2412, Rab 17, Briss

The forest of Akaron was no different than the one covering Komery and the majority of Dwanzeig. April sighed and sipped her cup of stale ale. Even though she was in the mood for an alcoholic brew, this bitter cup of spite was enough. Her muscles throbbed from flying nonstop since Dwanzeig and Desara. She took breaks, but only to close her eyes for sleep. Most of her waking hours were spent attending to her basic needs and traveling.

Nevertheless, her travels were nothing short of anticlimactic. After carpets of multicolored canopies, the forest gave way to the crescent-shaped valley hugging the off-white coast of Desara. It could have been Aresving or some other city, April had no energy to care, but one thing was certain. Somewhere above this place was the floating island, Falkirta.

After the skirmish with Elami Caizu a few years back, the mystery of why Umazure had a chunk of floating land that was Falkirta became clear. The first air sprites, after the division of their synnavaim, wanted space for their people, away from those who could hurt them. With the use of Ancient magic and risky spells, Falkirta was born. Hence, the isolation. Hence, the secrets.

Hence, the intrigue for the power to make such a feat happen.

April's gut soured. Her reflection accused her of something through the murky depths of her drink. As payment for the Heiress' aid in the Dwanzeig plan, she had given up the spell she discovered in the Caizu uprising—one that kept Falkirta afloat all those centuries. If the Heiress used it to bring down Falkirta...

She looked away from her cup. If the Heiress turned her eyes on the floating island, it'd be April's fault the Cardovia leader was able to do something against her people. Or maybe not. The Heiress could probably bring down Umazure with just a snap of her fingers. April had not been with the woman longer than a week, but she already got the idea that the Heiress hid a raging amount and strength of magic underneath that calm exterior.

The same with the Sovereign. After hearing rumors of another similar organization rising from the depths of forgotten history at the same time as Cardovia did, April had one mission only—to get to the Sovereign's hideout and continue her plan.

It's too risky to keep working with the Heiress. If she saw through April's plan, then June could only be in more trouble. This time, April would be at fault for real.

What price would the Sovereign extract from April?

A stretch—really. Stuck in a tavern due to the untimely downpour, she had nowhere to go if she wanted to stay dry. Wet feathers were the worst things to deal with as an air sprite. Why did she even get such painfully large wings in the first place? It's hell to drag around as much as it gave her the extra bursts of speed in flight. Lot of good that did her too.

The roar of rain pounding against the tavern's flimsy roof drolled in April's ear. It's the kind of noise that could lull her to a much-needed sleep. Her eyes were close to drooping shut when a shadow fell over her. Her senses snapped to attention, her hands flying to the hilt of her sword.

"Be at peace, Princess," a man said with a thick accent from the northern territories. "The Sovereign is aware of your presence and wishes to meet you."

April looked away but kept the man's frame in her periphery. A tunic hugged his buff chest, almost popping at the seams. A distinct band circled his sleeve, bearing a crude symbol she didn't know the meaning of. He looked down at her from tufts of fur lining his hooded cloak. He seemed to be on his way out and was only doing the Sovereign a favor by passing a message. Or maybe escorting people was a job he needed to dress up for?

"What for?" she inclined her head to one side, never taking off her stare from the near-vertical slashes of raindrops. Wet splatters rang against the canopies, the manicured roads of this backwater town in the middle of nowhere, and the entrance of the tavern. "I was merely enjoying a drink here. It's not like I want to meet...whoever that is."

A test—one April employed to make sure her presence was wanted and not accessory.

"The Sovereign insists, Princess," the man answered. His tone registered in April's senses. It seemed...mechanical. Almost. Did all of them talk like that under the Sovereign's rule? "She is waiting for you at her office."

April blew a short gust from her nostrils. "Well, if she wants to have an audience with me that much, I guess I can indulge," she jerked her chin at the raging downpour. "That doesn't look like it'd stop soon."

The man didn't reply. Instead, he marched out of the tavern, braving nature's sharp water blades with nothing but his furry cloak. Okay, then. April peeled off the table and found her way to what she assumed to be the tavern's backdoor. Instead of an alternative exit for the tenders and other privileged patrons, a set of dual doors marked the end of a corridor. She was about to touch the panel of buttons on the doors' right flank when they opened with a light ding.

A woman with lips painted blood-red beamed at her when their gazes met. "Ah, April Sylkrana," she opened her arms in a gesture like a hug, but April stayed rooted to where she stood. "Nice of you to drop by. I was just getting out."

April narrowed her eyes. "How do you know my name?"

The woman's bland eyes sparkled. "I know many things, darling," she said. Then, she clasped her hands together with a weak clap. "Now, allow me to escort you to my office so we can have that talk."

April opened her mouth to agree, and the first syllable almost left her mouth, when the woman snapped her fingers. For the second time, her world spun and whirled. Colors melded into hazy blobs, pounding against April's eyes. Then, they dropped into a cubical room and solid floor. April burst forward, hands reaching out to grip the rim of the nearest fixture. Her fingers dug against the edges of a desk.

"My, you're not very tough," the woman purred, rounding the desk and settling on it. The ease of her shoulders and the knowing look she trained towards April was enough to tell her one thing.

This was the Sovereign.

"Why bring me here?" April demanded through gritted teeth. Her world was slow in settling down. Her knees hadn't quite stopped shaking. She stumbled to the nearest stool and clambered on it. "What in Rudik's ass is that spell?"

The Sovereign waved a dismissive hand. "A mere soul transmigration spell," she said. "What I'm more concerned with is your purpose in coming to me."

April scoffed. "I was taking refuge from the rain," she said. "Your tavern happened to be the closest one to loiter around. I'm killing time."

The Sovereign hummed. "Keep telling yourself that," she said. "I'll send you up. You can go on your merry way without knowing the recent developments regarding June Sylkrana."

April whirled towards the woman with a hiss. "What do you know?" she asked. Her desperation leaked at the right time, giving the Sovereign an idea how much she had to know where her brother was. Ever since she misplaced them in Komery, he had been silent. And with an island this big, it's going to take a long time to find a single trail.

Knowing she had April's attention, the Sovereign smiled. Having power over someone had its benefits, and the Sovereign was determined to milk it. April hated how it came to be. "My spies reported intercepting him somewhere in Ansevir. That's close to the border of Lanteglos," the Sovereign said. "He has seen some...interesting developments."

April crossed her arms. "What kind of developments?"

"Uh, uh," the Sovereign raised a finger in the air and moved it from side to side. "That's the only piece of information I can give you. If you want more, you'll have to give me something in return."

April studied the Sovereign's face. Her pale skin and youthful face radiated sincerity and vulnerability, but underneath the scaly facade, a cunning and ambitious layer brooded—one that would crawl out from time to time whenever April said what she wanted to hear.

"Name your price," April said.

The Sovereign inhaled a sharp breath, looking down at the mess of parchment scattered on her desk. The shelf behind her was equally scattered, filled to the brim with bound tomes, scrolls, and more sheafs of parchment.

"Well," she breathed pointedly. "The Heiress had grown stronger and controlled the rest of the sprite territories. Recently, she added Dwanzeig to her list. Do you know what that means?"

April shook her head.

"Cardovia now controls half of Umazure. That's half—a huge percentage," the Sovereign tapped a finger against the sheets on her desk. April realized they're maps, battle logs, inventory files—all sorts of things. "Synketros controls most of Umazure's western side, but there is one place I can't touch."

It sank in, then, why she was bent on getting April on her side. "Lanteglos," April said.

A satisfied but annoyed look passed across the Sovereign's face. "Correct," she said. "Since the Heiress had the foolish High Queen under her thumb, I was unable to make a move. But now that Nevrin is gone..."

"The Heiress lost her footing in the Junction City," April said. She began to understand now. The High Queen's death brought not only a period of destabilization over the central government, it also encouraged these organizations to try their hand in seizing the Seelie Court as well.

The Sovereign shifted the topmost parchment towards April, inviting her for a look. It's a map of Umazure. "The tension of the battle is now in Thenaserine," she scratched a nail against the blob of land drawn on the sheet. "The Heiress uses Lanbridhr's forces to force the Unseelie Court to rescind their control over the city. Our forces have been causing dents into their formations, but I'm not going to lie when I say we're spread too thin. There's also other...ah, issues to handle in other areas."

"That's where you need my help?" April said.

"I need you to rally the Unseelie Court against the Imperial Court," the Sovereign replied. "The Seelie Court is doing their best to maintain their hold on Edgerift, but with you against them, they won't stand a chance. Show them what it meant to deny a High Queen her crown."

"I came here to kill my brother," April reasoned. "Not join some stupid war for dominance and resources."

The Sovereign put a hand on her chest as if that jab hurt her feelings. If she had those, that was. "What if I tell you there's a huge chance June Sylkrana will cross to Thenaserine from Ansevir?" she asked. "If we take control of it, you'd have more opportunities to trap him like a cleret."

April fell silent, her mind running through the various scenarios brought about by this partnership she's entering. The Sovereign did a good job of convincing her all that would happen were good things.

But what choice did she have? She needed to get to June alone, and with forces like this pelting down on the both of them, it's nigh impossible.

"Well?" the Sovereign prodded.

April blew a breath. "Fine," she said. "I'll take Thenaserine. But I'll trust you to provide me with your most loyal warriors and the most advanced weapons. I need to train with them too."

The Sovereign's eyes glinted with enough malice they seemed like gemstones in a dim cave. "Darling," she said. "That's the least I can do."