Fate of Mirithia [LitRPG, Isekai]

Meera stood there as some of the sorceresses chased off the cultists. When the last of the enemies had disappeared into the woods, she turned and let her guard down. She was exhausted. Her Stamina and Mana both were running low, but she would be damned if she ever let the sorceresses know that.

She turned towards a group of sorceresses who didn't know how to react. Whether to congratulate and thank Meera by cheering for her, or continue hating on her by turning from her. So, they settled on doing nothing.

Meera walked towards the princess's hut, and the sorceresses parted ways as if she were a shark or had an untouchable disease. She figured their silence was the best it was going to get. She had just cleared the group of battered women when one stepped in her path.

It was Firaan.

Meera made a face that would let her know exactly what she was thinking, and it wasn't something nice, either.

"Let me guess, you want this." Meera raised the icy heart, which was getting exceptionally cold.

"Well, yes, but it would be more beneficial in Ilona's hands than mine…for now," she said with a smile. "No, the reason I've stopped you is to thank you on behalf of the sisterhood. Since none of my sisters is willing to admit that you saved us, which you did, if not for your heroic actions this afternoon, we would've been lost to the pages of history. So, thank you, Meera."

Meera was almost taken aback at this…almost. "Wow, didn't think one of you would ever thank me for anything."

Jephena stepped out of the crowd. Her back straight, military-like, then she bowed. "Thank you for saving my life, and that of my sisters."

Then Faeria and a couple of others stepped out. She remembered these; she had saved them from the cultists. They didn't just bow but thanked her in turn. Then a few other sorceresses did the same.

Now, Meera was taken aback. Almost half of the sorceresses had stepped up to thank her, not caring that they would earn the ire of their sisters. "You're welcome."

Meera didn't know what else to say. This was more than she had expected from the group.

"Well, it's high time we reported this to the princess," Meera finally said.

Duinith, Firaan, and Kithra fell in step with her.

Duinith clicked her tongue at Kithra. "Stay and take charge of the cleanup, and set up another barrier, preferably stronger than the last." She said the last part with some heat, as if it were fault that the barrier had come down.

Kithra's cheeks reddened at being so openly chastisized, but she couldn't do anything or say anything against the older sorceress.

So, she tilted her head. "Yes, Lady Duinith."

With that, the trio headed for the princess's hut. But it opened before they even got there, and Rehia stepped out looking like she had just woken up from a fresh nap. Behind her were the three sorceresses whom they had hidden in the hut. To their credit, they did not avert their gaze from all the bodies and the carnage around the village.

Well, they did survive the war with the dragons.

The princess spread her arms wide. "Our first battle, and we did splendidly, all thanks to our Reverent Lady." She came down the steps and embraced Meera and spoke in her ear. "Oh, I couldn't thank you enough for keeping your prejudices aside and fighting for the cause."

"Well, we do need bodies to throw at the cultists," Meera whispered back.

Rehia smiled as she pulled back, with a light shake of her head. Then she turned towards the battered sisterhood. "We sure gave them hell, didn't we?" No one even as much as snorted. The princess didn't even seem to notice, but her expression turned serious. "My sisters, what you've accomplished today is nothing short of a miracle. You've shown the cultists that they can throw their might at us, but we will not break. They thought us nothing but a small rabble of crazed women trying to topple a giant, but that giant just had his ego smashed into the ground. They thought they could come in here and destroy us in one push, but you showed them that we will not break. They thought they could throw their bulk at us, throw this dragon at us, but we will not break. No matter how many things they throw at us, we will not break!"

Now, the sorceresses roared.

Rehia shouted over their shouts and cheers. "We will be their end. The last thing the Elrasil will see is one of you standing over him as he leaves this world forever."

More cheering, and Meera was impressed that the princess could be so charismatic. She didn't think the scheming woman had it in her. The princess went down to the battered sorceresses and thanked each of them in turn. She even stopped to pay her respects to the dead.

Meera realized what she was doing. She was making them feel important. She had seen her dad do the same thing. He never took any credit for anything publicly and always said that it was the people working for him who had achieved such great success. He also had an uncanny ability to remember people's names, which greatly helped him make others feel important. All in all, Rehia was doing a great job in accomplishing just that, even if the size of the group was much smaller.

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Finally, Rehia returned and smiled at them. "Well, ladies, shall we go and discuss how this happened and how the cult nearly got us with our pants down?"

They followed her into her meeting room, which was most likely the previous owner's dining room.

As soon as they sat down, Rehia's smile vanished. "How in Lorendor's name did this happen?"

The two sorceresses looked at each other, something clearly passed amongst them before Duinith cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"We are not sure, Your Highness," She replied. "But I will take full blame for this lack in surveillance."

Rehia slammed a fist on the table. To their credit, the sorceresses didn't flinch or jump. "I don't care who takes the blame. It's not like I can send you away or have you killed for your incompetence. Though, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you've caused the deaths of your sisters."

That registered home with both of them. They looked down in shame and retrospection.

"What the hell happened to the daughters?" Rehia snapped. "I thought they were watching the woods."

"They were, Your Highness," Duinith said. "We don't know what exactly happened."

Rehia gritted her teeth in exasperation. "Then send someone to find out! While you're at it, do tell how many of their sisters are dead because of their incompetence, and that it was thanks to Meera that we were able to save so many of the forces. That should caff their hide for a few weeks."

Firaan got a faraway look in her eyes as she stared at the wall. As if she were looking through it.

"Princess, the daughters have returned," she said. "And… they've been informed to come here to give their report."

True to her words, a moment later, a couple of the daughters arrived, and they looked half frozen. They were shivering for one, and they had frostbite throughout their bodies.

They gave a trembling bow to the princess. "Y-Your Highness."

Rehia gave them an appraising look and waved in disgust. "Heal yourself first. I don't have the patience to watch you dribble through a conversation."

Then their eyes wandered over to Meera, and that familiar hate returned. Their shivering even slowed down considerably. They both produced a purple apple from their hands and ate it in the same motion and speed. If Meera didn't know any better, she would've thought that they had rehearsed this. As they ate the clearly poisoned apple, they were healed. Their shivering stopped, and their frostbite healed itself.

Meera knew that they possessed a skill that allowed them to heal themselves by consuming poison, but it was still uncanny to see it in action after so long.

"Your Highness," one of the daughters began. "We were taken by surprise. They attacked from all sides at once. They must've been keeping an eye on our patrols, as they knew where we would be. Plus, with the swiftness with which they came, it was almost like they appeared out of thin air. All this to say, this does not in any way excuse our inability to warn the village of their coming."

"It doesn't give me a lot of confidence in your abilities as a watcher, Aksha," Rehia said. "Or, well, daughter of Aksha, anyway. Regardless of what you call yourself, all the deaths of your sisters are on your head. All the death and destruction is on your head."

Aksha looked like she had swallowed something particularly sour. "It will not happen again, Your Highness." She managed to get out somehow.

"Well, it better not or there won't be a next time for you to apologize, as the cult will most likely end us," Rehia grumbled and then dismissed the poison sorceresses with a wave of her hand.

They didn't bother bowing or even looking at the princess as she departed the room. Though they glared at Meer plentifully before departing.

"We can lay as much blame as we want," Meera said. "The fact of the matter is that we all made it, as did most of our forces." She paused and looked at the sorceresses. "They did…right?"

Firaan closed her eyes, and through her moving eyes under her closed eyelids, Meera could tell that her consciousness was elsewhere. A few long moments passed before she opened her eyes and gave them a grim look.

"We've lost nine of our sisters today," she said, with genuine sadness.

Rehia drew a sharp breath. "That's nearly a fifth of our forces."

The way Duinith looked at Rehia was nothing short of rage. If she had looked at Meera that way, she would've pulled off her chakrams and hurled them at the old woman, but Rehia looked back defiantly.

"What?" Rehia asked.

"They might be just forces for you, but they were my sisters. Whose numbers are dwindling by the day, and they are all dying so you can satiate your ego or whatever this little experiment you are running with our lives."

Rehia crossed her arms. "Did you forget our deal? Or do you no longer want what we agreed upon? If not, you can take your sisters and go your way. The amnesty you've been enjoying in the Varshan empire will be gone. My father has always been against me giving you a safe harbor in our home. If it were up to him and Munral, they would've finished the task that the Reverent Lady started in Gethys. So, tell me, do you want to go down that route?"

Meera felt the hate oozing off Duinith. Mana was surging inside her, and she readied herself in case the sorceress decided to devolve to violence.

Firaan leaned forward, giving a broad smile, as she placed a hand on Duinith's arm. "Of course not, Your Highness. We are forever grateful for all you've done for us. We understand that these losses were inevitable, but for Lady Duinith, the grief is still fresh after all the losses that we faced on Gethys."

"Good. Looks like we understand each other," Rehia said. "So, what should be our next step forward?"

"We need to give them a fitting reply," Firaan said.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm agreeing with her," Meera said. "But she is right. If that wall weren't such a problem, I would be flying to the Spire, this instant."

"And now?" Rehia asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Now, I think we need to find someone who can get us inside without having to go through the wall," Meera replied.

Duinith scoffed. "Good luck, finding a traitor."

Meera smiled. "Where is dear old Ingdis staying?"