Broken Mage: TotWP 8

"We should be there in a few days." Naudia spoke as they continued on their path toward the capitol.
"Not to be rude but, what are we gonna do once we get there? It's an entire empire we're going after this time." Zara asked
"Don't worry about that. My strength now will be able to deal enough damage by surprise that I'm sure we won't have much trouble against the rest."
Luz smiled, "I like seeing you like this. It reminds me of when we worked together. You were always so strong and confident."
"There's nothing keeping us back, not when we're this close."
"And not when you've got some help on your side." a man spoke stepping up behind them, "And you've got a few familiar faces with you."
Naudia and the others turned around to face the man. Naudia and Luz both spoke at the same time, "General Kio!"
"Good to see you again Naudia, and you too of course Luz."
"What are you doing here?" Luz inquired
"I'm here to provide you with a shortcut and assistance. The empire has changed lately. Shin has been working his own agenda into the empire's goals and taking more control, not that the empire would believe it or take notice. When I heard rumors that you were coming up this way to defeat the empire, I knew I had to come find you."
"Will you join us and fight on our side?" Naudia asked
The general nodded his head, "Of course. Now come this way." He led the party down a series of tunnels.
"Aren't we being a bit too trusting here?" Aiden asked.
"You're weary boy, that's good."
"Boy?" Aiden twitched slightly.
"Don't worry, son. This is a set of tunnels nobody from the empire knows about. This path saves you from all of the delays on the surface. We should be there by sundown if we keep this pace up."
Aiden clinched onto his weapon in order to keep himself from attacking the general. He finally calmed himself enough to ask, "Won't they know you're helping us?"
The general nodded, "Probably. But it doesn't matter now. With the way the empire is now, it's nothing I want to be around anymore."
"General Kio was the reason we were able to do alot of the things that we did within the empire." Naudia added in.
"You always seem to drag partners in crime with you wherever you go, don't you? You sure you didn't put a spell on all of us?" Aiden asked
Naudia simply glared at Aiden, since she was too far to smack him. She looked back to the general, "Is it really that bad in the empire now?"
"Worse than you probably could imagine. They're all blind to what's really going on. Shin's been hiding it well, but he's definitely planning something. Him and that girl of his."
Naudia froze in her tracks, "G-Girl?" Her heart felt like it sank into the pit of her stomach.
"I'm sorry I thought you knew. He's with a woman named Trina now. Though I'm not sure he really cares about her, she seems to be just another of his pawns to use in his game if you ask me."
"She wouldn't happen to be Trina Sharvock?"
"How did you know that? She was hired after you left."
"So that's his new girl. I see." Naudia spoke, heading off ahead of the others, speaking not a word as she seemed to be lost in thought.
The general watched her moving ahead, "I'm sorry. I didn't know it would affect her like this."
Vionna shook her head slowly, "It's not your fault."
"She's right." Luz added in. "I don't think any of us really know what's going on in her mind, let alone how the whole breakup is really affecting her. Not even I can say that I know that."
Aiden walked ahead, stopping beside Naudia as she stood looking out into the landscape in the small break between the series of tunnels. "So what's the problem, princess?"
"I just..." she shook her head slowly as she closed her eyes. She stopped herself from opening up, instead turning the attention back to the situation at hand. "That name. When we went to Sycro Palace, I looked up some of their newest recruits. I've heard rumors about so-called Treasure Summoners. Only, they're no rumor at all. They're real. I recall that named listed as one of them."
"Sorry to sound dumb, but what exactly is a Treasure Summoner?"
By now, the others had started to gather around Naudia.
"I asked Katarina more about them. They're faux summoners. They have guardians, just like us but according to her their power isn't anywhere near as strong as ours."
"Why create them in the first place then if their power is less than yours?" Zara inquired.
"Because, that power is more than enough to take care of the humans and make them surrender to do whatever they wanted. And since they're trying to eliminate all the master summoners, there's nobody that can really stand up against them. Get rid of the master summoners and the faux summoners are now the strongest and have all the power. Understand?"
Luz frowned, "That's terrible. Can't we do anything?"
"That's what I'm here for. Don't worry, I won't let them get away with anything. They're trying to slip into the master summoner ranks, once the master summoners are killed. Please, like any of us would think they're new master summoners."
"You really think you can beat the empire, don't you?" the general interrupted.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be able to?"
"With your power having been lost, it's a longshot at best."
"I've gotten some new powers now. And I've got these people with me to help me out."
"If you say so. It's a longshot, but I want to help nonetheless. If I die, I want to die knowing that I tried to stop what they were doing."

As he continued to talk and express his concern, she could hear his voice being drowned out. Everyone's voices seemed to soften until Naudia couldn't hear them at all. Even the surroundings blacked out. She thought she was going to pass out, but she felt fine. She didn't understand what was going on.

"Giving up this easily? Giving into your thoughts and your feeble heart?" an older male voice spoke.
"That voice. I'd know it anywhere. Grandier. You finally decided to show your ugly mug?"
"Why do you always insist on calling me b--"
"Who cares?" Naudia interrupted. "What is it that you want? Must be something important for you to show yourself."
"Why are you giving into these negative thoughts? Why are you stuck on the thought of your ex-husband and his new woman? Why does any of this matter to you?"
"And why shouldn't it matter? I loved him and..."
"And now he's moved on with someone new, which is what you should do."
"But I..."
"Enough! You are Naudia Artisban. You are a master summoner. That power still lies within you, if only you'd allow it to be awoken."
"I can't do it. I don't know how!"
"You were never this helpless before and you never should be. Put those feelings aside, Naudia. Concentrate on the path you have ahead of you. You'll never get anywhere if all you do is look backward and try to go backward. Move forward, with your eyes looking straight onto your path, less you cause yourself to fall into any unnecessary obstacles."
"Don't you think I already know that? Gheez, why don't you just go away already? You're always telling me what to do and how to do it. This is my own path, my own life."
"Good. Use some of that anger, use it against your goal."
"Use it against my goal? But you're the one always telling me not to--"

Naudia blinked, looking around. Everything returned back to what it once was. She could hear and see everything and everyone perfectly. She looked left, right, even turned around trying to spot him again.

"What are you looking for?" Vionna asked.
"Where did he go?!" Naudia shouted
"Who?" Aiden replied. "We're all here. Nobody went anywhere. We've all been here the whole time."
"Well he wen.." Naudia stopped herself from completing her thought. Instead she shook her head a bit, "Nevermind it. Let's just keep going. It won't do us any good to sit here and wonder if we can do it or not. Truth is, none of us are really gonna know if we can or if we can't until we actually get there and try. But it doesn't help to be so pessimistic. If you think you're gonna fail, you probably will because you're setting yourself up to do it. And if you need better reason, we're gonna win because I say we are. If you have a problem with that, I'll kick your ass and drag you along with me. You all wanted to come, so we're all going, one way or another."

Naudia nodded, more determination than she's had in the longest time, walking off ahead of the others in a bit of a hurried walking pace, continuing along the rather straightforward tunnel system.

"What got into her?" Aiden wondered.
Luz shook her head, "I really don't know. She was fine just a minute ago."

Meanwhile back at the capitol, Shin was grumbling as he paced back and forth in a room.

"I can't believe our plan failed." Shin complained
"It's okay honey. We'll think of something else. It'll be great." She coiled her arms around one of his, "Trust me, we'll still--"
He pulled his arm from her grasp, "We'll never get anywhere if our plans keep failing! Don't you understand?"
"Shin." a man spoke from the doorway
"Yes what is it?"
The man walked in, handing him a file. "They found this in some of the rubble at Sycro Palace when they were beginning the cleanup."
Shin grabbed onto the folder, opening it up, looking over its contents as the man left.
"What is it Shin?" Trina asked worriedly.
Shin gripped tightly onto the folder, crumbling the contents slightly before flinging it across the room, "The phoenix is coming..." he said softly.
"What?"
"The phoenix is coming." He said louder, loud enough for her to hear.
"What does that mean?" She blinked, watching as Shin hurriedly walked out of the room. "Shin?"

In the corner of the room where the paper was flung, there was a note which had Shin's exact words on it, a stamp of a white pheonix which was stamped just below the words. There was no signature on it, no other identifying marks. No other words written on the letter. But Shin knew exactly who the letter was from and what exactly it meant. Naudia was coming. With the promise of bringing her white phoenix. Shin knew that if she was serious and could deliver, that that would mean trouble for the empire and that the empire wouldn't be able to withstand an attack from the white phoenix.