In one of 12 planets of a gigantic world — star system called Taihon, there is a country called Old Inard Kingdom.

Actually “Old” part is not an official fragment of its name, but this one stuck around for so long that currently basically all its citizens add this habitually. This is a large and rather powerful country, one of three largest on the entire planet (called Fenker), and one that claim most of habitable space of its biggest continent. This is also rather peaceful country that didn't fought in any war for more than few hundred years, and even then it was more of a series of skirmishes, do to influence of the Church of Menkoth that resulted in ultimate abolition of slavery in the entire region.

None of it really matter though to people living in one of many villages on this country outskirts, their world consist only of their village, ones around it, few wondering merchants and sometimes the closest big city. And similarly nothing more really interest Emli — young woman, really, still in her late teens, that just woke up in her home, in one of such small villages called Erreg.

First thing that anyone could see looking on this woman would be her gigantic, mess of hairs. They were brown, they were curly, long, and they were ultimately disobedient. Every day Emli needed considerable effort to keep them in check, thing not easy when you live in a village quite a distance from any bigger center of civilization. She was not unhappy about that though, especially lately, in last months when a lot of good things happened.

And here we are coming to second most visible thing about Emli — she was pregnant. Existence of a child in her, far more than visible, since it was already seven months, despite that she still felt great, and as a pious girl she was very thankful for that.

There was no third thing that would especially stand out, Emli was nor tall, nor short, rather pretty, strong and very healthy girl. Girl that had a very busy last few months.

After waking up she dressed up and went to make a breakfast. She didn't finish though before another person went into the room.

Korrak — her husband, almost fifteen years older than her winced with irritation.

“I told you-” he started, but Emli broke into his sentence right away.

“-that I should rest more in my condition” she said with irritation, but a joyful one. “I know, you told me it so many times already... but I feel really great, especially lately. And resting when I am so full of energy is a torture.” She put her hand on her stomach “And child behave really good to. She must be very smart, she will be special I just know it.”

“You don't know if it will be a girl!”

“Huh... do you perhaps have anything against child being a girl?” Emli tone darkened, And Korriath could feel sudden drops of cold sweet forming on his back.

“N- no I just said that you can't know for sure...”

“I can, boy would move far more, My mother said, that when she was pregnant with my older brother he moved non-stop. It surely is a girl.”

Korriath looked at her doubtfully before sighing. “Well maybe, but more importantly...” He took more serious tone “Emli, I know that you may have a bad experiences after you had seen how many problems your mother had during her pregnancy with Taia, but she was old back then already. For women in your age, it is normal for pregnancy to be easy, it doesn't have anything to do with a child being different... ”

“Always a skeptic Kor, really.” Emli shook her head. During this talk she already finished breakfast and put one portion before her husband. “You will see that I am right, It will be a girl, and she will be amazing! I only don't know how exactly, maybe she will be an amazing beauty, and will marry a prince? That would make as royalty!”(In her stomach a certain child destined to a great things felt a cold shiver)

Korriath just looked at the ceiling and sighed deeply. Emli smiled seeing that. Even if she didn't completely joked about her child, she also knew that behind her husband denial was a kind reminder, that he would love her and child no mater if they would be special, or not.

Emli took a double portion of a breakfast for herself — she needed to eat for two after all- before she suddenly frozen, and started to wave her hands in the air.

“Hmm? Something is wrong?” Her husband voice was clearly concerned.

“No, nothing, just... my cooking leveled up ”

“Really?” Korriath stopped eating and looked at her with a surprise. “But it was already, at a level three. It is amazing! Most people never reach level fourth, in any of their main skill!, And you only took an apprentice — level job, that that is affiliated with cooking.”

“Well, I do help my mother in kitchen from... as long as I can remember actually. And beside, you to have Farming at a level four didn't you? Farming is much more useful than cooking.”

“I don't know... I definitely like you having high cooking though” Korriath grinned. “And I have it only from two years anyway. But, no matter the skill, leveling up is always good, attribute points, are attribute points after all.” Emli nodded.

“Actually” Korriath said after a moment of silence “I heard that Anik and Teia, are going to visit your parents later today ”

Anik and Teia were Emli older brother and younger sister. Entire family was actually from a neighbor village. Do to their parents rather bad condition though they moved here after Anik married a woman from Erreg. Actually her older brother wanted entire family to move together, but her parents disagreed and only tell him to take his two younger siblings. In the first place they still had two of their oldest children around back there.

Besides distance between both villages were barely, a hour by a carriage, so it was not like they didn't visit their parents often.

“And you didn't tell me?” she looked at her husband with slight irritation.

“As much as I admire your brother hardworking for building a carriage all by himself, you know how much it shakes, if not for your level up I would probably keep it a secret...sorry” He added last word after Emli send him a sharp glance. It was reasonable though, every time when a person leveled a skill their attributes will rise, with amount doubling with every level. Having two main — growth type skills at level three in her age, Emli was probably the most talented girl in the village, something that she never let her husband to forget.

You need to work on your investments after all!

Still, for loving husband to be over concerned about his pregnant wife was pretty normal, so she decided to not do anything more than a look.

“I would go though, I really want to ask Mother for a few advises about childcare”

Her husband agreed, and they ended breakfast in the atmosphere of bliss.

***

Few hours later Emli sat together with her younger sister in a carriage driven by Anik. One thing she had to give to her husband — carriage, indeed shacked a lot, not to a point where it will be even close to being dangerous (or she will never decide to go) but enough to feel uncomfortable after few dozens of minutes.

With her younger, nine years old sister dozing of on her arm, Emli though about last few months of her life. Her future husband she meet when she was barely nine, when she moved into Erreg. Back then he was married though — his wife passed away year later do to sickness, though from what Emli knew she always had a weak body — that was the reason why Korriath didn't have any children. Even now, despite how young she was back then — barely ten years old.

She still remembered how devastated he was, most of his friends, convinced that he won't ever marry again. Heavens wanted different though. Korriath was one of their new neighbors, and Emli wouldn't even be able to clearly describe when she had fallen for him exactly. Still even after many years she had to work a lot to finally pull her beloved from his shell. The last push being probably her pregnancy.

Emli sighed remembering wedding that had to be rather hurried, and not really in ideal season for weddings. Besides that, people, especially women, were talking a lot... But then again people were always talking, and her mother personally said that this old grannies should rather be thankful to her for giving them topic for rumors. And wasn't the most important of all fact how happy she was? Because, yes the last year was probably the happiest in her life...

Emli thoughts were interrupted when Anik head popped out from the veil on the front of a carriage. She sobered instantly seeing his worried expression.

“What happened?”

“I... don't know... hm... better just see by yourself”

Emli stood, and patted Teia head in calming motion, hoping that she won't wake up. At the moment when she looked out from the carriage, she knew what her brother was speaking of.

“Smoke?”

“Yea...probably fire...”

Emli hesitated for a moment “Should we go back and call for help?”

But Anik shook his head “Even if we do so... it will be more than an hour before anyone could come... in the summers like this one, fire would already burn everything... ” He stopped for a moment “Emli... I... I want to go fast and see if there is anything I can help.”

Pregnant woman looked at her older siblings. She was always very proud from having him as a brother. He might not be the fastest person around, but he was very hardworking, kind and always tried to be helpful.

It must have been very hard decision for him considering her state.

Emli looked at the smoke again and wavered for a moment. There was one more possibility, far scarier than a fire, something that both she and Anik feared to even think about.

“Do you think” she started cautiously “That it could be... bandits?”

Anik was silent for a moment, but didn't stop the carriage. “No I don't think so” he said “Our villages... can be on the outskirts, but it is still Old Inard territory... it is still under guilds influence, and country's discount for hiring adventurers so... bandits raids are very rare.”

Emli calmed a little, she knew that her brother was right. She didn't say though that very rare didn't mean non-existent.

Still, probability was indeed ridiculously small and their parents and siblings could be in danger, or need a help with saving their wealth from the fire...

“Then hurry up the horses, just be careful.” She returned inside and sat. She should control her emotions, too much negative feelings could be bad for the child.

***

Everything started to take a really wrong turn when five minutes later Anik looked at her with truly terrified expression and said one word.

“Bandits.”

More than that, there was more than one group or rather group seemed to be divided, and one that Anik actually noticed was behind them. This was a nightmare, Emli felt her heart thumping, and breath accelerating when she desperately tried to think about the safe solution.

“We... need to hide in remnants of the village ” Her brother said in a scared tone“We... will have to abandon carriage, with a little luck they won't search for us where they already had been” He looked at her. “I will look for Tia, you go first...

I'm sorry, that I involved you-”

“Oh, shut up ” Emli said angry “We will be fine. All of us, surely. And you didn't do anything wrong, but we will go together!”

“Mhmm. Are we here already?” A girly voice of their younger sister broke into discussion. Instantly Tia made a worried expression seeing her siblings serious faces. “W-what happened?”

“Good, go into the village, through forest... we are close enough so it will be safe” Anik said looking at Emli again. “I will scare the horses, take Tia, and we will join you right away ”

His younger sister nodded and patted Tia again. Always polite girl scared greatly, but silent, after understanding, that they were in some great troubles.

Emli got off the carriage, and ran into the forest. She knew this parts of it well, as she often played here with other children. Anik was right — as usual — This was to close to the village to meet any dangerous animals, or monsters.

Hunters in the villages always watched over such close neighborhood.

She felt tired after a few minutes of running but pushed herself, until she reached borders of area with buildings.

Village was burning.

Yet still there was a few remnants where she believed that she could hide safely. There were clearly people here — she heard voices, including cries and screaming but they were rare and seemed to only come from central square. Anik was probably right — they most likely finished, and wouldn't bother with checking entire village once again.

She hated this thought. This meant that her parents was probably dead already.

And yet she had to think about her child above all else. She could not put it in danger.

Emli went into one of the better preserved houses. She blessed fact that people here almost never used locks, even if most of them ordered them from the blacksmith.

“Mister Cnig” she though remembered that nice man sending time building locks in his free time. He was probably dead as well.

She wanted to throw up, but only take a few deep breaths and forced herself to stay silent. She felt hot tears rolling on her cheeks and thought about windows. They were probably open — normal thing on summer, and on the different side of the house...

They also had a view on the central square.

She knew that it was stupid, moronic even. Child was most important of all, definitely.

But this were her parents.

She needed it, she needed to go there and see what was happening.

Next scream broke the silence. There was so much fear in this sound so much despair. Emli could no longer withstand it. Everything would be better than just standing and waiting.

So she crossed the room and tried to stealth her way to the window. It was more crawling than anything more though, she was too afraid that someone could see her to keep her head above the window line. When she looked out though...

Men stood on the burning central square, swords in their hands. There were maybe three dozen of them surrounding few still alive villagers. And few that seemed to have different job around, It was obvious that they were no average bandits, they were too... She could not really express that, but they didn't look like a collection of wild men, that she always imagined bandit groups to be. These ones here were well armed organized and confident, not like it changed anything — Emli was very talented, and she could even have considerable advantage in terms of attributes against a single normal bandit, but she didn't have any battle-type skill or job, not even telling about her condition.

But the bandits quality wasn't the most shocking thing, nor was it the reason why Emli pressed hands to her lips trying not to start sobbing. Right on the center of village's main square there was pile of dead bodies. Streams of blood flowed from it and bathed entire place in red color. From the size of it, it was obvious that most of the people living here were already lying on this heap.

“Why?” Emli thought, her brain barely being able o process what her eyes had seen. “Why? It doesn't have sense why would they just kill them all? Such a mindless slaughter?!” Like in response to her thought. Two men take another of the villages — an older man visibly to scared to even try to do anything and dragged him before man staying the closest to the pile of bodies. This one seemed to Emli as even more dangerous than rest. He didn't really look different than others, but something in his figure was speaking, about both power and cruelty. One of the five only still alive villagers finally started to wake from his catatonic state, and tried to break of.

It was obviously useless, dangerously looking man stretched his hand and caught his head. He drew old man body to himself like it was a hollow doll. Emli clenched her teeth once again hearing scream of pain and despair. Then dangerous man raised his other hand and Emli could see something shining with red light in his palm. Man gave a sign and other bandit beside him slit villager's throat.

Blood spat in streams, and scream turned into a shriek, For a short moment brilliant red light flashed in bandit palm and old villager body seemed to completely lost all strength.

He was dead.

Dangerous man didn't even look at him again throwing body into the heap with casual ease before making a sign to other men. Emli felt her legs loosing strength when the next villager — one of the only two survivors now, was taken next.

It was absolutely the most horrifying experience of her life, and yet somehow she just couldn't stop looking, like it was the only thing assuring her about her safety. Like if she didn't see it then they could go here and take her next.

So she watched. In almost catatonic state, as it was the only thing that she could do now. She watched like the fourth last survivor was killed, and then like the third last meet the same fate. When the dangerous man killed the second last she heard a weak broken shriek right beside her.

She almost fainted from fear, first fearing what have made it, and when she turned around to see her terrified sister and her brother closing her mouth to stop any voices, that someone could hear them.

She clung to the wall, watching as Anik did the same with him and his sister on the other side of the window. Cautiously, very cautiously she looked through it from the side and nearly cried looking as one of the bandits — the one that from the beginning stood the farthest from entire place and the closest to the building — looked in their side suspiciously.

She had seen as he raised his hand and terrified observed blue glow of magic turning itself into flat disc pulsating with short burst of light. Was this bandit a mage? It looked like he was whispering something, the disc being more and more clear...

And then right before it was complete, the spell exploded.

Mage cursed hideously While shaking slightly injured hand. He murmured something that Emli was unable to hear, before — to her despair — starting to cast spell again.

At this moment however...

“Gani ” The voice, that clearly come from bandit that Emli named as 'dangerous man' was not loud, and yet somehow resonating. It was powerful voice, that didn't tolerate any opposition nor disagreement “We finished, stop playing and do your job.”

Mage didn't answer but reacted instantly, blue light vanished, and he took out some kind of small bottle from purse on his arm.

Emli felt like he was about to faint from relief, but tension kept her awake. She looked like mage was whispering something again before giving a signal on which all bandits backed off from the heap of bodies. Then magic user throw bottle onto the pile, what resulted in bright flash of fire covering it instantly.

Emli though for a moment that it must have been very hot as even bandits being considerable distance away had unpleasant expressions. And the fire only seemed to burn stronger in every moment.

“We are going” Again she heard a powerful voice of a dangerous man and all bandits quickly started to withdraw in an organized manner.

***

What had happened later Emli remembered only like through thick fog. She could barely recognize Anik voice telling her that entire village was catching this strange very hot fire, and that they needed to run. She could barely remember fact that Tia was unconscious, what she had accidentally seen being too much for the young, shy girl mind. She could barely remember like Anik constantly repeated that they needed to tell about all of this to Tamith. It was open secret that village priest and teacher was also a powerful mage (though no one know exactly how powerful.) And Anik seemed to keep his sanity by holding to a thought that they would be safe, ass long as they would return.

She didn't remember the way back. She knew that they had to go on feet, and that it had to take at least few hours, she knew that they must have had a lot of luck to not meet any monster on the way, she also knew that the road itself must had been very unpleasant experience — many scratches and even shallow injuries, especially on her legs were enough of a proof.

Still, she just could not remember it. Like in one moment she was still in this building looking at a closing fire, and in next in the village church's room for sick people, Tamith listening to her older brother's shaking voice with a gloomy and visibly angry face. And she and Tia being examined by old woman that served the role of a midwife, and herbalist in the village as well as usually dealt with diseases together with Tamith.

She remembered though that in this one moment when she finally understood that she was safe, when she finally could squeeze Korriath hand with her own she started to cry, almost hysterically and could not stop.

Only when Korriath hugged her tightly she managed to calm herself enough to go through examination.

“She is not really hurt” Herbalist woman whose name was Geina said and Emli could hear her husband sigh of relief.

“But she is greatly shocked, best do not let her out from the house by next few days.”

“And child ?” Koriath asked with much calmer but still tensed tone.

Geina bitted her lips before looking at Emli with a little uncertainty. “It... seems fine, I can't see anything wrong with it. Do you still not feel it moving at all? ”

“No, not at all s- she is still very well-behaved.” Emli put hand on her stomach and caressed it warmly. But when she turned her head to see Kor, he was looking at older woman with concerned gaze.

“Like I thought” he spoke silently “it is not really normal right?” In response Geina looked at pregnant woman unsure of how much she should say.

“It is not... but it is not necessary anything bad as well, I can hear child's heart well enough and it is strong. Worrying won't help you at all so just have hope.”

“I am not worried!” Emli broke into conversation with clearly angered voice “She is good and well I know that! She is just special, she is unique!” For a moment she had seen like Geina send her very irritated gaze, but it softened almost instantly.

“Yes, surely you are right.” She took a cup of something steaming and not really healthy looking from a table beside her.

“ I brewed something for you, just to calm you and for a good sleep, it tastes good, don't let it look deceive you. ”

She gave a cup to Emli before looking at her husband “I will speak with you for a moment, about medicine and proper behave to a pregnant women.”

Emli looked with irritation as her husband got taken aside by herbalist, she knew about what they would probably talk.

About her 'delusions', and Geina will probably tell Kor to ignore it at least until child will be born. On the occasion she will also reprimand him for letting her go onto a trip during the advanced pregnancy in the first place.

No matter, he would cope with it and it didn't really matter if they believed her or not.

Actually it didn't really matter if she was right or not in the first place. But she knew that she was, and she wasn't going to lie.

Emli sat on the bed to drink her medicine. She looked at her brother and priest still discussing something. Tamith looked at her like feeling her glare before taking her brother and moving him out of the room.

Being for a moment alone and drinking the steaming mixture, Emli thought that Geina was right about its good taste.

She also returned in her memories to this one moment when the bandit-mage spell exploded in his very hand. From what she knew about magic it was very dangerous art, and so she probably wouldn't put any more thoughts in it if not for a message that appeared on her view at that moment.

Unsure if she probably just imagined it Emli opened her system log to see her massages history. And here in the last place right after message of her leveling the cooking skill it was.

SpEciaL: YoU aRe pUt undEr the inflUence of a deStIny coRrectiOn abilIty.

Yes... certainly it was going to be a special child...