“Ugh! Stop fighting and just give it up already!”

Sharalyne grunted with the effort as she tugged, putting all of her weight into it, and with a final crunch of earth, the bulbous roots came free. Sharalyne fell backwards onto her butt with a triumphant yell.

She stood up quickly, grinning widely as she dusted off her dress and held up her prize. The mandrake roots were rare and valuable, but more importantly were a prized alchemical ingredient. They were also coated with a deadly contact poison that would leave a grown man screaming in agony for weeks.

She carefully wrapped the roots up in cloth, then put it and her gloves into her basket along with everything else she had gathered on this trip. The container was filled to the brim, but the enchantments that were laid on it made it so it weighed no more than the wicker it appeared to be made of.

With a yawn, Sharalyne stretched, making her way over to a large tree overlooking a river embankment. These idyllic plains really were the best place to gather ingredients. The weather was beautiful, the countryside gorgeous, and, best of all, there were hardly any monsters around. The wind tickled her face, blowing her long golden curls about.

It was days like this that she—

“Hey, lookie over here, boys! A nice tasty human!”

Sharalyne swore under her breath and turned around, readying her staff. There were three knobbly little green goblins approaching her, swords drawn, eyes hungry. She’d dealt with goblins before, and in small numbers they were never much trouble, but that wasn’t an excuse to let her guard down.

“Ugh, go away!” Sharalyne shouted. Fighting was such a pain. “If you don’t wanna get beaten up, shoo!”

The biggest goblin laughed, his voice shrill and annoying. “You’re just a pretty little flower-picking girl! What can you do?”

Sharalyne grinned, pulling something from her basket and readying it.

With a battle cry, the lead goblin leapt into the air, sword raised and poised to pierce her heart.

With a resounding crack, Sharalyne batted the little beast out of the air, swinging her staff with all her might. Before his two companions could react, she tossed the object she had gotten out towards them; a small, sizzling sphere.

It wasn’t a large explosion, but it sent both of the goblins flying away.

“That’s what you get,” Sharalyne said, planting her staff in the ground as she loomed over the lead goblin, the creature seeing stars from her blow. “Look, I have to be getting back home. Bother me again and I’ll finish you all off for—woah!”

The ground suddenly started to shake, the earth crumbled away at her feet, and she fell backwards off of the cliff.

Before she could even find the breath to scream, she landed in the shallow river below, a sharp pain shooting through her ankle.

She just sat there for a moment, dazed. The cool water of the river soaked through her dress, and her eyes stung with tears from the pain of her throbbing ankle. She could fix herself up easily enough with some of the salves in her basket, but she’d have to limp her way out of the water first.

Sharalyne grunted with effort and got to her knees, then propped herself up with her staff, careful not to put any weight on her wounded ankle. Luckily, the current wasn’t strong, so she was able to keep her footing amongst the waters.

The ground started to shake again, and Sharalyne muttered, “Oh what now!” Her annoyance quickly turned to horror, her mouth falling open as the cliffside itself seemed to break away, great clods of rocks and dirt falling away from some massive form that emerged from the earth.

With two thundering steps, enough dirt fell away to where she could begin to make out the creature. It was massive, humanoid in shape, and appeared to be made of blocks of segmented stone, moving of their own free will. They were no doubt enchanted by some powerful magic.

Sharalyne tried to back away, fear coursing through her veins, but the golem turned its squat head, red glowing lights where its eyes should be fixing on her. It raised a massive stone fist and slammed it towards her.

Agility was borne from desperation as Sharalyne flung herself to the side, tumbling through the water as her ankle sang out in renewed agony. She cried, out, clutching her ankle, tears blinding her as the shadow of the golem loomed over her.

Frantically she dove into her basket, pulling out the first bomb she could find and flinging it at the golem with all her might. It exploded with a low boom, scattering clods of dirt into the water, but the stone underneath wasn’t even scratched.

She scrambled backwards through the water as the creature kept advancing. She didn’t have any other tricks in her basket. She’d left all of her advanced tools at home! Was this really going to be it? Was she going to die here?

The creature raised its fist and she screamed, her life flashing before her eyes.

Sharalyne thought of her mother, who had done everything in her power to raise two girls all by herself. She thought of her little sister, who was always looking up to Shara, wanting to become an alchemist too. She didn’t really have the head for it though. She thought of her friend, Ausuar. He was cute, she supposed, and obviously smitten with her, but he wasn’t the kind of guy she yearned for. What filled her dreams was a big, strong, strapping knight in shining armor, swooping in to rescue the fair maiden when she needed it the most.

Rather than being crushed into a lumpy mess by several tons of crushing rock, Sharalyne’s screams were cut off by the piercing clang of metal against stone.

She opened her eyes, to see the fluttering of a long cloak, a large hooded figure standing over her, massive sword raised in the air, blocking the blow.

While she had read plenty of stories about it, Sharalyne had never actually felt what it was like to actively swoon over something, until now.

“Not today, sister,” her savior growled, voice husky and thick with a distant accent.

The warrior ran their fingers along the blade, the steel lighting up with glowing runes. The edge of the blade began to sear brightly, red hot metal sizzling the air. With a triumphant roar, they leapt into the air and brought the heavy weapon down onto the golem, slicing it clean in two.

There were the sputtering sparks of magic escaping the construct, then both halves fell apart into the river with thundering booms.

“Now ‘en,” her hero said, putting their sword away. “What’s a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like—”

Her rescue was interrupted hoots and hollers and barks and growls. Sharalyne looked up to see that the riverbank was swarming with goblins and their attack dogs. Far too many for her to deal with, even if she wasn’t crippled. But, if this stranger had taken down the golem, then maybe…

A set of powerful arms scooped up Sharalyne from the river, holding her close. Her heart literally skipped a beat, and she could feel her cheeks burning.

“Don’t want to tangle with that lot,” her hero said. “Looks like that golem was blocking the entrance to a cave. Hope you’re up for at a little spelunking!”

The world rushed past her in a blur as she was carried away from the battle, the hoots of the goblins not far behind.

Sharalyne took a moment to catch her breath, and she snuggled into the warmth of the body that held her. Her hands were wrapped around powerful, muscled arms. She trailed her eyes upwards, to those rippling biceps, those broad shoulders, that rugged jawline, those sparkling emerald eyes, those… long, flowing red locks, and that… heaving bosom.

As they ducked through an archway the stranger slammed an indentation on the wall, and a massive stone door crashed behind them, sealing them inside, and the pursuing goblins out.

“There,” the woman said, turning to Sharalyne with a grin. “That should keep the little buggers out. You alright?”

“You’re a girl,” Sharalyne said flatly.

“And so are you. Glad y’noticed.” Her grin deepened, looking almost predatory. “Don’t suppose as strapping hero like me can get a kiss for saving such a delicate little flower?”

All of Sharalyne’s hopes and fantasies collapsed in an instant and she let out a disparaging wail, cupping her face in her hands.

The woman winced, looking away. “Sheesh. Just a no woulda been fine, don’t gotta treat it like I asked you to lick a chamber pot.” She set Sharalyne down against the wall, then paced away, rubbing at the back of her head. “Name’s Mirabella, by the way. Most folks just call me Mira.”

Sharalyne closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Just because she let herself get too far into her own head didn’t mean she had to treat this woman poorly. She had just saved her life, after all. “I’m Sharalyne. My friends all just call me Shara though. I’m sorry, can you give me a minute? I just need sit here for a bit after everything that just happened.”

“Right. No problem.”

Minutes passed, and Sharalyne just sat there, recovering her strength. As the adrenaline of the danger faded away, the pain of her injuries returned. When she finally opened her eyes again, Mira was staring at her, the rugged woman’s face impassive.

“Your ankle looks pretty bad,” Mira said, kneeling down in front of her. “I should be able to bandage it up, but I doubt you’ll be able to walk on it for a few days.”

Sharalyne drew her legs back under herself as Mira reached for them, hissing with pain as she did so. “Ah! I’m fine, don’t worry about it. I can fix it myself.”

Digging through her basket, Sharalyne pulled out a small jar of ointment, and began applying it to her wounded ankle. She let out a sigh of relief immediately as the infusions of both water and fire aether in the salve sunk into her skin, washing away the pain and knitting torn flesh. After a minute of letting the ointment do it’s work, she stood up, testing her weight on the ankle. It was still a little sore, and she wouldn’t be running any marathons, but it would do for now. “There, see? Good as new.”

“Stars and stones,” Mira swore, her eyes wide. “You one of them witches, then?”

Sharalyne pursued her lips together and stomped a foot. “I am not a witch! Nor am I a wizard or a warlock or a conjurer or a thaumaturge!” She reached into her pack and pulled out a intricate metallic ring, crisscrossed with elaborate symbols representing the four basic aetheric elements. She set it on the ground in front of her, then stood as tall as she could, puffing her chest out. “I, am an Alchemist!”

Mira stared at the ring, then shrugged. “Magic’s magic, ain’t it? All the same to me.”

“It is not!” Gritting her teeth, Sharalyne placed a variety of ingredients on the circle, then held her hands over it, focusing her mind. “Alchemists take a variety of ingredients found in the natural world, then use the aetheric resonance of each individual item to combine them into something that fits a set pattern the alchemist must hold in their mind. Every ingredient has a particular element it’s attuned to, and usually unique properties as well. Skilled alchemists can draw out the properties of any ingredient to create an item that no mere crafter can ever hope to replicate.”

The circle began to glow, and the ingredients she had placed began to transform into light, swirling and twisting around the circle before settling in the center. When it was over, Sharalyne picked up the new jar of salve and tossed it to Mira. “There, see? I made a healing salve from some of the herbs I collected earlier. With a portable alchemy ring I can only do the most basic of transmutations. With the setup I have back in my workshop I could make a salve that could reattach a severed limb, but out here in the field that’s only going to fix scratches and bruises.”

Mira shrugged, her eyes a little glazed over after the long explanation. “Still looks pretty mystical to me. Thanks though, I appreciate it,” she said, pocketing the salve. “Now, just what do you want to do about our current predicament, Little Miss Alchemist?”

Sharalyne blinked, then glanced around. They were in a tunnel with thick, cut stone, elaborate patterns engraved onto the walls. “Where are we, anyway?”

“Ungalthan ruins,” Mira said, pointing at the stonework. “Been through a couple myself. Usually full of nasty traps, old sentinels, and occasionally, some treasure, assuming the place hasn’t already been cleaned out.

Sharalyne nodded. She wasn’t a scholar by any means, but she knew enough about the ancient civilizations to know that it was better to avoid their ruins whenever possible. “So, how do we get out?”

Mira messed with the indentation on the wall, then sighed. “I think the door’s jammed. I could bust through it with my sword, but it needs time to recharge after that trick with the golem earlier. Guess we’d better explore, eh?”

“Well…” Sharalyne glanced at the heavy door. She didn’t have heavy enough explosives to breach through something like that, and if she did, it would probably bring the whole ceiling down on top of them. Exploring this ruin would be dangerous, but Mira was certainly a capable fighter. “Alright. Maybe we can find another way out. Just let me do something first, okay?”

Sharalyne took a few minutes to craft up some more bombs, a phosphorous light, and yet another healing salve just in case, and then they were off.

Before they had even made it a few steps into the tunnel something occurred to her and she stopped, clearing her throat.

“I, uh, thanks for saving me back there, by the way. If you hadn’t shown up in the nick of time, I well…” Sharalyne mumbled, looking away.

Mira grinned, pounding her chest with a fist. “Ain’t no problem. Saving pretty damsels like you is half the reason I’m a wandering hero in the first place.” With a grin, she waggled her eyebrows and added, “Still waiting on that kiss, for the record.”

Sharalyne blushed, glowering under the lecherous woman’s stare. She didn’t know why Mira was teasing her like this. Did Mira somehow know about Sharalyne’s princely daydreams? Ugh, why was the script for this so messed up? If it had just been a nice handsome prince, she would still be swooning right now.

Trying to change the subject, Sharalyne stammered, “So, uh, what brings you to these parts, Mira? You’re from the east, right?”

Mira nodded, then led the way through the darkness, her hand never far from her sword. “Other than the aforementioned pretty damsel thing? Hard to say. I always wanted to wander the world, kicking arse and taking names. Read all sorts of stories like that as a child, trained hard to become an expert swordswoman, then hopped on a boat heading west. Honestly, ain’t been here all that long, but here’s as good of a place to start wandering as any. Lots too see. Ain’t got near so much magic back home, so thats nice too. And—” Mira lunged forward, pulling Sharalyne to the side as arrows whizzed past her head. “—the food is pretty nice too.”

Sharalyne blinked, then burst out into a giggle. “I suppose that’s as good of a reason as any.”

“What about you, then? Why alchemy, and all that?”

Sharalyne frowned. She barely knew this woman, and yet… “My dad was an alchemist, though I never got to meet him. I read a lot of his journals and recipes and theories when I was growing up, and I guess I just have a knack for it, you know? Plus, we alchemists provide a really vital service to the community. It’s very rewarding work, if exhausting at times.”

The two continued their journey through the ruins, chatting pleasantly, dodging traps, battling small stone sentinels and the occasional burrowing monster. It was rough and dirty, but never anything particularly dangerous, especially with Mira at her side. Sharalyne’s heart lifted as they swapped tales about their lives and travels, and it started to feel more like she was having a nice afternoon walk with a friend, rather than exploring a dank and dark ruin.

After several hours, they were dusty and scratched and bruised, but they had made it to a large antechamber, multiple sets of stairs leading to a large raised dais, the great dome above them filled with a vast mural depicting the night sky.

“Well, it’s probably gonna be here,” Mira said as she stared at the ceiling. “Like I said, been to a few ruins like this before. Usually there’s some big room that serves as the main purpose for whatever this place was. There’s often a big beastie that’s taken up living in them too, though I think we lucked out, this time.”

“So where’s the exit, then?” Sharalyne asked, as she made her way over to the wall and started inspecting the murals. The stars had lines drawn between them, creating crude constellations. The first one seemed to depict a pair of maidens kneeling before each other, hands clasped in prayer. There was a line of Ungalthan script running along the bottom, but she could only make out a couple of words.

“Not a clue. That stuff mean anything to you?”

“Hmm.” Sharalyne followed the mural along the edge of the room. One scene depicted gods giving their blessing, another seemed like a purification ritual, then the girls walking hand in hand. Eventually she was led up the steps to the dais above. “I’m pretty sure this is a temple of some sort, maybe where their priestesses are anointed or whatever. Perhaps if I… oh, this is an alchemy circle!”

At the top of the dais was an elaborate alchemy circle, a symbol in each corner for air, fire, water and earth.

“Huh. Think with one that big you can craft something that’ll get us out of here?” Mira asked, leaning on a nearby pillar.

Sharalyne shook her head. “It’s not that type of circle. It’s a circle that will convert the ingredients into energy to fuel some sort of enchantment on the temple itself. If I can put the right ingredients here, I might be able to open up the exit!”

“I’ll leave that one to you, then,” Mira said, grinning.

Sharalyne quickly got to work, digging through her pack for something suitable. She settled on oil for fire, bubbleweed for air, those mandrake roots for earth, and well, water for water. It was all pretty basic, but she could sense the latent hum of energy in the circle resonating with the materials. She took a deep breath, then began to focus her mind. “It’s also entirely possible this will bring down the entire roof on top of us, so fingers crossed!”

With a surge of energy, the ingredients were consumed, and light shot forth down the stairs in every direction. It hit the walls, and bounced from star to star, illuminating the entire chamber in soft white aetheric light. It stopped when it illuminated the final constellation in the center of the dome, directly over the center of the alchemic circle.

Sharalyne’s heart dropped in her chest and she could feel her cheeks burning.

Mira let out a low whistle and laughed. “I appreciate the taste. What, you think that’s the final step of the spell?”

Sharalyne’s cheeks flushed even hotter and she mumbled, “Probably…”

The final constellation depicted the two maiden’s embracing, their lips locked together in a declaration of love.

“Whelp.” Mira cracked her knuckles, joining Sharalyne in the center of the circle. “Guess we might as well get it over with, right?”

“I, uh, I’m sure there’s another way,” Sharalyne mumbled. “I probably just used the wrong ingredients, let me try again, I’ll—”

Mira lightly cupped her chin, then turned Sharalyne’s face so that they were looking into her eyes. Mira had a blush of her own as she said, “Look, I ain’t gonna force you to if you really don’t want to, but does the idea of kissing me really seem that horrid?”

Sharalyne bit her lip. “But you’re a girl.”

“So?” Mira asked, rolling her eyes. “I’m a girl, and I like kissing girls. Boys are all gross and icky, girls are nice and soft and pretty. Your tastes are yours, but you ever really even stop to think about it?”

“I…” Had she? Certainly, Mira was an attractive woman, and especially in a rather rugged and masculine way. Would it matter that much if her hero was a princess, instead of a prince? “I, um, I’ve never actually kissed anyone before…”

Mira grinned. “I’ll be gentle.”

Pulling her into an embrace, Mira’s lips pressed against her own, soft, tender, powerful.

Almost immediately the room erupted into light and sound and music, the humming of a ghostly choir and the sound of ephemeral bells echoing throughout the cavern. There was the grinding of stone, and the top of the dome opened up, revealing the full moon shining directly down on them.

Mira pulled back from the kiss, and winked.

Sharalyne touched her lips with her hands, a shiver running down her spine. She looked up at the opening in the ceiling, took note of the surrounding clamour, and then her eyes went wide. “D-did we just get married!?”

Mira threw back her head and laughed. “Shoot, I wasn’t expecting to settle down just yet!”

“Oh gods,” Sharalyne mumbled, burying her face in her hands. “What am I going to tell my Mom, and my little sister? And we can’t even get out of here, that’s like fifty feet up!”

“Heyup!” Mira scooped Sharalyne up into a bridal carry, grinning wickedly as the younger girl sputtered in protest. She reached down, touching her boots, which lit up in glowing runes, then leapt into the air with the crack of stone below her, soaring through hole in the roof and they were back under the open sky once more.

Mira landed gracefully, then set Sharalyne down next to her.

Sharalyne moaned, covering her head and shaking it back and forth. “What am I going to do, what am I going to do.”

“Relax,” Mira said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Who cares about the wedding customs of some ancient culture? Stuff like that only counts if you feel it in your heart.”

“Right. That makes sense.” Sharalyne took a deep breath, shuddered, then turned to look at her Ungalthan wife. “Look, Mira, I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, and… have some things to think about regarding who I like to kiss, but I definitely don’t want to marry you, okay?”

Mira laughed. “Don’t worry about it. You’re a lot of fun, Shara, and cute as a button, but I don’t want to marry you either.”

“Right.”

They sat there in silence for several minutes, the clamour of the wedding bells still echoing from the ruins below them.

Sharalyne stood up suddenly, facing away from Mira. Her face was still a bright red, but she clenched her fists and mumbled. “My, uh, village isn’t far from here. Do you want to come with me, and stay for awhile? We’ve got a spare room you could use, and my Mom makes the best pies.”

Mira grinned, then threw her arm around Sharalyne’s shoulders. “I’d love to.”