The knight scanned his eyes throughout the entire greenhouse. If Aefia had been truly busy shattering furniture and throwing a tantrum over dishes, she won't be holding a sword or leave a remainder of ash on the floor.
"If all of you are like this, I think it would be safer to have an investigation launched surrounding your vanguard in specific." She added not so long later. Her gaze drifted towards the outdoors, where multiple shadowed creatures had appeared at once. The knights were completely drained from containing the situation anymore. So the creatures started storming towards the entrance.
She looked back down at the Rosetta.
"If you are going to stir up problem in between much bigger problems, then at least learn to contain them to some manageable points. Because of you, the Queen is in danger." She remarked while stepping forward to stop another shadow creature from approaching where she was. Her attention stayed glued to the way the knights were handling the situation
Well I do remember that the Mides Kingdom hasn't gone in any battles for a while.
"Instead of focusing on the horde of creatures that you all can't take care of, tell your captain to guard the King and Queen. And keep an eye on the Princess and Princes. If you don't have the power to do something properly, then why bother doing it?"
Her face was distorted in a way of disgust and dissapointment. If this was the way the Mides kingdom worked, then it is understandable why it was targeting the Empire and why the Empire was trying it's best to nonchalantly ignore it. Its like a mouse trying to act high and mighty in front of a sleeping tiger.
She walked over to the shattered exit, Spectrum at her side was humming an anticipating melody.
[This is going to be awesome!]
Aefia held out a hand, shoving a knight out of her way.
The mammoth huffed heavily in front of her face, blowing her hair away from her face. Her accessories ringed against each other as she raised her sword and stabbed the side of its mouth. She honestly didn't know how to fight it, but all she needed to do was burn it, so it didn't matter.
Until... She realized a huge, scenario-altering fact.
It was that not all of them were shadow creatures, but most of them were just smoke that had less density then fire. So the fire could immediately burn it up and leave no room for recovery. However, as the size got bigger, the shadows got more weighed and the more impossible it got to kill.
She was lucky she grasped it quick enough. So when the fire evaporated, she immediately moved away from her spot to dogde a coming attack.
Oh fuck!
She bit her bottom lip and waved Spectrum across the air, lightly jumping to level herself enough. She could only inflict a partially deep wound to the biggest beast. Meanwhile, she was already done burning three more smaller mammoths.
As she plunged her sword into the beast's neck, a ripple of a rattle went through her steel blade, meaning she had hit a barrier.
To make the bigger ones more stable, the Princess had created a bone structure inside of them. Probably because she grew aware of Aefia's combat experience—though she barely ever interacts with shadow creatures. The bone part destroyed whatever sort of information she knew about them, making her think about how to alter the plan.
Spectrum may be good with handing thin bones, but not the gigantic structure that the mammoth had.
Within that short time, it swung its trunk towards where she stood, and she barely escaped its trajectory with its teeth scraping against her arm.
Her left forearm bore a large laceration from her elbow to half her arm, causing blood to spill through her white sleeve. Her eyebrows furrowed in pain, and she didn't have a secret doze of opioids inside her inventory. Given her list of vows, she couldn't even think about it.
But luckily she had a large trail of burgundy fabric at her shoulder, which she immediately cut off and tied onto her wound. She didn't have a pen to stop the circulation, but she double knotted it to cope up.
And as she did, an idea popped into her mind. A rather interesting way to deal with this situation without tiring out herself.
***
On the other side, Cedric had just received news of the shadow creatures swirling around the greenhouse that his sister and mother were at. He wasn't worried about them, but about Aefia.
If they hadn't done something to her, like tying her to a chair, or–just anything that she couldn't quite escape. Although she may be very powerful, he as a sincere friend couldn't stop thinking of a worse case scenario.
But currently, his path was being blocked by a certain someone who was annoying him to the tip of his hair.
His psychotic brother.
"Oh come now younger brother! You don't want to get caught up in that mess! Let that girl handle it. She is very strong." He spoke while standing straight. Not faltering for a second. Try as he might, Cedric just couldn't move him away.
"Then what will you do if she died? How do you think you will stop the beasts from killing mother and sister?" He asked while folding his arms in front of him. His brother was at least a shoulder and head taller then him, given he was as old as George.
"Then me and father can handle it. However, I believe that girl can defeat them before she dies. Maybe she will be exhausted and pass out, lose a limb or became decapacitated... But she will still ends the beasts before becoming that."
The answer echoed inside his ears, making him immediately burn up in anger. If that is what he was saying, then that must mean their target isn't Cedric... But Aefia from the start. It could be because she returned Cedric and offered to help him get his revenge, but that reason was too off-key.
He remembered what she told him about his brother.
That he was a devil and was contracted to George.
If that was the case, then the reason why they are chasing behind Aefia is because he wants to threaten George for more magic. That is just a possible answer. Who knew what was inside his brothers mind as he spoke. Its not like anyone's face can tell their intentions either.
"Look. Just move and mind your own business, unless you want both mom and dad to know about what you have done to me during my younger ages." Cedric glared at his brother with icy blue eyes.
"Pfft... Like you have the ideal strength for it." His brother scoffed back, shoving him backwards. Which caused Cedric to strike back at him, punching square at his face. The taller man fell backwards and onto his palm, holding the part he had just been hit at. He looked up, in surprise and shock.
But his younger brother didn't even give him a glance before striding away from the scene. The moment may feel very embarrassing, only for one who was the victim. Meanwhile, to someone else, it was a satisfaction. There was no such exchange of words between them.
Guards came rushing over to pick the man up on his feet. He only commanded one thing to the guards.
"Go kill the girl, and my brother. But the girl first." Without blinking back, he walked away.
In the middle, the guards looked confused. Then, they chased towards where Aefia was. However, she had already dissapeared from around the greenhouse. Only ashes and bloody footprints remained on the ground where the creatures were supposed to be. Inside though, the queen and princess was already evacuated to the annex because of the sudden outburst around the castle.
The queen, on the other hand, came to see her daughter's real face today. Whether what the girl did was right or wrong, it only had one advantage. She as an adopted princess, exposed a kingdom's biological princess. She sat at the couch, while her servants swirled her.
Their motions turned into a blur as the Queen bit her nail in an anxious movement. Her daughter had already left to check on her brothers. The woman watched as the girl change back to the fake personality.
Even if she isn't by blood a princess, so what? She is better than my own daughter! Who is this that I have raised?!
The woman got up, sent her servants away and immediately went out to search for someone she knew. She needed to know more about a few things.
"And she still doesn't know my mine."
***
As a few guards appeared in front of Cedric, pointing swords at his throat, a figure came leaping through the window, clad in burgundy. He smirked to himself and held his sword at his side.
She came to stand directly beside him, holding her blood clenched sword at her hand. "How is the situation looking?"
"Not bad. It may go worse." He answered while grasping his twin rapiers at his hands.
"Then it is as expected. Listen, I can't kill them. I have some vows I have created myself... So I suppose you too just critically hurt them into surrendering for you." She added. He nodded, using his blade as cover to reflect a blade from his direction.
Spectrum? You there?
[Yes master.]
I believe I need your help?
[Sure.]
She was drained or energy already, bleeding from her forehead and hand. Her blood trailing her steps as she moved. Her hair turned half navy blue at the ends, while also, her sword pointed to a guard's throat.
Dealing the mammoth was hard, but not because she had to slaughter it or reflect its attacks. Cutting through its vital point was the toughest part. Its heart was as thick and hard as metal. So a lot of her energy was wasted, all while her blood levels dropped to a slightly manageable amount.
Her movements became fluid, since Spectrum was busy using her body. However, something at the side of her eyes caught her attention. She was at the other side of the hall, staring with widened eyes as she spotted a black masked man hold a dagger behind Cedric's neck.
Oh shit!
Wait! I can use stealth to seem blind to the guards and in time for me to reach the other side and stop him!
It was as quickly as it occured to her, that she turned invisible using illusions and used a certain unused skill of her to dash across. In the blink of an eye, she was shoving Cedric away while using her own wrist against the handle of the dagger. This movement caused the man to drop the knife to the ground.
What is an assasin during daytime supposed to mean?!
As soon as she had pinned the guy to the floor, her eyes drifted to Cedric to ensure he was alright. But truly, she knew that the masked man was a simple message only meant for her. Knowing she could intercept the assassination during daytime very well.
Whoever it was who wanted someone in specific to die, was trying to tell Aefia she wasn't going to be in time to prevent an incident she might likely be framed for.
However, this also meant the person was aware of Aefia's possible steps.
Oh fuck! We are screwed!
She stood straight and grabbed Cedric by the arm, pulling him away and into a dust covered room. He was gasping for air calmlu, but Aefia was panicked to the point she couldn't express herself or pick out where to start.
"Listen. We need a change of plans."
"Why though?"
"They are aware..."
"Who are?"
"Your siblings." She muttered anxiously, sheathing back Spectrum inside its scabbard. "The princess was weird this morning and I managed to expose her in front of the queen. But I don't think that is enough. We still have your brother and he is equivalently to dealing with two stubborn drunkards."
Cedric stared blankly at his friend's face. "I have a few guards..."
"You think that is enough?!"
"Of course not... But you also have your powers. Use it carefully but precisely. You can put up a surprise like you always do. Make an entrance, make it extravagant." He explained, making Aefia wonder if she made a wrong decision coming to meet this family.
"Yeah that won't work."
"It will definitely work." Cedric straightened up and dusted her shoulder for her. "I have seen you get more severely injured and still not fail to amaze your enemies. You can try using that style again. Not everything you did in your past was bad. That part of how you work was a very exciting thing for me to experience." He smiled at her.
It remotivated the mischievous part of her childhood that she had always hated herself for. Thinking it was immature and odd.
Until your loyal friend compliments you about something you did, nothing feels interesting anyway.
She smirked at him, bowing her head to him as a sign of respect. It is hard to explain exactly how it feels around that time, but for someone who had a bad experience with life throughout, questioning themselves what they did wrong, it was like a lifetime supply of encouragement.
"Thank you... For that idea of course." She shrugged. "But that doesn't mean we get to slack off... Your brother is up with to something and he is wearing for our guards to drop..." Her smile vanished instantly.
Cedric's eyes widened for a second.
"Well that reminds me... Where is he?"
The afternoon stretched on, trying to solve the problems that had arised in the palace during the morning.
Suddenly, it was past midnight.
It was extremely quiet, yet it was loud. The throne room was dim, but it felt very occupied with the eyes of many passers.
At the end... It was always about who sat on the throne and who got kicked out of it permanently.