(~936 words — part 4)
Morning broke with golden light spilling over the rooftops of Virelow. Shopkeepers opened their doors, guild runners darted between posts, and travelers filtered in from the main gates.
But Nyari felt it before she saw it—a presence.
Not magical, exactly. Not hostile either. Just... deliberate. Like someone had entered the town knowing exactly what they were looking for.
She stood near the back courtyard of the guild, stretching quietly, tail flicking as she cooled down from her morning run. Birds chirped in the tree above her. But her ears twitched, catching the sound of approaching boots—soft, but heavy. Confident.
She turned.
The figure approaching wasn't armored. Not heavily, at least. A young woman walked through the gate—tall, draped in travel-worn green robes, her hood half-pulled back to reveal flowing silver-blonde hair and striking lavender eyes.
She had the bearing of a noble, the grace of a dancer, and the eyes of a predator who'd learned patience.
"You're Nyari, right?" the woman asked. Her voice was calm. Measured.
Nyari didn't reply at first.
Then:
"Who's asking?"
The woman offered a half-smile. "Someone who'd like to see if the stories are true."
She tossed a sealed scroll onto a nearby bench. Nyari caught it midair.
It bore the royal seal of House Vael'Therin.
Nyari's ears twitched.
"You're with the royal family?"
"No," the woman said, stepping closer. "I am the royal family."
She pulled back her hood fully, revealing a silver circlet hidden in her braid.
"I'm Princess Seralyth. And this is not an official visit."
🌬️ A Royal Test
"I heard about the ambush," Seralyth said as she walked with Nyari along the quiet trail behind the guild. "Six attackers. Alone. No blood spilled. All captured or incapacitated."
Nyari said nothing.
"I've seen trained adventurers cause more destruction clearing rats from a basement."
Still, Nyari didn't respond. Her golden eyes just studied the princess cautiously.
"That kind of restraint… precision… it doesn't come from instinct alone," Seralyth continued. "It comes from control. Discipline."
Nyari finally spoke. "Are you here to recruit me?"
Seralyth smiled faintly. "Not yet. First, I need to know who you are. Truly. So here's the test."
She stepped back, and her aura changed.
Nyari felt it—like a pressure shift in the air. Not magic, but command. Authority, wrapped in poise.
"You're going to spar me," Seralyth said. "If you impress me, I'll offer you something no one else can."
⚔️ Nyari vs. Seralyth
They stood in a ring of stone beneath a willow tree, petals drifting on the breeze.
No audience. No guildmaster. No nobility watching.
Just a tiger girl… and a princess who didn't fight like a princess at all.
Seralyth moved first—fast, balanced, her footwork sharp and refined. A rapier glinted at her hip, and in a blink, she was lunging—straight at Nyari's chest.
Nyari dodged by inches, tail swishing as she flipped backward into a low crouch.
"You're trained," she muttered.
Seralyth smirked. "I'm not just a ribbon-twirler."
She came again—feints, spins, angled strikes meant to test speed and rhythm. Nyari met her pace without blinking, her own movements dance-like, a blur of stripes and instinct. Her glowing dagger flicked into her hand, summoned mid-step.
Clash. Swipe. Pulse.
Nyari grazed Seralyth's shoulder with a clawed fingertip.
Sigil: Placed.
The princess flinched, her body locking for half a breath. But she grinned.
"Clever."
Then her eyes glowed faintly.
And the sigil shattered.
Nyari's expression finally shifted. "You… dispelled it?"
Seralyth held up a small silver charm. "Royal wards. Just one. I was curious if you'd trigger it."
Nyari moved again—faster now, heart rising.
She dashed forward, vanishing mid-stride.
Seralyth turned just in time for Nyari to appear behind her, flipping off a tree trunk and aiming a glowing slash downward—
Clash!
Seralyth blocked it—barely. The force pushed her to one knee.
"…That's enough," the princess said softly, lowering her blade.
🌸 The Offer
They stood still for a long moment.
Petals drifted.
Breath slowed.
Then Seralyth straightened.
"You're more than a stray hero," she said. "You're something ancient. And that frightens people, even if they don't realize it yet."
Nyari tilted her head. "…So why aren't you afraid?"
Seralyth smiled.
"Because I see you. Not just your strength. Your heart."
She stepped forward and placed a folded letter into Nyari's hand.
"This is an invitation. Not an order. House Vael'Therin is assembling something… new. A coalition of gifted, divine, or unique individuals. Quietly. Carefully. I want you to be part of it."
Nyari looked down at the letter.
Then back up.
"…What happens if I say no?"
"Then I'll thank you for your time," Seralyth said, calm as still water. "And watch you from afar until the day you're ready."
🌌 A Choice
That night, Nyari sat on the guild rooftop again, the letter unopened in her lap.
She stared at the stars.
Thought of Karis.
Of Daska.
Of herself.
She didn't want power.
She didn't want fame.
She wanted to matter.
But now… she had the chance to protect more than just one noble or one town. She could protect entire kingdoms. Maybe more.
She opened the letter.
✨ Epilogue
Far away, Princess Seralyth stood at her balcony, wind in her silver hair.
"She'll accept," she whispered to herself.
"She was born to run…
But one day, she'll fight to stand still.
And when she does—this world will know her name."
To be continued in Chapter Six: "Shadows Beneath Virelow"
(As Nyari considers the princess's offer, strange disappearances begin in the lower districts. Something unnatural is feeding beneath the city… and Nyari is the only one fast enough to find it.)