It was a nice day, the sun sending down heat that seemed to settle over the world like a warm blanket, although Janis had to blink against the glare of the sun as she sat outside. She counted herself lucky to the weather was like this; she was still feeling cold and the extra heat helped, although it was still too cool. Most of the human soldiers didn't seem to share that opinion.

She was a bit less lucky to still be stuck here, of course. The position of this village wasn't great, especially now that they'd taken the city. But the doctors had insisted that moving her too much could cause complications, and Ada had agreed with them for tactical reasons. They'd sent messages with a precise description of Janis' location, it was better not to change it.

That didn't mean she couldn't at least relocate outside the building, and the fresh air was judged to be good for her. So Janis was currently sitting on top of a pile of blankets on the grass close to the fence, wrapped in another blanket. The location provided at least some privacy and shelter from the wind. So did Jay, glaring at everyone who looked like they might come too close, although he was keeping most of his focus on her.

"Are you sure you want to include this part using, those words, Janis?" Ada asked, twirling her pen. At least she'd brushed off the extra ink first. Their designs still needed a little bit of work.

Ada was sitting beside her on a stool with an improvised lap desk, writing down the words Janis was dictating after providing feedback. Janis would have done it herself, but her hands were shaking too much, and she needed the writing to be clear and legible for this.

"Yes," Janis confirmed. "I don't think Regina would publish this, but even if she does, the phrasing is just ambiguous enough that Kiara can deny it if she wants to. I don't want to leave my love for her implied or unspoken, though, in case I won't get another chance."

Admittedly, calling Kiara 'the star that brightens my days' was a bit dramatic, and rather unsubtle, but people could still explain away things they didn't want to know.

"It's your will," Ada said. "It won't be necessary. They'll get here and we'll heal you in time. But I'll help you write a letter to Kiara after this."

"I was planning on imposing on you for that, thanks," Janis said. She cleared her throat, then continued. "As a token of the great love I feel for Queen Kiara, I will the rest of my personal property to her care, with the following exceptions: A monthly stipend of three thousand marks to my aunt Marian, to be paid out of my personal accounts, for as long as possible. I ask the Queen to oversee the investment of my remaining assets to continue this bequest. A similar stipend of one thousand marks for my great-uncle Sir Richard Straightlance. A donation of ten thousand marks to the Imperial fund for the education of disadvantaged children. To Her Imperial Majesty, my mother, and the beloved sister of my heart, Dr. med. Regina von Woltan; I return the slate she first used to teach me, which I have treasured as a reminder of all she has given me; as well as her equally cherished Christmas gift of my favorite books, and the rest of my books on magic. May they be useful and a reminder that we always have more to learn, and also of my gratitude, respect and love. To my beloved siblings, I give the rest of my books, to distribute them themselves. They are good at that. Furthermore, the following gifts: to my brother Tim the new crown prince, may he reign well, my favorite dagger with the red sheath, to my sister Mia the designs for a new flight saddle to improve and my necklace with the white diamond, and …"

She continued for a few minutes, giving tokens to each of her fellow Hive members she personally knew. It was important, but it was also politically important to emphasize their relationship and affirm Tim as successor to her position. It still felt really weird to speak like this. "Signed … please insert my full titles here … Janis Starlit von Woltan."

Ada finished writing dutifully, then passed the board and pen over silently. She looked somber, with a determined set to her second arms that Janis recognized. Janis tried to will her hand to be steady as she signed. She had moderate success and while the writing looked a bit shaky, it was at least legibly her name.

Maybe it's a good thing to have this regardless, Janis told herself. If I survive this curse, who knows what might happen during a war. We should all face up to that eventuality.

They were interrupted once more, before she could actually write that letter or at least reassure Ada that she intended to fight with everything she had. Jay stepped closer as another drone appeared, whose name Janis didn't immediately remember. They looked like a younger Warrior or similar Class.

"There's been another bombing, General," they said hastily. "Princess. I'm sorry for interrupting."

Ada was already getting up. "Where? When?" she asked sharply.

"The central square, a building two doors down from the courthouse," the younger drone reported grimly. "Just now, about then minutes ago. From preliminary reports, we have eight casualties, four of them civilians. One member of a patrol's danger sense Skill warned them, so they got some people away, but it still exploded."

"Someone must have detonated it." Ada turned to her. "Janis, I'm sorry —"

"Go," Janis said firmly. "Take care of this, protect our people. And make sure to send a thorough report of everything you discover."

This would not make holding the city any easier. And it already wasn't. They'd lost more people who didn't deserve this. It filled her with a low, burning anger, that the Westerners were willing to do this to their own people. They deserved better.

Of course, terror tactics, as Regina or Max would call them, weren't less effective for being immoral. According to the reports, the situation in the city was already volatile. Janis was seriously concerned that there would be some kind of riot or revolt. They should know it couldn't succeed, but people in a large group also weren't known for being rational. The thought of having to put down something like that made her shiver again. The Westerners were clearly trying to fan the flames deliberately, and had probably primed the city even before their loss. Though admittedly, Ada's full-on assault with less regard for casualties than Janis would have preferred hadn't exactly helped. (She needed to have a conversation with her about that, later, but she really wasn't sure what to say and this was clearly not the best time.)

The figures would be keeping her up at night if Janis didn't have to fight the constant, low-key temptation to close her eyes and succumb to the weakness trying to drag her under.

Janis closed her eyes for a moment, trying to fight off the red spots crowding the darkness behind her eyelids, then gathered herself. She carefully pushed herself up, wobbling a little. Jay was there in a moment and grabbed her shoulders, wordlessly helping her steady herself.

Janis let herself lean against him for a second before straightening up, though he still kept holding her arm. "I think it's time to admit you're not really up to walking," he said quietly. "We can carry you."

Janis sighed, but she knew he was probably right. She should try to conserve her strength. "Alright. In a moment."

Fortunately, they were at least relatively well-hidden from other people. Not that her affliction was really a secret. While Healer Kinta had tried to slow the curse down, it didn't seem to have helped very much, and the curse had clearly progressed. Janis was dreading the coming night already, given the fear that she might not even wake up again.

One of the other drones wordlessly stepped up as well, and they carefully hefted her up. Janis felt like a sack of potatoes, but at least she wasn't being princess-carried, but stayed upright, with Jay stabilizing her. It probably wouldn't have worked if they didn't have enhanced strength. Walking slowly, the two of them turned back to the building.

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Then Jay stopped and whirled around, his hand slipping slightly, and Janis instinctively clutched more tightly at Ric. She craned her neck to see what had happened.

Two people were standing where she'd just been talking with Ada. A group of soldiers rushed out, but paused when they saw them.

"Galatea. Iseis," Janis said, breathing a sigh of relief. She tightened her grip on Jay, feeling the tension in his posture relax.

Galatea strode toward them, all but ignoring the other soldiers. "Hello Janis. I wish I could say it's good to see you, but under the circumstances — well, I'm sorry we took so long."

"I'm sure you did your best," Janis responded.

"It was mostly my fault," Iseis spoke up, coming closer. She was frowning in obvious concern. "When the Empress got your message, I was already outside her range, since I'd traveled with the First Eastern Army. And the message they sent took a while to reach me, especially as I had ventured away for private contemplation at that moment."

"But you are here now, right?" Jay asked, crossing his blade-arms a little awkwardly behind his back. "Can you help Janis?" He looked at the other people present. "Back to your post, soldiers!"

Iseis stepped closer. She didn't answer for a long moment. "Perhaps," she finally said. "I need a more detailed assessment. Let us go inside, if you would."

Fortunately, neither of them commented on it as Jay and Ric continued carrying Janis back inside. They returned to the large bedroom on the ground floor that had been turned into her sickroom.

With a small sigh, Janis sat back on the bed. "I'm grateful to see you both," she said. "I assume there's a reason it's the two of you who came, though." (And no one else.)

"I helped confirm your location with scrying," Galatea said. "I will be less help to you than Iseis, though."

"She also teleported us so I could conserve my mana," Iseis explained. She produced a small metal artifact that looked vaguely like a pen from somewhere. "How do you feel?"

"Cold," Janis said. She rubbed her hands absentmindedly on her legs. "It's like my body's forgotten how to feel warm, even in thick clothing and out in the sun. I feel weak, too. I'm tired all the time, my vision gets blurry at odd times, my hands shake, my legs have pins and needles like I slept on them wrong, I can't walk. It feels like my body is betraying me. Or just failing."

They both nodded seriously. Galatea paused, glancing at Iseis. "May I?"

The old elf nodded, and Galatea cast a spell that made Janis feel a little warm for the first time in ages. Warm magic settled over her like a hot bath, the faint sense of fire mana tickling her throat.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "In addition to all that, it also feels like my mana is wrong. I can't cast magic anymore, and I could before, but it was harder and I couldn't heal myself. My efforts just dissipated." She cleared her throat. "Do you have any guesses how this curse works and how to heal it?"

"Perhaps a few," Iseis replied. "Galatea, please go fetch the healers who attended to her and get their reports. I will be examining Janis."

It didn't take long for Galatea to return with a group of her healers. In that time, Iseis mostly just seemed to stare at her. She moved around a bit, passed her hands over her body, and Janis fancied she felt the tickle of divine magic, but it was probably just her imagination.

Then she was distracted by the healers entering. They passed a few sheets of paper around, reports with their analysis and conclusion. It was nothing she hadn't heard before, and trying to read gave her a headache, so Janis quickly stopped.

"What's your assessment, Healer Kinta?" Iseis asked, still looking at Janis instead of the other healers.

The man cleared his throat. "The Princess has clearly been cursed, my lady. The particulars of the curse are unfamiliar to me, but there are two main components that I found most concerning: first, there appears to be some kind of energy drain, and second, that her mana seems to be alienated from her body by some strange mechanism. Her Highness has already lost more weight and muscle mass than should be possible in this time, especially as we made sure she was not deprived of nutrients, though there were some digestive issues. Perhaps a more academically-inclined mage like either of you ladies knows more, but the effects on her mana are the least explainable to me."

Iseis nodded, seemingly more in acknowledgment than agreement. "… Any other symptoms you have not mentioned before?" she asked. "Can you still interact with the System? How are your mana senses? Have you felt emotional instability or unexplained surges of emotion? Have your elemental markers or other parts of your appearance changed?"

"You've seen her, Iseis," Galatea pointed out. "Does Janis look changed?"

"Actually, maybe a little," Janis said, trying not to sound sheepish. "I've had trouble reading System notifications, I've been feeling less … emotionally controlled, and I think my teeth might have changed slightly." She opened her mouth, poking at them hesitantly. "I was already getting slightly longer incisors, but they're more noticeable now, maybe?"

"It means your elemental nature is closer to the surface," Iseis said. "This is not a good sign; it is either a subconscious defensive reaction, or …"

She trailed off. They waited in tense silence for a bit. Janis fiddled with her hair, trying to remember if it had always had this slight bluish tint at the ends, the colors changing like a cross-section of a candle flame. "Or?" Galatea prompted.

Iseis turned to Kinta. "I do not suppose you know anything about soul magic, Healer?"

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "That is real? — I mean, no, I've barely even heard the term before, my lady. Is that what's wrong?"

"I doubt it," Iseis said. "I will perform another analysis ritual that needs total silence and focus. Everyone, please leave the room."

They hesitated until Janis repeated the order. "Galatea, you can stay. Right?" she added.

"Of course." Iseis stepped closer, staring intently at Janis.

Janis opened her mouth to ask about it again, but closed it when Galatea shot her a sharp look. At a second glance, Iseis' pupils were blown wide open (it looked strange with elvish orange eyes) and her gaze was unfocused.

The minutes dragged on, until the old priestess inhaled a shuddering breath, stepping back a few steps. "It's as I feared," she said, rubbing her temple with one hand. "Looks like I owe Berren," she muttered. "His tip was good."

"Berren?" Janis repeated.

"He made me think of soul magic, nothing to worry about," Iseis said dismissively.

"That can't be right," Galatea spoke up, her voice unwontedly harsh. "The other gods don't know soul magic. Certainly not enough to manipulate or harm a soul."

There was a moment of weighted silence.

"Yes, that's what I believed as well," Iseis said quietly.

Janis sighed, huddling deeper into the covers of the bed she was sitting on. "You're sure about this, Iseis?" she asked.

"The soul is connected to the mind is connected to the body," Iseis said, taking on a lecturing cadence. "The mind is anchored to the brain, as it is realized in the brain; if the body is the physical book, the brain are its pages, and the mind is what is written on them. But the soul is connected to both as well. It holds our whole identity; the soul's outer layers are effectively entwined with the mind, receiving our memories. Our identity is also 'written' in the soul. In some cases, it can be used to affect the physical shape of one's body. Such a drive exists naturally. It is why Regina looks now much as she did before, excepting all the features unique to her past or current species."

"Wait, is that why I've started looking a bit less human and taking on more elemental traits?" Janis asked, trying to follow. "But my soul hasn't changed, and it's always been anchored to my body."

Iseis smiled like a pleased teacher. "Indeed. Your case is a bit unique. Some people or monsters, including elementals (which don't truly have a biological body), essentially substitute mana for some part of this cyclic relationship, linking it into this system as well. It's why you would die without mana, why your mana is slightly different and perhaps more protective. As you've grown in power, your mana has also grown and become more tightly interwoven with your physical body; it has started a change in a reflection of your soul's bond to both. I believe the System is also linked to your mana, though I cannot tell you the exact details. This is immaterial right now, though."

"So, her body and mana getting out of sync is due to a 'soul attack'?" Galatea asked.

"I believe it might be due to a knock-on effect of an attack targeted at your soul, yes," Iseis answered. "Or, more likely, this curse affects both. Right now, I will need to confirm that it truly did touch the soul directly and this is not merely a reflection of harm done to your mana or physical body. The symptoms speak against it, but we need to be sure, and I can't do this here."

"We need to move, then?"

Iseis smiled at Janis. "I will move you to the temple, with your permission."

Janis swallowed. "Just answer me one thing, Iseis. Assuming you're right, can you heal this?"

The old elf paused for an uncomfortably long time before answering. "I believe so, yes."

Janis squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and nodded, then gathered her strength to stand up again.

She was still thinking about the fact that both Iseis and Galatea had thought their enemies couldn't do this kind of thing — and it did sound like an insidious and complex attack — but they clearly did. Deirianon or one of his followers was clearly involved.

Had he just hidden it from Leian (and Alianais, presumably?) for all this time? Or had he learned it recently? But from whom? Janis didn't know which potential answer bothered her more.

At least worrying about it was a good distraction from thinking about Iseis' assessment or the way her heart wanted to climb out of her throat at this new information.

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