Then the world was dark.

The black pitch of a starless sky washed over the lands, robbing every hearth and home of light and fire. The warmth of the day vanished into the cruel grasp of an endless night. As the coming chill ravaged the once-verdant land, a terrifying howl rose and beat back the biting winds, announcing their ominous arrival. Emerging upon a sunless horizon, a never-ending swarm of stygian monsters breached the living world. Like shadow waves of fangs and claws, the armored, undead beasts annihilated every bastion of humankind in their wake, extinguishing the light of life and exiling the world to madness.

Echoing for what seemed an eternity, the three-year night war that nearly brought humankind to extinction would end tonight upon this fateful plain she now wandered. Her delicate fingers brushed along the fragile, frozen grasses, wandering like a ghost amongst the carnage. Bare feet sank with every step into the cracked ground that grew soft and wet with the spilled blood of man and monster alike. Pressing ahead, she cringed at the violent bursts of deafening magic and gunfire that erupted through the battle, muffling the death cries of all around her. She steadied herself as towering beasts fell to the ground, rupturing the stones beneath their dying bodies. She had finally made it to the battle's center, and there, through the clashing of swords, stood the God-King, Sovereign of the Abyss, and Prime Herald of the Horde, Ras'Drayev.

Shielded by shadow, Ras'Drayev's unbreakable armor sealed away all vulnerability, leaving nothing of weakness. No weapon or magic of the mortal plain could pierce his indestructible form. Although standing twice the size of men, Ras'Drayev moved with frightening speed, drifting in and out of reality with each step. A single swipe of his blade cleaved the frontline battalion of soldiers in two, scattering their dismembered halves to the ground. Their helpless screams of agony played like a symphony for him, as he basked in their misery and refused to let death take them. As she gasped at the horrible sight, he took notice, bringing those envious eyes towards her. Time halted, and the world turned only for the god-king and the girl.

Frozen in fear, she did not say a word or move a muscle as he stomped towards her. The screams of men rose as those gigantic steps crushed them underfoot. Their bodies burst open like rotten fruit upon the broken plains. With each step, the world shook underneath him, as even it feared the fallen god treading upon its war-torn skin.

"I'm not afraid of you!" She cried out into the night.

With every step, Ras'Drayev seemed to grow in size on approach, towering over the girl with ease. She stood her ground, trembling in terror. She craned her neck, looking up at him as tears filled her eyes, but refused to break. With a powerful thrust, he buried the tip of his sword, perching it next to the little girl. Looking over, she could see her reflection in the bloodstained, crystalline material, finding its length longer than her body. With a shift of his enormous form, he kneeled down, leaning towards her. As the stench of death overwhelmed her senses, the girl dared not flinch. Beyond his solid faceplate, glowing eyes stared down at the defiant girl. His clawed gauntlet drew near, and she stiffened, but did not move. As the serrated fingers nearly touched her pale face, she heard the booming guttural tones of a godly tremor that could only be his voice.

"Child of the Dawn, where is your light? Why do you hide from your destiny?" Ras'Drayev asked, smearing blood over her cheek with the outside of his finger. "It will come for you, little one. And when it does, I will follow! Remember your destiny! You will not escape me again!"

Faced with his rage, her tears broke free, but she never closed her eyes. The armored demon wrenched back, snatching his blade from the ground. In a triumphant roar, he brought it down with all his strength upon her.

And then, the world turned to light…

Cradled into a high, broad branch, Lana broke free of her nightmare, crying out in terror. Ras'Drayev's remnant whispers drifted about her mind, filling that sacred space.

"Open the rift… Take the throne…." His voice repeated, slowly fading from her thoughts. Although the words held little meaning to her, they still resounded as a truth somewhere deep in her heart. A destiny he proposed, and she ignored as she came of age. Her denial only intensified her nightmares.

Her chest heaved with fevered breaths as she clutched the magical shard that hung about her neck for comfort. It always took a moment for her to realize it was only a dream and it was not real. He was not real. Ten years ago, the Sovereign of the Abyss, Ras'Drayev, fell to the Allegiant forces, dying at the hand of her father. Yet somehow, the memory of the monstrous God-King Herald lived on in her nightmares. Real or imagined, Lana dared not to speak of these troubling dreams to anyone, knowing the suspicion that may fall upon her. Still, she feared what they may foretell, as the world had barely healed from his first coming and was surely not ready for his next.

 Drawing back the thick wool hood, Lana basked in the reassuring light of the broken canopy above, pushing the sleep from her eyes and the worry from her mind. The small, promised rest turned into a long slumber, as her weariness had finally caught up with her. Remembering why she was out here to begin with, she quickly gathered herself, preparing to continue the bounty. Nimbly, she slipped down the long, expansive trunk and landed upon the green, mossy base of the grand tree.

Kneeling, she traced the light furrows of the remaining tracks of her query and buried her fingers in the cold dirt. Communing with the earthen stone, Lana searched the memory of the surrounding area for any traces of her lost travelers. With her eyes and shard set aglow, Lana's magic pushed outward, rumbling the ground. Just as she expected, the forest's corruption limited her sight. Frustrated, Lana grumbled and sat back on the ground, canceling her spell work.

The terramancer girl had tracked the missing travelers for days, drawing herself deeper into the heart of the forsaken forest. It had been a frustrating hunt, to say the least. At this moment, she questioned why she even bothered taking it. Ignored and frayed, the neglected bounties, known as 'the lost causes', remained pinned in a far corner of the bounty board, piling on top of each other until they fell free from the nail. These were impossible tasks, offered but rarely taken because of their severity of danger. Mostly, they were 'search and rescue' requests posted by influential nobility, searching for their lost loved ones taken in the Endless Night. When she approached the bounty board this time, Lana accidentally stepped on one that had fallen to the cobblestones, and she took notice of it. Whether it was the triple bounty, an opportunity to test her skills, or maybe satisfy her pride, Lana took it on. After all, she was a hero.

Lana was a former royal and a legacy of one of Shandaria's greatest champions: King Filius Tel'redor, the Sovereign Slayer. With such a reputation to uphold, there was an unspoken expectation to follow his example. So, she took every bounty too tricky for the Phoenix Legion or other adventurers. In no time at all, Lana had defeated dangerous shadow beasts, trounced bandit ambush camps, and even uncovered an outlander smuggling ring that threatened several townships. Through her successes, Lana made a name for herself in Maraz. Still, she felt overwhelmed by this supposed 'simple' search. She had never been this deep into Kalar Forest. No one had. Not since Ras'Drayev's Black Citadel fell from the sky and crashed into the forest's center, poisoning it.

As a terramancer, Lana's magical authority over earth and stone made her more physically resilient to injury and disease, fortifying her against the unnatural curse over the forest. She was the ideal choice for such a dangerous task. She traveled the outer areas of Kalar Forest frequently, but until now, she had never pushed this far into it. Despite her fortitude, Lana knew the closer she got, the more intense the sickness would grow. Unfortunately, the trail for her travelers pointed right into the heart of the forest. Although Lana worried about the danger that waited within, expectation was a powerful motivator. A hero would not have given up here. Her royal father would not have. Therefore, Lana could not. Determined, she rose and continued through the crowded forest.

The giant ironbark trees of Kalar Forest were older than the written history of humankind, witnessing the rise and fall of kingdoms while silently still within their grove. The elder trees were so massive and robust that their thickened bark left little space between them through their crowded centuries of life. Their long trunks stretched high as lush canopies wavered in the sweet breezes and threatened to blot out the sky above. Their rustling leaves sway offered some warming light to the dark forest floor below. As she moved further inward, Lana noticed the change in their appearance. The elder trees appeared more twisted, transforming from a healthy growth to a gnarled barrier of prickly thorn.

With her hand raised, Lana felt for the traces upon the stone and followed them, casting her eyes to the darkness ahead. Her heart sank, knowing that this horrid distance into the forest meant that this bounty was no longer a rescue but a retrieval of whatever remained of the travelers. While the sickness drove out the natural wildlife, the pestilence had little effect on the fadean monsters that breached the rifts and now inhabited the forest's inner woodland. While she didn't want a fight, Lana had prepared for one, knowing what she might face. As she slipped through the thorns and vines, she pushed through the humid dark. Lana observed the distinct hive formation of a shadow remnant that had taken root here. One she knew all too well but had yet to face. She approached the foreign colony carefully, affirming her fears of what had captured her bounty's missing travelers: a Nansi swarm.

The swirled, jagged protrusions of the underground hive burst through the upper ground, tearing the stone to reveal the depths beneath, which even now echoed with the hushed chittering of thousands of creatures. This was one covert of many, but this one was far too narrow for the beasts' coming and goings. The Nansi constructed these openings to allow the flow of air and water through the vast burrow of interconnected subterranean tunnels running beneath the forest's puckered skin. Lana tore at the hive's flesh, scrutinizing it. She could see from the consistency that the colony was older than suspected. The natural wax had grayed completely, mixed and crushed with the surrounding stone and the ghastly remains of what Lana hoped were animal bones.

However, she knew better.

To Lana's recollection, the Nansi were labor scavenger beasts for the Horde. Enslaved by spell work, they burrowed tunnels for transport and mined needed materials for the Horde's war forges. Without a master, the arachnid creatures appeared to have multiplied and pushed out of the central dark, finding easy prey along cluttered roadways. As the hive grew, the Nansi would require more food, possibly drawing them to more populated areas, such as Maraz or other villages that lived on the forest's edge.

Lana couldn't risk it. She had to stop them here, but she knew it would not be a simple task.

To destroy this threat, she couldn't simply just smash the hive from the topside. This would only drive the beasts further into the ground. She had to collapse it from within and crush them in their burrows. Lana thought for a moment, not entirely liking the idea of entering their tunnels to battle them on their terms. Her guardians trained her to find an advantage when faced with such overwhelming odds. She looked up with a grateful smile.

Raising her gaze to the canopy above, the sparse sunlight warmed her face, flickering with the swaying branches and leaves. Since all shadow creatures were sensitive to the light, she could use it to subdue the Nansi. She would need only a few moments to find the bracing stones and break the hive with the weight of the ground overhead. She would be quick. At least, that's what she thought, moving to examine the ground around the burrow's exposed covert.

Finding the center, Lana stood upon it and prepared herself. She held the shard that hung about her neck with both hands, focusing upon it as its green hue ignited with illuminated brilliance. Like all Mancers, the shards directly connected them with their element, granting them strength and command over it. Clenching her hands, Lana called out to the earth and gathered its strength to her, bolstering herself for the battle to come.

With renewed power, the terramancer reached for the ground, spreading her fingers wide. Her eyes blazed with otherworldly power as her mind shifted the stones and dirt, loosening and widening the weakened surface. As soon as the land gave way, Lana raised her gloved fist in the air, and, with a savage strike and roar, she shattered the ground beneath her. The surface gave out. As Lana fell, her hands reached out, pushing the dirt to widen the hole, allowing the sun from the broken canopy above to pour down into the dark of the deep hive beneath.

Lana fell about forty feet through the buried dark before crashing into the central hive. She steadied her footing on the large mounds of sticky wax, broken stone, and discarded remains. Shifting on the bones, she stood within the protective sheathe of light from overhead. Her eyes widened at the sheer scope and size of the massive hive. It would be a task to take down, but it had to be done. Although Lana landed right where she needed to be, her arrival drew the frantic attention of every Nansi in the hive. Chomping their fanged maws, the monstrous insects filled the subterranean cavern with an overlapping cacophonous screeching. Red blazing eyes stared in voracious hunger at the newest addition to their food pile.

Despite being only a foot in height, the Nansi's numbers were the actual threat. The monsters flooded out of their burrows and tunnels, charging the young huntress. However, as soon as their shadowed bodies hit the purifying light from above, they flung themselves back, wailing in agony and burning with even the slightest touch. The sunlight held them for now, but in their frenzied state, it wouldn't be for long.

Lana quickly surveyed her surroundings, searching for the bracing stones that supported this cavernous hole. With her outstretched hand, she felt for the structures, finding them at the far corners of the central feeding ground. Three masses of rock held up the forest above. If she destroyed them all, the weight of the ground overhead would crush the monsters and bury the hive.

Focusing, Lana reached out to crush the first bracing stone. Before she could cast, a crazed Nansi lunged through the light and tackled her. Lana wrestled for control as its fangs and serrated appendages wildly flailed, slashing against her fortified body. The creature's attacks cut at her leather armor, but could not pierce her natural invulnerability. The falling light burned out the Nansi's eyes, but the blinded monster continued its onslaught. Grimacing, Lana maneuvered herself beneath it, gripping its rancid jaw with one hand while scrounging through the bone pile with the other.

"You want a bite? Eat this!" Her hand grasped a discarded skull, swinging forcibly to cave in the monster's head with a single blow. She tossed its heavy body aside, hastening back to the task. Lana focused her power, reaching out with both hands to two of the supportive bedrocks of the hive. The stubborn stone would not surrender, but she continued, drawing her hands inward with a sharp roar. The two bracing rocks yielded against her force. As the earthly supports failed, the entire hive, its tunnels, and the massive cavern shook with Lana's magical strength.

 With a sharp cry, Lana tore her hands back through the air, snapping the bracing stones and smashing the rocks overhead down onto the monstrous swarm. Entire sections of the hive toppled in on itself, killing hundreds of Nansi in the carnage. Enraged, the Nansi swarm thrashed against the light, desperate to destroy the threatening girl. With one last supportive foundation remaining, Lana turned to destroy it. The third was bigger than the other two, but she couldn't stop now. Her eyes widened, grasping the air with curled fingers and tearing at the stone with her spell work.

"Come on!" Lana strained against the hardened fragment.

As the dust and dirt took to the air from the crashing debris, the protective light overhead flickered and vanished. At this chance, the swarm pounced upon Lana's outreaching form. In the failing light, the Nansi bit and tore at the indomitable girl. Their fanged jaws chomped every part of her, burying her in a writhing feeding frenzy. Smothered by the blunted pokes of fangs on her, Lana could barely breathe, struggling against the swarm as they tried to tear her apart. Lana would not stop, reaching out with her hand for the stone. She was determined to destroy them, even if it cost her life.

Lana's strength wavered under their brutal assault. As she felt the peril of death approach, something called out to her.

It was faint at first, never rising above a whisper. The increasing echo of a distant beat drummed in time with her heart, growing louder and throbbing with intensity. Something demanded that she fight. Something demanded that she live. Whatever it was, it called not only from the furthest depths of her being but also from way beyond the forest. Then the words came to her as a rising chant that filled her thoughts, as a familiar, haunting voice came into focus.

"Open the rift… Take the throne…." Ras'Drayev's terrifying voice rose and repeated endlessly, overlapping itself until its noise formed a droning scream.

Her heart raced, threatening to burst free. She had never heard him when she was awake. She was in disbelief, but she couldn't deny that it was him. The shard about her neck blazed, pulsating with an unseen power. Without warning, shadow fire erupted from every inch of her body as a terrifying roar escaped Lana's lips. This was not the power of the earth, but something much older. She had never felt such a power in her entire life. Still, it filled her with the familiarity of overwhelming rage. It completely engulfed her and her mind swayed with the newfound strength. Although the words meant nothing to her, Lana could feel their purpose and the destruction that would follow. Surrendering to its call, Lana let the power in.

Lana's sudden emergence dashed the Nansi to the ground and set them afire. Freed, Lana acted without thought, raising her fists into the air. And with all the strength and power of her soul, she brought them down upon the hollow earth. Her strike set the entire world to shudder and shake at the impact. The oceans rippled. The mountains quivered. Every being felt her rage. Everything within the hive collapsed, falling over like a wave of stone and earth, churning in a dark tide. Lana had released something within herself. It felt primal, ancient, but worst still, something terrifyingly uncontrollable.

Lana's control over herself returned after the fire's light faded.

The hive had collapsed, burying the swarm in a crushing grave of weighted stone. Light poured down from the canopy, piercing the dust and dirt scattered in the air. Climbing the rubble, Lana moved back to the surface. She didn't grasp her sudden power's consequences until she reached the top. While she had destroyed the hive, Lana also destroyed all the surrounding land, widening the breach considerably. Her strike had cut through the once expansive, overgrown forest through its center. The wave of destruction uprooted everything in its path. Where once trees stood, a deepening chasm seemed to widen the further it traveled, swallowing the forest for miles outward, now opened to the sky above. Lana could have controlled the destruction before it worsened, but she was not in control of herself for that moment. From the origin, Lana stared across the chaotic fissure and earthly scar, surveying the destroyed forest and, with a frightened pause, the uncovered graven ruins of the Black Citadel.

The cursed stronghold once scraped the heavens, but as the forest grew, it swallowed it whole. But with a single blow, the young terramancer girl had uncovered the forsaken grounds again. Lana felt sick, even as the ground's sway slowed and vanished.

As Lana stood upon the crushed and piled earth, she stared quietly at the muddled sheen of the distant black stone ruins. Lana turned sharply from the citadel, not daring to look upon it again. She had to leave. She had to get far away from it.

"I need to get back to Wayward to claim the bounty." Lana thought.

Reaching down into the topsoil rubble, Lana grasped one of the twitching and dying Nansi, gripping the edge of its cracked outer shell and dragging it behind her. As Lana made her way through the forest, she pondered the squabble waiting for her when Wayward figured out what had happened. She inwardly hoped he didn't feel or hear the collapse of a great swath of forest by some miracle, but that was asking a bit too much. There was no hiding what happened. She hurried along. Maybe her bounty success would be enough to distract him, she hoped. Or perhaps he would ground her until the end of time. As Lana walked along the twisted trail towards the village, she knew the latter was more likely.

***

As Lana broke from the forest's edge, the abandoned road changed from sparse beaten tracks to smooth brick. The sun-bleached highway cut through the lush greens of the outer forest, rising and falling with the rolling tree-laden hills. Along the road and bricked in red stones, the emblem of a phoenix appeared at measured mile markers, claiming ownership of the spanning pathways throughout the region. Stepping upon the protected roads, Lana dragged her prize behind her, counting the steps until she reached home.

These were the roads of the Phoenix Empire, the standing Mancer Authority within the continent of Arriach. Their rule over these lands had lasted well over a thousand years, but after the Endless Night, their hold wavered with few townships still professing loyalty. Maraz, Lana's home, proliferated into a bustling market village over the last ten years, seemingly owed to the throne's generosity and leading to the growth of newer villages around Kalar Forest. When she caught sight of the polished red phoenix, she sighed in relief, knowing she was almost there.

To the east of her homestead laid the Marazian Plains, once an ocean of rustling viridian forever altered by the last conflict of the night wars. King Filius Tel'redor, Prime Allegiant, pierced the heart of the God-King Herald, slaying the fallen god and sacrificing himself for the world. Upon the sovereign's death, hellfire burned away everything within a mile of his fall, including most of the Allegiant champions and their legions. The war had ended, but at a cost of innumerable lives. Only ten years removed from that horrific event had the greens of the plains returned, a prominent difference from the frozen, bloodied tundra of her nightmares. As Lana headed down the road, she tried not to look at it as it reminded her of what she and the world had lost. She wondered why her surviving guardians chose Maraz for a new beginning, considering how close it was to where everything ended. She knew it was a tender subject and never asked. She couldn't complain, really. Maraz was a beautiful place to grow up.

White and scarlet marbled stones and slate replaced frail mud and hatch upon the crowded roofs. Polished wooden home fronts were artfully designed with intricate iron pieces and wavy glass. Leveled brick streets crisscrossed the township and lined with iron lampposts. Nurtured and blossoming flora cradled the edges of each building's corners, sprouting delicate colored blossoms that flittered down within the fertile summer months. With its new renovations, some boasted that the renewed beauty of Maraz rivaled the city of Sartez, the Phoenix Legion Capitol. Although Bohaus and Wayward claimed that the Phoenix Legion's generosity led to these renovations, Lana joked they had somehow absconded with Ras'Drayev's legendary treasure. They never denied it, but Lana was always suspicious of their untold good fortune.

Upon arrival, Lana found many villagers crowded in front of their homes and in the streets. The Phoenix Legion guards tried with little luck to calm them. The sudden quake that rocked the town and the entire continent frazzled them. Although still frightened, some rushed to greet Lana but paused at the sight of the twitching corpse of the Nansi she dragged behind her.

This wasn't the first time she paraded a trophy through the streets. To many who knew her, she was a pleasant figure of contradiction, possessing a beauty envied by royals and a strength that rivaled the heartiest of champions. To a lesser eye, Lana appeared to be no more than a fragile girl. In truth, she was anything but. She was a warrior trained by the best of the remaining heroes. She possessed magical resilience, indomitable strength, and healed faster than any typical human. Although her armor was damaged from the Nansi, only minor pink scratches marred her flawless skin but would be healed by the day's end. Even her glorious golden locks, though disheveled by the viscera and blood of her conquest, still shined beautifully as they twisted into a single intricate braid and swept into a wild ponytail that swung with her triumphant march. All who did not know her looked upon her victory and wondered how it was possible. No mancer of such a young age had ever shown such strength. Smiling, she waved to the onlookers.

As the inquisitive crowds grew around her, she drew the attention of the standing guards. To them, her presence was a welcomed reprieve from the countless questions concerning the earthquake from Kalar Forest. As the soldiers pushed through the gathering people, Lana caught sight of a familiar face. After the defeat of Ras'Drayev, Phoenix Legion Captain Gerald Wayward became her mentor, guardian, and, eventually, her adoptive father.

As many stories recall the Allegiant heroes, Wayward earned his place as King Filius's advisor and confidant during the three-year campaign against the Horde. Before the tyrant's fall, Filius entrusted Wayward to Lana's continued care. It was his friend's last command before his death at the hands of Ras'Drayev. Ten years later, Wayward struggled with that request as Lana's continued rebellion only grew upon entering adulthood.

Although still a beauty, Wayward's concern for her slightly aged him, a fact he loved to share with Lana. His dark braids grayed, his laughs became less boisterous, and his hugs were lighter. Lana placed the bug at her father's feet with a hefty thud. The corpse cracked open and spilled on the pathway. Although the annoyance on his face was palpable, Lana smiled, placing a victorious boot on top of the Nansi's carapace.

"Where have you been?" His voice was stern but whispered through a tight-lipped smile.

"The 'missing travelers' bounty." Lana said. "I told you I was taking it."

"And I told you not to." Surrounded by the crowds, Wayward held his smile. "It has been three days, Lana. Three."

"It took three days to track them back to the hives." Lana argued, but it was a familiar back and forth between them. Wayward shifted uncomfortably at the forming argument, motioning to Ari and Pako to keep the crowd back. He moved close to Lana, lowering his volume even further.

"You are not to leave Maraz. It's too dangerous." Wayward warned. "Over the last few months, Royal Mancer Advocate Jonas Jurai has been restricting the movement of the Allegiant slayers through Mancer lands and forcibly causing them to recall. Because of this idiotic decision, the abandoned regions have been inundating the Phoenix Legion with bounties, requests, and demands for help. Even Sartez has been inquiring about taking my initiates to bolster their numbers. Could you imagine Ari and Pako facing down the Horde? And now, Kalar Forest is shaking. By the goddess, has the world gone insane? Has the Black Citadel awakened?"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose with his armored gauntlet, Wayward's frustration at the situation was visible. Prodded by her own guilt, Lana tried to offer some explanation.

"About that shaking---" Lana tried to speak up but one of Wayward's Phoenix Legion initiates interrupted her. Initiate Private Ari rushed to their side, standing at attention.

"You called for us, Captain?" Ari said, tugging Pako along with her.

"No, Initiate Ari. One moment, please."

Moving to one side, Ari waited patiently, smiling happily between two of her idols. Despite his visible irritation with her, Captain Wayward was a kind and patient mentor, a far departure from the academic rumors of his infamous strictness as a Swordmaster trainer in the years before the Endless Night. Perhaps the terrible night war had changed him for the better, as now all his students admired and followed him around, much to his polite dismay. Although not an initiate herself, Lana was one of his brightest students and a testament to his skills and training. Lana was an example of what Ari longed to become and she hope she could under Wayward's guidance.

Ari rocked on her heels, waiting for Lana to address her. They were hardly friends, something Pako loved to remind his twin sister. Still, Lana was always cordial with the starry-eyed Phoenix initiate. At Ari's pleading, Lana often fell into deep descriptive narratives of her recent adventures. With Lana's permission, Ari would then regale her fellow initiates with the harrowing tales, a treat for those wintry nights by candlelight. Ari kept her distance, not wishing to invoke Wayward's ire.

"Of course not. That's why you send me. Ari and Pako aren't ready for any of this." Lana said, adjusting her voice as to not let the initiates overhear.

"I shouldn't have to send you. I don't know what the Mancer Authority is doing. This is just pigheadedness, and it will get people hurt or killed. We need the slayers out there. I worry about our people."

"I know." Lana reached to adjust the armor strap on his shoulder, knowing he sometimes pulled it too tight. "You haven't been sleeping much again, have you?"

Wayward sighed, covering her hand with care. He helped her adjust his pauldron, smiling thinly through his worry. "No, not really. There is no strategic value in recalling the slayers except for a juvenile show of dominance over the Allegiant. This is just a selfish, shortsighted way to rule and shows the same mindset that cost millions of their lives in the Endless Night. I wish to protect the people of Maraz, but how can I do so when our rulers make decisions that compromise our safety?"

"You put too much pressure on yourself." Lana noted, trying to ease his concern.

He was silent, staring distantly in thought. He furrowed in frustration, but Lana remained respectfully quiet. If anyone was to speak on the ills of noble society, a former noble such as Wayward would have a definitive say on the matter.

With a sigh of relent, the Phoenix Captain looked at her, pulling himself back together. He examined her, gently looking over her. Despite her physical resilience, he worried about her. "Are you all right, daughter? You appear no worse for wear."

"Nothing I couldn't handle. I destroyed the hive. All your future travelers are safe as long as they use the Mancer roads around the forest and not the shortcuts through it." Lana assured him, even as he fussed over her.

"And the missing travelers?" Wayward asked, checking the wear on her leather armor. "I assume by their absence here that their fates ended in the forest."

"Sadly, yes." Lana nodded.

"That is unfortunate, but at least you discovered what happened to them. That should provide some comfort for their families. For now, let's do away with this crowd." Wayward suggested, rubbing her shoulder.

Pulling back, Wayward stretched his arms wide to the crowds, raising his voice to address them. "Huntress Lana Tel'redor has defeated the Nansi hives! Although the travelers are gone, the threats to our roadways are as well. She has earned this bounty! Three thousand crowns from the Phoenix Throne!"

The crowds cheered for Lana, smiling at her well-placed fortune.

"What would you do with such a chest, my dear daughter?" Wayward wished to encourage her heroism, but also her altruism. Placing her in the spotlight, Wayward granted her the chance to do just that. With the question before her, Lana smiled, pacing with a furrowed brow and rubbing her chin comically. The crowded whispered in anticipation of her decision. Lana then turned to them with the brightest smile.

"I cannot possibly spend such a fortune alone! So, I offer half to the Phoenix Legion initiates and the town! Let us fund the fall festival to arrive and make it like no other!" Lana's gift drew cheers and applause throughout the marketplace as word passed quickly of her generosity. The influx of wealth to the town's yearly festival drove many to gleefully prepare as Captain Wayward would distribute the currency among the planners soon after. All cheered Lana, happier knowing that an Allegiant legacy was watching over them. Her kindness overcame the citizens' fading worry about this morning's violent quake.

"The roads are safe once more, thanks to my daughter! Maraz is blessed with such a hero!" Wayward shouted her praises as the crowd broke up to return to their daily activities. His initiates remained behind, thanking Lana.

"Thank you so much! I had little in the reserves this month for a new satchel. Mine broke during training." Ari shook Lana's hand in gratitude.

"Everyone, return to your stations! There's nothing more for you to concern yourself with here." Wayward waved them politely away. Ari did not move. Wayward had to pull Ari away from Lana with a smile, leaving them to privacy.

"You know, you don't have to do that." Lana said, nudging her adoptive father.

"I know, but they should know how brave my daughter is and how proud I am of her." Wayward nodded. "Even when she's taking years off my life when she disappears for days."

"I'm sorry." Lana said, biting her lower lip. "The hive was a difficult bounty."

With an arch of his brow, Wayward looked at her curiously, "You know, I never asked you how you destroyed the hive."

With eyes upturned, Lana shrugged, scratching her cheek. "Uh, you know, I punched it."

"So, you just punched it?" Wayward chuckled, trying to catch her stare. Lana tried to turn from his gaze. His fatherly stare hindered Lana's ability to lie convincingly, a fact he knew well.

"Would this punch have anything to do with the forest collapse or the violent shaking this morning?" Wayward asked further.

"About that---" Lana cringed, shrugging a bit.

"Lana…." Wayward knew she was lying, pressing her as only a father could. "Did you have something to do with that earthquake?"

"I mean, yes, but not entirely." Lana reasoned, deflecting a bit. "I sort of hit the ground, and things happened."

"Oh, by the goddess, Lana. Sartez is panicking at the moment." Wayward groaned, shaking his head. "They think the Black Citadel is waking up! I can't tell them it's just my daughter punching things, now can I?"

"They felt it that far! Wow, I did not know I was that stro---" Lana caught sight of his eyes, realizing this was not the best time to brag. "---ng, no, I'm not. I did not know how sorry I would be--- genuinely sorry. I should have restrained myself."

"The Mancer Authority wants Maraz to send the Phoenix Legion initiates to explore the Black Citadel to ensure it is still asleep." Wayward warned.

"I could go for you even though it probably isn't anything to worry about." Lana tried to make it up to him.

"Not even an option, young lady." Wayward grimaced, rubbing his face. "Just don't mention it to anyone. I'll think of something. Just don't leave the town for a bit, okay?"

"Okay." Lana said.

"Now, let's complete the bounty. May I have the recovered shards?" Wayward held his hand out expectantly, but Lana froze at the request, remaining silent.

"Did you read the entire bounty and its requirements?"

"Of course I did!" Lana said, knowing she got little past the assignment and the reward before accepting it.

"So, you read that if the travelers were deceased, proof would need to be provided to the next of kin. The patrons requested the return of the Mancer shards for a proper burial if their remains could not be recovered."

"I--- it didn't. I didn't---" Lana was grasping for words. Her face became red, contorting in confusion. She did not remember seeing a single shard within the piles of bones. This presented to her only made her worry, but for a reason, she did not know yet. All she could do was apologize to him. If they were there, they were now buried beneath tons of heavy stone.

"I'm sorry." She yielded. "I recovered nothing."

Wayward furrowed his brow in disappointment, but yielded. "I'll explain it to the patrons. While I'm sure they will understand the difficulty of battling an entire Nansi hive and trying to recover the memories of their loved ones, this will still be a hard conversation to have."

"I really don't remember seeing shards, father. I swear. All I saw were bones."

"Thirty-six travelers missing and not a single shard among the bone pile, Lana?" Wayward accused her, but then stopped himself. He didn't wish to punish her for an innocent mistake. She avenged the travelers, destroyed the hive, and, most importantly, returned safely.

Lana didn't respond, knowing she didn't remember probably because she didn't bother to look. She was more concerned about destroying the hive and killing the Nansi than about recovering anything.

"Addressing the damage to Kalar Forest, we need to assess your strength. Your powers have really developed over the years. I'm afraid that this strength, if untested or untrained, will lead you down the wrong path. I think it's time for you to meet someone."

"Meet someone? Who?"

"Someone who can explain everything to you and teach you to become the person you want to be."

"I don't need some stranger to teach me anything. I learned everything I need to know. Victoria taught me the Phoenix Legion's battle strategies. Bohaus taught me the Battlemaster's empty fist fighting style. And you taught me---"

"I tried to teach you to be a Swordmaster, but you've not finished your training, have you?" Wayward added, interrupting her.

"I know. I just--- I don't know if I want---" Lana stumbled over her words, knowing he was right. "I will eventually finish. I promise."

"Well, when you eventually get around to it, I will be silent. But, Lana, there are things Bohaus, Victoria, and I can't teach you."

"What do you mean?" Lana asked.

"Your strength." Wayward said, clarifying. "None of us, not even Bohaus, has anywhere close to your strength. I'm to blame solely. Perhaps my over-protectiveness wouldn't allow me to see how much you have grown. But I can see now you're ready to move forward."

"Move forward? What do you mean?" Lana grimaced, staring into his eyes.

Suddenly, Wayward embraced her. With his arms wrapped around her, he held her against his chest. She felt the tightness of his hug. It felt just as loving as it did when she was a little girl. She felt his anxiety and the soft, slight tremble of his worried heart. He tightened his hold on her for a moment before releasing her, hands remaining upon her shoulders. He looked down at her as if this was something more. She saw something in his eyes she had never seen before: fear.

"If you want me to meet them, I will." Lana looked up at him. "Who is this person, anyway?"

"A friend." Wayward said. "A friend from the Allegiant."

"A friend from the Allegiant? Besides Bohaus and Victoria, you don't have friends. You barely leave your house!" Lana accused jokingly, looking up at him and trying to break his worry.

"I have friends!" Wayward said, arguing before releasing her from his grip.

"I will meet whoever you want, but I don't know if I can trust anyone but you." Lana admitted, feeling a bit of trepidation at this sudden introduction. Wayward crossed his arms over his chest, shrugging.

"Oh, really? Can you trust the Grand Slayer?" Wayward asked with a knowing smile.

Lana's eyes widened. "No way!"

The Grand Slayer was a legendary hero that emerged after the Endless Night. Freed from the enslavement of the Horde, the Grand Slayer was the first foundling to master the Shadowbind curse and battle his former fadean masters. Academic scribes wrote hundreds of stories about him. The most famous was a series of books that detailed his adventures following Ras'Drayev's fall and his contributions to rebuilding the Allegiant. Lana was an avid fan of the Grand Slayer. Every story, rumor, or tidbit of information, Lana devoured. No one knew more than the young terramancer about him. To her, Wayward tempting her with his presence seemed oddly suspicious.

With an incredulous laugh, Lana stared at her father. Wayward didn't waver, standing stoically before her. Lana slowly stopped laughing, cocking her head curiously towards him. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am." Wayward was adamant.

"In five years, no one has seen the Grand Slayer out in the world since he became a Prime Allegiant." Lana said, recalling small bits of news she heard in gossip.

"Does this mean you don't want to meet him?" Wayward arched his brow, shrugging.

"No! I mean, yes! I do!" Lana shook her head with cautious excitement but lowered her volume respectfully. "Please."

"Then I will contact him promptly. We should know soon enough when he will arrive."

Although she was deeply skeptical of Wayward's promise, Lana had never known him to lie. His honesty was the most consistent thing about their relationship. Frankly, she was surprised he could keep anything from her. The Grand Slayer's stories were essential to Lana's childhood and helped form her ideals of bravery. During her childhood, Wayward read to her every night a variety of stories, but Lana always insisted on hearing the slayer stories. When she was old enough, Lana then read and reread them repeatedly on her own. The Grand Slayer's story contained loss, tragedy, heroism, and finally, redemption. Lana remembered everything from those books even how they abruptly ended. In her readings, she often felt more of a connection to this character on the page than her fallen father. While Wayward, Bohaus, and Victoria told her heroic stories about Filius, they could never quite capture who he was as a person unlike her novels. There was an obvious detail gap between the things he had done versus who he actually was behind all the death and sacrifice. Because of this, she felt detached from his glorious legacy and confused by her part in it. Pushing her royal father from her thoughts, Lana focused on her excitement at the Grand Slayer's possible arrival. Lana had many questions about the books and his mysterious connection to Wayward. She just had to know how they knew each other.

"Thank you! I can't believe this is happening!" Lana cheered.

Moving close, Wayward kissed the top of her head but recoiled in disgust, tasting the splattered remains of the Nansi that coated her. His lips curled at the bitter, acrid flavor of those little monsters. Wayward turned his head away from her to sputter and spit the viscera from his mouth.

"What's wrong?"

Wayward cringed. "I command you to rest and, by all the Goddesses, bathe thoroughly."

"It can't be that bad." Lana reasoned. "I only got a little on me."

"You got a little all over you." Wayward smiled with a grimace, shooing her away. "Now you got a little all over me as well. Go on! Get your rest. I don't want you filthy when the Grand Slayer arrives."

Thank you for reading the first chapter of my debut novel, The Last Sovereign. Like to continue the story? Pick up your copy today at Amazon! Now 30% off for a limited time!