Meera sat up in her bed, stretched wide as she yawned. She had finally gotten a good night's rest and was ready to head out to the University and accomplish one goal—figure out the true great prophecy. Even if her expedition to the South failed, at least she could succeed in this, hopefully.

Vasda, her not-so-trusty maid, had a meal prepared for her by the time she bathed. It was a blissful feeling to be able to clean herself every morning. On Gethys, she was becoming increasingly filthy day by day. But this planet was treating her right, so much so that she was beginning to think that soon she would never want to leave.

She quickly got ready, ate her meal, and headed out the door. She could have just jumped out the window, but today, she decided to be less conspicuous. She had even changed her armor to a dress like what most commoners wore. Once she was out of the palace, she would change her Tag to something like a student or something of the sort so the people on the streets didn't drop to their knees as soon as she passed by.

It didn't take her long to leave the palace, but she must've been turned around as she ended up on the other side of the palace. Instead of going from the doors that faced the exit of the palace complex, she ended up on the side that faced the fields.

It was remarkable that the palace grew its own crops. The crops were in full season, it seemed. Wheat, barley, and other such crops whose names evaded Meera were flowing in the wind. There was a strange, alluring nature about them.

She had a strange urge to walk through them. She curbed that urge and told herself later. She had other, more important things to deal with first. She turned but then saw someone standing on the edge of the fields.

Meera stopped and frowned. Was that…

But before she could confirm, the lady turned and walked back into the fields. Meera thought nothing of it and decided to move on, but she saw another woman appear at the edge of the fields, and this time, she caught sight of her.

Meera smiled. "Have you given up reading people's minds and taken up farming, Firaan?"

"Not quite, Reverent Lady," Firaan replied, but she didn't leave the fields.

Meera didn't approach her either and stayed put. For all she knew, more sorceresses were hiding in the fields, waiting to ambush her. She had no desire to fight these crones.

"Oh, come now, Meera, if we were going to ambush you," Firaan said. "This would be the last place I would do so. There are guards everywhere, and I would do nothing to go in the wrong graces of the woman who has given us sanctuary."

Meera breathed a heavy sigh and spoke with gritted teeth. "What did I say about reading my mind?"

She raised her hands as she walked out of the fields. "Fine, fine. I'll stop. Now, if you'll please come here so we can talk privately."

Meera made a show of looking around. "Doesn't look like there is anyone around. So, you come here, or I'm gone."

The woman must've realized that Meera was serious. So, she sighed, walked out of the fields, and came to her. Despite the loss of her home and destruction of her sisterhood, the woman didn't seem any worse for the wear. She still wore an expensive dress, though it was in Varshan fashion—surely gifted from the princess.

Meera crossed her arms. "What do you want to talk about, sorceress?"

"Peace," Firaan replied. "I'm here to make sure that there won't be any hostilities from your end towards us if you run into one of us in the corridors. We've been turned prisoners ever since you arrived. Well, they didn't tell us why at first, but you know how good I am at reading people."

Meera shook her head. "Honestly, I have half a mind to cut off your head right now for what you tried to pull on Gethys. And you can read my mind and see if I'm lying."

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The woman gulped and backed up half a step. "Now, Meera, you have no reason to do that. You already got your revenge when you destroyed my home. Everything I owned was trashed and buried under tons of rock and stone when Akhessai fell. By the by, I never thought you had that in you. If I weren't on the receiving end of your vengeance, I would have said bravo, but since you made us homeless and hunted by the dragons all over Gethys. We had no choice but to come here."

"To the last sorceress that could harbor you," Meera said. "I never thought the princess would be one of you."

"She was never really one of us," Firaan replied. "She apprenticed under us, but you know, it was under the threat of raining hellfire and all that by the God King." She rolled her eyes. "As if an empire could do anything to us."

"Kalrina and I did more than that, remember." Meera couldn't help rubbing it in her face. After all, this woman had schemed to take her as a prisoner and run experiments on her before handing her over to Aksha.

"Yes, you did, and I'm here, on behalf of my sisters, to ensure that you won't continue what you began on Gethys. In plain terms, I just want that peace remains between us, and we don't start something that's been put to bed."

"What makes you think there is peace between us?" Meera asked. "I knew you lot were here, and maybe I was just preoccupied with other things. But now that you've shown yourselves. What is to say that I won't follow you and kill everyone else."

Firaan raised an eyebrow. "And you think you can?"

"I killed Aksha, didn't I? And she was the worst of you lot."

There was a look of irritation on the sorceress's face, but only for a moment before it passed, and the calm, self-assured look returned. "There are a lot of us who want to see you dead for that deed alone."

"I'll ask you the same question I asked the princess. How many daughters of Aksha do you have?"

"All of them." Firaan smirked.

Meera scoffed. "Tell them I'm staying on the second floor in the third room on the right from the stairs. I'd love to put them to rest like I did their bitch of a mother."

The smirk widened. "My, my, and you just told me that. You must be quite assured of your skills."

"Quite." Meera leaned in until she was nose-to-nose with her. "I've been itching for a good fight."

"Yes, I figured you would be after that defeat from the ice monster," Firaan replied. "I would too; after all, it would've shaken my confidence as well if I had lost so pitiably."

Meera smashed her fist into the pretty sorceress's face and dropped her to the ground, clutching her nose. Blood leaked from between her fingers. The sorceress must've been pathetically weak if that was all it took to floor her. If Meera had activated Druvis Might, she would've killed her.

The guards standing at the gate stirred and turned towards them, but Meera raised a hand, and they stopped after bowing to her. It was good to know that if Meera wanted, she could have this sorceress thrown in the dungeons or maybe even killed.

Oh, why didn't I visit this world first? So many things would've been easier.

Technically, it wasn't even her fault. It was Neel's for going around doing things the wrong way. If she had known that the Varsha Empire that drove daggers of fear in everyone's heart would be so open and welcoming to her, she would've come running here the first chance she got.

"What did I say about reading my mind?" Meera asked.

Firaan winced and rubbed the water from her eyes. "Message received." She stood wiping the blood off her nose with her shimmering rainbow-colored scarf. "Just know that if that were any of my other sisters, the peace between us would've shattered, but Duinith and I are keeping everyone else in check. We're the only two who remain from the Conclave of Five. Everyone else perished in the battle with the dragons, and a lot of them hold you responsible, especially the Daughters."

Meera shrugged. "So? I have a friend who has vowed to hunt you all down until none are remaining who call themselves Sorceresses of Akhessai. If Kalrina finds out that you all are hiding here, she will drop everything to finish what we started in Gethys. Truth be told, I would help her, given all that you did to her. And you know how terrifying we were when we worked together."

Firaan smiled. "You could, but then again, how I remember it, you two mostly ran from fight to fight until you brought that archdragon. I don't know what the Sovereign saw in you, but I owe that woman everything, and I will follow her last command. No harm will come to you as long as you don't try to start a needless fight with us. Besides, do we really need to debase ourselves in front of our hosts?"

Meera scoffed. "Your host? You mean another sorceress?" She shook her head. "Here's a warning to you and your sisters. Actually, take it as a threat. If any of you dare show your face in front of me again, I will gut them where they stand."

With that, Meera turned to walk away, but the sorceress wasn't done.

"Well, here's a warning to you as well, Meera," Firaan said. "Our host…the princess of Varsha cannot be trusted. She is as cunning as they come. She used us to gain a formidable and cursed power. Do not take her lightly. She will use you to further her own goals."

"You don't worry about that," Meera said. "I will handle the princess when the time comes."

Firaan chuckled. "Good."

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