Maria Volkslova
Being the daughter of the leader of a rebellion group was no joke. The constant attention and scrutiny were exhausting. While part of me felt pride in being the daughter of a renowned seer and leader, the other part felt a deep sense of insecurity from all the unwanted stares. But I knew I couldn't afford to dwell on such trivial matters. Not now.
I had been accompanying my father ever since the incident with the enemy General. The encounter had been overwhelming, especially for someone like me, who felt so small in the face of such power. I still didn't fully understand the details—why my father had agreed to release Kreg, the prisoner. But who was I to question him? My father was a seer, someone who could glimpse the threads of time itself. I trusted him, even if I didn't fully understand his decisions.
"—Vestiron, now I shall head back to my mansion and inform my father about it." The voice of Lieutenant Utah snapped me out of my thoughts. He and my father were standing nearby, deep in conversation, while I sat under the shade of a tree, trying to stay out of the way.
My father nodded. "You may go now. I'll send further instructions with my messengers."
As Utah walked away, my father turned to me, a weary smile on his face. "Maria, I'm sure you're dying of boredom here. How about you go check on Audel?"
I didn't realize I was pouting until I spoke. "How about you explain what's going on? I'm not a kid anymore, you know."
"What do you want to know?" he asked, his tone patient.
"Why did you agree to let our prisoner go? And why didn't the General attack us back then? What am I missing here?"
My father sat down beside me, leaning his broad back against the tree trunk. His eyes wandered to the blue sky as he spoke. "They might be our enemies, but they didn't risk attacking us. Old man Agrievious is a formidable opponent, even at his age."
"They didn't attack us, fine. But why didn't we? It looks like they got what they wanted, and we got nothing but dust."
"Maria," he said softly, his tone calming. "It was inconvenient for us to attack as well—"
I pouted again, unable to hide my frustration. Sensing this, my father sighed and revealed the truth. "It's a trap. Kreg, our prisoner, will act as a double-edged sword now. After his contact with Audel's mana, he's likely to seek him out again in the future."
"But why?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. "And how does that work as a trap?"
"Karma, or what I like to call the rounds of plausibility. Kreg is fated to cross paths with Audel again, so we let him go under the guise of being threatened. It wasn't necessary to keep him here. As for the trap..." My father reached out and ruffled my hair, his laughter filling the air as I tried to swat his hand away.
"Stop it!" I protested, but he only laughed harder.
Once he'd calmed down, he stood and said with a teasing grin, "How about you go check on Audel now? He might already be missing you."
"Oh, shut up," I muttered, standing up and brushing myself off.
"If you have any more questions, just ask old man Agrievious or that boy. He's quite the looker, so watch out."
Ignoring his teasing, I walked away, heading toward the cave where Audel had been training. The path was familiar, but my mind was anything but calm. My father's words echoed in my head, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than he was letting on.
As I approached the cave, I could hear the faint sounds of clashing metal and bursts of energy. The air grew heavier with mana, and I quickened my pace, curiosity driving me forward.
When I reached the entrance, I saw Audel locked in combat with both Agrievious and a young boy I didn't recognize. The old man's movements were precise and calculated, while the boy was a blur of speed, his attacks relentless. Audel, however, was holding his own, his movements sharp and fluid.
I stood at the edge of the cave, watching in awe. Despite the intensity of the fight, there was a strange beauty to it—a dance of skill and power.
Dareia, Agrievious's wife, noticed me first. She gave me a warm smile and gestured for me to join her. "Come, dear. You'll have a better view from here."
I hesitated for a moment before walking over to her. "What's going on?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the fight.
"Training," she replied simply. "Audel's pushing himself to his limits. It's quite impressive, don't you think?"
I nodded, unable to tear my gaze away. Audel's determination was palpable, and for the first time in a while, I felt a spark of hope. Whatever was coming, we'd face it together.
As the fight continued, I couldn't help but smile. My father was right—Audel was stronger than he realized. And maybe, just maybe, we all were.