Chapter Text
༺☆༻
To my dear Stella,
I hope to see you again in my next life.
You showed everyone kindness, even when they didn’t do the same.
You have saved many, as you have saved me.
I am eternally grateful for you.
I hope that you are happy wherever you are.
I hope that you have found peace.
I hope that you still carry love in your heart.
I hope many things for you, Stella.
Most of all,
I hope you know you were loved.
And so,
I write this for you.
I hope to have done your life justice.
Eternally,
Yours.
༺☆༻
“Dear Archmage Stella Hughes,
The Emperor has requested your presence in the face of an upcoming war between the Humans of Delph and the Wizard Tower of Osirus.
If you see fit, present yourself in the Human Nation of Delph to complete your duty as mediator of the Crown.
Send a response to this letter regarding the status of your presence at the meeting at your earliest convenience. The Emperor will be waiting.
I am,
Humble secretary of Emperor Arthur II,
Warren Russell.”
She had received the letter the day before last. Stella had hastened to send her response: it was impolite to keep the Emperor waiting.
The letter had been phrased like an invitation. It was not. The very second Warren Russell had mentioned the Emperor, she knew what her response had to be.
The Emperor did not take “no” as an answer.
Her reply had read:
“Dear Warren Russell, humble secretary and servant to Emperor Arthur II,
I shall declare my presence during the meeting you have described. I will depart in two days’ time and arrive in the Human Nation of Delph in approximately three days. Additionally, I hope to make your acquaintance soon.
Yours truly,
Stella Hughes.”
Stella, the representation of the Moon Goddess Selene, was often called upon to mediate major conflicts between nations.
She often wondered why they asked her - one of the most well respected mages of the land - to interfere with what she saw as ridiculous disagreements.
The Goddess Selene represented the moon. More importantly to Stella, She embodied water (and consequently any forms of it), darkness, fate, and justice .
Justice had always been a core value of Terra. “All criminals shall be punished without mercy” was a phrase often uttered at the beginning of criminal trials. However, Stella did not deal with criminal trials. She dealt with international conflicts, often with the threat of war. It was a burden she was expected to carry.
After being announced as the new representation of Selene, the Emperor had bestowed the title of mediator upon Stella.
The first few conflicts she was invited to were exciting. It was something she had never done before, and it even allowed her to travel across lands she had never seen. After the fourth conflict, the Archmage was exhausted. It quickly became bothersome.
This was now the seventh.
This particular conflict described in the letter was between a Human nation and a large group of Wizards from Osirus. The Wizards had disturbed the Humans and killed quite a few of them. The Humans weren’t too pleased and threatened to wage a war against the Wizard Tower of Osirus.
Stella had packed her things and got ready to leave. She jumped on her horse, Fern, and started towards the nation of Delph.
The nation of Delph was semi-famous for being the home of the legendary knight Adonis. He was considered the bravest leader the Humans had ever seen. The Humans, unlike most races, weren’t inherently magical. They relied on physical strength, and as such, Humans who displayed tremendous strength were highly respected. Even Stella could appreciate his accomplishments.
The first day of travel passed without hardship, and after taking care of her horse, Stella set up camp. It was quite a simple one, consisting of a small tent and a fire pit now burnt out.
As she laid there, staring at the roof of her tent, she heard muffled giggling. It was quite evil and ugly sounding. She could hear a group approaching her tent. They lacked intelligence, judging by how much noise they were making. Stella couldn’t quite tell if they were trying to be stealthy or were actively trying to wake her up. She decided it to be the former, as every couple seconds, one of them would murmur “Shh”.
It was amusing, and she was trying to decide whether to let them execute their plans and then kill them or get rid of them immediately. However, it seemed they made the decision for her.
Her tent was slowly opened by an ugly green creature. It had bat-like ears, a long and hooked nose, and a pointy chin. They were goblins***.
Stella quickly closed her eyes and feigned sleep. The goblin, being part of a race that lacked caution and common sense, did not suspect a thing.
“She’s fast asleep!” he announced to his group.
“You’ll wake her if you’re too loud,” yelled another.
“Ooo! Come look at this! She has quite the stash of things in her bag. What are these? Why is she carrying grass in bottles?” said the goblin who had entered her tent.
“No, you idiot! She’s carrying herbs. She must be a wizard of sorts. We mustn’t wake her!”
“Pfft! We can take a woman like her! We Goblins are the strongest of all races,” he boasted.
The goblin left the tent with Stella’s bag on his shoulder. Having no intention of letting a group of bandits leave with her things, she got out of bed.
“Give me my bag,” she demanded.
“Ha! You’ll have to kill me to get it back! What do you think a girl like you could do to the bravest and strongest creatures of them all? You’re lucky we left you with your horse,” the goblin responded. The other goblins nodded along, convinced of their superiority.
Stella almost felt pity.
“I will kill you all if you do not hand it back.”
“You couldn’t kill any of us if we were asleep,” he laughed. The goblins withdrew their weapons. “I think you should go back to sleep, lady! We already have your things. You wouldn’t want to die, would you?”
“You’ve left me no choice,” said Stella.
As the representation of the Goddess Selene, Stella required talent. After all, the soul of Selene was supposedly embedded in her.
Although she did not hold all of Selene’s power, nor had she completed her training, she held a portion of it, and that was enough.
She felt the familiar surge of power rush through her veins. The mana ebbed out of her fingertips, and a beautiful array of water formed around her. The sight was gorgeous, as if taking a slice of the ocean and placing it in the middle of a forest. As the water thrust forward, it pierced the body of a goblin. He made a gurgling sound, and a familiar discomfort engulfed Stella’s heart. The use of her magic always caused her slight pain, as if nature was cursing her for her unnatural use of water.
Relief washed over her when the remaining goblins ran away, shrieking. Typically, she would feel wary of them returning to harm her, but she did not anticipate they would.
“Bravest creatures of them all, they say,” she muttered bitterly.
Stella retrieved her bag, and returned to her tent with a hand gently placed over her heart.
☾₊ ⊹
The next two days of travel progressed smoothly, only stopping when her horse got tired or when hunger struck. The Archmage spent time admiring her surroundings whenever she could. The bright blue rivers, the overgrown grass, or the flowers where many colourful butterflies sat. Her horse seemed to take interest in the birds that flew above them, and would occasionally slow down to observe them. These forests seemed undisturbed, as falling dewdrops hit her cheek on occasion. It felt liberating.
However, as all worthwhile things do, her journey had to end eventually. In its place, she was thrust into the world of politics and war. Something so vastly different from her calm and beautiful journey.
Luckily for the mage, the nation of Delph was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. Delph was in a mountainous area. The nation's castle was located on a hill, visible from beyond the city’s wall. It was adorned with gorgeous white walls and decorated with colourful banners, the insignia of the Knights of Delph being the largest.
She jumped off Fern and stood astonished at the foot of their marble bridge. Unbeknownst to the woman, a small child had approached her curiously.
“You’re so tall!” the small boy informed her. She slowly looked down to see a brown haired child wearing dirty clothes.
“Perhaps you are just short,” Stella responded. In truth, she was taller than most Human women, but only stood at a slightly above average height for Wizards. The Archmage did not have much experience with children.
“That’s not true! My mama said I would grow as tall as Adonis in no time! You’re just tall… Your hair is so long! Hm… Are you sick?”
“…Pardon?”
“You look like you’re sick… are you?” the boy asked nervously.
“I am not sick. I feel fine.”
“Oh… but you look so pale! Are you sure you don’t need to lie down?” The human was not wrong. Some Wizards, her included, were particularly pale due to spending much time indoors studying magic.
“I am certain,” the Archmage responded. She found the bothersome boy quite likeable.
“Okay… What’s your name?”
“My name is Stella. What is your name, Human?”
“George! My mom calls me Georgie. You’re not allowed to call me that though, only my mom! Understood?”
“Of course, George,” Stella smiled down at the boy. He had succeeded to ease her stress for the upcoming political meetings.
“Georgie! How many times do I have to tell you not to bother strangers! Oh, I'm so sorry, ma’am! Has he bothered you at all? Please forgive-” the woman cut herself off after getting a good look at Stella’s face. Recognition immediately flashed across her face. She dropped to her knees. “I am so sorry, Archmage! If we had known-”
“Please stand,” Stella told her, “I do not wish to cause a scene. It was truly no problem. I had a pleasant conversation with your son.”
The woman stood after a couple more apologies. Stella smiled stiffly in hopes of comforting George’s mother.
“If I may, could you please direct me to the entrance?” the wizard asked.
“O-of course! Follow me!”
Stella tried to engage in a conversation with the woman about the beauty of her nation, but it seemed like the woman was too nervous to respond coherently. The Archmage gave up after a while.
A short walk later, she stood in front of the gates. After saying her goodbyes to George and his mother, she approached a guard.
“Reason for entry?” he interrogated without looking up from his desk.
“The Emperor has requested my presence as mediator.” The guard snapped his head towards her face.
“Ah yes!! Of course! Welcome i-inside of Delph, Archmage S-Stella!” he responded.
“Thank you. Please do not announce my presence. I would like to explore the town beforehand.”
☼✧˖°
The town was lively. Children running around, men and women laughing, but there were some Humans casting doubtful looks her way and whispering amongst themselves. It was something so different from what Stella had grown up around, where happiness was valued less than reading and studying. The Humans seemed more carefree than any Wizard she had grown up around.
Of course, Stella had since been acquainted with many carefree Wizards, but none had been present in her childhood.
She stopped in front of a bakery, the display of cakes at the front window intriguing her. She entered the shop, and as the bell atop the door rang, it seemed like all heads drifted her way. It appeared word about her presence had gone around town, much to her chagrin.
“Oh! You must be Archmage Stella! We’ve heard so much about you! Anything you want is yours!” the woman behind the counter announced jubilantly.
“No, that is alright. I have come to look around. That suffices all.”
“Please, no need to be so formal with me. How about I pack you a cupcake?” the woman insisted.
“There is truly no need, although I appreciate the gesture. I simply enjoy the smell of bakeries. I shall take my leave now. Thank you for your kindness,” Stella lied. It was true she enjoyed the aroma, but, in truth, she had a sweet tooth, leading her to bake cakes in her leisurely time. The wizard would have loved a cupcake, but discomfort had risen at the idea of utilising her status in such a way. Seeing as she had not had the foresight to bring pocket money, she would have to visit again another day.
“Oh! Well alright then. Have a good day!” the lady said as Stella walked to the entryway.
“You too.” As she proceeded towards another shop, she heard a dreadful voice behind her.