“This is no way to treat the queen of your nation!” Alessia protests.
“You’re my sister. I have a free pass.”
“Free pass, my ass! Put me down!” Alessia looks at me with pleading eyes. “Help me? Please?”
I put my hands up in a gesture of innocence. “Sorry, I can’t help you there. I don’t interfere with sibling bonding time.”
“Smart man. Do you have siblings of your own?” Daelia asks.
She casually leads the way into the prayer hall like carrying her sister is perfectly normal. My chest unexpectedly warms at the sight, even though the gestures of affection are so foreign to me.
“No, I don’t. But I’ve grown up around plenty of large families to understand sibling dynamics. My friend Kharu was like a brother to me, and he had six older sisters.”
“Kharu? I’ve heard that name. He’s one of the country’s up-and-coming knights, is he not?”
“He is. I’m not surprised you’ve heard of him. He’s won a lot of knight tournaments recently.”
“Huh. You must be formidable yourself, then,” Daelia says, shooting me a supportive grin. “It’s not just anyone that can rise to the top of the knight ranks.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m no match for Kharu, but I can hold my own.”
“Please. I handed your ass to you in two minutes flat,” Alessia grumbles.
Daelia rolls her eyes. “Alessia, you’re twice as strong as him. It’s not a fair fight. Why did you humiliate him like that?”
“He deserved it.”
Daelia deadpans. “Did he really?”
“I’d like to state for the record that I, in fact, did not deserve that beat down,” I say.
My statement is not received well by the intended recipient, and my shit-eating grin only tempts her frustration to transform into irritation. Daelia, however, holds out her arm for a fist-bump, shooting me a wink.
“Holding out for two minutes is a big deal with this one. You deserve a whole holiday for that triumph.”
I give her a first bump, but a twinge of fear has me a little lightheaded. Two minutes is a big deal with Alessia? If my match is considered successful, I don’t want to know what her match against a run-of-the-mill knight would look like.
Just how powerful is she? Have I married a catastrophe-level magic user?
Shuddering silently, I follow Daelia into the Prayer Hall, which appears as a highly ornate, historic version of a typical church congregation. The vaulted ceilings stretch at least three or four stories overhead, if not five, and paintings from throughout the centuries decorate the walls. The sunlight shimmers interestingly in the spellglass and reflects at random across the walls and floors. A carving of Atena, our goddess of war, sits at the very center of the room, where the vertical and horizontal aisleways meet between the four sections of pews. She stands in a triumphant pose, her face angled toward the heavens, her shield arm raised high above her head, and her sword brandished in victory. Daelia kneels before her, bowing her head in a silent prayer. Alessia goes still on her back and quiets herself respectfully.
I don’t know much about the goddesses, but I do know that if I had followed in the footsteps of the devout Church mages, I would be a follower of Atena. She’s the goddess that most knights pray to before battle, asking for blessings of foresight, mastery of the mind, and mercy to a fallen opponent. I have a feeling that Daelia, being the Hero of Celestia, has chosen to follow her for similar reasons.
When Daelia rises, she sets her sister down on her feet, then turns to address the mages that have been following us.
“Leave us.”
I glance over my shoulder to see the mages bow out of the room, shutting the doors behind themselves as they go. Daelia beckons me closer, and she gathers Alessia and I at the foot of the statue, her eyes glinting sharply.
“Listen, I know you want us to travel alone, but I do have one request,” Daelia says, her gaze flickering to me. “You need to be on your guard. I usually travel through the Wendigo Forest with my party by my side, but you’ve requested to go alone. That means one of me for every monster we encounter. If we encounter more than one, you will be required to fight. Are you sure you don’t want me to ask for backup?”
Alessia shakes her head. “I don’t think it will be necessary.”
I frown. “Have you ever seen real combat, Alessia?”
She shoots me a glare. “And so what if I haven’t? If I can take you down, even a Wendigo doesn’t stand a chance.”
“That’s a risky move,” Daelia warns, her frown deepening. “I almost died the first time I faced a Wendigo, and I had the same attitude as you. It’s not that I lacked the strength; they take you by surprise, those monsters. They sneak up on you without warning, make no sound, and go for the vitals without mercy. They multiply with every kill, and they feast off the flesh of their victims until there’s nothing but bones. And that’s not all; there’s been rumors floating around that demons and elves have been appearing in droves in the forest, especially at night. Some of the recent adventurer disappearances may be attributed to their actions.”
