The roosters crowed before the morning light arrived and the night was over.

  People had left the Banquet dinner when the driver came back to warn them that Brashtilia was finished. He had it in his mind that an army official had come directly to the bank, that it was robbed earlier and someone who had a Niveal coin had come to check on things.

  What he wanted to hide was that the people had a cultural difference,

  That the act of words were war onto themselves and that they could call the army.

  Though there was no army anymore and the ten people who were with Bice had died with her.

  Which meant that we would have to do things ourselves.

  People had gone back to their farmhouses, they had even taken in guests of those who lost their home in the city. Particularly those who took the same type of attire and armor.

  Kou and joselyn needed to sleep.

  Papa stayed with the wolven sisters during the dinner and it was still going on.

  An event coordinator who was in the city in Bice’s deliberation as it was called explained it to him. Joselyn didn’t want me to speak about things lightly anymore.

  I had explained that I had received a silver star that only worked in the castle.

  Now the castle is gone, the grains have withered and most of the animals are dead.

  Though i couldn’t imagine it - i did notice how the city almost burnt the green mist that surrounded people, it was even worse when they entered the bank under its weight.

  I had a lot to think about - I was so full of energy as Joselyn and Kou slept.

  I watched them as they washed and even Joselyn wore silver armor she found in the castle.

  Kou wanted to change me from the jersey I wore but I just washed and decided to wear it again.

  We walked out the tent, it was time that the negotiations were over and we met papa who was outside.

  “So we have to go to war?” Papa said.

  Joselyn, Kou and I nodded.

  “I had a king’s table, I should know everything, right,” Papa said.

  “You weren’t the one who triggered it,” Kou said.

  Papa looked at me then looked up to Joselyn and Kou. though they didn’t say anything.

  “We have to go to grandma’s house,” I said.

  “Yes, we can drop you off there,” He replied.

  “If the Mages we sent here to be teachers are as close to your mother as Gerda says,” Joselyn said, “Then that may be the reason why they didn’t come to the city when that driver caused that ruckus,”.

  “Gerda’s grandmother's house is the only reason we aren’t going to turn into cavemen,” Kou said.

  “Cavemen?” I asked.

  “People who live in the outskirts looking for minerals - the rich resources have to be fought for, it’s very competitive. Brashtalia is a great expanse that can do agriculture but only once you amass enough resources - since we lost that, we need to go to the warring states,” Joselyn said.

  “Why isn’t this a warring state?” I asked.

  “She just said honey, it's a long land - we can only farm here,” Papa said.

  “She’s actually asking a good question,” Kou said.

  “Each Co-ordinate land is fought for in rotation - so this land would have plenty of animals and greenery if it were here and also lots of bloodshed… but I didn't want to get to that,” Joselyn said.

  “Let’s go before everyone wakes up, we’ll take papa’s carriage”

  “Yes, sooner or later everyone will be very hungry,” Kou said.

  “You can go together,” Papa said, “I’ll take care of the food situation here,”.

  “You’re going to search for canned and bottled food?” Joselyn asked.

  Papa nodded.

  “I’ll also reassure the people,” he said.

  “Wolven sisters, you’re stronger than before so make sure everything goes smoothly,” Kou said.

  The Wolven sisters both had one star now from the banquet dinner, though strangely enough,

  It was blue stars - I've never seen that before… wait - mama had a blue eye, wait i have blue eyes also. Hmm… so it must be special in a way but i didn’t want to show that i know that.

  The blue star was titled [Tempest Waves]

  The more I looked at it, the more confused I became. The land was blue and spiky and it was water.

  I wasn’t sure of what to think about it so I left when Joselyn and Kou left.

  We sludged through the mud as the first light ray sheened at us.

  I hadn’t told them about Bice yet but I don't think she wanted me to.

  Papa’s carriage was outside the camp, the road was cracking, we may make it before it’s gone.

  “To think that everything relied on the castle,” Joselyn said.

  “Castles give power around them, it’s usual to see people camping near them,” Kou said.

  “They built a Citadel hiding it,” Joselyn said, “I truly don’t know how I missed it,”.

  “It’s never been done before, so you’re going to move this carriage or am I?” Kou said.

  “I don’t know how to maneuver this thing?” Joselyn said.

  “Then I'm going to have to push it,” Kou said.

  “You guys don’t know how to drive?” I shrieked.

  I ended up teaching them the pedals even when I wasn't entirely sure and I had to steer.

  I sat on Kou’s lap and the car leaned left or right when I was holding it straight.

  The duval road was depressing by attribute and there were so many bumps on the road.

  We finally got to my grandmother’s house and we felt doozy from the trip.

  The chimney puffed out smoke and smelled like she was baking.

  I could see the school teachers through the window - we made the right choice.

  They were laughing and having a great time and saw me through the window.

  They ran out wobbling and jiggling with stretched smiles as they tried to fix their glasses.

  “Gerda,” My grandmother said.

  She waved for us to come in.

  “This is my big sister!” I said.

  Pointing at Kou and Kou looking at joselyn.

  “I’m just the aunty, I guess, mother” Joselyn said.

  My grandmother laughed and welcomed them inside her house that smelled of fresh bread, tomatoes and cheese.

  “All the food has gone bad,” one of the teachers said.

  It was grandma Abny and she sat next to her twin sister Olga.

  “We’ve been having a party even in this problem - we’ve been up all night, cooking dinner for the other farmers and town folk,” she said.

  I looked in the oven and i couldn’t believe my eyes - there was a round bread dough,

  That was abny’s farm special when she came here. Olga’s pig’s meat, grandmother’s cheese

  And I could see my sundried tomato trying to break through the cheese - these smelled so delicious. I couldn’t wait until it was ready, it looked like it was waiting for the pig’s meat to cook but luckily it was thin.

  “Ma’am - we came here on urgent matters,” Kou said.

  “Developer’s Notea,” Abny said.

  “What’s that?” Kou asked.

  “It’s what you need to create interfaces ,” Olga said, “When I came here - I heard only two people had an interface. Gerda here and her father, most probably from Brumhilde”.

  “They seem pretty strong, they don’t have one?” My grandmother asked.

  “I use just a lance,” Kou said.

  “I use a fencing sword, a shield seems unnecessary,” Joselyn said.

  “An interface is more than just a shield,” Abny said.

  “They look up to brumhilde,” Abny said to her sister, “Brumhilde was a caster - not many can learn from her”.

  “She must just eat - learn from experience,” Olga said.

  I could see Kou looking with a skew face but she pulled her lips into her mouth and gulped.

  The sisters and my grandmother took the breadpie out of the ovens.

  They sliced it continously in half over and over again until a slice was a triangle and handed everyone a plate that had three slices.

  “May i have utensils please,” Joselyn asked.

  She stared at the steaming cheese and half buried pig’s meat as we held the slices with our hand. Big sis Kou didn’t care as i laughed at her, she was already at her second slice as steam left her mouth.

  I nibbled because it was so hot. Abny gave me a glass of milk and i slowly drank it.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The Breadpie cheese stretched out as everyone ate and the milk was buttermilk.

  Joselyn finally ate slowly with her hands but everyone but grandma was finally finished.

  They watched joselyn eat and even though i couldn’t see any stars, i knew joselyn was thinking hard.

  “You put it in the food,” Joselyn said.

  It was the speculation star… I looked at the grandma who had wide smiles and shining eyes, could it have been a fatality star?.

  “It took us by surprise, Olga, zoya and I,” Abny said, “You might be aware of the attributes in terms of the army, provision and skillset but each attribute has a special skill of the universe,”

  “You’re saying all this time, we’ve been going to war without shields and these farmers could’ve made it for us?” Kou asked.

  “Precisely, farmers have an ability to generate interfaces but that’s merely the front-end overlay,” Abny said.

  “They don’t know words like overlay, keep it simple - speak about this favored child,” Olga said.

  “Gerda? She can make more than the front-end?” Joselyn asked.

  “You can too,” Abny replied, “The silver star is used to link processes, though rudimentary,” Olga said.

  “We can’t see your star young one, but it's the most powerful one I've sensed in my lifetime,” Abny said.

  “But but, it only works in the castle - when it pops up, I have to protect it against everyone,” I said.

  “Everyone?” both the teachers asked.

  I nodded.

  “Nobunaga Vs Liu Bang in the H-zone, joan pushed jeanne off the map in the G- zone,

  F-zone is also no good with Morrigan…”

  “Don’t say her name!” Joselyn shouted

  They looked at each other as their smiles became crooked.

  “Is there a way to survive?” Kou asked.

  “You two women are from the F-zone? Brumhilde went far, i’m explaining this for nothing,

  You know the difficulty at hand - We came from the B7 wars, B2 brashtalia was so safe,” Olga said.

  “We must separate ourselves from you,” Abny said.

  “Abny!” Olga shouted.

  They became silent as they thought deeply. They spoke so fast that we could do nothing but think, as I went for another slice.

  “We will split the farmers to stay here and take half with us,” joselyn said.

  “Are you sure you should make that decision alone?” My grandmother asked.

  “Brashtiia is the only area that has zero enemies and our war commander will work better with a smaller group,” joselyn said.

  Joselyn looked at Kou to the surprise of my grandmother and teachers.

  “Now about that developer’s notea, what is it?” Joselyn asked.

  “The way i can understand it, is that green is the front-end, silver the back-end,

  If that is so than red should be the trigger and purple should be closer to its aura,

  But developer’s notea is vision and understanding,” Abny said.

  “Something Nobunaga, bang, joan and jean clisson understood but let it be clear, we’re not fighters, not anymore.

  “It came from me…” I said.

  I thought about what the teachers said - red being the cause, the trigger and violette being confused… there was something inside of me. It was the purple claw that helped me land under the bank..i mean castle.

  “Yes, I'm glad you figured it out - the tomato you made was hand crafted and you're the only green attribute here who was born that way, your grandmother wasn’t original like this,” Olga said.

  The teachers think it was in the food?

  “We sent Zoya to the outskirts of the city, by now she should’ve finished serving the tomato soup we made and she has taken the war quilts… i mean banners with her,” Abny said.

  “I hope the others are helping her unload,” Olga said.

  “everyone will now have an interface. The only thing to do now is to connect them by unfurling the Sigils here with the one who made it,” Abny said.

  My grandmother looked confused but big sister Kou and Auntie joselyn made a scary face.

  “You knew it would come to this, this is why you made a school,” Joselyn said.

  “You’re indeed related to Morrigan with your speculations, we do not have the foresight you do,” Olga said.

  “It’s already gloomy outside, don’t make it cold in here to, how would we have known! It’s just habit, preparation for war is in our blood,” Abny said.

  The two sisters walked outside and Sister Kou and Aunt Joselyn followed.

  I was going to follow but granny rushed up to me as fast as she could and held my hand.

  “Gerda, you understand you will be leaving for a long time?”

  I nodded at her.

  “I’ll come and visit,” I said.

  “Don’t worry about that, I’ve lived far longer than most people.

  Right now you’re lucky that you’re young but not all children are as fortunate,

  Do you best to keep secrets first then speak only to win, Gerda,

  Do you understand?” Grandma said.

  I nodded again. Grandma was right but i wish she had told me before i went to the castle.

  That was another lesson, when things happened - they happened fast.

  The wind was really picking up outside as my grandma helped me walk through it.

  Sister Kou was digging a hole with a shovel while joselyn was rolling a long pole.

  Where they going to set it up like school?

  In school, the older children had to stand with poles and some with drums, is that what we’re doing?

  “Deeper! This Wind… &^$#- ”Abny shouted and shouted.

  I could see sister Kou mumbling, I know I know!

  Joselyn left the pole by her side and ran to me and grandma.

  “We need to get inside!” she said.

  The teachers also came inside as we struggled to close the door.

  “Don’t worry, they’ll get here but we have a problem - The carriages aren’t suited for further on in your journey,” Abny said.

  “we’ll need to get B3 on the map that’s adjacent to us and somehow negotiate for Mounts,” Joselyn said.

  “What’s there?” I asked.

  “The golden steppes,” Joselyn said, “it’s not so different from our land, but they have plenty of livestocks”.

  Abny helped me write the sigil while joselyn spoke but i needed them to focus elsewhere,

  I needed to do something secretly so i did something that will forever stay with me…

  “We’re not going to talk to them, we’re going to steal from them,” I said.

  “Gerda!” my grandmother shouted.

  “You said that everyone is fighting, everyone is fighting everywhere! Well we’ll fight too!” i shouted.

  I ran to the window with the sigil wrapped around me and opened the window.

  “We have no food! Bice is gone - we’re not strong but we’re going to take from - Everything!”

  I climbed the furniture and jumped out the window.

  No one said anything in the room, but as i went out in the strong wind - I heard the cheers of hundreds of people.

  I had not known at the time that the sigil was working and I accidentally activated it.

  Everyone heard what i said, i was too busy as i circled behind the house, i needed time.

  “Gerda, put the purple claw in this banner please,”

  I could hear Violette calculating.

  Violette only went onto the interface when i called it out but…but i don’t think that’s what interfaces do, i think they stay on the screen and yes, she was worried and sooner or later

  I needed her on the screen but first I needed her to stop fighting the purple paw in my mind.

  “I think the purple claw is a developer’s tool, it would be a waste to put it on a banner,” Violette said.

  “Do as I say, Violette!” I shouted.

  “You’ll regret this,” She said.

  The purple paw print with claws imprinted on the banner pressed in a white coldness on the green banner and left a purple glimmer.

  I looked up as if caught when joselyn found me holding her banner up that also had the paw print, so did Kou’s.

  They couldn’t even ask me what i did as we heard cheers from our interfaces, but because Violette was in my mind, i could hear it directly.

  They were coming, my army with lots of carriages and even a tanker,

  The question in the mind of big sister kou, Auntie joselyn and I was, what is a tanker?