When the gods left us, the creatures across Vivelle came up with plenty of different beliefs. Some, like the Sons of the Pure, believed that the Goddesses were to blame. They thought that as women were moulded after the goddesses, all women in Vivelle should pay for the crimes of the goddesses. They wrote into their holy texts that no woman should be allowed in a position of authority. That their fathers, husbands, brothers or uncles must be their keepers. To watch over them so they could not manipulate or trick those around them as the Goddesses had. No woman could be trusted. They were impure.

Where the was an extreme on one side, there was an extreme on the other. An older religious order than the Sons of the Pure and just as dangerous. They called themselves The Daughters of the Tainted. They followed and worshipped the Goddesses. Believing that the Goddesses were the only ones who could rule us all. That the Gods and the men shaped in their image were unworthy. They worshipped the death and the darkness of the Goddesses magic. They believed that all women should be worshipped by men.

~History of Religions across Vivelle

Nianzu and I continue the same routine for a week. Travel during the day. Stop at night, gather food, make a fire, I watch first then we swap. The days pass by in one big blur as they all mould together. Nianzu and I talk often. Sometimes he asks me about my sisters and my life before the Trial. I ask him about a little about the forest but I mostly talk about Visara. He was there when she united all of Vivelle. He was by Visara's side. Seeing as I am trying the same thing, it would be silly not to question him over her tactics and decisions. Over the last few days, the terrain has stayed mostly the same. Rolling green hills with occasional woodlands. We pass a few towns and villages but it is mostly wilderness or farmland.  The weather, thankfully, has been great. Warm and sunny most of the time.

"Can we stay in a village tonight?" Nianzu asks as one appears in the distance. 

"Okay," I reply. Nianzu stops and I jump off his back. Once I am off, he transforms back into his human form. He takes the backpack from me and carries it as we walk to the village.

My shoulders have been healing nicely. We've been changing the bandages every night and cleaning. That and I've not been holding the bag on my shoulders which has really helped. They don't hurt as much any more and are now scabbed over. As we get closer to the village, I think about my blonde form. I watch in amazement as my black hair gets shorter and lightens. I look at my slightly darker skin and smile.
"Still freaks me out," I say. Nianzu looks at me and smiles. "Have my eyes changed?" I ask.

"Unfortunately," he smiles. I chuckle. He too has changed his eyes. Making them both the same brown colour. 

We reach the village, only to realise it is actually more of a large town. It is pretty busy and my guess is the end of a market day. I spot a large crowd standing around a man. I frown and lead Nianzu toward it. We push our way to the front so we can see. The man wears dirty, torn clothes. A simple muddy top and stained brown trousers which stop just below his kneecaps. There are no shoes on his feet. His clammy white skin is stained with more mud and stubble lines his ageing face.

"Even now," he says, continuing his conversation. "The young princess defies the gods. She does not understand her place in this world. I understand. She may believe it's unfair. She may believe that she has a right to sit on the throne and rule over us all. But, that just proves her naivety. The Dulavelle daughters have more of a burden than the other women in this world. They don't only have to repent for all the crimes of the goddesses, but the crimes of The Mad Queen. All women were shaped and moulded after the goddesses. The creatures who manipulated and tricked us. Who used their cruel and dark powers to bring about war and death. How can we allow that to sit on the throne again?" Nianzu takes my hand and squeezes it. I look at him and he smiles softly at me.

"We don't have to stay and listen to this?" he whispers in my ear.

"No, I need to hear it," I say, looking back at the man.

"The Sons of the Pure believe in the gods great power. It is our mission to shape this world to how they desire, ready for their return. How do you think they will react if they returned to the world they built and fought for and discover that it being lead by a creature of their enemy?" he asks. The crowd is silent, waiting for him to finish before speaking their opinions. "The only way to earn the favour of the gods is to become their pure servants. To spread their message and obey by their rules. And yes, even women can join us. We are not that cruel. Those who damn the actions of the goddesses and agree to follow our rules can also be Pure. The Princess can be forgiven for her misguided actions. But, we cannot allow her to rule us. It would be devastating! The gods would never forgive us and we will suffer her madness just as those suffered during the reign of The Mad Queen. Doesn't that scare you? Do you know what it is to be pure? It is to show your devotion only to the Gods and their way. They don't care for wealth or greed. They don't care for love and lust. They want peace for us all. Don't you all want that? Peace? Not having to worry about the safety of your children and loved ones? Knowing that when the gods return, they will look upon you all with favour and will protect you from the cruelty of the goddesses." The crowd all mumble in agreement. I feel a pang of anger and without thinking, I step forward. Nianzu tries to hold me back but I am too fast.

"Do you have something you wish to add?" the man asks, frowning. I look around the large circle of people around me. Their eyes are all locked on me as they wait to hear what I say. My heart thuds in my chest as I meet eyes with the man.

"I lived in the Capital city," I start saying, my voice sounding even despite my racing heart. "You talk about how devastating it would be to have a queen. But I have seen the slums. I have seen the families who work day in day out and can hardly afford to stay fed and warm. The King and his council leach off every single person not only in that city but in the whole of Vivelle. The taxes they take don't go back into the development of Vivelle, but into their own pockets." I look around and see confused looks on some faces. I smile. "You all work so hard. How much of the money you make is taken by the Tax collector each month?" I ask. They don't answer and I turn back to the man. "And then there is you and your religion. You say you have no care for wealth or greed. That to worship it is impure. Yet you are placing your support in a King who believes in the very thing you are claiming goes against what you are preaching. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?" I ask. He goes to answer but I interrupt. "You are holding a grudge against every woman, for the actions of a few. I have studied the religious texts of The Sons of the Pure. It is your belief that all women should be kept by their men. Be it their fathers, husbands, uncles or brothers. That women should not be allowed to marry who they want. That they should not be able to handle money or have any decisions of their own. It is written in your texts that the only job a woman should have is carrying and birthing more boys to help purify the world." I shake my head. "For what? For the manipulations of a few women thousands and thousands of years ago? Do you think that the Dulavelle daughters should continue to be punished because of the act of one single queen? What about all the Queen's before her. The ones who kept the peace. Who ruled fairly. What about Visara herself? The very one who united us all." I stop and look around again. All eyes are focused on me, engrossed in what I am saying. The Son of the Pure glares at me and goes to speak again. But I am not finished. "You talk about how women can't rule because we will bring about another war. Yet in the past hundreds of years, only males have ruled. Tensions are higher between the races than ever. Centaur slaves work in the mines. The Sirens and Mer have mostly disappeared or are Fae slaves. The Lupine are pillaging villages across Vivelle in a desperate attempt to get more food. You call that ruling with peace?" The crowd begin to murmur in agreement. "Do you really believe in what he is saying?" I ask. "Do you really think that your daughters, wives, sisters and aunts should be treated that way? What would it even be for? The crimes of the goddesses which are only recorded in the Sons of the Pure's religious texts and a few history books? No one really knows what happened all those thousands of years ago. So why punish those alive today when there is not even proof of a crime?" I ask. I receive a few cheers and claps. My eyes fall back to the man who is glaring at me. I smile. "Now, don't take my words out of context. I do not believe that all Kings are cruel and greedy, just as not all Queens mad. In fact, I think the only thing that is mad, is the fact that still to this day, a whole gender is being discriminated against for the act of one person!" I shout. Those listening frown as they take in what I say, though I see some smiles and nods in agreement.

"Don't listen to her lies!" he shouts. "She is a Daughter of the Tainted! She wants us all to submit to death and war!" he spits as he shouts the words. I laugh.

"I am not a Daughter of the Tainted," I chuckle. "I just want Vivelle to be a land of equal opportunities. To be a land of peace and hope," I tell him. He shakes his head.

"When the gods return, they shall devour you," he spits at my feet before disappearing into the crowd. I chuckle and walk back over to Nianzu.

"Nice speech," he chuckles. I smile.

"Thank you," I reply. "Now, shall we go and find somewhere to stay for the night?" I ask. He nods his head.

The crowd disburses and gets back on with what they were doing. We find an Inn and sort out a room. I soak in the tub. Unlike at the other Inn, this one has a shared bathing room with all the other rooms. The water is pleasantly warm and the soaps are nice too. It takes a little time to scrub the layers of mud off my skin and out of my hair. There is a knock on the door and Nianzu's voice sounds.

"Hurry up, I need to bathe too!" he tells me. I sigh and get out of the tub. I quickly dress in some new clothes and leave the room. I sit in the room for about twenty minutes whilst Nianzu washes. Once he is back, we go and get food before returning back to our room. I am exhausted and the comfortable warm bed is nice.

"Okay," I say. "I'll take first watch," I tell him. He stops arguing with me now. Instead, he yawns and wraps himself in the blankets. He is asleep pretty quick.

Not sure what to do with myself, I stand up and get my sword. My shoulders don't hurt as much anymore as I lift it. Standing in an empty space in the room, I practice some drills. I do this for an hour or so before stopping suddenly when I hear a sound at the door. Still holding my weapon, I walk over to it slowly. My feet press lightly against the wooden floor not making a sound. All those years sneaking around the castle has made me good at sneaking around without being heard. I open the door very slightly, looking through the small gap. The corridor is dark and heavily shadowed. There are a few small candles in the hall, but they don't provide much light. A light whispering fills the silence.

"She's in room eight," I hear a male voice say. I gulp, my heart launching into my chest. They've found me. I don't know how, but they have. Perhaps it was my speech today. I clutch my sword tighter. I will not be taken back to the castle to continue the Queen's Trial.

"Are you sure?" a voice asks.

"Yes," I don't see them yet, but their whispering gets louder. "Let's get her and make an example of her." I recognise the voice. It's the man preaching for the Sons of the Pure. I feel relief.

"What do you plan on doing with her?" Another voice asks.

"Grab her and her husband. Beat them, then burn them for this whole town to see. People must learn what happens when you go against the gods. They must know the punishment for impurity." I see a shadow on the wall and close the door quickly but silently, locking the door after me. I then rush to the bed and shake Nianzu awake. He groans.

"Is it my shift already?" he asks as he yawns.

"We are about to have company," I say. He sits up and readies to shift. I drag him back down so he's lying on the bed. I then crawl in the bed next to him.

"Don't shift," I whisper in his ear. "It's just the Sons of the Pure," I say. He scoffs.

"They can be dangerous. They were around when Visara was taking over. The military side is very skilled and completely ruthless," he tells me.

"If you shift and one gets away..." I warn. He sighs.

"Fine," he sighs. "I can fight with my hands anyway," he grumbles.

"I will to. We want to leave as little trace of blood as possible," I tell him. "We'll take them by surprise. I heard three voices but there could be more," I whisper. He nods, getting the idea and pulling me into him. We pull the covers over us as I lie into his body, keeping the sword hidden. I don't want to use it, but I want it near me just in case.

We stay silent as we hear creaking outside our door. The sound of the lock in the door being fiddled with fills the tense silence. I look at Nianzu. Though it is dark, I can see the shimmering of his eyes. The door creaks open slowly. My breathing is loud in my ears as my heart starts to flutter. Nianzu squeezes my hand beneath the sheets and gives me an encouraging nod. I nod back and close my eyes. The sound of footsteps against the wooden floor is quiet, but they gradually get louder as they get further into the room. When they stop, I can feel the air change around me. I can feel them as they surround the bed and hover over us. I can even hear their soft breathing.

"A woman shall not..." Before he can finish, Nianzu and I jump out of bed. They jump back surprised. I slam my foot into the closest one to me. He stumbles back against the wall with a large thump. I duck under a sword as the next one attacks me. As I drop to the ground, I twist my legs around, taking his out. He lands on his back, his head slamming into the ground. Before I can finish him off, the first one is back on me. His fist slams into my face so hard I can taste blood in my mouth. I let out a pained grunt, but don't let it stop me. Instinct has taken over. He goes to send another punch, but I am to fast. My palm smacks into his throat. He grabs his neck as he collapses to the floor struggling to breathe. I let out a shout as something takes out my legs. I fall to the ground, landing on my back. The one I knocked down earlier now grabs at me. I spin over, my fist slamming into his face. His nose seems to explode and he lets out a shout. I quickly straddle him. He tries to push me off but I slam my fist into his face again and again. When he is more drowsy, I wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze with all my strength. He scratches at my hands and gasps for breath. He struggles wildly beneath me but I don't stop until he has stopped moving. I look up to see what state Nianzu is in. My eyes widen as a figure jumps toward me. Nianzo catches him and in a fast blur of a movement, snaps his neck. The body crumples to the ground. Taking fast, deep breaths, I lean against the wall. Nianzu comes and sits next to me. I lean into his shoulder and allow myself to calm down.

"What now?" I ask.

"I'll dispose of the bodies," he says. I nod my head.

"We have to make sure no one finds out about this," I say, my voice shaking. "If anyone does, it will be used against me. The Sons of the Pure have a lot of followers." He nods his head.

"You clean up and blood that got spilt," he says. "You might want to wash your face too," he tells me. I lift my fingers to my face, feeling the blood around my mouth.

"Yeah," I sigh. "Now, how are you going to deal with the bodies?" I ask.

He sighs and stands up. There are five in total.

"Help me take them to the roof," he says. I stand up too. He goes to the first body and lifts it over his shoulder. I find a smaller one and do the same. He looks at me with raised eyebrows, clearly impressed.

"Not your first time having to deal with a body?" he asks. I don't reply. We walk out into the dark corridors, careful not to make a sound. At the end of the corridor is a door. It is unlocked. Behind it, stairs lead up to another door which opens out onto a large flat roof. It is the early hours of the morning. There are heavy clouds in the sky and the town is asleep. All torches and candlelight outside of the houses are long extinguished. It is almost pitch black. Nianzu transforms his eyes into those of an animal that can see in the dark. I can only just make out his figure and follow what he is doing. Once the two bodies are laid flat on the roof, we go and get the other three. This time, Nianzu lifts two. The one I grab is a little heavier than the last. Carrying him on my shoulder hurts a lot, but I manage it. I drop him down on the floor with a heavy pant.

"I'm going to shift into my dragon form," Nianzo tells me. "You'll have to help put them on my back," he says.

"Okay," I reply. My eyes adjust a little more, making it slightly easier to see the black dragon after he transforms. He is very large and I worry that his weight will crack the roof. His long neck reaches around and picks one up off the floor and places him on his back. I lift another and sling it on his body. In less than a minute, they are all loaded onto him.

"Don't worry, no one will find the bodies," he tells me. I nod my head.

"I'll go and clean up," I say. The dragon nods and spreads its wings, taking off into the sky. He does it a lot more delicately than he did with me. Obviously not wanting the bodies to slip off. In only a few seconds, his black body has disappeared into the night. I look around, looking to see if anyone has noticed. There is no one I can see. With a sigh, I head back to our room. Once I arrive, I light some candles so I can see better. Thankfully, no furniture is broken. Though bits did fall over. I pick it back up. There are a few dots of blood splatter here and there though. In the room is a washbasin, thankfully. I grab a cloth and run the water. I then reach for one of my potions. It will help dissolve the blood nicely. I clear up all the blood I can see. Even the splatters on the sheets. I search the room thoroughly. There wasn't much blood. Once I am satisfied, I work on clearing up myself. There is dried blood around my mouth. I can still taste it. With a fresh cloth, I scrub it away. I then sip some water and wash it around my mouth to get rid of the taste. I look in the mirror above the washbasin. A bruise is starting to form around my eye and I sigh in annoyance. Now that I've calmed down, I begin to feel an ache in my head. With a heavy sigh, I lie down in the bed.

Nianzu returns after half an hour.

"They are dealt with. Trust me, no one will find their bodies," he tells me. I nod my head.

"Good," I say as he lies down next to me. He lets out a long sigh.

"I can defiantly see now how you survived your combat trial. You're pretty ruthless," he says.

"I need to be," I reply. He nods his head.

"You're going to have a nice bruise," he says. I nod.

"Yep," I whisper, struggling to keep my eyes open. Seeing my tiredness, Nianzu shifts away from me before standing up.

"Go on, get some sleep. I'll keep watch and wake you in the morning."

"Thank you," I say, wrapping the covers around me and falling asleep straight away.

I wake to light streaming in through the window. Nianzu is sat at the end of the bed.

"Hurry up, I'm hungry," he tells me. I roll my eyes and go to the mirror to inspect my face. There is a nice purple lump on the side of it. Great. With a sigh, I go to my bags and sort everything out. We pack fairly quick and leave the room, wanting to get back on the road. As we return the key, the owner gives me a funny look.

"Are you alright miss, I heard thumping coming from your room last night," she says, her eyes darting toward Nianzu. I smile.

"I'm fine," I tell him. I lean closer to her. "We're still in the early marriage stage," I say with a wink. She lets out a chuckle and shakes her head, walking away.

"Enjoy the rest of your trip!" she shouts back with a wink of her own. Nianzu takes my hand and we leave the Inn.

"Let's avoid civilisation for a while," he tells me as we leave the village. I nod my head.

"Good idea," I reply. He transforms back into his horse form and we get on with our journey.