Chapter 16

The shadow beneath the lilac moon. Maya sat on the edge of her bed, turning the small piece of parchment over in her iron-clad fingers. She had spent the last hour mentally mapping the city based on her walks with Myne. There was no literal lilac moon in the sky, but there was a famous, dilapidated monument in the older, wealthier merchant district: The Courtyard of the Lilac Moon, named for the massive, ancient wisteria tree that bloomed with glowing purple flowers at night.

It was the perfect place for a secret meeting. It was also the perfect place for an ambush.

"Not this time," Maya whispered to the empty room.

She pressed her ear to the wall shared with Myne’s room. The rhythmic, heavy breathing confirmed the princess was still dead to the world, recovering from her "mysterious fainting spell."

Maya opened her window. The night air was cool. She swapped her weapon form, the heavy iron giving way to the sleek, white webbing of the Spider-Silk Gauntlet.

[Equipping: Spider-Silk Gauntlet]

With a flick of her wrist, she shot a line of silk to the chimney of the adjacent building, swung out into the darkness, and disappeared.

She arrived at the Courtyard of the Lilac Moon three hours before midnight.

The courtyard was beautiful but eerie, bathed in the soft, purple luminescence of the wisteria tree that dominated the center. High stone walls enclosed the area, with only two arched entryways.

Maya went to work.

She moved silently through the canopy of the massive tree, using her silk to spin a web of nearly invisible tripwires across both entrances and the lower branches. If anyone stepped into the courtyard, she would feel the vibration. Next, she wove a sturdy, hidden hammock out of silk in the densest part of the upper foliage, giving her a perfect sniper's view of the entire area.

Finally, she shifted to her Venom-Mush Gauntlet, carefully rubbing the paralyzing spores along a few key branches near her hiding spot, just in case someone tried to climb up after her.

[Equipping: Iron Gauntlet]

With her perimeter set, she settled into her hidden perch, her heavy iron fists resting on her knees, and waited.

Hours passed. The city grew silent.

Just past midnight, a single thread of silk attached to Maya's left wrist vibrated with a sharp twang.

Maya’s eyes snapped open. She peered through the glowing purple leaves.

A figure clad entirely in black stepped through the eastern archway. They moved with absolute silence, their footsteps making no sound on the cobblestones. But as they took their third step, they suddenly froze.

The figure slowly looked down. Their boot was resting a fraction of an inch away from one of Maya's nearly invisible tripwires. The figure then looked up into the canopy, scanning the branches, their posture completely relaxed but undeniably alert.

"Your perimeter is exquisite, Hero," a magically distorted, genderless voice called out, echoing softly in the empty courtyard. "I assure you, I am unarmed. I bring only words from the true ruler of Melromarc."

Maya didn't move. She didn't speak. She let the silence stretch, forcing the messenger to sweat.

The Shadow operative slowly raised both hands, pulling back their hood to reveal the masked face of a standard royal covert agent. "My Queen apologizes for the… aggressive test in the alleyway this afternoon. She needed to know if the Fifth Hero possessed the fangs required to survive the coming war."

The Queen? Maya thought, her mind racing. Not the King. The Queen. "If she wanted to test my fangs," Maya finally spoke, her voice projecting coldly from the shadows of the tree, making it impossible to pinpoint her exact location, "she shouldn't have sent men with glass jaws. Who are you?"

"I am a Shadow," the operative replied respectfully, not moving an inch. "I serve Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc. She is currently abroad, attempting to unite the allied nations against the Waves. In her absence, the King and the Church of the Three Heroes summoned you illegally. Their prejudice against the Shield is a sickness my Queen does not share."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "Words are cheap. The King threw Naofumi to the wolves while your Queen was 'abroad.' Why should I trust a monarch who can't even control her own castle?"

"A fair assessment," the Shadow conceded, bowing their head slightly. "Which is why my Queen offers you a pact of mutual benefit. The King’s spies watch the Sword, Spear, and Bow. Princess Malty watches you. But my Queen's Shadows watch everyone."

The operative reached into their cloak. Maya tensed, ready to drop down with an iron fist, but the Shadow only produced a heavy, velvet coin purse and gently tossed it onto the cobblestones. It landed with a loud, heavy clink.

"Five hundred gold pieces," the Shadow stated. "Untraceable. Not silver, gold. A war chest to fund your true preparations. Furthermore, the Queen will provide you with classified intelligence on the Waves and the Church's movements."

Maya looked at the purse. Five hundred gold was a staggering fortune. It was enough to buy the best gear in the kingdom, bribe officials, or fund a small army.

"And what does the Queen want from me in return for this generous allowance?" Maya asked skeptically.

"Only that you continue exactly what you are doing," the Shadow replied. "Keep Princess Malty blinded by her own vanity. Keep the King believing you are an obedient, naive maiden. And, when the time comes, ensure that the Shield Hero does not fall."

The Shadow took a slow step backward. "You do not have to swear fealty tonight, Maya Lin. Take the gold. Consider it an apology for the alleyway, and a down payment on a future alliance. If you need us, leave a purple ribbon tied to the balcony of your inn."

Before Maya could respond, the Shadow stepped back into the deepest shade of the courtyard archway and simply melted away, vanishing entirely from sight.

Maya waited ten full minutes to ensure she was alone. Then, she dropped silently from the tree, her iron boots landing softly on the cobblestones. She picked up the heavy velvet purse. It was packed with pristine, stamped gold coins.

She had just been handed the keys to the kingdom's underworld by the Queen herself.

Interactive Choice: Funding the Future

Maya has secured a massive amount of secret funding and a potential alliance with the Queen's Shadows. With the Wave approaching in just over three weeks, how does she utilize this new advantage?