We Do Not Bow

The room was momentarily silent as everyone processed that they were being tracked even faster. Tanisha knew an adequate tracker could find them, but if they had that kind of person, why would Loki use his constructs to such an extremes? They knew that dozens of the constructs secretly marched around the city.

"Do you have any idea who it was?" Tyr asked. "My people have had to move every night for the past week. I am not sure how many more nights they can do this."

"We aren't sure," Beck responded aptly, as if he was ready for this direction in the conversation. "My son is still trying to organize a way to smuggle you all out of the city, but with the Fital family gone, there has been far more scrutiny on anything entering or exiting. The Salstars efficiently eliminated or jailed all of the reliable back-doormen."

Tyr rubbed his tired eyes. "And I am guessing all of our contacts are saying that the ones left are either plants, constructs, or would betray us as soon as they saw who we were."

"Precisely," Beck said.

"We have to do something different, Patriarch," Ketil spoke up for the first time, his voice oddly smooth for his rough exterior. "I am not sure how well everyone will hold up if we keep this up."

Tyr looked around the room, his expression dire. He looked to be contemplating something but gave up on the idea and turned to Beck.

"The next place we go, we need it to be somewhere we can rest for at least a full night," Tyr said. "If things don't improve, we will have no choice but to risk breaking out of the city."

"Wow, it sounds like you all are in a bind," a new voice said.

Everyone looked around for the origin of the intruder. Those with swords pulled them out and circulated chakra, which instantly dropped the temperature of the room ten degrees. Joha bellowed out maya, magic from the infernal homeworld of the demons.

Tanisha activated her buff, Chain Breaker's Mantle, which was an ability she obtained after evolving into a cernunnos. The skill itself was the evolution of the natural ability of the wendigo to enhance their bodies' physicality and durability with magic.

Chain Breaker's Mantle 

Seiðr cost: Variable 

(I) With Low seiðr cost per minute, seiðr will inundate your muscles and bones with the power to increase your physical attributes temporarily. (II) Medium seiðr cost per minute, the Marks of Seiðr, greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seiðr shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seiðr cost per minute, the energies within you grant the ability of Arcane Shift to teleport up to five yards.

The barely visible magic symbols and circles on Tanisha's skin flared to life, glowing and moving across her body like living equations. She breathed out the seiðr in the same manner as Joha and his maya; however, her power sparkled like thousands of gems inside a green smoke.

Everyone sharply surveyed the small space and was ready to fight at a moment's notice. That was when Bjorn noticed the nearly imperceptible taste of foreign magic in the room. Without hesitation, he launched himself toward a seemingly blank space in the corner of the office. Tanisha followed the familiar bond that connected the two of them. She could feel his emotions and hostilities and spoke the words of power without missing a beat, which formed two orbs of water that floated in the air before her.

Divination Hydromancy 

Seiðr cost: Variable 

(I) Create seiðr constructs with liquid attributes or condense water from the atmosphere, and control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.

It took little more than a thought for the orbs to shoot out potent streams of highly pressurized water. The streams hit something and were deflected by an invisible field. The deflected streams cut through the steel walls of the room as if it were paper. A wendigo man shimmered into being right as Bjorn reached the man, only to be caught in a bubble of what appeared to be colorful light.

"I am not here to fight," the man said, his hands in the air. "My name is Thorfinn. First Princess Sigrun sent me to find the Isi Patriarch and take him out of the city into protective custody."

In less than a moment, everyone but the warehouse owner had a weapon pointed at Thorfinn. Tanisha used her Identify on the man to ensure he wasn't a construct.

Identify 

Name: Thorfinn Woot 

Species: Wendigo 

Level: ?? 

Vocation: Royal Starlight Mage

Joha's voice was a deep growl. "How did you find us?"

"That is a state secret, demon," Thorfinn dismissed the question. "What is important is that I get you all out of here before we get company."

"Company?" Tanisha asked.

"Your man there, Beck Gotier, betrayed you," Thorfinn pointed to the warehouse owner. "He sold you out, and Loki is on his way now."

"He did what?" Tyr yelled.

"Th-that… he has no proof," Beck rebutted. "I have done everything in my power to keep you all safe. He is the one who broke in here and has been listening to our plans. Surely, we can believe the words of a nobody claiming to represent the First Princess. He is a spy!"

Thorfinn spoke in a calm, collected voice. "He has been purposefully moving you all around all night for the past few days to tire you all out so capture would be easy."

"He is speaking nonsense. Are you all just going to stand there? He is a starlight mage; take him down before he casts a spell or something."

Tyr turned to regard Beck, who quickly became furious and started ranting about how they needed to get rid of the spy quickly.

"Release Bjorn," Tanisha stepped toward the man with deadly intent.

"Of course," Thorfinn said, and the familiar was free with a wave of his hand. "There, see, I am not here to hurt you."

"Bjorn, come back," Tanisha stated sharply while watching Thorfinn.

"What does the First Princess want with me?" Tyr said, his sword still raised. "My family was killed because of the First Prince, so forgive me if I am not so trusting."

"She needs to keep you alive as proof the Salstars have failed their Show of Power," Thorfinn stated with sincerity. "As long as that happens, the First Princess can take the city without bloodshed. If you die, then she will have to resort to a costly siege. I mean costly in lives, by the way. She would rather avoid any unnecessary death, especially of our people. The Isi have shown that they are resilient and deserving of a fair trial, to say the least."

"You can't seriously consider this shady man's words right now," Beck screamed.

"Ah, then let me properly introduce myself," Thorfinn stated. He vanished as if he was never there.

A figure in the black, gold, and silver robes of a Royal Hand appeared, standing behind Beck. Everyone realized that the person they had been talking to up to that point was an illusion the entire time. They were only just now talking to the real Thorfinn. Tanisha found it even more terrifying that he managed to fool not only the Identify skill, which not even Loki could do with his construct but also both Bjorn and Joha.

"I am Thorfinn Woot, Left Hand of Her Highness, First Princess of Yuhia, Sigrun Al Velidein Qar. Now, I speak the words of the Princess as her Hand. I was sent to ensure the safety of the Patriarch of the Isi House and to take you and your allies out of Lavi immediately. Thanks to this man," he placed a hand on Beck's shoulder, "we don't have long before we have company. So, I suggest you all collect your things and people quickly."

Tyr and Beck bowed their heads as they dropped to a kneeled. A Royal Hand issuing a command after announcing they speak the word of their master is the same as talking to the royal. Tanisha almost bowed but was stopped when Joha grabbed her arm.

He whispered so softly that even Tanisha barely heard him. "You are not a wendigo anymore. Everyone believes you are a demon. Demons do not bow to anyone."

Tanisha stood at her full height. "Right, yeah. Not wendigo," Tanisha mouthed in agreement to herself.

A light construct resembling soft chains enveloped Beck. Spikes anchored it firmly into the ground, solidifying the chains and binding the man in place. Before he could scream obscenities in outrage, he was gagged.

"Now, let's get out of here before Loki's constructs arrive," Thorfinn stated.