5 years later, in the Nethusian Commune:

  Keleis awoke, without memory. She stood up, looking around, confusion visible on her face.

  Nothing of what she saw was familiar to her, and she had no idea how she arrived there. Only then did she realize that all that was left to her was her name, and what she could do.

  This is strange, she thought. I haven't heard of amnesia like this. Forgetting most everything but your name isn't something that happens often.

  She looked at her palms, noting the unfamiliar patterns the veins and muscles made.

  A few unknown scars marred her, but otherwise she seemed to be unhurt.

  Looking around, what she could see was only in a short area near her, illuminated faintly by the moon. She observed that she was in a blank grassland area, with what looked to be a path of trampled ground leading away from where she was.

  With no other indication of direction or location, she began to follow the path carefully.

  As she walked, she noticed some dark red stains at the top of her collar. They almost seemed like blood, but she didn't feel any pain or notice any wounds, which was strange.

  Thinking about it, why doesn't my head hurt? Isn't most amnesia a result of a bad hit to the head? She thought. But I'm not hurt anywhere...

  She came across a dirt path, recent footsteps implanted in dust. Looking along the road, she noticed the road ahead was trodden down, as if by a large group of people. She began walking in the direction the group of people had gone, hoping to meet someone that could tell her anything about where she was.

  After a few minutes of walking, she noticed torn grass, strewn along the path as if by a struggle. And just beside, the grass was indented, as if something heavy was dragged along it., leading away from the path.

  She hesitated a moment, before she set her gaze on the disturbance intently. Striding forward, she reached into her belt pocket, searching it for anything that might be there, and felt something, metal, within.

  She took hold of it, removing it from her pocket, and examined it. It was far from the ideal weapon, simply a small, silver coloured folding dagger with patterning along the blade.

  Oh well. I guess I'll just have to deal with this if something happens. I'll get something better later.

  Returning the dagger, she continued on.

  Hearing lively conversation ahead, coloured by flickers of firelight, Keleis slowed, creeping behind trees. Peering forward, she saw a collection of armed figures gathered around a fire excitedly celebrating.

  A man with a scar on his right ear stood up, and grabbed some wood from a ruined wagon, tossing it in the fire. As it flared, its light revealed a man past the far side of the fire, tied to a tree.

  Keleis crept around the outer ring of trees, slowly moving toward the tree, When she reached the tree, she flipped open the knife. In one motion, she cut the ropes, covered his mouth, and pulled him backwards into a small clearing. She looked at his face, watching his eyes until they calmed, and he nodded, understanding,

  She removed her hand, and he began to speak. "Thank- ""Not now. They're too close. What's happening?" She said, closing her knife.

  He blinked, more than a little taken aback. He's definitely not used to this kind of situation. Keleis thought, a little annoyed.

  He looked up. "I was traveling along the road in that wagon when these bandits attacked. They killed my driver and took me hostage, and destroyed everything I had. It seems all they wanted was me."

  "Go hide somewhere. I'll tell you when it's safe."

  "You can't take on ten armed men by yourself! It's dangerous! We can just run!"

  A shout arose from the fireside, and Keleis grabbed him, shoving him forward.

  "We don't have time to talk, get going." She said as she unfolded her knife. He gave her a single last hesitant look before taking off into the forest.

  She moved around to the side, making sure she stayed out of sight from the clearing.

  The first man broke into the clearing, and Keleis drifted behind him as he searched frantically. Raising her arm, she hooked her elbow around his throat, dragging him to the ground, before stabbing his side, her knife slipping between his ribs.

  Withdrawing, and cleaning the knife on a cloth she tore from his sleeve, she waited for the next searchers to arrive.

  Almost immediately, a pair of brigands arrived, crying out at the sight of their fallen cohort.

  One knelt down to investigate the fallen man, while the other watched for anything approaching.

  He noticed a glint in the air, and his eyes widened, mouth opening, attempting to warn his comrade, before the knife took him in the neck.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  The other bandit fell backward, a wordless cry the only thing he could utter, before Keleis kicked a sword of the ground and slammed it downward.

  Quickly pulling the knife out of the neck of the bandit, she moved to grab the sword, but it was caught on a bone, and before she could forcibly pull it away, the rest of the brigands converged on the clearing.

  She raised the knife, preparing for the first to attack.

  They rushed forward, varying weapons raised. Keleis deflected or dodged each of their attacks, hands moving so fast that to an outside observer, they would be impossible to follow.

  A staff was torn out of the hands of a outlaw by a backhand, and yet another outlaw met his allies in the dust as his throat gaped open. Keleis rapidly exchanged a series of punches with an outlaw, before kicking another down, giving her the opportunity to strike. One fell, and another was forced to jump backward to survive, allowing her to finish off the fallen brigand.

  Two were all that was left, and Keleis was on the attack now. The ear scarred man, despite his notable appearance, fell just the same as his faceless comrades, and all that was left to oppose Keleis was a lone man holding a sword.

  Confident in her speed, Keleis moved forward, attempting to stab him, but to her great surprise, he was nearly as fast as she, and deflected the strike.

  Before she could react, a club collided with her side, tossing her sideways

  Looking up, eyes watering from the pain, she shook herself.

  Am i seeing double? She asked herself, hitting the side of her skull with a palm in an effort to clear her mind.

  However, the image her senses provided her did not change, and she realized that she was looking upon two copies of the same man, the only discernible difference being their weapons.

  One held a sword, and the other was tossing away a shattered club. He reached down, picking up the discarded staff from earlier, and smiled at her.

  "I assume you haven't heard of me." Both figures said, perfectly in time.

  "No, I haven't, and I don't care." Keleis said, spitting to the side as she stood.

  Clouds began to cover the moon, and the man spoke. "Oh, but it could have saved your life, if you went for me first."

  "What am I, a walking corpse? I'm not dead yet."

  "Currently alive, dead in the long run. You see, I'm Barodel. Known as The Army in One. A little blunt, but descriptive." He said, as one of the two stepped sideways.

  Midway through the step, another body, mirrored from the original, stepped out, bringing the total count to three. Each of his bodies then demonstrated the step, doubling their number.

  Keleis smiled. "So, the conviction I woke up with was correct. I felt that there was someone nearby with strength."

  "You're smiling?" He laughed appreciatively. "When you're about to die? You're brave, girl."

  Keleis raised a hand, palm upward, and a faded, gray ghost of a hand appeared, clasping her hand. Hands began outlining themselves against the dark night, lit only by the campfire that had grown past control, and now burned the trees surrounding.

  The hands deepened, and their shape sharpened, forming a standing figure, gray, with overlarge arms, with every part of the figure made up of clasped hands of varying sizes.

  Barodel, surprised for a moment, blinked, but then his smile deepened, showing his sentiment across six faces. "Now I see why you're so strong. You're like me."

  He fell into six varying stances, each suited to the differing weapons they had picked up, and the foremost raised a hand towards her, beckoning.

  The form behind Keleis lowered its hands, bracing them. Keleis stepped backwards, into its hands, and held the knife ready.

  The figure heaved its arms upward, vaulting Keleis forward towards Barodel, then jumped alongside her.

  Now seemingly twice as tall, the figure fell upon three of Barodel's bodies, every strike hitting a mark, staggering its enemies.

  Keleis, meanwhile, had to content with three bodies, each her equal in strength, but only slightly below her in speed and skill. I know I can't beat all three myself. I just have to hope either I or my spirit can help each other, deal with one and make our jobs easier.

  She desperately fought, and dodged a blow, kicking a body away. Turning, she hoped to be able to act in time to counter the attack she knew was coming.

  The blade of a sword was already in motion, inches from cutting through her neck.

  Without time to react, all she could do was curse internally, waiting for her impending death.

  Suddenly, a force crashed into the body, knocking it backward and saving Keleis. She turned in surprise, and noted the spirit facing her, arm outstretched, having saved her life by throwing one of its attackers.

  Only two were up for each side, so Keleis dashed forward to take advantage of the brief moment of respite.

  As she fought, and the bodies copied themselves again, she noticed that at all times, there was one body hanging back. The one that hung back changed occasionally, but there was never a time where one did not show more caution than the others.

  She pretended to engage with one, but spun, striking at the body in the back.

  It jumped, and something in its eyes changed, before it struck at her, completely changing its behaviour.

  She spun, and threw her knife at the body she noticed already drawing back.

  The dagger embedded itself in his chest, and his hands scrabbled at the knife in terror, before falling to his knees. He raised one hand, and his body returned to nothingness. All of his copies followed suit, but one, that blinked in sudden consciousness, before slumping over, senseless.

  Keleis picked up her now disengaged dagger, cleaning it again on a cloth she found lying next to a body.

  It began to rain, and Keleis called out. "It's done. You can come back."

  After a moment, the man she had saved emerged from the forest, eyes widening as he looked upon the bodies. He looked upwards, and his gaze fell upon the spirit of hands.

  "You're an Aether user, of course! No wonder you were so confident!" He exclaimed.

  "Aether user?" Keleis inquired, lost.

  "Do you not know? How do you not know? Everyone knows."

  "You know what? It doesn't matter. All that matters is I won." She gestured to Barodel. "Him. The leader. He's still alive. I thought he might be useful."

  "Yes, probably. He could tell us about who hired him and why they wanted me specifically."

  "You should tie him up well. He's able to clone himself if he can move."

  "Another Aether user? This complicates things by much." He looked up at her, then her spirit, realizing something. "I can't deal with him properly, considering the divide in power between us. If he were to become free, or something were to occur on my trip. So I have a request. Escort me to the capital, and I can get you a reward."

  Keleis contemplated, then replied. "I suppose I don't have any other things to occupy myself with." She motioned towards Barodel.

  The spirit picked up Barodel, carrying him towards the two people.

  "By the way, does your spirit have a name?" he asked, observing it.

  "What about yours?" Keleis returned.

  "I... what?" He asked, confused.

  "Your name. What is it?"

  "Oh of course. My name is Ricard."

  "Mine is Keleis, and this..." She said, looking at her spirit.

  "He... is the King of Limbs."