Dear readers,

  I rarely, if ever, create shout outs, which you have undoubtedly realized by now. The only exceptions are regarding stories that I personally enjoy and find similar to the one I write and decide to advertise on. The book above is one of those rare exceptions. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy quality fantasy stories to take a peek, since I believe that you will find it enjoyable, just as I did.

  Yokem

  After we sat down around the table, there was a brief silence, which was quickly lifted by Lady Nerha’s guiding voice.

  “I can see that you had an eventful time at Master Tuzumin’s shop. He is an upstanding member of noble society, and has been for quite some time… Which is to be expected, after all, the title of Master Enchanter is only given to the best of the craft. He is regarded as a sort of genius, one of the rare few who mastered the art of enchantments while not being a mage himself. Which is undoubtedly a significant setback.”

  Nerha smiled politely while explaining general knowledge regarding the master. She undoubtedly did so for our sake, as the others would have already known about the backgrounds of such an important figure.

  “Aside from all those brilliant achievements, I find the man himself quite a delightful company.” — Added Nerha with a respectful tone. — “Ah, but where are my manners, I am yet to make a proper introduction.” — She waved towards the other two women sitting by her side.

  “Let me introduce you to one of my close friends, Anna Smith, but her maiden name might be more familiar to you, it was Steelknockle after all.” — My eyes slightly widened hearing the family name of Tymur, the other soldier who I have grown quite familiar from the garrison. A serious fellow who worked as the gatekeeper most of the time. — “Yes, indeed, she is Tymur’s older sister and to her right is her daughter Alita Smith, she is incidentally about your age, if we disregard the racial differences.”

  Anna smiled in my direction, an expectant look mirrored in her dark brown eyes. Both she and her daughter were brunettes, while also sharing similar dark brown irises and gentle facial features. As I have already noted, they were quite similar in looks, but being seated next to each other made the similarities impossible to overlook. My thoughts were refocused on the conversation, as Lady Anna began speaking.

  “It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance, Miss Selora. I have heard quite a lot about you. It’s rare for a young girl to shake up the noble circles of the capital as much as your appearance did.” — She reached over the table offering a handshake, which I accepted hesitantly, a guarded smile appearing on my face.

  “You heard about me?” — I asked, not too keen on being in the focus of a city wide rumor mill, especially not while already being hounded by Aria’s antics on a daily basis.

  “Oh, yes… The appearance of a white elven witch in the deep roads is nothing short of extraordinary, adding the fact that you earned a title from our stoic warrior prince is but a cherry on the top of the cake.” — The woman added with a knowing smirk. — “Not even mentioning your sudden raise to dwarven nobility. I would say that you are swiftly climbing through the ranks, but that would feel like an understatement.”

  Alita seemed to roll her eyes, hearing her mother’s antics, while I didn’t quite know how to react to her words.

  Lady Nerha came to my rescue. — “Anna, my dear… stop teasing the poor girl, can’t you see you are making her uncomfortable?”

  The woman slowly retracted her hands, which were still clutching my own, and said with an embarrassed expression. — “Ah, you are right, my dear. My excitement must have gone to my head. Please forgive my overzealous attitude, Miss Selora.”

  “I… it was hardly a bother really…” — I said.

  “Humph.” — Sounded the haughty voice of Alita, immediately gaining most of our attention. — “The so called Fiend Slayer doesn’t seem that much to me…” — Aria pointed a cold glare at the young woman who faltered for a second. It was my turn to roll my eyes seeing Aria’s actions, as if she didn’t just buy a blood seeking necklace a few minutes ago, with the specific intention to hunt me down if I decided to turn tail at some point. The elf was completely unreasonable regarding my situation, just as usual. — “While I do not question her magical abilities,” — The girl continued. — “I can see the reason Lady Nerha requested for my presence here. As she is now, she will be gobbled up at the princess’ gathering in a minute or two.”

  The girl looked at me with a confident smirk as she offered a delicate hand to shake. I accepted it and shook it gently, somewhat surprised by her firm grip.

  Lady Nerha chuckled warmly at that. — “Quite right. My schemes are laid bare in front of the infamous young villainess of social circles.” — Nerha chuckled once again, her tone filled with jovial mirth seeing Alita’s embarrassed expression.

  “To think that even Lady Nerha have heard those disgraceful rumors… Baseless accusations I assure you…” — The girl defended just a bit too quickly for them to be baseless.

  Lady Nerha smiled at that, but didn’t say anything more regarding the subject. — “Since I know that you are also invited to the princess gathering. May I ask Miss Alita to look after Selora for me? There is simply not enough time to prepare her for such events, and I would not wish to scare her back to the deep roads with a forced course of etiquette.”

  Alita tapped on the table thoughtfully before saying. — “I guess there is one more free spot in my circle…” — She sighed… — “You drive a hard bargain, my lady. It would be foolish of me to refuse such offer. Her presence alone would make my circle a focus of society, while at the same time shield your adopted daughter from harm. I have one condition though, I want her to be a long-time member of my circle, we are not a house with a passage after all.”

  Lady Nerha chuckled at that, while Aria frowned, staring at the so-called villainess.

  “Well, what do you say, my daughter? Are you fine with Alita’s wishes? This is the right time to place your own questions and doubts regarding this arrangement.” — I snapped out of my thoughts, nodding towards Nerha, then turning back to the girl sitting on the opposite side of the table.

  I thought for a few seconds what to ask about, then decided to go for the most obvious question. — “I would like to ask, if there are any responsibilities coming with this offer and if there are, what are them?”

  Miss Alita nodded to my question, she thought for a moment, then answered. — “Well, of course there are. For starter, I expect to see you at my mansion every weekend for our mandatory gathering. Now, don’t make such a scared expression, it’s just a tea party of sorts, usually held on Saturday afternoon.” — She hummed before continuing.

  “This might sound obvious, but I expect you to keep to our circle in public events and gatherings, otherwise we would not be able to back you up. There are quite a few less than trustworthy nobles running around who cannot wait to stick their claws into you.” — She waved her finger at me in a playful gesture. — “However, we and my friends can take care of that, so don’t you worry, sweetheart.”

  “I… thank you, for your support.” — I said, earning a genuine if slightly surprised smile from Alita.

  “It will be my pleasure.” — She nodded, then added with disdain. — “Most of these people are glorified barbarians covered in fine garments. They can barely hold back from killing each-other for a single night. You would be surprised how many end up with broken bones after a single event.” — She sighed, flicking her hand in a helpless gesture, as if trying to get rid of some invisible dirt.

  “Can you imagine what it was like before a law was enforced forbidding to bring any sort of weapon or armor to balls and public events? It must have been a bloodbath.” — She snorted at the idea.

  “Right…” — She coughed lightly. — “Aside from these I want you to be discrete considering the things we talk inside my circle, and a reasonable sense of loyalty towards our group. Naturally, you can expect the same treatment from us. That is all there is to it, in a sense, we are offering companionship.”

  I nodded, allowing a light smile to appear on my face. — “What if I can’t go to a gathering?”

  She sighed and waved her hand dismissively. — “It happens all the time, mandatory in this case, is more of a signifying term for the gathering’s importance. Still, life doesn’t stop for such events, and we all understand our duties demand priority. However, if you are in town and have nothing better to do while skipping on us, I will get pissed. Consider yourself warned.”

  “That is fair.” — I said, thinking it through once again, before saying in a decisive voice. — “In that case, I will gladly accept it.”

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  We shook hands one more time, then leaned back into our seats with content smiles.

  Lady Nerha chuckled at the sight, just as Lady Anna did. The latter saying with a teasing tone. — “See? I knew that they will get along just fine. My daughter is nothing like that brute Jolga is.”

  Nerha nodded, with a hint of amusement on her face. — “Quite right you were, not that I doubted it. Still, what was that stupid girl thinking, I can hardly fathom.”

  To this, Lady Anna burst into laughter. — “She is a berserker, my dear… they tend to skip that part.”

  I was starting to feel uncomfortable seeing the two women talking out those things right in front of us, fortunately my discomfort was noticed by someone else too.

  Alita stood up abruptly, stepping over to my side. — “Mother, Lady Nerha, I would like to get more familiar with the newest member of my circle, please excuse us for the time being. We will be nearby taking a walk along the shops.”

  “Ah, of course, my dear, go on ahead.” — Lady Anna said dismissively. Nerha nodding along with her friend’s charade. Aria naturally wanted to tag along, just like Bella did, but both were stopped by Lady Nerha’s glare.

  I attempted to hide an amused chuckle, but were not entirely successful, as I could feel Aria’s annoyed glare on the back of my neck.

  Only after passing a handful of buildings and putting quite a few wandering dwarfs in the middle of their shopping trip between us and the others did Alita’s posture finally relax. She stood in front of a storefront whimsically looking at the various clothes showcased beyond the glass, but it was evident that she wasn’t truly interested in the goods, and did so more of a habit than anything.

  "So you are the famous elf we keep hearing about.” — She turned to me at last, taking in my presence once again. — “Your taste in clothes is simple, more on the practical side I recon, I have seen worse I suppose.”

  I frowned at that, looking down on my simple attire, then took in her clothes for comparison.

  She was wearing an elegant dark blue laced dress with detachable white sleeves following the generous curves of her upper body. Its long skirt fell down naturally, almost reaching the floor. The hem of her skirt was made with a rich golden colored fabric, along with the occasional golden accessory attached to the front of the dress around its waist section. Coupled with the way she held herself, and those sapphire earrings, the entire setup screamed rich, noble girl over here.

  I will have to admit, though, this was one of the better dresses I have seen along the way here. Some people were really overdoing the dress up, while others seemed to wear armor to their bed. Dwarven society was unique like that.

  I guess there is no reason to argue regarding this, so I nodded to her comment while throwing off an excuse or two. — “Well, I am not really used to wear skirts… you see…”

  She snorted at that. — “I would be worried if you said otherwise, seeing how you put it on backwards…” — I froze, staring down at the cursed piece of cloth. My mind cascading between a mixture of disbelief and doubt.

  How did she notice it, when I am wearing the damn thing and didn’t realize anything?

  She laughed, witnessing my mortified expression. — “Stop it, stop…” — She said between giggles, which she attempted to hide behind her palm. — “I was merely teasing you. Never thought you would fall for it so easily…”

  Then, with another chuckle, she leaned closer to whisper a few words into my ears. — “You know, the trick is that the back of the skirt is always longer than the front. It is how you can figure it out.”

  I nodded to that, feeling slightly embarrassed by the situation.

  She slowly straightened herself while throwing another appraising glance in my direction. — “Lady Nerha is right to be worried about you, Selora… You are too gullible for your own good.”

  I sighed, hearing those particular words. — “You are not the first who said something similar to me…” — I admitted. I understood what they meant… I did. However, everything felt so weird. The way people treated me, the occasional looks I got. The entire situation felt stifling. I was used to going where I wanted without most people questioning it or even taking notice back then, when I was still a man. Now it was like the complete opposite, and I didn’t know how to deal with it just yet.

  Not even mentioning Aria hovering over me…

  “Let me guess,” — Alita continued. — “was it that other elven lady, Ariawyn, if I remember correctly? She looked like the type who doesn’t mince words.”

  I winced at that, to which the other girl only smiled.

  “Thought so.” — Alita huffed in frustration. — “She was glaring at me the whole time, I had to get away from the table before she burned holes through me with that kind of gaze.”

  “Oh.” — And I thought she was trying to help me out.

  She rolled her eyes, seeing my surprise. — “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. One would think I was attempting to kidnap you or something like that.” — She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.

  “Ah, no… I mean I noticed, it’s just… it’s not because of you… at least I think so.” — I tried to placate the clearly annoyed woman with moderate success.

  She became thoughtful seeing my reaction, then added with a knowing smirk. — “If it’s not because of me, then is it because of you? Hmm?”

  “I…” — I gulped, surprised by her intuition. — “It’s complicated…” — I admitted with some effort, avoiding eye contact as I was reminded to the necklace Aria just bought. — “She means well… I think…”

  Alita raised a questioning eyebrow. — “You think? I am not a people’s person if my unofficial title didn’t make that obvious to you, but your words didn’t sound quite convincing.”

  I sighed. — “Look, I did something questionable, and she is rightfully angry with me. Could we drop this subject, please?”

  She nodded to that with a satisfied smirk. — “Sure we can, still, I am happy to know that you are not the goody two-shoes type I suspected you to be. You might just fit in with us after all.”

  “If you say so…” — I answered, less certain about enjoying afternoon tea parties along with the dwarven equivalent of teenage girls.

  We paused for a moment, silently taking in the bustling street around us, the sight of the tall buildings which were kept in pristine condition stole a subtle smile on my face.

  Alita, following my gaze, also took in the peaceful sight surrounding us, with a serene smile of her own, she said. — “It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it? I could never grow tired of this city, even with all of its annoyances.”

  On a distant end of the street, the previously lazily lingering people seemed to suddenly scuttle out of the way, making a path to a large group of soldiers marching by with an unexpected urgency.

  Alita frowned at the sight of soldiers armed to the teeth. — “This is the third group I saw marching by in an hour. Men from the golden company, based on their sigils.” — She paused, her features darkening while watching the passing soldiers. — “I heard rumors that the roads are getting more dangerous by the day, but the situation is likely worse than I imagined. If they are to succeed in cutting us from the surface or the other cities…”

  I blinked, startled by the sudden shift in conversation. — “Cutting us off? What are you talking about, who would be able to do such a thing?”

  Alita turned back to me with an annoyed frown. — “Who else if not the dark elves, and their filthy ilk? They are our ancient enemies!” — She stepped closer to me, pressing her finger down in the middle of my chest with a challenging gesture. — “And yours, too, being a white elf, possibly if not the last of your kind. Don’t you feel disgusted by their mere sight? They are the people who ravaged your homeland and stripped it to the bone. They are the reason that forces you to spend your eternity forever alone amongst strangers. Who will die and born before your very eyes, while you shall never fade to the passing of ages.”

  I was left speechless by Alita’s sudden emotional outburst, while at the same time found my back pressed against the wall of a shop.

  I looked into the eyes of my newest companion, shocked by the sheer emotion, rage, and disgust that was radiated from the young woman. Fortunately, I could feel that those emotions were not directed at me, but towards this so-called enemy.

  There was a passing moment of silence as the marching soldiers disappeared on the other end of the street. My ears twitching slightly as the distant, barely noticeable sounds of a deep ringing bell appeared. However, my attention was focused at the softening features of the woman in front of me.

  She hesitantly pulled back her hand then stepped backwards, a moment of unexpected vulnerability and shame passing her features. — “I… forgive me, this was not what I… I am sorry…”

  Seeing her grief ridden expression, I have grown certain of what I only suspected so far. She must have lost loved ones to this senseless war. My heart went out for the young woman, who seemed so lost. I stepped closer to her, offering a gentle hug, which she, to my surprise, accepted without hesitation.

  We stood like that for a few seconds, which seemed to be enough for the girl to gather herself. She gently pushed away from me, a rosy hint of embarrassment lingering on her cheeks. — “What a shameless elf you are…” — She complained halfheartedly.

  I blinked, flabbergasted by her reaction, slowly scratching the back of my head. I was suddenly embarrassed by my blatant overstep of boundaries. Meanwhile, Alita’s eyes were staring ahead at the storefront, stubbornly ignoring any and all eye contact.

  This was starting to get awkward… I needed to say something and do it quickly.

  “Uhm… By the way… what is going on with the bells?” — I asked the only thing that came to my mind at the moment, there were more and more bells ringing, and they were coming closer this time.

  Alita’s expression grow serious in a second as her face snapped back to me. — “What bells? What are you talking about?”

  I stared at her, confused, before once again being reminded of my elven heritage and the sharp differences between the races of Rixa. — “Oh… well, I have been hearing a number of bells ringing since a minute or so. They are growing closer, I suspect that you will hear them too soon enough… I thought that it was some sort of temple bell, maybe a wedding or… Eh?” — She grabbed my head between her palms and stared me dead in the eyes.

  The air has grown stiff around us, a sharp tension and fear cutting through any previous thoughts.

  “You have been hearing the alarm for minutes and didn’t say anything, FOOL!” — I winced as she let go of my face. — “We need to go to the mansion, and tell the lord the city is under attack! Then prepare to defend it!”

  “WHAT?!” — I shouted, as she began to pull me along by my wrist. Being constantly dragged around by someone was quickly getting old, so I decided to shake off her grasp and simply picked up the pace next to her.

  “What do you intend to do?” — I asked her, while throwing cautious glances over my shoulder, already afraid from Aria’s reaction. After all, if I could hear the bells, she could hear them too.

  “We will stop by your house so you can take up some armor and gear, then we will go to ours so I can do the same.” — Her words were cut off by the resounding echo of a nearby bell, its baleful sound freezing the bustling street in an instant. Sounds of curses and disbelief were thrown around the air before. Unlike what I expected, it wasn’t followed by extreme panic. The people quickly parted ways, all urgent, but with a clear goal in mind.

  I seeing the organised chaos unfolding before my eyes. I gulped drily. Most of these people were used to battles. I found a solemn certainty in this knowledge.