Matilda, the City of the Three Borders

Later, I would find out that I had been asleep for two days. After I lost consciousness, I was trapped in a dark, endless dream. Because at that time, I thought I was trapped in eternity. Once in a while, a woman appeared at a distance I couldn’t determine. But when finally my right hand reached her, I only saw my own, blurry face.

Yet it was my older face.

“Do you hear me?! Alicia, are you with me?! Someone send the Priests, the surgeons, anyone!”

Kalandra’s screams hurt my head more than the worst hangovers. The woman’s face was so close that her respiration overwhelmed me a little bit. Finally, two men entered the room, followed by a familiar face.

“You are a girl harder to kill.” Madego’s voice was severe and distant. Even so, she couldn't help but let a tiny smile.

The two men were already close to my bed when a light flowed from their hands to my body. At first, I was startled, but then I regained energy little by little. The men looked exhausted and annoyed, probably from their current task.

“Lieutenant, excuse my harshness. This woman is healthy. She’s not even from our Guild, we should focus on…”

“Enough. You can go. I’ll continue from here.”

The guy who dared to give his opinion froze in place for a moment, then he left the room, followed by his companion, and Kalandra’s look of contempt. Their funny, gray tunics dragged up the dust in their quick escape. I wouldn’t complain a little more of light-flowing magic.

“I would also have to ask you to leave for a moment. She’s good now. And you're almost crushing her head.”

Kalandra blushed and reluctantly left the room, too.

“You have one good friend here. She didn’t leave the room for two days. Good raid material.”

“She’s not my friend. Where am I?”

Madego's somber face seemed to carry the weight of the world.

“Do you mean in which city, or in which world?”

She knows! She somehow knows. How…?

Now Madego was at the other side of the room, looking at the window. At least her eyes weren’t analyzing me anymore.

“Don’t bother thinking it too much. Your friend and I heard your screams about returning home. About returning to your world. I assure you that nobody else knows, and hopefully, that girl is really on your side.”

If this was Madego’s way of comforting me, I couldn’t tell. Yet, somehow, it worked. Only a little bit.

“You are not the first one, you know? At least know everything makes sense. And at the same time, it doesn’t.”

Then I remembered.

“The women! Where are they? Did they survive?”

“Yes, of course. You both did a good job reaching Matilda safely. Sadly, they are in a comatose state. We are still trying to figure out the drug used on them.”

The anger flowed through my veins again, but not so strongly as last time.

“The woman, that damn woman! Artanas, I would kill that bastard!”

Madego’s eyes looked directly at me again.

“Easy, girl. First, tell me everything about two nights ago. Your friend didn’t want to talk to anyone. Depending on your story, she may have made the best decision.”

We spent the next hours talking about rabbits, serpents, and…home. From time to time, Kalandra interrupted us to leave water and sweet fruits I had never tasted before. The anxious girls seem to resent Madego for excluding her from the conversation.

“So it's true. You were brought here. And that may be the reason why you didn’t appear to have a Blood Boon.”

Madego was looking at the floor with her arms crossed.

“A what?”

“Most people are born with it; we could save the long explanation for later. You only need to understand that a Blood Boon is what a God or a Titan grants each person. Think of it as a blessing, if you have such a thing in your home.”

Yeah, right. Teletransported to another world, and you don’t even have powers. Mediocrity haunts me.

“It doesn’t matter now. You must hide your origins from everyone. Alicia, if you don’t, you’ll face great peril.”

I expected this. No matter where I go, I’ll never be safe. No matter the world, everything and everyone wants to endanger me.

Madego continued her explanation, and she was more serious than ever.

“Even if you don’t fully comprehend it right now, we are in the middle of a crucial moment for this Land. Do you remember Toran’s speech at the border? Every person you see, no matter their level, class, or profession, is committed to reconquering this country.

“For decades, the Land of the Four Corners has been closed to the rest of the world. Many of us exiles have been prepared for this Day for years, some even more. Resentment, death, and chaos will follow our path.”

Madego paused for a moment to calm her sadness.

“Our goal is to reach the capital, the City of the Gray Viceroys, and put an end to the terrorist dictatorship that has controlled our Land. However, not everyone has good motives…as you have experienced.

I don’t know why they kidnapped you, but I’m sure of something: if they knew you came from another world, you wouldn’t be here. You are a rarity, even superior to any other Blood Boon. In our history books, there’s no more than four or five cases like you in millennia.”

Suddenly, she grabbed me by the shoulders, and her gaze pierced me more strongly than any snake's fangs.

“Alicia, do you want to go back home?”

Silence took over the room.

What do I want? Have I ever known?

“Yes.”

“Then you must hide your origins. No matter what happens next, you must keep this secret only to you. Alicia, I’m not going to lie to you, life here will be hard.”

Hooray!

Despite her stern looks, Madego noticed the worry in my face.

She stood in front of the window again.

“We’ll talk more about what comes next after you rest a little. But my grandmother…she was from Laurelwoods—this region’s name—and she told me of the customs. Every time you receive a foreigner, you must give them a first visit to the city.”

Now her eyes evaded me. She looked a little bit embarrassed to follow some old custom.

Or is this her first time doing it?

When we went outside the room, Kalandra was waiting for us. She didn’t say anything, but it was clear as water that she did not intend to leave my side. Madego had to give in.

The lieutenant—as everyone in the building addressed her—led the way to the outside.

Dirt roads, one-story houses with peeling paint, some destroyed buildings: my first impression was of a filthy, decadent city. However, after a few seconds I also noticed the blue sky. A sky so blue, with clouds so fluffy, that I thought they were painted by some magic.

Some people were walking back and forth in the city. Everyone wore worn-out clothes and armor, yet they looked…happy? For some reason, even after the destruction a few days ago, the air was buzzing with life and activity.

Wasn't there a massacre a few days earlier?

“Surprised? We are resilient people,” said Madego proudly, “and there’s work to be done. Despite everything I said before, we are not invaders. This is our home too.”

We walked way up to a little square. People tried to avoid catching our attention, probably because of Madego.

“This is Matilda’s Weapon Plaza. You should take note that every city has one. And of course, this is Matilda, the City of the Three Borders.”

She pointed at a golden circle in the center of the Plaza with the number “0” written on it.

“As I’m sure you can imagine, this city is shared with two other countries. For the raid, let’s just say we didn’t have the luxury to take the main front door—therefore, the detour we took in the jungle.”

I was getting more curious about this place, but when I was about to ask more questions, a woman appeared crossing the Plaza.

A beautiful, yet despicable “lady”.

A woman who smelled so good, yet only stench covered her soul.

Artanas.

Madego only needed a split second to notice what was going on. She had already reached her weapon.

Kalandra grabbed my tattered robe.

“She’s the one.”