“Incredible,” was the first word Roland uttered in his new but familiar voice. He gently ran his hands over his old face. Everything about this moment that Eliza and him shared was so familiar yet all the sensations were completely new. It was exhilarating in a way that was completely alien. Is this what we feel when we first come into this world? To think one could experience that lost memory with a magic spell that’s used as a gimmick in a sex book.

“Clever you,” whispered Eliza. “Clever you…”

He had been staring into the eyes of his old body and was unsure if Eliza was even conscious, so those quiet words startled him. Did she already process what had happened? That was likely impossible. It didn’t matter, though, Eliza’s physical power did not transfer during the body swap - he felt it the moment he woke up in her body on the bedroom floor - so there was nothing to fear.

She continued to mumble but Roland ignored her. He took some of the bondage toys that were nearby and gagged her mouth and put a blindfold over her eyes. He then undid the leg restraints and put some pants on his old body. Eliza offered no resistance. She was barely moving at all. It must be the numbing effect of the drake blossom powder. Already his old body, naked and bound to a chair, looked weak and feeble. It seemed to disgust him. This thought made him pause. How will being in Eliza’s body change my perception of the world? He shook off this unimportant question and refocused on the task at hand.

After putting on Eliza’s tunic, cape, hat, and boots, he decided to to do a small test. He was very aware of the innate power of Eliza’s body, but uncertain of just how strong he actually was. He walked over to the bedroom desk and slapped his hand down on it like he would if he was trying to get someone’s attention. He didn’t feel a thing as the heavy wooden desk broke in two. While impressive, that exercise didn’t serve much use as a gauge of strength as the desk broke too easily.

It was exhilarating to have such strength and be seemingly invulnerable, but it was also a bit frightening. One errant motion might kill someone. He was thinking about what he should hit next when something caught his eye. There was a small wooden keepsake box on the floor, half buried under some pieces of the broken desk. It must have fallen out of one of the desk’s drawers. The box was locked, but he easily pried it open. Inside, there was an envelope and a small painting.

The painting was of Eliza and a man in the same green uniform that Roland wore the day that Clara was murdered. On its back there was a note that looked like something a schoolgirl would write:

For my beloved Christoph -

-XOXO Your best student

There were several heart shapes drawn around the message.

Eliza’s relationship with Christoph was now perfectly clear to Roland.

He then opened the unmarked envelope and pulled out the letter that was inside of it. When he did this, a feather that was stuck to its side fell to the ground. The short letter read:

Eliza -

It is done. He had this on him when he passed. As he didn’t try to use it, he must have accepted his fate.

I want you to know that in his last breath he called your name.

Condolences.

There was no signature.

When Roland picked up the feather visions of locations that he had previously visited flooded his mind’s eye. Letting go of it, these visions quickly faded. He knew this had to be a void stork feather. When tossed into the air it can quickly transport the last person that touched it to a location that they’ve previously been. Such feathers were ubiquitous during the Heroic Age and made travel around Relmgard easy. However, the feathers disintegrate after a single use and void storks are now extinct, so these items have become incredibly rare. He carefully put the feather, letter, and painting back into the box.

These revelations about Eliza generated some sympathy from Roland, but her actions during his time with her were still unforgivable. Even if it weren’t too late to do so, he had no intention of changing his plans.

“Towards fate do we travel,” he muttered to himself.

He opened the bedroom door and yelled for the guards and servants to come immediately.

As they entered, he began commanding them.

“Listen well as I have no intention of repeating myself.

“Marianne, Janelle, and Lucie: the three of you are to run to the wyvern aviary and make sure that there is rider on standby. If there isn’t a rider present, search the castle until you find one. Tell him to wait there until further notice.

“Julia: fetch councillor Delvon. I need to speak with him at once.

“Audrey: go to Howl’s room and bring me the satchel that is sitting on his bed.”

Roland waved his hand and the five servants left the bedroom.

He then addressed the guards, “Once Audrey returns with his satchel, I want four of you to take Howl to the border town of Alderly. Do not harm him. Exile is punishment enough for this scoundrel.”

“As you command,” said the captain of the guards.

“Oh and I suppose you should drop him off with some clothing, rations, and other supplies. I don’t want him to die on his first night away from my care. Anyways, you can handle those details.”

“Of course, my Queen. We’ll organize his provisions.”

Once Audrey returned, Roland took the satchel from her. It contained two books from the library: Christoph’s handwritten spell book and the hidden book that he wanted to decipher. Additionally, there was a list that Roland had written earlier. He removed the list and also decided to put the small wooden box that he had just found in the satchel.

His preparations complete, Roland then handed the satchel to the captain and told them to go. Two of the guards picked up Roland’s old body without much effort.

As they were leaving Roland issued one final order, “Do not remove that gag. The Blade of Virtue would glow bright red if held next to his tongue. I don’t want his lies to infect the minds of any other of my loyal servants.”

A few minutes later, Julia returned with councillor Delvon.

“Queen Eliza, what may I do for you at this hour of the night?” asked the councillor. He had a frightened expression and was shaking. Delvon was a buffoon whom the servants despised. Julia must have been aloof or cruel when he asked her why the queen wanted to see him so unexpectedly. Clearly his imagination went to a dark place as he looked like a man who was about to be executed.

“No need to be worry,” said Roland. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Roland handed him the piece of paper that he had just removed from the satchel.

“This list contains 27 names of servants and administrators that are currently in the castle. Beside each name is a city. All 27 people and their families are to be sent to those cities tonight. They are to remain at those locations for the rest of their lives and continue to be supported on their current salaries.”

Councillor Delvon was confused by this bizarre order, but didn’t dare question Eliza, “Uh, of course, my Queen.”

Greatly relieved, Delvon thanked the queen for no apparent reason and scurried out of the room.

This part of the plan served no purpose beyond sowing confusion and creating distraction in the royal court. Roland didn’t know how successful this small diversion would be, but even if it threw people off of his trail for an extra day that would be enough.

With Delvon gone and his old body on its way to Alderly, Roland dismissed the remaining guards and servants.

Now only one task remained.

***

Even moving at a brisk pace, it still took Roland half an hour to get to the wyvern aviary. When he arrived, he saw that the three servants had done their job and there was a rider waiting. It was the same man with a bushy mustache that he had spoken to almost a year ago.

“You there, I need your assistance on a matter of extreme urgency.”

Similar to when Roland spoke to him last time, the man didn’t make eye contact with him. This time he was busy polishing his goggles, “Listen sweetheart, I don’t know who you think you are summoning me at this time of night. You’re lucky I don’t -“

“Silence!” shouted Roland.

Now the man looked over. His face went pale as he realized whom he just addressed the Queen of Serene as `sweetheart.’ Eliza had never come to this part of the castle before and he’d assumed it was another council assistant that he could talk down to. He knelt before her.

“Apologies my -”

“Shut up. I need you to take me to the Mouth of Infernos immediately.”

“The Mouth of Infernos? By wyvern?”

“Are all riders this stupid? I wouldn’t be asking you if I was planning on going by boat, would I?”

The flustered man responded, “No my Queen, as you wish. But I’ve never flown with a passenger before, I’m not sure the wyvern can handle the extra weight for such a long journey.”

“It will be fine,” said Roland, based on absolutely nothing. “No different than delivering a parcel of feathers. Eight stones worth, but feathers nonetheless. You know how to find the Mouth?”

“Uh, I think so. I’ve seen it far off on the horizon when flying over the shores of the Argol Ocean.”

“Precisely. It cannot be missed. We depart immediately.”

“This moment? Don’t you don’t need a coat?”

“Worry about your flight plan. I’ll worry about my attire.”

The rider got ready as quickly as he could. After he was on his mount, Roland squeezed up behind him and hugged his waist. With Eliza’s petite frame, there was enough room for the rider and Roland on the saddle.

“Go,” commanded Roland.

With a simple “yip” from the rider, they soared out of the aviary and left Serene Castle behind.

After several minutes the rider shouted, “Easier to fly at night. The stars never err in their guidance.” He pointed at a constellation that hovered above the horizon. It was known as the Southern Mystics and they were flying towards it. Roland knew that they were definitely heading towards the Argol Ocean.

As they flew through the clouds, Roland noticed that when water droplets would hit Eliza’s skin and clothing they would freeze immediately. How cold was it up here? Truly, magic must run through Eliza’s veins, he thought, because he felt like he was laying in a warm bed.

A few hours into the journey, the rider remarked that the wyvern didn’t seem to mind the extra weight and that they should be there around dawn.

“That glow,” he yelled. “Far in the distance, right below the stars that we’re heading towards. That’s got to be it.”

The Mouth of Infernos was a large, active volcanic island located deep in the Argol Ocean. It was far away from any other land mass in Relmgard. Supposedly, its heat was so intense that it was used as a forge to create the Celestial weapons. Unlike other exaggerations or pure fictions from the Heroic Age, Roland knew from his previous life that there had to be something burning deep in the Argol Ocean. On clear days in the Cantermere Mountains, he could see traces of smoke far over the ocean horizon. The Seekers at Sages’ Keep would tell him the source was indeed the legendary Mouth of Infernos, but not to worry about any eruptions as it was over a hundred leagues away.

The final stage of Roland’s plan was simple: he was going to throw Eliza’s body into the volcano and, while falling, yell the power words that he learned from Christoph’s spell book to swap back to the safety of his original body. The guards he had dispatched earlier would arrive at the Serene border a few hours later and he would be set on his way. As for Eliza, she would crash into the fiery floor of the volcano. If that didn’t destroy her, nothing in Relmgard would. If the plan failed, well, she would be stuck in a volcano far from civilization.

As the sun began to rise, they reached the volcanic island.

“We’ll have to land on the beach,” shouted the rider. “The weather is too violent to go near the peak.”

When they landed, Roland jumped off and looked up at the volcano. It was enormous. Dark clouds tinted with a red glow from below swirled over top. Bursts of lighting and the accompanying thunder terrified the senses. Incredible, he thought, such natural wonders really do exist in Relmgard.

As he was assessing his upcoming climb, the rider began to yell, “My Queen! The heat and smell are unbearable. We can’t stay here any longer.”

The man’s eyes were watering and he was covering his mouth. Roland didn’t feel any discomfort. To him, the air was as fresh as any spring morning from his youth.

“It has no effect on me. Return to Serene,” said Roland.

“When shall I come back to pick you up?”

“Never. And if anyone asks you where you took me, tell them you dropped me off just outside of Bright Port.”

“Yes, I will -“ The man fell over. The noxious fumes and the heat were too much for him. He was still alive but wouldn’t be for much longer.

There was was nothing Roland could do to help him at this point. He did realize that the rider’s death would likely be a much safer way to cover his tracks but had no interest in rationalizing it beyond that.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t intend for this to happen to you.”

He walked over and removed the saddle from the wyvern. The creature didn’t seem to be too bothered by the hostile environment. It stared at him, perhaps waiting for a command that was not coming. Roland turned his back and walked away. With its master dead, the beast flew off.

Roland ascended the side of the volcano as quickly as he could, taking full advantage of Eliza’s athleticism. He ran, climbed, and leapt his way up the steep slope. Even at this pace, it took him far longer than he thought it would. However, by midday he had reached the summit.

He stared down at the infernal depths that would soon consume Eliza’s body. Although he was well aware that this could be the end of his own life if something went wrong, he found himself more worried about Eliza whose fate seemed more certain to him. In his entire time knowing her, he could never reconcile her flashes of brutality with the teasing affection that she would show him when they were alone. Even after she murdered Clara, he never believed that she was a monster. Most of the time, he just thought that she was a silly little girl.

Self-doubt began to make him nervous and question the literal final step that he needed to take. To calm himself down, he paced around the edge of the volcano and sang as loud as he could:

Eliza, Eliza, the girl ruler of Serene,

Young and old, pure and obscene,

Many contradictions for scholars to parse,

But one thing that is certainly no farce:

With the intelligence and temper of an overgrown brat,

She is truly the stupidest person to ever wear a wizard’s hat!

Roland chuckled and tears streamed down his cheeks. With that, he stepped over the edge and sent Eliza’s body falling towards the lava below.