2407 Iclis 31, Jyda

The increased volume of footsteps nearing her cell was what awakened Canelis this time. Her eyes snapped open to reveal at least five renegades rushing down the corridor. Faces blurred in and out of her recognition. She had never seen these people before but judging from their pointed ears, equally dark shades of hair no matter the color, and their wiry but tall frames, they were most likely to be pixies too.

She didn't stir from her position as she watched the new horde stop in front of the metal barrier dividing her and her freedom. If they let her out of this cell, she wouldn't hesitate to hurt them. Letting her out would be their biggest mistake. Then again, she kind of missed having no one visit her but the opinionated boy who delivered her food. That said, she's conditioned now to be hungry whenever people showed up.

"Get up and don't try anything funny," a woman in her early hundreds said. It didn't matter why Canelis was able to tell fairies by the ages. Most of the troopers in her platoon called it a talent but whatever. "The Elders want to see you."

Canelis snorted. She couldn't help it. Elders? What were they, some kind of a substitute government? For people who thought they broke free from tradition, they sure dived face-first back into it.

The woman's dark brown eyes flashed in irritation. Canelis didn't need to bet her versallis that this woman hated her just by her presence and what she was born as. Well, Canelis could hate her too with no strings attached.

"Well? What do want me to do? Kneel while you tie me up?" Canelis cocked her head to the side and smirked. She could rile people up when she did that. "Be my guest. I'm not going anywhere."

The woman didn't look impressed. She twisted her upper body to fetch a key ring bolted to the belt by her hips. Judging from the rust staining the ring and the keys themselves, it would be a miracle if those didn't break upon contact with as much as a stray breeze. Still, the woman bent down and, after a few clicks and jangles, the lock that's been getting in Canelis's way for gods-knew how long popped free.

Canelis steeled her muscles which had already gone dormant while she languished in this cell. Whatever. She'd do whatever's necessary to regain her strength once she cleared this place. The woman didn't take her eyes off Canelis as she nodded at the other three renegades behind her. They nodded right back and proceeded to enter the cell with cautious steps.

Canelis watched their movements but didn't bother shifting from her sitting position. Let them think she has resigned her fate or something just as bland. Two of the three fairies that went inside were men. The other was a woman who looked like she ate water for lunch. That girl would be crushed if she ever was in the Army. Perhaps, that's the reason why she's a renegade.

The men edged near Canelis and before they could wrap their beefy fingers around her biceps, she lunged. Before they knew what was going on, Canelis had already slammed her fist into their stomachs, planted a kick down one man's thigh, and proceeded to slam the other's head against the grates. A resounding clang and a distinct snap had never sounded nice in Canelis's ears. She whirled to look for the smaller woman when her back flared with pain. She was thrown forward but there was nothing but air behind her. What—

Something whizzed past her and a heavy fist slammed in her cheeks. She stumbled backward as her eyes struggled to make sense of what was happening. Invisibility? More like...

Light coating.

The damned witch had wrapped the available light around her form so that she blended right into landscape. Ingenious? Yes. Annoying? Also yes.

Canelis made it a point to watch for any strange flickers in the air and spots on the wall looking like something had been embossed on them. Those were the usual signs of light coating. It looked like there were no trickery undestined to be found out.

The hidden woman attacked again, but this time, Canelis was ready. She sidestepped, causing the renegade to surge forward. Canelis's reached out, and as expected, her fingers wrapped around a thin arm. Got her. With a cry, Canelis flung the renegade out of her coating and the grates made another loud clang when the renegade slammed into it. That's two.

Canelis strode towards the other man she punched in the gut and kocked him out with another kick across the face. Then, she smirked at the woman from the opposite side of the cell. "Nice boots," she said, referring to the old military slang to refer to newly drafted pixies. "Gave me a bit of a challenge."

The woman had her arms crossed. "Are you done?" she asked. There's not even fear or apprehension in her tone. Just plain annoyance. This witch. Canelis would surely beat the living daylights out of her.

She stepped out of the cell, breathing her first breaths of freedom. Anyone who thought they should and could contain her would pay. Starting from this woman. "Get out of my way," she commanded. "I need to get back to my people."

"I'm afraid we cannot allow that, Crown General," the woman answered, maintaining her flat and flowy tone, like how the Generals speak when they're dealing with social matters. "The Elders made it a point to see you."

Canelis scoffed. "They can see me when I return to Yin-Alora and bring down the sky on all you vermin," she said. "Get out of my way. Don't make me repeat it again. Don't make me hurt you."

The woman smiled and drew a sword. "I would like to see you try," she said.

Canelis lunged, hoping to disable the sword hand as fast as she could. She lashed out but something whizzed by her periphery. Having ducked at the last time, she slammed against the wall—with the corridor being as narrow as it was—and felt a cold blade pressed below her chin.

"H-how was this possible?" Canelis yelled at no one while squirming under the woman's tight hold. It was effective enough to keep her legs from kicking out and her fingers from doing anything, like curling up and socking this woman in the jaw. "No one should have seen that coming!"

The woman chuckled. "A real life lesson for you, Crown General," she drew closer until Canelis could see the golden flecks in her dark crimson eyes. "You fight like a machine, like you are programmed to do the same thing, over and over. I can read you like an open book. No amount of mechanical training can defeat the strength of assessment and being unpredictable."

Canelis gritted her teeth and squired once more. The woman slammed her against the wall so hard she felt some of the debris dig against her spine. "Try that again and I'll send you back to Yin-Alora with missing appendages."

"Touch me and I'll kill you," Canelis seethed.

Instead of being scared, the woman withdrew her sword and chuckled with genuine amusement. "I'd like to see you try," she said. Then, she prodded Canelis with the tip of her sword. "Now, walk straight until I tell you which corridor to turn."