The Empire of Ascrea

Within the walls of Hyria - Part 2

Esperia awoke with a start and a scream. At her side, in the large four-poster bed on the top floor of the great central tower atop the Fortress of Hyria, was Anthea. She wore a simple pastel green nightgown that highlighted her skin, with her small but firm breasts barely visible beneath it. She had no tail, as before, but her hair was loose, long, silky and curly, forming voluminous spirals and curls that fell down her back and over her shoulders. The queen was breathing fast, her chest constantly swelling and deflating, panicked, still unaware of where she was. She looked around in confusion, then saw Anthea with her staff in her hand.

"What happened?" the queen asked, looking around in terror.

"Don't worry Esperia. It's all over," Anthea replied, trying to calm her.

"What you saw did not really happen. An Aiser used his capacitas and went into your head and showed you an illusion," she took her hand and squeezed it into her, reassuring her. "But they took Ravena," she came straight to the point, looking into her eyes. "Some guards died, Commander Falacer alerted the garrisons of Türsenìe and sent messengers to Vilthi and Rilthi, to Rašu, Taršminias, Clevśilχ and Sëlva," she continued, stroking her back.

Esperia immediately broke contact and stood up abruptly.

Anthea followed her movements, circling the canopy structure to intercept the Queen's path as she headed for the exit.

"It's not safe right now, Esperia, you'd better stay here. They took Ravena, but they could attack you again and..." she did not have time to finish the sentence as the Queen pushed her forcefully and threw the door wide open.

"Fuck your capacitas, they were useless. They didn't protect me and they didn't protect Ravena," she raged, grabbing her robe to speed up her pace. She was barefoot, her hair drenched in sweat, wearing only the robe of the same quality as the nightmare's, with the same gold embroidery of the symbol of Eteria. Anthea followed her a short distance away, hastening her pace.

"Follow the queen, quickly," she said to the two royal guards standing in front of the entrance to the queen's apartments, who broke away from the wall and followed the two women.

"By the Mother Goddess, how is it possible that they were able to enter Hyria undisturbed, Anthea?" asked Esperia, irritated. Her voice was loud and commanding, and her breathing quickened. Her current queenship had vanished.

"We don't know yet," Anthea admitted, joining her as they reached the stairs leading down to the lower levels.

"The royal guards have searched the fortress; there is no sign of Ravena. They have already begun the search in Türsenìe, and the river routes are also being checked," the witch explained, watching the queen's profile as she quickly descended the wide steps of the tower. Esperia paused only at a window in the covered walkway that ran between the two towers: she looked out onto the dock of the fortress, where the boat behind which the eagle had turned into a human stood. There was no one there, of course, only the flag with the crest of the Principality of Aintziria, a red castle on a gold background, hanging from a pole, the cloth twisting in the wind. It was then that she remembered that an emissary from Prince Haritza had arrived that afternoon to discuss some trade agreements between Aintziria and Eteria.

Anthea continued to walk beside her and went on to give possible explanations for what had happened.

"To use this kind of capacitas the Aiser was definitely not alone. He couldn't take Ravena and block you at the same time, so he was definitely helped by someone else or several people".

"You can't know that. You don't know the capacitas of all of Illerya, let alone those of Ascrea" Esperia turned for a moment, looking at her, but Anthea went on regardless.