It had been surprisingly simple to break into the vault. Brand hadn't even needed to kill anyone. The guards unconscious on the floor would be fine and might not even report the robbery. If they did, so be it. Brand would be far north by the time anyone came looking.

“I've never seen this many beast cores,” Thora said.

It was the same for Brand. His own minuscule hord and those he’d seen during his striker training paled in comparison to the kingdom’s collection.

The vault held several shelves like a library, each filled with cores, thousands of them. It was more than enough to create maybe two apex magi or power the defenses of the city. Still, there was enough for Brand's needs without compromising Tanya.

Brand stepped over the guards and into the vault. He walked past the rows of cores to the front of the chamber stopping towards the back where only a few glowed dimly.

He opened his bag and grasped one of the 20 or so S-ranked beast cores, taking a moment to appreciate its splendor.

The text on the shelf said the core came from a basilisk, a nasty creature indeed, one Brand wouldn't stand a chance against. They were in a way landed dragons who's gaze turned men to stone and filled the air with poison as they did so.

Men had surely died for this core but Brand had more need of it than Vellian. The thought brought on a tendril of pain as the oath crept in close, but Brand was versed in keeping it at bay. If he kept Thora close by, the cores wouldn't go to waste, not in the long run.

“Is that all you're taking?” Thora asked as Brand made for the exit.

“Yep.”

“But there’s more cores, more wealth here than I’ve ever seen.”

“Don’t need wealth. If I need something, I’ll just take it, wealth too if I ever do need it.”

“But with all this, you could finish your cultivation. The chance at becoming an apex mage is right here.”

Brand didn't answer as he walked by a pair of guards, changing his face once again as to not be remembered. His own cultivation was of no concern, not when doing so would leave Tanya or whoever was in charge weakened for no reason other than his own gain. The oath would find him, punishing with agony or rending his mind before he could even act on the fool plan.

No, Brand just needed one core and now he had it. The only thing left to do was wait.

****

“Are you really a virgin? Half of Vara’s cult are virgins. It’s a requirement I guess.”

Sibley didn't answer, just continued picking at her food. She’d been asked that same question maybe a hundred times now. This time it was a fellow Bryer, an uncle or cousin maybe, she didn't know, she didn't care, but she wouldn't send him away or cause too much offence.

As much of a nuisance the nobles had been, Vara’s cult had been worse. They fell to their knees and chanted as if Sibley was a goddess herself. They prayed for her, to her, and venerated her like she was a divine weapon and not a fool girl who understood nothing of a god's wrath.

“Will you summon Vara for the war with the north?”

Sibley’s grip tightened on her knife. She wanted to plunge it into her cousin’s or uncle’s eye.

Summon Vara? Why the fuck would she ever do that again if she had a choice? Doing so had been the worst mistake of her life. If she’d known so many would die, that the city would burn, Sibley would have been happy to let the Advisory take her life. Instead, she summoned her goddess and protector who turned out to be just as murderous or worse than the other Aesir.

“I don't think I’ll join the war,” Sibley said.

A parade of disappointment followed throughout the nobles crowding her table. It was like none of them knew of the thousands of dead and even more left without homes. Or maybe it didn't matter because those affected were beast kin.

Sibley sighed, fighting the urge to sleep. It had been days since she rested all in order to keep Teddy summoned. The pink furred bear healed in waves where Vara’s cult didn't bother leaving the castle. It was all she could do.

"Sibley, don't you want to see your goddess in battle? I summoned Modi a few years ago and saw him cut a dragon in half with a single swing of his sword, and from half a liege away!"

Sibley scoffed. "She’d just lose again."

That brought a frown to the Bryer’s face and most of the others gathered, but the Advisory couldn't be ignored or the backlash from a summoned god being killed.

A hand shot to the side of the man across from Sibley pushing him and three others aside like weightless children.

“What the hells!” the offended noble shouted while another took his seat.

“The name’s Grimmir,” the man said.

By Grimmir robes, he was a Stormr. Tall and broad shouldered, he was an imposing figure that moved like a man knowing how dangerous he was. It was the exact kind of man Sibley hated, one asking after her virginity or the war or just offering false platitudes as she was now important enough for such things.

"Are you just going to ignore me!" The Bryer said with mana pooling above his head as if to summon a creature.

Grimmir turned to him, speaking the most well-mannered threat Sibley ever heard. “I could stop ignoring you.”

That sent a shudder through the Bryer. Whether to take insult or not warred on his face but Grimmir turned away as almost daring an attack.

He looked back to Sibley smiling. "I should thank you."

"For what?" Sibley said wishing she could just leave bet she had the feeling Grimmir would follow her.

"For healing me at the Yule festival!" Grimmir said beaming. "I was bleeding out but that bear of yours kept me alive."

"I healed you?"

"You healed lots of people. More than I could by far," Grimmir said, sounding excited like a man talking about his favorite weapon.

By the man's size, Sibley didn't think Grimmir would be any kind of healer, but it could all be an act to get close to her.

"I'm more of a precision healer," he continued. "Not enough mana to do more."

"I just try to keep people alive," Sibley said.

"So, the cure wounds spell but on a large scale." Grimmir said, tracing his finger along the table leaving a set of faintly glowing runes in a circle. To Sibley’s surprise, it was eerily close to the spell she’d woven into Teddy’s creation.

“You're an actual healer.”

“You didn't believe me?” Grimmir said, while Sibley suddenly found her face heating with embarrassment.

“Well, you just-”

“I don’t much look like a healer.”

Sibley smiled at that, and by the gods, it felt like the first one she’d had in weeks.

Hours later, Grimmir still hadn't left, and Sibley found herself not wanting him to and maybe being a bit too honest now that they were alone.

Grimmir chuckled. “I don’t really see the problem. If you don’t want to summon Vara, then don’t.”

Sibley took another sip of ale, glad Grimmir wasn't looking at her like she was mad. “It's not that simple.”

“Oh, It's simple, you just don't want to get on that crazy bitch’s bad side.”

“Grimmir!” Sibley exclaimed slurring her reproach. She’d had too much to drink but a few more couldn't hurt.

“What?” Grimmir said, his words just as colored by drink as Sibley’s. “I was there, Sibley. Vara blasted a hole through the city while the Advisory just stood there. You shouldn't summon her, ever. Leave warring to us mortals.”

“Could you say no to your god?”

Grimmir shrugged. “I don’t have one.”

“Well, I can’t,” Sibley complained. “Vara summoned herself through me days after the battle.”

“Then why just you?”

“I’m a virgin,” she said before she could catch herself. “Wait! what? Why did I say that?”

Grimmir laughed as he took hold of Sibley’s ale. “Maybe you've had enough.”

She covered her face with her hands, mortified by her own words, but she still saw Grimmir’s smile through her fingers.

“If that’s all making you her summoner, just take a man to bed,” he said like it was simply.

“I have to marry the man I, um, take to bed.” By the gods, now she was squeaking every word and could hardly look the man in the eyes.

“Says who?”

“Says Vara’s teachings.”

Grimmir signed. “That’s too bad.”

Sibley’s face grew warmer like it was aflame. Did he want her? The man was certainly handsome. But no. Sibley couldn't break her devine vows. If she did, the gates of Hel would be waiting for her in the afterlife.

“I can't,” she said in disappointment.

Grimmir sounded just as chagrined as she did. “So, you’ll keep summoning her then?" Sibley nodded her head. “That’s fine. I can just kill her again.”

A cold shudder ran through Sibley. She looked up at Grimmir’s whose eyes were wide and panicked.

“Why the fuck did I just say that?”

A hand landed on Grimmir’s shoulder as a man joined the table with a short-handled hammer dangling on his waist.

“What were you saying about killing Vara?” the man asked with lighting cracking in his eyes.

An ax appeared in Grimmir’s hand; the same one Sibley had seen days ago as it ripped her fellow nobles apart. “Let go Magni, or you’ll find out!”