The kingdom of Kreg’uune and the Warring Sands of Eiar are like children. Each wants what the other has, and will punch the other in the back of the head if it helps them get what they want.

- Noarchac ambassador describing the state of Kreg’uune and Eiar to his emperor.

I prided myself on my force of will. For the few things I couldn’t have my way with, I instead resorted to making things so miserable for anyone involved that making me do anything I didn’t want to wasn’t worth it. That was a skill I had learned well over the years of being forced to smile at Avien and living in such close proximity to the Shepards.

But magic didn’t care any for my pride. Under its influence, I lunged across the table only for Casien to catch my shoulders. That didn’t stop my compelled advances. If anything, they redoubled. My arms tried to grip on Casien’s shoulders or arms and ended up catching my fingertips on the folds of his sleeves, but when I tried to pull myself closer to kiss him nothing happened.

Because I was weak.

“Amber, stop.” Casien told me, and I did. I tried twitching my hand to make sure I had control of myself, but I didn’t. Casien had told me to stop, and I had.

“You’re no fun.” Angelica told him. “Can you imagine the look on Garner’s face when he learns his weakling of a child couldn’t even take the first kiss of his promised wife? Don’t tell me you don’t want to see that.”

“Drop the spell.”

“No, you drop the spell and let her kiss you.” Angelica ordered.

Casien’s skin rippled in a deeper red as the spell washed over him, but he didn’t drop his spell. “Mom, no. That’s fucked up.”

Angelica considered her son, then leaned back in her chair and huffed. “You’re the one that’s fucked up.” Then, without a sound or a gesture, I was suddenly feeling a lot less conflicted about remaining still. After a few more moments my second compulsion faded, and this time my wrist obeyed when I checked if I had control over myself.

“What the actual fuck is wrong with you?” I demanded, looking at Angelica as I pulled my arms back to my own sides, desperately trying to ignore the sick feeling that was left in my stomach.

“Look at him.” Angelica nodded towards Casien.

“That’s not an answer.” Casien groaned. It struck me as they both deflected that they talked and emoted in very similar ways. That didn’t really matter, so I kicked that observation far away from the forefront of my mind.

“You were and still remain the source of all my problems.” Angelica told Casien. “At first you were just another part of the contract, and now you are right there, reminding me of a loophole I should’ve closed. Amber being here is another reminder of that. Now, it’s good that I had you because now I can have all the sex I want, but you’re still an embarrassment.”

“We have a guest.”

“And you’re an embarrassment.” Angelica repeated to Casien’s chagrin. “Tyrien has more magical aptitude than you, and he isn’t even part devil.”

“Mom…” Casien pleaded.

“You might actually be worse than Mary.” I commented in disbelief.

Angelica rounded on me, her hair shimmering in heat again. “Tell me what you mean so I can understand.”

I shrugged, having fully intended to explain myself without the suggestion spell. “When Mary dominated my mind, she decided to be subtle about it and got away with it for months. You’re like a sledgehammer compared to her. I’m pretty sure if I told the council they’d punish you.”

“Let them. I can’t believe you’re calling Mary a subtle knife.”

“Oh, she isn’t. Only in comparison to you. Also, I need to check something. Can you teleport?”

Angelica’s expression became impassive. “I cannot.”

“That too, then.” I shrugged, taking pleasure in her indignation.

“Instead, I open gates to other planes of existence at my whim.”

“Cool. She makes faux demiplanes.”

Angelica’s calm expression dissolved in restrained fury. “Explain so I may understand.”

“A demiplane is a space that exists beside Santoria, but outside of all. Mages use them as private studies, homes, and prisons for enemies too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. Each demiplane has a unique key, and can only be accessed by persons who both have the key and enough magical power to-” The magic compelling me to explain faded, and I stumbled as my mind skipped.

Casien looked impressed. “I didn’t know you knew that.”

I muttered something insulting to sages everywhere as Angelica tapped her fingers.

“Well, I could kill her with a word, so I’ll just have to be happy with that.” She declared, and I could tell she wasn’t saying it as anything other than a fact. She was about to take the conversation in a different direction, but something fell in the kitchen. “Oh, that bitch. Breathe, Jasmine!”

The chaste succubus picked herself up from the floor and started returning to her natural blue colour. “I was enjoying the order for auto-asphyxiation.” Jasmine purred as she entered with tea. She set the table and turned to Angelica. “Do you have any more orders for me?”

“Finish cleaning my son and go to hell.” Angelica ordered.

Jasmine made a sound that I never thought I’d hear sitting in a dining room and rushed to obey. “Yes mistress, you bi-” Some magic stopped her from finishing that sentence, and then she was gone.

“I need to review the backtalking paragraphs of her contract.” Angelica mused. “Something for later. Amber, what’s your favour?”

I stopped fidgeting with the tea Jasmine had placed in front of me. “That’s between me and-”

“Oh please, Victoria is right there.” Angelica pointed at the remaining empty seat that I just now noticed also had a cup of tea in front of it. “You can’t even see invisible people. Come on, Victoria runs through the house crowing Casien’s name because a girl came to see him, and then just goes completely silent? Of course it’s because she’s using her magic to make herself invisible and watch.”

The game apparently up, Victoria picked up her tea and took a sip. She didn’t make herself visible again, so the cup just lifted itself off the table and tipped one way without spilling from my perspective.

“I’m not sorry.” Victoria told me.

“So tell.” Angelica insisted. Casien wasn’t helpful either, only giving me a sympathetic look. This was what he dealt with every week he wasn’t in hell? Man, the guy’s life sucked.

I sighed. “I need a weapon.”

Casien frowned. “Don’t you have a-”

“Knife?” I cut him off. “No, that was my dad’s and he took it back. It isn’t what I need, anyway. I need a weapon that is mine, and I need it today.”

“That sounds suspiciously like the prelude to a quest.” Angelica commented.

“If this is a quest, it started decades ago.” I told her, then turned back to Casien. “Can you help me?”

Casien looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t want to say it in front of his family. That was exactly why I wanted to make this request one on one. Since Angelica was here, he was deferring to her, which I didn’t like. In fact, the woman was leaning forward with a strange expression on her face.

“You know magic, so why aren’t you turning to that first?” Angelica asked appraisingly.

“I know the theory, but that isn’t for me.” I told her. Manipulating the flow of magic wasn’t something I was good at. Yesterday I had accomplished a feat by altering the magic in the wooden sword Torment gave me, but there were one hundred or more steps I didn’t know how to walk between that and the next most basic thing I knew on the topic. My expression fowled thinking about it. “I’m not strong, but I need that weapon. Magic is going to be a part of it. It’s the spells I’m not interested in right now. Besides, spells are Avien’s thing.”

Everyone but me suddenly tensed.

“That name isn’t allowed in this house.” Victoria whispered at me as Angelica bristled.

“I don’t care.” I immediately responded. “Fuck Avien. Don’t you dare take away my ability to curse his name.”

“Amber,” Casien said pleadingly. “Don’t make it worse.”

I met his eyes in defiance and forced him to back down. Eventually Angelica broke the silence.

“Tell me what the weapon is for.” Angelica said, deceptively even.

“Self defence.” I answered, honest but evasive.

“Why do you need self defence?”

“For when a monster tries to kill me.”

“Why would a monster try to kill you?”

“Hello? This is Veliki.”

Casien winced at that one.

Angelica still wasn’t letting up. “Are you skilled with any weapons?”

“Bow and arrow.” I answered. “But I don’t want one of those.”

“Why?”

“Because it’d be made of wood. I can’t use that.”

Angelica frowned. “Why does the material matter?”

I sighed. “I’m learning Rezan. It’d make the wood explode.”

“Oh.” Casien connected the dots. “That’s what Torment was using on the beithir yesterday, wasn’t it?” He frowned. “Why would it make the bow explode? He was using a wooden sword.”

“Who is this Torment and why have I never heard of him?” Angelica demanded before I could deflect the question. I wanted to be as opaque as possible about this so less of it would get back to my parents and the Shepards. Casien just letting that information out was not what I wanted.

“He’s a ranger outside Veliki.” Casien shrugged before I could change gears and tell him not to talk. “And I can’t answer that. He talked like he knew you.”

“Oh, is this the red headed lad with the Razpoka?” Angelica smiled in satisfaction when Casien murmured affirmative. “Oh, now he’s not getting away. I need to thank him for saving my son.”

“Mom!” Victoria protested, still invisible. “That’s gross!”

I didn’t get it until Angelica waggled her eyebrows at the space where her daughter was with a predatory grin. “Oh.” I wished I could unlearn that.

“Casien will help you.” Angelica suddenly decided. I waited for the catch. “But first you will tell me how you are learning Rezan. That isn’t something someone just stumbles onto.”

I didn’t answer right away. Brynn had told me the rule about giving training in Veliki, but somehow I had the feeling that wasn’t common knowledge in Veliki yet. I didn’t really want to do something that antagonised him, just in case he decided to follow through on teaching me Rezan. Then I had an epiphany.

If all the retired adventurers in Veliki suddenly realised they could take on apprentices, then that would take the focus off of me and what happened on my birthday. Then, when I was gone, people would be distracted and less of a deal would be made about it. That made the decision for me.

“Torment taught me.” I explained.

“Did he now?” Angelica arched an eyebrow.

“He did, but it didn’t work out. Brynn said he would teach me his form of Rezan instead.”

Angelica was focusing on me more than before. “Are you spinning a tall tale?”

“No.”

“And Brynn Willow is to be the one that teaches you? The man who is Once Chosen of the Heavens?”

“He is.” I nodded.

“You are aware of the law forbidding training from the Chosen in Veliki.”

“You mean the one that got changed last night?” I grinned. She was latching onto the information exactly as I wanted her to. There was no reaction, but I knew she was taking in everything I said and planning. The planning was the important part.

“Explain that law to me.” She suggested, unable to restrain herself.

“Stop.” Casien suggested before I could obey and I got caught between two suggestions again. Angelica rounded on her son but the nizkaling didn’t flinch. “Mom, you know what we agreed to about these suggestions. Victoria, how many times has she suggested now?”

Victoria was silent as she counted on invisible fingers. “Seven. That means you need to put seventy gold in the suggestion jar Mommy.”

I balked at the casual mention of that much coin. My family tried not to buy anything above five silvers if we could help it. Hells, the life savings I had brought along with me barely made it past six gold, and that was with the recent influx of birthday money.

Angelica fumed as she released me from the spell. “Fine.”

I coughed as Casien released me to make sure I had control over myself, then gave Angelica a pretty smile. “Brynn told me that residents of Veliki could ask for training from retired adventurers now. If I asked you for training, you wouldn’t have to say no anymore.”

Angelica took that in, searching my face for deception. Of course, I was being completely honest.

She spoke, “As Matriarch of this household, I compel all who exist in my domain to not mention the law change to anyone that does not know of it until it has become common knowledge.”

“Really?” Victoria asked in disbelief. Angelica rounded on the invisible girl with eyes glowing with power and she let out a frightened eep. “I mean, yes mom! I didn’t know this was such a big deal.”

Casien gave me a look that said ‘what have you done?’ “Yes.”

Angelica turned her gaze on me, and I considered antagonizing her for the hell of it. Then I realised that another enemy as powerful as her was not something I wanted. There was nothing stopping her from dominating me again, after all.

I shrugged. “Sure, whatever.”

“Yes.” A quiet voice said from behind me. I looked back to see Marble, all cleaned up. With his word of acceptance, a red pulse of magic spread from Angelica to the rest of the house. When it faded, Angelica was enjoying her tea in a positively exuberant mood.

“Amber Jewel, you have brought fortunate tidings, expressed a genuine hatred for my enemy, and aroused my son. Thus, you may consider all hostilities between you and me resolved.” Angelica told me.

“Uh, okay.” I wasn’t aware there were any hostilities between us. I would’ve thought on that, but I mentally tripped on what she said about Casien.

“On that note, Victoria?”

“Yes mom?” The invisible girl sat up straight. I knew because the chair shifted slightly.

“We will be discontinuing projects three, seven, and fifteen B.”

“Okay!” The invisible girl leaned close enough that I felt warm air on my ear. She whispered, “Those were mom’s special surprises for you.”

I opened my mouth, but then decided I didn’t want to know.

“Casien will help you now.” Angelica said. “Be sure to treat her right, Casien.”

Casien rolled his eyes. “I’ll try not to embarrass you mom.”

“You’d better not. If you do, I’m bringing one of my suitors in to teach you the right way to treat a lady, then spending the night in the room next to yours. And thank you again, Amber.” Angelica took one last swig of her tea as her original suggestion faded, now that she had expressed thanks for the first time. “Now I can take down the borders separating me from Veliki.”

I frowned. It felt like she was implying that she had been teaching her kids despite the rule, and had been using technicalities to make her house not part of Veliki, and thus going about things legally. Now that the rules had changed, that wasn’t necessary.

“I don’t really know what I’ve done.” I admitted.

Angelica gave me a genuine grin as she stood from her table. “You, my dear, have just allowed me to get a headstart on ‘teaching’ the children in Veliki. I’m going to entrap so many youths because of you, and their parents won’t be able to do a thing about it. And I’ve been running low on souls as well, so the timing is fortuitous. But first, I have a date with a ranger!”

She swept out of the room before anyone could question her, not that anyone wanted to.

Casien coughed and stood as well. “I guess I’d better show you to my armoury.”

I was still looking the way Angelica had gone. “I’ve done something terrible, haven’t I?”

“What’s done is done.” Casien told me, handily stepping around the question. “Come on. I was packing before you arrived. Dad’s going to be picking me up soon, so I only have a few hours.”

“Wait, did you just say that you had an armoury?”

“I feel sorry for those kids.” Victoria said, still invisible as I made to follow Casien. I heard her asking before I left earshot, “Do you think she’s going to leave Jace alone? I hope she does. Maybe I could warn him.”

Casien’s armoury was on the third floor, and was connected to his bedroom. The boy clearly didn’t receive much love from his mother looking at the size of his room, but that was something I already knew. He had space for a bed and wardrobe and there was enough space otherwise for three people to stand side by side. His armoury was the room next door, which was the same size, but lacked a bed so it wasn’t as cramped.

He had five shelves lining the walls, two of which had weapons displayed. Only the first was full, but at a brief glance, I saw that twenty shortswords, daggers, and three other blades that fit between shortsword and longsword lengths, but nothing that matched my dad’s longsword in size. They were all of different makes, but they were all made of black metal that tinted red at the edges. The hilts all had different decorations and designs. All of it struck me as fiendish.

The second shelf was only sparsely filled, and had a much more balanced collection of normal blades. He also had two pedestals that had been enchanted so that the tops glowed. One even had a red dagger floating above it.

“How do you have so many weapons?” I asked bluntly. “I came here because I couldn’t find a blacksmith. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, Wrenn has a forge that he lets people use sometimes.” Casien said, gesturing at the second shelf. “Did all of these on my own time.”

“Wrenn has a forge?”

“Yeah, it confused me too.” Casien agreed. He gestured at the first shelf of weapons. “That stuff wasn’t forged in Santoria though. This isn’t my only armoury and dad… spoils me with weapons. I get something new everytime I go to the hells. This is the stuff I can’t fit in the armoury at dad’s.”

I shook my head. Chosen kids got so much free stuff. “What’s this?” I asked, walking over to the floating glowing dagger.

Casien picked it up and licked the side of the blade that wasn’t sharp. It lit up in fire. “Devil’s Tongue Dagger, got it for my seventh birthday. It erupts in flame when you lick it.”

“Must be nice to get gifts you can actually use.” I muttered bitterly.

Casien flicked the blade and put it back without looking at me. The fire winked out at the impact, and the red dagger resumed floating in place, slowly rotating with it’s point never reaching the centre of the pedestal below it.

“I’d give you anything in here.” He said. “Take two if you want, but don’t take the Devil’s Tongue. It was made for people who are immune to fire and who like to lick their weapons in the middle of battle. Somehow, I don’t think you’re either.”

“You thought right.”

“Do you even know what the best weapon for you is?”

I glared at him but my lack of an easy answer damned me. I sighed. “Why do you think I’m learning Rezan?”

“Can I get a look at you?” Casien asked, then went slightly purple. “Just stand there and I’ll see what you might be suited for.”

“What kind of magic lets you do that?” I asked him harshly as I turned to face him straight on.

“No magic, just experience.” Casien gave me a once over. “Can I see your arm?” I held out my right arm when he reached for it. He pushed up my sleeve and hummed. “Definitely not a longsword. You’d never lift it.”

I rolled my eyes as something Torment said played at the back of my mind. “I’m left handed. Does that mean anything here?”

Casien paused, blushed a little, and dropped my right arm in favour of my left. “Same thing, but you could probably handle something longer than a dagger. These are… way thinner than anything I’ve seen before.”

I yanked my arm back at the creepy comment. “Sorry if I don’t measure up to the devils you make nice with on a weekly basis. I’m not Chosen like you are.”

Casien was blushing much harder now. “It’s more that I haven’t met anyone normal.”

“I’m not fucking normal.” I snapped. “I’m a fucking prisoner of fate. Normal is my mom and dad, and that’s it.”

“Well, I’d recommend this one.” He changed the subject and pulled a short, curved blade off of the second shelf. The blade itself was longer than my forearm, and bent backwards towards the end. “The design was stolen from a demon prince, and I tried it out as one of my first projects. It turned out pretty well, but I don't really have a use for it since I do things more…” He stabbed forwards with the blade. Rather than give it to me, he released the blade above the empty pedestal, where it moved on its own to point down and start rotating.

“As for a backup…” He pulled a dagger that was longer and thinner than the rest, and had two prongs extending from the ends of the hilt in the same direction as the blade. “This is a parrying dagger. That way you’ll have something for stabbing and one for slashing. You’ll be more well rounded than most adventurers, or that’s what my dads tell m-”

A yellow circle suddenly formed underneath Casien and he fell without any warning. He caught himself on the edge and pushed the dagger skittering across the armoury. I stepped back warily.

“Fuckin- Dad, it’s not time yet!” Casien bellowed into the circle, which now showed a city from high above. It was far more densely built than Veliki, and all the buildings were either black, metal, or black metal. Large fires completely engulfed some buildings.

“I’m still packing!” Casien complained. The circle moved across the floor, trying to take away the solid floor he was using to stay in Santoria.

“You’re going to be back in a week, right?” I checked.

“Amber, can you go into my room and get my bag.” Casien requested, not hearing me. “Just close it and throw it at me, please! I’ll owe you a favour!”

I thought about it, then shrugged and went into his room to retrieve the bag. While I was there I idly grabbed the folded clothes that were still on the bed next to it and shoved them in. When I got back, Casien was in a completely different spot, still trying to stay half in Santoria. Every time he went down, he was unable to pull himself back up.

“Just throw it at me!” Casien got out. The circle was moving faster now in the face of his resistance.

I didn’t, and crouched in the middle of the room. “Thank you for the weapons. I won’t be here when you get back from the Hells.”

Casien was struggling too much to get more words out, but I saw him comprehend what I just said.

“I’ve decided to leave on the next blank moon.” I continued, eyes widening at the rumble that normally didn’t sound when I spoke.

Casien stopped struggling, but didn’t fall because the yellow circle had stopped moving as well. Actually, it had just slowed down. The edge where the portal stopped bridging two places in reality was slowly drifting towards Casien’s fingertips. The words I said must have held significant weight in All for that to happen.

This was the first time I said my intentions out loud, after all.

“You’ll die.” Casien said.

“If I stay here, there won’t be any difference.” I smiled sadly. “But thank you for saving me yesterday, and again for the weapons. You didn’t have to give me two.”

“Amber-” The portal caught up to one of Casien’s hands and more of him fell through. He scrambled to safety with one hand. “Wait a week before you go. Let me come with you. I’ll know when someone tries to screw you over. I know how to fi-”

I threw Casien’s bag into his face and he fell backwards into the Hells as the portal closed behind him. Slowly, I stood. That was a point of no return and a promise made. Something else to push me out of Veliki and away from Avien. Something to make me accomplish the one thing in life I truly wanted.

And I would be free.

\V/