Lebe’s God-Touched are among some of the rarest Chosen by the Gods, with Tray’s Chosen. Very few things are known about the miracles of Lebe’s Chosen. Even in the most documented event on that subject, ‘The repopulation of Jourdin’, the miracles used by Lebe’s God-Touched are barely spoken of. The text does not speak of the miracle’s results in detail and does not describe the anonymous God-Touched miracle. We only know that the city of Jourdin was cruelly lacking in men after the War, but still managed to increase its population count five-fold in five years. The largest temple of Lebe has been constructed there afterwards, but before concluding anything about this location, many more visits will be needed.

Imperial Domestic Policies, Annex: Sage-Brother Yirric’s notes.

In a few months, half of those that had passed the Selection had left the Academy.

Some were not able to handle the trainings, body or mind broken. Amongst those who were still there, Nay was not surprised of Massimo’s popularity, one of the Academy’s best. He had gotten a new rival in the person of Mör, the fisherman’s son with the gigantic physique, chosen just like her. But even if the two men were the favourites of their year, they still lost regularly against Trinne. This was all a welcome, albeit little, relief for Nay, because at least Massimo was not really caring about her anymore and was letting her alone. She was not participating to the sword training and duels with the other first years, so to fight with her he would have had to challenge her and according to her engagement with Redrick, she would have had to accept the duel. But he had not done that, and so she was free of at least that.

The two other special entries to the Academy had been expelled already. They had gotten in through their connections and their powerful families but had no where near enough resilience to handle the Academy’s crazy rhythm.

The idea of just giving up had crossed Nay’s mind more than once. After her growth spur, her old demons were back to haunt her. She felt even less adequate than before, her solitude getting to her.

She dreamt of an ocean blue with no bottom.

She had no choice though. Unlike the others, she was not allowed to give up.

Her little sister and her father helped her not to sink.

After nine months she was finally getting used to the life at the Academy.

In part because she had gotten used to the stares of the other apprentices, this mixture of different degrees of jealousy and fear. In part also because she had understood that whatever the outcome of her matches against Virnyl guards were, it would always result in disproportionate rumours.

But what helped her the most was the Commandare’s absence. He had left the city. She had managed to gather some information about his departure through duelling some high ranked Virnyl guards. He had apparently been summoned by the Imperatrix, and had to leave for Leïn, the capital city of the Empire. Why he had been called was unknown, or the guards would not tell, but his absence would last for at least three months.

Which meant that Nay was free until the beginning of her second year.

That news almost made her happy, if not for her continuing nightmares haunting her.

They had become bearable, now that she was getting used to her own body again, but they seemingly managed to suck out all the colours of the world, and feed on happiness itself. And in this gloomy place, there was not much to begin with.

Her room was the only not creepy place in the Academy to her knowledge.

It was thanks to Veridienne’s help, who, during a visit, had helped redecorate.

Now, amongst other things, Nay was sleeping in pink sheets.

The ninth month was different from the others through a series of unusual events.

Someone attempted to assassinate her.

Three times.

The first time, the Virnyl guards only assumed it was one of the many attacks against their ranks: The Assini regularly tried to diminish the force of Gite’s guards.

It had happened during a normal training in the woods of the Plateau. The exercise was simple: Two teams facing each other, trying to protect valuable information to help the victory of a fictitious army. The goal was to steal the information out of the enemy team. An interesting aspect of this exercise was that fighting was prohibited, as being spotted by an enemy forced you to go back to your base. Also, the whole forest was booby-trapped. Usually non-lethal traps, that day, some had been replaced with very lethal ones.

Nay, who could not use her sensitivity to the Rreico against inanimate objects, and could not dominate with her fighting prowess, liked this exercise and its difficulty.

Watch your surroundings, check every step, be on the lookout for a voice, an enemy, trying to play with the shadows to hide in plain sight…

Her favourite thing was to use a trap against the enemy team. She always found the perfect spot to reposition them.

She was good, maybe even talented in that exercise, but she knew perfectly well how outclassed she was by Trinne.

It was because of the Duke’s daughter wits that no one died that day.

Unlike Nay, the red head immediately understood how dangerous some of the traps had become, and weren’t the usual ones, and she had warned a superior officer.

The situation was promptly resolved, the training cancelled, and an investigation was started by the school’s administration. According to them, it was an Assini attack against their younger ranks. It was hard to establish why such an attack had occurred. The Assini were a group of professional assassins, and not a cohesive group. They sold their services to the biggest pouch of gold. A vengeful noble, the leader of a rival city, or a group of Assini not liking the Virnyl guards for meddling in their business, possibilities were numerous.

None were correct.

The next day, for the first time in month, it was not a Virnyl guard who knocked on Nay’s door.

Much before dawn, Nay was already imagining the Commandare at her doorstep, even if he was not supposed to be there. She was too tired to concentrate on the well-known Rreico of her nightly visitor.

She opened the door after putting something on and gazed upon her.

“Trinne?” She said, more than surprised.

“Shh. Nay, can you let me in?” The red-haired teenager was as beautiful as always. Nay preferred not to think at the amount of time needed to maintain such an appearance, Trinne had to have woken up at least one hour earlier.

Nay’s visitor entered, almost shoving Nay out of her path, before laying on Nay’s bed.

“Burn a candle, I can’t see a thing.” She demanded.

Nay did as asked, not quite bothered anymore by the barely hidden orders of her comrade, and went to sit on her only chair.

“I did not imagine you in such a…feminine room.” Said the Duke’s daughter, questions in her eyes.

“You would be right then. Veri brought it all.”

Trinne seemed relaxed, and was taking a comfortable position on the bed, not really caring about the decorum associated with her rank.

“Veridienne has good taste. You do not. It was a good idea to let her do as she pleased.”

“Thanks.” The young Legio answered.

Trinne arched an eyebrow. “I just insulted you and you’re thanking me?”

“You were not insulting me. You were sincere. And you are right, Veri’s tastes are much better than mine, you are praising my friend, so I thank you.”

Trinne had her usual arrogant look, but lying on the teenager’s bed like that, Nay felt queasy.

“My father wants you dead.” Announced the Duke’s daughter with no warnings.

Nay was not prepared for it, but still stayed calm. Soi’s courtesans were trying to kill her every time she went there to train, which was monthly now. Nay remembered all their names, because apparently, someone trying to kill you was an uncommon but effective way to learn about each other.

“I see…do you know why?” She finally asked.

Trinne nodded slowly.

“Obviously. He does not want women where they do not belong. For me and Joanna, he’ll wait for the second year to try and assassinate us, probably during the Mission…do you have something to drink?”

Nay brought her a glass of water. Trinne took it without a thank you.

Nothing about this whole situation bothered the young Legio, with one exception.

“He would kill you? His own daughter.”

Trinne grimaced. Nay felt rage, hatred into her Rreico.

“I am his egg-layer, his bait for big game, his trophy. In no way am I his daughter. Since I enrolled in the Legio’s school I am trying to get out of his grip. Now, I am a nuisance that needs to be put down.”

Nay gulped.

“You though, you are unattainable. Well, as long as Darkstar is here.”

Nay nodded, thinking for a minute.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“He tried to use me yesterday with the traps to kill you.”

For the first time in this conversation, Nay was baffled.

“What?”

“ ’She’s a monster, your rival, without her your chances of success would be higher, moreover, I’ll help you.’ Roughly what he said. I faked acceptance and now here I am, revealing Jormun’s truth to you.”

Nay nodded again, satisfied by the teenager’s response. She could imagine cogs in Trinne’s eyes, way too many for the young Legio to understand what kind of plan they were churning up.

Even though they had always been enemies, Nay could not help but trust her.

“During the second year, you’ll help me get out of his grasp. You’ll protect me. Quite a good deal after what I just told you, don’t you think?”

Nay had a sad smile. This was what the Duke’s daughter was after.

“I should help you because you did not assassinate me?”

Trinne had more cards in hand, and Nay would need to haggle to get them. Fortunately, Ra’fa had taught her well.

The Duke’s daughter pouted.

“Yes, and the fact that I warned the guards about the deadly traps.”

Nay tried to copy Trinne’s arrogant expression.

“So? You may have saved some of our comrades, but do you sincerely think that I would have fallen for one?”

Trinne changed her stance: “I could just say yes to my father’s next proposal, you know?” She threatened.

Nay giggled.

“You ruined his plans; I do believe he won’t ask you again.”

Trinne gritted her teeth. “You would be ready to take that risk…just to avoid helping me?”

Nay raised her shoulders, seemingly unconcerned.

She was bluffing, she wanted to help her comrade, but she wanted more before accepting.

“I could warn you of other attempts, I have contacts.”

Nay did not let that push her.

“If you want me to be there to protect you next year, you’d have to tell me anyway.”

Trinne got up, now angry.

“I’m starting to think I should have just listened to my father yesterday…I thought I knew you, but you’ve clearly been influenced by Darkstar, I shall…”

Nay raised her hand.

“What?” Trinne said aggressively.

“You let me be with you and Joanna during trainings.”

“Excuse me?” This time, the red head was the one taken aback.

“I am…lonely…and with this…” Nay pointed at her own body. “I need help. Karmena gives me advice sometimes but she is…invasive.”

Trinne sat back down.

“Karmena…that name rings a bell.”

“You don’t know her.” Nay quickly added. “Do we have a deal?”

She held out her hand.

Trinne started laughing. To Nay’s memory, it was the first time she had seen it.

She felt her heart miss a beat.

“Deal. You are hard in business, Yaeda-milk.”

“Hey!” Nay protested at the nickname.

“First helpful tip then.” Trinne had a weird smile on her lips. “Your body is different now, and everything taught here is for men. You must adjust it to you. I will tell Joanna that you will be joining us, she wanted to give you some advice all along, but you scare her.”

Then Trinne kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear: “In one week, two Assini will come visit you. One will try to kill you when you go out at night to do I don’t know what, and if this fails, the other will come for a nocturnal visit when you sleep. You’ll need to send a message to my father Nay. As you said, after this, someone will understand that I gave away their plans, and my father will not reveal anything worthwhile to me anymore.”

“Your father told you his plans? Why?”

“Because he believes I hate you.”

Nay looked away, not able to handle the young woman’s bewitching gaze. She was too close, Nay could feel her breath on her cheek.

“So? Isn’t it true?”

“It was true. I changed my mind. I would not have asked if I hated you.”

Nay looked back up. Trinne gave her a wink and left the room.

As Trinne had warned, two other attempts to Nay’s life happened the next week.

When coming back from the Soi, at a time where most nobles and bourgeois at the Plateau slept, Nay heard the distinct sound of an arrow howling through the air.

Watchful, she had felt the assassin’s Rreico way before he shot.

She deflected the black-covered with paint arrow with the flick of her dagger, then looked towards the roof from where the archer had attacked her.

Trinne had said to send a message, and this was exactly what she was going to do.

“Is that all? No more arrows? I’m standing still, you know!”

She did not have to ask twice, he started shooting her again, but every shot he took was dodged or deflected by the teenager. It may have been dark; the arrows may have been camouflaged: the man had no chance of ever hitting her. She knew, could feel, exactly where he aimed, and his own precision was turned against himself.

After thirty seconds of firing, the arrows stopped coming.

“Out of arrows? Is it my turn now?” She had talked like the Commandare sometimes did.

The Rreico vanished. The Assini had fled.

There were no other incidents on her way back.

Three days later, another professional killer came to meet her. He entered her bedroom at night and was clearly on a whole other level than the previous Assini. He had made no noise, and even though only feet away from her, was so perfectly hidden in the shadows of the night that she could barely see him. She could feel his Rreico with ease though; it was tranquil, withdrawn.

He was no Legio. He was not even aware of this Rreico and had no way of hiding it.

To Nay’s senses, he was currently shouting all of his murderous intent at her.

She was implacable. Under his restrained movements and emotions, the assassin smelled of death, and she had never felt Rreico so violent and wrathful. He was dangerous, it made no doubt, but the moment he had been spotted he had lost the fight.

He knew it as well, and when he saw two little grey clouds looking at him through the penumbra, he did not hesitate. He fled.

The blade entering the flesh and tendons of his right leg prevented that.

He begged for his life.

Nay found the demand ridiculous. She had not thought about killing him even once.

The expression on the assassin’s face reminded her of her own nightmares.

She could distinguish her own sombre silhouette in her bedroom’s mirror.

“Nay?” Asked professor Borric, the one in charge of the first years that had let his hair grow in a ridiculous attempt to resemble the Commandare.

“Mhh?”

“Could you stop twisting your dagger in his hand please? It is your room you are currently dirtying; may I remind you.”

It took a few moments for her to realise what she was currently doing to the killer, and she got up too fast, stumbling a bit, a flash of horror appearing on her face to be then quickly contained. She had entered this trance she and Marke were so desperately trying to control and comprehend.

“Sorry.” Nay said.

“Oh, no, I am happy to have found you safe and sound…” Contrary to what he said, the teacher had seemed quite undoubtful about her perfect health. In truth, right now he was looking at the assassin with anger, but mostly pity.

“Dumb fuck. She was chosen by the Commandare, do you have any idea what that means?” He whispered, not saying it to anyone specific, as the man on the ground was currently unable to listen.