I was quite cautious when leaving the forest. I exited somewhere in the southwest, so paranoid I was, that I monitored the grassland for half a day before I took my first steps. Walking out of the forest, I carefully monitored my surroundings, heading south. My map was in my saddlebags, so I only had a vague sense of where I was going. Still, it was nice being outside the forest and beyond the power of Daliah.

  There was the slightest chill in the air, the last remnants of the winter that I fortunately slept through while healing. Of all the mysteries of the dryad’s power, that one was certainly the most perplexing. Like many things, she stated it was impossible for me to learn. Still, I did improve my abilities significantly, cheated death, and found a new path in life. All in all, the experience was quite profitable.

  ~

  After over four hours of walking, no black armored riders came storming over the horizon for my death, so I was reasonably confident no one was watching the forest. It wasn't wrong of me to remain cautious, however.

  I still needed a proper mount, clothing, shoes, and I needed to make my way south towards my stash of dragon parts and southeast towards my loot from Enoras. I was a few hundred miles northwest of the Tar Flats, so I figured I could walk south until I found a road, which would eventually lead me to a village.

  One Week Later

  The nights were cold, but magic was a potent tool. A strong passive binding to one of my rings was enough to keep the surrounding air comfortably warm as I rested in the night. My journey through the grasslands, sparse forests, and dried rocky terrain was hell on my feet since, like the rest of my clothing, my boots weren't spared by the dryad.

  I knew very little about this region of the empire, but with some luck, I managed to find a small dirt road heading southwest. Based on the imprints of hooves and carriage wheels in the dirt, it was recently traveled. With a pep in my step, I followed the road, hoping to find a village. I had plenty of coin in my sack, and small, isolated villages wouldn’t spread the tale of my entrance fast enough for anyone to catch up to me. After I got a mount, I would collect my loot and head directly for home.

  ??????

  We sat around camp, far from any villages or towns. It was lively today; with the winter months behind us, the roads could be traveled, trade would open up, and profit was to be made, though I was sure the men were just interested in getting into more mischief.

  I examined the dozen tents and carriages that made up this group, studiously ignored a certain green tent tucked off to the side, then looked to the north, where one of the men who acted as lookouts came riding over, his face spread wide in a grin, revealing his rotten teeth.

  Dent was the boy's name; the brown-haired lech grinned, hopped off his scrawny nag, and walked over to Hender, our leader.

  I watched them have a short conversation, the words clipped and filled with enthusiasm. Hender wore simple leather and sported a thick, unkempt brown beard and bald head.

  His blue eyes met mine, and he said in a stern voice, which brokered no arguments, “Corina, come on, we got a lone lass up the road.”

  A small chill crawled up my spine, then I glanced over to my daughter, stirring the cook pot, then steeled myself, stood, and nodded.

  ~

  “You won't believe this on’ Cori. Strangest lass I'd ever seen. A north woman by her colorin’.” Dent said, his smile grated against my mind.

  “You get a close look, or did you come runnin' like I said?” Hender asked.

  “I listened,” Dent said, sounding annoyed. “Think she spotted me on the horse, but she ain't turn ‘round or nothin’.”

  “How you know it's a she?” Hender asked.

  “Can’t hide quality like that behind some leaves.”

  “Leaves?” I asked, sounding bewildered.

  “You’ll have to see it to believe it.” Dent smiled dreamily.

  ~

  “He's right, damn strange,” Hender said. We stood off to the side of the road as the woman approached. She wore a collection of vines and leaves, with many gaps through which I could see pale skin.

  Strangely, she wore a leather pack on her back, walked barefoot, and wore metal jewelry. Five rings on her right hand and a metal bracelet on her left, and while I couldn't make out what hung around her neck clearly, since she wore it beneath the vines, she was certainly wearing gold. Between her knuckles and thumb, she held an odd band of metal. It wrapped around her palm.

  Dent was right; even from a mile away, I could tell this was a woman. Her hair was as black as ink, reaching her waist, and flowing freely in the wind. She had decent proportions, with chest and hips enough for most men to find appealing, but it wasn't her jewelry or the vine and leaf clothing that made my heart tremble.

  Her face, while not sweet and delicate, was still comely. Sharp features, a slightly wide mouth, and a strong jaw.

  Her skin was impressively clear, pale as milk; clearly, this woman hadn't been in the sunlight for a long time. My first thought was that she was a dryad, but that sounded insane.

  Of all her strangeness, it was the eyes that chilled me. They were so dark I couldn't make out an iris. It was as if her pupils drank in light, like an infinite abyss was behind them.

  She wore no expression as she spotted us… No surprise, fear, or relief; travelers would usually react, but this woman was like a walking statue.

  “Somethin’ ain't right with ‘er, I don’t think…” Before I could get a word out edgewise, Hender sniffed, and the large man walked forward to intercept her.

  “It’s just a lass, Cori; don't get yer nickers in a twist,” Dent said.

  I sighed as I followed Hender and Dent in their path of intercepting the woman. The men and their desires were so disgusting. They were too focused on what was beneath the woman's leaves. Those eyes, those cold ink-black eyes, were not those of a normal woman.

  ~

  “Ho there, traveler,” Hender said, feigning cordiality.

  Her black eyes roamed over us, our faces, and our clothes. No, it was more than that; it was as if she was looking through us. She was just a young woman, perhaps 17 summers at best. Her steps were light and tightly controlled, as if every movement was calculated.

  “Greetings,” she said. Her voice was calm, without emotion, matching her stone-faced expression.

  “Bit strange for a lass walking alone in these parts. Much less walkin’ ‘round in leaves and vines.” Hender said.

  “I ran into misfortune on my travels.” She said. One would think a woman standing around in little more than leaves would have some shame or be nervous when facing a man as large as Hender, but she showed no emotion at all.

  Hender chuckled and nodded. “Aye, these parts are teeming with bandits and ne'er-do-wells.”

  Knowing I should speak, I said, “We got some spare clothes, and our troupe’s not a few minutes’ walk away. The cook fire is burning; we got food to spare.”

  She looked me right in the eye; for a few moments, she was silent. Then, miraculously, her entire demeanor warped; gone was the ice and chill and the infinite abyss that was her eyes. They became soft and almost vulnerable.

  She turned her eyes to Hender and said with a stunning smile, showing her straight white teeth. “You would offer me succor?”

  Hender and Dent immediately reacted to the change. It was too obvious a change to be an accident. She wanted me to see it. But why?

  Try as I might, I couldn't find any trace of the cold-hearted predator in her anymore. All I saw was a young woman, relieved that she had finally found help from a desperate situation.

  “Of course, of course, Cori here has a daughter. You're taller and a bit…” Dent paused and licked his lips. “Fuller than her. But the clothes should still fit.”

  The woman flicked her eyes to him and said with a heart-melting smile, “Truly? Well, I must offer compensation for such gallant behavior.”

  She reached into her pack; the shifting of the vines revealed more of the flesh beneath, and then she pulled out a coin purse and from it removed a golden royal. I didn't know what enticed the men more, her flesh or the gold.

  Hender smiled to the heavens as if he were the luckiest man alive. “Come, come, my lady, let's get you off yer feet. May I have yer name?”

  “Lily.” She said with a smile.

  “Greetings, Lily. Name’s Hender, he’s Dent, and she is Corina.”

  ~

  “So, Corina, I hear you have a daughter,” Lily said.

  “Y-yes,” I said as we walked back towards the camp.

  “She’s a fine lass; you’ll like her,” Hender said, though Lily didn't pay much attention to his words.

  “How old?”

  “Fifteen summers,” I answered. It was rather disconcerting how courteous she was being, considering how we initially met.

  I almost wanted to warn her, tell her to run, but I had to hold my tongue. She wouldn't be the first, anyway.

  “Lily, how did you end up wearin’ leaves?” Dent asked.

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  Lily sighed, “I was being escorted to my marriage; we were attacked by bandits while I was washing by the river. I managed to run away and got lost. It took me days to find a road. I thank Anier that you found me.”

  While Lily looked ahead to the cluster of tents and carts in the distance, Hender and Dent shared knowing smiles. I sighed again and kept my mouth shut.

  ~

  Myr

  I must have been rather lucky to run into these people. They clearly had horrid intentions; the looks of lust and the fact that both men failed to recognize my change from cold apathy to worried maiden were enough of a sign that they were worthless idiots. I wasn't even being subtle.

  The deference shown to Hender meant he was the leader. Dent was worthless trash, but the woman had potential. She, at least, recognized the change in my demeanor. Her eyes never stopped being wary while the men paid more attention to my chest and hips.

  There was pity in her eyes as she looked at me. Regret, anger, self-loathing… It was so clear that I didn't need to ask her why she refused to warn me that these men had poor intentions. Her daughter—she had to be protecting her.

  But why the charade? Why not just immediately force the issue? My mild curiosity was enough of a reason to delay their inevitable fiery deaths. I smiled as I spotted several horse-drawn carriages.

  ‘It seems I’m rolling in luck today.’

  I made small talk with the men, speaking about the weather and the last winter. I lied as easily as I breathed, and they weren't smart enough to see beneath even the thinnest veil. I didn't even need to put in much effort; paradoxically, common sense wasn't common.

  ‘Let's see the rest of these people. Perhaps Dent and Hender were outliers in terms of worthlessness.’

  ~

  There were 16 men and 5 women, including my escorts. Most sat around a fire while a flaming red-haired girl with green eyes in a simple linen dress, almost a younger copy of Corina, ladled out stew in wooden bowls. She had a decent face like her mother, but years in the sun had bronzed her skin. The rest of the men were equal parts uninteresting, though the look they gave me was about the same as Hender's or Dent's, just in varying levels of intensity.

  The other three women wore faces I had seen before: empty, dejected, and hopeless. As I talked with Hender, they seemed to sink even further into themselves. They sported no sign of abuse, but such things weren't always outwardly visible.

  Corina’s daughter, however, while cowed, didn’t have the same hopeless expression.

  ‘Coercion then. Some threats, false promises. Maybe they’ll say they will release me after some time, but they never will. More than likely, Corina served to get travelers to lower their guard.’

  The girl's thick eyebrows practically flew into her forehead as she stared at me in confusion. Again, guilt and self-loathing.

  ‘That’s how they force you to participate, isn't it, Corina? To go so far to protect your child…’

  A smile stretched across my face.

  ‘I can use that.’

  After Hender gestured to an open spot by the flame for me to sit, I said, “Greetings, everyone.”

  Then, all eyes went to Hender. “This here’s Lily; found ‘er wanderin’ the road. Don't seem right to not ‘elp.” Most of the men tried to hide knowing smiles.

  “Why she wearin’ leaves?” A fat, balding man asked.

  “Funny story… It all started when I was taking a bath in a river…”

  I launched into a moronic explanation of why I was wearing leaves and vines, which most of my audience were either too stupid or uncaring to disbelieve. The girl whose name was Anicia offered me a bowl, which I refused.

  ‘Worthless, all worthless. No point in continuing the charade.’

  Reaching into my pack, I pulled out the energy ring and tossed it in the center of the fire. There were some raised eyebrows, but the movement was so fast that most didn't recognize that it was made from platinum and gold.

  “Corina,” I said, getting her attention. My eyes held no sympathy, anger, or any trace of emotion.

  Surprisingly, she looked relieved as I dropped my mask. “I’m reasonably certain you’re being forced to participate in whatever depraved nonsense these insects have been doing to these women.”

  I stood, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “I-I,” Corina couldn't find any words while her daughter just stared at me, open-mouthed.

  It took Hender and the rest a few more seconds to realize I just insulted them. Hender flew to his feet, his voice low and threatening. “Lass, we invite you to our fire, and this is what we get. Insults.”

  “Listen, insect, I’m speaking to Corina; do not interrupt me.” I turned my back to him. It was a performance for Corina, intended to completely shatter any sense of fear she had of Hender.

  “As I was saying…” I was interrupted by a blade being drawn.

  I sighed and turned around to face Hender. “My name is Myr. See the hair, see the eyes.”

  Everyone froze, eyes filled with a combination of awe and fear. No one spoke, so I kept speaking to Corina. “I’m actually looking to hire people. Honestly, the position is a bit fluid at the moment, but you seem to have a decent head on your shoulders. And I’m not picky.”

  “What?” Corina said, completely bemused.

  “Lies, she ain't the maiden; she fled south years ago, that’s what everyone’s sayin’.” The fat man said. That seemed to bring everyone out of their stunned stupor.

  I turned to him, extended an arm, and said calmly, “I said I was speaking.” A cone of fire erupted from my palm, engulfing the man. He fell to the ground, screaming in agony.

  “Anyone who runs, dies. Speak without my permission and you die, am I clear?” To emphasize the threat, I increased the sphere of influence for my gravity reduction to encompass the entire group and pushed the binding to its maximum power. For a fraction of a second, everyone was almost weightless.

  Fear turned into abject terror; they no doubt felt it. I turned to Corina, completely ignoring the screaming man, and asked. “I am offering you employment, Corina, and also protection for you and your daughter.”

  There was considerable fear in her eyes, but not much in her daughter’s; in hers, there was mostly amazement. If I were going to recruit people, and they balked at this minor level of killing, then they were far too soft-hearted to be of use to me. The bandits and the abused women were worthless.

  “Why?” Corina forced out.

  “It’s rather simple. I have need of allies, and I can't just share magic with anyone. You seem a reasonable enough woman.”

  Still, she looked at me, confused. “You know what they would have done to you.”

  “What of it? You committed crimes to protect your daughter, did you not?” She looked down at the ground in shame. “It was the only way.”

  “And that’s exactly why I want someone like you by my side. I appreciate that level of dedication, that willingness to do whatever you have to do for your daughter. I find it an invaluable treasure.”

  She stared at me completely, struck dumb.

  ‘Yes, Corina, I don’t judge you for your crimes. I accept you; in fact, I approve. Now I just need to see how averse to killing you are.’

  “You’ll give her magic?” The daughter asked.

  “Indeed… Magic tools, to be precise.” I reached into my pack, pulled out the small hand crossbow, and loaded a finger-sized bolt. I took aim at a brown-haired man wearing a metal breastplate. “Watch,” I said, then fired the bolt. There was a loud crack and spark from his breastplate. The tiny bolt pierced straight through; he fell to his knees, coughing up blood. Then I tossed the metal crossbow to the girl.

  She managed to get her wits in line to catch it, even though her eyes were locked on the dying man. “That’s yours if you want it; I never cared for crossbows.” The girl stared at the weapon that casually killed a man with an air of awe.

  The rest of the crowd seemed to be debating whether they should run or rush me. “This offer is only for the two of you; no one else here is worth my time. ”

  It was clearly too much for the mother to process in such a short time. But the girl, however, reacted as I guessed she would. The crossbow fascinated her. She must have lived in fear every day, but now she had a weapon…power in her hands.

  And I proved that not even a large man in plate armor could stand against it. The weapon, however, was harmless without a proper binding.

  “I… I can keep it?” She asked, staring up at me with those large green eyes.

  “I take care of my people; that’s the least of what I offer. But yes, that’s yours if you accept.”

  ‘I didn’t need to convince the mother; once I had the daughter in my palm, then she would follow. The perfect leash is one that wraps around the heart.

  “But, this offer only extends to you and your mother. No one else means anything to me. Only you two are special.”

  ‘This is a bit heavy-handed, but I want to head south and collect my loot as fast as possible. Subtlety will have to sit by the wayside. One last piece to add.’

  The mother’s eyes peered into mine… searching; the desperation, the fear, and the spirals of emotion ran through her so quickly I couldn’t keep track of them.

  “Yes,” the daughter said, her eyes shining. Then she looked to her mother.

  The woman’s eyes fluttered between me and Hender.

  ‘Make a choice, Corina: me or death.’

  “What about the girls?” She asked. Said girls twitched in fear as my eyes roamed over them.

  ‘Too meek, too broken. Perhaps I could turn them around… No, dealing with their trauma would take too much of my time. There could also be resentment towards Corina and her daughter. No, in every perspective, these girls were useless to me.’

  “Only you and your daughter have that spark of perseverance that I find valuable,” I said.

  “She accepts. We accept. I accept.” Anicia said quickly. The men behind me were shifting, preparing to run or charge. But I couldn't show even the slightest concern at the moment. It would break the spell I had over them.

  Corina glanced at the girls for a few seconds, guilt clear on her face. Then she looked to her daughter, to the men, and then finally to me. “Just protect her, please.”

  With a smile, I said, “Done. As of this moment, you are both under the protection of the maiden of fire.”

  I pointed at a large carriage off to the side. “Wait for me over there.” With one last glance at the group, Corina nodded and dragged her daughter off towards the carriage.

  I turned around and stared at the three women and 16 men. I raised my palm upward, and a foot-tall fire erupted. “Now you all, over there. Anyone runs, and you get burned.” I said, gesturing to a clear patch of grass.

  They hesitated, then I made the flame grow to ten feet. “Now,” I ordered. “You three stay where you are,” I said to the girls. They twitched and stood still. They started walking; the fear was palpable.

  ‘Good, just a little more to the left.’

  Hender rushed towards me. “Fool,” I muttered.

  A fifty-foot cone of fire erupted from my hand. I braced myself as I bathed the entire group in flame. Some screamed, others dove to the ground, and one man tried and failed to hit me with an arrow. It took a little over five seconds until everyone was on the ground, dead or dying. I kissed my teeth as one of the carriages caught fire.

  The girls' reactions were varied; one was even more terrified, another wet herself, and the last barely reacted.

  ‘They must have really done a number on these three. More than likely, the men used them repeatedly; at some point, people just break or dissociate. Either way, letting them go isn’t an option. I’d rather not have the magisterium finding out I’m alive so soon. I don't care how minute the possibility is. The only mercy I can offer you three is a quick and painless death.’

  I sighed and pulled my dagger out of my pack.

  ~

  They didn't even fight or run; only one begged in the last moment. But the other two seemed pleased; I couldn't really blame them. I've never experienced that kind of suffering. I still had quite a few questions about what was really going on there, and Corina and Anicia would have to answer them. After putting out the carriage, I returned to the mother and daughter.

  “I half expected you two to take off running.”

  An emotionless chuckle escaped Corina’s throat. “I don't think we’d survive that.” Her eyes went over to the bodies of the girls. “Did you have to kill them?”

  “Would you track down their families and return them? What happens when the guards ask questions about what happened to them? Will you turn yourself in to justice and leave your daughter alone in the world?” Corina sighed and looked away from the bodies. I’ll have to break her down for now and slowly build her back up, then mold her to my desires.

  Glancing at the sun, I estimated we had a few hours before it set. “It’s time you told me about yourselves. What was really going on here? And how did you two get into this predicament?”

  Anicia looked to her mother. “It’s only fair, Ma.”

  Corina nodded, staring at the ground. “I shoulda known one of the last two dragon slayers would be ruthless... Stories are just stories in the end.” Her voice was barely a mutter, then she started speaking clearly, “This all started two years ago…”

  I interrupted her. “Wait. Only two dragon slayers?”

  Anicia spoke up, “Aye, that's the story. You and Empress Chass killed the last dragon.”

  A stared at Anicia, utterly confused. “Me and who?”