The Mage Queen Book 1: The Princess

Anastacia gulped. The twin gear crest never bade good news for her. She had only heard stories of how Machinos, to compensate for its lack of magoi, created machines to fight magic users. Many of the machines had nullification fields, mana absorbing equipment, and tracking devices tailor-made to hunt down magoi with ease.

Sweat trickled down her nape as the group approached them. As they advanced towards her, she remembered the first time she met the soldiers of Machinos. They had no magic, but the weapons they carried struck more fear in her than an incoming fireball. She also saw how it reduced a wall into rubble. While she wasn't sure what weapon they had, to her, they all looked the same. It had a long nose, a trigger, and it went boom.

"Well, I didn't know that you'd show your pretty face here, Hawthorne," the man growled. "You've got some nerve."

Marick smirked. "Nerves of steel I'd like to say. It's what makes me a better pirate than you."

"You turned my ship into a bloody slice of cheese!"

"Your engineer sucked, Castor."

Anastacia turned to Rowen. "Castor?"

Rowen nodded. "Castor Flannagan – he was the former captain of the navy. Star-studded and all until Cap and I turned his ship into a mess."

She paled. "Why would you do that!?"

"Cap found them trying to claim neutral waters. So, he burned down their ship and then warned them."

"Isn't it the other way around?"

"It is?"

Anastacia gawked. She thought Marick would be a bit more sensible than Erkalla but he was just as bad! Wasn't it logical to warn someone first and then fight them off if they don't listen? Rowen just shrugged at her.

"Huh, guess Cap got the process wrong. No wonder we had so many pirates come after us," Rowen pondered.

"Just how many did you fight with?"

Rowen began counting his fingers and then the air. He pursed his lips and then shrugged. Anastacia sighed while he sheepishly grinned at her.

"Am I truly better off not knowing?"

"Yeap."

Anastacia shook her head and turned back to Marick who kept his hands near his gunblades. "Marick, maybe we should go."

Marick chuckled. "I ain't the type to run away from a fight, lass."

"Neither am I but this was not what we agreed upon!"

"We'll always have a few fights here and there."

"I expected with monsters. Not humans!"

Marick shrugged before standing straight, still resting his hands on his gunblades' hilts. "We'll have to postpone your little revenge match. I've got a deal to keep."

Castor bristled with a disgruntled snort. "You? Someone as flighty as you can keep a deal?"

"If I'm in the mood, I'll take it."

"And he's got me!" piped up Rowen.

Castor snorted. "And where's this little deal of yours taking you?"

"Sorry. Got an NDA."

"Tch, no you don't. You found some damn good treasure, didn't you?"

"Obviously."

Castor snorted and relaxed his stance. "Well then, if you're gonna get yourself killed, that's up to you. Less pests in my hair."

"I'll say hi to Calypso and Asherah for ya then."

Snorting, Castor pointed his gun at Anastacia. "I don't know about you, little girl. But this guy" — he pointed his gun at Marick— "is famous for getting his crew killed—"

Before Castor could finish his sentence, a vine shot out past her and slugged him in the jaw, sending him to the ground. Anastacia gasped. Marick groaned and he turned to Rowen with a raised eyebrow, noticing the vine shrink back into the little boy's arm. Rowen grinned at him.

"What?"

"Sprout," Marick chided. "You and I both talked about this."

"We did. But I didn't completely agree to it."

Castor groaned and got up, flicking the safety off his gun. "That stupid weed! I'll blow his head off —"

Anastacia's eyes widened as a gunshot rang through the air. She clumsily fished out a crystal from her bag, focusing her mana into it. Her heart pounded against her ribcage and her mana jumped all over the place. He's going to die, he's going to die, she panicked.

But within that split second, Marick had already drawn his sword. He cleaved the bullet in half, letting the projectile rattle on the floor to break the deadly silence. Anastacia gawked at the sight of the gunblade, noticing the bright blue aura and the waves of water pulsing within it. She remembered reading stories of how weapons take on the personality of their owners, warning the opponent for harboring ill intentions. But this was the first time she had seen Marick's blade react with that kind of speed and with a foreboding calmness that was akin to Death.

"Try shooting him again, I dare you," Marick hissed as he revved up the gun, causing the water within it to rumble. "But this time, you won't even get a bullet out of that gun."

Anastacia gulped at the tension. Was this how people who lived on the edge dealt with things? Back at the castle, threats like that often had hidden barbs in their words. Being that confrontational could immediately result in war! She shivered and hugged herself, trying to stop herself from trembling.

Suddenly, the alarm rang and Hindenburg Port was filled with soldiers. Her eyes widened when she recognized the blue eagle emblazoned on the soldiers' armor.

"Marick!" she hollered.

Marick clicked his tongue. "Yeah" — he sheathed his gunblades and saluted Castor — "see ya around, ya scallywag. Got myself a parley!"

Anastacia grabbed Rowen's hand and bolted, ignoring the aching feeling in her feet. She couldn't believe that Xychosia managed to chase them all the way to Hindenburg Port! She thought that all the chaos would be enough to keep them busy. With the whole hangar on fire, she expected them to at least focus on that instead of chasing her.

Before she could enter the Stormcleaver, she stopped dead in her tracks when a pale blonde-haired woman stood in front of her with a steely silver glare. A chill ran up Anastacia's spine when she recognized the ornate silver-blue hilt of the saber strapped to the woman's side.

"General Melissa D'Eon," she whispered.

Rowen blinked. "Who?"

"The one they call the Eagle's Talons..."

Melissa shook her head. "My lady, the queen wants you to come home."

Anastacia shook her head. "But Sofiene—!"

"—Will rise again as long as you are kept safe. If you walk into Sofiene now then, its people will lose hope."

"Don't tell me: the monsters?"

"Monsters are only one part of the story, my lady. We will explain the rest but only if you return home."

Anastacia paused for a moment. Would they really explain it to her? Would they finally answer all her questions? When she stepped forward, she yelped as a strong gust of wind blew her hood and cloak away. She tried to grab her cloak but stopped midway when the woman bisected it. Her eyes widened at the woman's calm demeanor and at the glimmer of her saber. As its tip sparkled, something in her ignited. She pulled back before putting her hands together, feeling mana build in the space between her palms. Once she saw a ball of light form in her hands, she shook her head with a sad smile.

"Forgive me, but please tell Her Grace that I must see it for myself," declared Anastacia.

She squashed the ball of light, unleashing a blinding flash. Rowen yelped and she rushed into the ship before slamming the door behind them. She flinched at the muffled sounds of gunshots and howls coming from outside. Her breath hitched. Would General Melissa still chase her? The few moments she waited seemed like an eternity but the door remained still. Satisfied and letting out a groan of relief, she slid against the door with Rowen heaving and sitting next to her.

"I hope that discouraged her." Rowen let out an airy laugh. "But she must be good to be known as the Eagle's Talons."

Anastacia nodded. "She is who they call Xychosia's last resort. If all else fails, they send her. Either her or the one they call the Boogeyman."

Rowen blinked. "The Boogeyman?"

"He's an old Xychosian legend. But there were rumors that he could cause a civilization to collapse on itself in a single night without anyone knowing that he did it."

"Yikes. How did the queen find that guy?"

Anastacia shrugged until she heard metal hum in front of her. Her heart sank. Someone made it on the ship despite the flash! She paled and slowly looked up, only to find the tip of General Melissa's saber pressed against Rowen's Adam's Apple. Rowen gulped while General Melissa gave her a serene smile.

"My lady, while Erkalla may enjoy the thrill of the chase, I don't," said General Melissa. "I prefer speed and efficiency."

Anastacia forced down the bile that formed in her throat. Melissa's steely silver gaze caused all her fibers to freeze and her hands began to tremble. The sheer weight of Melissa's physical presence paralyzed her especially when she saw the general press the tip of the saber against Rowen's throat. What could she do? General Melissa would pierce Rowen's throat without hesitation!

"General, please. He" —referring to Rowen— "had nothing to do with this," pleaded Anastacia. "I... forced them to take me."

General Melissa maintained her sword against Rowen's throat. "That doesn't affect my objective in any way. The queen wants you home."

"But I can't leave Sofiene."

"And I cannot abandon my mission."

"It seems we are at an impasse."

General Melissa frowned and turned to Rowen. "What do you hope to gain in bringing the lady to Sofiene?"

Rowen blinked. "Huh?"

"Is it gold? Fame? Glory? What has the princess promised you?"

There was a pause. "Nothing, really."

"She promised you nothing. Yet, you escorted her?"

Rowen nodded. "She just wants to go home. Doesn't everyone want a place they call home?"

"Xychosia is her home."

"Really? But why did she run away if it is?"

Melissa snorted in amusement. "Reasons perhaps she" — she gave Anastacia a pointed gaze — "would like to tell us."

Anastacia gulped. Her palms became clammy and her heart sank to the floor. Would Melissa understand? What good would it do? She had a duty to her queen and that queen was not her. She hung her head.

"My people... they need me. I can't bear the thought of them dying because I didn't do anything."

Melissa nodded. "You are doing something. You are staying alive until the time is right."

"And when will that be?"

"Definitely not now."

Anastacia bit her lip. Was her perilous journey all for naught? Was she presumptuous to assume that her people needed her when she could possibly cause their deaths? Her blood ran cold as she wrung her fingers around the Sofienian royal pendant. She looked up at General Melissa.

"If I go with you, will you leave Marick and Rowen to soar the skies?"

"My objective only states to bring you home whether you like it or not."

Anastacia nodded stiffly. General Melissa was the Eagle's Talons after all. Her fame spread out far and wide in being able to complete her mission no matter what it took her. She then turned to Rowen, shuddering at the sight of the general's sword ready to impale his throat. But she then realized there was one thing she had not tried.

"I am certain the queen said I must be returned alive," Anastacia began.

General Melissa's eyes flashed. "My lady."

"She must've added that you are not to lay a finger on me," Anastacia continued. "So, what if" — she grabbed Rowen's wrist — "I did this?"

Melissa's and Rowen's eyes widened when magical markings formed a white bracelet around his and Anastacia's wrist.

"If you kill him, you will have nothing but a corpse to bring back to the queen."