9 Things to enjoy

Alessia raised her wooden sword, the small black gloves scrunched under her powerful hold. Since she was born in the Baron's family five years ago, she became the long-awaited family saviour. Her two older brothers, had magical cores although they were not capable to unleash their Warcraft in an efficient manner. The most they were capable of was to cast spells improving the sharpness of the blade and swiftness of their movements.

On the day she was born, her power almost killed her mother. Her talent was immense, but until recently, she had not been recognised for her potential by the Empire. In the Empire people like her, with offensive capabilities were often hard to get and people fought to be able to make them their allies. However, a good part of their life was spent on the battlefields, heroically fighting for their country and that's where the majority of them also got buried, under the ashes. As centuries passed, they became scarcer until Fanglad remainders the only family to carry this trait. They lived on the border with Friella, where wars took place every decade, this being the first time Alessia has stepped foot into the capital.

The Empress made a deal with her mother, so here she was training on the best training grounds the Empire had to offer and getting taught by 'The Hund'.

"I have to entertain that Princess now." Alessia snaps from her trance and ran towards the wooden target. Alessia didn't believe she was going to be friends with a Godless girl like Selda.

'If only she knew her place.' every time her friends or family visited the capital they have only heard bad rumours about her. She was selfish, self-centred and if things didn't go her way she would take revenge. Alessia heard that this winter, Selda annoyed a maid so much she tried to drown the Princess in the lake.

"That's not how you attack an enemy. You hit them." Alessia stabbed the target's heart.

"Where it hurts." she sliced the doll upwards.

"When they least expect." with a decisive move, Alessia decapitated the target's head. Soldiers admired her swift movements, recognising their inferiority. Even if she looked around like a ten-year-old child, she was more capable than the trainees.

"This is the power of a magical core!" amazed a soldier looked at Alessia. More than three-quarters of the army was composed of normal citizens, and the rest were the children of nobles send to train. Soldiers didn't need to serve more than 2 years in the army but the majority remained around because being a soldier was a profitable career.

While they spaced out, Anna's preparations finished. On one of the dynamite, she wrote a message and send it flying towards Alessia.

'Danger.' Alessia sensed something coming in her direction. She caught two small cylinders, stuck together with a rope, although done amateurish, it seemed to contain something inside. It was oily to touch and it didn't smell pleasant at all. Looking closely at the cylinders again Alessia saw something written on the greasy paper that looked out of place. In graceful cursive letters, a message was written.

'Here is something for you to enjoy.'

Another pair of cylinders flew towards her, this time a string attached to it. It landed 10 feet away from Alessia.

"Haha...you can't even shoot a target." laughed Alessia thinking that the cylinder was meant to smash in her head.

"Why is it on fire?" yelled a soldier who was watching the whole scene unfold. Laughing a couple of other soldiers started making fun of the attacker, unbeknownst to them, hell was about to break loose.

'Why did you not hit me?' another pair of cylinders landed behind Alessia as if the target was missed. The soldiers took off their green tunics, waving them in the air, screaming and pretending that they surrendered. Laughter covered the sizzling sound of the waxed twine. Soon the place quieted down when it completely burned out. The twenty or so soldiers burst in a roar, some staring to wipe their tears out their eyes.

'fuff' Alessia giggled at the amusing scene. She looked towards the balcony of the Palace but couldn't see the attacker. It was too far away, but it didn't matter since they didn't manage to cause any damage yet.

Without any notice, the first bomb that landed on Alessia right exploded violently.

"Ahhhhh" yelled Alessia covering her ears and face. Dust, pieces of stones and hay, whatever was on the floor was blasted twenty-five meters in the air, obscuring the soldier's view. The mood suddenly changed to complete chaos, soldiers running in all directions, screaming for their lives when the next dynamite exploded. This time shattering a target doll, splinters landing on soldiers making them cry out in pain. Alessia could not concentrate on what was going on around her, she has yet to master the art of Refining which would enable her to make sense of a chaotic situation like this by filtering sounds, tastes and smells.

Before long, another dynamite exploded so Alessia started crying and running fanatically for her life. She didn't even know when this one landed, her senses notably reduced to nothing, Alessia for the first time in her life felt helpless.

"Hohoho!" Anna laughed so heartily she could not breathe properly. Next to her, on the balcony, sat a glossy black snake crouched in terror and amazement. He could not believe he was an accessory to the crime, this small fry next to him did. The booming sounds have been heard from the within the Palace and the Imperial guards patrolling the area came rushing towards the training grounds.

"Who's laughing last, huh?" asked Anna. She enjoyed herself so much this time she decided to throw 4 cylinders at once. They detached from each other as they were loosely tied together, landing in four different places. One landed in a greenhouse, shattering glass in different directions, but hurting nobody, another two exploded on the training fields, raising even more dust in the air while the last one broke and blasted in the air.

"From that balcony." yelled an Imperial guard pointing his finger towards Anna's location.

"Shoot we've been found!" exclaimed Anna while packing some of the evidence away.

"We?!? Since when did I get involved in this?" wailed the snake.

"If I die, you do the same!" Anna threw a last glance towards the training fields trying to locate Alessia. That's when she noticed a person coming at lighting speed towards the Palace.

"She's using Faststep. Run or else we'll die." Angus looked terrified at her. Oh...she wasn't running...oh no! It was much faster than that. Like a cheetah runs for its prey, she halved the distance in less than a minute.

"She won't be able to jump that fence." Anna rolled her eyes. There was a 3-4 meter tall green fence obscuring her path. However just as Anna finished her sentence, Alessia propelled herself in the sky similar to how a gymnast would do, using a stick, effortlessly avoiding this insignificant obstacle.

"Oh my...OH MY GOD!" shrieked Anna. She picked up the basket and ran for her life, being chased by Imperial guards and that animal. The only advantage Anna had was that she was inside whereas the huntsmen were outside. Sooner than later, that advantage began crumbling when she heard the clangorous soldier's shoes. In a pace, they run, getting closer and closer to the target. Anna reached the second botanical garden of the Palace but this was situated inside. It was placed in the middle of the Palace and was made of crystal clear glass reinforced with metal wires in different patterns.

Reaching a crossroad Anna had to decide between three corridors not too sure where they all led. Two paths surrounded the garden and another was straight ahead. Ahead - she would be discovered sooner or later, she had to take a corner. Yet when Anna was about to take the first corner, she saw that animal coming to her direction, running like her shoes were on fire. Anna's breath hitched.

'What have I put myself into?' Anna had no other choice but run inside the botanical garden. Her legs felt heavy, similar to stones, and as soon as she reached her hideout, the small legs gave in. She couldn't move anymore, her breath was ragged, panting for too much air that she started feeling faint. The humidity and warm air didn't do Anna any favour, but at least the mist was quite thick offering Anna a better camouflage.

Soon the glass door broke from its hinges and Alessia stomped her feet onto the floor. Like a killer looking for its victim, Alessia scrutinised every inch of the botanical garden. She stopped in front of three enormous vases with tropical trees. Behind them, crouched Anna, holding her breath in.

'It's fine...she can't tell I'm here.'

"Found you!" snickered Alessia. Anna's heart stopped, her words choked in her throat awaiting the moment Alessia would grab her.

Before long, a patrol of guards reached the garden, saw the damage and entered.

"Stop right there! You are under arrest!" yelled a man unsheathed his sword followed by the other guards. Anna had no idea who they were but their mistake saved her life.

"No! I'm the wrong person." Alessia defended herself.

"Seize her!" commended a voice and soon rustling followed.

"No! It is not me you are looking for. Wait!" yelled Alessia. Anna took this opportunity to drag herself across the floor and hide behind a flowery bush. She looked for the second door and found it, but the way there was risky and she risked exposing herself. She had to exit her hideout and follow the m-shaped path towards it.

'I don't think I can make it.' Anna said her last prayers and accepted her fate. Her hands were trembling, her heart throbbed and it was painful for Anna to hold her breath any longer. Exhaling as quietly as possible, Anna finally released the first breath after more than a minute.

"Alessia!" a woman's voice was heard. It was familiar to Anna. It was the Baroness of Fanglad. The Imperial guards, distracted for a minute, bowed to the Baroness and the Empress. Anna took this chance and dragged her heavy feet behind another pot with flowers getting closer towards her destination. Her feet sank in the muddy soil, but Anna didn't have time to pay attention to these details when she knew she was on the brink of death. Her mother coldly stared at the Imperial guards, reprimanding them for their lack of respect.

"Your Majesty! She is the terrorist!" said a guard trying to explain the situation.

"She was found in hiding, she was the one that created the whole thing."

"How can this be!" her mother noticed Alessia destroyed clothing. Her white shit was dusted with soil and ash, while the trousers were ripped from the calves downwards.

"Look at the state she is in! Do you think this is how a terrorist looks like? Oh! My poor baby! Tell me what happened!" her mother burst into tears trying to put the uniform back in place.

"Some things flew from a balcony! They exploded! I-I don't know...what are they?" Alessia overwhelmed by the situation was trying to piece together the answer.

"How dare you lay hands on her!" Palama killing gaze was directed at the guards who in turn lowered their head. Anna profited again by the distraction and slowly approached the door.

'It's now or never.' Anna shaky hands touched the doorknob. Looking behind her back, she slowly pressed the doorknob trying to not let it produce any sound.

"Baroness that is enough!" Cecilia threw a disgusted face at the guards.

"Why were you here then, Lady Fanglad?"

"The attacker!... I was following him! I-I...There!" Alessia pointed at the three pots. She proudly looked at that place, sure that the attacker was hiding behind them. Two guards hurried and pushed the middle pot further to the right. Alessia's mood changed when she realised that the attacker was no longer there.

"I-I...I swear it was there a minute ago!" the guard looked at her doubtfully and then glanced at the Empress waiting for her command. A creaking sound suddenly broke the silence. Everyone looked at the second door of the garden and saw it closing slowly.

"Hurry! Get him!" yelled the commander and soon all the guards rushed towards the entrance. Alessia, leaving her mother behind ran towards the door.

About three hundreds meters away, Anna leisurely walked towards her room. People were running back and forth, guards armed with swords, spades and whatnot were looking for an attacker. They urged Selda to go back to her room, to safety and Anna complied with their commands. A dumb, sarcastic smile was plastered on her face as she walked to her room. She opened her door and she froze.

"My, my, my!" said Aura playing with a piece of string.

"You have been a bad girl, Selda..."

"What do you want?" Annoyed Anna placed the basket on the floor next to the sofa.

"What have you been up to these days? A bird told me that you have been playing around the kitchen lately."

'So she has no idea about today!' Anna released a relieved breath and hid her shaking hands behind her back. Her older sister did work very hard in order to find out was going on. After countless days spent in bed, feeling weak, Aura realised that something was fishy, so she asked for her food to be redone.

"What's wrong Selda? Are you not feeling well?" Aura came and sat right in front of Selda. She was smiling sweetly at her sister only to notice that Selda was awfully quiet today. The door opened. A girl with short brown hair came in. She looked mad but as soon as she realised where she was, her face cleared and courtesied.

"Alessia Fanglad greets the first Princess. Second Princess." she raised her head and looked at Aura deadpan.

"May I have a chat with Princess Selda? Alone?" asked Alessia.

"What?" Aura stared at Alessia's dishevelled appearance. It was a disgrace to meet a princess, regardless if it was her useless sister, looking this way. But seeing that Alessia had no intention to leave and she could not continue the conversation, she clicked her tongue.

"We'll talk later...sister." the threat lingered in the air even after Aura left the room.

"Did you have fun?" Alessia came behind Selda. She turned around and made eye contact with the girl. She looked amused at Selda, crossing her arms and throwing herself onto the couch.

"Huh?" Anna was surprised by the unexpected turn of events.

"I asked if you had fun making them? How did you make them explode?" Alessia was curious about dynamites that exploded. Here, people depended more on magic than anything else so bombs, guns and other artillery depended on magical ores that needed to be activated by mages. Normal weapons existed but were primitive and could not explode or cause much damage. Alessia knew very well that Selda had no magical powers so she could not activate magical bombs...but then what did she make?

"Ho-how did you find out?" asked Selda.

"Next time try not sinking in mud." Alessia looked at Selda's dirty shoes. She followed the trail until she exited the main Palace and entered an extension. To be exact the second Princess Palace. The footsteps indicated that a small child had run in that direction, so there was only one person who fitted that criteria. Selda.

"I was wrong about you. You are more interesting than I thought."

Anna didn't like the smile Alessia had. Dark clouds just surrounded Anna's life.