Tall black pillars stood densely scattered across the flat, root-free moss. Without the foliage above it would have been hard to picture them as trees at all, almost no branches, no visible roots. Thin streaks of afternoon light slipped through gaps in the canopy and painted golden lines on the ground. Near a small bush heavy with golden berries, something red poked out of a shallow ditch.

  The trio hid there, still panting, lying flat in the ditch. Hal got the worst of it, running this kind of distance with all of his belts full of artifacts was deadly for a weakling like him. Amelie was first to lift her head. She was more agile than either of her companions, even in a dress. She clutched the star robes to her chest like a long-lost child. Her huge light-blue eyes shimmered with fat tears that finally spilled as she traced the familiar golden threads with trembling fingers. Cheeks flushed pink, she buried her face in the fabric and breathed in, expecting the familiar scent of her own herb-infused detergent. Instead she got unwashed privates, old sweat, and expensive tacky perfume, presumably an attempt to mask the rest.

  "That lady! She only had my robes for three days and now it smells like fish."

  Vex heard her and snapped back to reality. He was laying there with one hand raised, still firmly holding something red. In his head he pictured Pila’s goods rubbing against the soft fabric, infusing it with her essence. He was sure she was the kind of maniac who would touch herself while wearing her beloved artist’s piece. The image of a honey dipper sliding out of a jar, trailing a long sticky string, flashed through his mind. He needed a taste.

  "Amelie, hand those over. We’re not sure they’re safe to wear."

  With a pout she passed the robes to him.

  "Promise you’re not gonna sell them again?"

  "Sure, whatever."

  With his left hand he lifted the robes' crotch area to his face and took a deep sniff. It hit him like a truck. A sour, metallic stench, like pennies, gym clothes left in a bag, and tuna. A fistful of regret. He tried to deny it. In his mind he erased all her unattractive traits- the crazy hair, the annoying speech patterns, the tattoos, the style that made you roll your eyes. All he saw was her godly figure, second only to Persika’s.

  "That can’t be right. Maybe someone else wore it."

  Vex finally dropped his right hand. Dangling from his fingers were Pila’s red lace panties, ripped clean off her in one accidental yank. They looked stupidly expensive and extremely delicate. He hadn’t even meant to grab them. When Hal had grabbed his collar to haul him out the window, Vex’s fingers were already locked around the fabric.

  He would have loved to recruit her, knowing what she was willing to do for him. He sniffed again, hoping to fix the picture of Pila in his head. Maybe it would be worth the hassle of going back to Culra if he could restore that goddess image.

  A second wave of the same stench rolled over him. A Double dose of regret. After that he lost all interest. Vex dry-heaved. The smell did half the damage; the rest was psychological. His ideal follower with a one-in-a-million body had just been replaced by a freak who didn’t wash herself.

  "Eh… too good to be true. Ami, they’re safe. Just wash them first."

  As he handed the robes back he caught Amelie’s expression, a strange mix of hate and gratitude. Not normal hate. More like she didn’t like it but understood exactly why he had done it. Fresh fat blobs of tears welled up in her huge eyes.

  "My lord, when you sold them and left me naked I didn’t understand why you would do it. I even started thinking you hated me, that I was a burden, that I had done something wrong and the stars were punishing me. But I never lost hope. The stars whispered that it was all part of my destiny. The fire to get my beloved robes back burned away every dark thought. It lit something inside me. It made me feel… thicker."

  Tears still rolling down her cheeks, she gave an honest smile of gratitude and patted her flat chest.

  "Not here. But in spirit you gave me armor no one can take away. You helped me so much, the long journey, recreating the art. So thank you, my lord. Thank you for selling a part of me to save me. It made me stronger. The prophecy needed me ready, and now I am."

  Amelie’s eyes looked exactly like the sky after a storm when the sun breaks through again. The tears were gone and her pupils sparkled once more.

  Vex hadn’t expected any of it. He blinked once, twice. He wondered if she was serious. Her speech made him question everything he had done. For once he actually felt bad. A dagger straight to the heart, stomach twisting. He handed the robes back and patted her head, still feeling sick.

  "I’m glad you feel better."

  ?????

  A day had passed since Alixa found the slate. Her lackeys worked hard, dust and sweat caked on their skin. Barely dressed, they were dirty, sweaty, and exhausted. The sun beat down harder than usual. One of them stopped and took a sip of water.

  "Miss, I think we’re ready for the explosion."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Alixa, lounging in her chair, lifted her sunglasses.

  "You think? Or do you know? Do you understand we don’t have enough artifacts to blast whatever we want? Do you think I’m made of money?"

  "Sorry, miss…"

  The female lackey stopped to interject.

  "If it’s worth the effort, why can’t we contact HQ for more resources? You’re working us like slaves."

  Alixa stood up. The disrespect made a vein throb on her forehead.

  "Do you understand your role in AFO? This is for the good of the kingdom. We are making discoveries bigger than you and your bald friend."

  "And how exactly does that stop you from helping us?"

  Alixa had no answer. She though why would she- a royalty, dirty her own hands? Her lackey knew too much and was starting to annoy her. Attaining the lost artifact was as important as keeping it a secret. She weighed the situation and came to a conclusion that even a failed attempt will shut her underling for a while.

  "Fine! Time to use the explosives then."

  Her goons sighed in relief. Exhausted, they dropped onto the soft grass.

  Alixa prepared small tube-shaped artifacts fitted with rapid air-expansion chaos. These explosions needed no pressure chamber like old gunpowder. Because they were dangerous they were usually transported in anti-static bags without batteries or wires attached. A single static spark could set them off, and if the blast missed you the shrapnel for the casing still might not.

  She slid a couple of tubes into dug cavities and cracks, linking them to one activator battery.

  "Crap. We don’t have any timer modules."

  She hadn’t prepared well. No extra wire, no timer module, nothing for safety. She glanced at the female lackey who was growing too suspicious and got an idea. After finalizing the setup, to only need a battery insertion she approached the annoying underling with a smile, talking calmly.

  "Everything’s set up. You just need to activate it."

  She dropped a couple of batteries into the woman’s hand.

  The subordinate suspected nothing. Face blank, she clutched the batteries and stood. She took a few steps, then turned back.

  "Are you sure it’s safe?"

  "Completely. We’ll hide a little further away. We don’t know what might be inside. If anything comes out, run to us. Baldie and I will be a hundred paces that way. Activate it after three minutes. For the good of the kingdom!"

  Alixa nodded. The woman gulped, sudden dread washing over her.

  "For the good of the kingdom… Eh…"

  With every step the dread grew heavier. Wolves, faulty fuses, traps, every nightmare played in her head. She knew she could be walking to her death.

  "For the good of the kingdom. For the good of the kingdom. For the good of the kingdom…"

  The words looped in Alixa’s calm, almost smug voice inside her skull.

  "I CAN’T DO IT!"

  She sprinted back to Alixa and baldie.

  "Miss, I can’t. Something feels wrong."

  Alixa exhaled sharply through her nose so the woman would feel the irritation. She reached for her dagger to intimidate. Suddenly Baldie spoke.

  "I’ll do it, miss!"

  The girl handed him the batteries with guilty eyes. They shared one long look, no words needed, the kind of look that might be the last.

  Alixa wished him luck.

  "For the good of the Kingdom!"

  Baldie walked away.

  Every breath made him realize what his friend had felt.

  "I’ll be happy if at least she lives."

  Scenarios ran through his head of nothing bad happening, them finding a treasure and parting ways, him finally attempting romantic advances on his friend, getting married, having children, dying together of old age, swinging on a porch in their beautiful home.

  "Helen..."

  As he inserted the batteries he heard was a fraction of a second long fizz.

  BOOM.

  Back at the hiding spot Alixa was still frustrated.

  "Why did the idiot do it? I needed the know-it-all. Worst case…"

  She checked her clock. Three minutes exactly.

  "Come on, let’s go."

  She nudged the subordinate who was staring at the ground, lost in despair.

  "Yes, miss."

  As they approached, the tablet was gone, only rubble left. Baldie was nowhere in sight. Alixa kept her cold pace while the lackey broke into a sprint.

  The woman reached the entrance first. Baldie was laying there unconscious, hand crushed under a boulder.

  "CHRIS! CHRIS! Wake up, it’s meeee. Please wake up!"

  Alixa slowly walked over.

  "Oh, so that’s what his name was."

  The girl grabbed Alixa by the collar, almost lifting her.

  "You bitch! How could you do this?"

  Then she started bawling.

  "Relax, idiot. It’s for the good of the people."

  Her voice cracked.

  "We need to get him help."

  Alixa checked baldie's pulse and answered with slight sarcasm.

  "Yeah, looks like he could use some. Lucky for you he's still alive and help is right inside the chamber. The lost artifact in there can heal him."

  "B-but artifacts like that don’t exist…"

  "They do. It’s confidential. Why do you think we would go through all this trouble?"

  Alixa was a natural manipulator. If she had more patience she could have staged a coup back at the castle. Her biggest flaw was always rushing.

  The girl rose, filled with fresh determination. She pictured herself beside Chris while he healed, finally confessing.

  They stepped into the chamber. It was one long room of slightly glowing blue bricks. At the far end a podium held the lost relic, an old looking yellow parchment scroll. In the middle was a bottomless pit, darkness swirling inside as if trying to climb out. A narrow steel walk-way connected the entrance to the podium.

  "Will that scroll really help Chris? It doesn’t look like much."

  Alixa smirked.

  "Of course it will. It’s a lost artifact with reality-bending power. They made it look plain on purpose. Go on. I’ll follow."

  The girl, set on saving her friend, started into abyss before finally mustering up courage to cross, ten steps in she stopped. A loud sound of shifting boulders hit her ears, no sight was needed. She accepted her fate.

  "Chris..."

  A row of bricks swung from the ceiling like a hammer and swept her off.

  Alixa stepped to the edge and watched her fall, the scream growing quieter.

  "Eh. Rest in peace, uh… whatever your name was. For the good of the kingdom!"

  Alixa kicked off her shoes and began crossing. At the danger spot she tossed one shoe forward. Another row swung, shaking the plank. She almost lost balance. She reached the spot shoe had landed and tossed the second. The last row swung harder. This time Alixa actually fell.

  She caught the edge with her soft hands, scraping them raw, but her athletic build let her pull up easily. There was no distance left. She reached the other side safely and grabbed the scroll, crossed back, and stepped into daylight. The sun punched her in the face. A wide, very unroyal grin split her lips. In her hand she held a weapon of mass destruction and only needed to kill one pathetic human. She checked baldie’s pulse. Already dead. She took his shoes, complaining the whole way about how uncomfortable they felt.

  Three days later, still in hiding, she finished deciphering the scroll. It carried immense reality-bending power triggered by large group perception. She was annoyed it was single-use, but she was ready. She contacted the AFO.