“Home sweet home,” Corbin called out as the Academy came into view. It was late evening, and they had been flying for most of the day to reach the Academy before night fall.

“Would’ve been here days sooner if we didn’t have to hunt down your bonds,” Liliana griped as she circled above and dropped down on Lysander’s back with a groan. The Pegasus whinnied but kept flying, well used to Liliana dropping on him to take breaks during flight.

“Like yours were any better,” Corbin shot back at her with not a moment of hesitation.

Liliana winced at the memory of them spending days tracking down both their wayward bonds. And chasing Lelantos for miles when he refused to relinquish his ‘trophy’. A rotting head of some beast too far dead for even Liliana to devise its original form. It had a lot of teeth, too many teeth. Wrestling a decomposing corpse from the maws of tiger that looked like it could snack on a Clydesdale and have room left for more was no one’s idea of a good time.

What was worse, if it was possible, is it seemed Liliana was the very last to learn of this new trend. Polaris and Nemesis had seemingly reached an unspoken agreement with Lelantos and had been found with their own trophies proudly displayed in their mouths. Liliana turning to Lelantos to lecture him for his bad influences had done nothing to abate his overbearingly smug aura.

Corbin, the lucky feathered bastard, had been spared his bonds learning of this fun new game, which seemed crafted solely to torment Liliana. She would’ve reveled in watching the bard trying to remove something from his Siren or Griffin’s grasp.

“Mine were worse, and you know it. Yours were simply better at hiding from us,” Liliana hissed back, tapping against her summoning stones with annoyance, her pointed nails clicking against them. All of her bonds were safely ensconced, including Serenity. Without their gruesome chew toys.

“So they are.” Corbin shrugged, unbothered by the fact that his bonds could easily hide themselves from him if they so wished.

Liliana had long since learned that few tamers had such a strong bond to their creatures as she did. Her bonds could run, but they could never hide from her. The nature of their bond, the strength of it, would never permit it.

Liliana did not mind it, this way in which she differed from others. It was one among many, and Liliana had come to a weary peace with her own otherness. She would not change her bonds for anything, the comfort their ties to her gave her. The knowledge she was never alone, never again.

“Are you ready to return to classes and droll academia instead of daring death defying feats?” Corbin asked, with a rather impressive amount of alliteration.

Liliana sighed and leaned her body heavily against his back. Corbin grunted at her sudden weight but did not protest. His thinly veiled jibe at her running herself through with a sword to tame Serenity was clear, and Liliana let it flow past her, choosing to be obtuse. Corbin could keep his ridiculous fear of Emyr to himself. Liliana was done indulging it.

“I’m ready for a break but I fear we won’t get much of one,” Liliana muttered, closing her eyes and turning her head to hide her face in Corbin’s back, feeling his crow wing dark hair tickling her skin, feathers smooth as silk intertwined thoroughly with the strands.

Corbin smelled of a fall breeze, the well-oiled leather of his jerkin and something reminiscent of the end of fall, the beginning of winter. Pine, Liliana thought drowsily. He also smelled of sweat, and tasted of road dust and exhaustion, born of being in the wild for over a week. Liliana wouldn’t be surprised if she smelled much the same, if not worse. The cool late fall wind that blazed past them was swiftly cooling the sweat she’d worked up flying, sticking her clothes to her.

“Another clandestine meeting in your future?” Corbin asked with deceptive nonchalance. Liliana snorted and shook her head, not opening her eyes. Worst kept secret of their group, that one was.

“Undoubtedly, once I get reports from everyone.” Liliana sighed softly. Corbin reached a hand around, to where her own had lazily wrapped around him and rested above his hip, to grip the scarred hand in his own and give it a small squeeze.

Liliana felt, more than heard, the thought that seemed to scream from his mind. As [Telepathy] and [Empathy] had gained strength, they seemed less and less inclined to wait for her to activate them, working on their own, picking up particularly strong thoughts or emotions as easily as Liliana might pluck a flower from the ground.

Why must it always be you, Lili?

Why must it be? Liliana wondered that often, but she knew the answers. She was god-touched, in the worst way. Vita’s damning signature coated her so thoroughly anyone even slightly tuned to the divine could sense it. To beasts of Rank 1 or beyond, it was like she was a walking beacon. ‘This girl has a destiny. Marked by the gods, entangled within Fate. Change follows where she treads.’ Or that’s how it had been so poetically explained to her.

There was no escaping it. There had only been a blessed three and a half years where she could drown herself in delusions. Three and a half years where she could pretend that there wasn’t a war on the horizon she’d be on the front lines of. Where she could exist under the illusion that the fate of an entire world did not rest squarely on her shoulders.

Three and half years where she could prepare herself for the storm that was coming.

Liliana opened her eyes, looking at the back of Corbin’s head, and wondered not for the first time: Would he remain? When the binds of the Academy no longer held him back? Would he remain when blood was spilled and nightmares came to life?

Sometimes, Liliana wished she could bond humans to her as easily as she bound beasts, so she would not have to harbor this worry deep inside of her that eventually they would leave her to stand alone. It was tempting. If she focused just a little, she could so easily see Corbin’s soul, effusing his body and leaking about him. She could reach out, with the lightest touch, and tangle their souls together.

But free will was something Liliana held in the highest regard, so she resisted, as she always did. She’d let him make his own choices and let herself trust in the friendship they’d developed over the years.

She did the hardest thing she could imagine, and she’d believe.

Believe in this strange, mystery wrapped enigma of a man and the love she had felt him slowly nurture over the years. Different from the love she felt for Emyr or Alistair, or they felt for each other, but somehow similar to the love she and Marianne felt for one another. The same, but different. Unique, as she was finding love always was. As multi-faceted as the humans who harbored it were.

It was strange, this constant dichotomy she lived in. Where she fervently wished that none she cared for or loved would place themselves in harm’s way for her sake, while desperately wishing they would, so she need not face her battles alone.

“Because there’s no one else,” Liliana murmured softly, closing her eyes again as Corbin sighed, shoulders drooping under her head.

“Mind reading is rude, you know that Lili,” Corbin chastised with a gentle pinch on the skin of her hand. Liliana hissed lightly at the reproach.

“Don’t shout then,” Liliana grumbled petulantly but did not pull her hand away. It’s not like she ever heard anything important, just words thought so loudly there was hardly a difference between thought and talk.

“Could not Marianne take over? She is the queen to be,” Corbin redirected their conversation, and Liliana snorted. Beasts cared not for who held an ornamental crown, they respected very little other than power.

And even if Liliana was not powerful enough to stand toe to toe with a Rank 1 beast, yet she held the undeniable potential, no, not potential, because that implied the possibility it would not happen. She held the certainty within her that she would, one day, perhaps sooner than even she had thought, be on their level.

Beasts, Rank 1’s especially could see it, though she suspected as a result of Serenity’s fairly quick turnaround that others of lower ranks could sense a bit of it. So, though Marianne would be respected by any of the mortal races, she was little more than a girl playing dress up in the eyes of beasts.

“It has to be me,” Liliana answered, bereft of any explanation for the why. Corbin was far more clever than was sensible, and Liliana did not need her Psyche skills to know his mind was returning to the words spoken by a goddess, heavy with the weight of prophecy.

‘Be careful, little dancer. It is beginning. If you do not act, then all you love shall be consumed. Remember your quest, for your time for idleness runs short.’

Liliana wanted a fucking refund on this nonsense. What kind of chosen one didn’t even get a proper prophecy? Where were the lyrical verses, riddles with three different meanings and a hidden one tucked between the lines?

Liliana ignored the fact that if she would step into a proper temple devoted to Vita, she could probably get her gods damned, thrice cursed prophecy. Likely, along with a crushing sense of parental disappointment she was sure Vita felt for her. But Liliana had avoided anything Vita related for years, and she wasn’t trying to willingly break her streak now. Running into a Paladin on accident did not count.

Corbin gripped her hand tightly, his emotions leaking through the physical contact, as if he was shoving them at her. Concern, annoyance, fond amusement, and protectiveness. A fairly typical mix for anyone who spent time with Liliana. Her penchant for nearly dying seemed to seed such emotions in those around her. The fact that trouble unerringly sniffed her out no matter what she did only made it all worse.

Liliana pulled away from the touch, opening her eyes and yawning, jaw cracking from it as she stretched out her arms. Corbin hissed lowly, sensing he’d made a misstep in the delicate balancing act they participated in, dancing around each other, playfully flirting but never daring to take a step into territory Liliana was not comfortable with.

Perhaps, if Corbin had admitted to his feelings earlier, perhaps if Liliana was not forever terrified of romantic relationships, it could be something else. Perhaps if the weight of the words spoken by a goddess had not reminded Liliana so cruelly that her time for such foolish dalliances had come and passed.

It had taken Basil over a year to carefully cajole Liliana into trying something, and that had inevitably ended when Liliana could not let herself open herself up emotionally in the ways Basil had needed. Liliana thought, perhaps, ones made for destiny were not ones meant for love. It was no wonder to her that the heroes who were immortalized in the stars had stories that were so often tragedies. Love was for those who were not meant to fight in a battle they were fated to die in.

Fated to fight, not to love. Liliana thought sardonically as she looked at the Academy grounds that were swiftly approaching. [Eagle Eye] activated and sharpened her eyes like those of a bird of prey as she focused on the once ant like shapes of students, now brought to clarity for her. Liliana scanned them with a speed only one who had over three thousand points in Speed could manage as she searched.

Liliana grinned when she miraculously found the one she was looking for. By some unknown blessing, he was outside. Liliana gaged the distance, waiting until Lysander was positioned above her target. Between one wing beat and the next, Liliana slipped off the Pegasus’ back, free falling through the air as [Wings of Radiance] burst from her back in a dazzling show of light.

Before she was completely out of range, she heard Lysander speak to Corbin.

“She jumped,”

“She what?!” Corbin squawked back, his voice barely reaching her over the screaming rush of the wind. Likely panicking at the thought of Liliana falling hundreds of feet so close to Emyr, who would hold any damage to her against the beastman. Nevermind that Liliana could fly.

Liliana laughed as she fell, wings fluttering behind her before they caught the air, swelling and pushing, turning her fall into a controlled flight as she locked onto her brother. When he was in range, Liliana used [Attract], feeling the Gravity skill change her point of gravity to her brother, and increasing the pull so she flew faster than before.

“Alistair!” Liliana shouted as swords appeared in a spinning circle around her, her aura unfurling and making younger years scatter in fear from the oppressive feeling.

Older years, those who had their own auras, scowled in her direction and flared their auras to push her’s off. Liliana did not care for their annoyance, eyes only for her brother, who turned on his heel. His great hulking sword and shield, that seemed almost dainty when held up to his fearsome size, appeared in response to her call.

Alistair got his shield up in time to catch Liliana’s feet as she plowed into him. The force of it was enough to kill any beast Rank 6 or lower in one hit, but Alistair only flexed biceps larger than Liliana’s head and grit his teeth, shoving her back with all his considerable strength. Liliana let the momentum take her, activating [Repel] on Alistair and deactivating [Attract]. Liliana flew away, flipping once more as if shot from a cannon, her swords flashing past her to strike at her brother.

“I’ll catch you unawares one of these days, brother,” Liliana hissed as Alistair kept her swords at bay, turning with a grace and speed that belied his large size.

“Perhaps if you did not announce your presence so loudly, you would, sister,” Alistair grunted back at her as his body shone, dark metal coating him, light suffusing him as if he held a sun deep beneath his skin.

“I was just so excited to see you,” Liliana taunted as she flew, darting in to strike at him with palms and feet. Beset from nine different sides, Alistair was forced to take some hits on his metallic skin, the chiming sound of it ringing across the grass, which had steadily emptied of other students with the sudden fight.

“Could you two cease before a professor decides to hand out detentions and demerits for an unsanctioned duel?” Emyr snarked from his position, lounging on the grass, a book held in his hands. He looked more annoyed at the distracting noise and closeness of some of Liliana’s blades, than the potential punishments.

“Duel?” Liliana and Alistair asked, tones equally baffled as they glanced at one another, never pausing their battle as they looked at Emyr.

Alistair raised his sword to parry a strike and tilted his sword to deflect another. Liliana lashed out a foot and managed a painful sounding kick against his knee that likely did more damage to the delicate bones in her foot than his leg.

“We were just saying hello,” Liliana said, but she dismissed her swords, Alistair vanishing his own weapons in the same moment.

“Attempted murder is a greeting?” Emyr asked with painful slowness, as if he were speaking to particularly uneducated children.

“It’s not attempted murder.” Alistair shook his head as Liliana scrunched her nose.

“It’s simply keeping him on his toes. Attempted murder is what happened the last time he tried to keep me from cookies,” Liliana clarified as she finally let her feet alight upon the ground, her wings fading from view.

“I didn’t get that sauce out of my uniform, had to burn it,” Emyr muttered, eyes faraway, haunted, as he membered The Great Food War of third year.

The entire class S cafeteria had been turned into a war zone, alliances were made quickly, and just as swiftly broken, casualties were many. The staff still hadn’t fully forgiven them. Liliana’s food was always lukewarm to this day.

Liliana had never seen Vereign so close to quitting before, and that was saying something as he often proclaimed they were by and far his most troublesome class in his entire tenure as a professor. Rauk had quietly complimented her on her quick battle thinking and rapid assembling of a small army.

“Lils,” Alistair turned to his sister with a small wince at Emyr’s traumatized expression. He should be. Alistair had been the one to betray Emyr in that war and was the cause of the sauce on his uniform.

“Ali,” Liliana replied, and then she flung herself at her brother.

She let him wrap her in a bone pulverizing hug that had her entire spine creaking and cracking like dry twigs as he swung her around, her feet far off the ground. No matter than Liliana had shot up in the past years, her brother always managed to surpass her in height and weight, standing more than a head above her and likely three times her width.

Liliana clutched tightly to her brother. She loved his hugs, the way she felt entirely enclosed in his arms, protected in a way she never thought she’d get to feel. Hidden from the world, and all the pain it wanted to inflict on her.

His scent was overpowering, sun warmed metal, honey and whatever oil he used on his armor and weapons, the smell of home. After several long moments, he released her and held her by the shoulders, examining her closely. Liliana rolled her eyes and whacked his arm, hiding her wince of pain. Even without his metal coating, Alistair was far too solid.

“I’m fine, you overprotective mother hen,” Liliana folded her arms with a huff as Alistair kept checking her over.

“If you’re not, I’ll pluck every feather out of the glorified song bird’s head and roast him like the over grown pigeon he is,” Emyr said idly, standing languidly and moving to steal Liliana from her brother’s grip for his own hug.

Liliana wrapped her arms around his lanky body, all sharp edgers covered in whipcord muscles, a deadly blade hidden under dark clothes. He smelled like fire and sulfur, and something dark and sweet. Liliana had missed her brother in all but blood as much as she had missed the one who shared her name, if not more. Emyr was the brother of her heart, of her soul, and any time they spent apart, it was as if Liliana had cut off a limb.

“Stop scaring him so,” Liliana chastised as they pulled apart, Emyr giving her a smile equal parts warm and threatening.

“He doesn’t need to be afraid unless he did something wrong,” Emyr informed her, and Liliana sighed, giving up. The two of them hadn’t even been this bad with Basil, and he’d confessed to having recurring nightmares about them.

“Enough, I need to shower and we need to have a meeting,” Liliana directed their attention towards important matters, instead of harassing her friend and partner. Immediately, Emyr and Alistair’s faces turned somber. Liliana felt her heart drop to her stomach.

“We have news.”

Nemesis' Tables:

Status Sheet

Name:

Nemesis

Age:

6

Level:

257

Species:

Calla Serpent

Genus:

Flowered Serpent

Rank:

4

Health:

3,000

H-Regen:

+30/1.1sec

Mana:

27,000

M-Regen:

+317.5/1.1sec

Stamina:

2,400

S-Regen:

+24/1.1sec

Magic Power:

29,641

Magic Control:

32,379

Experience: 3,123,008 /6,656,400

Vitality:

300

Endurance:

240

Strength:

135

Dexterity:

1,603

Wisdom:

2,700

Intelligence:

3,175

Speed:

2,361

Charisma:

90

Unallocated Stat Points: 0

Affinity

Earth

86%

Poison

81%

Dark

70%

Shadow

54%

Quintessential Skills

[Vengeance] Lvl 215

[Venomous Aura] Lvl 86

Skills

[Identify] Lvl 265

[Consume] lvl 265

[Venom] Lvl 265

[Tracking] Lvl 263

[Stealth] Lvl 261

[Poison Resistance] Lvl 258

[Antidote] Lvl 245

[Garden Song] lvl 230

[Dodge] Lvl 222

[Enrage] Lvl 201

Spells

[Minimize] Lvl 265

[Earth Manipulation] Lvl 260

[Poison Manipulation] Lvl 255

[Deadly Stalagmite] Lvl 240

[Toxin Barrage] Lvl 239

[Earth Rend] Lvl 233

[Toxic Shadow Torrent] lvl 228

[Venom Cloud] Lvl 219

[Pernicious Onyx Scales] Lvl 216

[Poison Breath] Lvl 211