“You know how to control your mana?” Bria asked me as she offered me her hand.

  “I would like to believe so if nothing else,” I said as I took her hand.

  Oh wow. Her mana control was leagues above even the queen of Anlage. There was a certain smoothness to it as well. Like, if Alyssa’s mana was a normal wool blanket, and Tessa’s was more like paper, then this mana was like silk.

  You do have good control. Evie is doing a good job.

  Huh? What was that?

  Bria giggled. “Sorry, that was me, but you can feel it, right? A certain impulse, almost like a desire to move, but gentle?”

  Yeah, it kind of felt like the winds were blowing. I took a step forward, and another, and I felt her hand on my hip next, and we twirled. The sensation reminded me of when you’d just float in the lake in summer, no movement, or intentionality. Just letting the wind and water pull and push you. Yet there I was, more like a motionless doll floating. Here, it was a dance.

  I am proud of her. The thought appeared out of nowhere, but its warm glow persisted. It was nice. It… wait, it kind of reminded me of this moment with the queen. How I invaded her mind. Was I doing that again?

  “No,” Bria said. “I invited you, and I slipped in yours. Dancing in and outside is easy if one knows how to follow. Evie is good at teaching, that isn’t she?”

  A picture flowed into my mind, but it wasn’t the Lady Evelyn I knew; it looked more like her daughter. She was still just as elegant, but this version was no more than ten years old. She was-

  “No, this way, Wind Maiden,” I felt a tug, and the image was gone, and oh, glow, right.

  I opened my eyes, but everything felt different, like it was a dream, almost a soft shine over everything. I waved my hand, and a shifting yellow-green glow flowed into the air in a curved wave, like a paintbrush across the sky. Then sharper purple lines darted through it before settling on the ground.

  The maple moths then began fluttering as if they were a collection of pebbles falling downhill to fill the space. The glow of the green and purple off their orange-ish bodies left me in awe. We continued to dance, and more and more waves and moths glittered.

  “There is something I always wanted to try, would you permit me this?” Bria asked, this time with her voice.

  I felt a sense of trust, so I nodded. “Go ahead.”

  She rolled in a spin behind me and held on to my wrists. I could feel her breath against my ear, and she was reaching within my mana again. I felt the nudging within as words began pushing against my lips.

  “It is the gale that clears the path ahead. It is the rain that washes away the pain, but I will walk always with the Lightning,” we said in sync. Oh, this feeling reminded me of something.

  “I accept no altar, and I claim no shelter, I have no vows to break, no oaths to fail. Show me no worry, and I need no mercy,” we said. Oh, I recognize it now. It was like that time with the orphanage. I didn’t know how to describe it back then. This time was more gentle. Oh, of course it is, elves are good at this. A goddess may not be bad, but a human like me is like an ant to her. Wait is…. It didn’t matter. We were so close to something. It felt important.

  “I am Your daughter. I am Your thunder. I shall fetter the entire world in chains, until all of heaven descends to submit, and Your word is heard by all in reality!” We both shouted.

  “Frauenleben Verursacht,” I shouted!

  “Glyzinien Leuchten,” Bria shouted.

  I raised my hand in the air and drew a sigil into the air, not one I recognized. Another sigil formed as I realized Bria drew a sigil as well. Hers was the one on the rock. Oh, wait, another force was tugging at me. Not Bria, it was distinctly different and centered in my stomach. Oh, gale sense, I felt the desire to carve gale sense into the ground with this mana.

  I flowed mana into the ground around us, and it began glowing. Bria was taken off guard by this moment too. Now we have three sigils glowing. The sigil of wind, the one she made, and the mystery one I made. Winds started howling, and I was almost worried, but there was a certain calmness to it.

  Purple spheres of light formed next, and little discharges came off of them faster than anything I had ever seen before. One even hit me right on my hand, but it didn’t hurt. It instead tickled, and there was a little bit of white pollen in my hand, or that is what it looked like. The pollen began falling around us, almost like the first snow.

  The maple flows came back in a rush; they swarmed over each purple sphere, creating a mixture of their brown and orange with the purple light, which contrasted with the green of the ground, which also had orange-brown from the actual fallen leaves. It felt like something majestic.

  The feeling ended, and Bria stood beside me, our mana no longer connected, and we watched as the pollen continued to fall. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “It is, but what is it?” I asked.

  “Wisteria Dust,” she said. “A dust infused with the power of the goddess of lightning. Its effects can vary, but can’t you feel it? What does this dust contain?”

  I rubbed the dust in my hand, and it just felt warm, but like a soothing warm, not like heat. Closing my eyes just made me think of Madaline. “Healing?”

  She nodded. “Specifically, illness, not physical damage. There is no illness in the world that Wisteria Dust of Healing can’t cure.”

  I thought about what I said too. “What was the thing we said?” I asked. I was most curious about the last part. Frauenleben Verursacht. But before she could reply, the mayor came on stage and began speaking to the crowd as the dazzling lights continued. He was telling people to take the dust to their loved ones in town.

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  So the crowd slowly began to disperse, and shortly after, so did the maple moths; they had enough mana for the rest of their lives. One year, I think I would like to see them without a veil. My stomach was grumbling, and for a moment I was worried about mana sleep, but I didn’t feel cold. We had just traveled all day.

  We went to an inn this time; in villages, they usually had a spare, empty house, but in the town, it was less common. Families usually shared much larger houses, and no single one was empty. But that wasn’t something they would let us do. Especially during a recent festival with lots of travelers. So we ended up renting up the entire inn. It must have cost a lot compared to what a normal traveler would spend.

  Lady Evelyn was just oozing a foul aura since the Wisteria Dust. I wanted to ask her, but she was walking farther ahead than usual. She stopped us in a big room, before turning to look at Beladone.

  “Protect the outside. Everyone but the Wind Maiden, Tessa, and Priestess Kelly.”

  “Surely you're joking. You have listed not even the fledgling knights for this?” he asked.

  “Do you know anything about them?” she asked.

  “Yes, I have heard about the three storm-”

  She waved her hand to interrupt, and he grunted in response. “That is a no. You are a liability-”

  “How dare you. My rank exceeds yours, perhaps I should remind you?” he said as his aura tensed.

  Lady Evelyn looked at me, and I took a breath. “Sir Beladone, you are to take the scribe and coachmen and personally protect them with your life. Assign all other guards nearby. This is my order.”

  He clicked his tongue. “As you wish.”

  The satisfaction lasted only a brief instant. Beladone was the type to hold a grudge, and he would speak to the king about anything. But I trusted Lady Evelyn.

  Once we were alone, Lady Evelyn stretched and sighed. “Thank you, Wind Maiden. This is going to be uncomfortable enough without that pinhead. So, the thing is. The three sisters-”

  The door opened. “Tired of waiting!” Bria said while gesturing to us.

  Lady Evelyn raised her hand, but Bria stopped her. “Stille Verursachen. I know how you get, little Evie!”

  “The gods would be merciful to kill me now,” Lady Evelyn said.

  Another woman walked up; a lock of white hair stuck out from a piece of cloth wrapped around her forehead, much like the sisters of water. “Evelyn, sweetie. You know that kind of mercy is never honored.” She paused and looked at me. “I am Galina, and I walk under the protection of the storm.”

  “Is it me you are least excited to see? I thought we were besties! I’m Clara, by the way, and I walk under the protection of the storm.”

  “I have heard that phrase. To walk under the protection, what does it mean exactly?” I asked.

  Bria pointed to a table of food. Lady Evelyn did the poison detection spell on everything. Even the water.

  “Is such precaution needed?” Kelly asked. “These ladies are quite well known, the sisters of the storms. I could think of no better allies-”

  “The sisters of the storm are allies to no one, not even each other,” Lady Evelyn said.

  “And yet, you sent the big man away?” Clara asked. “Seems awfully trusting to me.”

  She shook her head. “A hot-headed moron and the sisters of storm are the last two things I want to deal with at the same time. He was more likely to cause a fight than to stop one. And let’s be honest. We both know what would happen, with him or not.”

  “Explain,” I said. I knew this conversation was going to get fast and out of control, and if they weren’t gonna explain on their own, then so be it. I wanted answers.

  “As you wish,” Clara said. “We’d win. Little Ev here may be strong and that meathead too, but at best, the two of them are likely only equal to one of us.”

  “Is it really true?” Kelly asked. “I have heard you three can fight, but he is the royal head knight. How can you be so certain?”

  Tessa voiced her opinion as well. “Yes, even before I crossed the ocean, I had heard of you three. The girls who have joined both the wind, water, and lightning churches, to collect and unite their protection. But to think you’d prompt even one with as much intelligence as Evelyn to fear poisoning.”

  Bria laughed. “Well, Evie is correct, but not in that we are an active threat, but rather she remembers her training well. Those who protect the maidens are those who should be leery of all. Especially me, so I take her caution as an honor that she remembers our time together well.”

  “For what reason should she be so additionally worrisome around someone who taught her?” Tessa asked.

  Bria looked me in the eyes. “Remember the thing we said together.”

  “I hold no alter, and I seek… wait, no, I have no oaths to break. That one?” I asked.

  She nodded. “When one’s ultimate magic prayer proclaims one without oaths, then one should presume lies. But, isn’t as if that presumption must be true for it to be how she should behave.”

  “To meet someone with an ultimate magic prayer, and the sisters of storm no less. If able, I would love to hear about yours?” Kelly asked.

  Ultimate magic? I had never heard of even the concept.

  Lady Evelyn sat down. “No, enough of that. Ultimate magic is one of the few things she doesn’t need to learn anytime soon. Tell us why you are really here.”

  Galina giggled. “It really was a coincidence. We mean no illwill. But what beautiful coincidences can be! But while we all wanted to meet you. It is Clara who wanted this moment.”

  Clara got on her knees before me and bowed her head. “While I may walk under the protection of the storm. It is Luft to whom I ultimately serve. I would love the chance to feel your mana. To feel Luft’s presence. But I also wish to present you a gift.”

  She took out what appeared to be a pressed leaf that was quite well cared for. She had it in a book. I could feel the mana from it already. It reminded me of well… frankly, myself. I felt drawn to the crispy green leaf.

  “Is that?” Lady Evelyn asked.

  Clara nodded. “A dryad’s petal, in the dedication of Luft.”

  “To think, I would see one with my own eyes,” Tessa said.

  “And what exactly is that?” I asked, struggling to look away.

  Galina looked at me. “In a country far, far to the south west, there lies a land of dryads that craft these. But they need to be processed by the elves at the temple of wind. It is inconvenient to transport them. We were doing this duty. But, a petal of Luft belongs to the Wind Maiden and no other.”

  I looked to Lady Evelyn. She avoided my glare for a second. “I cannot say anything. Clara would kill me if she detects manipulation.”

  A chill went down my spine. “Is that true?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I serve Luft, and you are, in essence, the daughter of Luft. You may be the only person in this world who considers me your ally. If those nearby tried to restrict your thoughts, they would be right to consider me their enemy, but Ev is also being a tad dramatic to presume I would kill her so quickly.”

  I took an impulsive step back.

  “Clara, settle down,” Galina said before looking at me. “Please forgive her, she has waited over three hundred years for this moment, she is beyond excited. You do not have to accept the petal. If you wish for us to turn it in as originally requested, we shall. A petal must ultimately be handled by an elf, but there are elves in other places. So, keeping hold of it yourself has some benefits. And any company that guards a maiden should have no issue holding it safely. So we see this as an acceptable risk.”