by Billy Wong
He draped an affectionate arm over her shoulders. "Considering you were the lady who singlehandedly destroyed a mountain sized monster god, I doubt any weakening that's happened will be enough to be an issue under most circumstances."
She giggled. "Maybe. I don't intend to test it either way unless absolutely necessary, with the state of magic on the continent."
"There's another thing I've been wondering—what is it like making love with that body?"
Caught off guard, she blinked. "As in how I would feel making love in it or how it would feel to make love to it?"
"Either or."
"I haven't had a chance to try yet."
He pulled her closer, resting his face on her hair. "Then why don't we find out now?"
"Sounds like a plan." She gripped him around the waist and let herself fall sideways, dragging him to the ground. Over the next hour or so, she learned that while her body might not respond in the same ways as her old one had, she still took much pleasure in being with him.
#
Weeks later Julianna and Keith arrived at the capital of Ostuh, killing a few monsters along the way. The squat monkey-like gremlins with their scratching claws and another naga weren't particularly hard to deal with, but traveling must be scary for normal people these days with so many hostile creatures around. The city seemed another world, mostly tall buildings clustered together to bathe the ground in shadow with several windmills scattered about. People rode on slim two-wheeled vehicles operated with their feet through streets lined with lamps atop high poles, no doubt to be lit after nightfall. A giant clock adorned the front of the monolithic tower which housed the ruling council's offices, ticking rhythmically without end. Seeing this place again reminded her why Ostuh took offense to her attempts to regulate their magic use. Magic could certainly help them create even more wondrous objects. But if they overdid it and drained the land too much, they might not like the consequences.
They headed to the Tower of the Council, only to discover they couldn't find an entrance. "What the hell?" Julianna demanded. "How is anyone supposed to talk to these people if no one can get in?" She raised a finger as she remembered. "Wait—don't tell me, it's been a long time. We have to ride the tram up, right?"
Keith laughed. "Yup. I'd almost forgotten about that too."
"Almost? Then why didn't you remind me before I wasted time walking up to it and made a fool of myself?"
"I was testing you to see how much of your memory is intact."
She shook her head, and they made their way back a few hundred feet to the waiting area for what resembled a horseless carriage hanging from a worryingly thin metal rail which ran diagonally up to an entrance at the midpoint of the building's facade. Eventually the tram returned from its previous trip, and they boarded it. As it started up none too steadily, rocking back and forth, Julianna grumbled, "They'd better not be using magic to power this frivolous thing."
"Actually I hear it's operated by monsters," Keith replied. "They're hidden away in a nearby building, and when it's time for the tram to move, somebody gives them the signal to turn the giant crank to pull it along."
"Monsters? Doesn't sound very trustworthy."
"There aren't many accidents to my knowledge, so they must be well trained."
She sat back and watched the city pass by below as the tram ascended. Admittedly, for all its frivolousness, it did provide an impressive view. They passed through an opening in the side of the tower to enter a spacious lobby and disembarked. "The entrance being up here is still ridiculous," she commented. "What happens if the tram breaks down, is everybody trapped?"
"I'm sure they have alternate methods to exit in case of emergency."
"I'd certainly hope so, but wouldn't count on it given their apparent preference for flash and novelty over practicality." He nudged her with the scabbard of his oversized sword, and she rolled her eyes. Just because he indulged in such extravagance didn't say anything about her. Besides, he hadn't favored impractical weapons in the past. Her being back probably just made him so happy he was inclined to be overly playful.
Using Keith's credentials as a representative of Aerilea to bypass guards who questioned them, they navigated labyrinthine halls to the chamber of the council. A wide circular room ringed with tables and chairs occupied by robed delegates of varied ages and genders, it fell into muttering as they entered. They moved to stand before Premier Gilbert's larger desk. It was slightly intimidating to have eyes on her from all directions like this, instead of being able to face her whole audience at once. Gilbert, a fat man of about sixty with a garish layered red wig, asked, "Sir Keith of Aerilea, what is your business here? Surely you didn't think it necessary to visit us in person just to persuade us to follow your late princess' laws? And who is this young girl with you?"
"I am here in part due to concerns relating to those laws, but I'm probably not the one who will persuade you." At that, Gilbert raised his brow curiously. "As for the 'young girl,' I'll leave it to her to introduce herself."
"It's me, Premier," she said. "We've met when I was around this age, don't you remember?"
"Hmm? Come to think of it, you do look familiar."
"Do the spear and armor ring any bells?"
Slowly, his eyes widened. "Julianna?! No, it's impossible..."
"Impossible? Don't tell the Saint Princess who slew the god of monsters what's possible or not. I'm back, good as new."
He shrank back looking sheepish. "How pleasant to see you again, Your Highness. It's nice that you could come back from the dead..."
One of the delegates, a woman in her forties who wore metal-rimmed reading lenses, butted in. "Wait! Why should we take such an outlandish claim at face value? Even for a peerless mage, resurrecting in a younger body seems hard to swallow."
Gilbert cleared his throat. "Ahem, yes, what proof is there that you truly are Princess Julianna, and not say just a very good double?"
Of course she had been prepared for this, and answered, "If the word of my respected love isn't enough, I've crossed blades with your High Knight before. Let him test my skill in combat, and he'll vouch for me."
"That does sound like a solid idea. Unfortunately it is not viable, for he has recently passed."
Sir Pietro had been an older man in his fifties, but not so old Julianna thought he might go at any minute. She exchanged looks with Keith. "What, were you aware of this?"
"Not at all. For all I knew the old swordmaster was still alive and well, hence not pointing it out to you when you proposed proving your identity with your martial skills before."
She gazed helplessly at Gilbert, who sat silent as if waiting for another suggestion. This was something of a conundrum...
Chapter 3
Julianna scrambled to think of another way to convince Gilbert and the council of her identity. "You know that time you visited my palace," she asked the Premier, "and we played chess? Do you remember how I finally won our match?"
"No, I don't remember. It was a long time ago I'm sure, the details of a chess game escape me."
Her face fell, but she said anyway, "We were both down to our last few pieces, and I ended up cornering your king with my own king and a knight. I made a joke about them being myself and Keith, ring any bells?"
"You have a damn good memory," Keith remarked.
"I mainly remember because I liked the joke."
"Sorry," Gilbert said, "no such thing comes to mind. It must be lost to the annals of time."
"Well, me just remembering that we played chess is evidence of being me, no?"
"Not so much. It's not as if Julianna would not have told her secret lover of our game, and he could easily have instructed you to 'recall' it in turn."
They weren't much of a secret anymore, but in any case, "How about I demonstrate to you that I'm not human? Humans have to breathe, I don't. If I can hold my head underwater for long enough to convince you I don't need air, will you believe I'm a spirit back from the dead?"
&nb
sp; "She could use magic to give her the ability not to breathe," said the skeptical female delegate who'd spoken before, "or to breathe water."
"With all the magical research I hear you've been doing, don't you have mages on hand who could confirm whether I'm 'cheating' or not?"
"You were an exceptionally powerful mage. It would be no surprise if you could hide your magic use from your less talented peers."
She spread her hands in frustration. "That doesn't make sense! If I was good enough to hide it, wouldn't that too suggest I am who I say I am, as you yourself just implied?"
"Calm down now," Keith whispered. "No need for hot heads on either side of this."
"What if I let you run tests on my body? Surely then you'd see it's not flesh and blood like a normal human, but a construct composed of magical energy."
Gilbert shrugged. "Even if you are some kind of exotic being, how would that assure us of you being the real Julianna, and not just something Aerilea recruited for this charade?"
"Something? I'm clearly a person. But in that case, what would I have to do to convince you? You make a proposal, and I'll consider it."
He seemed to ponder it, then an even more heavyset councilor at his side said something into his ear. He perked up. "Although Sir Pietro sadly passed, we do have another warrior at least on par with a High Knight. If you can stand your ground against him, I might be inclined to believe you truly are the esteemed Saint Princess."
"A warrior 'on par' with High Knights?" Keith asked. "If that's so, why hasn't he been promoted to the position yet—is he not trustworthy?"
"You will see when you meet him. Are you frightened?"
"No, of course not," Julianna said. "Take us to him."
Gilbert stood from his desk, and they followed him out of the meeting room to narrow stairs which they descended. They went further and further down so that she figured they didn't just seek the depths of the building, but some underground area beneath it. The cramped stair shaft didn't make her the most comfortable, for she didn't feel free to spread her wings. Eventually her intuition proved correct as they reached the bottom, where two guards in front of a doorway parted to let the Premier by. They stepped out onto a metal ledge surrounding an empty oval cavern.
"You stay here," Gilbert told Keith. "Your Highness, follow me." He led her down a set of steps to the floor of the chamber and then to the center. "Now wait here." She got a bad feeling about this. Walking to a door on the far side, he said something to the man dressed in scholar's robes in front of it. That man disappeared into the next room, while Gilbert rejoined Keith on the ledge.
"What's going on?" Julianna asked.
The Premier smiled. "Relax, why sound so jumpy if you're the legendary Saint Princess? You are merely about to cross blades with our mighty warrior, may the best being win."
"The best 'being?' What do you mean by that?"
"You claim not to be fully human, no? So then-" Before he could finish, there was a massive grinding sound. Instead of the door opening like one might expect, a gap opened in the wall next to it from the bottom almost to the top. Through it strode a titanic figure resembling a heavily armored knight at least twenty feet tall, shaking the ground with each booming footfall. In one hand it carried an axe to match its size, in the other an equally huge shield.
Julianna recoiled. "This is the warrior you want me to fight? It's clearly not a man."
Gilbert chuckled. "You're not a man."
"I mean, not human..."
"You claim to be not human."
"But this is-" The "knight" lunged, swinging its axe down with deceptive speed. She jumped aside while it cracked the ground, drew her spear but found herself out of range to counter. That reach... but if she got inside it, it would make attacking difficult for her opponent instead. She rolled under a horizontal swipe, came up before its knee and threw her weight behind a thrust at it. A solid hit, it didn't penetrate but made the knight's foot slide back. Losing its balance, it went to one knee. She jumped high onto its raised knee, repelled its shield hand's attempt to grab her with a kick and leapt again. Taking her shaft in both hands, she swung it like a club, striking the metal-covered countenance. Gilbert gaped as her foe was sent off its feet, crashing down against the hard earth.
She winked at Keith, who shook his head admiringly. "Big slow oaf. What's under that armor, a monster or something?"
Gilbert didn't respond as it rose again. Despite being knocked down hard, it showed no sign of injury or wariness, coming on fast as before. Julianna weaved gracefully between its axe strokes, darted in after a missed chop and thrust at its lower belly. Though she could hold her own, the height difference did make fighting it awkward. She pushed it back, but again failed to pierce the metal shell. But seeing that what resembled a belt stuck out from its body, she got an idea. Pulling her spearhead down against it, she used her pole as a lever to vault high into the air. She came to a level with its head and launched a powerful kick that sent it reeling, but at the same time it punched her with its shield rim. She flew across the room, pain shooting through her from the impact despite her body's unique composition. So her theory that battle damage wouldn't be inconsequential was right...
She staggered up while her adversary righted itself following her kick. Again it stepped forward with no hint of slowing down. It was big, so maybe her blows didn't hurt that much, but they had knocked it down and stumbled it. Its lack of reaction to that seemed strange for a living creature. Wait, maybe that was it. Blocking a slash her legs bent under, then jabbing at its crotch only for her point to glance off, she said, "This is a machine, isn't it?" She glowered. "No doubt it's powered by magic."
"Well, maybe..." Gilbert replied meekly. Julianna took a knee from the knight that launched her flipping away in agony, ducked a followup cut at her neck in the nick of time. She ran forward, hugged it around a leg. "What is she-" Gilbert began. It swung its shield down at her, but she released its leg and jumped back. The shield rim crunched into its own limb instead, denting it, and it tottered. She dashed in again, grabbed its good leg while it was off balance and heaved.
"Not very smart, is it?" she asked while it landed on its back. She leapt onto its groin, ran up its body and jumped into a diving stab which penetrated its chest. Its axe swept up. She twisted in midair to just avoid it, but its shield came rushing at her from the opposite direction. Hit with the force of a catapult stone, she tumbled across the floor and came up unsteadily. "Does my not bleeding after such blows not prove my claim?" she snapped at the Premier.
"I... suppose." He sounded bewildered, as if he hadn't expected such an intense battle. Maybe he thought she would back down once she got a glimpse of his mighty creation. But that was hardly her way. "Should I call it off?" he asked while the titan rose with her spear stuck into its chest.
"No need. This is a waste of magical energy anyway, so I think I'll release it before any more is used up unnecessarily."
Keith blinked. "Julianna, do you need a weapon?"
"I could probably get the spear out without one, but it wouldn't hurt. I'll take it." He tossed her the giant sword, and she caught it. "Heavy. Might help me knock it down easier this time." She and the knight charged one another. She spun past its thrust, struck the butt of her spear with the flat of Keith's blade so hard the spear was driven flying out its back. As the sword itself collided with its chest a split second later, it fell backward. She jumped on its stomach while it tried to sit up, stuck her hand into the slit from which golden light glowed in its chest. Feeling the magical energy within, she drew it into herself. The knight stopped reaching for her and sank back, its animating force gone. Julianna released the energy from within, golden particles of it drifting off her form to fill the cavern before dispersing back into the air and the world around her.
"I apologize for doubting you, Your Highness," Gilbert said, eyes wide with awe. "And to think you did not use magical attacks of your own..."
"Such a tiny opponent doesn't warrant m
ore expenditure of a scarce resource." She was glad he didn't seem too upset over her damaging their project, though. "Now can we go back up and discuss what we came here to?"
After returning to the council chamber, Gilbert confirmed his belief in her identity to the others and Julianna was offered a seat reserved for honored guests. She still didn't feel all that welcome though, with the many wary stares at her. "You must stop this reckless use of magic in your research," she said when they were ready for her to speak. "The concentration of magic energy on this continent is seemingly lower than it has ever been, and we don't know what might happen if it continues to drop."
"But if you don't know what will happen, why be so adamant about restricting us?" asked a young male delegate with a smooth goatee. "There is no proof the decreasing magical energy will lead to disaster, or that it is necessarily caused by human magic use at all."
"We don't know those things for sure, but a major change in our environment like this is adequate reason for concern don't you think?"
"Have you even looked into it to make sure what you fear is a real phenomenon?" another councilor said. "For all we know, this waning of magic is nothing more than unsubstantiated rumor."
"I don't have concrete, quantifiable proof this is happening everywhere," she admitted. "But there have been reports of mages sensing a decrease all over the continent, hearing of which dissuaded me from using my full power against the Father of All Monsters at first leading to my death. If it was enough evidence for me to risk and even lose my life over, shouldn't it be enough for you to halt your activities until more can be learned?"
Gilbert snorted. "Our standards of evidence need not be the same as yours. Just because you feel compelled to act based on hearsay does not mean others ought to follow."
"But when you have researchers available in the first place, why can't you have them study this phenomenon and see if it's real instead of turning a blind eye to the possibility? Wouldn't it be more responsible to do that?"
