“Is this all you’ve got, Drestan?” Alessia’s voice dripped with venom as she thrust her hand forward, unleashing a spray of ignis luminous directly at the fat noble. The orange flames danced with a life of their own, licking at the Count’s gaudy clothes. He flailed, stumbling back and furiously patting at the singed fabric. “You dare!” Count Tahoos Drestan’s voice rose in a trembling fury, his face reddening further as he hurled a sphere of aqua minor Z luminous at her. With a flick of her wrist, Alessia conjured a shield of eurus Luminous, causing the watery attack to fizzle harmlessly. She laughed coldly. “You call that power? How pathetic. Perhaps you should stick to ordering others around. It’s the only thing you seem remotely good at.” The Count’s jaw tightened, his sharp teeth glinting as he bared them in frustration. “Capture her! Kill them all!” He roared at his men, his voice reverberating through the room. A dozen armed guards surged forward, weapons drawn and
“You’re wasting your time standing there,” the shopkeeper growled as he pointed to the back of the room with a big grin. “Let me show you something really cool. This stock is extremely difficult to find. Worth every penny.” Alessia looked quickly at Raizel and Kael’thar with her lips getting thinner. They were clearly tense with each other. The tips of Kael’thar’s fingers turned white as he clenched his hands even tighter. His breathing became rough and irregular. “Lead the way,” Raizel said. His voice was tense, but his eyes were cool. The shopkeeper smiled, but he didn’t know that a storm was gathering behind those calm exteriors. He stepped back and led them down a short hallway with rough, flickering lights. The smell of sweat, blood, and other bad things mixed into the air made it thicker with each step. Alessia stopped in the middle of a step when they walked into the next room. Her whole body tensed up, and she had trouble breathing. Seven female chimeralys were tied
“Don’t think twice,” Alessia said in a sharp but calm voice. She moved her cloak around to make sure the edges covered her whole body. Raizel grunted briefly as the typical trade wagon jerked close to Arcas’ gates. He had a firm grip on the reins. Behind him, Kael’thar sat stiffly with his jaw set. Anyone could see the slave band around his wrist against his skin. Kael’thar said, “I don’t like this plan,” but Raizel was the only one who could hear him. “You don‘t have to like it,” Raizel said in a sharp voice. “You just have to make it work.” Alessia sat quietly in the carriage, and no one could read her face. On the other side of her, Sirena fixed her scarf. To avoid drawing attention to herself, she hid half of her aqua-blue hair. The rough path made the hardwood floor below them shake a little, but Alessia’s eyes stayed in her bag, which was always reminding her of her job as it grew. “You’re too quiet,” Sirena said in a worried-sounding whisper. Alessia looked up. Her fa
"What do you have planned, Lady?" His voice was low and piercing, and his eyes bore into Alessia's. Alessia fixed her attention on him and didn't move. It felt as if their wills were fighting in an invisible battle. Raizel and Sirena waited nearby in silence, cautious but fascinated. Alessia replied forcefully, "I'll tell you. But first, let go of my friends." Kael'thar looked at her for a long time before gesturing to one of his comrades. "Let them go." The door to the wooden cage swung open, causing a noise. Raizel and Sirena stepped out, their bodies strained. The two looked at Alessia and wondered aloud what she was planning, but they obeyed her orders without saying anything. They soon found themselves seated at a handcrafted wooden table. The chimeralys skillfully carved the rough surface. Kael'thar's gaze never left Alessia when he sat across from her. "Talk," he said, his tone stern but full of curiosity. Alessia placed her palms together on the table, appearing frigid
"Why don't they believe us that we won't hurt them?" Alessia spoke up as she saw Kael'thar and his group pass by their cage. Their faces bore the weight of grief. "Maybe they think we'll burn them to ashes as soon as we get out," Raizel groaned, leaning against the far corner of the cage. Even though he was being snarky, he was clearly angry. Alessia ignored him, her attention fixed on the rabbit-eared child sitting outside their cage. The five-year-old girl was playing with a tiny wooden toy. Her silky, brown, fur-covered tail twitched as she giggled, clearly amused by Alessia's attempts to replicate her movements through the bars. "What is her name?" When Alessia requested in a hushed voice, a chimeralys stood guard nearby. The woman, whose face looked like a fox's, paused for a moment before responding. "Lirra." "Lirra," Alessia said, her voice gentle. "What a lovely name." As she delivered the toy to Alessia through the bars, the youngster smiled and her eyes brightened.
"Toran, you're moving too slowly a while ago," Kael'thar yelled, his voice loud and angry. As he talked to his friends gathering around the campfire, the yellow flames flashed in his eyes. Kael'thar clenched his teeth. A young chimeralys with bird-like features said, "We are doing our best, Kael. Our weapons are powerless against their swords and luminous abilities." His voice was tired. "But without more strength, we'll never get them back." Alessia moved slowly in her seat, and her head bowed as if she were asleep. Raizel and Sirena had already succumbed to exhaustion from their earlier feeding. When Kael'thar forced Raizel to eat like an animal in front of her watchful gaze, Raizel became furious. However, Alessia's only response was a silent, sarcastic smirk and an eye roll. The only sound in the camp was the chimeralys talking quickly, which made Alessia very interested. Even though it wasn't in her to listen, the weight in Kael'thar's voice drew her in. The old words