“A symbol of change?” Emerald mulled.

I nodded.

“What exactly are you going to be changing?” She asked.

“I don’t know yet,” I said. “I’ll start with Undertown and go from there. To tell you the truth, I don’t necessarily want to implement too much radical change, I just want to steer Illatius away from the dark future timelines in which everyone dies horribly.”

“Have you told the other chimera cendai about any of this?”

“No,” I said. “They’re old, right?”

“Very old,” Emerald nodded.

“Well, I’m not very interested in ancient, crusty crones who are too deeply entrenched in their own centuries-old plans. You and I are the new generation of chimera. We'll have to prove ourselves as capable chimera before we bother the elders,” I said. “Your mother isn’t planning on dying, right?”

“She’s not,” the human-chimera affirmed. “I’ll never inherit this Estate from her. Her Vitality maxing makes her human body age incredibly slowly and her chimera body is kept magically suspended.”

“How’s your relationship with your sister?” I asked.

“So-so,” Emerald twisted her hand side to side. “She lives in Nemendias on campus and has far too many noblesse oblige projects going on. She’s got the first prince snared up real tight and has no time for her little sister. Years ago, she used to call me often to check up on me… until she realized that nothing dangerous or interesting happens to me here. She occasionally flies over on her personal glider for dinner whenever she needs something from mother, that’s about it. I… really freaking miss her.”

“We’re going to fix this,” I said.

“How?” Emerald blinked.

“By making your life extremely interesting and by involving her in our own projects,” I said. “Are you up for a challenge?”

“I… am,” the silver-haired girl nodded.

“Good,” I smiled. “How are your acting skills?”

“Acting?” Emerald repeated.

“Dramatic acting,” I said. “You do have to pretend to be a human princess.”

“I do.” She nodded. “Mother trained me to do that at the very least.”

“Well, you’ll also have to pretend to hate me… um, Grogtilda a lot,” I said.

“That won't be very hard. Your lowborn human body is exceptionally repulsive,” she commented. “Why do you want me to pretend to hate you?”

“Drama,” I said. “A symbol is a spark that needs fame to grow into a firestorm. A good hero needs a villain. I’m weaving a story here for the masses, a tale as old as time.”

“You’re the villain then or…?”

“I’ll be a hero to the lowborns and a villain to the highborns,” I said. “And the reverse will be for you. We’ll play-fight each other, issue threats and challenges in public, etcetera. We’ll draw an imaginary, dividing line in Nemendias, start a war of insults and debates and collect dedicated followers for our causes.”

“For what purpose?”

“To draw people to us,” I explained. “Our grand game will bring fans and future patrons straight to us. Celebrity fights are always entertaining, especially when they’re spicy. We’ll need to see what mass media Illatius has, perhaps buy a few newspapers or make our own publishing and entertainment company to broadcast our war game to the bored masses.”

“Fans? Patrons? Who would even join or support a lowborn debitor in Nemendias?” Emerald squinted at me. “Sounds like my cause would have everyone and nobody would be on your side.”

“Let me tell you something about successful revolutions, Emerald,” I spun the ending-knife in my hands. “They do not happen without the support of the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie.”

“They don’t?” The little princess blinked.

“They don’t,” I said. “Revolutions don’t just ignite from the bottom. Revolutions have a symbol, a leader, but it is rich, bored, well-educated highborns who want some sort of social change or perhaps more power. If Illatius stands on the precipice of a magitek revolution, then there will be plenty of highborn Arcanarium intelligentsia hanging out in coffee shops that will listen to and invest in a lowborn leader simply for the sake of propelling their own causes forward.”

“Intelligentsia?” My companion tasted the unfamiliar word.

“The intelligentsia is composed of scholars, academics, teachers, journalists, students and literary writers. They are a highly educated segment of society who engage in complex pondering and ideological discussions in which they criticize, imagine the future, shape, and lay the foundation of change in politics, policies, and culture,” I explained.

“Ooooh,” Emerald stared at me. “You sure know a lot about Revolutions.”

“I know a lot of things about the most obscure topics. Anyways,” I redirected her curiosity. “I will be acting as the element of social change and you will act as the conservative leader. Our encounters, our mock-battles of wit and magic must be legendary, epic and beautiful. Like brilliant flares they will slowly and inevitably bring supporters and friends to us - people who are interested in either change or stability.”

“Interesting,” the human-chimera rubbed her chin. “So I’ll be the Queen of Stability?”

“Correct,” I nodded. “While I will take on the role of a Revolutionary figurehead, your nemesis and the worst person to ever exist. You see, Emerald, ‘Progress versus Conservatism’ is a battle that manifests in every human civilization on the precipice of a technological revolution. Together we will cast ripples into the world, magnify them against each other and ride the rising wave to the very top until you are made into an Admiral and I become the voice of the Revolution.”

“Ha,” Emerald laughed. “Ha ha ha… This is freaking great! The idiot humans will never find out that it's us leading, manipulating them, pulling the strings from both sides! By the Astral, Juni, you’re freaking brilliant!”

I smiled at her.

She grabbed my hand with hers, excitement overruling her revulsion of my human body. “Thank you! Oh, you’re the best at this sort of stuff! This is going to be amazing! This is going to be so much fun!”

I nodded.

“You’re going to make a lot of enemies,” she said suddenly.

“I can tolerate my future enemies as long as my biggest, worst, loudest enemy is you, Emmy,” I said softly.

“Won’t the future-seers try to prevent you from taking charge of things?” She asked, her eyes sparkling. "I doubt that the human Archmagi will idly sit by as you ferment social change in their society as a lowborn leader."

“Nope,” I shook my head. “Nobody can see my future.”

“What?! The precogs can’t track you?” Emerald exhaled. “Like… at all?”

“Yep,” I smirked. “My future is undefinable.”

“Freaking Astral depths, aren’t you full of surprises,” she giggled, wiping the wet sparks from her eyes.

For a few minutes we sat quietly thinking about the future, enjoying the eternal-summer breeze coming from the lush gardens around us.

“When do we start?” Emerald asked.

“Eager to call me names?” I smiled.

“N-no,” she shook her head, blushing.

She was definitely looking very eager to play-fight me. Her chimera nature demanded conflict of the hunt and she had satisfied none of it inside of the safety of this gold cage of an Estate. I could tell that she had been extremely lonely and miserable, ignored by everyone except for the Vow-bound, emotion-deprived servants.

“You totally are,” I laughed. “I’m game. Let's see who can beat whom.”

“Hum?” Emmy choked.

“I’m going to use this body, since you’re such a weakling,” I said.

“Hey,” the princess glared. “I’m not a weakling!”

“That is yet to be determined,” I stretched. “Try to knock me off my feet if you can prove otherwise.”

I spun atop of the bench and rolled out of the gazebo into the garden.

“What?” She stood up.

“Don’t do it alone,” I said. “Find a maid to help you. Voltara! You’re on my team. Knock the princess down into the dirt! Her dress is far too clean!”

Voltara was quick to join me. She advanced onto the princess as I took off running.

I heard Emerald’s yelp as she was thrown out of the gazebo into the bushes.

“One - zero!” I yelled from the nearby hill. “You suck at dodging determined maids.”

“I wasn’t ready,” she growled, plowing through the bushes towards me.

I started running, giggling and wincing. Grogtilda’s muscles were still damaged and out of shape. Emerald had caught up to me quickly and slammed into me, shoving my face into the ground.

“One - one!” She growled. “Eat dirt, peasant!”

I kicked at her and we rolled down the hill, straight into a decorative pond. In moments we were laughing and splashing at each other. The highborn princess was gone, replaced with an adorable, spunky kitten. She spat and growled and tackled me in the water, trying to bring me down. I called her names and laughed, slapping her with decorative lilies.

“You’ve made an enemy of me, filthy human kelp!” She sputtered as I kicked her away.

“I rate your insults one out of ten,” I stuck my tongue out. “Try harder!”

“I’ll get youuuuu,” she hissed, untangling herself from a pile of fat lilies.

I was already on the shore, hiding behind Voltara.

“No fair,” the very wet, dirty princess climbed out of the pond.

“Get a follower, loser,” I said, panting. “I’m going to lie down on the grass for a breather. Voltara, keep her in the water!”

The maid smirked, rubbing her knuckles as she advanced towards Emerald.

I watched with amusement as the princess struggled to leave the pond but kept getting knocked down by Voltara. After her tenth attempt at getting ashore she had gotten annoyed to the point of asking for help.

“You there! Maid! Help me!” She yelled.

“Me?” A girl that was cutting bushes on the other side of the decorative pond turned.

“Yes, you! Come here and help me wrestle these damn savages!” The princess growled.

The Vow-controlled maid obeyed, rapidly circling the pond. In a minute she reached Emerald.

“Tactical retreat!” I yelped, climbing into Saccy. “Run as fast as you can, I’m going to be in the bag!”

Voltara waited for me to climb into Saccy and then she took off like an arrow. I stuck my head out of the bag, making faces at the princess and her maid.

“Ask for your new minion’s name!” I yelled. “She’ll be twice as efficient if you use her name!”

“You, maid! What’s your name,” Emmy panted.

“I am Arouetta, Mistress,” Arouetta answered.

It wasn’t a coincidence that she was pretend-gardening nearby. The second maid assigned to me had been staying close to us, her Vow obeying the command of the Baroness to monitor me.

“Give her a cute, short nickname,” I yelled out of the bag. “Nicknames are good bonding rituals!”

“You’re now Ari,” Emerald declared to the maid.

“Yes, Mistress,” Arouetta nodded.

I pulled a bolas out of Saccy. It was a simple and fun primitive weapon that I had used often during my war-games with my chimera sister. My bolas were basically three balls connected by three strings, similar in design to the weapon that was used by the ancient Inca Army. I spun the balls through the air and cast it towards the maid and the princess.

Emmy yelped as the maid fell right in front of her. They formed a tangle of limbs. I heard some creative swears from the princess and laughed.

“Three out of ten for the swears!” I yelled. “You’re getting better! Ari! Don’t lose my bolas! I only have like fifty of them back here.”

“I won’t, Mistress,” Arouetta said, untangling herself from the princess.

“Good,” I nodded. “Voltara, slow down. I wish to lavish in the destruction of my nemesis. Try to stay behind the tree if they get smart enough to throw the bolas back at us."

The maid obeyed, slowing down and staying behind the tree. I poked my head out of the bag, making faces at the princess.

"You'll never catch me at this rate," I poked fun at her.

“I’ll make you my personal footstool!” The princess growled. “You’ll be my human ottoman!”

"I'm drowning in doubt," I laughed.

“You’re going to regret this!” She screamed, throwing the bolas back at me.

I ducked back into the bag, giggling. The bolas hit the tree with a thump.

“That was a terrible throw!” I yelled. “You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to catch me!”

“I’ll get you, just you wait!” She growled, picking up the bolas and running after us.

Eventually, after some chasing and about an hour of bolas interchange, all four of us became sufficiently tuckered.

“That was fun,” I said, yawning as I slipped out of Grogtilda’s madly aching body back into Juni.

"You did well for your first time," I smiled at Emerald, climbing out of Saccy and sitting on a bench carved out of a large rock with a grin.

“Thanks,” Emerald smiled back, her cheeks red, looking like a disheveled, wild mess. “That was the most fun I've had in... well... forever."

“You’re welcome,” I said. “It was fun for me too.”

"Did you have fun?" I collected my bolas from Ari.

"Yes, Mistress," Arouetta nodded, her voice dull and emotionless.

"What about you?" I looked at Voltara.

"It's not every day when I get to knock down our little princess," she smirked.

Emerald seemed to remember that she was a princess. She looked down at herself and noticed how dirty she had become.

“Oh,” she said, blushing furiously. “I’m such a mess."

"Yep," I commented. "You'll need to take a bath, you savage."

"Dry, Clean, Re-stylize," Emerald commanded, tapping her white-lace collar. Gemstone hexagram formations on the collar flashed.

Her dress detonated into a thousand feathers that danced like a myriad of wriggling, tiny brushes atop her that swept her entire figure and then converged back into a white, crystal and lace dress of a slightly different style.

The princess was looking like a well-polished diamond, completely dry, her glass-like hair inexplicably tied up into a thick braid, dress and hairdo glittering in the sunlight and casting a thousand little rainbows all over herself.

“Wow,” I said. “That’s damn useful."

“Yeah,” Emerald nodded. “The Re-stylizer is handy, but it’s nowhere as interactive as your… um... Dawn.”

I glanced at Dawn.

“You’re thinking about adding a Re-stylizer to me, aren’t you?” She laughed.

“You know me too well,” I smirked.

"Anyhow, are you hungry?" I turned back to Emerald.

"Yeah," she said.

"Your mother offered me lunch... but I'm absolutely not looking forward to that," I mulled.

"Why not?" Emerald asked. She didn't look like she was looking forward to such either.

"She's kind of a cunt," I said bluntly. "Tried to use Allure-magic on me when we met."

"Right," Emerald nodded. "Mother did say she was very eager to test you. She’ll probably try something else nefarious at lunch."

"Well, I'm not interested in more tests. I might get very angry and stab her. Hrmmm… Why don't we sneak out and get some lunch on our own?" I suggested. “I know just the place.”

"Sneak out?" Emerald blinked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"H-how?" She asked. "We can't just... leave the Estate… Can we?"

"Oh that's pretty easy. Simply.... call your sister," I smiled. "Tell her that you want to see her. Tell her... that the 8th high-cendai, Juni Tokimorimïtul, wants to have lunch with her."