“So, privates.” Jared and Ryan snapped to attention. “The plan is to annex the other town.”

  The shock on their faces was readily apparent. They stared at Dawn, fear in their eyes. Dawn, for her part, responded by staring back.

  “... I refuse,” Ryan said.

  “Why?” Dawn asked.

  “Because I became a warrior to protect the town, not to hurt others.”

  “I agree,” Jared chimed in.

  “I see.” Should I force them? But they may rebel. They are correct after all, I didn’t tell them I was planning to take over more towns.

  “Very well. You two will not have to participate. But if I am successful in annexation, you will protect that town just as you protect this one. Am I understood?”

  “Yes Commander!” the two said in unison.

  When Dawn opened the door into her house, she felt as though she wasn’t supposed to see what was before her eyes.

  “EEK!” Silk screeched.

  What Dawn witnessed was Silk morphed into a form looking quite similar to Dawn. They had somehow acquired silver hair, but its length was wrong, being a few inches too long. They had also acquired skin and covered it with a drape of leaves much like Dawn wore.

  As Dawn continued to inspect Silk, their body began to shift, and the worms making up their body appeared. Their skin began to disappear, the clothes alongside it. And, soon enough, Silk returned to being a mass of worms held together by ghostly threads.

  “Why did you look like me?”

  “I… I wanted to be like you. Your… humanness is so interesting!” Silk doesn’t stutter anymore, that’s good.

  “I see. Do you wish to be human?”

  “Ye… no? It’s hard to say. In ways, yes, in ways no. I don’t know.”

  “Alright. Give it some thought. Now, how did you appear like me? It seemed magical in nature.”

  “It was [Illusion].”

  “Ah. Show me.”

  The rune appeared beside Silk, to which Dawn immediately committed to memory. She created a copy herself, finding its shape correct.

  “Thank you. I’ll be heading out, but before I go. Don’t pretend to be me. Understood?” When Dawn said understood, she released her mana into the air, focused on Silk. Silk froze in place.

  “I’m glad we came to an understanding.”

  As Dawn watched the cannibals' town, she noticed them begin to crowd together. Unable to hear them, she forced more mana into her ears, trying to hear better. It worked, but only partly. She glanced around and approached, staying out of sight before hiding behind the gate door.

  “-will strike then! Foxshire shall fall, and you all may feed!”

  The leader. Where’s Foxshire? Is that my town?

  The crowd cheered and broke apart, their speech over. With her eavesdropping complete, Dawn slipped away. When she arrived in town, she swiftly found Jared and Ryan.

  “What’s the name of this town?”

  “It’s Foxshire, commander,” Jared answered.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “The name of the nearby town with cannibals?”

  “That’s Plerith.”

  “Well, sometime soon, Plerith will attack. I don’t know when, but be prepared. Gather a few people and get to help with watch.” Having received a nod, Dawn continued, “I’ll take first watch for a while. Get someone to replace me before a third of the night passes.”

  Dawn was awoken the next morning by Rosalia.

  “Da- Your majesty. I’ve heard of a rebellion plann-” Rosalia wasn’t able to finish her sentence when an explosion rang out.

  Dawn lept out of bed, rushing outside. She saw her house on fire, and several townsfolk staring daggers at her. They summoned fireballs and hurled them at Dawn.

  Dawn dove, avoiding the fire, seeing it strike her home and spreading the flames much faster.

  Silk and Rosalia are in there. Dawn’s eyes snapped to the trio attacking her. She rushed them, sweeping their feet in one swing of her halberd. With them on the ground, she stomped their fingers, only stopping when she heard them screech in pain. She turned back and rushed inside, finding Rosalia had fled already and Silk cowering in terror.

  “Silk! Run out of town! Go to the field and hide there! If I don’t return for you in 3 days, assume I’m dead! Now go!” Dawn yelled. She rushed back out and leapt onto a rooftop to see what was going on. She saw battles in several places, citizens fighting rebels. Chaos was everywhere, and the flames began to engulf the village.

  I need to take out the command. That might end the conflict immediately.

  She continued to search, finding nearby the gate was a cluster of people not fighting. They formed a ring around someone.

  Dawn enhanced her body and raced across the rooftops, leaping and striking at them as she fell. The attack took off their arm in an instant, and Dawn swiftly wrapped her arm around his neck and yelled, “Halt or I kill him!”

  The ring of guards froze. The man in her arms, though, yelled, “Kill her already!”

  As the guards began to shift, Dawn threw the man at a section and rushed to the opposite side, where she began to slash through the guards with ease. She escaped out, turning back around a short distance from town. She yanked at the thread of mana she put on the man, hurling him through the air towards her.

  “Get out here or he’s dead!”

  The guards rushed out, so Dawn dropped the leader and crushed his fingers before summoning massive flames and sweeping through the guards with the flame. With the guards badly burned but alive, she rushed and toppled them. She glanced around, verifying everyone was incapacitated.

  She yanked on the thread again as she leaped onto the wall surrounding Foxshire.

  “Everyone, stop your fighting! I have your leader!”

  The rebels froze, but the defenders didn’t. They all attacked and swiftly defeated the rebels.

  “Bring to me all the rebels!”

  Soon enough, all the rebels were placed by the gate, indignant expressions on those Dawn didn’t fight, terror on those who did.

  “So, why did you do this?”

  “Like we’d tell you!” A particularly spirited rebel said.

  Dawn responded by crushing every bone in both of his hands.

  “Anyone else?”

  The other rebels stared at their companion, fear creeping onto their faces.

  “We…” a voice behind her began, their voice hoarse. Dawn glanced back, seeing it was the leader. Their voice seemed to have died from screaming pain. Dawn cast [Heal] on them.

  “Speak.”

  “We wanted to-” was all he got out before Stevin appeared, stabbing his spear into the leader and kneeling.

  “I greet your majesty.”

  Dawn simply stared at him. She hid her hand, keeping the [Heal] active.

  “Why did you kill him?”

  “Because he dared attack you.”

  “Get over here. Release your spear.”

  “Understood,” Stevin said, walking to beside Dawn.

  “Now, what did you want to do?” Dawn asked the leader.

  “We- We-” Dawn blocked the spear thrust from Stevin, standing between him and the leader.

  “Did Stevin ask you to do this?”

  “Ye- yes,” the leader stumbled out.

  Stevin responded by a furious bunch of thrusts towards Dawn. Dawn in turn chucked her halberd at Stevin, rushing him, and tackling him to the ground. She manifested a short blade beside her hand and cut both of Stevins arms off.

  As Dawn was about to ask again what they had rebelled for, she noticed a crowd in the distance, rapidly approaching.

  So Plerith is attacking now. Everyone’s weakened from the fighting. No choice then.

  “Everyone! Run for your lives!” Dawn yelled. The town began to flee, hurrying directly away from the cannibals.

  Dawn, however, stood firm. She would hold them back, even if it killed her.