Prologue: The malediction shadow of time

Aurora Aurea awoke from her peaceful slumber to the beam of light that peaked through the shutters and blinded her eyes. Sitting up with annoyance and agitation she took a second for her eyes and mind to process everything around her. It had only been a year since she had managed to buy her own place that she could finally call home. Waking up in a warm bed and decent meals were a luxury that she still had trouble adjusting to throughout her life.

With a soft yawn, she stood up from the bed and allowed her bare feet to touch the polished wood throughout the room. After a few stretches, she made her way over to the window and allowed the light to bathe over her body. Staring off at the horizon, she could see the sun was starting to emerge from beyond the horizon. Sunrise was often a sight she lamented but now, there was some sibilance of peace to it. As she leaned against the windowsill she watched as the people around her started their early morning routines.

Everyday merchants and shopkeepers opened their stores to sell their wears. Adventurers who were trying to stumble their way back to an inn after hitting the tavern where the easiest to pick out among the people. The city of Asytral rarely slept and there was always something to keep people occupied. Taking in the sights for one final time, Aurora smiled as she made her way over to the wooden armoire that held various clothes for different events. There was a part of her that wished to try a new outfit for a change of pace but as she continued to stand their in her underwear for a few minutes she realised picking out a common outfit was a challenge.

Tying off the left side of her long white hair with black ribbon in the shape of a butterfly, she decided to maintain her common appearance: a simple white top that revealed all the sensitive areas and black shorts that accented her lower body. Grabbing a garter belt that she had customised to holster her specially crafted dagger. Looking down at the anklet she never removed, her mind recalled the day when her world changed. Her black dying heart was transformed into a butterfly that shined throughout the world. The blue gemstone always reminded her that she was no longer in the clutches of the abyss.

Taking a moment to compose herself Aurora made her way over to the small kitchen area. Unlike villages or other large cities, Asytral had made large magical breakthroughs in how to apply magic in other areas beyond combat. Framing, agriculture, cooking, medicine and trade flourished throughout the city. Applying enchantments to various objects allowed the creation of refrigerators, sinks and controlled temperature ovens.

Removing some frozen meat from the built-in refrigerator, Aurora heated the food in the oven and began preparation on other foods to eat alongside her meal. Once she had completed everything and meal was ready, Aurora made her way over to the small table and chair to sit down. While plain and simple, the meal was enough to fill her stomach beyond what she was normally used out in the wilderness.

Her mind started to recall the images as she cleaned up her plates and bowls. The blood that stained her hands with every political king, queen, aristocrat and innocent life she had to take. A father cut down at the dinning table and left to choke in his own blood. Was it truly okay for her to be happy? So many questions continued to haunt her at random times that she struggled to accept a life that she did not deserve.

Taking a moment to sit down on her bed she looked at the anklet. It was the only thing that put her mind at ease. This simple object was the connection to the world outside and the only thing that allowed her to keep swimming out of the current of the black abyss. Regaining her composure, Aurora slipped her petite feet into her boots and headed for the door. Outside, the city streets started to become filled with the sounds of people going about their day, carts driving to their deliveries as the sound of wooden wheels and paved stone collided. Every sound ringed throughout Aurora’s ears as she took them all in.

Making her way down the cobblestone side-walk, she could hear each step of leather boots against the stone. Men, women and children each had various different sounds that so had trained to pick out. Other races also had unique sounds that told a story of who they were in life. She had grown accustom to them all that she was able to navigate the city with her eyes closed.

Continuing down the side walk for some time, Aurora had finally reached one of her many destinations for today. Standing in front of a small bar, she waited for someone as she closed her eyes. It did not take long for her to locate the person she was looking for. They were moving in her direction without stopping. Opening her eyes, Aurora was greeted by the one she was waiting for.

The barmaid Riyona was beautiful elf that transcended the beauty of most human women. Even in her standard maid outfit Aurora often found herself unable to think of words to say as she was usually left speechless for a second.

“Good morning, Aura.”

With just a greeting and a soft smile, Aurora could feel her heart start to beat louder than before. She was always calm and collected but with Riyona, she struggled to keep her emotions from showing.

“Morning.”

“I know you said you would see me every morning but you know you don’t have to, right? Feel free to sleep in and rest.”

“Habit. I often had to wake up early…”

Aurora turned her gaze from Riyona as she tried to think of where to take the conversion. She was skilled at many different things but causal talk was not something in her list of skills. Without any warning, Aurora felt something touch her cheek. Her eyes shifted with haste to see Riyona in her peripheral vision. Within a split second, Aurora had to process her actions and stop her muscles from reacting on their own.

“It’s okay,” Riyona said with a smile as she gently grabbed Aurora’s hand.

“I could have—”

“Shh. You could have but you didn’t, Aura,” Riyona whispered into Aurora’s ear.

“You should be careful.”

Riyona giggled as she gently kissed Aurora’s lips.

“I think you should be careful, Miss Reaper.”

Trying to regain her temperament, Aurora took a moment to breathe and than smiled.

“I suppose I should around you.”

“Come by later tonight for a drink, okay?”

“I always do.”

The scene continued to play through Aurora’s mind as she replayed it over and over again. Had she not stopped and processed her actions she would have killed the butterfly that guided her out of the darkness and into the light. She was fractured and torn between to sides of a single coin – the life of peace and the trauma of death. Reaper was a fitting title for her as death always walked beside her. Family, friends, allies, there was no place for anyone in her existence. They always ended up dead from either her own hands or some natural cause.

Walking down an alleyway and onto another street, Aurora turned the block and was greeted with a small stall that sold various types of jewellery and cosmetics. While much of the world did not produce cosmetics that could change one’s hair or eye colour, the city of Asytral put countless years of research into various mundane aesthetics products which saw a spike in trade and a common interaction of culture. Although the city was not free from war, it was at the centre of everything. It was, in essence, the heart of the world – Eystial.

“Oh, hey Aurora. I haven’t seen you for about a week or two now. How have you been?”

The voice was from a small human child that Aurora had met when she came to the city for the first time. Unlike many of the children this girl was well-mannered and retained the ability to be mature – as well as polite.

“Yeah, sorry, Chyai. I have been pretty busy,” Aurora said with a calm smile.

As Aurora continued to maintain communications with Chyai, her instincts picked up on someone standing beside her. Shifting her gaze for brief moment, she could see a man of human heritage who seemed nervous and angry. Her eyes fixated on how the man was carrying himself and the position of his hands. It was painfully obvious he was trying to steal a piece of jewellery on display. Even with all the advancement and peace, the city still had run of the mill crime. This was an inescapable constant.

“If you are going to steal something, could you at least not make it so obvious?” Aurora asked as she grabbed onto the man’s wrist.

“What the hell, kid. Get your hands off of me,” the man shouted.

Aurora continued to keep one eye trained on the man as she lifted his hand up revealing the ring he was trying to steal. Grabbing the ring from the man, Aurora placed it on the table as the man quickly pulled his hand away from her.

“I would prefer not to do this in front of the child so…”

Without much effort, Aurora could see what the man was going to do. His muscle movements clued her into the best way to subdue the man without killing him. As the man hoped to strike Aurora with his fist, the sound of wind blew past Aurora’s ear. Using minimal effort she had dodged the strike and quickly struck the man down through the use of technique she had mastered throughout her life. In only a second, the man could feel his body drop like a ton of bricks – falling into Aurora’s arms.

“Just relax,” Aurora said as she gently lowered the man to the ground.

“W-What the hell did you do?”

Scanning her surroundings, Aurora noticed a man in silver armour with a crest of the Asytral Guards. She recognised the man as the Captain of the guards. While he did not speak, his appearance alone was enough to often intimidate others. Although he had a name, Aurora had simply called the man by his rank.

“Oh, hey Cap. Caught a guy trying to steal a ring here.”

The captain stared into Aurora’s eyes for a moment and nodded. He said nothing as he grabbed the man and hauled him off to be processed at the guard station. Turning back to Chyai, Aurora smiled her false smile she had been trained to use. She was adept at faking her emotions, movements, intentions and other aspects of her life but understanding and exposing her true self was not something she could do.

“Anyway, I will see you later, Chyai. Say hi to your mother for me,” Aurora said in cheerful tone as she made her way down the street with haste in her step.

After making her way through various alleyways and streets she had finally reached the shop she was requested to help. Entering into the shop, Aurora was greeted with a cheerful voice of an adventurer she had travelled with for some time in a well-known party.

“Surprised you still haven’t gone out of business yet, Zyaria.”

“Cute clothes will never go out of business!”

“Guess I can’t argue with that logic.”

The hours passed as Aurora helped Zyaria with various task around the shop, from stocking merchandise to handling customers. Common work was often beneath adventurers and ex-adventurers who were considered valuable. Yet, Aurora saw no reason to discard honest work. She had a sense of peace knowing that she was helping someone she now considered a friend.

Upon closing up and taking her payment, Aurora made her way back to the bar to find it as lively as ever. Making her way to the back, she sat down at a table that was dimly lit and conjured up images of shady deal about to transpire. Riyona smiled as she made her way over to Aurora and sat down across from her.

“You weren’t followed, right? I need you to move this stuff tonight,” Riyona said in a terrible boy-ish accent.

Aurora’s eyebrow could only raise upon trying to process what was going through Riyona’s mind as she watched her slide a mug of alcohol to her.

“Do you truly think assassin’s talk like that?”

“They don’t? I thought all shady deals had to be discussed in a dark area at the back of the bar.”

“No, generally not the case. Most illegal dealings are not in the public eye. It is rather rare,” Aurora said as she downed her mug in one motion.

Sitting the finished mug down, Riyona was surprised by the fact Aurora had finished her alcohol without seemly swallowing for that entire time.

“How did you down that whole thing without stopping?”

“Assassin trade secret.”

“Guess that means I need to become an assassin,” Riyona teased.

“I personally do not recommend it. Life expectancy is pretty low.”

“Care for another?”

“No.”

The two of them sat there in silence as Riyona stared at Aurora like a schoolgirl crushing over her beloved. Even though the two of them did not speak, the world around them continued to revolve. Aurora could pick out various conversations, most drink speak of which she had to learn in order to gather proper intelligence. Information was always easier to gain from those with loose lips and the drink to cloud their judgement.

“I am afraid and worried though.

“About?”

“Some of my co-workers were discussing about the possibility of war… It’s…”

Riyona’s voice trailed off as she thought about the horrors war and even her own experience. She held herself tightly as her mind started to race through everything that happened during her time. For many humans, 15 years was quite a while but elves were different. Their sense of time was merely a blink in the vast ocean of time that elves had. The average lifespan of an elf was enough to be incomprehensible to the human mind.

“You worry too much. Maybe you need to have a drink and let loose,” Aurora said in a light hearted tone to help calm Riyona’s nerves.

Riyona took a second to come to her senses before donning her cheerful expression.

“Elves cannot process alcohol like humans do, Aura.”

“Guess that means I can’t get you drunk and use you,” Aurora said in monotone voice.

Riyona giggled as she grabbed the mug from the table. Standing to her feet she looked over at one of the barmaids behind the counter. It was another elf who appeared cheerful and free-spirited.

“Anyway, I am off the clock now so we can head back to your place.”

Aurora and Riyona made their way down the crowded streets hand in hand until they were back at Aurora’s place. The building was two stories with the bottom floor serving as a shop for blacksmithing and custom enchanted weapons. During her time as an assassin she studied the craft of blacksmithing and learned how to make specialised weapons and enchant them.

Entering the second floor room, Aurora swifty shut the door behind them and pinned Riyona against the wall. Without hesitation, she pressed her lips against Riyona’s and held her close. Her body rubbed against Riyona’s chest as she continued to kiss her. There was no time to exchange words as each of them quickly rushed to remove each other’s clothes.

Aurora skilfully unlaced Riyona’s boots and removed them like a thief in the night. Riyona could only giggle as she struggled to remove Aurora’s top in the same speed. Without skipping a beat Aurora unlaced her boots and removed them as she continued to kiss Riyona, moving down to her neck. She continued to take off Riyona’s stockings as she navigated them over to the bed. With a chance to catch a breath, Riyona smiled as she felt Aurora remove her top.

“You are so fast. I bet you are good with your hands. Maybe you should give me a massage when we are done here,” Riyona teased as she tried to remove Aurora’s top.

“You just want the free perks of a cute girl giving you a massage,” Aurora joked as she started to removed various other parts of clothing.

Once both of them had only their underwear left, Aurora gently pushed Riyona onto the bed and pinned her arms down above her head. Riyona showed no signs of induced trauma or stress on being dominated.

“You do realise I don’t just let anyone touch my body, right?” Riyona giggled as she allowed herself to relax into the bed.

“I would imagine most girls are like that,” Aurora said as she traced a finger gently down Riyona’s stomach.

“Maybe, but elves do tend to have sensitive bodies.”

Riyona could start to feel her body grow warm and squirm from the feeling of the soft but gentle fingers. Each stroke that proceeded lower only forced her try and hold back a gasping moan of pleasure. She was at the mercy of the former assassin on top of her, a girl who could kill her both literally and with pleasure.

“Is that so? Anything else you want to expose about your beautiful race?”

The lower the stroke the more Riyona could not control herself. Her body squirmed but failed to go anywhere due to the petite assassin that had a grip on everything that happened. She could only squeeze her legs together as her body tried to tell her she needed something more. As she felt Aurora’s fingers travel along her thighs, she had enough force from her thighs alone to crush a man between them. She struggled to speak as her body continued to grow hot.

“W-Well, our magic is concentrated at our feet and that is how we are so adapt to the woods and nature,” Riyona said as she tried to steady her breathing but to no avail.

Riyona closed her eyes as she felt the tender touch of Aurora’s fingers gliding over the tops of her feet. Her body was at its breaking point and she was ready for a night to remember. As she relaxed her toes she could feel Aurora stroke the soles of her feet in a way that drove her body into overdrive. It was impossible for her to contain the pleasure she was feeling as her arched off the bed.

Aurora smiled and forced Riyona back down onto the bed, kissing her lips and pressing her body against the slender elf. For a moment, Aurora could sense Riyona’s heartbeat relax. Her body also relaxed as she smiled and allowed the beautiful elf to catch her breath.

“And now I know how to bring the elven race to their knees,” Aurora teased as she brushed some hair aside from Riyona’s face.

“It’s similar for demons. The only difference is most of their magic flows from their stomach.”

Aurora continued to kiss down Riyona’s body before reaching her bellybutton. She smiled in an almost sadistic way as she watched Riyona stare back at her.

“Here?” Aurora asked as she kissed Riyona’s bellybutton in a seductive manner.

“L-Lower,” Riyona said as she used her hand to cover her sounds coming from her mouth.

Kissing a bit lower forced Riyona to bite down on her finger.

“You seem pretty weak yourself right now,” Aurora said in a sadistically teasing tone.

“I could be a demon, you know?”

“A pact with you is not so bad. I get to enjoy your company, you get to enjoy the human pleasures of adult life.”

“Technically, I am 115-years-old,” Riyona winked.

“And yet, you look my age.”

“Well, we are roughly the same age if I convert elven lifespans to a human one,” Riyona said as she gently traced her finger over a scar that caught her eye.

The two of them were silent for a moment as Aurora allowed the elven beauty to feel every scar on her body. There were many scars but none of them compared to the scars that no one could see. Mentally, she had scars that would last a long time and some that would never heal – even after a hundred years. Her mind stopped thinking about many things when she was with Riyona. It was like the elf had a way of calming her with just presence alone.

“We should get married,” Aurora said without hesitation.

“You just want a maid to serve you.”

“Can’t I have both? You and a cute maid?”

Riyona could only giggle at the question.

“You humans are so greedy.”

Sitting up with her face only a few centimetres from the deadly assassin before her, she smiled.

“You already had me.”

#

Aurora had often failed to get a proper rest throughout her life. Her mind processed everything before opening her eyes. She was greeted by the a beautiful elf pressed against her and clinging to her tightly. Before she could move her body, she a slight twitch of the ears followed by a loud yawn.

Riyona sat up and looked over Aurora’s body with a smirk. Like a queen she asserted herself as the dominant one and kissed Aurora’s lips – slightly forcing her tongue down her throat.

“Morning, sleep well?” Riyona giggled as she played with Aurora’s hair.

“If I was a guy…”

Riyona laughed as she allowed herself to gently be caressed by by Aurora, resting at head into her shoulder.

“I would take care of it for you.”

“I doubt you would have time to finish considering how long it took you just to remove some clothing last night.”

“You haven’t seen how well I can clean, have you?” Riyona asked as she sat up and got out of the bed.

“You can show me later tonight,” Aurora said as she continued to lay there and watch Riyona pick up her clothes.

Aurora had seen many things in her life but she was now able to appreciate the elven form and its beauty. Nearly all elves were beautiful from head to toe, at least in the eyes of all humans. It was near impossible for humans to truly perceive magic with only the highest scholars able to cast a basic spell or two. For Aurora, she had the ability to cast small flames and water. Her strength was more so in shadow magic, a rare advanced specialisation of magic that few possessed.

Continuing to watch Riyona from her position, Aurora noticed the slight smirk on Riyona’s face as she started changing into her barmaid uniform. Setting down on top of the table, Riyona looked seductive as she tried to speak in a tone that would entice human ears.

“Aura, my love, could you grab my shoes and socks and put them on?”

“If you are going to try and seduce someone at least try to to be convincing.”

Bringing over the shoes and socks as requested, Aurora placed them down on the floor beside her. She watched as Riyona wiggled her toes trying to entice Aurora, as if trying to tempt her to submit to her will. Getting down on one knee Aurora grabbed Riyona’s stocking and carefully slid it onto the petite foot before her. With each motion, she pulled the stocking up until it stopped at Riyona’s thighs.

“You know, in elven culture… this is akin to putting a ring on someone’s betrothed,” Riyona said blushing as she watched Aurora slide the other stocking on.

“Why do I feel that just isn’t true.”

“Okay, you got me. We don’t do that, we use rings on our fingers just like humans but you have to admit it is cute to think about.”

“Suppose I could always just buy you a toe ring and just force you to never wear shoes,” Aurora said calmly as she continued to put Riyona’s boots on.

“I am not opposed to that,” Riyona said as she hopped off the table.

Aurora made her way back over to the bed and grabbed the two black ribbons that Riyona used to tied her off her long hair into pigtails.

“So, what does the renown S-rank adventurer have on her agenda for today?”

“Figured I would go to the guild and see if they need any help with quests,” Aurora said as she turned to the armoire in hopes of getting changed.

Before Aurora could open the door, she felt Riyona gripping her tightly from behind. She could feel her pressing her head into her back. It was clear to Aurora that Riyona was afraid. Both of them had finally found happiness and did not want to lose it.

“Please be careful,” was all Riyona could speak from her mouth.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be training newly ranked adventurers and teaching them the basics of combat,” Aurora said with a smiled as she gently placed her hand on Riyona’s head and patted her like a cat.

Riyona smiled and removed one of her ribbons from her hair. Without a word, she tied off the left side of Aurora’s hair like she always wore it.

“Good, I don’t think I could handle losing you to a monster.”

Aurora quickly got dressed into her usual outfit and made her way to the door. Slipping on her boots and grabbing her weapon, Aurora turned to Riyona.

“I’ll meet up with you after work.”

Without another word, Aurora left. There was no trace of her footsteps, only silence. As she made her way down the street, she noticed the Captain patrolling the area. Aurora continued to remain silent as she began to match the Captain stride for stride.

“Out patrolling the streets for thieves?”

The Captain nodded as he broke off a portion of his loaf of bread – handing it to Aurora.

“Appreciate it, Cap,” Aurora said as she downed the bread in one bite.

Both of them continued to remain silent until they reached the main square that was home to various high-end shops and the guild.

“Later, Cap.”

Aurora had been to many different guildhalls throughout her life. Some were small or of decent size. Most of the ones in cities were on another scale. Yet, the Asytral guild branch vastly outclassed any other guild, even the one in the royal capital. Words could not begin to describe the meticulous design that went into the building from the exterior to every small brick and foundation. Her first time at the age of 12 recalled the inability to speak for a few minutes due to the grand nature of the building.

“Oh! Aura, is that you?” one of the guild receptionist called out.

The voice was of a small demon with a child-like appearance. While the child wore the guild uniform, she was still unique with her demon horns and eyepatch that covered her left eye.

“Hey, Myisa,” Aurora said as she leaned on the counter resting her elbows on it.

“Aura! Its been too long. How have you been?”

“Not bad. You guys still need help with training some of the new adventurers, right?”

“I would appreciate it. Some of the new ranks are… um…”

“Yeah, I got you. I can head down there and get them started.”

“Allow me to come with you. I’ve been wanting to talk to you forever.”

The two of them made their way over to an ornate wooden door that led down to a vast basement area. All the corridors were lit up with special magic lights that allowed the hallways to be lit at all times of the day or night. Various wooden doors leading to other training areas allowed for many different tests and adventurers to practise their skills in a safe environment.

As Aurora continued to listen to Myisa, she wondered about how things would have turned out had she not been raised as an assassin. She had always been trained to treat battles as life or death. Combat with an enemy had no right or wrong, only who was left. Her life held no space for friendships or kindness. Anyone she met, she only saw as a tool to use, when they no longer were of value she would merely discard them.

“Anyway, I told my boyfriend I wanted him to chain me up and have his way with me but he is such a coward.”

“Hmm.”

“Oh and get this, he uses my sock to—”

Aurora continued to pretend to listen as Myisa rambled on. She had learned that Myisa mostly did not care about receiving advice or anything of the sort. Ultimately, Myisa was the type of person that wanted to talk about her problems.

“Can you believe it?”

“Nope.”

“Anyway, thanks for listening, Aura. You are great friend,” Myisa said as she opened the grand wooden door into the main training room.

“Sure.”

Inside the large room Aurora eyes scanned over the various adventurers. Some were busy training with wooden swords while others were standing around and talking among each other. None of them appeared particularly skilled and while some seemed to have a novice level of experience when handling a sword.

“If I can have your attention please,” Myisa called out.

Everyone in the room ceased what they were doing and turned their gaze over to Myisa’s voice.

“Today, we brought in a special instructor that is going to teach all of you the basics of combat.”

“You can’t be serious? She’s just a child,” one girl yelled out.

“Technically, I’m 15 so I am legally an adult,” Aurora said calmly.

Aurora had always been treated as a kid for most of her life. She appeared child-like and her flawless complexion did not help. It was something many did not believe when she would tell them she was an adult. Riyona was the only person to treat her with a bit of respect when they met.

“Okay, even if you’re an adult that doesn’t explain why the guild would hire someone who has no experience to train us,” the said as she continued to dig her own grave.

Myisa sighed.

“If you will kindly allow me to finish. Aurora Aurea is an S-rank adventurer—”

“Bullshit!”

“Got the card to prove it actually,” Aurora said in a calm demeanour.

Aurora pulled out her guild card to reveal she was a creditable S-rank adventurer. Sounds of disbelief rang out as Aurora started to become bored with just standing around. While Myisa tried to get everyone to calm down, Aurora noticed a girl step forward. She was average in size and height, her sword on her hip proved she had a small degree of combat experience or at least fighting experience.

“I simply refuse to allow someone who appears like gutter trash from the slums teach me how engage in combat.”

“Hey, Myisa. You mind if I handle this?”

For moment, Myisa was confused but understood what Aurora was getting at.

“We could always duel. It would actually allow me to evaluate your skills better,” Aurora said as she placed her hand on her hip and confidence in her smile.

“Fine. First one to land a fatal blow will be the winner,” the girl said.

The two of them squared off in the centre of the room. Aurora watched as the blond haired girl drew her sword from its sheathe.

“Wait a minute! You can’t—”

“It’s fine, Myisa. Blondie here can use her steel weapon if she wishes.”

Aurora took a second to study her opponent’s stance and the way she held a sword. It was painfully obvious to anyone who understand combat where the victory would go.

“Draw your weapon!”

“It’s fine. If you are as good as you believe yourself to be then this should be easy for you,” Aurora said as she causally took a second to clean out her ear.

While it was clear that Aurora was unbothered by the fight, the blond haired girl was on the verge of popping a blood vessel. Aurora continued to remain calm as Myisa held up her hand.

“Ready? Fight!”

Aurora remained standing as she watched the blond haired girl rush forward. A yawn escaped her mouth as her brain processed the various different methods of attack and all the different ways in which she could inflect a fatal blow.

“You probably shouldn’t yell while you attack,” Aurora said as she closed her eyes.

The blond haired girl continued her attack until she was finally within strike distance. Swinging her blade with some hint of skill did little to prepare her for what she found herself in. In less than a second, her brain failed to process what had happened. The only thing she knew was that something was gripping her throat.

“See, there was no reason for me to draw my weapon because it would have been pointless.”

“You call… this a fatal blow?” the girl asked as she struggled to get air.

“Well, considering you would be dead, yes.”

“It isn’t over,” the blond haired said.

Aurora sighed and strengthened her grip on the girl’s throat. The girl dropped her sword to the ground as she gasped to breathe.

“The human body has various nerves that run throughout it. Knowing which ones to hit can mean the difference between an hour, minute or second. Right now, your brain is not getting enough oxygen and you will past out if I don’t stop.”

Aurora dropped the girl on the ground as she coughed and gasped for air.

“Lesson One: if you lose consciousness in a battle you are dead,” Aurora said in a cold tone as she glared down at the blond haired girl.

“I’ll kill you!” the blond haired girl said as she continued to struggle to gain air.

Kneeling down to meet the girl, Aurora grabbed the girl’s chin and stared into her eyes.

“Lesson two: only kill if you are prepared to be killed.”

Aurora could sense the anger deep within the girl. She remained calm and still as she watched the girl grab the sword after catching her breath. Using what strength she had, the girl slashed with fierce power – aiming to render Aurora neck from her shoulders. While the strength was vehement, the girl’s resolve was not. Aurora continued to remain still as her eyes stayed glued to the target before her.

The blond haired girl stopped the blade with tears in her eyes. She had talked a big game but had virtually no experience in combat. While she had many fights, none were ever to the point of death. Even though the girl hated the thought of losing, she feared the thought of dying. Blood, guts and graphic details of a human cadaver terrified her. She could feel her stomach turn at the thought.

“Now, if you are only here to pretend to be an adventurer then leave. Otherwise, allow Myisa to continue.”

For moment, the room was silent. The blond haired girl made her way back in line, standing at the back – her ego and everything within shattered. Aurora made her way back over to Myisa.

“Now then, as I was saying before all that happened, Aurora Aurea will be the S-rank adventurer that will be training everyone here. As a disclaimer, you will have the option to leave and not become an adventurer. We of the guild understand you wish to battle strong foes or earn a living. Please bare in mind that are not responsible for anything that may happen with Aurora. While we try and ensure the safety of all present, there is always a possibility you could die.”

Only the sounds of footsteps echoed throughout the room as Aurora heard over half the people head for the door. Opening her eyes, Aurora could see only a small portion who decided to stay – among them was the blond haired girl. Aurora looked over each of the people standing before her. Some were like the blond haired girl, human. Others were of elven or demon descent.

“So, anyone care to take a guess what the third lesson is?” Aurora asked.

“Overpower your opponent until they can’t fight any more,” the blond haired girl spoke up from the silence.

“No. If you are not cheating, you are dying. Wars have no laws, no rules. When you fight for your life against a goblin or dragon there is no proper form or set of skills that instantly ensure victory. A goblin will pretend to surrender to gain your trust and stab you when your guard is down. Dragons do not wait for you to attack them, they merely burn you alive.”

Aurora continued to speak as each of the adventurers hung onto every word and lesson. She commanded authority and respect. Each word was carefully picked, the sentence constructed like a needle to communicate the value of information. When she engaged the others in combat to showcase a technique, no one interrupted her but soaked in the knowledge she was passing on to them.

The hours passed until the training day was over. Aurora made her way to ground floor of the guild. Myisa smiled as she continued to work on various guild papers.

“How did they do?”

“One of them wants to sleep with me,” Aurora said calmly as she leaned against the counter.

“I mean, who doesn’t? Have you seen your body?”

Aurora laughed for the first time in a long time. She found it amusing that people actually wanted to sleep with her without actually knowing about the dark abyss hidden inside.

“In fact—”

“No, Myisa. I am not interested in a threesome with you and your boyfriend.”

“Figured it was worth a shot. You can get your pay from big tits over there.”

“Going to take a stab in the dark and say you mean the tan elf with assets that defy logic.”

“Bingo.”

“All right, later then, Myisa.”

Without another word, Aurora made her way over to the counter where the elf with tan skin and jugs of water for breasts was. The elf was busy trying to find something. It was as plain as day that her uniform was going bust open due to the small size of the standard uniform.

“Auriale! It’s so good to see you.”

“You too. Are you looking for something?”

“Yeah! I lost my glasses and now I don’t know where they are.”

Elves came in various shapes, sizes and mental intelligence. Aurora seen many in her life from the beautiful ones like Riyona to busty one like the girl in front of her. While elves were often seen as special, this girl was a different kind of special.

“Lyitila… your glasses are… right there,” Aurora said as she pointed to Lyitila’s forehead.

“Oh?”

Feeling her forehead, Lyitila smiled and pushed them down.

“Thank you, Auriale. What would I do without you?”

“Probably end up falling into a man’s—” Aurora began to mutter under her breath but stopped.

Aurora coughed and corrected herself.

“No problem.”

“I’m so glad I have good friends like you and Myisa. Oh yeah, I don’t know if you noticed but my guild uniform is a bit tight.”

“Didn’t even notice,” Aurora lied.

“Yeah, I was told I have to wear this for a week since a new size won’t be available yet. It is so tight around my chest.”

“Extremely unfortunate.”

“I know right! I had try and keep the girls tucked in but they want out. Also, don’t tell the boss but I’m not wearing the shoes or socks. They hurt my feet and the socks almost ripped.”

“Lips are sealed. Any chance you can hand me my payment for today?”

“I’m grateful the skirt fit. The underwear is a bit tight though and it is feeling… well… how do I put it?”

“Lyitila.”

“Hmm?”

“Would you kindly pay me, thank you.”

“Oh yeah! Sorry. Let me go get that for you.”

The cheerful busty elf made her way into the backroom and after a few minutes returned with small sack of coins. Aurora opened the pouch and counted each of the coins ensuring the amount was correct.

“You know, Myisa told me I would be good at foot jobs but I don’t really get it. How do I give a foot a job?”

“Lyitila… remind me, how old are you again?”

“Oh! I’m 17. For humans, that’s like…”

Aurora watched as Lyitila slowly counted on her fingers.

“About seven in your years!” Lyitila said with a cheerful smile.

“Right…” Aurora sighed.

Grabbing a small ball of chocolate from a pouch she always carried on her, Aurora smiled as she handed the chocolate over to Lyitila.

“Lyitila sweetie, do you mind giving this chocolate to Myisa?” Aurora asked in a cute, almost baby-like voice.

“Sure!”

Aurora watched as Lyitila made her way over to Myisa’s counter and handed her the chocolate. She could see Myisa smile and wave to her. With a simple wave back after watching Myisa eat the chocolate she headed for the exit. The chocolate was a special poison that relaxed a target’s insides and forced them into a state of preoccupation by reliving themselves throughout the day. A perfect weapon for an assassin who needed to get a target alone or in this case to pull a prank on a naughty demon that was better off being quiet.

With all her affairs in order, Aurora made her way to the bar where she noticed Riyona was standing in a more casual outfit.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

Riyona shook her head and smiled.

“I actually had just gotten off work and changed. So, perfect timing.”

Aurora could feel the warm touch of Riyona’s hand as the two of them interlocked their fingers together. Without saying a word, Riyona led Aurora through the streets and alleyways until they found themselves at the grand plaza square.

“The city is always so beautiful at night,” Riyona said as she looked around at the beautiful city square.

“Yeah, it is amazing how this city serves as a hub for all sorts of exchanges. There is no boundaries. Magic, culture and trade allow a city like this to help people and allow us all to live better lives.”

“My life is always better when I’m with you, Aura,” Riyona said as she leaned in to kiss Aurora’s lips.