Watching Tiffany’s silence, Elinor’s mind drifted back to her time with Ke’Thra’Ma as she tried to reconcile her previous life with her new one, privately reflecting on her conversation with the Warlord while slowly feeding off the Living Fruit.

Hmm, the Ke’s methods were brutal, yet hierarchy is important, especially for summoners like me. People on Earth may argue about his philosophies, yet for him, might ruled all, why was I told this was terrible, then? It’s just a factor of existence.

Tiffany?

The Witch turned, features brightening. “Yes?”

I was taught in school that hierarchies are fundamentally bad … yet, after some thought, I can’t think of anything that doesn’t have an arrangement or classification according to importance. Isn’t it a fact of existence? Things are either lower or higher… it’s universal.

Her Royal Ritualist puffed her cheek to the side as she considered her words.

“It’s true that everyone has likes and dislikes, and those constitute a hierarchy; it is how we all govern our lives. We structure our lives based on levels of thought, organizing ourselves based on a scale. What you’re thinking about is Social Hierarchy, which is a rather complicated matter. In some aspects, we all make certain actions over others, and like Newton’s Third Law of Motion, there is always a reaction to what we do.”

Elinor looked up at the golden Triforce above them, holding her hands behind her back as she continued to use Life Tap. After a moment, she continued.

I’ve ordered myself in a manner to take an action over another … I think I’m wondering just how much control I have. I’m filled with rage, and I don’t want to be ruled by it. Yet is it a vain pursuit?

It seems like we’re all slaves to something … food, water, shelter, belief … Death Energy for me. I have to look for it if I want to continue to function … so, I’ve put survival over the lives of other creatures, and conversely, if I didn’t, I’d put their lives above mine.

Maybe I’m thinking about this because I’ve recently discovered that compassion is a hierarchy in itself that puts some things above others. It could also be Ke’s reactions and how he refused to follow me or any number of other things. It all comes into circle. Why is it bad?

“Oh? Getting into philosophy?” Tiffany asked with a soft chuckle.

Feasible… I’m just trying to understand how to move forward … which means I’m prioritizing that knowledge over other things. It’s not something I have had to consider before life turned upside down like this.

“It can become quite the rabbit hole! Your mother and father had quite a lot of disagreements about ethics; they were far more united on their beliefs than conflicting, but those points of difference are sharp and can irritate at times. You could say it’s why there will always be conflict; it’s a universe of violence.

“Some people look at nature as peaceful, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, there’s nothing more violent. Everything is in conflict. Humans put their own priority lists on things just as much as any other creature, and some humans put nature higher than the lives of humans.

“You’re not wrong; it’s distasteful to think about, which I suppose is why people delude themselves into thinking otherwise. We’re all slaves… I hate to consider you being a slave.” She whispered. “However, I also can’t protect you if I beguile myself.”

Tiffany sucked on her lower lip for a moment. “My, what an interesting conversation. It’s like we’re talking during mealtime!” She giggled.

A light smile moved Elinor’s lips. It kind of is, but I wouldn’t be the least bit interested in this if I hadn't changed, and my life fell apart. It makes me wonder if there is a god out there, and if even gods are bound in the same hierarchical reality trap we’re in? I know Demon is god-like, and even he’s trapped … I suppose we must choose our masters. What am I not willing to give … sacrifice?

She shook her head with a humorless chuckle, eyes narrowing as they traced the triangle shapes above. The kind of thoughts that are running through my mind. Is there such a thing as evil? In an emotional or causality effect, perhaps. I now have the ability to commit great evils in the minds of others, just like Ke’Thra’Ma; everything the Toads took from me … it makes me feel like there’s such a thing as evil.

Elinor’s neutral green irises dropped to study Tiffany’s concerned frown, framed by the emerald threads of corrupted Life Energy being extracted from the fruit.

My parents kept trying to show me all the horrors in the world, but I lived such a privileged life that I didn’t even think about someone else. The work my parents put in to give me a good life … I was ungrateful … weak.

I listened to music or tuned them out to think about the next series binge I was looking forward to… the next time I’d see Tanner, while people on Earth were being put through heinous situations by other human beings. At the same time, I couldn’t function in society if those thoughts were always going through my head. Suffering, pain, conflict … it doesn’t really stop.

“It never will, but you were a teenager living in a safe country; even if a nation ultimately got rid of the socioeconomic divide—if that were even possible—people still wouldn’t have equal outcomes. There’s a hierarchy in intelligence, physical ability, everything, and that will cause even more significant issues, and the system will collapse … time moves on.

“It interested your mother but didn’t really bother her. Your mother wasn’t worried in the least about going out jogging in the forest or going down to the bank; she felt safe where you lived, but she was concerned with giving you a bright future, though, and worked hard for that.”

Elinor licked her green-tinted black lips, glancing over at the gemstone murals of the serene landscapes. What was it that dad said to me yesterday? It was something to do with weak people.

Tiffany’s frown turned into a small smile as she looked down at the icy floor they stood on, toes pawing the cold surface. “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times. Although, it’s a bit oversimplified, and depends on what you define as weak vs. strong men and good vs. hard times. History is, if nothing else, a cycle of inevitable tragedy.”

Oh? My mom didn’t explain that to me when he said it.

“She was busy reading,” Tiffany said with a giggle.

Regardless of that, first we need to survive … and I need to understand myself. Elinor whispered. Anyways, I want to have a strong Empire. Tell me more about this quote.

“Well … there are many schools of thought that your mother studied and considered. Your father was a bit less studious because of his time constraints with focusing on work,” Tiffany said, features brightening since Elinor had moved away from criticizing herself.

There are two types of hierarchies; you have the sociable-type where advancement is built upon competence. This is demonstrated throughout tribes and many historical nations, people need to take charge to actually get something done; those that are the best leaders tend to be selected to direct the affairs of a group of organized people. Everyone is working toward a common goal. However, this can be dangerous, because it puts the leader in jeopardy of being voted out!”

Elinor laughed. You’re saying that because I’m the second type of hierarchy, aren’t I … a dictator.

“Well, dictators—tyrants especially—do have a bad reputation, but it really depends on how you see the world or place your values.”

Looking over at the doors, Elinor hummed thoughtfully before ordering her two minions to join them. Before we continue, why don’t we get a higher view? I’d like to see how the room looks from a vantage point.

“Oh! I like that.”

Both Quen’Talrat lowered their arms, Elinor took the closest one to her left, sitting down on the bony fingers.

They were now about seven meters in the air, staring down at the greenery. Tiffany’s feet swung back and forth, leaning back against the creature’s fingers to study the higher sections of the murals.

“This certainly is a magical room … I can’t wait to start researching those glowing gems. If they have Life Stones, then what other delicious things might there be in this world?”

She gave a slight start, turning to look over at her master. “Right! I get a little too distracted, don’t I?” She said with a forced laugh, quickly smoothing back her black hair.

It was at this point that Elinor realized all the mud and dirt on Tiffany’s body was gone, and her hair was immaculate; it looked like she’d taken a shower. It only took a moment for her to come up with a solution; she’d used her Witch’s Fire to pull everything foreign off, just like she’d done with Elinor’s own clothes.

Tiffany cleared her throat before licking her soft lips, features glowing. “So, yes, you rule by power, the second type of social hierarchy. One is given power by merit while the other has absolute power by their strong hand.”

“As a Lich Empress, your biggest obstacle isn’t your people; the Undead are utterly loyal to you, and one of those conditions of being a Royal Court member is being totally ardent. However, the higher Grade a minion is, the more they can differ from your point of view, but they will always follow your orders. Even if they don’t like it.”

Like Edmon—when I told him not to die.

“Yes, just like that. However, I must warn you that even your orders can be superseded by our nature to protect you from danger. We each have our own definition of what that is, but the horror of the loss of the Empress is the core value; to us, the Empress is the Empire; you are reality itself.”

“Unlike machines, we have our own ability to determine a situation and adapt, which reminds me of Asimov’s laws,” she mused. “Oh, getting a bit off-topic again!”

Clearing her throat, Tiffany moved back to the topic. “The one clear indicator is that we all follow you, and will do everything in our power to help you reach your goals! We will never betray you … willingly. I mean, there’s always loopholes and ways for other people to potentially trick an intelligent Undead into doing something harmful to the Empire, but never willingly!”

Elinor thought back on her former mother’s actions over the past few hours and what she was learning about her followers. Tiffany … what are your thoughts on the living? Is it like most Undead films … Do you hate them?

Tiffany burst out laughing; Elinor frowned as she watched orange liquid start falling out of her eyes before turning to vapor.

Your eyes! What’s happening?

“I’m just laughing so hard that I’m crying!” Tiffany stated, mirth dying down. “It is fascinating that Flesh Types can cry … it takes energy, though. How interesting. Physical pain can’t make us cry, but laughter can … perhaps mental pain would be effective against us.”

Tiffany?

“Right, right … just considering different possibilities. Hmm … do I hate the living? No, absolutely not. Let’s see—how would I describe how I feel about them? Oh, I know!

“When you’re walking around, minding your own business, then do you pay any attention to the insects on the ground?”

No, I usually have other things on my mind.

“Mhm! I don’t hate the living, just as humans don’t hate ants or bees. I wouldn’t go out of my way to kill the living, just as humans rarely go out of their way to give their limited time or focus to ants; it’s no different than any other hierarchy in life.

“Now, can the living be useful? Of course! I mean, just as a Vampire might think humans are useful,” she paused, lower lip tucking under as her head tilted to the side, “no, probably less than that. Maybe like humans think insects are useful, I suppose?” she said conversationally, smiling over at her without hesitation.

“The living provide you with energy as bees provide humans honey, entertainment, even, but if a bee were to sting most humans, then they’d brush it off, and move on with their life, forgetting its existence entirely. She stated with a bright smile.

Elinor’s fingers caressed the smooth bones of the hand she sat on; the flames flicked down their length, flaring with her touch, and a sad smile touched her lips.

I see. We’re that different now … I do find myself leaning that way, but not quite over that cliff. There’s concern itching at the back of my mind, but it’s hard to fight how you feel. It’s like telling yourself you’re not attracted to some boy you like.

“Tanner? Do you still have feelings for him?” Tiffany asked with an unassuming expression.

After a moment, Elinor’s fingers lifted to graze her left studded earring before returning to her lap. Feelings … a little, but not like they were. I am grateful to him for giving me these earrings, but there’s something else, too, she whispered, pressing the back of her knuckles against her raven feather tattoo. I can’t really put my finger on it; it’s something different … like a fading light.

Tiffany’s tone softened. “How poetic.”

Elinor’s eyes moved back to the Living Fruit; dense green lines still seeped out of the object. I do act as if I have a choice with this hatred inside me. Who…”

Her thoughts faded while looking down to her right, focusing on green flames rising off her minion’s hand; the fire was bowed as if being pushed back by an invisible force. Her irises lifted to the Living Fruit, hovering in the orange energy above it.

Tiffany…

The Witch smiled sheepishly. “Too much talking? I know I can get carried … oh … hmm … interesting,” she mumbled, shifting a little to study the impression. “I haven’t sensed an increase in the pulse of energy?”

She ignited another orange ball of flames, lowering it to the skeletal ape’s hand. “Well … that’s not good.”

Elinor’s lips pursed, waiting for Tiffany to explain.

She folded her arms underneath her chest again, puffing out a long breath. “I knew that it was acting like electromagnetic radiation, but I didn’t expect it to continue like this. Since I cut it off the branch, its pulsing waves haven’t increased in strength, but its range is slowly increasing. That’s so fascinating … dangerous if it continues, but interesting, nonetheless.”

Could it be caused by Life Tap?

“It is possible. Corrupting and drawing out the energy could have caused a shift inside, somehow. If it was cycling or in motion, the shift in speed or direction could be causing changes internally, but to stay at a constant release rate is just odd. Perhaps … it might be best to stop Life Tap and see if it continues to expand.”

She complied, causing the lines of green energy to slowly fade as they were absorbed into her earrings. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Tiffany stared at the Witch’s Fire, engulfing her minion’s green flames; there were no apparent changes.

Elinor’s irises shot up to Tiffany’s face as she unfolded her arms, pressing a hand against her chest as she released a relieved sigh.

“It’s retracting … although, it’s extremely slow. At this rate, it will possibly return to its normal release radius within twelve hours. We talked for roughly thirty minutes, and it expanded … nearly two feet in that time.”

It was a direct response to Life Tap, then? Elinor asked with a frown.

“It appears that way, but I’d still call it inconclusive. We’ll have to test it out again later, once it retracts. Until that point, we’ll have to hope nothing happens. I suggest we leave one of your minions in the hallway to make sure nothing … unexpected occurs. If it starts expanding again, then we’ll need to know as soon as possible.

“The energy it releases would disrupt your body, and it would destroy any of your minions that aren’t protected; in fact, I believe it’s that aura that might be disrupting Life Tap itself, causing you to gain only a fraction of what you might gain. Given enough time in its vicinity, then I suspect it would even start harming me.” Tiffany said with a slight shiver while studying the glowing white fruit.

Elinor directed her minions to lower them back to the floor. What are you going to do with it?

“Probably leave it beside the pillar. We don’t know what will happen to it in the long term, but the pillar appears to have some kind of connection to it, and we’ll want to be cautious, so returning it to its previous habitat seems appropriate, even if it’s been separated from the main body of the tree. This is unknown territory for us. How much energy do you have?”

She asked the question as her feet touched the green grass; her eyes widened as she received an answer. I… She trailed off for a moment, looking down at the radiant object before swallowing.

Tiffany hopped off, body tense with anticipation as she waited. “Oh? Is it a lot?”

Eight thousand, two hundred, and seventeen percent … How does that make sense?

Tiffany pumped her arm. “Yes! Oh, it has to do with your level, D … umm, let’s see…”

Elinor hummed thoughtfully, smiling at Tiffany’s catch. It’s okay, Tiffany, I don’t mind if you use dear or honey. I know it’s a part of your personality. As long as it’s in private, then just act like you want.

“You spoil me too much!” Tiffany cried, running her hands across her scalp, flaring out her raven black hair. “Thank you, Dear,” she said with a dazzling smile.

“Let’s say you had two hundred points of energy; then you’d multiply that by the exceeding percent, which would be … sixteen-thousand, four-hundred, and thirty-four. You might not have that large of an energy pool, but it’s not like your diamonds will crack.”

Shouldn’t I cap out at a hundred percent; how can I hold that much … I can’t…

“Right! You can’t retain all of that energy. The fact that it’s such a high percentage proves just how condensed and powerful the energy in this fruit is,” she said, twirling the fruit around inside her fire as she circled it.

Her orange irises moved to her ears. “You’re leaking energy; even if you can’t see it—I mean, you don’t really understand where your normal cap is, which means everything is relative. However, if you could see yourself, your earrings are releasing wisps of Death Energy. You could see it as wasted, but this is simply wonderful!”

Why?

“Oh, honey, normally, you couldn’t raise a Transcendent unit with how low your level is; you just don’t have the strength. However, you dismantled the energy of an Achievement Skill; I suspect you were able to accomplish that since your change is still in flux. Ordinarily, Achievements are hard to come by, but since you became a world traveler, determined to stay here in this world, you gained an Achievement.

“I don’t know which skill that was, but the energy to create Edmon and I came from using the energy found inside that skill. I assume the breakdown of that skill and our creation caused a ripple effect that drew Demon’s attention—since he pounced the moment we came into existence.”

The Witch’s lips fell as she moved the suspended fruit further away from Elinor. “However, I suggest we move out of this room and its potential danger before continuing, though…” Her orange irises popped. “Oh, my … am I becoming as paranoid as Edmon?”

Elinor chuckled, nodding as she turned to look up at the Tree of Life. It’s really common-sense at this point. No doubt, Edmon would have been shaking with worry after all the risks we’ve been taking.

Tiffany jogged across the bridge to place the fruit at the foot of the tree, quickly retreating as her Witch’s Fire vanished with a snap of her finger.

“He totally would be! Although … even I feel a noose slowly closing around my neck with how dangerous this thing is. We need to hurry down to raise the Thélméthra; I expected we’d need to gather hundreds of animals to get enough energy for you to raise Ke’Thra’Ma, but with this much energy, we might be able to do everything in one fell swoop!”

Contacting Edmon, Elinor asked, Does the Elder with you have any ideas where Te’la went to communicate with the Hidden Ones?

“Empress? Give me a moment … They've always suspected that the Hidden Ones were in the southern tunnels, past the breaches. Apparently, during the war, the Thélméthra broke through the base level of the fortress, using the massive maze of caves below us. The rest of the Yaltha’ma have always been frightened of the undermine, causing them to avoid the area.

“They usually have lookouts that keep tabs on all the holes leading into the tunnels. Hold on … El’Ra’Ca is sending one of his messengers to spread the word. If you start making your way to the entrance, then he’ll send a runner to guide you down the path she took.

“Now, are you safe? Nothing dangerous has happened, right?” His voice was laced with concern.

Elinor glanced over at Tiffany with a look as they exited the hallway. “I suppose I should tell him.”

Tiffany plucked at the edges of her shirt, covering up a bit of the underside of her bra that had been showing. “I suppose … he’s going to want to destroy the place, though … probably.”

Thank you, Edmon. Yes, Tiffany and I are safe. We discovered a tree that produces Living Fruit, which has given me all the energy I currently need.

“Living Fruit?” he muttered. “If it can be corrupted into a usable form, then it can also be used as a weapon against you. I suspect it’s the room behind the thrones; I saw a very rough plan for the base of its construction.”

“Yes,” Tiffany butted in, climbing on one of her minion’s outstretched hands after it had shut the door. “It can be used as a weapon, which is why we’re sealing it off from all entrances. If you’ve seen the plans, then you know that it’s fairly isolated. There are some concerns that I can warn you about once we get time to meet.”

Edmon hummed darkly for a moment. “Actually, this could work out in our favor. If you have gained a lot of energy, then we can raise your levels, proficiencies, and army quickly. You share a portion of the experience from the increases of your army, which is how you advance. This could give us the edge we need; having an advanced unit that can spy and sabotage the enemy while we prepare would be ideal.”

Atop her remaining skeletal guard, Elinor’s green irises fell on Dalria’s sleeping form before they descended the left staircase to ground level.

They exited the palace through the front entrance, passing through the extravagant main ballroom. Elinor’s eyes shot toward the heavens as a bolt of blue-white lightning split the sky, followed shortly after by the rolling sound that sent shivers down her spine; there was already the sparse signs of rainfall as the storm picked up ferocity.

Tiffany created two globes of Witch’s Fire to act as their umbrellas, hovering above their heads to catch and release water around them. “I always loved storms,” she commented, smiling peacefully at the wall of incoming rain as it moved across the valley.

They made it halfway down the street before Yaltha’ma began joining her, giving reports on Te’la’s movements; the creatures grew damper as the pelting rain intensified. She listened to them before sending all but one back to the duties they’d been assigned by Gwen or the Elders, using their information to follow the creature’s trail.