1. prologue

The graveyards of Terra Et Nubila seemed to covered by a constant fog. Mist bit at everyone who was there to visit the dead, seeming to sense that it was not their time yet. The fog tried to push away the living, not understanding that people wanted to mourn their dead. This was one of the reasons that Bellona almost never went to funerals, despite the fact that she had been closed to a lot of people who had died recently. The fog would invade her senses and make her even more aware of the fact that she had just lost someone, despite the fact that it was obviously trying to get her out of there, away from the land of the dead.

But this funeral was one that was just too good for her to pass up. Ajax Fortis was an old foe of hers, and one of the most annoying warlords in all of the land. There were a lot of people that seemed to love him here though, because there were at least a couple hundred people there. Bellona watched as people cried and rolled her eyes. Part of her wondered if any of these people remembered the time that he threw a fit and lit a hospital on fire because they hadn't paid the taxes that he had illegally imposed on all of the buildings in the lower city.

She decided that she wasn't going to mention it right now. Not when so many people were trying to mourn this man. She would give them that. But she couldn't help but feel a little bit of satisfaction as she waited for the pallbearers to lower him in there. This was going to mark a new chapter in her life, the last person that had betrayed her was dead. She could do whatever she want now.

For some reason, that kind of scared Bellona. She tried her best to think of it as a positive, but as she thought about it, the uncertainty did make her feel a little bit on edge. "Thank you, for coming. We will now have speeches in honor of the deceased," This was mainly the part that she wanted to see. She was petty like that and wanted to see what the people who worked for him and even loved him would say to justify the fact that he often tried to destroy everything that he touched.

...*...

The smell of the sea mixed with pine wood, making the air fresher under the moonlit sky. Callisto walked the edge of the pier, trying her best to clear her mind as she thought about everything that had happened lately. She used to be the Royal Court summoner. Just an hour and a half ago, she had a job and a home and she was happy.

Now she outside the kingdom, cold and tired and hungry.

The way that life could go awry so fast left her in awe. She sighed, staring up at the sky. "You know," She called up to the sky, "if this is some kind of test, it's fucking cruel." She had never been one to curse the gods but she was mad, and if the gods wanted to curse her, at least they could take her out of her misery faster.

Nothing happened except a cold gust of wind pushing her lightly, as if the gods were acknowledging the fact that they had done something to make her suffer and while they didn't appreciate the fact that she said that, they weren't going to punish her further.

She hated this.

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