speak to us privately about?”
The paladin recovered from whatever personal conflicts had her wrapped up inside her head and turned back to Sloane. “We would like to formally request that you escort one of our priestesses to the temple in Calling.”
Nemura’s eyes went wide and she pushed off the wall, standing straight. “Praetor Shalas, that… that is something reserved specifically for the Paladins of Alos, is it not?”
The woman nodded. “It is. However, due to the war arriving in this region, I had to send my paladins out to all the nearby temples when the army was approaching. There are only four paladins other than myself here in Marketbol. I quite literally have no one to spare.”
She sighed. “I do not particularly like you, Lady Reinhart. The high priest does, and I… know you are a trustworthy person. This request comes from him directly, and as much as I would like otherwise, my personal feelings cannot come in the way of my duty. You are a mother, which is another reason the high priest believes you are a good choice.”
Sloane’s head jerked slightly. “What… what does being a mother have to do with anything? Just how old is this priestess?”
The paladin took a deep breath. “She is thirteen.”
“Praetor Shalas, you wish for us to escort a child all the way to Calling?” Nemura asked.
Shalas nodded slowly. “While it is not my preference, especially with the war going on, I believe you will have the best chance. We will ensure the priestess brings suitable clothing to not draw attention to herself. She knows to listen to your instructions.”
They already told her… She glanced at Nemura, seeing the conflicted look on the woman’s face. “Not to be insensitive, but what do we get out of this?”
Praetor Shalas scrutinized Sloane. She had to know that Sloane did not fit into their cultural expectations. As a terran, and thus from another world, she wasn’t as beholden to the sole religious entity of the world as those here seemed to be.
“We will work with your center here to teach them the process to glimpse someone’s Excerpt–if you swear to hold the knowledge as a House Secret.”
Sloane nodded. “That is acceptable, however, I wish to also have a manual of the process myself. I will keep it safe, but I wish to have this as something my House can set up anywhere.” She took a deep breath. Do I try to involve them? Is it safe? She glanced at Nemura.
The hesitation must have read on her face because the woman stepped closer. “Praetor Shalas, could we have a moment? I wish to speak with my liege.”
Shalas nodded and stepped out of the room.
“What is it?”
“Do you trust the church? The various churches in my world were not always trustworthy. If they found Gwyn, would they seek to take advantage of that knowledge? Would they use her against me? Can I trust them?”
Nemura opened her mouth to speak but then closed it and paused. She crossed her arms and lapsed into thought, even taking to pacing back and forth. Finally, she turned around and nodded to Sloane. “I think you can trust her. For all of the personality conflicts you have with her, she is an honorable woman. The high priest as well. The church, generally, is a benevolent and neutral faction. Their actions since the Flash make me believe that neutrality is something of the past. I do not know if the gods are truly speaking to them, but they believe there is divine intervention. What that means, I do not know for certain. However, one thing the church has always believed is that children are sacred.
"The Paladins of Alos on the other hand, are only neutral in grand politics, but if a nation goes against the decrees, they will not hesitate to make war. They will call upon other nations to join an inquisition and even if they do not join, the paladins will pursue their goals. Only a few nations have withstood an inquisition. The Turest Order to the north is one of them. I do not recommend going there, for all they are allies of the Empire.”
Sloane took a deep breath. Seems like I may need to take a leap of faith. She gave Nemura a quick nod. The woman retrieved the paladin.
“Have you made a decision?” Praetor Shalas asked.
“Yes. The second thing I wish is for you to send messages to your temples, and for the church at large to assist me in locating my daughter. I am putting a lot of trust in you, Shalas…” she said, determined.
The woman’s eyes widened slightly. The request was clearly not something she had imagined. Her back straightened and the look of compassion the woman had shown her before returning. “You have my oath that I will take this seriously. I… I apologize for how I have treated you, Lady Reinhart. If you could write a description of your daughter, including what she was wearing when you two were brought to Eona, I will ensure this is something that stays within the Order and those trusted outside of it. If the Archpriestess herself needs to know, it will be done. Before you leave, I will give you a sealed letter to take to the temple within Maireharbora. You will likely arrive in the Kingdom of Avira before my messengers if the plains are dangerous from the war, but I swear it will go out to all areas of the continent within the Church’s reach.”
“Thank you, Praetor Shalas. Please have your priestess here tomorrow at first light. We will be leaving soon after.”
“She will be ready.” Her face softened. “Thank you, Lady Reinhart. Truly. I–I can assign one of the temple guards… but…”
Nemura shook her head. “The fewer people the better. The guard would not be used to this sort of task anyway. Between Stefan, myself, and the army killer here…”
Sloane cleared her throat and scowled. “None of that…”
The telv rolled her eyes. “You saved a lot of people with your actions. All I am saying is, your magic will be of great benefit to keeping the priestess safe.”
“She’s right, Lady Reinhart. I will take my leave now. I will return in the morning with the girl,” the praetor saluted and walked out.
Sloane looked up at Nemura. “Are we making the right choice?”
“Yes. The Paladins of Alos are now going to be helping in the search. That is a reach you would have never been able to accomplish alone. This turned out quite well, I would say. We can handle this. That said… just do not expect much from Stefan and me when it comes to the girl. We–I at least, am not really good with children.”
A chuckle escaped her as she looked up at the woman. “Really, Nemura? I would have never guessed.”
The woman’s face scrunched up. “Rude.” Her head shifted from side to side. “But true.”
“Come on, let's go back and say our farewells.”
“I am going to miss you, Lady Reinhart. Thank you for everything you have done for me,” Adaega said, smiling up at Ernald as she finished.
The knight in question nodded his head. “Thank you for what you have given me as well. I… I have finally found what I have been searching for since we left our home. I just hope my friends find what they are searching for as well. Without you, I would have never met Adaega. We will build a home together, yet.”
Sloane smiled broadly. “I am so happy for you two. Please, use the manor for as long as you desire. It will be some time before I return–hopefully with Gwyn. I can’t wait until you guys meet her. Perhaps by then… you two will have someone small for us to meet as well?”
Adaega blushed heavily and Ernald’s eyes widened. The woman from the Unified Kingdom of Yoruba and Delaney stammered. “W-we will have to see about that! Maybe?” She glanced up at her knight. “If you want, that is?”
Ernald smiled warmly and squeezed the woman’s hand before lifting it to his lips for a kiss. “To build a family with you and spend all of our days together? I would be honored, my love.“
Sloane chuckled at Adaega’s loss for words. She stepped close and pulled the smaller woman in for a hug. Leaning down, she whispered into the woman’s ear, “Stay safe, okay? Take care of everything we’re building here. I can’t wait to see what you do with it. I have complete confidence in you, Adaega.”
Adaega looked up at her, tears welling up. “Thank you… Sloane." She laughed. "It is funny… it seems like just yesterday the biggest news was about a royal heist in my country's capital." She sighed wistfully. "You do be careful and find Gwyn quickly. We will keep everything going for you here,” she said.
Sloane nodded and pulled away. Ernald hugged her as well, before stepping back next to Adaega and grabbing the woman’s hand again.
“I will miss you both. Ernald? Keep everyone safe.”
The sun elf smirked. “You know me. They’ll be completely safe.”
Sloane smiled.
Gisele and the others made their way over, and Sloane left to give them time alone with their fellow knight. She could only imagine how difficult that parting would be. She’d speak with Gisele and Maud after they left.
Sloane made her last rounds as she told everyone farewell. Rel teared up and gave her a big hug, which made Kemmy laugh. The woman chose to give her a gentle pat on the arm as Sloane gasped for air from the orkun alchemist’s death grip.
Koren was polite, thanking her for all of the opportunities, and wishing her well.
Elodie cried. The young woman was full of emotions and promised to do well by Sloane with the Runecard business. Sloane did not doubt that the sun elf would.
She gave Stefan more time with his sister, but wished the older sister well, and thanked her for her continued help with the House.
Eventually, she found herself back in the manor. Sitting with Nemura and drinking tea.
“Are we ready?” she asked.
Nemura smiled. “You have asked that five times now, Sloane. Relax. Everything is ready, and we leave in the morning. You should get some sleep.”
With a groan, Sloane sat her empty cup down. “I will see you in the morning, Nemura. Good night.”
“Good night, milady.”
She was asleep not long after her head hit the pillow.
The morning was cool with clear skies. Everything was packed and ready to go. Supplies that would get them to the port city, where they would sell the wagons in favor of passage on a ship. Sloane kneaded at a knot she felt in her lower back, only to somehow feel the pain from another that sat in her shoulder.
Depending on when they arrived, the knights may leave quickly. Apparently, there were ships from Blightwych that passed through Swanbrook every couple of weeks. Between Gisele and Ismeld’s credentials, they would be able to leave on whichever ship passed through.
Stefan yawned, which in turn made Sloane yawn. The contagious act was caught by Maud as well in the most exaggerative, wide-open-mouth way ever. The curly-haired redhead just shrugged when she noticed the stares.
Everyone was standing by the two wagons as they awaited the arrival of the paladins. When they arrived, it was with less fanfare than Sloane imagined it would. Which, in hindsight, was something she should have realized. The entire point was to be as discreet as possible.
Seeing Praetor Shalas in plain clothes was a sight to behold and Sloane had to admit that the woman cleaned up well. She wore a pair of dark grey breeches, with black knee-high leather boots, followed by a cream-colored doublet with small patterns on it. The sun elf’s hair was pulled back into a small, tight bun. Her light hazel eyes were highlighted by subtle eyeliner. It was quite striking.
Her hand rested on the hilt of a curved sword that was attached to her hip.
Two other sun elves–a man and a woman–were similarly dressed and carried large military-style duffel bags. In the end, they could easily have been mistaken for mercenaries.
Between the two subordinate paladins, walked a young raithe girl. She wore a knee-length dark green tunic with a black belt at her waist. The tunic itself had silver embroidery stitched along the edges into little swirling patterns. Dark brown fabric pants and black thigh-high riding boots completed the outfit. She wore a leather backpack that looked more like a sack with a flap and clasp.
Her black hair was set into a long single braid that draped over her shoulder. She had ice-blue eyes that were highlighted further by the girl’s pale-grey skin. Her face wore a nervous expression with eyes that darted around between all those gathered. As she got closer, Sloane noticed the two tiny fangs jutting out from underneath her top lip. When she noticed Sloane's scrutiny, the young girl shivered. Poor kid is scared. Mom mode, activate.
“Good morning, Shalas! How are you today?” Sloane asked.
The woman almost stumbled, and Sloane heard both Nemura and Stefan start coughing behind her.
“I am well, Lady Reinhart… Thank you for having us. Please allow me to introduce Priestess-in-training Mariel Lunaris, milady.” The paladin gestured to the girl and stepped to the side.
Sloane stepped forward and smiled. “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mariel. I am Sloane. Shalas here tells me you need a ride to Rosale.”
The girl seemed to almost freeze but managed to get out, “Y-yes, milady. I am in your care.”
Sloane kept her smile up. “Wonderful! Tell me, do you enjoy reading? What about art?”
Mariel tilted her head. “I enjoy both reading and art, milady.”
“None of that ‘milady’, please. Call me ‘Sloane’. I purchased a bunch of books for the journey along with supplies to draw and sketch. Would you like to see what I got?”
Sloane had gone out on the way back to the manor and purchased various books she was told the girl may enjoy by some of the women of the House. She’d also obtained plenty of supplies for both sketching and painting, along with a few journals for the girl to write within. Anything to better help her feel more comfortable. They had a long trip ahead of them.
I can always buy more things in Swanbrook if required.
Mariel nodded. “I would like that, yes.”
Sloane directed her toward where Maud waited as the woman had the best personality to interact with children. The rest… were heavily lacking in that department.
She couldn’t help but chuckle as Maud’s bubbly personality greeted the girl. Sloane turned back toward the paladin. The woman watched the young priestess walk away with a bit of sadness in her eyes.
Shalas turned toward Sloane. “Thank you, Lady Reinhart. For putting in the extra effort to make her feel comfortable.”
“Of course. I know how trips can be for kids. They get bored easily, and adults are the absolute worst.”
The woman chuckled, a look flashed across her face as if she were remembering something. “Yes, that is true. Adults… Keep her safe.” She turned and reached a hand toward the man with her. He pulled a locked tome and a key, handing them both to Shalas. The woman then passed them along to Sloane. “This details everything you need for the Ceremony of Paths. Along with all that we know about the process. Remember our agreement. This remains a House Secret.”
Sloane nodded. “I will remember. Is there anything I should know about the girl? Food allergies, temperament… any strange latent magical powers that may appear in her sleep…”
Shalas raised a brow. “She has a small locked journal. I request that you allow it to remain secret. This…” The male paladin reached out with a sealed scroll and handed it to Sloane. “...is the letter you should present to the temple within Maireharbora.”
Then another was given to her. The praetor continued, “This is the letter you should present along with Mariel to the temple within Calling.”
Sloane nodded. “Understood. We will get her there safely. You have my word,” she promised.
Shalas took a deep breath and stepped forward. She lowered her voice, “I wish I could send someone, but I have too many others to protect…”
“I understand,” Sloane whispered in reply. “She will be safe. I have no qualms using whatever magic available to me to keep her unharmed.”
The woman nodded curtly. “Good. Please… allow me to say my goodbyes. I likely will not get to see her again.”
Sloane backed away and gave the woman some time while Nemura grabbed the bags that the other paladins carried.
An hour later, they were on the road.
The Reinhart Center and all those of her House remained behind.
Sloane sat in the wagon, stretching. She heard Stefan and Nemura speaking outside from where they sat driving the wagon. Mariel lay on the bench across from her as she read a book. The girl had grown more comfortable with Sloane over the past few weeks. She also seemed to enjoy speaking with Maud, and, apparently, remembered the healer from her many trips to the temple during the siege to heal the injured. She did not speak often to the others, but she was at least not nervous or scared around them.
She had remained close to Sloane every time they traveled through a village or town and stayed quiet whenever they were in taverns. She’d only been questioned once and had quickly answered that she was part of Sloane’s House.
That was also when Sloane learned that subterfuge was equivalent to a white-lie. Something that people just did when the situation called for it, and not something that was necessarily looked down upon.
For Sloane, nearly every night was spent with Gisele chatting, Nemura training, or working on something at her workbench. The times spent tinkering had fascinated the young Mariel and made Sloane long for her own daughter to show her what she had been working on.
She glanced down at her notebook that sat on her lap. The design for the answer to Ismeld’s lack of magic was coming together.
She had a stash of ink, ingots, and wood set aside for her on-the-road enchanting and crafting. She’d managed to come up with an idea for the blonde high elf. Something that she was tentatively calling a ‘caster’ that would allow the woman to cast spells through the use of specialized cartridges similar to Sloane’s grenades.
The caster was essentially a gun, but the difference was that it didn’t shoot bullets. The hammer would connect with the cartridge and when discharged, cast its associated spell. The caster would have a mana crystal inside its hilt and gems for drawing and amplifying the mana. An opal gem on the outside of the hilt would ensure that only Ismeld would be able to use the weapon.
She’d created cartridges for [Mana Bolt], and a new spell that Sloane had come up with for just this reason–[Arcane Lance]. The cartridges were the easy part to make–for her at least. Already there were small wooden boxes that contained thirty each. She hoped to have more by the time the knights departed.
Each cartridge would have only a single cast of a spell before it would need to be removed and recharged. Then, each could only be charged so many times before the runes would be degraded too much. For now, that number depended on which spell was used. [Arcane Lance] could only be charged twice per cartridge, while [Mana Bolt] could be five times. She had tried to create cartridges that would allow multiple shots, but the spells were far too weak. That required her to revise her design of the caster.
In the end, she decided to go simpler for the first model and use a breechloading design. She could modify her design incrementally. It would be safer. Especially since her… test of a cylinder similar to a revolver had blown up.
Literally.
Having the caster blow up in Ismeld’s hand… would be bad.
Building the caster itself was proving a bit more difficult, but it wasn’t something that would take longer than their trip to Swanbrook to accomplish.
Creating a custom spell just for the woman had made Ismeld quite happy. Sloane loved casting the spell. It took a ton more concentration and was more of a scalpel than Mana Bolt or even worse, Arcane Barrage. In the end, it added yet another tool to Sloane–and now Ismeld’s–offensive toolset. She only had so many that didn’t cause insane collateral damage.
I need to work more on that.
I wonder what other options I can come up with. Maybe I can solicit ideas from others before they leave.
Another thing she’d focused on was to also enchant the woman’s gauntlets with the ability to each cast a different spell. Her left hand obtained [Protective Shield]–Gisele’s spell. The shield would allow her to create a mana buckler as Gisele could–a solid tool.
Sloane’s experiments with white mana had taught her how to use a weak form of Telekinesis. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to do much with it without figuring out a way to actually target something. She could slow or levitate things that were close by, but actually pulling things to her was limited to a few centimeters.
Thankfully, which had given her an idea. By utilizing a rune of [Connect], it had allowed her to use the [Spell: Telekinesis] with Ismeld’s sword, and her dagger. This gave the high elf knight the ability to yank either weapon back to her hand from up to five meters away.
Apparently, the combat potential of this had Ismeld giddy.
All-in-all, the departure from Marketbol had gone smoothly and everyone was in good spirits.
Sloane was happy to finally be searching for Gwyn again. Especially since they would soon reach the anniversary of the Flash. Wait… I completely forgot about my birthday…
She groaned.
Sloane was thirty-five and had been for some time, but with everything that had happened, it had completely slipped her mind. She would have to do some math to figure out exactly what her Eona birthday would be.
Her thoughts fell back on her daughter.
A full year on Eona, and not a single lead.
Now she had the Church looking for her, as well. If she didn’t find her daughter, the church was sure to. With luck, someone within the church had already seen her. Here’s hoping…
She put her notebook down and closed her eyes. Soon they would be in Swanbrook. Then they would start their journey to the Kingdom of Avira. Only a small detour on the way. She didn’t mind. It gave her more locations to search, and Rosale was closer to where Sloane had arrived than Avira. Hopefully, she found a lead there.
Don’t worry, Gwyn. We’ll find you.
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Sloane stepped into the auditorium of the Reinhart Center. Everyone was gathered, both those leaving and those staying. It was finally time for her to leave. The knights had packed all of their things—Nemura and Stefan theirs.
It was almost bittersweet, but she had to leave. She would return one day. With Gwyn. It was the middle of summer and they had to get to Swanbrook and set sail.
She looked around at those within. Sloane smiled when she noticed that Adaega was holding Ernald’s hand. The sun elf and the woman from an Africa of another Earth stood happily together. Sloane was so happy for the two of them. They deserved happiness and would be moving in together within Sloane’s manor soon. Adaega had a big smile as she nodded along while Elodie spoke.
Stefan and Nadia sat at a table and were deep in a conversation.
Rel and Kemmy stood at the bar and the orkun woman was making the smaller raithe a drink.
Orthan and his father were speaking with… Lady Emerys. Why is she here?
The sun elf woman had spoken with Sloane on and off during the siege, but both of them had been understandably preoccupied and thus had not worked on proceeding any further with their budding partnership. An opportunity that she looked forward to. Sloane glanced out the corner of her eye at Tiberius from where he was perched on her shoulder. That was a project for the distant future.
He also seemed to be looking around at those around them. His movements betrayed the growing intelligence of her creation. I wonder if we can make more. I am a bit wary of trying that tea again to recreate the effects.
“What was the term you’ve used? Creeping? Yes. You are creeping again,” Nemura said from behind her.
Sloane sniffed haughtily. “I am merely surveying my demesne.”
Her shoulder jerked forward from the nudge the big woman gave her. She turned and looked up–something she still hadn’t gotten used to doing with other women. “Nemura, we talked about this. You’re significantly stronger than anyone around. It’s your stats. Be careful with your strength.”
The woman huffed. “I am not sure about this system thing you have spoken of, still.”
“You saw it when we went to the church, Nemura.” Someone approaching made her pause and turn. “Speaking of…” Sloane narrowed her eyes.
Nemura stepped beside her. “Praetor Shalas. What an unpleasant surprise. To what do we owe the honor?”
The paladin also narrowed her eyes as she paused on Sloane before looking up at the telv. “Nemura Kho’lin. Lady Reinhart. You two will be leaving soon, yes?”
Sloane nodded. “We will.” I really do not like her.
“Good… You are traveling to the Kingdom of Avira, correct?”
“I do not believe I told you where I was going,” Sloane said hesitantly.
“It was not difficult to figure out,” the woman replied flatly. “You are not exactly subtle, and you have told many. The high priest would like to request that you deliver something to the temple within the Kingdom of Rosale on your way.”
“What is it?” Sloane asked. “And why can’t one of your people go?”
“Could we speak in private?”
Nemura placed a hand on her shoulder. Sloane took a step back and let the woman talk. “We will hear you out, Praetor.”
Sloane sighed but then nodded, gesturing to one of the rooms off to the side. As she led the two women away, she caught Gisele’s eye. The woman quirked an eyebrow, but Sloane rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. In a move that made Sloane smile, Gisele also sighed and nodded.
A few people were talking inside, but once the three women entered, they quickly exited–Sloane made sure to thank them on their way. Nemura leaned against the wall near the door, crossed her arms and stared at the paladin with a look. It wasn’t exactly threatening, but that was only because Sloane knew the woman. Shalas stopped and glanced back at the big telv before scoffing lightly.
“I’ve seen the Excerpt of your Journey, Ms. Kho’lin. Please do not assume that your steps will be enough,” the paladin snarked.
Sloane groaned exaggeratedly. She hated the wordy terminology the church used for someone’s system screens. I’ll have the last word though when I can figure out how to create a watch that anyone can use.
Nemura just smirked, and Sloane shook her head. She recalled the woman’s screens from when they had gone to the temple.
Nemura Kho’lin
“The Stalwart”
Telv
Path: Stalwart Warrior (Fighter)
Steps: 36
Core Quality: Remarkable
Alignment: Physical
Key Attribute: Constitution
Sloane knew that it irked the paladin to be so far behind her and Nemura. While she knew that the paladin would still kick her ass in a fight since Sloane, as a caster, had a mental alignment, it was not so certain when it came to Nemura. The woman’s stats, from what Sloane could tell, were high when it came to physicality. The former Empire’s Fist could likely overcome the paladin’s skill through sheer stats.
Posturing aside, she decided to get everything back on track so that she could return to the others. “So, what did you wish to speak to us privately about?”
The paladin recovered from whatever personal conflicts had her wrapped up inside her head and turned back to Sloane. “We would like to formally request that you escort one of our priestesses to the temple in Calling.”
Nemura’s eyes went wide and she pushed off the wall, standing straight. “Praetor Shalas, that… that is something reserved specifically for the Paladins of Alos, is it not?”
The woman nodded. “It is. However, due to the war arriving in this region, I had to send my paladins out to all the nearby temples when the army was approaching. There are only four paladins other than myself here in Marketbol. I quite literally have no one to spare.”
She sighed. “I do not particularly like you, Lady Reinhart. The high priest does, and I… know you are a trustworthy person. This request comes from him directly, and as much as I would like otherwise, my personal feelings cannot come in the way of my duty. You are a mother, which is another reason the high priest believes you are a good choice.”
Sloane’s head jerked slightly. “What… what does being a mother have to do with anything? Just how old is this priestess?”
The paladin took a deep breath. “She is thirteen.”
“Praetor Shalas, you wish for us to escort a child all the way to Calling?” Nemura asked.
Shalas nodded slowly. “While it is not my preference, especially with the war going on, I believe you will have the best chance. We will ensure the priestess brings suitable clothing to not draw attention to herself. She knows to listen to your instructions.”
They already told her… She glanced at Nemura, seeing the conflicted look on the woman’s face. “Not to be insensitive, but what do we get out of this?”
Praetor Shalas scrutinized Sloane. She had to know that Sloane did not fit into their cultural expectations. As a terran, and thus from another world, she wasn’t as beholden to the sole religious entity of the world as those here seemed to be.
“We will work with your center here to teach them the process to glimpse someone’s Excerpt–if you swear to hold the knowledge as a House Secret.”
Sloane nodded. “That is acceptable, however, I wish to also have a manual of the process myself. I will keep it safe, but I wish to have this as something my House can set up anywhere.” She took a deep breath. Do I try to involve them? Is it safe? She glanced at Nemura.
The hesitation must have read on her face because the woman stepped closer. “Praetor Shalas, could we have a moment? I wish to speak with my liege.”
Shalas nodded and stepped out of the room.
“What is it?”
“Do you trust the church? The various churches in my world were not always trustworthy. If they found Gwyn, would they seek to take advantage of that knowledge? Would they use her against me? Can I trust them?”
Nemura opened her mouth to speak but then closed it and paused. She crossed her arms and lapsed into thought, even taking to pacing back and forth. Finally, she turned around and nodded to Sloane. “I think you can trust her. For all of the personality conflicts you have with her, she is an honorable woman. The high priest as well. The church, generally, is a benevolent and neutral faction. Their actions since the Flash make me believe that neutrality is something of the past. I do not know if the gods are truly speaking to them, but they believe there is divine intervention. What that means, I do not know for certain. However, one thing the church has always believed is that children are sacred.
"The Paladins of Alos on the other hand, are only neutral in grand politics, but if a nation goes against the decrees, they will not hesitate to make war. They will call upon other nations to join an inquisition and even if they do not join, the paladins will pursue their goals. Only a few nations have withstood an inquisition. The Turest Order to the north is one of them. I do not recommend going there, for all they are allies of the Empire.”
Sloane took a deep breath. Seems like I may need to take a leap of faith. She gave Nemura a quick nod. The woman retrieved the paladin.
“Have you made a decision?” Praetor Shalas asked.
“Yes. The second thing I wish is for you to send messages to your temples, and for the church at large to assist me in locating my daughter. I am putting a lot of trust in you, Shalas…” she said, determined.
The woman’s eyes widened slightly. The request was clearly not something she had imagined. Her back straightened and the look of compassion the woman had shown her before returning. “You have my oath that I will take this seriously. I… I apologize for how I have treated you, Lady Reinhart. If you could write a description of your daughter, including what she was wearing when you two were brought to Eona, I will ensure this is something that stays within the Order and those trusted outside of it. If the Archpriestess herself needs to know, it will be done. Before you leave, I will give you a sealed letter to take to the temple within Maireharbora. You will likely arrive in the Kingdom of Avira before my messengers if the plains are dangerous from the war, but I swear it will go out to all areas of the continent within the Church’s reach.”
“Thank you, Praetor Shalas. Please have your priestess here tomorrow at first light. We will be leaving soon after.”
“She will be ready.” Her face softened. “Thank you, Lady Reinhart. Truly. I–I can assign one of the temple guards… but…”
Nemura shook her head. “The fewer people the better. The guard would not be used to this sort of task anyway. Between Stefan, myself, and the army killer here…”
Sloane cleared her throat and scowled. “None of that…”
The telv rolled her eyes. “You saved a lot of people with your actions. All I am saying is, your magic will be of great benefit to keeping the priestess safe.”
“She’s right, Lady Reinhart. I will take my leave now. I will return in the morning with the girl,” the praetor saluted and walked out.
Sloane looked up at Nemura. “Are we making the right choice?”
“Yes. The Paladins of Alos are now going to be helping in the search. That is a reach you would have never been able to accomplish alone. This turned out quite well, I would say. We can handle this. That said… just do not expect much from Stefan and me when it comes to the girl. We–I at least, am not really good with children.”
A chuckle escaped her as she looked up at the woman. “Really, Nemura? I would have never guessed.”
The woman’s face scrunched up. “Rude.” Her head shifted from side to side. “But true.”
“Come on, let's go back and say our farewells.”
“I am going to miss you, Lady Reinhart. Thank you for everything you have done for me,” Adaega said, smiling up at Ernald as she finished.
The knight in question nodded his head. “Thank you for what you have given me as well. I… I have finally found what I have been searching for since we left our home. I just hope my friends find what they are searching for as well. Without you, I would have never met Adaega. We will build a home together, yet.”
Sloane smiled broadly. “I am so happy for you two. Please, use the manor for as long as you desire. It will be some time before I return–hopefully with Gwyn. I can’t wait until you guys meet her. Perhaps by then… you two will have someone small for us to meet as well?”
Adaega blushed heavily and Ernald’s eyes widened. The woman from the Unified Kingdom of Yoruba and Delaney stammered. “W-we will have to see about that! Maybe?” She glanced up at her knight. “If you want, that is?”
Ernald smiled warmly and squeezed the woman’s hand before lifting it to his lips for a kiss. “To build a family with you and spend all of our days together? I would be honored, my love.“
Sloane chuckled at Adaega’s loss for words. She stepped close and pulled the smaller woman in for a hug. Leaning down, she whispered into the woman’s ear, “Stay safe, okay? Take care of everything we’re building here. I can’t wait to see what you do with it. I have complete confidence in you, Adaega.”
Adaega looked up at her, tears welling up. “Thank you… Sloane." She laughed. "It is funny… it seems like just yesterday the biggest news was about a royal heist in my country's capital." She sighed wistfully. "You do be careful and find Gwyn quickly. We will keep everything going for you here,” she said.
Sloane nodded and pulled away. Ernald hugged her as well, before stepping back next to Adaega and grabbing the woman’s hand again.
“I will miss you both. Ernald? Keep everyone safe.”
The sun elf smirked. “You know me. They’ll be completely safe.”
Sloane smiled.
Gisele and the others made their way over, and Sloane left to give them time alone with their fellow knight. She could only imagine how difficult that parting would be. She’d speak with Gisele and Maud after they left.
Sloane made her last rounds as she told everyone farewell. Rel teared up and gave her a big hug, which made Kemmy laugh. The woman chose to give her a gentle pat on the arm as Sloane gasped for air from the orkun alchemist’s death grip.
Koren was polite, thanking her for all of the opportunities, and wishing her well.
Elodie cried. The young woman was full of emotions and promised to do well by Sloane with the Runecard business. Sloane did not doubt that the sun elf would.
She gave Stefan more time with his sister, but wished the older sister well, and thanked her for her continued help with the House.
Eventually, she found herself back in the manor. Sitting with Nemura and drinking tea.
“Are we ready?” she asked.
Nemura smiled. “You have asked that five times now, Sloane. Relax. Everything is ready, and we leave in the morning. You should get some sleep.”
With a groan, Sloane sat her empty cup down. “I will see you in the morning, Nemura. Good night.”
“Good night, milady.”
She was asleep not long after her head hit the pillow.
The morning was cool with clear skies. Everything was packed and ready to go. Supplies that would get them to the port city, where they would sell the wagons in favor of passage on a ship. Sloane kneaded at a knot she felt in her lower back, only to somehow feel the pain from another that sat in her shoulder.
Depending on when they arrived, the knights may leave quickly. Apparently, there were ships from Blightwych that passed through Swanbrook every couple of weeks. Between Gisele and Ismeld’s credentials, they would be able to leave on whichever ship passed through.
Stefan yawned, which in turn made Sloane yawn. The contagious act was caught by Maud as well in the most exaggerative, wide-open-mouth way ever. The curly-haired redhead just shrugged when she noticed the stares.
Everyone was standing by the two wagons as they awaited the arrival of the paladins. When they arrived, it was with less fanfare than Sloane imagined it would. Which, in hindsight, was something she should have realized. The entire point was to be as discreet as possible.
Seeing Praetor Shalas in plain clothes was a sight to behold and Sloane had to admit that the woman cleaned up well. She wore a pair of dark grey breeches, with black knee-high leather boots, followed by a cream-colored doublet with small patterns on it. The sun elf’s hair was pulled back into a small, tight bun. Her light hazel eyes were highlighted by subtle eyeliner. It was quite striking.
Her hand rested on the hilt of a curved sword that was attached to her hip.
Two other sun elves–a man and a woman–were similarly dressed and carried large military-style duffel bags. In the end, they could easily have been mistaken for mercenaries.
Between the two subordinate paladins, walked a young raithe girl. She wore a knee-length dark green tunic with a black belt at her waist. The tunic itself had silver embroidery stitched along the edges into little swirling patterns. Dark brown fabric pants and black thigh-high riding boots completed the outfit. She wore a leather backpack that looked more like a sack with a flap and clasp.
Her black hair was set into a long single braid that draped over her shoulder. She had ice-blue eyes that were highlighted further by the girl’s pale-grey skin. Her face wore a nervous expression with eyes that darted around between all those gathered. As she got closer, Sloane noticed the two tiny fangs jutting out from underneath her top lip. When she noticed Sloane's scrutiny, the young girl shivered. Poor kid is scared. Mom mode, activate.
“Good morning, Shalas! How are you today?” Sloane asked.
The woman almost stumbled, and Sloane heard both Nemura and Stefan start coughing behind her.
“I am well, Lady Reinhart… Thank you for having us. Please allow me to introduce Priestess-in-training Mariel Lunaris, milady.” The paladin gestured to the girl and stepped to the side.
Sloane stepped forward and smiled. “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mariel. I am Sloane. Shalas here tells me you need a ride to Rosale.”
The girl seemed to almost freeze but managed to get out, “Y-yes, milady. I am in your care.”
Sloane kept her smile up. “Wonderful! Tell me, do you enjoy reading? What about art?”
Mariel tilted her head. “I enjoy both reading and art, milady.”
“None of that ‘milady’, please. Call me ‘Sloane’. I purchased a bunch of books for the journey along with supplies to draw and sketch. Would you like to see what I got?”
Sloane had gone out on the way back to the manor and purchased various books she was told the girl may enjoy by some of the women of the House. She’d also obtained plenty of supplies for both sketching and painting, along with a few journals for the girl to write within. Anything to better help her feel more comfortable. They had a long trip ahead of them.
I can always buy more things in Swanbrook if required.
Mariel nodded. “I would like that, yes.”
Sloane directed her toward where Maud waited as the woman had the best personality to interact with children. The rest… were heavily lacking in that department.
She couldn’t help but chuckle as Maud’s bubbly personality greeted the girl. Sloane turned back toward the paladin. The woman watched the young priestess walk away with a bit of sadness in her eyes.
Shalas turned toward Sloane. “Thank you, Lady Reinhart. For putting in the extra effort to make her feel comfortable.”
“Of course. I know how trips can be for kids. They get bored easily, and adults are the absolute worst.”
The woman chuckled, a look flashed across her face as if she were remembering something. “Yes, that is true. Adults… Keep her safe.” She turned and reached a hand toward the man with her. He pulled a locked tome and a key, handing them both to Shalas. The woman then passed them along to Sloane. “This details everything you need for the Ceremony of Paths. Along with all that we know about the process. Remember our agreement. This remains a House Secret.”
Sloane nodded. “I will remember. Is there anything I should know about the girl? Food allergies, temperament… any strange latent magical powers that may appear in her sleep…”
Shalas raised a brow. “She has a small locked journal. I request that you allow it to remain secret. This…” The male paladin reached out with a sealed scroll and handed it to Sloane. “...is the letter you should present to the temple within Maireharbora.”
Then another was given to her. The praetor continued, “This is the letter you should present along with Mariel to the temple within Calling.”
Sloane nodded. “Understood. We will get her there safely. You have my word,” she promised.
Shalas took a deep breath and stepped forward. She lowered her voice, “I wish I could send someone, but I have too many others to protect…”
“I understand,” Sloane whispered in reply. “She will be safe. I have no qualms using whatever magic available to me to keep her unharmed.”
The woman nodded curtly. “Good. Please… allow me to say my goodbyes. I likely will not get to see her again.”
Sloane backed away and gave the woman some time while Nemura grabbed the bags that the other paladins carried.
An hour later, they were on the road.
The Reinhart Center and all those of her House remained behind.
Sloane sat in the wagon, stretching. She heard Stefan and Nemura speaking outside from where they sat driving the wagon. Mariel lay on the bench across from her as she read a book. The girl had grown more comfortable with Sloane over the past few weeks. She also seemed to enjoy speaking with Maud, and, apparently, remembered the healer from her many trips to the temple during the siege to heal the injured. She did not speak often to the others, but she was at least not nervous or scared around them.
She had remained close to Sloane every time they traveled through a village or town and stayed quiet whenever they were in taverns. She’d only been questioned once and had quickly answered that she was part of Sloane’s House.
That was also when Sloane learned that subterfuge was equivalent to a white-lie. Something that people just did when the situation called for it, and not something that was necessarily looked down upon.
For Sloane, nearly every night was spent with Gisele chatting, Nemura training, or working on something at her workbench. The times spent tinkering had fascinated the young Mariel and made Sloane long for her own daughter to show her what she had been working on.
She glanced down at her notebook that sat on her lap. The design for the answer to Ismeld’s lack of magic was coming together.
She had a stash of ink, ingots, and wood set aside for her on-the-road enchanting and crafting. She’d managed to come up with an idea for the blonde high elf. Something that she was tentatively calling a ‘caster’ that would allow the woman to cast spells through the use of specialized cartridges similar to Sloane’s grenades.
The caster was essentially a gun, but the difference was that it didn’t shoot bullets. The hammer would connect with the cartridge and when discharged, cast its associated spell. The caster would have a mana crystal inside its hilt and gems for drawing and amplifying the mana. An opal gem on the outside of the hilt would ensure that only Ismeld would be able to use the weapon.
She’d created cartridges for [Mana Bolt], and a new spell that Sloane had come up with for just this reason–[Arcane Lance]. The cartridges were the easy part to make–for her at least. Already there were small wooden boxes that contained thirty each. She hoped to have more by the time the knights departed.
Each cartridge would have only a single cast of a spell before it would need to be removed and recharged. Then, each could only be charged so many times before the runes would be degraded too much. For now, that number depended on which spell was used. [Arcane Lance] could only be charged twice per cartridge, while [Mana Bolt] could be five times. She had tried to create cartridges that would allow multiple shots, but the spells were far too weak. That required her to revise her design of the caster.
In the end, she decided to go simpler for the first model and use a breechloading design. She could modify her design incrementally. It would be safer. Especially since her… test of a cylinder similar to a revolver had blown up.
Literally.
Having the caster blow up in Ismeld’s hand… would be bad.
Building the caster itself was proving a bit more difficult, but it wasn’t something that would take longer than their trip to Swanbrook to accomplish.
Creating a custom spell just for the woman had made Ismeld quite happy. Sloane loved casting the spell. It took a ton more concentration and was more of a scalpel than Mana Bolt or even worse, Arcane Barrage. In the end, it added yet another tool to Sloane–and now Ismeld’s–offensive toolset. She only had so many that didn’t cause insane collateral damage.
I need to work more on that.
I wonder what other options I can come up with. Maybe I can solicit ideas from others before they leave.
Another thing she’d focused on was to also enchant the woman’s gauntlets with the ability to each cast a different spell. Her left hand obtained [Protective Shield]–Gisele’s spell. The shield would allow her to create a mana buckler as Gisele could–a solid tool.
Sloane’s experiments with white mana had taught her how to use a weak form of Telekinesis. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to do much with it without figuring out a way to actually target something. She could slow or levitate things that were close by, but actually pulling things to her was limited to a few centimeters.
Thankfully, which had given her an idea. By utilizing a rune of [Connect], it had allowed her to use the [Spell: Telekinesis] with Ismeld’s sword, and her dagger. This gave the high elf knight the ability to yank either weapon back to her hand from up to five meters away.
Apparently, the combat potential of this had Ismeld giddy.
All-in-all, the departure from Marketbol had gone smoothly and everyone was in good spirits.
Sloane was happy to finally be searching for Gwyn again. Especially since they would soon reach the anniversary of the Flash. Wait… I completely forgot about my birthday…
She groaned.
Sloane was thirty-five and had been for some time, but with everything that had happened, it had completely slipped her mind. She would have to do some math to figure out exactly what her Eona birthday would be.
Her thoughts fell back on her daughter.
A full year on Eona, and not a single lead.
Now she had the Church looking for her, as well. If she didn’t find her daughter, the church was sure to. With luck, someone within the church had already seen her. Here’s hoping…
She put her notebook down and closed her eyes. Soon they would be in Swanbrook. Then they would start their journey to the Kingdom of Avira. Only a small detour on the way. She didn’t mind. It gave her more locations to search, and Rosale was closer to where Sloane had arrived than Avira. Hopefully, she found a lead there.
Don’t worry, Gwyn. We’ll find you.
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