Chương 47: Chapter 46 - Trying Not to Die

Unwilling to respond and risk provoking the woman, Eli just gazed back at her motionless. The arctic air caused his breath to mist as he wheezed slowly under the grinding pressure of her presence." Mr Mercer."" What you have shown me is impossible."" The options that will resolve this situation in a peaceful manner are few, and the only thing staying my blade is my Lady's will to repay a debt to you."" This grace extends only so far, and you will comply with my commands.""

You will command the System to display your race, and its full description to me, and you will not resist as I apply a [Full Appraisal]."" If you fail to comply I will kill you."" Blink twice if you understand." Eli blinked twice.

"Now." Ding [Race: Voidborn Human] Ding [Race: Voidborn Human - A variant of the human race that is born in the void between stars and adapted to the extremely hostile nature and denizens of their home. Due to generations of exposure to the void between realms and the ravages of the cosmic energy and the violent creatures that fill these spaces, this subrace of humanity has developed innately high resistance in foreign energies and the endurance and willpower to survive in their environment. This variant is exceedingly rare as few offspring as survival in such a harsh environment is never a guarantee. +1 to Strength, Endurance, Intelligence, and Willpower per level] Mira paused to flick her eyes across the text before returning them to Elias's face as they dilated wide and an extremely uncomfortable sensation passed over him.

The sensation was unusual as so many of this new world's experiences are, but the only way he could describe it was if some had taken a rasp to the inside of his skull or scoured a layer off his very soul with sandpaper. Elias repressed a deep shudder as he tried to stay as still as possible under Mira's scrutiny. Her eyes refocused and flicked downwards as if reading a prompt, before flicking back up towards his.

After a moment her sword returned to its sheath in a flash of silver as Mira exhaled a slow breath and the pressure around him eased. She considered him for a moment with a blank expression before speaking." Mr Mercer, you may relax. It appears I owe you and the young Ms Tia an apology for your discomfort, but I will never apologize for actions taken in defence of my Lady.""

We need to have a serious discussion, about a topic that is deeply unpleasant, but it will have to wait a moment as my Lady is currently very distraught."" I will return." Mira disappeared. She did move quickly or step out of the dome when Eli blinked his eyes. He had her fixed in the center of his gaze, and at the end of her statement she was gone.

Tia whimpered on his shoulder and crawled down into his arms before asking him in a small voice, one that usually sounded oddly mature and confident to his ears, but never sounded so young and unsettled until this moment. Brother-eli why is auntie-mira so mad? What did we do? Are we going to have to go away now? I honestly don't know Tia, this was just as surprising to me. I don't know but I would tell you if I did. Are you going to go away now too? I don't want to be alone again.

Never Tia, whatever happens now, we will always do it together. Don't worry so much, Astra trusts Mira and I trust Astra. She must have had good reason for her actions, she helped us remember? Yeah. Don't forget that she said she wants to help both of us, I believed her then and I believe her now, this must be a misunderstanding. Ok, snack time? Eli laughed, Sure thing Tia. Eli sat on the ground and started peeling inkfruits doing his best to sooth the distraught little wyvern. Ding [Congratulations! [Companion Bond] has reached Lv 2] Astra's POV Astra was a little relieved that none of the refugees were from Springdale, the correspondence that Mira had seized pointed to some one in that village being an informant and the last thing she wanted to do was suspect someone under her care. I should be able to find passage for all of them from the garrison at Emerald Grove, half of them are from that town and the rest appear to be from Theron's Watch or one of the surrounding villages.

She smiled as the trio representing the refugees bobbed their bows and curtseys before heading to spread the news among their compatriots. It really does feel good to help the people with my own hands, Grandpa was right, I needed to get out of the endless training cycle and let something other than the Emberhymn drive my life. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought, and a soft hymn stirred in her chest for a moment as her gaze flickered over to Eli and Mira as they spoke under a privacy dome.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Although I might just have met another songborne, and not just mindless brute, but a man who has also tamed the beast and might even be able to join me on the path? Astra tried to contain her excitement as the hymn coiled in her chest threatening to break out into song.

Most of the songborne she had met had been bloodthirsty berzerkers, cold and dead eyed, only coming to life with a blade in their hands, the only exceptions being her Father and Grandfather. Although Astra suspected some of the other nobles she met may have been hiding it since it was frowned upon as something for commoners, who would otherwise struggle to excel or gain power.

Astra's mind drifted through past memories as she made her rounds around the camp, when she was young she had lived for the stories from her grandfather. Ever since she was a little girl she knew she was different from her siblings, much less the others her own age, she was bolder and more headstrong, she loved martial training even more than her own brothers.

As she grew older she realized that they saw the training as a duty, not fun, and her elder sister stopped her weapons training and shifted to magic only as soon as she was allowed too. She realized that she was not like the other noblewomen, she loved the thrill of battle and the challenge of her training. She still believed in those tales of heroines and villainesses, of mighty warriors battling fell beasts and powerful sorcerers scouring hordes from the field with a sea of azure flame.

She especially loved the real tales, the ones of the clanfather Eldric, or her grandfather's own stories, of the thrill of battle and the daunting challenges he faced. Her absolute favorites were of the songborne, the fiercest of warriors who stood at the bulwark and turning back the tide of horrors on the strength of blood fury alone, and of the rarest yet the twinborn the soulmates whose songs were intertwined by fate.

Astra never quite understood, when the other noblewomen talked about the men that caught their eye with their gentle demeanors and graceful bearing, they just never appealed to her. The tales of acts of desperate heroism, of fighting side by side against impossible odds with a partner who could not only match her fury but whose hymns sang as one? Astra fanned herself for a moment to cool her face before clearing her throat before continuing forward to check with Ms Farrier as to the condition of the livestock.

I know the chance of meeting another songborne and the two of us being twinborn is nigh inconceivable. If grandpa Roderic were here he would probably think I was just a foolish little girl, dreaming an impossible dream of some bedtime tale of romance. Her eyes flicked back over to the dome, remembering the night of blood and fire, remembering her pounding heart and the chorus of the Emberhymn rising to a crescendo in her chest.

She remembered the moment as they soared towards the campfire pivoting towards the firewatch, their weapons descending in synchronicity to strike as one. No more than a couple heartbeats, maybe four total, but in that moment she could feel it, a faint song echoing in the distance, a drum beat quite as a whisper, but tapping out a rhythm to a dance she knew all too well. Astra's heart raced at the memory, the impossible thing half forgotten from a childhood dream. I know what I felt no matter how fleeting.

Oh grandfather, I may be a fool, but only a greater fool would give up a chance to find their Hymnbound. You wouldn't begrudge me that? Doom me to walk the same lonely path as you, right? Astra shook her head and marshalled her focus, ripping her gaze back to the soldier detailing the maintenance concerns for the battlewagons, they were not far from Springdale, but a busted wheel could spell a death sentence for some of her charges if they broke down on this far into the Reach.

A chill went down her spine and Astra whirled around to face the privacy dome that had become opaque, a frosty mist drifting from its surface. Astra recoiled as she could feel Mira's aura unfurl inside, she narrowed her eyes as she stomped over to the door, what in the infinite Abyss is going on in there? Astra pounded a gauntletted fist on the dome, " Mira? Eli?" Astra frowned, it's not like her to not answer," Answer me now Mira." Silence.

Astra drew her blade with a rasp, the nearby soldiers backing away, and with a flex of her will the air grew warmer as a glowing red layer of plasma coated her blade." Mira."" You have five seconds before I find out if my blade can peel open your dome."" You will answer me, that is an order." Astra hissed out a breath as she seethed with anger, I know she can hear me. If that crusty old bird is threatening Eli over some damn fool noble tradition I'll have her hide. The man has been through enough.

Before her mental count hit five Mira apparated outside the dome, and dropped a second one around them. No Eli, he must still be inside, what is she doing. Mira gave Astra a stiff bow, " You are upset my Lady."" I detected a possible threat and acted accordingly."" When Mr Mercer showed me his status plate, the numbers were impossible for a human. I suspected him of being a changeling, so I restrained him while forcing him to reveal his race and performed a [Full Appraisal].""

It appears I was in error, Mr Mercer is indeed human, but a rare possibly epic variant I have never seen before." Astra slammed her blade home in its scabbard with a growl and strode forward to snarl directly into her face." What."

"The."

"Fuck."

"Miralda."" Only a dunce with all the wits of a horned toad would be unable to see that."" He is literally from another realm, Mira, possibly from another plane of existence all together. Of course he is fucking weird." Astra stepped back, squeezed her eyes closed and took a series of steady breaths, " Did you harm him." Mira shifted uneasily, an incredibly rare act for one such as her, " No my Lady." Astra let out a deep breath, the important part is that they are both fine.

Astra rubbed her temples for a moment trying to marshal her emotions, I swear this old battleaxe will give me wrinkles before I'm 30 at this rate. It is always dire threats and potential monster tides her. Astra opened her eyes and fixed Mira with a stern expression, " The man has been through more trauma in a week than most people experience in their whole lives, and still gave up what little he had to come to rescue of a bunch of strangers practically barehanded."

She leaned forward to fix Mira with a gimlet stare, "Which included saving my life in case you don't remember, and he was literally barefoot when he did so."" Within moments of waking he shared a meal with me, and it was literally his only possession in the entire realm, and he still did it without a single thought to the contrary." She drew herself upright." No more tests."" No more scans."" No tricks or manipulation."" If such is necessary you will only do so with my express permission.""

You will treat him with the same respect you do me, and that is an order." Astra stared at Mira for a moment to ensure the seriousness of her position sank in, " Dismissed." Mira sketched a stiff bow and disappeared. Astra turned around and heaved a sigh as the rest of the camp studiously avoided her gaze, grandpa if your friend hurts my counterpoint I'm bringing her back in a bucket. Astra tried and failed to regain the cheerful mood from earlier in the morning.