Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley***

Gods!

I swear, this child is killing me!

Over the centuries I thought I had become a really wonderful mother. But here I am helpless!

“Daddy will be done with his work soon! So please stop crying, mommy and daddy will play with the little princess soon. No need to cry, here look. Isn't that an interesting doll?” I wave Sera's doll around in her field of vision to distract her from crying.

We are in our bed chambers and I am waiting for my husband. Please! Be done with your work soon!

Sera isn't impressed. I had screaming children, who had the strangest reasons for crying. But this one is the first who is only satisfied when both of her parents are in front of her.

And she is cheating! That trembling jaw and the tears look simply too miserable!

“I am done with work today!”

Snap. The mouth is shut. Smile. Grin. The transformation is abrupt and complete. She hears Ascathon's voice and everything is fine. I cover my face inside the pillow beside Sera. We are lying together on the bed.

“You are late! She cried for three hours straight! My ears are still ringing.”

“Sorry. I couldn't help it. The construction of the new ship needs much of my time. No matter how good some of the new workers are, there are things which I have to teach myself. My techniques are unfamiliar to them. So how was your day?” He sits down beside me and lets Sera play with his hand.

“The shipments of raw materials are helping our economy a big deal. Fingulf wasn't stingy. I think that we can call our principality independent by now. The defence already proved itself, so we can slowly start to think about dealing with the other powers. The Phenex Empire is bothering me. Are you sure that you got everything out of the prisoners?” I look at Ascathon and start to play with Sera too.

“I picked the highest ranking ones apart myself. They had orders to capture us. There is no doubt about that. The question is why the Immortal Empress took an interest in us? Maybe she got word that I started the spy hunts?” He shakes his head.

“There are so many spies and assassins around. It isn't strange that she found out who uncovered her activities. But why capture us? Anyone could have uncovered her spies. It makes no sense to pay so much special attention to us.” I smile at Sera.

“Unless she suspects us to be more than we seem to be. Do you smell that?” He pulls a grimace and I take Sera to clean her.

“Don't tell me that you don't...”

“I know! Just clean her up. I will open the window for a while, even if it gets cold.” He interrupts me and steps on the balcony.

I take my time with cleaning Sera who is strangely silent. Hmm. Shouldn't she scream because papa isn't in her sight?

When I am done, I find Ascathon on the balcony. It is a spacious one with a length of ten metres and a depth of about five. So I wrap Sera into a fluffy blanket and join him. “You will catch a cold if you don't cast elemental protection.”

“Schhh... we have uninvited guests. Be sure to keep Sera safe.” An icicle forms in front of him and he flicks his fingers towards the shadows in the garden under our balcony.

The shard of ice follows the command fast and disappears into the shadows. I step backwards, closer to the entrance, while activating my battle aura. Assassins again? They didn't try anything for quite a while.

For a second nothing happens. Then two shadows run towards us and jump onto the big balcony without much effort.

Ascathon steps in front of us and a shimmering barrier appears in front of him. It's not like I needed any protection. He is overdoing it.

“Quite a strange way to greet the Inquisition.” One of the dark figures speaks and throws the icicle from earlier in front of Ascathon's feet.

“I greet trespassers how I deem it fit. Whoever it may be.” Ascathon's voice is cold and dark.

“No need for such ill feelings. We just took a look around your principality. I must say that I never saw so many laws violated until now. Especially those 'railguns'. They alone give us enough justification to execute you on the spot.” The rough voice breaks a little because of a coughing fit. “I hate this land. The cold creeps into your bones, regardless of the protection spells you cast.”

“It's unavoidable if you sneak through the darkness for an entire night.” Ascathon has a happy tone now.

“In any case. We must take you with us. Someone like you can't be allowed to do as he pleases.” The second dark figure begins to move but several icicles start to form around Ascathon.

“I don't want to. And I can't have my child and my wife travel through this weather.” My husbands voice is cold again.

“You are unfortunately in a bad position. If you scream for help, we will eliminate you right away. And you are alone, while we are two. How do you intend to defend your wife?”

A few seconds of silence follow. Then everything happens at once. Ascathon's icicles shoot towards the enemies. A golden barrier deflects them and the two shadows start to move.

One of the inquisitors confronts Ascathon, while the other ignores him and heads directly for me and Sera.

But Ascathon doesn't pay any attention to him. I guess he judged that I can deal with one of them on my own. In a split second I decide to play the weak victim to utilize my advantages.

“~Kyaaaa!~”

I kneel down while shielding Sera with my body. The Inquisitor is encouraged by my play and runs next to me with a knife in his hand. The weapon is glowing and runes are engraved all over it.

He reaches with his free hand for my upper arm and grabs it roughly.

That's going too far! And he is wide open! This guy isn't trained very well. Or is he a newbie in the business? With all my force, I bounce upwards and place a perfect uppercut on the inquisitor's chin with my free left fist. My right arm is occupied with holding Sera.

But it looks like I overdid it. I feel bones break and the person is lifted high into the air. A fine shower of blood is sprayed all over me. Fortunately there is no ceiling above the balcony. I see the body disappearing into the direction of our garden.

Unfortunately I can't see very far in the darkness. Even with my heightened senses it's hard to see something.

In the meantime Ascathon traded a few blows and spells with the other individual. As the inquisitor realizes that he misjudged the odds, he jumps from the balcony and disappears into the night while dodging and deflecting a shower of icicles.

Ascathon jumps from the balcony himself in pursuit and the shadows swallow him.

“Haah... should I follow them?” But I can't protect Sera from the cold with my battle aura and Ascathon didn't cast environmental protection on us.

I look down at my silent baby and realize that I am not the only one who is sullied with blood. “Aww. Look at you!” I try wipe the drops of blood out of Sera's face and close her gaping mouth with two fingers.

But the mess got just worse. Wiping blood away with a bloody hand isn't a good idea.

“~I guess we both need a shower.~”

***

It's morning and I place a plate with breakfast in front of Ascathon. “You shouldn't be so moody. Everything went well. Except for the mess in the garden.”

The bloody trail from our balcony across the garden is still blemishing the view. It's the first time that I wish for a little snowstorm.

“It sucks. The rat got away! It's bothering me! And probably he is running to the Academy right now to snitch on us!” He starts to mash up his food.

Wah. That doesn't look tasty at all any more.

“How did he get away from you in the first place?” I think that's a mentionable feat on its own. I sometimes spar with Ascathon and to get away from him isn't easy at all. He has something like instant teleportation and searching spells which enhance his eyesight.

“I followed him through half of the city until arriving at the fjord. There he jumped into the water and was gone.” Ascathon shrugs his shoulders.

“Isn't the water cold!? How long can you survive that?” Whoa. Nobody in his right mind would jump into the fjord!

“That's what I thought too, so I didn't follow. But I ordered Den and his men to search for him. Though I don't have much hope.” Ascathon starts to chew his mush.

I tilt my head while thinking. “Then let's hope that the Academy doesn't have too much resources to spare for us while facing the Phenex Empire.”

Ascathon stops chewing and swallows. “I wonder how they will explain to the Jarl that two of their investigators entered a restricted area and attacked one of his nobles?”

.