The Mage Queen Book 1: The Princess
Stormcleaver

How could this have happened?

Queen Regina cringed at Erkalla's burned body. The petite girl's pale skin cracked like charcoal with the putrid scent of sweat and blood assailing her nostrils. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound of Erkalla's aroused moans and delirious laughter. The lady-in-waiting didn't even notice that her left arm was missing!

"I can't believe it!" guffawed Erkalla. "She actually did it!"

Queen Regina frowned. She, the queen figured she meant Princess Anastacia. But she had seen the princess' abilities as a magoi. The princess excelled in supportive and utility magic. Lighting up lanterns, healing wounds, and creating shields took her less than a week to learn! Combat magic on the other hand was the complete opposite.

That begs the question then, she thought. How did Anastacia burn Erkalla that severely?

"Your Grace," someone called.

Queen Regina turned to see a soldier standing before her. "Lieutenant Arvin Grigori, I trust your investigation is going on well?"

Arvin nodded and handed her a clipboard. "We found no signs of forced entry."

Queen Regina's light blue eyes scanned the details on paper, shaking her head. "She left her own free will."

"Either that or someone from the castle escorted her out."

"I doubt it. All the soldiers are under orders not to let her out."

"Bribery?"

"Illusion magic is more like it. She cannot lie too well."

The lieutenant nodded. "I'll spread out the search, lock down the city."

"Very well. Warn the people."

"At once, Your Grace."

As Arvin headed out, the queen turned her attention back to the delirious lady-in-waiting. Xychosia's healers laid their glowing white hands above Erkalla. When the aura enveloped her body, Erkalla's delirious laughter turned into agonized screams. Frightened, the healers staggered back. Queen Regina's eyes widened when she saw the result: Erkalla's skin was sizzling!

"Get your White Magic away from me!" she shrieked.

Erkalla's screams transformed into black shockwaves, slamming the healers against the wall and shattering the glass. She let out a feral snarl and ripped out the needle in her arm.

The queen's heart stopped at the sight. She had heard stories about Erkalla unleashing her "tantrums", as Anastacia liked to call it. Most of the time, the soldiers ended up dragging Erkalla away according to her. Most likely to an isolated jail cell, she thought. But the sizzling blood from Erkalla's left stump where her arm used to be told her that prison was the last place she needed to be.

She stormed towards the room, ignoring the protests of her attendants. Queen Regina slammed the door open to the astonishment of the healers.

"Erkalla." She took one step forward with her hand glowing white. "Settle down."

Erkalla glared. "You are not my Queen!"

"You are in Xychosia. I am Xychosia's Queen. Do not test me, Erkalla."

"I accept commands from no one but her, Regina Psyche." Venom poured from her red lips. "She is my queen, not you!"

The queen shook her head and waved her hand. With that one gesture, leather restraints shot up and wrapped themselves around Erkalla's limbs. Runes appeared on the leather straps and dragged Erkalla down onto the gurney. Erkalla kicked and shrieked, almost breaking the bed in hysteria. She howled and cried, struggling against the restraints as they tightened the more she fought back.

"Give her some Chamomile to calm her down. If that still doesn't work, ask Councilman Jun to come over," Queen Regina ordered.

The healers nodded and headed off. Her heart dropped at the sight of Erkalla kicking and screaming. Her pained cries soon faded as she swooned away. Queen Regina, shaking her head, turned away and closed the door behind her. At least that's one issue taken care of, she thought.

She ambled towards the throne room, biting her thumbnail. Why would Anastacia suddenly leave? When did she gain the gall to run away? Was it something she did? Was it something she said? No, she shook her head. Now was not the time for self-pity. With Lieutenant Arvin spearheading the search, she knew that Anastacia would be found in no time!

"Your Highness!" Someone called.

That was quick, Queen Regina whirled around to see a bolting soldier, wheezing and panting. "What on Corporis is going on?"

"The princess! She's at the Blue Eagle hangar!"

What on Corporis would she be doing there? "Are you certain it is her?"

"Yes, Your Grace! She has two other companions with her as well!"

"Have you ID'd them?"

"Unfortunately, not yet! But he's dealing with Captain Fergus right now!"

The queen, sighing, pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath. "And how is Captain Fergus?"

The soldier's sheepish smile was a good enough explanation for her.

She glanced back at the healer's chambers and then at the soldier. Queen Regina sighed. For the last three years, Anastacia lived in peace within the walls of Xychosia's citadel. Yet, it was only now that Anastacia took action. Whoever persuaded her must've had a honeyed tongue.

"Nevermind." She shook her head. "Have any of the council members responded to the scene?"

The soldier shook his head. "None yet, Your Grace."

"It'll be up to me then."

Queen Regina rushed past the soldier, making her way to the hangar.

Anastacia gawked at the sight of the mayhem.

Although having soldiers point their weapons at her wasn't new, her body still froze like a deer in the headlights. Her hands trembled and her mana sputtered like a dying flame. Anastacia shivered and her knees nearly buckled under her. She yelped and put up a shield, deflecting incoming bullets. She winced at the impact but gasped at the bullets began chipping away her shield. The shockwaves exploded across the field of her shield with some of the bullets forming hairline cracks.

"Marick, Rowen!" Anastacia screamed.

Suddenly, gunshots sounded off and the soldiers yelped. Their guns dropped and Anastacia bolted away from their gunfire. She ran towards Marick who bisected a bullet.

"You didn't tell me we had to storm the hangar!" screamed Anastacia over the thundering gunfire, summoning another shield to defend herself. "I thought you just needed to get into the ship and get out!"

Marick bristled and kicked down a rushing soldier in the face. "That's what I thought too! I forgot that they have Captain Fergus stationed here!"

"Captain Fergus!?"

"Yeah, the most paranoid and anxious of the knights! He's constantly so anxious that he won't hesitate to riddle you with holes!"

"How did someone like him get into the military!?"

Marick shot another soldier at the feet, causing him to stagger. "Like Abyss I know, lass!"

Anastacia gawked. How could Marick and Rowen go through battle as if it were normal? She saw Marick bludgeon one soldier with the butt end of one of his gunblades before cleaving the spear of another soldier in half with the other. Rowen, although backed into a corner, wrenched open a sewage grill and touched one of the plants growing inside. A green aura enveloped the plant and its stem thickened and vines shot out. Some of the vines socked the soldiers while the others plastered them against the wall.

Maybe you should learn how to use a weapon. I hear the courtyard is always clear.

Anastacia's shoulders slumped at Erkalla's words echoing in her mind. Now that she didn't have Erkalla, she saw how useless she was. Although shields and healing were a good thing, they didn't stop anybody. The longer she watched Rowen and Marick fight back to back, the more her mana roiled and her frustration ate away at her. She watched Marick slide along the vines and cartwheel away from the incoming bullets. Rowen formed more bridges from the plant in the sewer and snatched the spears using the vines, snapping them in two.

She took a deep breath and began focusing her mana in between her hands. Anastacia recalled the image of a bright orb in her book. A blinding light – that was all she needed. She closed her eyes and imagined the dancing white waves of mana in her mind. They twirled and skipped around before swirling into the space between her hands. Suddenly, she felt a small cut graze beneath her left eye. Anastacia's eyes snapped open to see archers pointing at her.

"Don't just stand there!" Marick shattered another set of arrows with his blade. "Can't you cast while moving?"

Anastacia's mouth ran dry. "I..."

"Never mind!" Marick beckoned Rowen. "Sprout, get a wall up. She can't do anything if she keeps getting shot at!"

Rowen slammed two other soldiers onto the hangar ceiling with the vines, nodding. He then grabbed one of their spears and tossed it to Anastacia. She fumbled with it and yelped, glowering at Rowen.

"It'll help!" Rowen beamed with a shrug.

Another soldier came at Rowen with their sword until he slipped right in between the legs and kicked him in the crotch. The soldier yowled in pain until Rowen slugged him. Anastacia gawked at him but he shrugged.

"Cap says all's fair in love and war," Rowen said. He blinked at the unconscious soldier. "Um, is kicking him the crotch fair?"

Anastacia gaped.

"I guess that's a no?"

Before Anastacia could reply, a lightning-coated hammer dropped right in between them. The princess fell back and Rowen tumbled away from the impact. Lightning bolts shot out from the hammer, shattering crates and burning holes in the wall.

"Rowen Hawthorne!" A voice howled.

Anastacia and Rowen turned around when they saw the beefy but bruised Captain Fergus coming at them with a battle hammer. His scarred arms raised the battle hammer over their heads.

"You will be punished for your impudence!" He brought down the hammer.

Anastacia's eyes widened as she popped a white shield up in front of Rowen. The boy fell back from the impact as Fergus shattered the shield with another swing. Rowen crawled away and grabbed Anastacia's hand, dragging her along with him.

"Where are you taking me!?" Anastacia summoned another barrier around them. "He's going to kill us!"

"We have to get the clamps off the Stormcleaver then!" Rowen's eyes darted around. "Otherwise, we will be killed" – he spotted an airship hanging above them – "there!"

Anastacia looked up in awe. Although the Stormcleaver looked smaller than a blimp, she could appreciate the streamlined design. The ship had grey-blue spines and rays on its fins that could cut through the wind. The oak wood had been finely polished as if it were waiting for this very moment.

"We need to unhook the clamps." Rowen saw more soldiers coming after them. He grabbed Anastacia's shoulders. "Can you unhook them?"

Anastacia gasped. She had never handled airship equipment let alone enter the hangar! "I—"

"—Just try your best!" Rowen assured her before pulling out vines from the growing tree. "Go!"

Bewildered, Anastacia froze. She looked at the large airship and then at the anchors holding it in place. She gulped. Her grey eyes glanced back at Rowen who threw some soldiers off the ledge while Marick had kicked a few into the wall. Her stomach twisted in knots as fear built up inside her.

If you want to find answers, you'll have to do everything in your power to find what they are.

Anastacia swallowed her fear and bolted off. She found four of them and began fiddling around with them. Some of them had padlocks, others had codes. She tugged against the chains with all her might but they didn't budge. She looked at her hand then at the lock. Breaking the lock was an option but could she generate that much force?

Suddenly, she smelled something burning. She gasped at the vines burning and turning into ash while the Xychosia soldiers appeared to rally up. As the fires consumed the vines, her heart raced. The hangar flickered back and forth between the hangar and the burning streets of Sofiene. As the burnt smell of charcoal filled her nose, she found herself back in Sofiene as the city was razed to the ground. What could she do now?

The only thing she could do was clutch her head and scream.

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