[June Rim Maldiver]

I’ve never had much luck in life. The rulers of Europa’s mainland already had a massive dislike for foxkin, labelling us as aberrant-kind. I was born on the edge of the world, amongst one of many villages that hugged the Eastern Edge mountain range. The high elevation and lack of air made it difficult for the Triumvirate of Virtue to patrol or to control us. Their dogma of the White church had failed to take hold in our mountains.

Our village sustained itself by hunting manta rays that glided through the void upon the deep currents of magic between flying continents. When the rays flew close to the edge, we chased them on wings made of stretched skin and shot them with harpoons. We harvested our prey, cut them up, salted them and sold the preserved meats to other world edge beastkin villages. It was a simple, nice life.

We thought that only half-breeds like us could survive the thin atmosphere conditions of the edge, but we were wrong. It all came to an end, because one day the Sextants came in flying metal ships. The Sextants demanded our surrender and when the village Elders refused, they started to bombard the village with metal spheres that punched through walls with ease, until there was nobody left who could resist. They executed the men with noisy boomsticks and took the women and children, putting steel collars etched with obedience runes on them.

I was hiding under the bed when the Sextant glider came by our hut. The Sextant chavalier failed to notice me even as he shined a crystal light straight at my face, breathing in and out with a hiss under his steel helmet.

He didn’t catch me like the rest of my family and that's when I knew that I had a talent. I was born with true darkness in my soul, one that let me hide in plain sight - Shadowmancy. After the Sextants were done collaring everyone, they sprayed the village with some horrid concoction and set it aflame. I fled in terror as my home burned behind me.

I had not returned to the edge mountains since then. Fear drove me to the human mainland, protected by the White Towers of Virtue, as Sextant warships scouted the entire range back and forth.

I was forced to become a thief, stealing food from marketplace merchants as I struggled to get by. As I hid in plain sight, I overheard stories. The Sextants were systematically raiding edge villages, one after the other and the Knights of Virtue did nothing at all to stop them. In fact, they were very happy that someone was dealing with the problem of the half-breeds and edge-scum for them.

I knew that anyone who exhibited the tiniest, insignificant lean towards dark magic did not qualify for being an adventurer and was arrested by the Knights of Virtue. Thus, I could not simply go to the Adventurer’s guild, could not get Quests to become stronger, could not level up. I mostly got by via small-time robberies, always on the run from the Knights, moving from town to town and constantly starving.

It wasn’t a Knight of Virtue who had caught me as I struggled to survive on the street. Someone grabbed me from the crowd as I was about to snatch an apple from a Rimmer merchant’s food stall. I instantly vanished, but they did not let go of me.

“Don’t be afraid.” A female voice whispered. “I am not here to hurt you. In fact, I’m here to help you.” I turned towards the voice and the hand that held me. “I’m a Rim Brotherhood Searcher.”

She was a catkin! I relaxed slightly. She carried a shimmering pearl sphere on her. That’s how she caught me! She was scanning the crowd for talents! Damn it! The church Knights were easy to spot due to their clinking armour or red and white robes. Crowds normally parted for them, while people all around bowed their heads, whispered respects or softly sang prayers of Virtue. This catkin on the other hand wore basic gray robes and made absolutely no sound when she moved.

“I’m looking for talented individuals like yourself.” She whispered. “Come with me if you want to change your life.”

The Rimmer Searcher offered me a position in the Rim Academia of Magic and I was desperate, foolish enough to accept their terms, hoping for a better life. The Academia Instructors gave Quests that let me level up, but in return they made me sign a blood contract that bound me with vast debts etched into my soul with the “Rim” middle name.

I thought I found people who understood me in the Brotherhood of the Rim, but they were just as controlling, just as crazy as the Knights of Virtue, obsessed with their own deranged goals. Sure, they didn’t care if someone wasn’t 100% human, but they were infatuated with power. Masquerading as merchants, the Rimmer Searchers were looking for potential warmages for their Brotherhood. I found this out early on, because I was a sneaky little fox who could turn invisible at will.

Because I kept sneaking where I wasn’t supposed to, the Rimmers assigned me to a Searcher party as punishment. Captain Nicodemus didn't give me a salary either, merely reduced one of my debts a little every day. He even ordered me to fend for myself whenever the ship was docked.

“It’s up to you to feed yourself when we’re in port.” He told me. “Treat it as your Shadowmancer training - enemy infiltration. If you get caught stealing food, I’ll pay your bail. I’m on good terms with local port authorities.”

I was expecting more of the same treatment in Kleinburg, but instead Nicodemus assigned me a Quest worth 10’000 points to guard a new prospective mage - Valerianne Yul. A suspiciously large amount of points for something so basic.

I thought it would be easy to handle a weak-ass level zero. How wrong was I to assume she was powerless! I planned to learn everything that she knew, to force her into divulging secrets of Void mana. I hoped that she had a hidden, dark artifact of some sort that granted her a way to harness Void mana. An artifact that I could steal from her and use to start to pay off my damn soul debts.

Except, she didn't have anything on her! She cut her finger and made the inn explode! How did she even do that? Did she know I was there? Did she trap me with a window frame on purpose?

Yul was a terrifying enigma. She knew ancient, dark magic that allowed her to manipulate my mind with ease. She had clearly gone insane, got her personality somehow broken by the cursed dungeon she had returned from with this incredible power.

Whoever heard of a White mage using Void magic? Yul had somehow unlocked the secrets of the long dead Void Archmages and made me her acolyte, a user of the Void. Also, she had twisted almost all of my pain into pleasure. My hurt tail pulsated with pleasure still, driving me mad as we walked. Every wag of it was making me intoxicated. I could barely think straight as I followed the crazy, red-haired witch from the beach into the city as she ranted about impossible, insane things and told me about herself, the Void, galaxies and ancient Archmages.

She told me that her Void Archmages created foxkin using their bone marrow. It sounded absurd, didn’t make any sense, but then again she exploded a room with a single drop of blood. Was the blood of Void mages really an incredibly powerful alchemical ingredient? At the Academia we brewed potions using parts of magical beasts. That was the extent of my knowledge when it came to alchemy. I’ve never heard of wizards using their own blood or flesh for alchemy! She had to be messing with me, lying. She probably weaved an explosive magical circle or had a hidden runestone and triggered it! That’s it!

Worst of all, I had to walk naked through the thankfully empty town and into the pub, lest I lose sight of Yul. I wanted to hear more of her stories, even if they made no sense. Part of me wanted to believe that Void Archmages could create clothes from mana alone, long ago. I hoped for the pub to be empty at this early hour, but it wasn't. There were a few adventuring parties present, likely getting ready to grab early morning Quests from the Guild.

Everyone was watching, leering, making comments about us. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my entire life. I prayed that these adventurers would not report us to the Knights of Virtue. We were not acting virtuous in any manner. I glared at Yul, who now called herself Nox, the Devourer and Goddess of the Eternal Night. There was no such Goddess. Besides, gods never interacted with the physical. If they could affect the world, my home would not be destroyed. The hunt and wind Gods the Elders prayed to did nothing to help our village.

I knew that I could not leave Yul. The Rim Brotherhood would punish me severely if I lost the only Void mage in the world. The only one... as far as they knew. I was also apparently a user of the Void now, although I didn't know a single spell and had no clue how I even got the one Void mana in me.

Yul acted like the Universe rotated around her, ranting about great power. I ignored her words of madness. The things she said simply couldn't be true!

I could do absolutely nothing but sit down next to the insane witch. I couldn't even use Shadowmancy to turn invisible because she had somehow drained all of my Shadow mana! I never wanted to disappear so badly in my entire life.

“Yul… uhh... Goddess. Listen. We can’t stay here. We have to leave!” I whispered to her, fidgeting on the wooden pub pew.

“Why not?” She stretched, totally uncaring about the eyes that were pinning us from all around.

“We aren’t wearing clothes!” I whispered. “This isn’t virtuous behaviour! The Knights will also execute us on the spot if they find out that we’re... you know what!” I didn’t want to say Void mages. There were too many eyes and ears around.

“Nonsense. I get to decide what is virtuous and what isn’t.” Yul shrugged. “Also, we’re not you-know-what. I’m a Goddess and you’re my personal acolyte.”

I gritted my teeth. None of what I was saying was getting through to her. There was only one solution - wait until my Shadow mana recharged and vanish when Yul became distracted. Overpower her when I was invisible and drag her back to the Rimmer ship. It wasn’t the most amazing plan, but it was very hard to think straight due to my busted up tail and the damned mental spell she put on me.

The barmaid started to bring us food. I’ve never seen so much food and drink in my entire life in front of me.

"Eat!" Yul encouraged, grabbing at the plate nearest to her. She did not utilize cutlery. She ate like a savage using her hands and her mouth. It was as if she had no clue whatsoever how to eat properly. I tried to hide myself in her ripped up red cape, trying to be decent. It wasn’t working. People were staring at us, pointing, laughing.

I gave up. I was starving. I reached for the offered food, realising that eating would help me recharge. The faster I got Shadow mana back the faster I could become invisible again.

Soon enough, my body had refused to accept more food.

“Eat more!” Yul commented.

“No. I’m done.” I leaned back on the bench, my belly full for the first time in years.

“But there is so much more to consume. Look!” Yul waved a hand at the table brimming with food. “You must increase your power and multiply.”

“No thank you, I’m full!” I shook my head. Yul grabbed a chicken leg and tried to force it into my mouth.

“Stop it!” I hissed, fighting her off. “Why do you keep attracting attention to us, damn it!”

“Why do you keep resisting my divine commandments?” She succeeded in stuffing the chicken into my mouth.

Distracted with fighting her, I didn’t notice the barmaid approaching our table.

“Are you satisfied with the meal?” She asked.

“Very!” Yul answered.

“Very good. That’ll be seventeen silver and two coppers.” The barmaid stated. “I’m afraid the chef won’t make any more until you pay the tab.”

“Eh?” Yul raised an eyebrow.

“You do... have money on you… right?” The barmaid asked, looking us over. We clearly only had a cape between us. This was bad. I gulped, preparing to make my escape.

“What kind of money?” Yul inquired.

“Money, to pay for the food. Gold, silver, copper.” The barmaid squinted at us.

"Ah. I don't have these metals currently on my person. I did have a purse of gold, but it's probably in the river right now."

This wasn’t looking good. I knew what was coming next. Instinctively, I jumped out of my seat, trying to flee over the table. I was too slow, my exhausted body betrayed me.

“Hey! Where are you off to? There’s more food to devour!” Yul grabbed at the end of my tail. I screamed as she pulled on my tail, slipped on a dish, falling face first into the pile of food, shaking from blinding bliss.

“Looks like we got us a dine and dasher.” The barmaid commented on my failure to escape.

“Paying for food? Your human establishment has been graced with my divine presence! That is far more than you humans deserve.” Nox announced, standing.

“Yes. I get it. You’ve no intention of paying for a meal. Very well then, you’ll just work it off.”

I whimpered in terror, tried to crawl away, but Yul now held onto my foot with her hand like a steel vice. I didn’t understand how a level zero could recover so quickly from an explosion. Her burns from the fire had already vanished, red hair looking perfect, curly and pristine. I had no idea what sort of Dark magic could do that.

The barmaid shrugged, pointing her hands at us. “Failure to pay!”

[-=Nox=-]

“Failure to pay!” The human food bringer announced, just as I was about to leave this ungrateful human temple of feeding. Brilliant, golden runes ignited on the doorframes and the ceiling of the pub, lines of power stretching from them to the hand of the barmaid.

“How dare you target me with rune magic?” I gasped, as brilliant currents of magic raced across the walls. As the lights of the pub swiftly dimmed, I suddenly understood what the spiral runes did. They didn’t just manage the temperature and keep the lights on, but also gave great power to its acolytes - the barmaids!

There was a malachite ring on her hand that sucked power from all around, forming a spell circle of binding. A current of magic shot from the circle at me and my acolyte, forming magic devices of subjugation around our necks.

“You… dare enslave a Goddess?!” I growled.

“I should have done this earlier. I was hoping you were honest adventurers, but I guess whatever.” The foodbringer shrugged. “Anyways. Go to the kitchen and work off your bill.” She pointed at a door in the back.

My treacherous body obeyed, my mouth hanging open in shock at the incredible impudence of these mortals. My acolyte slid off the table, following me into this kitchen with a sour face.

There was an incredibly tall pile of dirty dishes, being dealt with by a single, short, fat human male wearing an oily, old apron. He turned to us.

“Sweet. New staff!” He whistled, looking at the shimmering collars made of solidified magic on our necks. “You’re prettier than the usual raffle that doesn't wanna pay. Oh, I’m going to have such fun with you two!" He grinned widely, rubbing his hands, showing crooked, yellow teeth.

“Okay! Take off your… uhh… cape and put on the employee aprons.” He commanded. I angrily glared at him, as my hands grabbed a dirty apron from a hook.

“Don’t give me that look of disappointment! Don’t say anything. I don’t wanna hear your excuses. You knew what you were signing up for when you refused to pay your bill. Smile makes continents fly round’! So, smile for me n’ get washing.” He pointed at the dishes, stepping aside and sitting down on a large sack of grain.

My mouth stretched into a smile as my feet walked me to the sink. I would make these insolent fools pay for this. A goddess does not serve mortals! A goddess does not wash dishes! My body began to wash dishes. I refused to acknowledge this fact, drawing deeper into myself in outrage.