The Spirit Queen

Merite and Coletto arrived at the edge of the sanctuary sector that held the Fountain of Life, where a petite, delicate-looking woman quickly bowed her head in reverence.

The entrance guardian wore the uniform of the Stella, the group tasked with protecting Deeproot Sanctum. But she was still a relatively young spirit, barely a few hundred years old. In contrast, Merite and Coletto were high spirits, venerable beings who, in any human village, could easily have been revered as minor deities.

"Is the council still in session?" asked Coletto, who was noticeably calmer than Merite.

"No, venerables," replied the Stella, nervously adjusting the translucent silk skirt that flowed from her emerald breastplate. "The council ended abruptly just a few moments ago..."

"Abruptly? Did something happen?"

"We received reports of a breach in the veil near the northern entrance of the sanctuary."

"It's the human. He's already here... How did he get here so fast? Did he follow me?" Merite gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

"A human?" the Stella asked, clearly confused.

"Merite, I’ve told you again and again to think things through before jumping to conclusions," said Coletto, rubbing her forehead. "The path to the sacred gates, the one where you said you saw the human, starts at the southeastern entrance. The northern one leads to what’s left of the lower levels of the demons’ dungeon."

"Oh... I see," Merite muttered, dropping a fist into her open palm like someone who had just solved a great mystery.

Coletto let out a resigned sigh, but her attention turned to the Stella.

"Abyssal Spawn?"

"Abyssal Spawn" was the term used by the spirits of Deeproot Sanctum to refer to the demons who had remained in the depths of the earth since the fall of their king more than a thousand years ago.

They had long since been corrupted by the primordial magic leaking from the sanctuary. Those who survived lost their ability to reason, but in exchange, they gained power and became more aggressive, turning into especially dangerous foes for lower-ranking spirits.

"It’s a significant number this time, venerable, so the Veilkeeper went there in person."

"The veil is fading fast," said Coletto, her expression darkening. "More and more enemies keep finding their way into the sanctuary. But if we try to use primordial magic in its pure form, we could end up like the demons... or worse."

"There's no time to worry about that!" said Merite, grabbing Coletto’s hand. "We have to help Lady Lirilien!"

"I doubt she actually needs our help," said Coletto with a smile. "Still, let’s hurry. It’s been a while since I last saw the Veilkeeper in action."

***

Rain was falling over the sanctuary. But it wasn’t water. It was a myriad of green lights, sweeping through everything in their path.

Specifically, they were tearing through creatures that had once been demons, now just deformed husks driven mad by absorbing raw primordial magic.

By the time Merite and Coletto arrived, a large crowd had already gathered along the upper ledges of the cavern that formed the sanctuary’s northern entrance. The whole place now resembled a vast natural amphitheater.

On the “stage” below, just before the stone threshold that marked the sanctuary’s limit, stood a beautiful woman with long cherry-colored hair and eyes that seemed to reflect the surface sky.

"What’s that surrounding Lady Lirilien?" Merite asked once they had settled among the crowd.

"Oh, you must have been very young the last time the Veilkeeper used that skill," Coletto replied, smiling with an air of superiority. "Just watch and you’ll see."

"You were only born about fifty years before me, so stop acting like some ancient sage every time you bring up that expedition they only let you join because..."

Merite cut her sentence short when she realized the whirlwind surrounding Lirilien was formed by leaves from the sanctuary’s magical vegetation. They had begun to glow, then lifted into the air to join the green rain annihilating the invaders.

In place of the leaves that had already been spent, new ones drawn in by a gentle breeze began to swirl around the Veilkeeper. But the calm of the breeze quickly gave way to a new green whirlwind, ready for the next round.

Under the relentless punishment dealt by the most powerful of the spirits, the Abyssal Spawn quickly saw their numbers dwindle. But lacking any intelligence, retreat was never an option for them, and they were soon to be wiped out completely.

"So that’s what they call a skill?" said a voice beside her. It was measured and resonant, with a gently enveloping tone.

"Of course. Spells, martial arts, techniques, anything that reaches a high level of proficiency is considered a skill," said Merite with a smug expression. This was her chance to remind everyone of the age and wisdom Coletto so often dismissed, even if her attention remained fixed on the spectacle unfolding below. "But not all skills are the same. They’re ranked."

"And does this skill have a high rank?"

"Of course! Are you blind?" Merite snapped, still keeping her eyes on the beautiful woman holding off the monster horde alone. "A normal spirit couldn’t even handle one of those Abyssal Spawn, let alone the lesser spirits. Just one of those monsters could wipe out entire colonies... but look at what Lady Lirilien’s skill is doing to them!"

"So her name is Lirilien... She looked familiar, but the name doesn’t ring a bell."

"It’s Lady Lirilien. She’s not just our Veilkeeper, and she wasn’t even born from the Fountain of Life. She’s the legitimate daughter of the former queen of the spirits, the greatest of the Primeval Spirits," Merite said, growing irritated with the stranger’s ignorance, though her attention remained on the outcome of the battle. "If she were in the land of the spirits, there’s no doubt she would’ve been crowned the new queen... but for some reason, her mother sent her to this remote region, beneath human lands."

"She is the daughter of the Queen of the Spirit Realm... I see. That explains why her appearance feels familiar. I must have known her mother, at least according to the inscription and the gift she left me."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" said Merite, picking up the murmurs beside her with a sensitivity only a high spirit could possess. Now that the last enemies had finally fallen, she finally turned to the one who had been speaking. "Only the elder spirits... ever had... the honor... of meeting... the original ones..."

"Merite?" Coletto, who had simply been watching the one-sided battle unfold below, noticed that her friend had suddenly gone pale beside her. That was something quite unusual for a high spirit of fire.

Standing before Merite was a tall young man, handsome even by the standards of the beautiful spirits. But beyond his appearance, what truly stood out was the overwhelming, unfathomable aura surrounding him.

Coletto suddenly felt a mix of fear and reverence begin to take hold of her.