Mia woke to knocking. Sharp. Urgent.
Panic hit immediately. Overslept. She'd overslept. The inn needed her for morning service. The owners would be upset. She'd—
Wait.
She looked outside. Still dark. Too dark. Hours before dawn.
The knocking came again. Then the owner lady's voice through the door. Confused. Careful. "Mia? You have visitors. Downstairs."
Visitors? At this hour? Who would—
Mia dressed quickly. Her work clothes. Simple. Worn. The only nice thing she owned was the small wooden box under her bed. Letters. From her brother. One per year for over a century. Precious.
She hurried downstairs. Uncertain. Afraid.
The common room: empty except for the owners and strangers.
The married couple who ran the inn stood behind their counter. Older humans. Good people. They'd treated Mia better than most servants got treated. Fed her properly. Let her rest when sick. Small kindnesses over decades of service.
But now they looked... uncertain. Cautious. A large bag sat on the counter in front of them. Coin. Heavy. The kind of payment that changed situations.
And the visitors.
A wolfgirl in a maid uniform. Black dress. White trim. Perfect presentation. The fabric alone probably cost more than this entire village. Mia had learned to price things—her father had made sure all his children got decent education, but especially how to know value. How to price things. That mattered more to him than anything else. That dress was wealth. Real wealth.
Behind the maid: six adventurers. Armed. Professional. Dangerous-looking.
Mia's eyes caught on their badges. Adventurer guild insignia. S-rank. Republic.
[S-rank? Republic S-rank? Those are... the Republic has harsher monster hordes. Stronger threats. So adventurers there are just stronger to survive. The ranks usually shift up—Republic B equals Kingdom A. One full rank difference across the board. These people have to be total powerhouses.]
Human leader with heroic bearing. Sword at his side. Confident. Metal nameplate shaped like black bird feather attached to his chest—Cassian written on it.
Massive oni with shield. Two and a half meters tall. Built like a fortress. His nameplate: Lucio.
Bearkin mage with staff taller than Mia. Huge. Could be used as weapon easily. Nameplate visible: Reis.
Elven archer. Beautiful. Deadly-looking bow. Her nameplate: Azra.
Foxkin scout. Small. Ninja-like. Trousers instead of robes. Quick movements. Nameplate: Zilu.
Human priestess. Beautiful. Elegant dress. Healing aura visible even to Mia's untrained senses. Her nameplate: Valencina.
[What is happening? Why are they here? Why is there a maid and an S-rank party in this tiny inn before dawn?]
The owner lady spoke. Nervous. "Mia. This is Miss Nora and the S-rank party Black Wings from the Republic Adventurer Guild. They're here for you."
The wolfgirl maid stepped forward. Professional. Calm. "We've come to pick you up. Your brother is waiting."
Mia's mind blanked. "My... brother?"
"LOVER. He sent us." Nora pulled an envelope from her item box—[she has an item box?!]—and handed it over. "He wrote this for you. Read it."
Mia took the letter with shaking hands. Opened it. Her brother's handwriting. Unmistakable.
But short. Very short. Just a few lines basically saying to trust Nora.
[Strange. Short like the last letter. His yearly letters used to be full of small observations, careful hope, fragments of survival. But the last one was short too. And now this. Censored? Controlled? But definitely his writing. His style.]
[Wait. Why are these people here now? Last letter wasn't that long ago. Week ago brother Grufet came. Took the ticket. Said he'd check if it was safe. Not a scam. Told me not to write back until he confirmed it was real.]
[And now someone else is here? Different people? With a new letter? So... Grufet did check? Found LOVER safe? But why didn't he come back? Why send others?]
Mia looked up at Nora. Confused. Uncertain.
Nora gestured toward the stairs. "We need to move quickly. Flight to catch. Please gather your things. Sentimental items. A few days' worth of clothing. We'll provide better later."
"I... go pack? Now? But—" Mia's confusion showed. Everything happening too fast. Too sudden.
The owner lady nodded. Her eyes kept drifting to the coin bag on the counter. "Go, Mia. It's okay."
Mia moved toward the stairs. Still confused. Still processing. But following.
The wolfgirl and the foxkin scout followed her up.
Mia noticed the nameplate again. Closer this time. The black bird feather shape.
[Is that... black adamantium? Are they using black adamantium for nameplates?]
She'd learned about metals. Every dwarf should know metals—Father had always said that. Black adamantium was legendary material. Rarer than regular adamantium. More expensive. Used for critical equipment. Not for decorations. Not for nameplates.
[But it looks like it. That black sheen. That weight. That's not paint. That's actual black adamantium shaped into feather. For a nameplate. For identification. Who does that?]
She read the name again. Zilu. The foxkin scout.
[They're wearing fortunes on their chests. As identification. As casual decoration. What kind of people are these?]
Mia's room was tiny. Barely fit a bed. A chest. Some hooks for clothes. Decades of life compressed into minimal space.
She looked around. What to take?
"We can buy you better clothes," Nora said. Standing in the doorway. The room too small for everyone. "Just take what's sentimental. What matters."
Nora pulled out a small bag from her item box. Offered it. "This has minor spatial expansion. Will hold more than it looks. Makes travel easier."
Mia stared. Item box. Spatial bag. This maid had equipment worth more than entire villages.
"Who... who are you?"
"Your brother's... colleague. Friend. Someone who cares about his wellbeing." Nora's tone was neutral. Professional. "He's safe. Happy. We take care of our own. You're family. Therefore: you're ours to protect too."
Mia didn't know what to say to that.
She gathered her few belongings. Clothes—not many, not nice. The wooden box. Her brother's letters. Decades of them. Proof she'd been remembered.
That was it. Decades of life. One box of letters and some worn clothes.
"Ready," she said quietly.
They went back downstairs.
The owner lady and her husband stood by the counter. The large coin bag still there. Heavy. Significant.
Mia looked at it. At them. Understanding dawning.
"You... you sold my contract?"
The owner lady couldn't meet her eyes. Too embarrassed. The husband said nothing.
Nora answered. Calm. "They took the gold. Sold you. They don't look like bad people—just everyone has their price. Let it be the price for years of taking care of you."
She took Mia's hand. Gentle. Guiding. "Come. Your brother is waiting."
They walked toward the door. The owners stood silent. Guilty but accepting their choice.
Outside, a massive transport lizard waited. Covered seating on its back. Professional. Expensive.
The Black Wings moved efficiently. Helping Mia board. Securing her in a seat. Making sure she was comfortable.
Nora took the reins. Natural. Confident.
The human leader—swordsman Cassian—noticed Mia watching. He smiled. Friendly. "Nora loves driving land lizards. Hobby of hers. She's actually quite skilled." He laughed. "Normally we don't let anyone touch the reins—professional policy. But she insisted. And well... it's Nora. Hard to refuse her anything."
The lizard lurched forward. Then accelerated.
Fast. Incredibly fast.
Mia grabbed her seat. The world blurred. Speed that shouldn't be possible for creatures this size.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Hours later—just hours—Linkdown appeared on the horizon.
[This should take days. Multiple days. Linkdown is the regional capital. Far from here. But we're already here? Already arriving?]
Massive city. Regional center. Mia had visited a few times. Century ago. When he'd been free. When she'd worked for her brother's business before everything collapsed.
It looked... the same. Mostly. Some new buildings. Some changes. But fundamentally: same.
They returned the lizard to a rental facility. Professional. Fast. Payment handled without Mia seeing details.
Then toward the airship docks.
And Mia saw it.
The airship.
It was... she had no words. No frame of reference. A mountain. That's what it looked like. A floating mountain made of metal and wood and magic and impossibility.
"That's... that's flying?" Her voice came out small. Disbelieving.
"That's our ride," bearkin mage Reis said. Cheerful. His staff—massive, ornate—rested on his shoulder like a club. "Welcome to real travel. The luxury kind."
They approached a strange platform. Metal. Enchanted. It lifted off the ground. Rising. Up. Up. Higher.
Mia's fear of heights hit like a hammer. She grabbed the railing. Eyes wide. Frozen.
"Don't look down," priestess Valencina said gently. Supportive. "Look at the airship. Focus on the destination."
Up. Up. Impossibly high. The platform rising toward the airship's boarding area.
The bearkin mage Reis noticed her terror. Laughed—not cruel, just amused. "This place sucks. Kingdom backwater. They don't even have proper boarding facilities. Have to use this workaround just to get aboard. Republic cities have actual gangways. Proper boarding. This? This is primitive."
The platform finally connected. Locked into place.
They boarded.
And Mia entered a different world.
Luxury. Real luxury. The kind she'd only heard about. Only imagined.
The corridors were wide. Carpeted. Artwork on walls. Everything polished. Maintained. Expensive.
They were guided to a suite. Their accommodations.
Mia stepped inside and stopped.
Larger. Larger than the entire inn she'd worked in. The sitting room alone could fit twenty people comfortably. Furniture that looked like art. Windows—real glass, perfect clarity—showing the ground far below.
And gold. Everything looked made of gold. The fixtures. The decorations. The trim.
[This can't be real. This is... this is how nobles live. How royalty lives. Not adventurers. Not servants. Not people like me.]
A voice echoed through the suite. Magical broadcast. Clear. Professional.
"Welcome aboard Freedom-42. This is your captain speaking. You are aboard Syndicate Transport Guild airship on route to Central in the Republic..."
Mia moved to the window. Looked outside while the broadcast continued.
And saw how high they actually were.
The airship was still rising. Higher. Higher.
The ground was... distant. Impossibly distant. Clouds below them. Below. They were above the clouds.
[Too high. Way too high. We're going to fall. We're going to die. This isn't—]
She lost focus on the captain's voice. The broadcast continued—something about altitude, flight time, weather—but Mia couldn't hear it anymore. Just: terror. Height. Impossibility.
Her vision tunneled. Legs went weak.
The priestess Valencina—closest to her—caught her before she collapsed. Gentle. Practiced. "Easy. I've got you."
She guided Mia to a couch. Soft. More comfortable than any bed Mia had ever slept in.
"Just breathe. Focus on me. Not the window. Not the height. Just my voice."
Magic flowed. Subtle. Calming. Not quite a spell. Just... soothing presence.
But Mia's panic was too strong. Everything overwhelming. The day. The speed. The wealth. The height. The impossibility of everything.
Priestess Valencina assessed her. "You're overloaded. Too much, too fast. Small rest will help." She touched Mia's forehead gently. "Sleep now. You're safe."
Magic pulsed. Warm. Gentle.
And Mia fell into sleep. Deep. Peaceful. Protected.
She woke to softness.
A bed. Real bed. Not a cot. Not a thin mattress on hard floor. An actual bed with pillows and blankets and comfort she'd forgotten existed.
For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. What had happened.
Then it came back. The visitors. The airship. The impossibility.
[Am I still flying? Still in the sky?]
She got up carefully. Her body felt... rested. Really rested. How long had she slept?
The bedroom door was open. She could hear sounds. Eating.
Mia stepped out into the sitting room.
Bearkin mage Reis sat at a table. Eating. Alone. Mountains of food in front of him. He looked up. Smiled. Friendly.
"Ah, you're up. Good." He smiled. "The others went to the dining hall. Someone needed to stay with you. Make sure you're alright." Gestured at the food. "Hungry? There's more than enough."
Mia was hungry. Starving actually. When had she last eaten?
She sat. Took some bread. Some cheese. Simple things.
The taste hit.
[This is... this is incredible. This is the best food I've ever—]
She couldn't stop. Eating faster. Trying things. Everything delicious. Everything perfect. Dream-quality food. The kind she'd heard nobles ate but never imagined tasting.
Bearkin mage Reis watched. Amused. Pleased. "Good stuff, right? Transport Guild doesn't cheap out on luxury routes."
Mia could only nod. Overwhelmed. Again. Still.
The door opened. The others returned. Voices. Movement. The suite filling with the party.
Priestess Valencina approached immediately. Apologetic. Concerned. "How are you feeling? I'm sorry about the sleep spell. Are you alright?"
"I'm... fine. Better actually. Thank you. For the rest."
"Good. I'm glad." Priestess Valencina looked relieved.
"How long did I sleep?" Mia asked.
"About twelve hours," swordsman Cassian answered. "We just left the last Kingdom city. Starting desert crossing now. About three days to Borderwatch."
Three days. Over the Desert of Nothing.
Mia stood. Moved to the window. Looked outside.
Sand. Endless sand. As far as she could see. In every direction. Nothing but emptiness.
The airship had been rising when she'd panicked. Now they were... here. Over this.
It didn't look scary this time. In the second viewing, it looked... magical. Calming. The peaceful emptiness she'd read about. The meditative void.
Nora appeared beside her. Quick. Ready to catch if fear struck again.
But Mia felt calm. "It's beautiful. In a strange way."
Nora just nodded. Watching. Making sure Mia stayed stable.
The next three days felt like a dream.
Mia never left the suite. Why would she? Soft beds where she felt like she was in heaven. Best food she'd ever eaten. Everyone so friendly. So kind. So careful with her.
Paradise. Real paradise. The kind she'd only imagined.
If anything ruined the haven, it was Nora.
Asking questions. Lots of questions. About things Mia really wanted to forget.
Her brother's fall. Their family. The collapse. The debts. The abandonment.
Nora even went through the letters. The old ones. The wooden box Mia had brought. Reading them carefully. The earlier letters where her brother sometimes still asked about family. About siblings. About what was happening back home.
Before he'd stopped asking. Before he'd given up on anyone caring.
Mia answered. Reluctantly. Painfully. Telling Nora things she'd tried to bury. Things she didn't want to remember.
But Nora was relentless. Professional. Extracting every detail. Every connection. Every piece of the story.
[Why does she need to know all this? Why does it matter? He's safe now. That's what matters.]
But Nora asked. And Mia answered. Because what else could she do?
Mia also learned about the Black Wings. About how they'd saved Nora's life.
Found her in the Haunt. The S-rank monster forest. Standing on a stone with rope around her neck. Hands bound. Waiting to die.
They'd rescued her. Cut her down. Brought her back to civilization.
After that, Nora had lived as their housekeeper for ten years. While healing. While recovering. Trying to pay back the life debt.
"She still thinks she owes us," swordsman Cassian said one evening. Amused. Fond. "Keeps trying to recruit us. Offers us positions serving her master. Keeps saying it's to repay us. To show gratitude."
"We've told her the debt is paid," archer Azra added. Gentle. "Ten years of housekeeping. That's more than enough. But she won't listen. Just keeps offering."
Mia was confused. "Why would you need to serve anyone? You're S-rank. Republic S-rank. You could retire anywhere. Live comfortably. Why would powerful adventurers like you need to serve a master?"
Oni Lucio laughed. "That's what we keep asking! But Nora's convinced it's a good offer. Keeps talking about the benefits. The security. The family. The purpose."
"It's not a terrible offer, honestly," archer Azra admitted. Thoughtful. "Serving a good elf master. Good pension plan. Security for retirement. We're getting older. Elixirs only go so far. Eventually we'll need to stop adventuring. Having a guaranteed position with good treatment? That's worth considering."
"But we're happy with how things are now," swordsman Cassian finished. "Still active. Still capable. Maybe later. When we're ready to retire. But not yet."
Scout Zilu grinned. "Nora keeps trying though. Never gives up. It's kind of endearing, actually."
Mia processed this. [So Nora was saved by them. Lived with them. Now she's trying to bring them into her new family. Repaying debt by offering what she values most—her master. Her home. Her purpose.]
[And they're considering it. Not rejecting. Just... not yet. Because serving someone—even a good master—is still retirement. Still the end of active life. Still surrender.]
By the time Borderwatch appeared on the horizon, Mia felt better rested than she had in years. Despite Nora's constant questions about things she wanted to forget. Part of her wished they'd keep flying. Keep her in this dream. But her brother was waiting. Wasn't he? After all this time?
They landed in Borderwatch.
The landing was... normal. Smooth. The airship touched down on proper pads. No flying platform. No terrifying ascent. Just... doors opening, gangway extending, walking onto solid ground.
"The landing facilities here are completely different from Linkdown," Mia observed. Confused.
Swordsman Cassian laughed. "Linkdown sucks. Backwater. This?" He gestured at the professional landing pads, the organized traffic, the infrastructure. "This is proper. This is how it should be."
Mia saw the compound from the air during descent. Massive. Organized. Beautiful. Construction area in one corner—her brother's factory, Nora had explained.
And pink trees. Throughout the compound. Elegant. Distinctive.
[The pink trees. Just like he described in his letters. They're real. He's actually here?]
They walked through the landing area. Busy. Active. People everywhere. Merchants. Travelers. Adventurers.
Toward the compound adjacent to it. Walls. Gates. Security.
Mia lost track of where they were going. Too much. Too fast. Just following. Trusting. What else could she do?
Nora led the way. Confident. Home territory.
And then Mia saw him.
Her brother.
Different. Black hair. Black eyes. Younger-looking. Changed.
But the way he stood. The way he moved. The expression. That was him. Her twin. Her only family.
"BROTHER!" She didn't think. Didn't plan. Just ran.
He caught her. Hugged. Tight. Desperate.
They both started crying. Couldn't help it. Couldn't control it.
First time in over a century. First time since he'd fallen. First time since everything collapsed.
"Mia. You came. You're here. You're actually here."
"Of course I came. Of course. I missed you. I missed you so much."
They held each other. Crying. Laughing. Overwhelmed.
When they finally separated—minutes later, both still crying—a catkin stepped forward. Beautiful. Strong-looking. Her voice carrying edge. Almost mad.
"Have you forgotten something?" Directed at LOVER. Pointed. Clear.
LOVER's expression shifted. Guilt. Regret.
He turned. Faced Nora. Then knelt.
"Nora. I'm sorry." His voice was soft. Genuine. "I was so angry. About Grufet. About what you did. The slavery. The deception. I kicked you out. Refused to speak with you for days."
He bowed his head. "But you were protecting me. Removing a threat. I understand that now. I'm not used to... to methods like that. To such extreme measures. I'm too soft for this world. Too sheltered."
"You were right. I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
Nora knelt too. Pulled him into a hug. Tight. "Already forgotten. You're kind. That's why we protect you. That's why we do what we do. No apology needed. Ever."
They held each other. Brief. Warm. Reconciliation complete.
Mia watched. Confused. [What happened? What did this Nora do? Why was he angry?]
A human maid noticed her confusion. Stepped closer. "I'm 7. We'll work together, hopefully. Your brother was quite mad at Nora—about how she handled Grufet. Your other, evil brother. Kicked her out. But they've reconciled now. Good to see."
"What did she do to him?"
7 smiled slightly. "Your brother should explain that. Later. When things calm down."
LOVER gave Mia a tour.
The compound was massive. Organized. Professional.
He showed her the production facility. His factory. "We make something called coca-cola. A drink. It's... it's important to someone. Someone special." He looked uncomfortable. Like the words were hard to say. "Very important to them."
He let her try a test batch.
The taste was unlike anything Mia had ever experienced. Sweet. Complex. Carbonated. Strange but wonderful.
Mia had never tasted anything like it. Her meals had always been simple. Cheap. Survival food. This was... incredible.
He showed her the living areas. The maid house. Explained—voice both proud and embarrassed—that he lived there. With three maids. Together.
"You have a harem?" Mia couldn't help it. The surprise. The amusement.
Her brother—shy, gentle, too polite to ever pursue anyone—had three beautiful women living with him?
"I didn't... I mean, they chose. I didn't ask for this. They just... moved in. Said I belonged to them. I'm still trying to understand it myself."
Mia felt happiness bloom. Her brother. Popular. Cared for. Protected. Loved.
After everything. After slavery. After horror.
He'd found this. Found them. Found home.
Evening came. Darkness falling.
Maids approached. Professional. Polite. "Miss Mia? Master Void would like to meet you."
The master. Mia's heart jumped. Fear mixed with hope.
[Will he let me stay? Will he accept me? What will he ask? What will he want?]
She followed the maids. No choice. But also... wanting this. Desperately wanting whatever came next if it meant staying here. With her brother. In this place.
Black Wings members were provided by Miguelcagp for writing the first review on ScribbleHub where this story is also cross-posted!
Black Wings Members:
Extending same offer now also for RoyalRoad readers: First 5 reviews get option to provide a name to character(s) in the story. Just PM me after your review and we can work out details!