The party woke to a pretty good degree of luxury soft beds large fireplaces painted walls. For Alice who grew up in the mages tower in the capital it was normal. For the rest of them it was the most luxuriously opulent place they had ever stayed. Martin woke and prayed Alice read a little of her books and headed off to get breakfast. Vivian practised a little in her room focusing with her new artificial eye. If she was not careful, she could make herself giddy focusing her artificial eye on something far away zooming in.

She would soon need to balance it with a restored human eye, not being able to catch quite up. David simply practised his sword drill it was almost on the mark, even with a little shake soon he would be back up to speed.

They were staying at the duchess's residence, the seat of the crown power in North port. Vivian made the guess that the duchess had someone or something that needed to be dealt with. So, she was going to make them a pitch at some point. First, they had to see the bishop on a number of matters, then there would be a more official introduction.

On their original journey to broken gorge the party in ones and twos had only briefly stayed in the outer parts of the city. Away from the docks the merchants and noble districts. Now it was all open to them by virtue of their accomplishments and their rank. The four masters, that was the title they were being called, it was easier than people remembering their names. Though they had all exceeded a masters rank they were not quite equal in strength. Martin was a grand master and the rest were not far behind.

Through the cathedral the bishop met them, again in his quiet private garden. He was reading over a copy of the scripture. It was an ancient looking document that had been beautifully written, a work of art. He carefully and with some reverence put the scroll down. He greeted them “my children you have my thanks, in seeking out a cure for your companion Martin you have done a great service to the creator god”.

“By stopping that vial necromancer that archanist the professor you have saved every soul left in those three settlements. You have brought final death and release to those he had experimented on. I understand from the deputy sheriff you also cleared out a large nest of ghouls, including a siege ghoul you don't stop do you”?

He retrieved a letter, “I received a report from the emissary the witch finder, Nicole the necromancers Bain. She is pleased with your work; you never know given time the patriarch himself may see fit to elevate you from agents up to emissary's”.

Varian did her best salute, “I thank you for your kind words bishop Gyfford. Can you restore my full sight to me, I suffer quite a disadvantage as a one-eyed archer”. A look of pained regret filled the bishop’s eyes, “Vivian there are many wounded people, it would be hard for me to justify jumping the queue twice more to help you”.

She was still confident, “I don't need to jump the queue twice more, just once. This artificial eye has its own advantages. But I would balance it out with the return of my other eye. It would greatly enhance my ability to serve the triune”. He considered her request and made a brief silent prayer for guidance. “Yes, they are telling tales of your valiant defence of the three villages, Sand point will not be easily forgotten, in the same way that bay city won’t be forgotten”. Martin choked back a grimace at the mention of his home, “but thanks to you many survived, you are the heroes of the hour. I can and should reward you”.

He turned to the rest of them, “Martin you survived and are healed, a grand master congratulations are in order. Now we have much to discuss, there are several issues. Perhaps I will downplay your rank keep it quiet. The vampires are problematic enough without us letting on that we have an elite hunter ready to slay them. But then again on balance your reputation could be a potent weapon, you survived an ancient. You almost killed an elder and you have brought final death to may an elite vampire”.

Martin was spurred on by the bishop’s words his zealous nature pushing him to the fight. “I spoke with the witch finder Nicole. She gave me some idea of the situation a local vampire the prince a few sorcerers and a lich. I presume you will want us to destroy them for you in return for the healing that we have received”?

The bishop smiled warmly, “Those three are pressing problems, with heavy bounties marked against them. You would indeed fulfil any debt you believed that you owed to me by removing them. The duchess also has a problem with the local thieves and crime in general. She will seek you out directly on that, I am sure that something could be arranged it would help this city”.

The bishop gestured to the scripture on the table, “it is funny how our histories diverge from the western church. The western elves embraced our faith nearly two and a half thousand years ago. A spark carried by a few priests across the sea became an entire new church a new nation on the south of the continent”.

Alice looked fascinated as the bishop continued, “they have sixty large cities. The western nation is perhaps larger than the central plains and the northern lands combined”. He gestured to the scroll, “our scripture is our story and the history of our church. From the first revelation on the holy mountain, living through Ulysses empire the blood alchemist’s dragon revolt the golem uprising, to the war with the vampires and our reunification with our brothers and sisters in the west”.

“One of their priests lent me this copy of their scripture. They have had peace and stability for nearly two thousand years, perhaps after these vampires are gone, we can see the same”.

David brought the bishop back on topic. “You want us to tackle more powerful monsters, we would need more powerful equipment mithril armour for an example”. “This is the biggest trading port there is, it has one of the best supplied merchants’ quarters. There is a first-rate mages tower chapter with many enchanters, you can find something suitable”.

He turned his attention. “Alice how are you fairing you seem quiet”? She considered all the thoughts running around her head. But let only the few on the surface show just the tip of her reasoning. “I would not say … that I have not had … trouble adapting from the attack on my mind. but I think more … clearly now, a week or so …and I should be back to normal”.

It brought him genuine pleasure to see a patient recover, “That is good to hear, you know I thought about being a healer an apothecary or a vet before I joined the priest hood. At least as a bishop I have some degree of power to help the sick, that has always been my vocation”.

The bishop put on his robe took his crook and lead them to the main area of the cathedral citadel. He placed a hand on the alter. “My people children of the creator god. I present those that have fought back evil, those that have saved the lives of your fellow citizens. There is one who will be rewarded today, only so they may carry even greater burdens the church. The triune have need of your keen eye I restore it to you now”.

The bishop used his blessing and placed a hand on the side of Vivian's head, tugging the eye patch out of the way. She felt the flash of light then her eyesight was restored the eye back and whole even if she was expecting it, she still felt off balance. David and Alice were already anticipating it Alice held her bow and David caught her. The bishop looked into her new eye he held up a finger and moved it about watching her new eye track it.

The prosthetic and regenerated eye had a little trouble following the same target. It would take a little time for her to get used to, but Vivian was already enjoying full beauty of having depth perception and a wider field of vision restored. The congregation actually started to clap as the bishop led them away.

They were back in a private room, “now let us discuss your reward for crushing the professor’s army, I believe that you destroyed some vessel as well that acted as his laboratory correct”? Alice remembered the feel of the enchantments on the vessel, “yes that's right it was … a converted ship, it seemed to be powered by … something like a lich's phylactery. But filled with multiple … trapped souls to act as a power source … it is destroyed now”.

“Very good you must have destroyed almost the entirety of the professor’s infrastructure. The Empress of Shadows won’t let him off the leash again unsupervised. While his threat is not ended, I would say we won’t have to worry about it for a good number of years. With the trade guild master and the duchess, we have decided to reward you with six hundred and fifty silver. To split however you want between yourselves. As David was suggesting you could commission some custom equipment to suit your preferences, start exchanging your Damascus for mithril or the like”.

The bishop handed them an invitation, “the duchess wants to see you with all the formalities, even though you are staying in the same residence. The nobles’ protocol is something I don't understand you need a formal invite, supposedly she will want to make some impressive show, go in the light of the creator god, do his will”.

It was a quick journey from the cathedral to the noble distinct. They saw the display meant for them. There were a few war horses a few demi griffins with knights. Some St Michaels hounds a few salamanders and a few basilisks lined up outside the duchess's fortified residence. There were knights’ men at arms mercenaries. It was pageantry a show, designed to convince the four masters that the duchess was a powerful woman worth working for. Some extra flags had been put out and a posh carpet had been unrolled.

They entered a receiving chamber with a very regal chair that was close to a throne. A pompous man in a powdery wig announced them, “presenting the four masters, master mage Alice Coster of the royal tower. Masters of arms Vivian Tanner and David Fisher and Grand master vampire hunter Martin Wright”. Martin made a small blessing and respectfully nodded his head towards the duchess, the mercenaries saluted, and Alice curtsied with as much flair as she could muster.

The man in the wig was not quite finished, “Presenting her Ladyship representative of the crown in all triune matters, Duchesses Amicia Cheyne Teach affectionately known as the duchess of the docks”.

The duchess would have been in her late 40's, she carried a certain regal air about her. She wore a light blue gown trimmed with the best silk. She wore necklaces and pendants of pearl. She had a silver dagger on one hip and a rapier in a gold embossed sheath on the other. Though full of pageantry and poise she evaluated the four masters with a practical look. Noting their equipment weapons and general standing. She nodded and smiled, “I officially welcome you to my home, I would have done so before, but I was busy attending to other matters. I am a level 50 scribe and a level 25 knight”.

She got down off her illustrious seat and gave them the slightest, nod there was a rattle of armour under her dress. “I welcome you to my home, the seat of the house of Teach we are an old proud navel family, my house provides three of the vessels for the triune fleet that keeps our waters safe. I can see that you are practical people who fought your way up from the bottom, to where you can begin to see the top of society”.

She looked at the man in the wig and the rest of her people, “Leave us now we have matters to discuss”. With the room quiet she sat down at a table with five glasses of wine. “I am aware that you are agents of the bishop of good ford Alexius. Or else I would have offered you my patronage”. Vivian raised a glass, “duchess you honour us with your praise”.

“I have heard that you have demolished several gangs, the basilisk boys the brother hood of the black hand. Independent marauders assassins, you have captured one of the blades of red Saul alive and even survived two attempts on your life by the hidden hand”.

David raised a toast, “that's right”. The duchess cut right to the point, “I am willing to offer you ten gold, if you can route out and destroy the local chapter of the hidden hand. The docks are my responsibility and the hidden hand is really causing a problem for the trade guild. If you do this, I can write to the king to recommend you, his patronage can override a bishop and his pockets are very deep”.

Vivian drained her glass, “what intelligence can you give us on the hidden hand”? “Usually they work through intermediaries, but they are still there in the background. They have killed a few city guards that started to investigate them thoroughly. Even a few members of their families have had accidents as a warning. They are becoming aggressive to carve out their own stake from the trade deals with the elves. To parasite from others hard work, it warrants a suitable response”.

Vivian gave her a knowing look, “we can keep our eyes out, we have a few problems do deal with for the bishop, I am sure that there are leads that the deceased guards were investigating that we can pick up on”.

They exchanged a little more small talk, then exited the duchess residence. Her residence came with a view over the harbour. Out by the entrance to the harbour there was a dark spot on the water, slowly it grew larger and larger. A massive eel like leviathan that must have been about 300 yards long broke the surface.

It moved sluggishly the various ships around seemed to pay it no mind, neither did the sailors and labourer on the dock. The leviathan slowly turned in the water until its green belly was floating up in the water. It was some sort of signal a dozen row boats started to move towards it filled with men with rakes what looked like hoes. One of the guards outside the duchess residence looked at the group he came over to enlighten them.

“It might be a surprise to you, but that leviathan guards the harbour entrance. We feed it a third of our catch, scrape the parasites off it a few times a year and it leaves us alone. Green belly defends this place against any sea monsters or pirates its a big part of this town’s defences”.

David looked at it “is it a tamers pet”? The guard shook his head, “no but smart enough that a psionic negotiated a deal with it centuries ago, when green belly was just a third of the size it is now”. He looked at Martin “you’re the zealot don't get any idea's with gunpowder or anything else like that ok” Martin looked marginal offended and looked away from green belly.

They visited the merchant’s guild, outside a clerk lead them to a senior guild member who recognised them by their reputation and took their order. Martin stocks up on thermite much to his satisfaction ten small grenades five medium five large and 5 more mithril bullets for 50 silver it was expensive but would have been very useful against the constructs that they had recently been fighting, it did put a wide grin on his face as his arsenal was replaced.

Close to the merchant’s guild were the docks, including the dry docks, they could see a most impressive warship, The Almighty's Judgement, or just the Judgement. It was the flag ship of approximate 30 ship that formed Inwerben's navy.

The organisation of the navy was much like the rest of the triune. Ten ships were provided by the church mostly manned by volunteers from one lay order or another. The judgement was filled with vampire hunters and crusaders as its fighting force. Ten ships were provided from the crown some from prominent houses some from the direct funding of the king. Then ten more from the merchant’s guild, to bring up the numbers defending the Northern nations interests.

Each of the different triune ships seemed to have a different fighting philosophy, the crown ships focused on carrying beasts such as small dragons and snub winged wyverns into the theatre of war. With the support of mages to provide fire power. The merchant ships were bulkier less manoeuvrable designed to pull double duty as both cargo haulers and fighters. They were best suited to closing with another ship and then deploying large boarding parties of mercenaries. They tended to be interested in seizing prize ships or pirate bounties. The church ships tended to focus on offensive fire power rather than anything else. Ballista’s that could hull other ships even a trebuchet or two.

One of the ships carpenters chatted with them by the dock side. They found that the Almighty's judgement was 190 feet long. It could best be described as all of the above, every innovation of the northern lands or any other packed inside it. A reinforced braced hull several feet thick. It was compartmentalised into ten sections so that even a hull breach would not sink it and a boarding action would only give access to part of the ship. There was an armour-plated wheelhouse to protect the captain and officers. The entire ships timbers were reinforced with mana absorbing self-recharging reinforcement runes. Making the timber much harder than it had any right to be.

The largest most complex mana shield stone that had ever been made was situated right in the middle of the ship. When activated it gave the Almighty's judgement a very powerful magical shield that could resist attacks from a full-grown kraken and even a full-grown leviathan. There were also a squad of mages there to replenish its charge.

The ships bottom was copper plated to stop anything growing on it and decreasing the ships speed. There was an impact enchanted battering ram at the front of the ship. It had octium metal built into it, to pierce the possible mana shield of another ship or magical reinforced hull. The ships timbers were alchemical treated to be highly fire resistant. From the back of the ship they could deploy a slick of burning oil. Or even spike mines, a barrel filled with gunpowder with a detonator attached to several spikes. On the deck were several compact repeating ballistae’s, a large brass mortar powerful weapons currently being overhauled.

There were several scorpion repeating bolt throwers and deck sweepers, large blunderbuss type weapons operated by a two-man team. It had an ice breaker hull for the cold weather, there was a druid assigned to it with their weather magic for the winds. It had several monster tamers assigned to the ship with salamanders and basilisks able to add their acid and flame attacks to the already impressive artillery. Eight scouting eagles and six micro snub winged wyverns with riders called it home. Even a baby leviathan to act as underwater detection. Such a ship would be needed to keep the buccaneers from interfering with the trade convoys to the western continent.

Vivian noticed something familiar out of the corner of her eye. Something steadily moving across a roof top. A member of the hidden hand, the rouge was almost invisible moving over the roof tops. No one looked up, no one saw as she dropped down and disappeared into a warehouse. Vivian looked at the others and gestured for them to follow her. They thanked the ships carpenter and left to follow Vivian. Out of ear shot David questioned her “what have you seen”? She pointed to the warehouse, “hidden hand rouge let’s get a look”. The warehouse had a main door and a side door plus a couple of high up windows.

There were a few shouts from inside, David burst through the side door Martin Vivian and Alice came in through the main door. There were two groups in the middle of some deal, that seemed just about to go south any way. A group of local thugs without armour but carrying weapons were squaring off against six of the hidden hand. There were several bags placed on an upturned crate being used as a table. It was on the cusp of violence looking at the two gangs facing each other.

Vivian counted then up the locals; they were dressed as dock workers general labourers 14 local thugs. The leader of the thugs was a muscled woman with a red scarf. Against them were six hidden hand rogues. One of the rouges turned to the party he pointed a finger, “the vampires are offering eight gold each on their heads split 20 ways it’s still a fortune”.

It was a tense moment as the criminals decided what to do. If they decided to take on the party it was a very bad idea, for them. Vivian looked at the group of criminals, “Martin what are we facing”? Martin used his monocle to analyse them. “Hidden hand are veterans, local thugs not so much level 10 – 12 the leaders only level 15,” Vivian had a commanding voice, “we take the locals alive if possible, the hidden hand are too dangerous. If they won’t surrender, we kill them”.

The thug's ringleader gripped a large club looking around. Vivian continued, “David pull your punches, Alice can you limit your spells? Oh yes and Martin nothing permanent at least leave bodies behind, no pillar of salt”.

The hidden hand acted first they had their usual heavy crossbows slung on straps. They drew them and fired in an instant. Two bolts bounced of David's shield, originally aimed for the slits in his visor, he had reacted fast. Two bounced off Alice's shield spell one hit Vivian's Damascus armour and failed to penetrate. The last hit matins hat and got as far as the Damascus plate underneath. He plucked it out of his hat. As nonchalantly as if he was plucking a feather from his hat band and dropped it.

The hidden hand operatives pulled a fan of knives for there right hand. With long daggers in there left, they advanced recklessly fearlessly. The local thugs backing them up drew throwing knives and short bows. Seemingly out of nowhere, they had no intention of getting close. Martin threw a poisoned dagger at one of the hidden hand, he dodged to the right straight into a pistol ball. The rouge coughed up blood through his mask and dropped his weapons. He reached for some sort of healing item then collapsed it dropped from his hand. Vivian targeted another member who tried to duck behind a wooden crate. Two arrows sailed over the crate two arrows passed right threw it, skewering the criminal dead.

One of the hidden hand hurled a smoke bomb at Alice in desperation. It bounced of her physical shield spell and harmlessly detonated in a corner. The rouge managed to doge an acid strike spell. it hit the wall where she was a moment before. However, she dodged right onto the spot where Alice's icy tomb spell was prepared. The woman slowly collapsed, her body freezing over her movements slowing to nothing as every part of her was flash frozen by the spell. David charged into the fight toppling a pile of crates onto one of the hidden hand members. They were not quick enough to evade the armoured juggernaut. The crushing weight caved in their chest flattening them dead.

The local thugs realised just what they had decided to take on far too late. The last two members of the hidden hand were disposed of quickly. One dodged backwards avoiding a cut from David only to be skewered by an arrow from Vivian in the neck. A similar thing happened to the last one he detonated a fire bite spell from Alice with a thrown knife intercepting it in mid-air, only to have the top of his head blown off by Martin who had his second pistol drawn. This shredded the corner of his mask peeling it back. Alice got a good look at the man's surprised face before he collapsed, he had a pattern of three scars over his eye.

David and Martin charged forwards while Vivian and Alice were careful not to fatally wound anyone. A thug ran for the door Vivian put an arrow in his knee. One of the larger members of the gang tried to hold a crate up against Alice. To protect them from her spells as an improvised shield. she hit him in the legs with a low powered fire bite spell, he collapsed screaming with second degree burns.

A thug not realising how much armour Martin was wearing tried to stab him in the chest. The blade thunked against his armour. Martin delivered four sharp blows to the man's head with the butt of his pistol down the man went. A thug tried to go climbing over crates and out a window David kicked the pile over, down she went slamming into the ground with a thud and a grimace. The fight knocked out of her she lay there in pain.

David brought the pommel of his sword down on the next thug, the stun enchantment activated and down the thug went. Martin pulled out his mallet and advanced smacking one thug senseless as they tried to hit him with an iron mace. Vivian caught one thug with an arrow through there foot pining them to the ground they dropped their weapons and started howling in pain. Alice hit one more fleeing thug with a low powered electrical strike spell, the thug collapsed threw up then blacked out.

The remaining six thugs looked about, they could already see the destiny enchantments in the hidden hand's equipment and bodies activate as they ceased to be there leaving traces of ash. The thug’s leader looked at Vivian “can we surrender”? Vivian looked at the others then looked back at the thugs. One of the thugs was an idiot, he distracted David while a second tried to loop a garotte wire through a gap where his helmet joined the armour. There was another layer of armour under that, but they didn't realise it.

It was ultimately very stupid; David reached back and grabbed the thug on his back. They were then propelled into the thug that had been trying to distract David. The two of them went down with a whimper. Alice caught two in a low-level electric strike spell. Martins mallet found another thug on his right-hand side, elbow shoulder hip and knee they collapsed in agony. Vivian who was every bit as strong as David stepped up to the leader and punched them in the gut hard enough to make them double over and drop to the floor. Vivian pulled her punch, if she had struck with all her might she would have put her fist through the woman's chest.

With no opponent able to resist the level up struck the party their eyes flashed. Between the thugs and the rouges, it was just enough to push Alice David and Vivian up a level. At level 67 Alice picked up the grand version of the bonus vitality spell. At level 65 Vivian gained a class level raising her comprehensive training ability to the point where she could train ducal guards. As in the guards serving a duke, they had a bonus adrenalin ability which could make them quite ferocious fighters.

David reached level 63 and gained level 3 of his counter shield defence skill. Martin had to perform a feat of martial strength to advance beyond level 75, then he could continue to progress.

They began to process the defeated thugs, Martin and Alice would heal them Vivian and David would search them then bind them hand and foot with rope. Soon most of the injuries that the thugs had sustained were treated to one degree or another. Weapon were recovered and pistols reloaded. They found a good quantity of blue moon dust and yellow arrow root, aka yellow mellow both quite potent illegal drugs. They found a purse of 50 silver coins supposedly to pay for the drugs.

David examined it then felt crest fallen, he picked one coin up and folded it in his hand, “fake coinage not very good fakes either! Pressed copper covered in imitation silvery paint pathetic”. Vivian picked up a red scarf from the leader of the thugs and putt it on round her neck hiding the lower half of her face. It felt appropriate; the leader of the thugs was about to say something but stopped. She had picked it up from the last gang leader when she took command, this was a poetic irony.

there was a small bag of blue moon dust dropped by the ringleader, Vivian picked that up too. Martin went outside and flagged down one of the militia. They went and got a member of the city guard. Ten minutes later a guard captain and a dozen men arrived.

The guard captain walked in and surveyed the scene for a few minutes silently. “You’re the four master’s malice the zealot etc. Honestly, I expected a pile of dead bodies from your reputation. This lot don't seem to be too badly wounded”. Martin perked up, “we had to heal them up a lot, or else they wouldn't be able to stand. I had to set a few limbs back in place”.

The captain looked at the various blood stains and smashed crates burn marks arrows and knives littered over the place. He regained his composure, “quite .. er , what happened”. Vivian's eye focused in on the guard captain and he winced, the mechanical eye was disconcerting to him. His revulsion showed for a second, Vivian took specific note of it. “I noticed some of the hidden hand, they were good. If I didn't have this golem eye and a ring of eagle eye, then I wouldn't have noticed them. The duchess mentioned she wanted the docks cleaned of these gangs”.

The captain thought about calling the deputy sheriff, “so what happened, they were suicidal to attack you or resist arrest”. “We interrupted them in the middle of a drugs deal, forged coin for drugs that seem to be cut with something”. Vivian took a brief sniff “its flower”. Vivian continued “weak stuff anyway, the hidden hand pointed out the bounty the vampires had on our heads and the lot attacked us”. The guard captain could feel a target settle on the back of his neck, “What happened to the hidden hand”? Alice pointed to several stains on the floor with the end of her staff.

The guard captain looked at the thugs recognising the leader, “I think that this lot are dock workers and general labours, there is a reward of 10 silver on their leaders head. Unfortunately, nothing for the rest of them. We can take the forged coin and drugs as evidence with our thanks. For their weapons the merchants might give you a few coin. I will take statements then you can go on your way”.

They went to a guard house and the thugs were thrown into different cells. They filled out and signed a statement then received the 10-silver reward for capturing the thug’s ringleader. David spoke to the captain, “what will happen to them now”? “The duchess is trying to go tough on crime, after an interrogation we will give them each 30 or 40 lashes a hundred minimum for the leader over two days. Then its six months hard labour repairing the sea wall and back they go, there debt to the triune paid. The ringleader though it’s off to the gallows tower jail for a few years. If they talk its two if they don't its five”. They left and the guard saluted, “I will send a copy of my report to the duchess, she will be glad to hear you have started on her request”.

They donated the thug’s weapons to the militia's reserves; Vivian pulled the patch that Martin had made out from her belongings. She remembered the way the guard captain had reacted; his revulsion was it to the scar or to the golem part. She covered up her artificial eye, it hid some of the scar as well. Her hand lingered on the pouch of blue moon dust. She hadn't handed it over with the rest. It was two small for evidence of dealing, just the thug ringleaders personal stash. She told herself she would dispose of it later.

They returned to the duchess's residence and settled in with the guards. a meal of roast pork, fish bread and a vegetable stew washed down with half a barrel of ale followed. Vivian asked around about the emerald bows, a mercenary company that specialised as archers. They had moved out a day before they arrived. She would not be able to trade with their quartermaster unfortunately. She had other things to do.

She used a target range behind the duchess residence to practice her marksmanship. David drilled with a few of the off-duty guards and militia to pass the time. The duchess's steward let Martin and Alice into the family library where Martin studied a few books on local history and Alice read through some of her magical texts again.

They headed off to bed Vivian looked at the bag of blue moon dust, she looked at her face in the mirror she put the blue moon dust back in a draw and went to sleep. David played a few hands of cards with the guards using stones for markers, he quickly lost the lot and retired for the night. His pride wounded but not his purse.

Alice had her little dagger out there was poison on one edge and nothing on the other. She experimented drawing the naked blade against her skin. As she had gained more power, she had become physically tougher. She had to put a bit of effort in to get the iron to even draw blood. She bit down suppressing a cry as the blade cut a line on the back of her arm. She channelled her magic and the spell healed the wound without so much as a scar.

She felt it with her hand nothing, she did it again practice she called it. The pain did seem to focus her mind, driving away a bit of the lethargy. The clouds that still permeated the corners of her consciousness. She could feel a measure of tension in her spine an anticipation of stress and worry bound up tighter. With every cut it felt slightly better as if part of that tension was released. Finally, she was almost out of mana she sighed and expended the last of it. Alice collapsed into her bed from mana fatigue, using the healing magic again and again she was worn out. At least she could sleep now it was as safe as she could get.