Helnion's time with her family had ended. Triosa had not yet come to get her yet, but Helnion knew it would be sometime that night.

Her brother, Nie, and her fiance, Etam, also seemed to have realized this as they would not leave her sight, nor let her out of her bedroom. Her room was even being guarded by Loih and the other two Knights of Sorris, whose names she could never seem to remember, that had accompanied him.

Helnion knew that this would mean nothing to Triosa. The woman worked for Melche herself and could do things normal people could not, enjoy being able to leave one place and appear in another at will.

This is exactly what happened. One moment it was only herself, Nie and Etam. The next Triosa was there, as if she had been standing there the whole time.

The two men jumped up.

"How did you get in here!" Etam yelled, unsheathing a sword.

"Loih!" Nie yelled to the man just outside the door as he too unsheathed his sword.

The door burst open and Loih charged in, his sword already drawn and crystal forged shield ready.

"How did she get in here?" He said as he joined the two men, surrounding the woman.

"I do not know," Nie said. "She appeared in the room."

Triosa watched the men with only slight interest and did not seem to view them as a threat.

Tell them to settle down. Triosa's voice said in Helnion's head.

"She says to settle down," Helnion said, relaying the command.

The men looked at Helnion then back to Triosa.

"Mental communication?" Nie asked.

"Perhaps," Loih replied.

"Leave this place now, woman," Etam said angrily. "I will not allow you to take my fiance."

Tell them they have no choice. Triosa told Helnion.

Helnion repeated this to the men.

"No choice?" Etam said. "She is under our protection and we will not allow you to take her."

Etam stepped towards Triosa but no sooner had he done so he went flying backward, crashing loudly into a wall. Helnion heard him grunt as the blow knocked the breath out of him.

"Levitation! Be careful!" Loih said to Nie.

Nie nodded and backed off a little.

A few moments later the two Knights stationed outside the windows burst into the room, their swords and shields at the ready. Unlike Loih, they were both wearing full crystal forged plate armor. Helnion wondered if it would do any good against Triosa.

"Surround her and watch for her magic," Loih commanded.

The two Knights nodded and began to flank Triosa.

Helnion watched Triosa. The woman waited until they surrounded her before she took action and just as the men started to close in, the shields Loih and the Knights were carrying shattered.

The men were so surprised that none of them moved.

"What manner of magic could do that!?" Nie said. He turned from looking at the shattered shields to Triosa. "Who are you?"

Repeat this. Triosa said to Helnion.

Helnion nodded.

You men have two choices. Either accompany the girl on her task. Helnion felt Triosa's disgust when saying this. Or let her do it on her own. The odds are not in her favor if she is alone, so if you want her to be unharmed… Helnion felt the disgust again. It would be wise for some of you to accompany her.

The men looked from Helnion to Triosa.

"Is there nothing we can do to get Helnion out of this agreement she has made?" Nie said.

Triosa said nothing.

Nie looked at Etam and Loih. They both nodded at him.

"If she must go, then so will we," Nie said.

Triosa walked past the men surrounding her and approached Helnion.

Your sickness is gone is it not?

Helnion nodded.

Good. We will leave immediately. Helnion felt disgust from Triosa again. And tell those disgusting creatures they have ten minutes to get whatever they need.

Helnion told the men this and all of them, but Nie and Etam left.

"Where will we be going?" Etam asked Triosa.

Triosa ignored him.

Helnion saw an angry look on Etam's face, but he said nothing.

A few minutes later Lioh and the two other Knights returned with new shields and a few bundles of supplies. The shields the Knights had come back with were from her father's armory as Helnion recognized the crest in the middle of the shield.

"Are you using your trick to take us there?" Helnion asked Triosa, hoping she would not have to walk or ride in a carriage.

No. There might be those that can feel our arrival if we go that way. We will have to go by carriage. Tell the men to get one ready.

Helnion relayed the order.

"It is late and Helnion just recovered from a sickness," Nie said. "Can we not wait until the morning?"

Triosa pulled Helnion by the arm and walked out the room.

Tell them to fetch a carriage. Triosa said to Helnion again once they had gone outside.

None of the men or servants that had accompanied the two outside looked excited to help, but eventually, Nie nodded to one manservant and he soon returned with a levitating carriage.

Tell them I will drive and that none of them are to approach me. If they do, I will forcefully remove them from the carriage. Triosa said, Helnion relaying the message.

The men looked at each other but got into the carriage. Helnion entered next with Triosa just behind her.

"Can you tell us where we are going now?" Etam said as soon as the carriage left the estate.

Etam asked this question several times over the next hour until Triosa finally responded.

"We are going to Flae," Helnion said.

"The capitol?" Lioh said. "Why are we going there?"

Helnion listened to Triosa and said. "To get back what belongs to her master."

"Her master?" Nie said. "Who is your master?"

Triosa didn't answer.

"Can we at least stop at the Temple of Sorris to get more men?" Loih asked.

"No." Helnion relayed.

"The prudent thing to do would be to get as many men as possible. It would make things much easier." Loih said.

"Enough!" Helnion said, trying to sound forceful but failing.

Nie cracked a smile.

"The girl will do this with as little help as possible," Helnion relayed.

Etam looked like he wanted to say something, but he and the rest of the men were pushed into their seats by Triosa and their jaws held shut.

Get some rest. Tiosa told Helnion.

Helnion nodded and lay down on the bench Nie was sitting on and rested her head on his lap.

By the time Helnion woke up the next morning they had yet to arrive at Flae.

"NiNi, how much longer?" She asked her brother.

"Sometime tomorrow Helny." He said. "Get as much rest as possible, so you are ready for whatever that woman has planned for you."

Helnion was not happy. Was Flae that far away? She really was not looking forward to staying in a carriage that long, she had already been cooped up in her room for a week and wanted to go outside.

Helnion sighed, then looked at Triosa. The woman had not moved at all during the night and was completely focused on driving the carriage. She never could understand how people could stay in one spot for very long. The past weeks of being forced to do this herself had only confirmed this in her mind.

Practice some now. You have had more than enough rest this past week. Triosa said as if knowing what she was thinking.

Helnion sighed again but began practicing.

She had gotten better during the week despite her sickness and could now slowly turn the fog into water. The servants that had taken care of her had scolded her many times when they came in to see her room filled with fog, but she knew Triosa was keeping an eye on her so she ignored them.

"Why do you keep doing that, Lady Helnion?" Loih said when he saw the fog. "What could practicing making fog accomplish?"

Helnion could have explained that it was to help her improve her magic use without the need to fully concentrate but she didn't want to and shrugged.

Loih looked at the closed windows of the carriage and appeared tempted to open them but eventually shrugged as well and looked out of the window and watched the scenery moving by.

A few hours later Helnion found a way that helped her in her training. She had seen Salis try it before and she thought it might be a fun way to pass the time.

By this point in the day, Etam had fallen asleep, as glaring at Triosa back had apparently exhausted him.

Helnion saw this as an opportunity to not only amuse herself but to help motivate her to produce water from the fog faster.

The cloud of fog soon began moving from the center of the carriage and over Etam.

Loih had been watching Helnion off and on throughout the day and quickly saw the moving cloud. It also did not take long for him to figure out what she was planning to do and began to grin.

A trickle of water soon began to fall from the center of the cloud, right on to Etam's face.

Etam's face twitched, and he soon sat up from his slumped position before he began wiping at the water.

By the time he looked around to see how the water had gotten there, Helnion had moved the fog back into the center of the carriage.

Etam took one look at the fog and then to Helnion, before noticing Loih. Loih was doing his best to hide a smile and pretend he hadn't seen what had happened, but Etam saw this and eyed him for a few minutes before turning his attention back to Triosa.

Thankfully, the rest of the day went by quickly and Triosa even let her stop practice before she had completely exhausted herself. She just wondered if she was ready for the next day. She wished Salis were here with her. Salis would have gotten things done.

"We are here, Helny," Nie said, shaking her.

Helnion yawned and sat up.

It was still dark outside and she could see nothing very well, except the torch lights of a large city off in the distance.

"To think that woman could drive the carriage this long…" Nie said with a little awe. "How much energy does she have?"

"I do not know." Loih said, "but I have never met a magic user with her level of skill before."

The two Knights of Sorris fingered their replacement crystal forged shields when Loih said this.

"Whoever she is, I will make her leave Helnion alone when we get through this," Etam said, his eyes still on Triosa.

All the men expressed their agreement to Etam.

Minutes later the carriage entered the streets of Flae. It had been a few years since she had been here to visit the castle, but she remembered it well. There was so much to see here that she imagined it would take her weeks to explore the city.

She also wanted to go to all the places where Salis had gone when she had come here. It had been hard getting specifics out of Salis, but Helnion had found out many of the places she had visited. Helnion especially wanted to visit the forge where Salis' sword had been made.

It was still too dark for Helnion to see the city well, even after they entered, but she looked anyway.

Helnion felt a bump as the carriage settled on the ground.

"I take it we have arrived," Etam said, getting up and heading towards the door.

"Wait," Loih said, stopping Etam.

When Etam stopped and looked at Loih, Loih motioned at Triosa.

Etam's brow furrowed, but he made no other attempt to leave.

"She says you can leave the carriage as long as you do not wander too far," Helnion said.

"Of course, my master," Etam said, his voice filled with false sincerity.

"Are we going to wait until nightfall to attack?" Loih asked Triosa.

"No," Helnion relayed, "We attack as soon as possible."

"I thought you did not want attention. No one will miss a fight in the middle of the day." Nie said.

"Do not worry. I will keep anyone from coming or leaving."

"Wait," Etam said. "You are not planning on making us do all the fighting?"

"A group not affiliated with certain factions must do this."

"Which factions?" Etam asked.

"Telling you would make it so I could no longer use you."

"That would not be a bad thing," Nie said.

"I agree," Etam said.

"We should get going," Loih said. "Let us get this done with a be on our way."

Etam eyed Triosa angrily again but nodded.

"We will get you through this Helny," Nie said, putting his hand on Helnion's shoulder.

Helnion smiled at her brother. "Then we can find Salis!"

"Of course! I will do everything I can to find your friend."

Helnion glanced at Triosa and then said. "She said it is time to go."

Triosa turned towards a street heading west and began walking. Etam grumbled, but he and the rest of the group followed the woman to wherever she was taking them.