Audrey

A wave of panic hit me as I found myself in an unfamiliar room, the thin mattress beneath me leaving my muscles aching. I looked around the rough wood furnishings, but my mind began to calm down as I recalled the events of the previous day. Right... We're on the Yamadian ship. A cursory glance revealed no blonde hair anywhere within sight, and I pursed my lips. I was sure that Lydia had been beside me when I'd fallen asleep, but it seems she had woken up first. I pouted a bit at being left behind, but I could sense her on the upper deck, so I moved to dress myself in one of the casual outfits I kept in my storage.

After throwing on a simple blouse and pants, I slipped into my boots and left the cabin that one of the officers had generously offered to us. I soon climbed the stairs to the top deck and nodded politely at the sailors who stopped what they were doing to bow toward me.

"Good morning, Lady Guardian!" A couple of men said, and all I could do was give them a tight smile. Not this again... The only consolation I had was that Lydia would also be treated the same way now. But she's used to that sort of thing, I suppose. Maybe it's not fair after all. As I dwelled on it, my eyes caught a flash of gold in the wind, and I saw my girlfriend standing at the bow of the ship dressed in a white cotton blouse and leather pants. It was her usual outfit these days, minus the leather armor that went over it. I had to stop for a moment as I admired her, and I couldn't help but realize how much both of us had changed since we met. It hasn't even been two years, but so much has happened.

Inside and out, we had both changed, but I still found her so captivating, especially in moments like this as I watched her from afar. Lydia was no longer just a princess stuck in her castle. Gone were the fancy dresses and makeup in favor of armor and her bow. Her supple, pale skin, once earnestly protected from the sun, had tanned a bit during our time as adventurers, and she sported countless calluses on her hands and feet. However, what really set my heart aflutter was the expression set across her features and the distant look of her emerald eyes as she gazed toward our destination. It was both intensely beautiful and deeply worrying to me.

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I moved across the deck toward Lydia. She hadn't been acknowledging the sailors who greeted her or bowed their heads out of respect as they passed, but the moment I stepped up behind her, she glanced at me with a soft smile. I pulled her into an embrace, my arms around her waist as we both stared out across the open waters for a few quiet seconds.

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" I eventually asked. She had been acting off since the battle yesterday.

"Nothing's wrong." Her words were soft, but curt. I just stood quietly behind her and waited, letting my worry seep through where our stella connected. She looked up at me, and I met her gaze warmly until she let out a quiet sigh and relaxed a bit more into me. "You always see right through me, huh?"

"That's not true, but I do see you," I said gently, making her smile in return. "So? What's been on your mind?" As I reiterated my question, Lydia looked back out toward the rolling waves.

"This power… I just realized how strong the two of us really are, and it made me wonder." I stayed quiet as she slowly organized her thoughts and shared them with me. "I thought I understood what it meant to be a divine guardian, but yesterday was my first time really grasping this power. It was… intoxicating. And the pressure I felt from you in that moment was unlike anything I've ever seen from you." She paused and bit her lip, and after it seemed like she was hesitating, I urged her forward.

"And?" I pushed.

"It made me wonder, Audrey. Why are we hesitating to take action? Instead of spending weeks hiding or investigating, don't you and I have the power to retake what we've lost right now? Even if the emperor's stella empowers the Duke, it's still a mockery of the real thing." She heaved a sigh.

"Then what happens after?" I asked seriously. "Say we use my shadows to get into the castle and assassinate the Duke, then what?"

"War." The single word slipped coldly from her lips. "We retake the capital and rally the resistance. We fight the empire again. You're stronger than you were before, and you have me now. I may not be as strong as you, but my flames are more than enough to devastate a battlefield if I wished—" I had to hold up a hand to stop her outpouring of words.

"We'd lose." I cut her off.

"W-What?" Lydia looked shocked by my assertion, and I closed my eyes in thought before explaining.

"Of course, the two of us would guarantee victory on every battlefield we stood on. But that's as far as it would go. The real battle will be facing the emperor, and if we did that as we are now, we'd lose—No, not just lose." I opened my eyes and stared into her widened gaze. "We'd die, Lydia. And everyone we love would follow soon after, if they didn't go before us." Even if the slim chance of us winning became reality, I had no doubt it would cost us everything that remained. I had never met our enemy, but I had felt his power. Our goddesses were powerful, but it was this very power that limited us. Because spirits and deities were fueled by the conceptualization of reality, Aurora and Azure's power never fluctuates. They stand at the apex of existence, except for brief moments when a different concept surges past them.

"The night and day have always existed, and will continue to be until the end of time." I began to say. "It is a constant. However, Xenis, the emperor's deity, is the god of war and suffering. While our power would shadow his most of the time… Not right now. The empire's conquest has been raging for over a decade, and as the war reaches its climax, so will their power. We'll need to be at our best." Her jaw clenched with frustration as she took in my words.

"In other words, I'm still too weak to help." I froze in place at her self-deprecatory statement. I'd known that she still blamed herself for what happened… For not saving her parents. That hadn't been at all what I was trying to say, but as her intense emotions flooded into me, I realized my mistake.

"Lydia—" I started, but she suddenly stepped away from me, removing my arms around her.

"I just need some time alone." Pain shot through my heart as I heard the coldness in her tone, and I unconsciously reached out to stop her. She shrugged my hand away, and I'd rather have had her slap it violently than look at me with that sad expression. Helplessly, I watched her descend into the depths of the ship, and when she vanished from view, I collapsed against the wooden railing.

"What did I just do…?" I asked my goddess, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

"You didn't do anything wrong, my guardian. Your words held no ill intent, and I'm sure Lydia knows that more than anyone." My goddess did her best to comfort me, but it felt like someone was squeezing my heart.

"But I hurt her! Even if I didn't mean to do it." The worst part was that what Lydia had said wasn't entirely wrong either, so I wasn't sure how to comfort her. It was true that between the two of us, she was much weaker right now.

"Then follow her example." I closed my eyes against the salty air of the sea and thought back to when we had first met. Back then, I had been consumed by fear, paranoia, and a crushing sense of failure. Overcoming that had only been possible because Lydia and the others had given me so much patience, care, and the space I needed.

I took a slow, deliberate breath, then stood up straight. Lydia needed me to support and love her. If she needed space to think, I would give it to her and make sure she understood I would be waiting when she was ready.

***

Lydia

"Why did I do that…?" I groaned into the stiff pillow, ignoring the discomfort of the rough mattress beneath me. Audrey and I had washed the covers and pillows before falling asleep last night, since it had been apparent the previous occupant hadn't cared much to do so. Now, however, they smelled like Audrey, and it only enhanced the guilt I felt for brushing her off the way I had. My feelings were my own fault, and it wasn't fair of me to treat Audrey that way due to my own interpretation of her words. Still, I couldn't shake the rising anger I felt toward myself. It constantly felt like I was always behind everyone else, and it filled me with frustration.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Dia," Azure said.

"But I need to be better!" I replied. "If I were at Audrey's level and had my artifact—"

"Stop right there." My goddess's voice was unusually stern, and it froze the words in my throat. "You're being foolish and impatient." All I could do was stutter in response as she stung me with her words. "You haven't even been a guardian for half a year yet. Not only that, but the situation hasn't allowed you much time to practice and refine your stella the way Audy did."

"Only cowards make excuses." I defended.

"And only narcissists take everything on by themselves." Her reply was swift and deadly. Speechless, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, swiping at the tears that hadn't quite left my eyes. A heavy sigh echoed in my mind, and I got the mental image of my usually cheerful goddess rubbing at her temple. "Dia, I understand your rush to end things, but Audy was right. You both need to awaken fully, otherwise…" I felt her pain as she remembered the past. Another wave of guilt hit me as I realized just how much worry I had caused not just my girlfriend, but the goddesses as well.

It cost Aurora's last guardian his life to emerge victorious last time… A shudder ran down my spine as I imagined my recklessness putting Audrey in danger. My mind understood, but my heart still cried out, and I clutched at my chest.

"I just want it to be over… I'm so tired of the fighting and death." I said weakly.

"I know, Dia. I know." Her voice was gentle, as if she were placating a child. Maybe to her, that's exactly what I was. Usually, I'd complain about being treated like that, but it was oddly comforting right now. "Falling down is only part of the process of standing even taller than before. We all believe in your strength; you should as well."

I was left alone with my thoughts as the conversation ended, and a deep sense of emptiness settled over my heart. Can I really be as strong as Audrey? Someone like her can keep getting back up, but it feels like my legs are about to give out.

***

Audrey left me alone the rest of the day. Honestly, I wanted to fall into her arms and beg for her reassurance, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. It wasn't until the sun began to set that she knocked on the cabin door.

"Lydia…?" Her voice was hesitant, and when I didn't respond, she continued. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I wasn't trying to blame you at all." I chuckled bitterly to myself as she continued to apologize through the wooden door. She did nothing wrong, and here I am making her apologize. Standing up, I squared my shoulders and moved to open the door. The smile plastered on my face was forced, and we both knew it. Still, her eyes were filled with relief as our gazes met.

"I'm sorry, Audrey. I'm being childish." I said, stepping aside to let her into the room.

"You're not." She replied once the door was closed behind her. "You know that I understand feeling helpless better than anyone else… But I won't force you to talk about it." She spun around suddenly, her arms outstretched wide toward me. "I'm here for whatever you need." It was like she had read my mind, and I couldn't help but give a genuine laugh. What was I thinking? I'd never have to beg her for anything.

"Thank you. I love you." I whispered as I completed the embrace, my arms hooked around her back, pulling her tightly against my body. The cold emptiness that had been filling me since earlier faded slightly as I focused on the heat of her touch.

***

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

The next day, we woke up together and joined the rest of the sailors on the top deck at the captain's request. Nothing intense had happened the night before, but I still felt incredibly refreshed.

"Lady Guardians, thank you for taking the time to join us. I thought you would want to know as well." The captain, a grizzled-looking Yamdian with stereotypical facial hair, said. He had introduced himself the first day, but I had been too preoccupied with myself to remember.

"It's no trouble, Captain Kazaki," Audrey said in response. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing too troubling." The man said with a wave of his hand. "When the assault started yesterday, the runner ships likely followed procedure and moved to alert the main fleet. We'll likely be meeting them a few hours from now."

"I see," I said thoughtfully. "Will they be returning to the islands once the threat has been reported destroyed?"

"Likely so, lady guardian." He said. "Our ship was one of the least damaged ones, so we'll need to return to the blockade formation right away. If we didn't have the two of you on board, we wouldn't have left in the first place."

"So we'll be transferring ships," I stated, and he nodded with a sorrowful expression.

"It's already a blessing to transport divine individuals such as yourselves at all, but I regret I won't be able to see you to your destination."

"Don't dwell on it, Captain," I said with a soft smile. "We're extremely grateful for the help you offered."

"Of course, Lady Guardian." He bowed awkwardly, but it was charming in its own way. After he informed us and his crew, we resumed our usual activities. For the sailors, that was their typical duty and preparing to welcome a boarding party from the main fleet. For Audrey and me… Well, we just stood at the bow silently and watched the rolling ocean waves. Conversation flowed slowly between us and our goddess occasionally, but we just waited until we would be transferred.

Just as Captain Kazaki said, large white sails became visible on the horizon a few hours later, and the man on the crow's nest called them out a few minutes after I saw them. Everyone rushed around in a hurry as they drew closer, but confusion filled the air as the Yamdian fleet surrounded us without a greeting. The main fleet ships were triple the size of the vessel we stood on now, and were plated with metal across vital points. The wood was painted a striking mix of white and red, and the flagship had an ornate figurehead on the bow. It would've been quite the sight to see if there weren't dozens of cannons pointed at us from every direction.

"Captain? What's happening?" Audrey asked as we rushed to where he stood at the helm, frantically waving signal flags to no avail.

"I'm not sure, Lady Guardian!" He said in a panic. The tense standoff stretched for a few minutes more before two dozen figures flew from the flagship. The armor they wore consisted of alternating plates of wood and hardened leather, and most of them had a long, curved blade in their hands. The sound of thumping timber filled the air as they landed gracefully on our deck, efficiently surrounding the entire crew, who soon threw their hands up in a panicked gesture.

"Yamadian brigantine, explain why you are so far out of formation!" The deep voice boomed from the leader of the boarding party, whose eyes found our captain immediately.

"Do they think we've been hijacked…?" He murmured, but froze as the other man narrowed his eyes. "This is Captain Kazaki, 3rd captain of the Kaze no Kiba, reporting!" He made an unfamiliar gesture with his hands that I assumed was their standard salute. "The divine guardians have requested our transport to see our esteemed Daimyo!"

"Divine Guardians?" The armored man's eyes landed on me and Audrey, obviously the only foreigners in sight. "We received a report that the blockade was being decimated, and now we find you welcoming foreigners into our homeland?"

Captain Kazaki swallowed nervously, but he did his best to maintain eye contact. "The Divine Guardians saved us, sir. We were attacked by a ship that sailed beneath the waves, our attacks did nothing to them—"

"You fool!" The man bellowed and glared. "You have fallen for their petty tricks!"

"No, Sir! If you witnessed it yourself—!" Our captain tried to defend us, but the boarding party began to point their swords at the crew.

"I've heard enough, you have become traitors and will be dealt with accordingly!" I could only sigh as the Yamadians pointed their blades toward their fellows. I manifested my body barrier before taking Audrey's hand and giving her one as well.

"You are the one who is a fool," I said, addressing the leader of the attacking side. Audrey and I strolled down from the helm, and all the armored Yamadians shifted to face us with their weapons. "We saved your people, and you turn your weapons on them without a second thought. I almost forgot how… dishonorable, you people are." I emphasized the part I knew would offend them the most, and I saw them bristle. Even some of the crew that had been so kind to us glowered at my words.

"How dare you!" The leading man screamed, raising his blade and charging at me. I didn't move an inch as he closed the distance and swung down at me, angling to slice me from shoulder to hip. Water covered his blade as he added his magic, and a loud Clang! Echoed as he struck me.

The man stumbled backward from the impact, disbelief and shock painted on his face as I just smiled at him sweetly. Then, he slowly looked between the significant dent in his blade and my unharmed shoulder. My barrier had deflected his blade effortlessly, and I hadn't even moved.

"W-What is this madness?!" He said, anger overtaking him again as he struck at me once more. This time, a thrust to my stomach shattered the tip of his blade, and everyone watching the spectacle gasped.

"As I told you, they are divine guardians!" Captain Kazaki shouted angrily. "Now stop this blasphemy before you incur the wrath of the gods!" Audrey and I both displayed some power to reinforce his words, and the boarding party stepped back in fear as flames and shadows danced around us.

"As the captain said, we wish an audience with your Daimyo. You will take us there." I said, leaving no room for refusal. "Do so, and we will overlook this transgression."

The crew of the Kaze no Kiba all fell to their knees like they had on the first day, and even the new arrivals shuddered under the pressure, even if they didn't go as far as to bow. The man who had attacked me looked like he was about to refuse again, so I glanced furtively at Audrey, who melted us into the shadows. As everyone looked around in confusion, we appeared on the flagship's deck, leaning against the railing casually.

"We will not cause you any trouble, as long as you do the same. Now let's go before I lose my patience." I let the threat hang in the air, ignoring the shaking of the crew we had just scared half to death behind us. The boarding party all looked up at us with wide eyes, and after looking to each other for a moment, used their various magics to join us on the flagship.

It was clear they were still wary of us, judging by the guards they left, but it wasn't long before the flagship's captain stood in front of us. He didn't look intimidated in the least by us, but seemed willing to hear us out.

"Do you really expect us to take strangers to our homeland?" He asked, and I tilted my head in response.

"We are more than capable of getting there on our own and forcing our way to your Daimyo if you prefer. We are doing this for diplomacy's sake, but if we are attacked again, your ship will join the imperial's at the seafloor." I said simply, making the captain grit his teeth. He had seen the way I'd been unharmed from his man before, so I had no doubt he'd make the right choice.

"Fine. But you will be guarded." With that, he turned on his heel and left us with the man who attacked me and two others from the boarding group. Audrey and I only shrugged to each other and leaned against the railing of the bigger ship. Once the main fleet reorganized, it wasn't long before we were waving goodbye to Captain Kazaki and the rest.

I asked Audrey to connect our shadows, then spoke to the captain who had taken care of us until now. "Captain, there may be foreign ships at the battlefield. They are our friends and will be helping the survivors."

"L-Lady Guardian? How can I hear you?" I chuckled at the surprise in his voice,

"We are divine, remember?" After composing myself, I repeated what I said and requested that they not attack the resistance.

"We will do as you say, Lady Guardian. I pray that you're meeting goes well with our esteemed Daimyo."

"Me too." After we finished talking, Audrey cut the connection and sighed.

"This turned into a whole thing, huh?" my girlfriend said as we watched the smaller ship head back to the blockade. We now found ourselves surrounded by armed soldiers, but it certainly could've been worse. As we talked, the time ticked by lazily until an alarmed shout came from the large crow's nest above.

"Something is flying toward us!" We heard the shout, and Audrey and I shared an exasperated look.

"Is it…?" Audrey asked, and I nodded, looking up at the approaching shadow.

"It is."

"Prepare for battle!" Shouts rang out all around, but I shot a plume of fire into the sky, startling the already wary Yamadians around us.

"Do not attack. That is my attendant!" I ordered, glaring at those around us who had bows and magic aimed upward. I didn't expect them to listen to me, but it did buy enough time for the figure to crash in front of me. A fluttering maid uniform settled, and there stood Leah with a composed look on her face. Only a slight sheen of sweat on her skin betrayed her effort to get here.

"I have arrived, my ladies. Apologies for my tardiness." She curtseyed professionally, and the whole ship fell still at the sight. Once again, the captain marched toward us with an angry expression.

"What the hell is this? You said no trouble!" He pointed at me, and I gave him a placating smile.

"I apologize for my attendant's sudden arrival, but that should be all for now."

"For now?!" He exclaimed, and when it became apparent I wasn't going to explain further, he stomped back to the helm, muttering under his breath. "Damn foreigners… Everyone, put your weapons away and get back to work!" At his shout, the rest of the Yamadians moved.

A quiet sigh of relief fell from my lips that it resolved peacefully, but our guard did increase twice over.

***

Audrey

The atmosphere was tense for the rest of the trip, but they did give the three of us some privacy in a room to sleep, at least. Two days later, Yamadian's shores came into view.

"So we're finally here," I said, stretching my body as we slowly pulled into a busy dock. Unlike Halvern, which had quite a bit of diversity, there were only Yamadians here as far as the eye could see. It was expected with their isolation, but it still felt a bit strange since Lydia, Leah, and I stood out so much.

The flagship's captain, who never bothered to introduce himself, escorted us off his ship at the first opportunity and turned us over to the closest military outpost.

"Admiral, what is this?" A Yamadian woman dressed in high-ranking attire asked. Oh, so he's not a captain…

"They claim to be divine guardians, and we have reports that they stopped the attack on the blockade.

"So you brought them here?!" She cried.

"They did try to kill me first." Lydia cut in with a smirk, earning glares from everyone in the room. "As you can see, it didn't work."

"Clearly." The woman said, furrowing her brows. "What do you want?"

"We are here to speak with your Daimyo on behalf of the mainland." This made everyone freeze, and the woman stepped closer.

"We have no interest in your foreign war. I will give you one chance to leave alive." Lydia met her intimidating figure with a peaceful smile.

"No. You misunderstand. We're not asking." The words were calm, but the magic that began to swirl around her was not. The Yamadians who had not been on the ship all drew their weapons, but the Admiral stopped them.

"Enough!" He shouted. "I have seen their power for myself; if these girls decided to, they would already be in the esteemed Daimyo's office."

"That's correct. I'm glad some of you understand." Lydia said, then turned on her heel, pointing at the tallest building visible toward the mountains. "We'll be going now. Escort us if you wish."

Leah and I fell into step behind Lydia, but her attitude froze the Yamadians in place for a while. We got a decent distance away before angry shouts exploded behind us, and Yamadian soldiers attempted to surround us. We just kept walking, even as arrows and magic flew our way. It seemed they had disregarded the admiral's words as they attacked, but the three of us remained unharmed. Barrier's still shone over me and Lydia, so we let that absorb the blows while focusing on protecting Leah. Her wind was plenty strong for most coming her way, but it never hurt to be cautious.

The whole city was soon in an uproar as alarm bells rang out and soldiers flooded toward us from every direction, but Lydia maintained a wall of golden fire that kept them at bay.

"This didn't go as planned," I observed casually.

"I thought it'd go like this," Lydia said.

"That's because my lady didn't take the time to negotiate." Leah pointed out.

"They would've only wasted our time. As far as I'm concerned, we did enough. Besides, this will prove our strength to them." I couldn't argue with her as we continued on our one-sided warpath. We didn't harm a single Yamadian as we approached the large castle situated far from the coastline. The streets were made of compacted dirt, and the houses were made of beautifully sculpted wood. I had seen a little Yamadian architecture in books before, but the style was even better in person. The buildings didn't have much glass, but were latticed with thin strips of wood and paper. From inside, I saw plenty of civilians peaking out, fear in their eyes as we passed.

Nearly twenty minutes later, we arrived in front of a large gate, a whole battalion of armed soldiers in front of us. We stopped for the first time under the Yamadian's assault to consider our options.

"Should we just walk through?" I asked.

"I'd prefer to wait and see if someone will come out to negotiate," Lydia said, humming in thought like we weren't being barraged by magic and arrows right now. "I know it's my fault, but truly forcing every bit of this negotiation will only make this harder."

"It might be too late for that, my lady," Leah said dryly, looking around us at the enraged soldiers.

"I'm not going to waste time getting through to anyone who isn't directly important for this." The three of us stood in a circle facing each other, brainstorming for ideas to peacefully get inside the castle, when the attacks suddenly stopped. We looked around in confusion for a moment, but then the ground began to rumble, and my eyes widened as I sensed a familiar magic.

I could've dodged, but it seemed the other two didn't react in time, so I just let it happen as a tangle of large, green roots and vines burst from the dirt, lifting us into the air and restraining us. This is much stronger than last time! Leah would have a hard time freeing herself, but Lydia and I could break free with some power. We shared a glance and came to the same conclusion.

"That's enough. I will not allow my country to be thrown into chaos!" A dignified voice came from the other side of the flame wall, and I sensed Lydia disperse her magic to reveal a young woman with long black hair and eyes. She was older than I remembered, but still just as beautiful. She's probably older than us now… As she met our gazes, her mouth fell open slightly in surprise.

"Lady Lydia? Lady Audrey?" She gasped.

"Hey, Yuzuki!" I chirped before Lydia could speak, still strung up by her plant magic. "You've grown much stronger!" My cheerful demeanor seemed to shock everyone but Lydia and Leah, who just rolled their eyes at me.

What did I say?

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