Writing Dream (3rd month of Autumn, 38th day)

  Amidst all her training, Aya met the dream girl again. The girl was studying at school, meticulously drawing characters on pieces of paper. Then she would read those same characters from a book, then draw them again. Again and again. Aya had expected the girl — capricious as she was — to hate copying. But somehow, she liked it. The girl knew she would need those skills in the future, but that wasn't the reason. The characters represented order. They weren't like people — murky and unpredictable. They were like little swords that could cut through lies, like pikes that could pin thoughts in place.

  Aya pondered the dream during a patrol. She had never thought of book knowledge as something enjoyable. She was being tutored in magic, but that came naturally to her. It was an internal flow of power — something she needed to control with precision — but no different from controlling her arms and legs in sword training. Book learning was different. And now, watching the girl in her dreams, she felt left behind. She considered the serene clarity the girl experienced when solving a task cleanly. It was nothing like the exhilaration of fast riding or the thrill of killing. It was like... like nothing else, really.

  The next time Negli invited her for measurements, she couldn't push the thought out of her mind. It was their second session. Once again, Negli handed her arcane artifacts, instructed her on how to focus her magic, and measured the results. She wasn't expected to understand any of it. But in the end, she asked:

  "Lord Negli, could you teach me the knowledge?"

  He raised an eyebrow, just slightly. "The knowledge? Knowledge of what?"

  "I don't know how to say it. The system. The basics. How to read books. How magic works. The way the Tower taught you — the basic building blocks of knowledge."

  The dream girl would've put it better, but Aya struggled to find the words. The dreams worked through meanings, not language. Negli studied her with interest.

  "I don't understand. Why would you want that? Do you have a concrete goal in mind?"

  "I want to taste the joy of knowing."

  It was the first time she had seen Negli genuinely surprised.

  "What an unusual thing to desire. Who put this idea into your head?"

  Aya was both flustered and amazed by his insight. He was right — the idea wasn't hers.

  "No one. It's from a dream. A girl in my dreams was learning to read and write, among other things. And she felt this strange, pure joy whenever she understood something."

  Negli regarded her with a long, unreadable look. Something simmered in the depths of his golden eyes as he studied her. For a moment, she thought they gleamed with their own light, flickering like fire.

  "I can teach you to read and write," he said at last, "but it may take a long time."

  "I know."

  "You know? Ah — yes. From the dreams, is it?"

  Aya nodded.

  "I can teach you once a week," Negli said, his expression calm once again. "But you'll have to tell me about those dreams."

  Last Three Prisoners (3rd month of Autumn, 45th day)

  Another week passed, and another shipment of grain arrived — this time with less drama. Aya had no practice that morning, and there were still a couple of hours before her patrol was due to leave. She wandered aimlessly around the yard.

  "Aya! Come here," Rasa called from the training grounds.

  Rasa stood straight and commanding as ever, her profile stark against the snow. Aya approached.

  "You've got free time, I see. Ready to learn lightning magic?"

  "Yes, sure."

  Rasa showed her the stance and explained how the magic had to flow to produce the proper effect.

  "You won't stances once you develop a feel for the magic, but for now stand as I do."

  Aya complied. It wasn't anything special — a high stance with hands raised and slightly bent.

  "Now, when you use it, focus on the target. Don't get distracted. If your concentration slips even for a moment, you could kill or maim someone else in view — even a comrade. Lightning is deadly. We don't train it on each other. Today, you'll train on them." She pointed to the far end of the range.

  There, by the low fence, stood three prisoners who had spent a month locked in a barn — malnourished, squinting in the daylight.

  "But... won't it kill them?" Aya asked, taken aback.

  "Yes. They're to be executed. Master's orders."

  "But... I thought prisoners were sent as laborers to the checkpoint?"

  Rasa gave Aya a displeased look, as if she hadn't expected such a stupid question.

  "Those were just scouts. These were part of the band that killed Niena. We can't let them go. Normally, we'd sell them. But no one's buying, and we can't spare food. So..." Rasa gestured toward the prisoners.

  Still, something felt wrong. Aya looked at the prisoners. Their hands were chained, the chains tied to a fence post.

  "This is training. You won't have time to learn it in combat. Do you want it or not?"

  Aya looked at Rasa, then at the prisoners, then back at Rasa.

  "If it's training... could we unshackle them?" she asked.

  Rasa looked at her like she was insane.

  "The enemy won't be shackled," Aya added.

  Rasa shrugged. "If they leave the range, I'll kill them myself. So don't hesitate," she said. "Regi! Unshackle the first one."

  Only now did Aya notice the warrior leaning against the building wall, a short distance to the side.

  "Don't aim while he's close," Rasa said.

  Regi approached the first prisoner and fumbled with his shackles. Soon, they dropped to the ground, and Regi gave the man a shove in the back, forcing him to stumble forward. He stood there, rubbing his sore, reddened wrists and squinting. Regi returned to his place by the wall. Aya stepped forward.

  "You are going to be executed," she said loudly.

  The man looked at her. She saw tears in his eyes.

  "No. No," he said, voice shaking.

  Aya raised her hands and took a stance. She focused and inhaled, drawing her power into her core, then guiding it upward in a loop between her shoulder blades before channeling it into her hands. At first, she was wary of losing focus — but as the power began to flow through her, smooth, cold, and crystal clear, she knew that nothing could break her concentration now.

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  "No," the prisoner mouthed, but Aya couldn't hear.

  She released the magic. The lightning startled her — blinding and deafening. It wasn't quite as loud or bright as a natural strike — but still. The bolt hit the man in the chest, bursting into a spray of blood, and flung his limp body against the fence. It remained there for a heartbeat — then crumpled into a heap.

  "Good," Rasa said. "Next."

  Regi didn't wait for an order. He stepped forward and unshackled the second prisoner, who watched Aya with a grim expression throughout. Again, Regi gave him a shove and turned to walk away. The prisoner bolted — or rather, tried to. His numb legs didn't work too well. He ran with awkward, wooden strides toward the long edge of the range. Aya's lightning struck him in the side and sent his body tumbling like a ragdoll.

  "Good," Rasa said. "Next."

  Regi repeated his routine and stepped aside. The final prisoner did nothing. He just stood straight, staring directly at Aya.

  "Are you ready?" Aya shouted.

  He didn't reply or move. She took a few steps toward him. Then a few more. She could now see his face clearly. He was malnourished and pale, but in his eyes, she read defiance — contempt, even.

  "Aren't you afraid?" she asked.

  "You're not that scary, necromancer," he said coldly.

  She opened her mouth to object, to say that she wasn't what he thought — but instead played along:

  "Aren't you afraid of losing your soul?"

  "My family starved because of me. I am afraid of nothing. Do your job, demon."

  She raised her hands, still wondering if she should respond. What could one say on such an occasion? She was now only a few paces away — a couple more, and she could have touched his chest — but there was no need. There was no need for any of it. Why had she even come close? Why had she spoken to him? She focused on her magic, guiding and twisting it into a double loop, admiring the simplicity and fluid beauty of the motion. The lightning flashed. A moment later, a wet red mist covered her from head to toe.

  "Idiot," Rasa said, stepping closer. "Go wash yourself."

  Aya ran back to her room, catching a few shocked stares along the way. Inside, she wiped her face with a wet cloth, then peeled off her clothes and wiped them too, quickly running out of water in the jug. Now everything — skin, hair, fabric — was soaked and stained pink. She was almost late for patrol that day.

  It was an ordinary patrol. Nobody asked her about her wet clothes. The whole way, she thought about what had gone wrong with the execution. She reviewed the logic of it — they couldn't let them go, couldn't sell them, and couldn't feed them. Still, it was somehow wrong. There was something unnatural in snuffing out a life like that. But such were the laws of war, the laws of survival. She wondered if the dream girl would accept her logic — and instantly knew she wouldn't. The dream girl had strong opinions and barely knew necessity. Her life was nothing like Aya's.

  Fairy Hunt

  Negli heard three consecutive lightning strikes outside and decided to take a look. As he walked down the corridor, he passed Aya, who ran by him, covered in a fine red spray. The metallic smell of blood confirmed his suspicion. An intriguing household, he thought, stepping outside.

  On the training grounds, two guards were loading bodies into a cart — three men, their ribcages torn open and charred by lightning.

  "What happened?" he asked.

  "Execution, Lord Negli," one guard replied. "The Master dealt with those bandits. They'd eaten our bread long enough."

  "Where are you taking them?"

  "We'll dump them to the scum hole, by the cemetery."

  "Load the cart, but don't leave yet. I need to speak to Lord Kedi first."

  Negli turned and made his way to Kedi's study. The master of the house sat at his desk, penning what was likely another reply to the Magistrate's endless complaints.

  "I need to catch a grave fairy," Negli said as he entered.

  Kedi looked up, puzzled. "I remember you mentioning that. May I ask why?"

  "We can't silence the rumors about Ixi, so we need a distraction. Keeping another fairy will help us explain everything. I'll conduct tests on it and frame it as my research. It also gives me a pretext to extend my stay. We can share its data with the Tower without compromising Ixi. That should keep them satisfied for the immediate future."

  Kedi nodded. "Very well. Do you need help?"

  "I'll need fresh corpses from the execution — and Kemi's assistance."

  Kedi grimaced at the word execution but said nothing. He gave an order to a servant, and soon Kemi arrived — slightly disheveled, but in good spirits.

  "Can't a man rest on his free day?" he asked.

  "No rest for the wicked. Your family needs you," Negli said.

  "Oh, you're my family now?"

  "I'm only an advisor," Negli replied, spreading his arms with a smile. "And my advice is to catch a grave fairy — with your help."

  "Smells like sinister research," Kemi grumbled. "Fine. Advise away."

  Negli's preparations took half a day. It was already getting dark when they saddled their mares and rode out, followed by a cart with two guards. They reached the cemetery and stopped near a small dead-end by the so-called scum hole.

  "Dump the corpses by the road," Negli said to the guards. "Then take the cart over there and wait."

  The guards unloaded the bodies and rode off.

  "Five hundred paces at least — and no fires!" Negli shouted after them.

  By then darkness had fully set. Kemi conjured a magic light and saw Negli rummaging through his pockets.

  "Now what?" Kemi asked.

  "Now I draw the circle. And you hold this." Negli handed him a sheet of paper with a magical diagram.

  "Some warlock you are — using cheat sheets," Kemi said, looking at the paper.

  "Be quiet. This isn't my specialty."

  "Forgive me your lordship."

  Negli drew a circle in the snow, then inscribed runes inside it, filling the lines with charcoal dust from a small bottle. The circle turned out neat and clearly visible.

  "What is this?" Kemi asked.

  "An enchantment circle — a paralyzing trap. Help me move the corpses onto it. Be careful not to smudge the lines."

  Together, they carried the bodies and arranged them within the circle. The scene looked ominous, like some dark ritual, but in truth, the circle had nothing to do with the corpses.

  "Now step back. I'll activate it."

  Negli chanted another spell reading from the sheet. The runes lit up violet, dimmed, then flared again. The steady pulse of light continued — like a spell's heartbeat — clearly visible in the dark.

  "Isn't it a bit too obvious for a trap?" Kemi asked.

  "Fairies don't see colors. They see heat and magic. That's how they find warm bodies."

  "Oh. Fascinating..."

  Negli stepped back, inspecting his work. The corpses, though, were cold — too cold. If they waited like this, they could be there for hours. He turned the paper over and chanted a different spell from the back. It tugged at his magic, but he gave it only a small amount, cutting it short before it drained him too deeply. It was just enough — a thin black mist began forming over the corpses.

  "What was that?" Kemi asked.

  "Bait. Let's rejoin the guards."

  They rode away from the trap toward the guards.

  "I think a corpse just moved," Kemi said, glancing back.

  "Dead bodies twitch sometimes."

  "Do they, really?"

  They reached the guards' position and dispelled lights. The trap's violet glow was still visible from a distance.

  "Prepare to wait an hour or two," Negli announced.

  He was being pessimistic. Less than ten minutes later, a pair of grave fairies appeared. Their dark shapes circled the glowing circle, then one of them landed on a corpse. Instantly, the light flared — and vanished.

  "Did it work?" Kemi asked.

  "I think so. Let's see. You two — bring the cart."

  They conjured magical lights and rode forward. A grave fairy lay on the snow, limp and still, like a large ragdoll with glistening black eyes.

  "Is it alive?" Kemi asked.

  "Yes. Let's bag it."

  Negli lifted the creature carefully and carried it to the cart. The guards held out a sack, and together they wrapped the fairy tightly, leaving only its head exposed, then bound the cocoon with rope.

  "Hold it tight. I'm going to dispel the paralysis," Negli warned.

  The moment he cast the spell, the creature came alive — hissing and thrashing, making the guards jump.

  "You should've kept it paralyzed," Kemi commented.

  "Prolonged paralysis can be lethal, too risky," Negli replied. "Don't let it bite you," he added to the guards. "Head back to the mansion — we'll catch up."

  The guards rode off, one of them tightly gripping the thrashing bundle.

  "And now what?" Kemi asked.

  "Now we bury the corpses and destroy the circle."

  "You sure the corpses are safe?"

  "They will be in a minute. Step back," said Negli, backing away himself.

  He cast a final spell for today, pouring all his remaining power into it. A ball of white-hot fire formed in the air and slammed into the bodies. They went up in flames, twitching from the heat. The fire burned out quickly, leaving behind only ash and charred bones.

  "Well, that took care of the circle," Kemi said, eyeing the scorched ground — an ugly black scar on the pristine snow.

  "Let's push the remains into the ditch. We shouldn't leave bones lying around."

  They kicked the blackened bones and skulls into the ditch, raising up clouds of ash and soot.

  "The things I do for this family, I swear," Kemi said, coughing.

  "Should've thrown the bodies in the ditch before burning. My mistake," Negli said.

  They finished and mounted up. The moon had risen, and they dispelled their magical lights. Riding back side by side, Kemi kept questioning him.

  "So let me get this straight. To prove we're not doing necromancy, we caught a grave fairy... by using fresh corpses?"

  "Correct."

  "And that last spell you used — what was it?"

  "A fireball."

  "No, the other one. The bait."

  "I infused the bodies with Death element. To make them more appealing to the fairies. They weren't warm enough, you see."

  "Not warm enough. Uh-huh. And that spell, that Death infusion — was it, by any chance... necromancy?"

  "No. Well... barely. Let's forget I used it. It wasn't necessary anyway. The fairies would've come without it — eventually."

  Kemi shook his head.

  "The things I do for this family..."

  They returned to the mansion and found the fairy locked in an iron cage in the barn. A rough cloth covered it. When they lifted the cover, the fairy hissed, baring its teeth. The guards were brave enough to remove its bindings.

  It was noticeably smaller and distinctly uglier than Ixi. While Ixi looked almost like an elven child, this one had a subtle animalistic wrongness to its face. The contrast was so stark, it was hard to believe they were the same species. They stood a while, discussing the creature, then tossed it a lump of meat and lowered the cover.