Brom, King of the Glens, was in his office, handling the paperwork for a series of reforms when he was interrupted by the door flying open.
“What is it?” He asked, looking up at the very worried woman who had just burst into his office and resisting the urge to snap at her. Yes, it had been a long day, and yes, she had just significantly thrown off his rhythm, but his attendants knew not to bother him unless there was something vitally important, and this messenger certainly looked like she had something important to say.
“The Hero is missing!” The woman panted, looking up at Brom with fearful eyes. “She failed to report in for her weekly checkup, and when we went to her lab everything was gone, except for a letter addressed to you!” The woman…Neph, if Brom remembered correctly, hurried over to the desk and handed Brom an envelope.
“Has it been screened yet?” Brom asked.
“Yes.” Neph said. “It’s just regular paper, it’s safe.”
“Good.” Brom replied, opening the envelope and taking out the letter inside. With some trepidation, he opened it and began to read; this generation’s Hero was…unusual, to say the least. Unlike most Heroes, she didn’t work with others easily, and wouldn’t accept many of Brom’s offers of aid. She was…headstrong, and not afraid to use her position to get her own way.
Hey there. The letter read. I’m leaving on a journey of self-discovery. I’m safe and will deal with the Lord of Monsters when it comes, so don’t worry about that. Anyway, I want to be left alone, so don’t come looking for me. I’m not coming back if you send people for me, and I’ll be forced to treat them as enemies if you don’t heed this warning. Best of luck, Amelia.
“Assemble a search party.” Brom said. “I want every nook and cranny in this kingdom scoured for any trace of her. If they find her, don’t approach, just send word back and we’ll have her family deal with the matter.” Regardless of Amelia’s unpredictability, Brom knew that Heroes couldn’t hurt people unless it was in self-defense; her threats were empty. Still, Amelia had some rather…creative ways of dealing with her enemies, so it was probably best that the search party engaged as little as possible.
“Fetch me Salim, as well.” Brom continued. “I need to draft messages to the rest of the Alliance.”
“At once.” Neph said, bowing deeply and exiting the room, closing the door on her way out.
Once she was gone, Brom sighed and put his head in his hands. He didn’t want to tell the other monarchs that he had let the Hero escape, but…this was a matter that was bigger than any single kingdom. If the Hero wasn’t prepared for the Lord of Monsters…then the whole world would suffer for it.
The only thing to do was find her. They would turn the world upside-down, and if even that wasn’t enough to locate her…then they would have to delve into the forbidden art of Hero summoning, and hope whoever was brought over wouldn’t disturb the status quo too much. Either way…things were looking grim.
Things were looking good. Lily was making very speedy progress in clearing the biology building for use, and Lia’s trip to the library went well. She was able to find all the books her siblings wanted, and got six or seven levels from the worms there, to boot. So, she was in good spirits as she made her way back to the dorms.
And, to her surprise, on her way back she ran into Chrys and Violet, who were walking towards the dorm on a different path.
“Oh, Queenie!” Chrys said, rushing over to Lia. “You finished your evolution! How’d it go?!”
“Well.” Lia said. “I greatly increased the amount of time I get in this form, so get used to seeing it around more often. Other than that, it was just minor buffs, really.”
“That’s good.” Chrys said. “So…um, any idea when we’re going to go through that portal?”
“Relatively soon.” Lia said. “I want to get a strong force together before we venture through.”
“Or…you know, you could send me and Violet.” Chrys said. “It’s kinda our job.”
“That’s…true, but I’m worried about you getting hurt.” Lia said. “I want to get a feel for how strong the monsters are before giving you free roam of the place. If they’re all as strong as the bosses around here or something, that makes your wandering around a lot more dangerous.”
“I’m almost max level and I just got a Skill that lets me gauge the relative strength of my enemy, I can handle it!” Chrys said. “If they’re too strong, I’ll come back right away, I promise!”
Lia thought about that for a moment, then sighed. “Let’s go talk with Rose about it, and if she’s fine with it then I’ll let you go. It would be helpful to have a scout…well, scout the place before we do anything.”
“Yes!” Chrys said, pumping a fist. “Hear that, Violet? We get to go!”
“If Rose agrees.” Violet whispered. “Do not forget that part.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Chrys said. “So, Queenie, anything exciting happen while we were gone?”
“Not really, I don’t think. My parents and Sif are clearing the dorms, and Rose is teaching my siblings how to fight.”
“No fair,” Chrys pouted, “I want mom to teach me how to fight, too!”
“We can talk with her about it once we get back.” Lia said. “But I guess it would be handy for you to know how to fight if you’re in a pinch.”
“I…was kind of hoping that I might be able to evolve into something that’s better at fighting in the future.” Chrys admitted. “Still a scout, of course, but one that isn’t…you know, completely useless in combat.”
“If that’s what you want, then I have no objections.” Lia said. “In the very worst case scenario, we can always get another scoutmaster. I don’t want to mess up your future just because of something I want in the moment.”
“Thank you, Queenie.” Chrys said. “That really means a lot to me.”
“Of course. You’re important to me, and I want you to be happy.”
“Don’t just say sappy stuff out of nowhere, it’s embarrassing.” Chrys said, looking away. “But…thanks.”
They walked in silence for a while before Chrys spoke up again. “Do you really mean it?”
“Huh? Of course I mean it. You’re like…another little sister, I guess”
“I’m…pretty sure I was older than you, not that I mind being a little sister.” Chrys said. “Wait…how old are you?”
“Ninete–” Lia cut the word off, frowning. “I…weird. I feel nineteen but if you only include the time I’ve been alive, I’m sixteen.”
“I actually know what you mean.” Chrys replied. “I keep getting these…nagging memories, bits of déjà vu when talking with mom. I…think it’s from the afterlife. We were conscious there, I think, and parts of that keep coming back to me. Like…I read that I was twenty-two when I died, but that really doesn’t feel right.”
“That…sounds right to me.” Lia said. “Are you saying that you died later than people thought?”
Chrys shook her head. “No. It’s more…I don’t feel twenty-two. I feel younger than twenty-two, significantly younger. Like…thirteen or fourteen, I think. I…vaguely remember something weird about age and coming back, but…any time I try to think more about it, it just slips away.”
“Don’t stress about it too much.” Lia said. “If you can’t remember, you can’t remember. Though…it has me curious about what I was doing these last three years. I…have almost no memory of it whatsoever, not even stuff like what you’re saying. I don’t feel like I talked with my mom or anything, and I’m almost certain I would have done that.”
“Maybe…maybe Amelia was keeping your soul somewhere?” Chrys volunteered. “She brought it back, so…it’s possible, right?”
“You may be onto something there.” Lia said. “Too bad I can’t really ask her.”
“Oh yeah, what happened with her?” Chrys asked. “Mom was saying she got like…taken away?”
Lia paused, then nodded. “I can’t go into details, but there was something wrong with her and it’s being fixed.”
“Oh. There’s…nothing wrong with us, right? I mean, she sorta made everything to do with this so…”
“There’s nothing wrong, don’t worry.” Lia assured her. “It’s just Amelia that has to deal with that.”
“That’s…good, I guess.” Chrys said. “How long is she going to be out of commission for? I…well, as much as I hate to say it, knowing she was there made me feel a lot safer.”
“I know what you mean.” Lia said. “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed myself. We’re going to have to deal with the Lord of Monsters now, and that worries me a lot.”
“Are we?” Chrys asked. “I mean…can’t we just…let other people deal with it?”
“That’s an option, but it’s…probably not a good one.” Lia said. “By the time the Lord of Monsters appears, I’m almost certain we’ll be at war with the rest of the world, and…well, you know what happens when people get really desperate.”
“I…don’t recall.” Chrys said. “People didn’t really get desperate in my time, you know? Mom was there, and she was enough to solve most problems. Or…was, until…well, me.”
Lia wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Chrys was obviously upset over her past, but Lia wasn’t sure it was something she should chime in on.
After a few moments, she decided to go with a relatively safe option. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked.
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“Maybe later, but…not right now.” Chrys said. “What do people do when they get desperate?”
“They summon a Hero from another world.” Lia said. “It’s happened…three times, I believe, and those Heroes are generally very strong. Aside from Rose…and I guess Amelia, no naturally born Hero has been as strong as a summoned Hero. But…summoning a Hero takes a huge toll on the summoners, often costing the lives of the thirty or so people it takes to pull off the ritual.”
“Stupid question, but…why don’t people summon more Heroes, then?” Chrys asked. “Thirty people seems to be much less of a sacrifice than a bloody war against the Lord of Monsters with a natural Hero.”
“People tried.” Lia responded. “The summoning failed, and the gods smote the ones who ordered it. Unless there is truly no other option, we were told to deal with things ourselves.”
“Oh. So…you’re saying that people would summon a Hero, since Amelia isn’t here anymore, and then we’d have to fight them, too?”
“Most likely.” Lia said. “We can…maybe handle the Lord of Monsters, but I’m less sure about a summoned Hero. They tend to be extremely strong, and I think we’d basically have to catch them in the early stages of their training, or we’re going to be as good as dead.”
Chrys shuddered. “Let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that, then.”
“Yeah.” Lia agreed. Neither of them seemed to have anything else to say, and so the rest of their two or three minute walk was spent in silence. When they got back, they found that Rose was still in front of the dorms, teaching Lia’s siblings how to fight.
Robin and Olivia seemed to be having a mock battle with crude wooden weapons, while Maria was watching, concern clearly visible on her face.
“Oh, Lia!” Olivia said, waving her wooden sword as she saw Lia approach. “Watch this!” She crouched and then leaped, her jump taking easily ten or twenty feet into the air and rocketing her towards Robin. As she fell, she swung down with her sword, but Robin calmly brought her tower shield up, grunting slightly as she took the impact.
“Alright you two, let’s take a break for now. Olivia, you cannot let yourself get distracted like that. If this were a real fight, a moment of weakness could very well mean your death. Next time it happens it’s going to be considered an automatic loss, got it?”
Olivia slumped. “Yes, Rose.” She said. “I understand.”
“Good.” Rose said, giving her a smile before turning to Lia. “How’d it go?”
“Well.” Lia said. “I got everything I was looking for, and I’ve gotten back up to level ten. Did my parents drop by?”
“Yeah. They’re tired, so they’re resting in their room.” Rose said. “And Sif is likewise in her room.”
“Good.” Lia said. “On our way back, Chrys proposed having herself and Violet go look through the portal before all of us go, what are your thoughts on that.”
Rose hesitated. “It…is technically what we had in mind when we converted them, but…”
“I’ll be fine, mom!” Chrys said. “You can’t keep coddling me forever! I’ll know if something’s too much of a threat, and I promise I’ll come back the moment I see anything too scary, so can you please let me do this? This is what I was made for, it doesn’t make any sense to just ignore that!”
“Well, yes, but…”
“If it makes you feel better, I will watch over her.” Violet whispered.
Rose frowned and began to speak, but Lia missed whatever it was she said as Olivia tugged on her sleeve. “What did you think?!” She asked. “I was cool, right?!”
“Yes, but be aware of your clothes when you do it.” Lia said. “You could flash your underwear if you’re sloppy.”
“Nope!” Olivia said smugly. “I got another Skill that prevents that from happening, my dress will always conveniently block the sight of anyone trying to peek.”
“Oh.” Lia replied. “Then it’s fine, I guess.”
“What about me?” Robin asked. “It’s not flashy, but I got a bunch of Skills to help me take big attacks. That’s good, right?”
“Of course it is.” Lia chuckled. “I’m proud of you both.” She patted her sisters’ heads and turned her attention back to Rose and Chrys. Rose was clearly in the middle of deliberating, staring off into the distance and biting her lip. Eventually, she sighed, and nodded. “Fine. You two can go, but you have to be extremely careful.” She said. “I don’t want you two getting hurt because you were too excited by exploring the outside.”
“I promise!” Chrys said, wheeling around. “Come on Violet, let’s go!”
“After you rest.” Rose said. “Three hours, at least. Try to get a nap in, if you can.”
“Aww.” Chrys said, deflating. “Fine.”
“Umm…I must admit I’m not sure if I’m capable of sleep.” Violet admitted. “My energy levels have not changed a single bit since I was converted. If it turns out I am not able to sleep, what shall I do then?”
“Read a book or something, I guess.” Rose said. “Rest your mind, if not your body.”
“I understand. I will do that, then.” Violet said, then drifted off into the dorms.
“And I guess I’ll be off too.” Chrys grumbled, walking towards the dorms. “See you all in a few hours.”
Once they had left, Rose turned back to Lia. “How is the biology building’s progress?” She asked.
“Lily estimated that it’s about three quarters cleared.” Lia said. “So…we should be seeing it up in operation in a day or two. Which…well, it’s good timing, because we kind of don’t have access to near-unlimited rats from Amelia anymore.”
“Ah, I had…forgotten about that.” Rose admitted. “How many rats are we currently in possession of?”
“We ate into our stocks a little, but…I think we still have like…five or six? It’ll have to do, for now, though. And we’ll have to make scouring the library for rat farming books a priority again, surely there’s something on the subject in there.”
“Yeah, we’ll move that up the list.” Rose said. “Depending on how busy the rest of us are, we might have to put Lily in charge of that, but as long as we give her an escort, the worms shouldn’t pose enough of a threat that she’ll be in any danger.”
“Probably.” Lia said. “But…enough of that for now. I’m interested in seeing how you’re training my sisters, mind if I watch?”
“Not at all.” Rose replied. “Go ahead and take a seat next to Maria.”
Lia nodded, and walked over to her sister. “How are you holding up?” She asked, sitting down in the grass next to her.
“Fine.” Maria said. “I’m still…getting used to my new body. It feels…weird being able to use magic this easily. It’s like…what was all my previous work for, if this was an option?”
“Well, it wasn’t an option until recently.” Lia said, smiling slightly. “And I’m sure your magic training will come in very handy once you want to optimize your spellcasting. I get the feeling that what we’re doing isn’t really…the best way we could be doing them, but I also wasn’t really good at magic theory, so I can’t say what’s actually wrong, if it even is. I suppose we’ll just need to wait until we have some more scholars in the swarm to tease out the details of our spellcasting.”
“I guess.” Maria replied. “Um…how are you holding up?”
“It’s been a little hectic, but I’m enjoying myself.” Lia said. “I obviously wasn’t expecting a second shot at life, so I’m just making the most of it.”
“Oh…good.”
Around that time, Robin and Olivia began to spar again, while Rose shouted out advice and corrections.”
“Have you done any sparring?” Lia asked.
“No. Rose said we don’t have the proper equipment to make my magic safe to use in a sparring environment, so…we’re having me sit out, and she’s going to have some one on one time with me later.”
“Sif might be able to help you out too.” Lia said. “She knows some barrier spells, and I’m sure she can help you learn those.”
“Maybe, but she scares me a little.” Maria admitted. “She’s a little…intense.”
“Yeah, I’ve only talked with her a couple of times, but I think I know what you mean.”
The conversation ended up getting off-topic and into less important subjects, but Lia didn’t mind in the slightest. It was her first time talking with her sister like this in a long time, and she was more than happy to just let it go wherever. Things really were looking brighter than ever.