“Are you certain this will work?”

  “Un! Just trust me, I know the st five prototypes were a failure, but I think it finally works!”

  It was a day like any other, I was outside along with my brother, testing some of my inventions, although...

  “Agh!”

  “Brother! Are you ok!?”

  As my brother held the weapon before screaming, and then throwing it into the air, it exploded into a loud boom, loud enough to deafen anyone near it, fortunately it wasn’t big enough to reach my brother and harm him, still...

  “Rushka! You’re gonna kill me one of these days!”

  “I’m sorry! It shouldn’t overload like that! Why did it happen!? Maybe it was the mana circuit not properly etched into the quartz sb”

  “You say that every time, are you SURE it can work to begin with?”

  “It should! I tested the quartz sb by itself before! Maybe the catalyst is not handling a fluent enough input, and it got overloaded? Although we could maybe compensate by having an uniform etching and-”

  “Rushka, I don’t understand any of what you’re saying, or at least not fully, is it even worth it? The prototype is already expensive as is for it to blow up, if you keep pcing even more complications for manufacturing, then it’s already not worth it, it’s supposed to shoot explosive rounds at long distances but, wouldn’t dynamite have the same application? Is this even worth it?”

  “Ugh... I tried to make rger explosions than conventional explosives! But then dad scolded me about it so it has to be like this! Plus-”

  “If there were rger explosions, I wouldn’t be alive anymore, father already forbid you to try these things in town since you’ll cause a cave-in! How do you even go around getting the things to build these prototypes?”

  “I’ll keep that a secret! Are you gonna help me or not Fhleen?”

  “Oh sister, if it wasn’t for me you would’ve exploded your arms off already! I’m trying to help but, we really should stop, before someone that’s not me gets seriously hurt”

  “Sigh... but if it worked we could turn the current situation around! And-”

  “There you two are!”

  Ugh… that voice doesn’t bode well for the both of us, we turned our head to the origin of the angered man screaming at the top of his lungs.

  ““Dad...””

  “Of course I would find you two rascals away from town! How many times do I have to repeat myself!”

  “Dad... how did you find us?”

  “It wasn’t difficult, I just followed the explosions, but that’s not the point! Do you have a death wish!? How many times are you gonna keep doing this! Are you trying to give your pops a heart attack when you two come back maimed!?”

  “Sorry...”

  “Sigh... you two, just, come with me please”

  And so we both made the walk of shame to town, following our father as he simply looked at us disappointed beyond himself, none of us saying a word in the way, it’s a long trek given the underground city, regardless we made it back in a proper time as always, it’s kinda difficult to look at the citizens watching us go past them, seeing the king is taking his two kids back with a defeated look, people already know of the things I build so they just give us a warm and somewhat awkward smile on the way, it’s embarrassing nonetheless!

  “Fhleen, don’t you have a council meeting to attend in a little while?”

  “Y-yes father!”

  “Go get ready, and stop indulging your sister in her dangerous behavior”

  “O-of course!”

  And so my brother left hurriedly at the scary voice of my father, he always gets off easily! I know he’s just helping me so I don’t end up hurt but, it stills hurts because-

  “HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP WITH THESE LITTLE WAR TOYS!!”

  My dad is scary when he yells!!

  Needless to say, I received a long scolding, as the many I received in my life, more so the past couple of months, still I can never get used to it, even if it happens so often!

  “IT’S LIKE I'M TALKING TO A WALL! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?”

  “Y-yes, sorry...”

  The same scoldings! I can’t help but sit down and apologize constantly, as always.

  ...

  ...

  “Sigh... sorry Rushka, but it’s important that you understand our position, I don’t want to see you hurt yourself”

  “Dad... ”

  “Please understand, you and Fhleen are my world, I don’t know what I would do without you two”

  And then dad got close to hug me, I know he can be a bit thick headed but, he doesn’t scold us for no reason, still...

  “I only did it to help...”

  “I know baby, you’re so talented, some of the devices you’ve created are wonders, but your hands were made to create, not to destroy, don’t waste it in something so tasteless as weapons”

  “Dad... b-but the war!”

  “That is for me to worry about baby, I know you want to help, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, but let me handle it, I’ll think of something”

  “What will you do?”

  “I have an audience with some nobles and the king from the kingdom of Aldrid, king Arthur and I have been long time friends, I know the d since he was naught but a child, always glued to that knight, why I remember-”

  “Dad, you’re reminiscing again”

  “Oh, must be the age, worry not dear, our neighbors have been also been afflicted by the empire’s endless crusade, I agree with Arthur, we should let go of the past and stop this meaningless conflict”

  “I don’t think the empire wants to do that...”

  “Whether they want to or not, I’m sure that if we join forces, we will be able to push them back! We’re proud dwarfs after all, and the kingdom is no pushover either!”

  “If you say so…”

  “Don’t worry about it Rushka! It will all be fine! Now just to wait for your brother’s meeting to be over to talk with him”

  “Talk? About?”

  “You thought he got scott free? He's still in for a scolding as well!”

  Oh! I’m sorry Fhleen! You’re also getting in trouble because of me! I would take my time to get back home if I were you!

  ...

  ...

  And so the days passed, I know the situation outside the capital is dire, everyday I see more and more refugees from our bordering towns entering the city, and from the rumors I’ve heard, more and more towns are getting razed constantly, I can’t help but worry, drawing in my study looking at the window, I know dad said to not do weapons but, if only we could get something appropriate, we could maybe push back a little! Sigh...

  I keep looking through my window, at the main town pza where countless people gather, as well as looking at that relic of ages past, it’s been here since before the town was founded, I can’t help but wonder in amazement, of just who could make such an intricate and well put together spell, it’s non functional now, it’s been so for hundreds or maybe thousands of years, the stone it was carved into has eroded enough for it to stop working, regardless, The mage in charge of infusing such a masterpiece must’ve been the best of the world.

  If only we could repair it, or if said magician was still alive, he could’ve helped me with my devices, I’m not a good smith, or good with magic to etch properly, at least the pieces and parts I need can be made by us as dwarves, but magic...

  I wonder how dad’s meeting with the people of Aldrid went, hopefully smoothly. I heard they have some good wizards in their midst, maybe someone could help me and finally put an end to this war, sigh...

  I’m sure that’s being optimistic, my brother is right, even if doable, they’re not cheap to make, maybe I should try something with a way more power so we only need one of them? Resources are a problem though...

  While I was sulking in my own thoughts, my brother dropped by my room and knocked on the door.

  “Dad’s back, we should go greet him!”

  “Ok!”

  We yelled at each other behind my study’s room, I guess I must go, for now I took all my blueprints and hurriedly gathered them in a notebook, before storing said book as always, it would be problematic if dad saw them.

  Although maybe that would be the least of my problems, dad came with quite the mood, my brother and I asked him about what happened, but he simply gave us a wry smile saying ‘it’s nothing, don’t worry about it kids’ and carried on with his schedule, I knew he would be busy when he came back but I feel like something’s wrong, I can tell...

  Needless to say, dad had a lot of meetings with the elders these past couple of days, yet he refused to tell me anything, or my brother for that matter, I know dad hates prying but I can’t help but worry about him.

  I continued working on my designs, at moments like this, that voice transmission device I scrapped would’ve come in handy! To just hide it in the meeting rooms and know what was happening, as, I never got it even remotely close to work.

  For now I can only focus on my studies and blueprints, although not entirely!

  “Rushka, I’m back”

  “Brother, did you find out about anything?”

  “Yeah, I asked some of the elders, they were pretty adamant on keeping the information, but Trisha managed to find out the official reports”

  Ah yes, my dear sister-in-w, although they’re not married yet, bless her soul, she’s surprisingly capable!

  “What do they say?”

  “Well...”

  “Give me here!”

  I said, jerking the papers from my brother’s hands, but the contents were... worrisome to say the least…

  “Is this real...”

  “I’m afraid so, I see why father refused to talk to us about it”

  “Yeah... I-I’ll go talk with dad”

  “Rushka, he will get mad over the espionage!”

  “It’s fine, I’ll say I found it myself, I doubt he will be too mad”

  “What are you thinking about doing!?”

  “What needs to be done”

  “Wait! If that’s how it is then as the crown prince-”

  “You have Trisha to worry about my dear brother, think about her too”

  “But...”

  “It’s fine, I’ll have a talk, maybe we can come to an agreement, it’s not the end of the world”

  “Rushka...”

  And so, I headed towards my father’s office, the report is not as grim as my previous conversation made it sound, it boils down to an arranged marriage between either me or my brother for political retions, and for what I understood from the reports, my father is the only one opposed to such demands, still, I need to think of my family and my country first, my brother is already engaged, unlike me, so if anyone should do it, it should be me.

  “Dad”

  I said, after knocking the door and entering his abode.

  “Rushka, I’m a little busy baby, what’s up?”

  “About this...”

  I said, mentioning the report in my hands, as well as the arranged marriage, dad got angry and questioned where I got it, but that’s not important right now.

  “So it is true”

  “Sigh... it is, but I’m working on it! You don’t have anything to worry about”

  “But-”

  “It’s nothing, those stuck up nobles were the ones that voted for such a barbaric and outdated retionship advice, the king and at least half the town lords voted against it give or take but, it seems to still be the majority who’s on board, and our stupid elders didn’t help by throwing logs to the fire, I’m sorting everything out, don’t worry baby”

  “Dad...”

  “It’s fine, I’m the king after all! They have to listen to me whether they like it or not, same goes for Arthur, we will find a way to make this work but-”

  “Dad, I- I don’t think you should have to worry about this that much, if it means peace for our people then-”

  “Rushka!”

  “Dad! How long are you gonna be so stubborn! The elders already tried to assassinate you once! Why are you giving them even more of a reason!”

  “That is still no reason for me to pce your happiness under everyone else!”

  “Shouldn’t we do something... if it’s just for me, then I think it’s a fine price to pay for peace! Won’t you agree!”

  “Rushka...”

  “Besides, it's not all bad! We really need to increase our retionship with Aldrid regardless, if it’s like this, then I don’t see a problem, it is not like I would die or anything! You can visit me whenever!”

  “Baby, I know but, what about your happiness? You should think about yourself too”

  “It’s fine, not like I’m engaged or anything, I think it’s what’s best for everyone, besides, some people from Aldrid are quite capable, maybe I could continue my work over there and-”

  I couldn’t finish my sentence when my dad went to hug me once again.

  “Rushka, you’re as strong as your mother you know that”

  I wouldn’t know, she died when I was born, only my brother knew of her, still it warmed my heart to hear it nonetheless.

  “I won’t question your resolve anymore, are you certain about this?”

  “Yes, it’s for the best...”

  ...

  ...

  It was a bittersweet farewell, as a carriage came to pick me up,it seems I won’t be marrying into the royal family, but one of the town lords, his name is Gwendal, I’ve never met him but dad said he’s the son of the knight Welst, I’ve heard so much from him in the tales my father tell, I kinda feel bad for cutting him up when he repeated them, if dad and the king from Aldrid spoke so highly of him, I’m sure his son wouldn’t have fell too far from the tree, a part of me was kinda giddy about it, what kind of knight in shining armor he must be, maybe not so much, dad didn’t like talking about him but, it’s probably nothing, I mean the town is named after his father after all.

  I pondered and thought about it to no end, but then something else forcefully took me down from my mencholy and fantasies, as bandits attacked the carriage we were riding in, it was brutal, all the guards were killed and surrounded in seconds, as for me, I was captured and pced in a cage, unaware of the world, as I was kept in the dark all the time.

  I couldn’t help but worry about my family and country more than myself, I found it odd to be so outmatched, almost like it was pnned from the start. Something rubbed me the wrong way, but there was nothing I could do about it.

  I don’t know how long I was in there, they barely gave me any water and nothing but a loaf of bread to eat, maybe it was days, maybe weeks, I’m not so sure, but as I was starting to lose my sanity, the bandits pced another girl inside with me, she must’ve been one of the demonfolk, her horns and tail gave it away, but what caught my attention were the shackles she was wearing, intricate design and the material was so expensive, you could buy a couple of houses with them, whoever she was, they were afraid of her, unbelievably so to put such a ludicrous safety measurement on her.

  When she woke up, I tried to reassure her, she was taller than me but, for her kind, she couldn’t have been an adult yet, still she didn’t gave me the feeling of being scared even for a second, in fact quite the opposite, she was seething with rage, her different colored eyes almost shined in this dark cage, maybe it was her confidence, or maybe the fact I haven’t talked to someone in so long, I broke down and cried on her arms, despite being in the same situation, she managed, to reassure me and calm me down even for just a moment.

  It didn’t st long whoever, since as it turns out, we were being sold on an auction. I already thought as much from hearing some distant voices, but it really is our reality...

  The girl never gave me her name, but it was clear who she was when the auctioneer presented her, ‘Marisa, the daughter of the demon lord’, a lot of thoughts race through my mind when hearing who she was, but despite them, I couldn’t help but see with horror as she desperately tried to remove her shackles while the auctioneer hit her with a whip relentlessly, she was the only one to show me any kindness since I left my country, so in a hopeless attempt, I tried to tackle the man, to no avail as I couldn’t even push him, sending me flying with his palm, when i regained my bance, I saw Marisa, managing to break open of of her bindings, and then killing people with rather ease, before I knew it, the situation turned upside down, with Marisa being in charge of the pce, that is until two hooded people appeared from thin air, I have no idea who they were, neither did Marisa apparently, but I just held myself in a corner, if I get involved, I will surely be killed, they are complete monsters, strong enough to destroy towns.

  Which then gave me an idea, she might be daughter of the demon lord, but if only she could help me, I wouldn’t mind giving her my own life, although I can’t put my people in risk, it’s a tough choice, but when I armed myself of courage to ask her, she essentially told me that she was busy, and we would talk ter, she then escorted me to a pace, where the knights were apprehending and helping a rge amount of people, I’m unaware of what’s happening, or who everyone is, well almost everyone, the one man I recognized, Marisa was the only one she didn’t knew about, king Arthur from Aldrid, I wanted to go to him and talk but he was busy with Marisa, it seems all the people are sves, and criminals involved, Marisa saved so many people, it cleared any doubt from my mind, she couldn’t possibly be a monster like in legends, I should really ask for her help!

  Except she was then procimed town lord, and then bolted away from the king, she’s an interesting character. It's incredible.

  “Umm, Excuse me?”

  “Hmm? The- Rushka!? What are you doing here!?”

  “W-well, my carriage was attacked by bandits and I kinda ended up getting sold...”

  “I see, that does match our reports... God, how will I face your father now? forget about the marriage, I’ll arrange my personal knights to escort you home, we can figure something out between us, although now I have a mountain of job on top of me”

  “No, actually, I need to talk with Marisa, it’s...”

  “You picked an interest in her too? She’s definitely gonna tip the world around, I wonder if it’s for good or bad”

  “Yeah, I can see that”

  “I won’t stop you then, I know it’s also part of your heritage, go catch her up, and Rushka”

  “Yes?”

  “From the bottom of my heart, I apologize about what happened, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me”

  “A-ah! It’s fine, your majesty! You don’t have to bow your head again!”

  And so, I dashed towards Marisa, getting a little lost in the way, but a certain aura that made me drop to my knees told me exactly where they were, when I arrived, I found her, bleeding profusely from the chest and passed out inside what seemed to be a magical construct, to my surprise, Celestial, the dragon of legends, was there as well, honestly I felt like a fish out of the water with such imposing figures around me, regardless Celestial and a disabled knight that were in there expined me the whole situation.

  She sacrificed her own life for someone else? She really is one of a kind, still she doesn’t seem to be dead yet, that’s when an idea came to my mind.

  If it’s only her heart, then maybe I can give her an artificial one. According to Celestial she should recover by herself so it would be temporary! The heart is just a pump for blood, I’ve done water pumps before, maybe if it’s something simir, it could work.

  My brain was racing, producing a device that could double as a fake heart, it was a matter of life and death, so I didn’t hesitated in marking materials and quality, if it was gonna save her life, it was worth it, and to my surprise, they seemed to be within reason for Celestial, she sure is a dragon of legends it seems, I wonder if she’s reted to the folklore of my town, nonetheless with her and the knight’s help, we gathered the materials and now it was time to build, the most nerve wracking and high stakes machine I have ever built, at least this one shouldn’t explode.

  I really need to write a letter to my family as well once I’m done with this...

  Joanne_carper