Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 50: The Mechanic and the Artisan

Wenlianna paces her lab back and forth. Daniel speaks of ways to track things over long distances, especially aircraft, in case they got lost or were shot down. She didn't really realize it, but she wonders if this is what ship owners and large merchants feel about their ships when they send them out to sea.

She glanced at a floating magic crystal; a diamond that she was able to create by combining several different spells to create a crystal that defies gravity. She hasn't figured out the best use for it, yet, but it proves that she can layer rather complex spells onto a diamond and still retain powerful effects.

The magic artisan also has a small generator running off of water pressure from a water crystal. She's still experimenting with converting the electric energy from the generator to pure mana. If she can, Wenlianna can change the water pressure turbine to a water wheel and continuously charge crystals. But first, she has to figure out how to convert that energy.

The young woman collapses in the otherworldly chair, turning in a slow circle with a sigh. She read through her notes once more. Wenlianna is juggling too many simultaneous projects in addition to the airship that successfully left a couple weeks ago to join the mission to find Daniel. Aramellianna hasn't told Wenlianna everything about it, but she weapon knows enough to know that Aramellianna asked for a specialized for a reason. Wenlianna has no idea how the airship's cannon will work. Can it stop a dragon? Is it lethal or non-lethal? She mainly wanted to only knock dragons out of the sky, but falling from that height could be deadly to even the mightiest beings of the world. Dragons have perished before, after all. However,...

“Why? Why did things have to change? Why did we have to do any of this?” She puts her head down on her desk, fidgeting with a pen.

Before she knows it, she’s asleep.

When she wakes up, Wenlianna stretches with a yawn. Her face is a little sore from sleeping on her arm at her work bench. Fortunately, the chair is immensely soft, so it caused her no discomfort. 

That said, as the magic artisan is clearing her brain out of drowsiness, she finds that she’s covered in a blanket. It’s possible Aramellianna came by, or one of the maids. 

Wenlianna folds the blanket as she begins anew after her nap. She yawns and stretches a little, and then puts her glasses on.

I wonder if the airship has reached the Citadel yet. I hope they don’t do anything rash and try to fight the dragons.

Wenlianna checks her generator, which is still running. I should see if I can find a way to quantify mana stored in a crystal. Salt crystals never really mattered, since most applications can last for five years, which is long enough to get their worth, I think. But, if the airship were to be airborne and suddenly lose power.

She ponders it for a moment.

That’s it! Daniel’s artifact! It has a meter for how much electricity it has! Surely there are documents about how such a feat is accomplished.

She walks briskly to the secure room of her lab, where she keeps the otherworldly device hidden and powered by Daniel’s charger hooked into a generator he built.

Strangely, when she arrives, she notices something off about the room. She tries to look around, searching for what’s out of place. The lights are normal. The window is covered with a metal plate. There is nothing but silence in the room and the special equipment that she…

Silence…

Wenlianna snaps her gaze to the bench where it should be. Where a generator should be running, powering a strange, small brick with two metal prongs and a strange string that connects to an otherworldly archive of wisdom.

All of it is gone.

Wenlianna staggers forward, her blood pressure dropping as the shock takes hold. She rubs her eyes, still staggering towards the desk that served as a sort of altar to knowledge with how important the device is. Once she arrives at the desk, she can clearly see that the generator, the charger, and the phone have all vanished. All that remains is a single sheet of paper.

She looks around, finally deciding to look at the paper. Horror has seized her mind, and she can barely process.

On the paper are written the words, “[I’m sorry, but I had to do this. Farewell, Wenlianna.]”

She stares at the paper for a long time. The hand that wrote those letters is careful and well-practiced at writing the Imperial Common language. Despite all that, they still show the meticulous and ultimately unnatural line formation of an amateur, someone still polishing their writing ability.

Someone from another world.

She murmurs softly, “D-... Daniel? But… Why?” Nearby, she finds a single strand of black hair, faintly glowing.

***

Shortly before, Daniel opens the door to Wenlianna’s lab. Wenlianna isn’t bustling around or studiously poring over a manuscript.

Instead, she’s asleep at one of her many work benches. Daniel gestures for Hekate and Reignleif to remain quiet, and they nod in confirmation.

In addition to her being present, which is only a slight setback, Daniel marvels at the many new devices Wenlianna has managed to build in the brief time that she’s had unlimited access to his phone. He sees an electric generator powering the mana charging device, though it doesn’t seem to be working quite like when Wenlianna did it herself. She must still be working on it. There’s a strange crystal floating all on its own inside of a special containment system. He sees a few incomplete systems, though they look like they could be some sort of engine in order to drive either pumps or even perhaps carriages. There are also many, many notes scattered around on the chalkboards, paper notes, and even on the desk itself, much of which Daniel recognizes as phonetically translated English words, like when specific English words are translated to Japanese, sounding almost identical to the English word itself, but using the Japanese syllables.

She has been translating what she can from the phone, doing her best to make sense of it, and then developing technologies using the magic equipment she knows to make equivalents for this world.

Daniel smiles reverently, and Hekate glares at him. He gestures with his hands for her to relax, and she resists the urge to growl. She tenses, storming across the room for a moment and pouting in a corner. Daniel rolls his eyes and continues searching. He can hear another generator in the next room, which if he remembers right, is Wenlianna’s locked room. He looks to Reignleif, pointing at the door. He shakes his hands in a motion mimicking trying to open the door but not being successful.

“You wish for me to unlock the door with magic, Mukori?” asks Reignleif’s voice via telepathy.

Daniel nods affirmatively, and she nods in turn. “Leave it to me.”

Reignleif approaches the door, beginning to cast a spell that creates a magic circle.

Daniel watches for a moment, glancing at Wenlianna. She’s still asleep for now, but they’ll need to move quickly if she wakes up. As far as he knows, she doesn’t practice offensive magic, but that doesn’t mean she can’t or won’t put up a fight.

However, as he’s waiting for Reignleif to open the door, Hekate does something surprising.

She silently withdraws a blanket from her magic bag, approaching Wenlianna quietly. Daniel reaches towards her, but he doesn’t want to say anything for fear of waking her up. Hekate’s not especially violent, but he isn’t sure what she’s doing.

Her intentions prove to be completely wholesome, though. She simply covers Wenlianna with the blanket gently, being extra careful not to disturb the magic artisan.

She spots Daniel watching her, and she flinches, walking away with her hands behind her back like she did nothing.

“I’ve got it.” Daniel exhales, being sure not to make noise, and he walks to the door. Reignleif opens it for him, and he nods at her. He moves inside and inspects the room.

Sure enough, there’s the generator, charger, and phone all together. He approaches as he withdraws one of his medium magic bags from storage in a small bag, and he collects all of the items to go with his phone.

I hate doing this, but I guess I could call this my pension, right? He shakes his head at his own dumb rationalization, but he decides to leave a note. He writes a brief note before joining the other two at the door. They close the door and lock it from the inside, and Hekate casts the return spell, instantly returning them to the Citadel.

As soon as they’re safely in the return circle, Hekate pounces on Daniel. “You thought she was pretty, didn’t you!? Huh!?”

Daniel pries the feldrok girl off of himself, retorting, “Hekate, jealousy isn’t a good look on you. Especially when you’ve still yet to win the Hekate game even once.”

She twitches in his arms, crossing her own arms as she looks away with a sassy huff. “That means she is pretty.”

Daniel sighs. “Yes. But, I’m here, aren’t I? I could’ve sabotaged the mission if I wanted to stay.”

She pouts, saying nothing. 

“Those devices,” starts Reignleif. “Are they what you wished to retrieve?”

Daniel nods as he sets Hekate down. “Indeed. Specifically, my phone.” Daniel withdraws the phone, inspecting it. Sure enough, it’s in perfect condition, and he’s able to show the screen to the other two, who marvel at it for a moment.

“It looks like the panels in the Citadel,” remarks Hekate.

“Agreed. Interestingly enough, it works the same basic way.”

Reignleif asks softly, “Do you think the Citadel was built by someone of your world, Mukori?”

Both she and Hekate wait for his answer.

“It’s certainly possible, but highly unlikely. I suspect it’s an avenue of technology that simplifies usage and efficiency, similar to how my world also had bows and arrows, swords and spears just as this world does. Once firearms became widespread, those other weapons became all but obsolete, serving more as collectibles or much more specific tools, such as for hunting. You would be unlikely to hear about any of those weapons used in warfare, save unique cases where firearms are unavailable to the ones using them.”

Daniel shows one of the documents on his phone to the two, and Xyreko arrives in a teleport. “I take it the mission was a success?”

Daniel nods, but Hekate growls, “Nooooo. Daniel left a love letter for that woman! He’s recruiting another mistress! Can you believe it?”

“Yes,” retorts Xyreko with all of the gentleness of a brick. Hekate can only gasp and stammer as she glares at the golem, and Daniel sighs. “Says the little feldrok girl who covered her with a blanket all on her own.”

Hekate gasps, now turning her betrayed gaze on Daniel.

“I… That’s…” She crosses her arms and looks away. “I’m not a heartless monster. She looked cold.”

Daniel kneels to Hekate’s level, and he holds her head for a moment, kissing her cheek. She instantly turns bright pink, stammering as she sheepishly stares at him. He smiles gently, petting her head. “And, that’s why I’m proud of you, Hekate. Thank you.” Hekate can only stammer and squeak unintelligibly, and she finally whirls away from Daniel, hiding her face with as much of her body as she can, including her big fluffy tail. Daniel chuckles warmly. He then stands up, asking as he does, “How is the siege going?”

“Interesting, Daniel. I decided to try something in the last hour or so. I’ve been having the mud golems go into battle unarmed, and they are simply capturing weapons. It is causing quite the confusion of those wise enough to retreat in order to try to claim a new weapon, while those who stand and fight the mud golems become living shields as they are absorbed into the mud.” Xyreko quickly adds, “I am ensuring they can breathe and doing my best to keep them from being hit by stray bolts. Most of the soldiers are reluctant to attack the golems carrying their own, but they are surprisingly brave about trying to rescue said captives.”

“Sounds good. Keep up the good work, Xyreko. Thank you.”

She bows her head. “Of course, my darling Daniel.” Just before Daniel does anything else, though, she adds, “Oh… Daniel, I should report. There was an anomaly along the northwest perimeter of the castle town.”

“An anomaly?”

She nods. “Intruders were detected, but my golems have found no evidence. It could have been wildlife from the lake, but I can’t say it’s not actual intruders. I simply can’t find them if they are.”

“Continue to operate with the assumption that there are intruders on the grounds. Try not to cause a panic, but see if you can run a quick census on the villagers and search the town. Is there any way they could get into the castle?”

“By force, no. Not without breaking my barrier. However…”

“However?”

“If they captured a hostage…”

“I understand. All the more important to account for everyone. Move everyone in the Citadel to the control room and inform them of what’s going on.”

“It shall be done. And, I shall isolate the intruders once they are found. I apologize that I am unable to detect them.”

“No. I’m glad you mentioned it. I’d rather play it safe. Once we confirm everyone is safe, we’ll sweep the floors one at a time.”

She nods and vanishes in a teleport. 

“Didn’t it take us a couple weeks to navigate this place, Daniel?” asks Hekate. “I can’t imagine intruders could avoid Xyreko’s detection and find whatever they’re looking for. And, if it’s you, you could be anywhere.”

“I can only guess as to their plans. Regardless, they’re likely using stealth magic, same as we were. Xyreko’s good, but her attention is mostly on the siege. The golems need direct control.”

Hekate nods as she cups her chin. Reignleif asks softly, “Are you certain you don’t wish for us to intervene?”

“Not directly. While Xyreko is gathering everyone, let’s take another quick flight to see what the supply situation is. They’ve likely got staging areas set up.”

Reignleif smiles and nods. “Can I blow them up!?” asks Hekate. “Th-The supplies. I want to blow up the supplies.” She adds with a darker tone, “I want them to rue the day they attacked my home and my friends.”

Daniel smirks and nods in agreement. Hekate grins, adding softly, “They have to be alive to rue the day, right?”

“Yes. Very merciful of you, oh great Empress Hekate.”

Reignleif laughs in her soft voice, and the young feldrok girl hums proudly as she stands as tall as her small form allows. “I am merciful, aren’t I?”

“You’d be a saint if you met the height requirements.”

“Mm-hmm-... WAIT A MINUTE!”

Daniel is already walking away when Hekate whirls to glare at him, and she pounces onto his back, biting his armored shoulder. “Gyuu kake gat gack!” growls the little girl as she gnaws on his armor, though Daniel ignores her. Reignleif continues to chuckle, following the two of them to the flyway to surveil the siege from the air.

For now, Xyreko will gather everyone, which grants them time to undertake the surveillance.

Little do they know what lurks in the depths of the Citadel.

***

Muindis and his group follow on either side of the humongous corridors as the comparatively tiny and insignificant little goblin woman nervously walks. She seems to know where she’s going, and the other squads are following at a distance. Stealth magic is keeping them undetected, though they have to be careful to keep track of their path through the Citadel. It’s a humongous castle, and like navigating a city, it could be easy to get lost. Especially because many of the long corridors are almost labyrinthian in design, as if to lure in victims and trap them forever.

Muindis knows that it’s mostly due to their relative size. The castle seems to be meant for dragons, and so, human-kin and their goblin hostage are little more than ants.

The captain stays in striking range of the goblin, just in case she tries to pull any tricks. As he walks, he notices that the goblin woman doesn’t seem to have a shifty air about her. She’s simply nervous and afraid, and she only glances back at him to make sure she isn’t doing anything wrong in his eyes.

Finally, after what feels like hours of walking, ascending long stairwells, and crossing catwalk bridges between interior castle sections, the goblin woman approaches a door. She knocks, calling out, “Master? It’s Shek. Shek need speak to Master.”

“What’s the meaning of this?” hisses Darner. “We told you to take us to Daniel.”

Shek whirls and trembles. She stammers, “Sh-Shek… Master… Shek take…”

Darner storms close, kicking the goblin woman, and she slams into the wall, crying out. “You filthy little monster!”

Muindis stops Darner from going further. For now, she hasn’t betrayed them, and they need her to find wherever Daniel is being held. Muindis understands Darner’s anger, though. Goblins are typically aggressive and savage creatures. A horde of them can lay waste to a village, in spite of how relatively weak they are. They fight with abandon, every swing meant to be lethal with nothing held back.

Seeing this ‘Shek’ is quite the contradiction. Muindis would kill her in a heartbeat if needed, but for now, she’s useful.

Shek whimpers, crying from the pain as she clutches her abdomen. “M-M-Master… P-Pwease… help… Shek…”

Muindis crouches, still towering over the small woman. “We’re not looking to meet with Hekate. We’re looking for Daniel. We know he was handed over to you goblins by Hekate and the dragons. But, we also know he’s alive.”

“O-Of course alive…” whimpers Shek. She coughs. “Sh-Shek no eat…” She trails off, unable to continue as her stomach pains her.

“Speak damn you!” Darner kicks her, and Muindis shoves him back. “What the hell are you doing!?”

“I’m tired of treating this disgusting wretch like it’s a person! Do you know what their kind do!? My brother and his family lived near the mountains. These things are a pestilence.”

“Be that as it may, we still don’t know where Daniel is.”

“Sh-Shek… s-s-sorry… Shek try help…” She sniffles and whimpers. 

Suddenly, a thunderous boom startles all of them, and Halbrond cries out as he flops against the wall, his armor caved in over his chest.

Several of the Stalvaltan soldiers were forced to their knees by the painful volume of the attack. It possessed all of the power of thunder, but as if it came from directly next to them.

Out of the shadows steps an unmistakable visage. It is the knight and apparent ‘Darling’ to Hekate. He draws a sword while still holding a strange, short wand made from a square pipe with an angled grip. Smoke is trailing from the end of the wand, and everyone helplessly stares at him, stunned. Thinking quickly, Darner tries to pounce Shek to take her hostage, but a second boom startles everyone, and he cries out as blood sprays. He is thrown to the ground on his back, a flash being the only tell of the terrifying spell.

Or, the otherworldly weapon. Muindis, startled by the flash and the cough of fire and smoke, spots a glint in the dim light of the hallways. It’s a small, tiny, metal canister that pops out of the side of the weapon after the attack. While smaller, it looks just like the canister Wenlianna was brought in to inspect, and which she confirmed is a component of Daniel’s otherworldly dragon slaying weapons.

Both Halbrond and Darner seem to be alive, though they are grievously wounded. Perhaps the smaller canisters mean less lethality.

“Shek! Come to me!” calls out the mysterious knight. 

The goblin woman strains, but she manages to get to her feet, ambling as quickly as her injuries will allow, which is quick enough for her to escape Muindis. She cries as she hugs the knight’s waist, her head barely reaching his hips. “M-M-Master! Shek sorry! Sh-Shek…”

He replies surprisingly gently, “It’s alright, Shek. I’m glad you’re alright.”

She nods, still sobbing into his hip. The knight aims Daniel’s weapon at Muindis, growling, “That’s more than I can say for the lot of you.”

***

Shortly before, Daniel and Hekate ride on Reignleif’s back once more, sailing over the siege lines. As expected, mud golems are haplessly marching endlessly into the eastern forces. The golems are akin to robots, but powered by magic, so they have no fear, and they have no qualms about marching fearlessly into death. Because they simply melt into piles of mud upon destruction, they can be shoveled back into the golem making magic device and turned into new ones, but no one on the enemy’s side will try to steal the material for their own purposes. Iron is valuable, and would be relatively desireable to hoard it upon defeating iron golems, even if they are more durable and difficult to defeat. Same goes with even higher-tier golems. Mud golems are completely expendable in the grand scheme of things, and so long as Xyreko can produce them faster than they’re destroyed, the enemy will never gain ground on the Citadel.

Suddenly, a voice rings out in Daniel’s helmet. “Daniel! I can’t believe you returned and didn’t tell me!”

He asks audibly, though he suspects they ‘hear’ him some other way, “Ryuo? We were back for like five minutes.”

“I know! Why didn’t you invite us this time?”

Daniel rolls his eyes. Before he can answer, Xyreko cuts in. “Daniel, we have a problem. I found the intruders. They have Shek.”

Daniel sits up. “Shek!? Is she alright?”

Both Hekate and Reignleif look back at him. “They have Shek!?” asks Hekate. “Where!?”

“Outside of Daniel’s room.”

“Hekate!”

“I’m on it! Reina, join us as soon as you can!” Hekate stands up, casting teleportation on herself and Daniel. In an instant, they appear in Daniel’s room. 

“Good work. Now, stay here for the beginning. I need to draw out their forces. Once Reina arrives, you two deal with anyone trying to flank me.”

She nods. “B-Be careful.”

“You too. Reina, did you get that?”

“Yes, Mukori. I am returning as quickly as possible.”

“Me too, Daniel! I will aid you in this time of treachery!”

“Thanks Ryuo. You and Geira be careful. Ask the others to hold the control room, please.”

“Your wish is my command, Master!”

Daniel draws his pistol, and he hears Shek cry out. His blood begins to boil.

He quickly jogs to the door, listening to the other side. “Sh-Shek… s-s-sorry… Shek try help…”

Daniel slides the door open, spotting an archer across the hall. He still has ‘non-lethal’ rounds loaded, but he doesn’t care what happens to these guys now. He aims and fires before the archer notices him, and the soldiers all flinch following the thunderous report of the pistol.

As Daniel moves out into the hall to close his door, he studies those around him briefly, drawing Nemaisol to act as a sort of magic shield as much as possible. 

Suddenly, movement catches his eye; one of the Stalvaltan soldiers is trying to grab Shek, and Daniel aims on instinct, firing instantly. Blood sprays as the soldier is toppled. Though ‘non-lethal’ to a degree, they’re still bullets, and he hit pure flesh instead of armor, probably in between one of the armor’s joints. 

Whatever the case, the survival of enemy soldiers is not his priority. It’s a goal, but far from a priority.

Instead, Daniel cares about one thing right now.

“Shek! Come to me!”

Shek limps, clutching her abdomen as she tries to run, but can move barely quicker than a walk. Still, she is able to escape the immediate proximity of any of the soldiers, and she clings to Daniel’s side as she sobs. She tries apologizing, but Daniel reassures her gently. “It’s alright, Shek. I’m glad you’re alright.”

He can feel Shek nod, though her sobs don’t grow any softer. Daniel growls with anger filling his voice, but his composure still intact, “That’s more than I can say for the lot of you.”

Daniel pivots, dissipating a fireball with Nemaisol as the sword crackles. Thankfully, the glow shifts in the presence of magic. He has virtually none, and Shek has very little magic ability. Whichever way the sword is glowing is a pretty good wind gauge to where magic is coming from with battlemages of the Stalvaltan Guard. Additionally, as long as he can get the sword close, the spell can be disrupted before it reaches him or Shek. Daniel fires his pistol as the fireball is flaring in reaction to Nemaisol, and another soldier cries out. There are several in the direction of the hall where they had Shek, and Daniel pivots again, throwing Nemaisol in a horizontal spin. His newly free left hand finds his second pistol, while one of the swordsmen drops his spell to parry Nemaisol.

Oh, how unprepared he is.

Nemaisol passes through the soldier’s sword with ease, even as he swings it down to bat the sword away. He narrowly dodges, taking a brutal slash on his shoulder that nearly claimed his whole arm as the sword passes the group and startles all of them, clanging across the ground as a solid iron blade clangs in alternation, severed cleanly.

Daniel now has both of his pistols ready, and he opens fire, changing directions to keep all of the Stalvaltan soldiers suppressed.

“Hekate! Can you hear me?”

“She says yes, Daniel. Her helmet is protecting her ears.”

“Good. Hekate, open the door and get Shek to the control room. There’s about fifty of them in total, scattered in the hall and closing in on me.”

Daniel notices the door slide open, and he keeps firing, shoving Shek towards Hekate. Hekate scoops the goblin woman into the room, closing the door just as quickly as Shek cries out in fear and surprise. Fortunately, she’s as safe as can be, now.

While Daniel is able to incapacitate some of the Stalvaltan soldiers, he is forced to take cover from ranged spells as the novelty shock factor wears off for the soldiers. They still flinch during some of the shots, but are able to focus enough to fight back. 

As the soldiers close in, three figures appear near the ceiling, flying at great speed. Daniel easily recognizes them, since they’re in they’re human forms, but with their wings extended.

Daniel holds fire as Reignleif swoops in, sliding on  her feet as her mantle flutters around her. She puffs her chest as she takes in a massive breath, and Daniel can see the sparks of magic flickering from behind her high collar that usually hides most of the lower half of her face.

She reveals a hand to pull her collar down, and Daniel ducks. 

Flames roar overhead, filling much of the hall with bright light and burning heat. Many of the soldiers scream and scramble out of the way, while Ryuogriar comes to a hover just ahead of Daniel. “You fools! You enter these sacred grounds and attack our cherished companions?” She waves her hands elegantly, easily intercepting magic spells with barriers as the soldiers try to fight back. She’s simultaneously casting several spells, including the barriers.

Daniel is then pulled away from Ryuogriar, and a magic barrier appears. Reignleif takes another breath, and she begins breathing a fire lance that explodes, pops, and crackles against the barriers along the walls; Xyreko is watching over them. That said, it does keep the soldiers pinned to the floor in fear, while their weapons, pulled from their hands and levitated in the air by the eldest of those present continues chanting spells. 

Daniel looks to find Geirahoel shielding him with her barrier as she keeps herself low. Shrapnel is spraying across her barrier, and any one of the molten pieces of former weapon could be deadly to Daniel, specifically.

A dark aura flickers out from Ryuogriar, and almost at once, even Geirahoel’s barrier vanishes, while Reignleif’s laser beam-like fire lance wavers and becomes little more than a large flamethrower-like swirl of fire. Reignleif and Geirahoel both relax, and Ryuogriar lowers into an exquisitely regal posture. One of the soldiers wearily tries to cast a spell, chanting loudly. Daniel places himself between Geirahoel and the soldier with Nemaisol drawn. However, nothing happens.

Ryuogriar says calmly, “There is no need for that, my beloved Mukori. I have cast a spell that has temporarily created a void of mana here. Since we know that life is not contingent on mana thanks to you, we’ll all be fine without it. After all, if I recall correctly, no one else here can breathe fire.”

The soldiers go on guard.

“AND…” booms a seemingly all-present young female voice. The air seems to distort in on itself in the middle of the hallway, and a portal opens to somewhere else. From it steps a small figure with big, triangular ears and a broad, fluffy black tail. Though she looks like a human with features of a fox, she’s actually one of the most dangerously powerful beings in the world. Hekate announces as she stands as tall and proud as her small frame allows. “Ryuogriar’s spell only works on people present at the time.” Hekate emphasizes her point by summoning a fireball, twirling it just above her index finger like a basketball with an arrogant smirk.

“Now then,” adds Hekate. “If you wanted an audience with me, you needed only to ask my chancellor, Xyreko. Wait…” She approaches one of the soldiers that was with Shek. “I remember you. Moon…dee. Right?”

Now that she mentions it, Daniel does feel like he recognizes the soldier. 

“L-Lady Hekate…” starts the soldier.

“Empress Hekate, if you please. I’ve founded my own empire since you were last here; the Fievegal.”

“O-Of course, Empress Hekate. I can explain.”

“I would hope so. You broke into my castle and took one of my people hostage. Then, you tried to kill my Darling. I imagine there’s a fascinating reason for doing all of that.”

The soldier hesitates for a moment. He glances at Hekate, and then at Daniel, who is still hidden in his armor.

“I’m waiting,” warns Hekate with a predatory smile.

***