Chapter 75: Another World

  “One last thing.”

  It had already been a long meeting of the council, as usual, but everything the Crown had to endure to reach this last topic of discussion was worth it. It was time to reveal it. Her. She who would change everything. His world would soon be flipped on its back like a nuttle in a storm.

  He had waited for the most anxious councilmen to rise from their seats before mentioning the last topic, grinning as the pair who had risen groaned as they slumped back down.

  “There is nothing more on the agenda,” one of them complained, but sat down with no hesitation. The Crown wasn’t one to stand against, especially not for such a petty thing.

  “You will find this worthwhile,” said the Crown. “Bramble?” he then signalled his closest advisor.

  Bramble took a single step forward and read aloud, “Near one moon cycle ago, on the day known as the Passing of the Blue Light Crossing the Realms, something else took place in our very realm—”

  He paused here for no apparent reason other than to build intrigue or waste what little patience remained in the council.

  “—The Branches took captive a single person from without our realm, one so curious to us that it was decided to keep it hidden until now.”

  “A spy?” asked the same man from earlier, with a disgusted frown on his face.

  The spies would never stop. He knew this. The Crown knew this. They rooted out several more each cycle of the sun; why would this one be kept hidden so long? Was the spy defecting? That would be nothing but a ruse, and the Crown, of all people, would know this.

  “This woman’s intent is not to spy, that much has been made clear. When I say that she hails from outside our realm, I mean that she is not from our Tree,” Bramble explained.

  “Lies!”

  “Heresy!”

  The voices of the dozen councilmen rang in disharmony.

  “Silence!” the Crown said as he slammed the bottom end of his staff into the ground, the thump echoing in the hall.

  Several councilmen had risen to their feet, but were now forced back down into their seats. Not until everyone of them sat back down and had removed that disgusted look from their faces did Bramble continue.

  “This woman is from a Tree called Bumblee, and we suspect the Blue Light Crossing the Realms may have something to do with her being here. She does not know how she got here herself, only that she found herself here. This coincided quite well with the Blue Light.”

  “Supposing there are other liveable Trees out there, why trust this woman?” the same disgruntled councilman asked.

  “She has been put to the test by our Branches, who can tell such things. They both assure us that she is telling the truth.”

  “And we are supposed to trust the Branches without any inquisition?” he growled.

  “Yes,” the Crown interjected just as Bramble opened his mouth to say the same. “The Branches are the best of our best, and there is none I believe in more.”

  The Crown’s obvious taunt towards the councilmen lingered in the air, but none dared speak against him. Bramble continued.

  “It is not to reveal this person that the Crown brings up this topic. It is rather to make it clear to you that she is joining the Branches in protection of the Crown.”

  Liquid spilled from cups flying across the table as the councilmen choked on their fruit in surprise.

  “This surely cannot be the case! Why would the Crown lay his life in this stranger’s hands? She must have some means of manipulation!”

  “A whore who has teased her way into the Crown’s chambers?”

  “We must hunt her down. Kill the spy!”

  The ruckus lasted for almost a minute, the councilmen spouting whatever nonsense they could come up with. The Crown let them. It would only be that much sweeter to make them stop when he wanted them to. Maybe the power he held over these elected, corrupt men was getting to him. He grinned and let his staff hit the floor once more.

  The Crown was as silent as the council as another minute passed where only the ever-lower echo of the staff rang.

  “My Crown…” started the only man who had kept silent during the entire topic of discussion.

  This was the only man for whom the Crown held any respect in the council, and the only man he wanted there.

  “Why are you now going against centuries of tradition by letting not just a woman into the Crown’s Branches, but one you claim is not even from your own realm, your own Tree?”

  Finally. The reason this conversation, if one could call it that, was happening. Of course it would be Arophus to ask. The man was intelligent, but also cunning. He could smell a setup from miles away, the Crown knew this. Still, if only to move this meeting along, he had sprung the trap willingly.

  The Crown smiled, his white teeth bruised with the red from the winefruit he had put in his mouth.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “With the Passing of the Blue Light Crossing the Realms and this woman from another Tree, the Forest has shown us that change is coming, whether we are prepared for it…or not. It has been the Crown’s duty for generations to one day welcome this change into the Tree. My duty.”

  “There is no such duty, my Crown,” said Arophus.

  “This duty has been kept secret from everyone except the current Crown. You saying that there is no such duty shows me that I, too, have succeeded in keeping it hidden from you.”

  “What is it that is supposed to change, exactly? Will we finally invade Teros?” asked the most vocal man among the council, finding any and every opportunity to do so.

  “A lot of things will change. Today, you will learn that the Branches you know are not the true Branches of the Crown,” the Crown started, then lifted his hand to silence the councilmen before they even got a sound out from their mouths. “The Branches you know are excellent soldiers and are truly the Crown’s guards. But there is another group by the same name that is more…clandestine in nature, and much more fitting for the job of protecting not just the Crown, but the whole Tree.”

  “Assassins? Good! Send them to kill the false Crowns!” the man attempted again.

  “Nothing so quaint. Tomorrow, you will meet both the stranger and the True Branches. All will be revealed then,” the Crown answered, rising from his chair without letting the council stand up first, forcing them to break tradition on a simple whim.

  All rose in something akin to horror and panic in hopes of not being kicked out of the council for disrespecting the Crown in such a way, despite it being his own damn fault.

  “Tomorrow? That is—”

  “Yes. All three Crowns will be there, along with the three councils. What better day to change the Tree than on Peace Day?

  “Jessie!”

  The familiar voice rang through the dwelling. Jessie woke from her sleep but remained in bed for the time being. It was so good. If she ever went back home, she would have to bring a sleeping tree with her. Maybe it would grow there as well if she brought it.

  “Jessie!”

  She was closer now, just outside the room. When had she even got out of bed? What time was it?

  The sleeping tree shook as Hosu’s light body landed playfully on top of Jessie. The elf kissed her girlfriend’s back up to her neck and bit down to get a delighted squeal out of her Witch.

  “Ow!” Jessie teased with a laugh, rolling over. “I don’t want to go. We haven’t even fooled around this morning!” she said while feigning hurt.

  “No, you haven’t. Not my fault you sleep like a tarthound. It was very good, as usual, but I had to do most of the job, of course…” Hosu grinned as she caressed Jessie.

  “Then it’s my turn!” the Witch complained as she rejoiced in the elf’s smooth touch.

  “Hmm…” Hosu sounded as she leaned in for a deep kiss. “No, we’ve got training today. Save it for later, lazy!”

  “No! It’s probably just stupid behavioural training for tomorrow; we don’t need it.”

  “Oh, I agree. You, on the other hand, do. Everyone’s eyes will be on you. The Branches won’t get as much attention even though they’re the ones revealing themselves.”

  “We’re Branches too, you know,” Jessie said, once more rolling over.

  “Well, trainees, I guess. Just because you’ve seen real fighting…”

  Jessie’s aura grew colder, more distant despite its increased pressure.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up,” Hosu lied.

  “You did. But it’s okay. I know you’re just trying to prepare me for the scrutiny. I can’t help it, though…” the Witch said, sitting up in the bed.

  “I know, Flower, I know.”

  Hosu kissed her sweet lover again.

  An hour later, they were both entering the Branches’ training hall, seeing most everyone there already although they had somehow been a little early.

  “Hosu! Jessie!”

  The compact form of Jerau sprang up from behind them, Jerau holding on to them with a hand on each shoulder.

  Jerau was a nice kid. She was as blonde as Hosu was, though with more diminutive ears. She was short, about half their height, and constantly wore a jacket over whatever dress she wore underneath, keeping the scars on her back hidden.

  “Jerau! I would’ve thought you’d be here first,” Hosu said in greeting, tussling the girl’s hair when she landed on the ground again.

  She was only a few years Hosu’s elder Remnant, but she had died at age eleven. Despite the years since then, her body had barely grown. After the Branches took her in, she had a growth spurt as her major abilities ranked up. She was nearing Bronze-tier by now, or the elven equivalent of the tier, and she expected that would gain her at least a dozen new centimetres. It was hard being a seventeen-year-old in a thirteen-year-old’s body. Jessie considered herself lucky that she died after her teens, as her body had had time to fully develop. That, and the ranks she gained seemed to make her body younger, if anything—making her skin firmer and more youthful.

  “Well, I was! I forgot my jacket, so I had to go all the way back home, though.”

  “You know you don’t need that here with us, right? Besides, it’ll only interfere with your training,” Jessie said.

  “I know, I know. But I’m not going straight home tonight, so I had to get it.”

  A large man approached, greeting them all by name one after the other, starting with Hosu and ending with Jessie.

  “Hi Thalany,” the women said in unison.

  “Are you all ready for a bit of training today?” Thalany asked.

  Thalany was the leader of this realm’s Branches and in charge of their training. He had been a part of the Branches for almost a century but didn’t look a day over fifty. He was mid-Bronze, or at least he claimed to be. His skin looked aged because of the long time he had taken getting there, but Jessie had seen him fight; he would out-skill anyone else in the Bronze tier.

  “Aren’t we just practising for tomorrow?” Jessie asked, the sullen tone of her voice difficult to ignore for the man.

  “While you do need training in keeping your composure, one day of training won’t make much of a difference tomorrow. What you need today is to release some steam, I’d reckon!”

  “Yes!” Jessie exclaimed, turning to Hosu. “See, I told you we should rather just have sex!” she beamed.

  Thalany cleared his throat as his face turned a fruity shade of red. Meanwhile, Hosu and Jerau laughed.

  “I think a fight might be more to everyone else’s liking. How about a team duel? Jerec and Houl seem eager for a fight today.”

  “Fight?” Jerec shouted from across the hall with a near-screeching voice.

  Thalany chuckled. “Yes. Take the centre in five, boys and girls!”

  Jessie and Hosu prepared themselves for a fight. It had been a while since they both got to let loose in a proper fight.

  Hosu changed into her training attire, a light green top with thin leather straps keeping thicker protective pads in place. Her stomach from just above her navel was showing along with what Jessie called ‘almost enough’ cleavage. She wore thin shorts and kneecaps below her waist, preferring to be barefoot.

  Jessie wore a more comfortable and less protective dress, much like the one she used to wear in her mindplace, though with more solid colours. Her hair formed a tight, dark brown ponytail.

  “Damn, you’re hot,” Jessie meowed at her lover.

  “You’re ferocious!” Hosu chuckled. “Even with these pads?”

  “Flower, you’re going to need those tonight as well,” the Witch winked.

  “Witch and Druid ready?” Thalany asked from the middle of the hall, standing equally far between Hosu and Jessie and their opponents.

  “Yes, sir!” Jessie said, turning towards their opponents.

  “Jester and Vampire ready?”

  Both men on the other side nodded in the affirmative.

  “Keep in mind that while you have been in the Branches longer, Jessie has actual, genuine experience in fighting for her life against magical adversaries. She will not hold back. Hosu has been training with her for almost a month, and under Jessie’s guidance has grown much faster than anyone I’ve ever seen in my many years as a trainer. While you both have higher ranks, this will not be an easy fight. You have been warned. Now, in three, two…”