It was an unprecedented era – an era of peace. The great wars between the powers of Haltrathil had at last been brought to an end with the defeat of the dragon star, and the walker races – man, dwarf, elf, orc, and goblin – had accepted the uneasy pact of truce at the urging of the great hero Helandor. None had truly expected the pact to last past a year, perhaps two, as the five races retreated to their own lands and rebuilt their forces… But to the pleasant surprise of all, peace had survived, strengthened by the bonds forged in the last war, and by the diligent efforts of vested parties.

Who would have guessed that man and orc could get along so well, when they weren’t squabbling over petty issues? Or that dwarves and goblins would find so much in common when they began to trade ideas as well as resources.

The elves, of course, stepped back from it all. It was not their way, most decided, to involve themselves in the affairs of other races – not so long as none of them stepped beyond the boundaries of protected forests, at least. Though, a surprisingly large minority abandoned this long held principle as well, moving into the world with their walker brethren, accepting exile from those who remained behind.

The times, they were changing, even for those who tried to hold to the old ways.

Thus, it was important to be prepared for anything. For the new generation’s best and brightest of all races to be well trained and educated so that they could best handle this uncertain future.

Of course each race would be handling that themselves for their own new generations. None of them wanted to risk their best and brightest falling into anyone else’s hands. There was a strong possibility that the problems of the new future would look a lot like the problems of the old past, after all.

So, the humans took to their cities, expanding the ports and their stations in the plains, teaching their progenies to travel and trade. The orcs reclaimed the desolate scars, teaching their children strength and tenacity. The dwarves retreated into the mountains, teaching their young the finest methods of crafting stone and forging metals. The goblins built up their settlements in the hot deserts, teaching their offspring ingenuity and cooperation. And the elves…

The elves put their trust in their mastery of the arcane.

The Grand Academy of Eclestia was one of their many efforts on this front, and many agreed it was probably the greatest of its kind. The ancient campus was nestled securely between the trees of the deepest regions of the great forest in southern Glista, one of the most traditional elven nations. It was said that only a handful of non-elven eyes had ever seen this place, so deep was it in the lost woods, protected by score after score of magical boundaries and twisting forest.

In a way, it was almost a shame. The Academy was little more than a legend to non-elves, a fanciful myth and little more. But the real place was beautiful. Trees wove between towering spires, parting to allow the courtyards a clear view of an unobstructed sky, and granting the sun license to shine on structures sculpted out of stone and glass by the greatest magical artisans in history.

And as schools went, it was prestigious beyond prestige. Only the best and brightest were invited to attend, and for the elves, this was a serious endeavour. If you couldn’t weave twelve sigil bands together by your twentieth sun-day, you needn’t apply. If you weren’t a magical genius, then the place may as well have really been nothing more than a legend.

To those who did qualify, however, ‘legend’ was the bare minimum of their ambition…

Although Aquila Oakblood had her doubts about that, if she was being honest. Having taken a break from her studies in the Golden Sun dorm rooms, she’d been persuaded to take a walk through the forest with her friend and roommate, Sephine Moonglow. And they hadn’t made it too deep into the woods before Sephine had started showing off.

“Watch,” she’d said, pulling her bow from her back and drawing the string, her blue eyes sparkling as she sighted the weapon at something off in the distance. “I’ve been practicing this one.”

“Seph…” Aquila groaned, absently pushing her long, curly blonde hair back over her shoulder. She should have known this was why her friend had dragged her out here.

“No no, really, watch!” The other elf was clearly eager to demonstrate her trick. “It’ll be really cool! Just lemme… get the target right… hold o-There!”

She loosed the arrow, and Aquila watched it shoot away, streaking straight towards an otherwise unremarkable tree… Oh!

The elf blinked, and almost lost track of the shot as it bounced off the bark, deflected at an angle that left nearly no mark on the tree itself, leaving it to shoot off in another direction. Another direction that sent it on track straight towards another tree-

And there it went bouncing again, and again, and again. The small glade was becoming a 4-dimensional pin-cushion. Aquila was just starting to wonder if she should duck for cover, when the arrow spun around a leaf and shot straight backwards towards its source-

Thwack!

And impaled an apple hanging on the tree overhead. The fruit bobbled on its branch for a moment, before toppling towards the ground – and landing smack in Sephine’s outstretched hand.

“Ta-dha~” The dark-haired archer grinned, offering the apple to the blonde mage. “Hungry?”

Aquila stared at her friend, struggling, for a moment, to remember how to speak. “Which spells did you use?” She finally croaked, forcing her tongue to work.

“Oh, not much.” The archer was trying to look humble and innocent, but she ruined the effect by how obviously she was trying not to giggle. “Silent shot and a little durability enhancer to make sure the arrow made it all the way.”

Hm. Silent shot was a given. The entire show had been practically silent, and that didn’t happen with normal arrows knocking around tree-trunks. Only a slight durability enhancement though? That was incredible. If it had been anyone else making that shot, Aquila wouldn’t have believed them.

But Sephine was an archer, and a good one a that. She could nail a target dead on at one hundred paces, behind tree cover. And that was without enchanting her arrows with seeking magic or penetration spells. Even Lady Brooktwist hadn’t shown so much potential during her training, and she’d been a member of Helandor’s party! Archery was a traditional elven art, and Sephine was already looking to be one of the greats.

Well, it wasn’t surprising, really. This school was full of potential legends like her. Honestly, Aquila spent a lot of her time trying not to feel inadequate next to her supposed peers. Sure, she had a talent for magic, but there was no way it held up to that kind of incredible skill.

She stuck her hand out. “Gimme.”

Seph chuckled, dropping the apple in her hand, and getting a roll of Aquila’s green eyes in response. The blonde mage had quickly ripped the part she was actually interested in, the arrow, out of the pieced fruit and tossed the rest away, squinting down at the barely enchanted shaft.

The archer was telling the truth. She’d only used two spells to make that shot. But much, much more importantly… “You left so much room!”

Seph’s cheeks flushed red, the colour even making it’s way to the tips of her ears. “I did not!” She protested. “I mean, I left a little, but there was no way I was fitting any more spells in that space.”

Aquila snorted. “What are you talking about? Look, you could have added Split-shot in here,” she said, tapping a point mid-way down the arrow and then sketching the rune in question. Golden light flowed from her fingertip, adding itself to the arrow’s enchantments and proving her right. “And up here, you can easily fit a flame bolt rune!” Again, she demonstrated. “We could have had roasted apple! And that’s not even getting to all the space you left near the fletching…”

“Oh come on Quila.” Now it was Seph’s turn to roll her eyes. “Not even Battlemaster Arilex can weave as many runes together as you. I didn’t leave space, you’re just a genius. Dummy.” She took the arrow back and used it to flick her friend on the head.

The blonde blushed, twiddling her fingers together. “It’s not that impressive. It’s easy if you just look…”

“Sure.” The archer giggled to herself, sliding the enchanted shot back into her quiver. “Anyway, if you want roasted apples, then I think we can…”

Her voice trailed off. Aquila looked at her in confused askance. The archer had frozen in place, head tilted, one of her pointed ears raised to the breeze.

“Did you hear that?” She finally asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. The mage could only shake her head. The other elf had always had sharper ears than she did. “Weird, I- No, there it is again.”

There was something, actually. A soft sound on the verge of Aquila’s hearing. Was that… Someone talking? Huh, they hadn’t seen anyone else out here in the woods today.

Seph’s hearing was sharper still. “Is someone using the west teahouse?” she asked, turning to peer in that direction.

That would be odd. The teahouse wasn’t used much during this season. The view of the lake through the south windows was perfect during the winter, but during spring it tended to get overgrown until the groundskeepers got around to properly tending to the trees in this part of the forest. The place was usually locked up until summer. Who could even access it right now?

The two elves shared a glance, and then began to creep through the forest, curiously leaning around the trees and tiptoeing through the leaves. This was natural territory for them, of course – elves had been moving silently through forests for eons upon eons. Aquila still felt embarrassed about how much better than her Sephine was, though.

Still, they made their way through the grounds without issue, soon enough they had their target in sight. Was the sneaking really necessary? No, of course not – but even in the heart of the highest academia in the land, gossip was the lifeblood of society, and anyone who was skulking around out here had to be up to something juicy.

The teahouse was a small building, an old stone construction with a green tiled roof. The windows were covered by wooden shutters to keep the grime of the season away from them, but the doors stood open, instead of locked up as expected. And from this close, the pair could definitely hear voices from inside. At this distance they could easily make out the entire conversation.

“…ort any sign that someone’s noticed any suspicious behaviour in the academy – without you doing anything to make yourself look suspicious while you do so, of course.”

“Understood, Mistress.”

Aquila and Sephine blinked, exchanging confused looks as they pressed their backs against the thick trees they were hiding behind. Suspicious behaviour? Mistresses? Huh. They’d definitely found some weird gossip this time.

“Good. I’m also going to need a few new subjects – I have a new frequency I want to test, and obviously that’s going to require fresh ears. Two or three would be nice, but I’ll need at least one, bare minimum. Can you arrange that?”

“Yes Mistress. I can invite Candace Brightman and Leiria Icebranch to a private lunch tomorrow. You would be able to collect them then.”

The pair’s confused expressions slowly hardened into confused frowns. Seph leaned over to her friend, whispering. “Isn’t that Jayella’s voice?” Jayella Goodfurrow was a fifth year student at the academy, and a popular one at that. She was a talented mage, and was well known for her warm and helpful attitude.

Which was why Aquila hesitated to answer the question. The voice sounded like Jayella – but also it didn’t? There was none of the woman’s warmth in her tone. No emotions at all, in fact. Her voice was dull, almost monotone. It felt completely wrong even thinking about those words coming out of Jayella’s mouth!

The conversation continued before she could decide. “Wonderful! Ah, you’ll make a lovely addition to my collection, my dear. I’m so glad you reacted so well to the tone. Some of your predecessors struggled a bit, but you went down so smoothly…”

There was another worried glance between the two eavesdroppers.

“Ah, but I’ve taken up enough of your time. Don’t want anyone wondering where you’ve gone. Alright, girl, get back to your normal routine. Send word to me when you’ve made arrangements for tomorrow, and I’ll take it from there.”

“As you command, Mistress.”

The pair ducked back, desperately trying not to be seen as two figures stepped out of the teahouse, walking away from the site of their strange rendezvous. And there was no question about the woman in the lead. That was Jayella. The red headed elf was unmistakable, even as she marched so stiffly down the forest path, her black uniform skirt trailing through the leaves. And behind her…

“Wait,” Aquila whispered, peering out from behind the tree carefully. “Isn’t that Miss Oceane?”

It certainly looked like her. A tall woman with long, aqua blue hair, Miss Oceane was a strange presence in the Academy. For one, she was human. Yes, an actual human – the first to walk the Academy’s grand halls in centuries, if not millennia.

She was a magic tutor, one that came highly recommended. Though, to be honest – and Aquila really tried to be kind about this, she didn’t want to think of herself as prejudiced against someone because of her race – but yes, being honest, she didn’t seem to be that impressive as a spell caster. She wasn’t bad, sure, but… Well, she had yet to prove herself the kind of prodigy that got a human invited to the Grand Academy, if Aquila could put it that way. Not- Not that she’d ever actually put it that way out loud!

So why was she out here, meeting with Jayella? Was this supposed to be some kind of private tutoring session? But if so, why was Jayella acting so strangely…?

The blonde tried not to gasp as the human paused on the path, ducking back behind her tree as the woman looked around. Had she noticed them? The pair remained stock still as they waited, and didn’t even resume breathing until they heard her starting to walk away again.

“What was that about?” Sephine was the first to speak up, once she was absolutely sure the woman was out of earshot – elven earshot, at that.

“I don’t know!” Aquila shook her head, hands wringing nervously. “I- I don’t think we were supposed to hear any of that.”

“Well no duh.” The archer gave her a look. “That was why we were eavesdropping. But I wasn’t expecting… That stuff. What were they talking about? Frequencies? Collections?”

The blonde had no answers to give. “Maybe… Maybe we should just forget we saw anything…”

“What? No.” Seph shook her head. “Are you kidding? This could be interesting! We should investigate. It’s a mystery – maybe even an adventure!”

“It’s trouble, is what it is.” Aquila folded her arms, pouting. “I should go back to studying in the dorm…”

“Oh, don’t be like that. This is how legends get started!” The black-haired elf grinned, sliding an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Don’t you want to be a hero?”

“No.”

“Well tough.” The archer stuck out her tongue. “We’re doing it.”

Oh dear. There was no arguing with Seph when she got like this. The mage had to put all of her hopes into logic instead. “What’s ‘it’? Are you just going to go up to Miss Oceane and ask her what she’s doing? I don’t think that’s going to work.”

But unfortunately, the archer’s smile just got wider. “Of course not,” she said. “We’re going to spy on Jayella’s ‘private lunch’ tomorrow, silly~”

“… Oh.”

Stupid logic.

-

The Grand Academy was an ancient, magical building, and like any building of its kind, it held a lot of secrets – more secrets than any one person could ever know. Students made a habit of learning about their fair share of hidden passageways and secret rooms during their education, so much so that it was fair to say that everyone who walked these halls had their own version of the school, each differing in form and structure little by little.

Which was why, as a gossiping Jayella, Candace, and Leiria walked down the main hall on the third hall together, the eyes of the portrait of the first headmistress, and, beside her, the eyes of the hero of Ferring moved to follow them.

“I had no idea this path was here,” Aquilla muttered, trying not to squint too hard as she spied on her schoolmates.

“Shhhh.” Sephine nudged her. “I can’t hear what they’re talking about. But I know, right? It’s so easy to spy on people in here.”

The room they’d occupied – after a twisting journey through several secret passages that Seph had led them through – was a narrow passage that ran along the side of the hall, with numerous hidden spots available to allow enterprising students to watch goings on unseen. It was actually kind of worrying how many of those this campus had…

“I mean, all three of them look perfectly normal to me,” the blonde mage muttered as she watched the trio go past. “Maybe we were worried over nothing.”

“Mm. Jayella’s back to her ordinary self, too,” Seph nodded, eyes still pressed to her spy-hole. “At least, it looks like she is. But… I dunno. We should keep an eye on them. Just to make sure.”

Aquila sighed, but knew her friend wasn’t going to give up on this, and that leaving her without someone to keep her from doing something stupid was out of the question. So instead, she just scooted along the hole to the next portrait. “Um. It looks like they’re going to have lunch in the Emerald suite.” She looked around. “I don’t think we can watch them in there from here…”

The archer frowned. “No. Not from here. But I know a way, as long as you don’t mind some climbing…”

“What if I do mind some climbing?”

“Then I guess you don’t get to find out how this ends!” Seph grinned, pressing her hand against a seemingly random stone tile in the wall. Naturally, another secret passage opened up next to her. One that led to a ladder.

The blonde didn’t think she actually minded climbing until she found out that this route meant that they had to ascend all the way up into the top of the north tower, and then come back down the other side. Then her opinion of the whole exercise took a tumble – not that Sephine paused for long enough to let her make it known. By the time they finally made it to the secret entrance into the Emerald suite, Aquila was gasping for breath and glaring green-eyed death at her friend.

“Yes Mistress.”

But even her anger had to stall as three voices rang out in perfect unison, echoing through the secret passage as the door to the Emerald suite opened. Shocked, the two elves glanced at each other, before silently peering through the door.

Sephine’s route had taken them into the rafters of the Emerald suite – one of the old rooms without an assigned use that was usually left empty, or filled with storage crates. Right now, though, it was being used for something that both women were sure wasn’t on any official curriculum.

Jayella, Candace, and Leiria were no longer gossiping. The smiles on their faces had disappeared. As had all of their clothing. The three were now standing in the centre of the room, their hands at their sides, blankly staring at the far wall. And behind them, lovingly wrapping her arms around Candace’s naked body, was the unmistakable form of Miss Oceane.

“Mmm. Oh, this is wonderful work, D14. These two are fine additions to my collection.” The human giggled, giving the green haired Candace a pinch to her nipples, before sliding across to the naked Leiria at her side and draping herself over her instead. Neither woman responded to her touch, even as Oceane began nibbling on the blunette’s ear.

“It is my duty to serve, Mistress.” There was Jayella again, the redhead’s voice utterly devoid of emotion. And now that the two spies could see her, they could see that her face was just as blank as her words.

“Quite right.” Oceane giggled, still stroking Leiria’s well-toned body up and down. “It’s the same for all three of you, in fact.”

“Understood, Mistress.” Again, that mindless chorus. It sent a stab of terror through Aquila’s heart.

“Good. Mmm…” The human mage slid around in front of Leiria, cupping her chin and raising her face to look her in the eye. “From now on, you are D25. You may still answer to your old name for the purposes of pretending you aren’t a mindless drone when needed, but aside from that it has absolutely no meaning to you anymore~”

“Understood, Mistress.” The blunette nodded. “I am D25.”

Oceane smirked, stroking the elf’s cheek with her thumb, before moving over to Candace. “And likewise, you are D26. All the instructions I gave to 25 about her old life apply to you just the same. Understand?”

The green haired head bobbed up and down. “Understood, Mistress. I am D26.”

“Delightful!” The human clapped her hands excitedly, stepping back. “Oooh, I want to enjoy you right away – but that can wait. I don’t want anyone stumbling in on us at a bad moment. D14, open the passage to my lab, please. We can make more private arrangements there.”

“Yes Mistress.” Jayella nodded, and then walked forward, her steps even and stiff. Barely turning her head, she stepped up to a nearby wall and pressed her fingers against a hidden crevice. There was a click, and then an empty bookcase slid aside, revealing yet another dark passage.

“Follow me, drones.” Oceane beckoned the elves as she strutted off into the darkness. “Much more fun awaits.”

None of the three naked women seemed to think much of that. They didn’t seem to think much at all. They just marched after her, with blank, even, stiff steps. Once they’d gone, the bookcase slid back into place with a click. All was silent.

Up in the rafters, the two eavesdroppers stared at each other, wide eyed. Aquila could see that her friend was just as terrified as she was. All sense of excitement and adventure was completely gone from her face. Instead, she said the first thing the mage had agreed with all day.

“We need to tell someone about this.”

-

That said, who they were going to tell was a more open question. Suddenly it didn’t feel like there was anyone they could trust. Both elves had seen Jayella switch from being a drone to her normal self and back. Knowing that, it seemed like anyone could be under Miss Oceane’s spell.

In the end, they’d agreed to take it right to the top.

“Lady Brooktwist?” The two found Sephine’s favourite teacher at the archery range, testing out some of the more advanced courses. “Can we speak to you in private?”

Lady Elaine Brooktwist was a legend in the flesh, and quite possibly the greatest arcane archer in history. Entire hordes under the control of the dragon star had come to fear the sight of this single red headed elf in her signature golden helm standing between them and their goals. Tales of her heroism claimed she could fell entire armies with a single shot, or clip the wings off of a fly from the other side of a continent. And that was before she joined Helandor’s party, and her amazing feats truly began.

She was, naturally, Sephine’s hero, and even Aquila, who hated any kind of physical activity, had to respect her. It helped that she was one of the gentler teachers at the Academy, always ready with a reassuring word or a comforting shoulder if needed – so long as you didn’t slack off in class.

“Miss Moonglow? And Miss Oakblood. Of course.” The elder elf nodded easily, sliding her bow away. “I must say, I can’t think of anything that both of you would want to discuss with me, though. You don’t take the same classes, do you?”

“Ah, no, we don’t,” Sephine shook her head – Aquila, naturally, too nervous to speak. “But this isn’t about academics.”

“Alright…” The teacher/heroine seemed to sense the tension in them, and guided the two off to a private office, taking a seat across from them. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

And they did. Taking turns to talk, mostly the archer, with the mage popping in to add any observations she’d made, informed the older woman of everything they’d seen over the past two days – from their accidental discovery at the teahouse, to their deliberate snooping in the Emerald suite.

Aquila wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe for the teacher to laugh at them, for her to somehow explain everything as a harmless event that they’d misunderstood? Or maybe for her to get angry at them for spying on another teacher, to tell them off and deny their story. But it wasn’t anything like that. The redhead listened to every word they said, clearly taking it all in.

She’d never seen Lady Brooktwist look so serious. It was actually kind of scary.

It was only when they finished that she finally spoke. And when she did, her words were a relief. “Of course I believe you,” she said, nodding. “I can tell you saw something, and I admit, I’ve never been entirely certain about Miss Oceane. But…”

“Eh?” Sephine blanched. “But? What but? No but!”

“But,” the teacher pressed, continuing on, “even I can’t have her grabbed by the guards based on the word of two students. Especially if we’re not sure what I’m accusing her of.”

The two students looked at each other, shoulders slumping. “So…” Seph looked back to her teacher. “We just do nothing, then? As she brainwashes our friends? That can’t…”

Lady Brooktwist cut her off with a shake of her head. “I’m not saying we do nothing. Just the opposite, in fact. I know how we can deal with this. We’re just going to need evidence. And for that… I’m going to need your help.”

Sephine’s eyes lit up. “Anything! Whatever you need! Oh, uh.” She looked to her significantly more nervous friend at her side. “I mean… Um. Is that okay?”

Aquila just rolled her eyes and nodded.

The small show got an affectionate chuckle out of the teacher. “We need evidence. Something to prove what this woman is up to. That shouldn’t be difficult to get. You know where her lab is. All you need to do is sneak in and look around. I know her type – it won’t take you long to find something.”

“You… You want us to sneak into Miss Oceane’s lair? Ourselves?” Now Aquila found the strength to speak up. Or squeak up. “On our own?!”

Sephine instantly tried to reassure her. “No no, not alone! Miss Brooktwist will be with us… R-right…?”

But the teacher shook her head. “No, I can’t. Because I’ll be making sure Miss Oceane is distracted, and not about to walk in on you.”

“Oh.” Both students blinked. Then they both jumped straight to panicking. “Wait, but, Lady Brooktwist, you can’t-!”

The redhead raised a silencing hand, grinning. “You can relax, girls. I’m five centuries too old for you to be worrying about me. This is nothing compared to what I got up to in the last great war. I will be fine. I’ll call her in for a teacher’s consultation somewhere public and well populated. You just worry about yourselves.”

Aquila was finding that last part very easy right now.

“Focus on your part of the mission. Do your best to remain unseen, and see what you can find. Obviously, physical evidence would be good, but the main concern is what’s happened to those girls. Here…” She reached into a pocket and pulled out a thin sliver of wood with a glowing white tip, inscribed with golden runes. “This wand was enchanted by Kalista, back before our party went their separate ways. I always make sure to keep a few of them on me.”

The teacher offered it, and Aquila took it with a ginger grip, awe shining in her eyes. Kalista Silvermane was one of the greatest mages in the world. To hold something that she had personally enchanted in her own hands…

“It’s a dispel wand,” Lady Brooktwist explained. “Any enchantment those girls are under – this should disrupt it. Use this on them and then get them to safety. Once they’re out, we can bring this woman down.” She took a breath, looking between the two students carefully. “I wish I could bring more people in on this, but without knowing how many people Miss Oceane has already taken control of, it’s too big a risky. So, I have to ask… Can you do this?”

The two friends shared a look, words passing between them without ever being said. The raven haired archer reached out and took her friend’s hand. The blonde mage hesitated, and then nodded softly, squeezing back.

Sephine looked up to her teacher. “We won’t let you down.”

And the proud heroine smiled. “I know you won’t, girls.”

-

When the appointed hour came, it didn’t take long to find the hidden switch that moved the bookcase in the Emerald suite. And it would have been even quicker to locate if the two students hadn’t been looking over their shoulder the entire time, every sound and distant footstep making them nervous that they were about to be discovered.

But no one came, and the pair made their way into the dark passage without issue. Sharp eyes and careful feet led them deeper into the Academy’s maze of tunnels and staircases, winding them down deeper and deeper…

… Until they found their destination.

The ‘lab’ was just as ominous as it deserved to be. The room looked like one of the old dungeons, the ones that no one had used in years, converted into a magical research space. There were runes inscribed in the floor, tables covered in open grimoires, magical lanterns crackling with excess arcanic energy – and none of it did anything to fix how drafty it got down here.

And there they were. The drones.

It was even harder to recognise them as fellow elves down here. All of the issues from before were still present – the dull expressions, the glazed eyes, the stiff movements. But the effect was amplified by how they were dressed. Each elf had been squeezed into a skin-tight latex outfit that left nothing to the imagination, every curve and divot was fully on display. Somehow it felt like they were wearing more clothing when they were naked.

Aquila saw Jayella, Candace, and Leiria in amongst them… But there was at least a dozen other women in here, all in the same condition – marching around, completing chores and tasks left for them by old instructions. Some were cleaning, some were conducting experiments… And some looked to be on guard duty, keeping watch.

Pausing at the top of the stairs, the two exchanged one last glance before they crossed the threshold. Past here, the danger couldn’t be higher, and they both knew it. Quietly, they clasped hands.

“You ready?” Sephine whispered. Aquila just nodded.

And it was good that she did, because they were out of time to prepare. The instant Sephine had spoken a single hushed word, the guard drones’ heads snapped up, eyes locking onto the pair of intruders instantly. Their senses were sharper than they looked.

The archer drew her bow instantly, ready for a fight, but her fingers shook too much to nock an arrow. She couldn’t bring herself to shoot a friend, even non-lethally. Helplessly, she looked to the mage.

And this was okay. This was the plan. Curing these poor girls had always been their best option. Swallowing, the blonde drew her new wand, clutching it tightly as the drones – as her fellow students advanced. This was it. Time to prove that she really did have the potential everyone said she did. Surely even she couldn’t screw this one up.

With a deep breath and a well-practiced flick of mana, she activated the wand.

Light flared.

… But nothing else happened. The drones continued to advance.

“Aquila?” Seph’s eyes darted between the mage and the wand, confused. “Didn’t it work?”

“I… I…!” The mage tried again, pouring even more power into the wand. Light flared again, even brighter than before. And again, nothing else happened. The drones were nearly on them.

Aquila’s heart was hammering. Why wasn’t this working?

The room lit up so bright it was like the roof had just been ripped off and revealed the surface of the sun.

But even so, the drones kept coming.

“Run!” She finally screamed, already turning to do just that, knowing that her lack of physical training meant she probably wouldn’t get far-

- But she didn’t even get that much as she ran face first into the latex clad chest of another drone, standing behind her. Strong arms closed around her, grabbed her wrists and held her firm, refusing to release her or allow her struggles to budge them even an inch.

“Aquila!” Too late, the mage realised that her friend had made exactly the wrong choice – she’d tried to save her instead of herself. The archer leaped in, trying to break the drone’s grip on her – and only ended up dogpiled for her efforts. Soon, they were both restrained in unbreakable latex grips.

They were caught.

Hanging in Jayella’s arms, Sephine could only look at her friend in terrified horror. “What happened…?” She asked, her voice weak.

“I don’t… I don’t know…” Aquila was too stunned to think, to analyse. “It… It didn’t work…”

“Of course it didn’t~” The absolute last voice either of them ever wanted to hear echoed through the chamber, clicking footsteps heralding the arrival of Miss Oceane.

But it was the other set of footsteps that announced an even worse arrival. Once that neither elf could have conceived of as possible if they didn’t see it happening before their very eyes. Even with that evidence, Aquila still didn’t believe it. Not until she heard Sephine’s voice.

“Lady… Brooktwist…?”

The redheaded heroine didn’t react to her name. Wrapped in latex, her body stood at empty attention at the human’s side, her gaze hollow and unfocused. Just like all the other drones.

Oceane grinned, leaning up against the living legend, sliding a hand around her waist possessively. “Oh yes. D1 here was my very first convert. Who do you think had the influence to get me access to this school? She was the one who arranged my meeting with the headmistress – or D8 as I call her these days.”

The implications of that statement were too horrible to imagine. The students hearts sank into the floor. This was worse than they’d feared in even their darkest nightmares.

“You…” Sephine was the one doing all the talking now. Aquila couldn’t find the strength. “What have you done to them?!?”

“Oh, you’re curious?” The aqua haired mage grinned, raising one hand with her fingers pinched. “It’s a simple spell. Here, have a listen~”

She snapped her fingers, and a ringing sound echoed through the chamber. Both elves blinked, looking around, expecting more. But nothing else happened. They looked at each other, both clearly concerned – but nope. Nothing.

“Was that it?” Sephine raised a sculpted black eyebrow as she looked back towards the human. “That was your big trick? Was it supposed to make us like them?” She nodded her head towards… Well, everyone in the lab that wasn’t her, her best friend, or her most hated enemy. “Looks like it’s run out of juice. Or maybe we’re just immune~”

But the human just smirked. “D1, why don’t you explain to your favourite student what she really is?”

“Drones do not have favourites, Mistress.”

“Oh, you know what I mean.” The mage rolled her eyes. “The one who would have been your favourite, if I hadn’t turned you into my delightful minion.”

Lady Brooktwist nodded once. “Understood, Mistress.”

Then she stepped forwards, walking towards Sephine.

The archer’s composure immediately broke, terror returning to her face. “L-Lady Brooktwist, please, you have to listen to me! What- Whatever she’s done to you, you have to fight it!” She squirmed, trying to back away from the advancing hero, but having no escape. “Please, don’t do thi-!”

Latex clad fingers pressed against her lips. Sephine looked helplessly up into her idol’s vacant gaze as the redhead leaned in.

“You are a drone.” The woman’s voice was clear, spoken directly into Seph’s ear.

The raven-haired elf blinked, wobbling a little. “I’m… wha…?”

“You do not have will.”

Confusion, thick and hazy, crossed the archer’s face. “I… don’t…?” She sounded so uncertain.

“You do not feel.”

“I… do… do not… f…” Something was happening to her. Aquila was watching in horror as the light began to vanish from Sephine’s eyes. She tried to call out to her, but another drone’s hand clamped over her mouth.

Lady Brooktwist was still going. “You do not think.”

And Seph’s confusion had melted into slow, empty headed acceptance. “I… do not… think…”

“You are not a person.”

“Not… person…” Her jaw hung slack, drool beginning to drip down her chin as she slurred through the words.

“You are Mistress Oceane’s drone.”

“Mistress… Oceane…” Tension flowed out of the archer’s body, arms drooping and hanging lax in Jayelle’s grip.

“Her words fill your head.”

Then Jayelle released her, and she didn’t move.

“Her commands guide your body.”

She just stood there, blue eyes staring into nothingness.

“You are nothing but what she allows you to be.”

She looked just like one of them.

Finally, Lady Brooktwist… D1… leaned back, standing at her full height once again. Her job, whatever it had been, was over.

Now it was Miss Oceane’s turn. The mage smirked, and gave one simple command.

“Strip.”

There was a long, heavy moment of silence. And then…

“Yes, Mistress.”

Aquila looked away, slamming her eyes shut, but with her arms held there was nothing she could do to cover her ears. She heard every ruffle of fabric, every clatter and slap, as her friend discarded her uniform. Desperately, she wished something would distract her, would block out what was happening.

Then an arm slid around her shoulders, a despised voice chuckling by her ear, and she realised that she should have picked a better wish.

“Want to know how it works?” Miss Oceane whispered to her. “It’s simple. Barely even magic. It’s the tone. Hits a lovely frequency that I can’t hear – but your deliciously sharp ears can.” The human tickled the tips of Aquila’s ears, driving the mage to shudder. “And when you hear that sound, something in your brains just turns off. Isn’t that wonderful?”

The blonde mage whimpered. “Please…”

“Anything I tell you becomes true!” The human ignored her. “It’s beyond even absolute gullibility, my words can rewrite your soul. If I told your friend there that she’d never touched a bow in her life, she’d forget everything about archery. Can you imagine?”

Archery had been Sephine’s world. Aquila looked at the raven-haired elf. Did she even know what that meant anymore?

“But that would be a waste.” Oceane carried on. Her words were almost reassuring. “I can think of so many uses for the next Elaine Brooktwist. Especially since it’ll free D1 up to spend more time in my bedchambers~”

Well. That was something. At least Seph would be doing what she loved. Sort of.

…

“And you.” Only now did Oceane look at Aquila, their eyes finally meeting. “I understand you’re something of a magical prodigy? You’ll be so much help refining the tone!”

The blonde swallowed. “I… I… I…!”

The human giggled, patting the elf on the head and ruffling her hair.

“No need to be nervous, dear.” She said, smiling. “After all – Drones don’t get nerves.”

The words struck in through Aquila’s ears and slammed into her brain. Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen.

“N-no… Please…!”

“And that’s what you are.” Oceane was still smiling, her voice holding not a single drop of mercy. “My lovely, devoted drone.”

“I…” The blonde could feel it happening. A numbness seeping into her heart, spreading out through her brain. “I don’t…”

“Now now…” The human pressed her finger against the elf’s lips. “You heard what D1 told your friend. All of that’s true of you, too.”

“Ah…” A soft gasp spilled from her as her head grew thick and heavy.

“So just let go, and be the delightful drone you always were~”

Aquila tried to fight it. She really did. She knew that the words were a lie, and what they were supposed to do. But there was nothing she could do. Every syllable, every word, every sound just dripped more mind melting poison into her brain, and more and more of her was f a d i n g a … w … a…

Aquila tried to

Aquila tri

Aquil

Aqui

Aq

A

…

The nameless drone went limp in her captor’s arms. When Mistress pulled her finger back, her jaw dropped open, drool pouring from her lips.

Just like all the others.

Mistress looked over her two nameless drones with a fond sigh, erasing the new one’s outfit with a spell and a wave of her hand. “Delicious,” she said, stepping to the side and wrapping an arm around both of them. “And beautiful. Mmn, it’s so not fair that you two are this hot when you’re so many decades older than me.”

Neither drone had anything to say to that.

“Ah, I can never resist a new drone. You two, come to the bedroom. Let’s see what skills you have there. Everyone else, get back to your regular duties! I’ll be back to check on you later.”

And, as one, the two answered, along with the rest of the drone chorus. “Yes Mistress.”

And together they marched after her – their movements stiff and uniform, like every other drone. Oceane wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yes, a new era had finally dawned, and the times certainly were changing. Now, the problems of the future were growing quickly – and they looked nothing like the problems of the past. Maybe, soon, the people of Haltrathil would wish they did? But for the moment, they could live in blissful ignorance…

… Though none of them could hope to match the blissful ignorance of Aquila and Sephine, that was for sure!