The streets of Provecta. A serenity that can’t be found in Aeternum. Everyone seems to have their lives together: a stable job, food on the table every single day, and a family. The fear that a frost would kill the crops, that a beast would wreak the place, or that a dragon might fly through the skies, shooting devastating flames… That doesn’t exist here. The smell of recently baked pastries permeates the air, making the streets feel like home. People sitting in benches drink coffee, read the newspaper or chat among friends. Nobody carries a weapon on their back. Nobody seems worried that a thief might appear. Nobody feels the pressure of time.

  Each step of the princess’s leather boots resonates along the cobblestone streets. As she walks through them, emanating happiness and excitement, she greets every citizen she comes across. The priestess looks at Rose, curious.

  “I am surprised you decided to reject her proposal. I was convinced you would accept.”

  “I know, but to be honest, I just… thought this was our best call. I like the thought of staying here, but I can’t just stay idle. Although I know Miss Cruz means well, I have to follow my own path.”

  “I must say that her face was something to see; she was absolutely flabbergasted.”

  “At least she was kind enough to let us take a shower anyways; that’s what’s been bothering the most about leaving the castle.”

  As the two share some laughs, a familiar voice yells at them from far away. Black boots strike the floor at full speed, as she eagerly waves her arm to get them to notice her. Scarlet’s grin can be made out even kilometers away.

  “Rosy! Wait!”

  The redhead reaches the adventurers, breathing heavy and raggedly.

  “What do you need, Scarlet?” asks Rose, sporting a smile. With a hand, she moves Aira, who was hiding behind her.

  “Your Majesty…” Scarlet gets down on one knee and looks up at the princess. “Would you allow me to accompany you on your journey? For years I have wanted to see the world, I’ve spent too long in this place… and there’s something about you that I want to see. I would like to follow you in your objective.”

  Aira is puzzled by the request. She shakes her head from side to side, her expression tinged with disgust. Rose rests her hand on Aira’s shoulder and offers the other one to Scarlet.

  “Only if you leave behind your life as an assassin,” she proposes; her gaze is serious, yet her smile remains friendly. “If you tag along, I’ll only let you kill if absolutely necessary, when there’s no other option; you get it?”

  “Loud and clear, Your Majesty.” Scarlet takes her hand and gets back on her feet with the princess’s help.

  “And don’t call me ‘Majesty’. I’m Rose; you can just call me that.”

  “’Course, Rosy!”

  “I guess that works.”

  Both laugh a little. Yet Aira still looks at Scarlet with distrust. Scarlet tells the adventurers about a nearby coffee shop, and explains to Rose what a coffee shop is, as well. They walk a couple blocks to get there and when they do, they sit down at one of the establishment’s outdoor tables. Several people greeted Scarlet on their way there.

  “I didn’t expect so many people to recognise you,” Rose comments. “I thought people were scared of you.”

  “Oh, that was actually my second job. Officially, I’m known as Cruz’s assistant, so I’m a bit famous around these parts, but not too far away from here. Also, I always made sure to wear a mask as an assassin, so no one could connect my little side jobs with Cruz”, she answers, as she raises a hand to call over a waiter.

  The three order some food and a drink each. The smiling redhead gets up from the table and excuses herself to the bathroom. Aira tugs on Rose’s sleeve.

  “What’s wrong, Aira?”

  “… Why did you let her join us? She… scares me.”

  “I know, she can be a little terrifying, but I think she’s too valuable an ally to turn her down. She knows things about this place that we don’t, and she’s also stronger than me. Besides… if I can stop her from continuing to be a killer, then… It’s worth it.”

  “Rose… You are really kind, maybe a bit too much.”

  “On top of that, there’s something about this girl that doesn’t quite fit. That smile of hers creeps me out, but I feel like there’s something else underneath it. Her eyes give her away.”

  “You are right; she is weird. Something is up. Alright, I will try to learn to bear with her, but that does not mean I like her.”

  “Thanks, Aira.” Rose pets her head and the priestess smiles.

  Scarlet comes back from the bathroom just as the waiter brings them their orders. They chat while drinking their coffees.

  “Hey, Rosy,” Scarlet says, “what’s our next destination?”

  “That is true, I have no idea what your plan is,” Aira adds.

  “Well… I don’t know.”

  The two girls stare at Rose. They consider whether the princess is messing with them or they should hit her with a stick. The pinkhaired girl holds her head as she laughs, amused yet embarrassed. She tells the two about the prophecy and her own theory as regards to its meaning. Once she explains her reason for coming to Provecta, Scarlet perks up.

  “Rosy, I just remembered something.” The other two girls look at her, curious. “If you were wondering how Cruz knew about your existence, she told me she got a letter from a prophet.” Rose can’t keep her excitement in check; she stands up and slaps her hands on the table. “From what she told me, the prophet is extremely precise, but she’s currently imprisoned in Bellum.”

  At the sound of that name, Aira feels a wave of concern; she knows it only brings trouble. The princess has heard very little about that place; she doesn’t know what to expect of the lawless country.

  “And how do we get there?” Rose asks.

  “Well, we can’t cross the cliff between Provecta and Bellum, but we may go around it if we go back to Aeternum,” Aira answers.

  “Airu is right. We can go around the wall that holds off the abyss. If we head west while inside Provecta, there’s a village where we can get whatever we might need before setting off. Besides, I have a pass to cross the walls; we can skip the guards,” Scarlet says.

  Airu? an annoyed Aira thinks.

  If I had a coin for everytime time Scarlet said ‘can’… the princess thinks.

  “… Hello? Are you listening?”

  The two nod and shake their heads at the same time. The princess takes a map out of her bag and they start planning their travel route. They spend a few hours working on it until they arrive at a dead end.

  “Damn it, we have no way of getting inside Bellum through the wall, do we?” Scarlet asks, visibly frustrated, yet still sporting her characteristic smile.

  “That’s right; we’re stuck. Maybe we could find a way of sneaking in,” Rose goes on.

  As the two discuss ways of avoiding the watchkeepers guarding the wall, Aira remains silent, staring into space. She knows a way. She hates the mere idea of it. After taking a deep breath, she musters the courage to voice it:

  “I know a way to get a pass.” Scarlet and Rose turn to the priestess, who drops her gaze, embarrassed… and angry. “If it is truly necessary, we can ask the Supreme to give us a pass.”

  “You know the Supreme?” the redhead asks, hopeful.

  “That’s right, you’re part of the Church of Providence.”

  “Yes… I know him. But I doubt he will make it easy for us… He does not like me very much.”

  The princess pats her on the back, and with a huge smile reassures her that nothing bad will happen.

  The three pay their tab and ready themselves to set off on their new journey. With a new ally by her side, Rose feels more confident than ever. She still has a lot to learn and Scarlet will be a big step in doing so. The wheel of destiny is spinning.

  The hours fly by. Scarlet’s constant talking is partly to thank; she lightens the mood, and her stories fascinate the princess. Aira can’t decide whether they make her feel scared or disgusted. They’re heading toward a village in the middle of the countryside to buy some supplies; it also serves as a shortcut to the westward. The futuristic city’s landscape dissolves into dirt roads and sparse trees. Yellowish grass sprouts from the ground, surrounded by wheats that rise high above the girls. The sun hides on the horizon, leaving behind an orange glow and the singing of birds. Cows and sheep graze peacefully near the creek, which adds to the melodic music of the countryside. The princess pets a sheep’s head. Aira heals the bitemark on her hand as Scarlet starts to gasp for air from how hard she’s laughing.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  A wooden sign welcomes them to Rumielle. Behind it stand the village’s humble houses. A man, armed with a sword strapped to his waist, rests against the sign. He seems asleep. His metal kettle hat hides his face.

  “Jos!” Scarlet yells, waving at him. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  The grinning redhead walks up to him and throws a solid punch at his hat. The metal rumbles against his head and Jos startles awake.

  “Scarlet! Long time no see! Savage as always!”

  The two high-five, which causes a loud, satisfying clapping sound. Rose’s a bit jealous of their expert-level high-five.

  “Welcome to Rumielle, ladies. I’m Jos, the town’s watchkeeper.”

  “Hey, I’m Rose.

  “I am Aira. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

  “Don’t call me ‘sir’, it makes me feel old.”

  The watchkeeper laughs boisterously; it seems like he’s been wanting to say that for years. Jos looks behind Scarlet, as if searching for something, and looks at her funny when he doesn’t find it.

  “Something wrong?” Scarlet asks.

  “I thought you were bringing the supplies we asked for.”

  “Crey didn’t bring them?”

  “Thought the same thing, but he still hasn’t come back.”

  “Maybe he got a bit delayed.”

  “Y’know how Crey is; that guy is never late unless something serious is going on. He should’ve been here half an hour ago.”

  Scarlet grows pensive. They didn’t see anyone on the way, so either Crey disappeared, or he took a different path. It wouldn’t be too weird; he likes avoiding predictable routes to confuse bandits. The redhead gently elbows the princess.

  “Rosy, would you like to play cops and robbers?” she says with a villainous smile.

  “I’d love to. Are we looking for the missing supplies?”

  “More like we’re looking for the bastards trying to steal them.”

  The princess’s head peeps over the wheats, with a spider hanging onto her braid.

  “Nothing over here,” she says, unaware of her new buddy climbing her hair.

  “… Rose, your braid.”

  Startled, Rose jumps and falls among the wheat. Aira and Scarlet share a laugh as they look for signs of the carriage. The redhead closes her eyes and a red aura forms around her.

  “How do you plan to use your technique for this?” the princess asks.

  “I’m looking for blood nearby. I can also detect heartbeats.”

  “Your technique sure is versatile, is it not?” Aira says, surprised.

  “A great deal, but I’ve applied some conditions to it so that it works the way I need it to. Found it!”

  The three head where the assassin is pointing to. On an ill-defined dirt road lie two unconscious men. Aira approaches them to check if they’re alive. Scarlet looks around for some kind of clue. The princess notices something strange. In the middle of the air, there seems to be distortion. The air is opaque; the light doesn’t go through as normal. When she tries to touch it, though, nothing weird happens.

  Scarlet walks up to the odd distortion and yells:

  “Crey, you can come out! It’s me, Scarlet!”

  An eye peeks from the distortion. An elegantly dressed man comes out of the weird phenomenon. His tie seems too tight around his neck and his top hat is drooping slightly toward one side. His expression shows nerves and his hands are hidden behind his back.

  “Mi-Mi-Miss Scarlet, I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “What happened, Crey?”

  “I was traveling with those two, but some crows found out our route before we could arrive.” Miss Cruz told me to lock myself in my {Spatial Distortion} with the goods if I saw the crows, so that’s what I did.”

  “Good job. I know it must have hurt your pride to be late like that.”

  “The issue is… I don’t think the crows left yet.”

  “I don’t mean to pry,” Rose says, prying, “but, what are the crows?”

  “It’s a criminal organization that steals from travelling merchants,” Scarlet answers. “They’re especially known for their technique, which allows them to create wings. That’s why they’re called ‘crows’. In all truth, they’re just cowards. They go somewhere, steal, and leave. They don’t usually engage in any direct conflicts. These crows were probably just some newbies that got too excited for the thrill of a fight.”

  “And what do you suggest we do?” Aira asks.

  “I say we lay a trap.”

  The carriage furrows the dirt beneath its wheels. Horses made out of pure energy drag the carriage along. Crey and one of the previously knocked out men sit in the front seat. A pair of energy wings are created in the distance.

  Three unfamiliar pairs of boots dig into the dirt. The horses stop. The drivers get up from their seats and raise their hands.

  “Did you seriously think you’d get away by just waiting a bit? We’re more patient than you think.” The tallest crow is the one speaking. The woman at his side laughs, and the little girl seems worried.

  “You were right, Gamma; these guys are a bunch of idiots,” the woman says, unsheathing a sword shaped like a crow’s feather. “Now, boys, be good and leave the carriage, and nobody gets hurt… maybe.”

  Their clothes are made of leather with erratic metal pieces that feign protection. Their masks, reminiscent of a crow’s beak, only leave their eyes uncovered. On the chest, they have a tag with a letter. The man wears a gamma; the woman, a beta; and the girl, a delta.

  Crey and his colleague get down from the carriage with their hands still in the air. The two older crows approach the rear of the wagon to check out the goods. A pink shadow gets out of the carriage, grabs Gamma’s head and slams it against the floor. WIth a kick to the chest, Beta is sent flying.

  Aira gets out from among the wheats next to Delta. Their eyes meet.

  “Could we skip the fight? Let’s leave them to decide who wins,” Delta says.

  “That works for me.”

  Rose fends off Beta’s sword with Valor and keeps Gamma at bay; the latter is using a pair of heavy metal gauntlets. Scarlet is sitting on top of the wagon; she was waiting amidst the wheat, but she wanted a front row seat.

  “Rosy, let’s use this as training; don’t let them hit you.”

  “Copy that.”

  It is clear in Beta and Gamma’s eyes that they don’t appreciate being seen as a joke. They focus their divinity in their weapons; these are then imbued in electricity.

  “What’s that about?” Rose asks.

  “No idea,” answers the redhead, munching on a piece of bread.

  “Gamma, this brat doesn’t know how to use her divinity.”

  “You’re right; she doesn’t even have an aura. If we focus everything into one attack…”

  Both jump at the same time, their weapons shining with electricity. The princess can only block one attack at a time. She chooses to parry the sword and receive the hit from the gauntlet.

  “[Blood Shield].”

  The electricity clashes against both Valor’s metal and a blood shield.

  “I got your back, princess.” Scarlet winks at her.

  Rose smiles and starts attacking with augmented ferocity. She doesn’t worry about defense as much anymore; the assassin has her back, and her front. Blood structures are created and undone, foiling every one of the crows’ attempts at a counterattack.

  Looks like my technique also turns off if I parry attacks with my spear. Why couldn’t I get something simpler?, the princess asks herself as she aggressively jabs her fist into Gamma’s stomach. Beta creates her wings and takes flight, then points at Rose, and her eyes start to spark electricity.

  “Sca–!”

  The princess turns around to ask her new ally for help, but she isn’t on top of the wagon anymore. The steps of a floating blood staircase form beneath the assassin’s boots. Before anyone is able to react, she’s already right next to Beta. A kick to the back of the neck sends her crashing down against the ground. Gamma tries to catch her, but instead, he ends up receiving a direct hit to the head courtesy of Rose.

  She grabs the two crows by their collars and faces Scarlet.

  “Now, what do we do with these two?”

  “Everyone, stay still. One wrong move and these two die.”

  Rose and Scarlet turn their gazes to the carriage. Crey and his colleague are gagged, and bound with a rope. A gray-haired crow with a tag that reads the letter alpha points at them with fire blazing from his hand. His deep voice resonates further thanks to the mask:

  “Let those crows go and these two live. Now.”

  “We could say the same thing,” Scarlet counters, angry, yet grinning still.

  Crey looks for something inside his pocket. Rose throws the two crows toward Alpha, who is visibly surprised, not unlike Scarlet.

  “Seriously?” the two say.

  “This way, no one dies, right? Then, it’s our best call.”

  “You’re too trusting, pinkhead.”

  Alpha’s hand shines brighter. Crey cuts his own back with a blade and drops it next to him. Scarlet’s eyes spark wickedly.

  “{Forcefield}!”

  “[Reaping Slash]!”

  Blood stains the carriage’s wood. The crow’s scream of pain scares the field’s crows away. The assassin, who teleported to the blood on the knife, holds her katana, firmly in position. Alpha’s arm, severed from his body, falls to the ground. An energy barrier stops the movements of the sword that was going to cut the crow’s head off. Surrounded by a white aura, Delta points her hand toward her superior, keeping her {Forcefield} active.

  “Scarlet! Enough.”

  “Alright.”

  Alpha steps back, gripping the place where his arm used to be, writhing in pain. Gamma holds him up and both he and Beta create wings on their backs. Gamma carries Alpha, and Beta, Delta.

  “Next time we see each other, I’ll put you behind bars,” Rose threatens them.

  The crows stare daggers at her. Subtly, Delta waves at Aira.

  “Amazing reflexes you got there, assassin,” Rose tells her while patting her arm.

  “I felt that attack before it happened, but I was only able to get there thanks to Cray.”

  “I didn’t know you could teleport toward blood. You really are the most complete one out of us.

  The two bump their fists in celebration, as Aira heals the cut on Crey’s back.

  The carriage finally arrives at its destination. After a long day, the girls can now enjoy a drink at the village’s inn. Scarlet breaks the record for the most drinks easily. Rose can barely tolerate alcohol, but she drinks either way to celebrate their victory. Everyone is left slack-jawed at the way Aira destroys Scarlet’s record, by over double the amount, without getting even a bit tipsy. Crey puts all expenses on Cruz’s tab.

  The next day, the three girls ignore their hangovers and buy the rest of supplies they need. A couple of extra sleeping bags wouldn’t hurt. They bid Jos, Crey and the village’s other inhabitants goodbye, and go on their way. Next objective: to go back to Aeternum.

  Winds turn into gales before the powerful flapping of a pair of colossal scaled wings. Venomous claws dig into the ground. Fire breath easily lights up a forest fire. An armored girl with a greatsword runs with only one thought in mind.

  “I need that princess’s help immediately.”