Meera walked in the hallways quietly, eyes fixed on the floor. She walked in the direction of the queen's room, and after that, she would have to ask for directions. The way here had many twists and turns, far too many for Meera to remember the way back.

She didn't even know what to make of the conversation with the princess. But that concerned her less than the fact that she was a sorceress and she was harboring the rest of them. This meant that Duinith was here, and even though Veridiana had ordered them not to harm Meera, she could only wonder how long they would follow a dead woman's commands.

The daughters of Aksha certainly wouldn't.

After all, Meera killed their mother. Now, their souls were eternally fragmented and could never be whole again. She honestly didn't feel too bad about that. Aksha deserved all she got and worse.

Sorceress of Oblivion…Meera mulled the words around in her head. What kind of skills do you have?

She was strong, that was certain, and her skills excited Meera terribly. All she had to do was get her to cut herself on her chakrams somehow. Then, one of her skills would be hers. That thought elated her, but she squashed it. The longer she intermingled with the princess, the more she would be mired in this familial drama.

Speaking of the familial drama, Prince Sekaramal was coming towards her with Munral in tow. The two looked as though they had just finished a heated debate as they both threw scowling glances at each other.

"Prince Sekaramal," Meera bowed her head. "Munral."

"Your conversation with the princess was pleasant, I take it," Munral stated.

A suspicion rose in Meera's mind that this man knew exactly what she and Rehia had conversed about.

She smiled lightly. "Yes, talking to her was like a breath of fresh air."

"More like a stench of moldy bread," Sekaramal retorted. "When it comes to making secret plots, Rehia is even worse than this one," he jerked his head to Munral. "Her plots have plots. She's always scheming that one. Only a fool would trust the words out of that sorceress's pupil."

On a whim, Meera used Identify on him.

[Kyldar Shaman – Level 498]

There was that name again—Kyldar. The God King had used that before when mentioning his throne. She had a hunch that it meant the T-Rex-like Druvis, whose statues she kept seeing all over the place. Did his class let him transform into this Druvis?

"You would know better, Your Highness," Meera said.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day, Reverent Lady?" Munral asked. "Sorry for my forwardness. I only ask so I can be of service. If you would like a tour of the city, I can arrange a guide for you. Or if you wish to return to your room and keep on reading up on the great prophecy, I'd be more than happy to walk you back to your room."

"How did you know I was reading about the great prophecy?" Meera asked.

Sekaramal barked a laugh. "There is nothing that goes on in this palace that he doesn't know about. Just assume that he is watching you at all times." He placed an arm on the smaller man's shoulder and gripped it tightly. "That's what makes him a great Shepherd."

"What is a Shepherd?" Meera asked. "I've just heard him being called that a few times now, and it's also his class, so I'm just curious."

"A Shepherd is in charge of the Reapers," the prince said. "Not the grain reapers, but of a different kind. Reapers are the spies, assassins, and intelligence operatives of the empire. They're also the greatest fighters in the realm. A squadron of Reapers could destabilize a government within a month. We've trained them to deadly efficiency."

"And he's in charge of them all?" Meera asked. "Haven't you given him a little too much power? What if he turns on the God King?"

"Excuse me?" Munral's chest puffed up as he drew in a deep breath like he had smelled something nasty. "I would never betray His Divine Majesty. No, Shephard has never betrayed the God King. Never! And neither will I. I am as loyal to the realm as they come. I've given proof of that many times over."

"Relax Munral," Sekaramal said. "It was just a question. As for your question, Reverent Lady, you are right; I have plans on reducing the Shepherd's power when I take the throne."

Munral snapped his head to him and gave him an indiscernible look. He could've been mad or incredulous. Maybe a bit of both.

"What? Don't give me that look," the prince said. "Just because a Shepherd hasn't turned on us doesn't mean there might not be one in the future."

That oddly satisfied Meera. If she were a cruel person, she would've wanted to see him punished for delaying her meeting with the God King. He wasted an entire day and would've wasted even more time if Meera hadn't taken the initiative. Not to mention the killers in the night. Then a thought arose in her head, something that had been simmering in the back of her mind ever since she left the princess's room.

"Now that I think about it, there is a place I do wish to visit," she said. "How far are the glacial walls? What did you call it…"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"The Pale Mantle," Munral added.

"Yes, I want to visit the Pale Mantle."

Sekaramal blinked. "The Pale Mantle? Why in the name of the king do you wish to go there, my lady?"

"I hate to be blunt," Meera said. "But I don't trust you, Munral. Not after you tried to keep me from meeting the God King, and so I'm going to go see if it is truly insurmountable."

"You don't need to go that far, Reverent Lady," the prince said. "That place is truly insurmountable. I can affirm his words. No one has survived the climb."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not going to climb." Meera smiled and then turned to the Chamberlain. "How many Mana potions can you get to my room in the next half hour?"

"How many do you need?" He asked, face impassive.

"As many as you can get."

"Whoa, Reverent Lady," Sekaramal stepped up. "I think you should slow down. The journey alone will take a month. The closer you get to the Mantle, the colder it will get, and hence, the journey will be slower and more perilous."

"I don't think it will take me a month," Meera said. "Oh, and which side is closest to us? North or south?"

"The south, Reverent Lady," Munral said. "I'll also send a map."

"That is great," Meera began to walk off, but realized she didn't know the way to her room. "Oh, and I need a guide to my room, please."

"Reverent Lady," Sekaramal called in a grave tone. "I see you are dead set on this task, but please be warned that place is not safe. Frost archdragons are said to roam The White Ember. They make any journey through the wasteland nigh impossible. Well, that is if you can climb The Pale Mantle."

Meera raised her eyebrows slightly. "Oh, thank you for the warning."

"Also, there is a gala in ten days," he said. "I was hoping you could come to the gala…"

"With you?" Meera asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, but I see you're heart is set on this mission, so I will not stop you," he said.

"Once again, I thank you for the invitation and for understanding my reasons," Meera stated. "If I'm back by then, then why not? I'll go to the gala with you."

His face lit up. "That is most kind of you, my lady." He gingerly took her hand and kissed it. "I will await your return." Then he snapped his head to one of the female guards standing watch on a closed door. "You! Make sure the lady gets to her room promptly."

Mural told the guard about the guest room where Meera was staying, and off they went.

There was a knock on Meera's door.

"Come in," she called.

One of the guards stationed outside her door opened it, and Vasda stepped in, carrying a tray covered with a silken cloth. It hadn't been long since she had returned to the room. In that time, she had taken another bath because only the gods knew when she would get another chance. She wanted to make sure she was clean for the long journey ahead.

"What's that you've got there?" Meera asked.

Vasda bowed her head. "It comes from the Chamberlain. One of his aides asked me to bring this to you and said everything you've asked for is in the Hoard Belt."

She lifted the silk cloth and underneath was a polished golden belt that shone in the sunlight filtering in from the window. It looked expensive, and if Meera didn't know any better, it would be better than her Dragon Hoard Belt. She Identify'd the Belt.

[Imperial Hoard Belt – 400/500 Units]

Meera's eyes widened immediately. She quickly picked up the Belt and opened the pouch that would contain all the inventory. She saw a plethora of potions. All three kinds of potions were stacked neatly inside the Belt. But as she had asked, there were more Mana potions than Health and Stamina potions.

Her smile instantly turned into a grin. She doubted she needed that many to get to the Mantle and the rest she could use to make Level 3 chakrams. She was practically giddy with excitement. There were some warm clothes in there as well. A couple of thick fur coats and furry pants. It was more than enough to replace the coats that Kalrina had used. There were even some torches, along with lots of food and water. Finally, she saw a map and a small cube.

She pulled out the map and the cube. The cube had a leaf emblazoned on one side and a T-Rex on the other side, both of which glowed. The T-Rex glowed red while the leaf glowed green.

Vasda produced a scroll. "Oh, and I was supposed to give you this scroll."

Meera frowned, set the items in her hands back on the tray, and took the scroll. She unfurled it and read it. It was in a neat, flowing script, which she figured was Munral's handwriting.

"Reverent Lady, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I am not your enemy. As you asked, I have given you thirty Mana potions and ten of the Health and Stamina potions. I have also packed some warm clothing for your journey to the wasteland. You will also find the map you requested, which should help you chart your journey south. Lastly, there is a cube in the Belt that serves two purposes. If ever you're in trouble and need assistance, please press the red Kyldar, and the closest Reapers in the area will come at once to your aid. If you do not need combat aid and just need more supplies, then press the green leaf, and once again, a Reaper will come to your aid. In full disclosure, this cube will let me track your location. Unfortunately, it is the only way we can find you. If you do not wish for me to know your location, then you can leave the cube behind. I bid you good fortunes on your journey to the Pale Mantle and a safe return."

Meera had half a mind to chuck the thing out of the window, but she restrained herself. Then, against her better judgment, she placed it back inside the Belt. She figured having someone come to her aid might not be a bad idea. She didn't know what awaited her in this world, and it was better to have someone watching her back, even if it was Munral. Besides, once she was in the White Ember, it wasn't like anyone could come to her aid. She could toss the cube, then.

She opened the map, and it was a rather detailed map, and Munral had gone a step further to chart the way to the Mantle. He had even circled out known Gateway Mirror locations in major towns, villages, and even the wild. The only problem was that the way was for someone who would be traveling by road. She had no intention of traveling by road.

She shoved the map back in the Belt, then transferred all of her meager stuff from her Dragon Hoard Belt to her new Imperial Belt. There wasn't much to transfer besides some low-grade Shadowsteel weapons, which reminded her of Narikas. There were a few other things—her original Lunar Hoard Belt, which she had still kept. A Phoenix Protector sword, the Crystal of Drakasaros Venom, and a Failed Crystal of Darthin.

She paused at that crystal. She had honestly even forgotten she still had that. It was buried deep within her Belt. This crystal let her fuse two skills into one. She did a quick lookover at her skills, and there were none that would synergize well together. So, put that into her new Belt as well.

Maybe later.

Then she picked out something that stumped her. It was a small gold disc with the emblem of Azeria—the flying phoenix. The disc Narikas had enchanted so that she could report her findings to him regularly. She wondered if the disc still worked. She noticed Vasda's eyes on her, and the Maid was nothing more than Munral's spy. She wouldn't test it out here. She put the disc back in the Belt, affixed the Belt to her waist, and covered it with her armor.

"Goodbye, Vasda," Meera said.

"Safe travels, Reverent Lady," the Maid replied. "I do hope you return soon."

Highly unlikely.

Meera walked to the balcony and jumped off to do some sightseeing.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.