《Mage War》 Chapter One: The Mage Chapter One: The Mage I am a Mage. How do I know this? Because I blew up my family. Yes, I Awakened while I was talking with them. I refused to provide any context to the Guard, but they didn¡¯t need any further questions. I was sent straight to Magefell. So now here I am, on board a boat heading to the fabled city of wonders, slightly against my will, wondering where my life is heading. If I¡¯m being honest with myself¡ªsomething I¡¯ve found is more difficult than most think¡ª, this is a welcome change of pace. I wasn¡¯t exactly happy before all this, so at least this might improve my life. God knows I need it. I am, of course, sad about the whole ¡®blowing up my family¡¯ thing. I was in shock for more than a week, and was in mourning and tears for long after that. Even now, I still often have dreams or vivid hallucinations about it. Jade helped me out. If she hadn¡¯t been there, I would probably never have come back from the void I¡¯d put myself in. But I don¡¯t want to dwell on that now. Right now, I need to dwell on the feeling I have in my stomach climbing up my throat. I tried closing my eyes, but that just made it worse. I feel something coming up my mouth, and I lean over the rail just in time for the puke to erupt from my body. The undulating ocean quickly accepts the vomit, and I look away, in time to see the woman whose footsteps sounded behind me. ¡°Seasick? Many people get that way their first time on a boat, I¡¯ve heard. It¡¯ll go away in a few days.¡± The woman speaking is Jade. She¡¯s part of the Guard, and we¡¯ve been friends for years. I¡¯m glad she decided to come with me to Magefall, although she won¡¯t be able to stay, not being a mage and all. She¡¯s also trying not to laugh, which irritates me to no end. I grunt. I don¡¯t want to open my mouth, for fear of vomiting on the deck. Pure pain and sickness on my face, I look at her. I¡¯m pretty sure my face is green. Jade smiles. ¡°Cheer up, Zade. We¡¯ll get there soon.¡± I finally respond. ¡°You said all of that a few days ago, but I¡¯m still sick. This is your first time too. How come you¡¯re not seasick, Jay?¡± I poke her. She laughs. ¡°I¡¯m just stronger. By the way, Captain says we¡¯ll be able to see the city soon, and we¡¯ll get there by nightfall.¡± She turns solemn. ¡°Then it¡¯s goodbye. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ll be separated by an ocean.¡± She tears up. I look at her, and grab her shoulder. ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t permanent; I¡¯ll be back. I thought you were stronger than me. You¡¯ll get through it. Just be there when I return, or else I¡¯ll be pissed.¡± She chuckles. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll miss you.¡± ¡°Me too. Now please excuse me as I give the ocean everything I¡¯ve ever eaten in life.¡± I throw up again into the water, but I can hear Jade laughing a bit as she leaves. She really is the reason I¡¯m not still completely frozen in sadness after I Awakened. Since then, it¡¯s been two months, and she helped me through it all. I owe a lot to her, and she¡¯ll be the only thing I¡¯ll miss. Jade is one of the most selfless people I¡¯ve ever met, and I love her for it. I think back on this trip: I¡¯ve been on this boat for ten days now, and I¡¯m glad this horrible voyage is finally ending. Since I stepped on this abomination people call a ship, I¡¯ve been sick. And I''ve hated every moment of it. I begin to think of what¡¯s ahead for me: Magefell, the legendary city where wizards abound. I¡¯ve heard stories about it, everyone has, but I¡¯ve never been. Everyone says it looks beautiful, but that¡¯s not why I¡¯m going there, of course. At Magefell is Zenyth, the Mage fortress, where the Parliament lives, where the Mage academy is, where everything important for a Mage is. If one needs help from a Mage, they travel to Zenyth, and there they find help. One can also try the wandering wizards, or the ones part of the Companies, but in general, Zenyth is one¡¯s best bet. I¡¯ve always heard about how great it is, and part of me is excited to go there. The other part is apprehensive. My life is about to change in a major way, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready. Hell, I¡¯m not even eighteen yet. I can take care of myself fine, but moving to a different continent knowing nobody or how it is to live as a mage is scary. Jade tells me the apprehension is good. That way I¡¯ll be prepared. I disagree but I trust her intentions in trying to reassure me. Who else would I trust? That¡¯s not to say I didn¡¯t have any other friends back in Erenfeld, but Jade was just the closest. And¡ª I barf again, yellow fluid spilling everywhere. I barely even ate this last week, but it all just comes up anyway. As I recover, I look at the bow of the ship, and I spot the tiny speck in the distance. Magefell. I breathe a sigh of relief, and quickly regret it as I feel something coming up my throat again. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Four hours later, we¡¯re much closer to Magefell. I can almost see the details of the city, and, so far, it doesn¡¯t look that special. My stomach finally calmed down. I haven¡¯t vomited in almost half an hour, and it feels amazing. I think my stomach knows the trip is ending. Somehow, the arduous ten days are almost over. Jade is sitting next to me. I¡¯m still standing, but she found a barrel. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it? The city.¡± Jade sounds awed. I grunt. ¡°I don¡¯t see the beauty. Just looks like a big city to me.¡± She looks at me sideways. ¡°Are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing? The spires, the arches, the gates. It all looks so¨C¡± ¡°Boring? Drab? Dull? Those are the words that come to mind.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Honestly, I don''t see the beauty in architecture, Jay. Never did, never will, end of story. It looks gray and lifeless. Like a dead sheep.¡± I nod wisely at my perfect use of metaphor, but Jade just shakes her head. ¡°You might see it that way, but I see it as a unified living body. It might look gray when you look at this house, or that inn, or the hospital down the road, but together, there is beauty.¡± ¡°That sounds like a horrible life lesson in disguise.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡± Then she realizes I¡¯m joking. She takes a potato out of her pocket and throws it at me. It hits me square in the chest. ¡°Ow! What was that for? Also, why do you keep a potato in your pocket?¡± ¡°For moments like this. You¡¯re not funny, you know that?¡± I shrug. ¡°I know, I just¨C¡± ¡°Like to be annoying. You¡¯ve said. Several times.¡± Jade sounds amused. ¡°It works every time. I always get a reaction out of you.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Why do I always let myself get baited like that?¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just not smart enough to¡­Ow!¡± I didn¡¯t even realize she¡¯d picked up the potato until it hit me again, this time on the nose. ¡°You know, I could have you arrested for assaulting me. As one of the Guard, you could lose your job for something like this.¡± ¡°You do that, and I¡¯ll tell the mages every story I have of you. I¡¯m sure they would love to hear them; you''d never live it down.¡± I sigh. ¡°I should¡¯ve never told you any of that should I?¡± She smiles wickedly. ¡°Of course not. But now you did, and there¡¯s no turning back. Oh, sweet blackmail, how I love you.¡± She¡¯s very pleased with herself, and now I¡¯m disappointed with myself. I don¡¯t even try to retort. I¡¯m scared of the potato. We stay silent for a few minutes, each of us reflecting on something. Jade¡¯s probably thinking about the city, but I can¡¯t stop thinking about that potato. So I do what needs to be done. I reach over and grab it. ¡°Hey! Give that back! I need it so I can hit you with it for stealing it from me!¡± She says indignantly. ¡°I¡¯ll chuck it into the ocean. You¡¯ll never see it again,¡± I threaten. I don¡¯t know what she likes so much about this potato anyway, so I¡¯ll relish the throw.¡± ¡°The captain will throw you overboard for something like that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already here, I could probably swim the rest of the way.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to swim.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a quick learner, The threat of death will teach me.¡± Jade rolls her eyes. ¡°Give it, Zade.¡± ¡°Why do you want this potato so much?¡± I feel rough hands grab me and the potato is ripped from my hands. A burly man walks over and hands the cursed vegetable to Jade. Kellion, one of the crewmates aboard the ship. I haven¡¯t talked much to him, and I don¡¯t intend to. As a devoted crewman, he¡¯s overprotective of the food around here, as I figured out the first day. I still feel the bruise a little on my hand. ¡°Thanks, Kell.¡± Jade is holding in a laugh. Meanwhile, I¡¯m just annoyed. ¡°Come on, Kell. What was that for? What did I do to deserve it?¡± The big man narrows his eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste the food here. If we weren¡¯t so close to Magefell, I would have you thrown off.¡± ¡°Hey, calm down, man. All I did was take a potato. No big deal.¡± He gets up close to me and speaks roughly. ¡°Stay away from the food. Got it?¡± I can smell his breath now, and it¡¯s enough for me to try to push him away, which doesn¡¯t work, as he¡¯s too strong. I only end up pushing myself and falling. Standing up, I dust myself off and salvage my dignity: ¡°You better stay away, or I¡¯ll knock you down!¡± Kellion laughs uproariously and stomps off. Here¡¯s the thing: I¡¯m good with a sword. I was probably the best in Erenfeld for my age, except for maybe Jade. And I¡¯m average with a bow. While rare, I had to hunt every once in a while to feed my family. I hate hand-to-hand combat, though. I always have, mostly because I¡¯m really bad at it. Never really learned how to throw a punch. And I have muscles, but pushing someone¡­not really my style. If I had my sword, I could¡¯ve taught Kellion not to mess with me. I always learned to rely on daggers and swords. I brought mine, but they¡¯re in the crew cabin. I wasn¡¯t allowed to bring it up. I glare at Jade. ¡°You should have backed me up.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She cocks her head. ¡°Why? You were in the wrong.¡± I scowl and stomp off. The encounter with¡äKellion soured my usually happy mood. As I¡¯m taking the stairs to the cabin though, I fail to notice how wet the stairs are from Gods know what, and so I slip, my head hitting the stairs. Then nothing. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m at home. I remember this place. I¡¯ve always loved it. The smell of the house, like ginger and pine, always made me smile. It has three rooms, which is spacious enough for a house in Erenfeld. I¡¯m in my room right now. It¡¯s pretty bare. I never cared much for decoration. I¡¯ve got my bed, a simple wooden one which I¡¯ll probably outgrow soon. There¡¯s also a small shelf where I keep my clothes. And my sword. I pick it up and walk out. My parents. They¡¯re here. My ma, Julia, hair tied in a bun, dress muddied. My da, Val, is wearing a simple, yet dirty shirt and trousers. They look stern. Suddenly I remember what¡¯s about to happen. My eyes widen and my mouth opens to warn them. I need to leave. I need to¨C ¡°We need to talk,¡± my da tells me. ¡°You¡¯ve been ignoring it for too long. We won¡¯t let you delay it any longer.¡± ¡°No, I need to leave. I¡¯m going to save your lives. I¡¯m going to the woods. Don¡¯t follow me.¡± My eyes are wide with panic. I try to move to the door, but my da grabs me. ¡°Son, stop.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m about to¨C¡± Then it happens. I close my eyes, but I still see it. My body erupting with light. The table and chairs around the house thrown back and shattered. My sword flying through the air. The horse outside seeing it and running away. And my parents. My parents. My parents. My¡­ My eyes well up with tears as I see it. My mother is impaled with my sword through the heart, and she is thrown in the air, landing on the ground. She doesn¡¯t get up, blood pooling around her. My father, though, what happened to him? His head explodes. It just pops. My body is soaked in his fluids, and I scream as his body falls to the ground. My ma¡¯s face looks horrified. My dad, he doesn¡¯t have one anymore. It looks like a slaughter. My parents are dead. I can¡¯t believe it. I won¡¯t believe it. IT ISN¡¯T HAPPENING. I WON¡¯T LET IT: NO! Everything shifts. I¡¯m in Magefell, though I don¡¯t know how I recognize it. And it¡¯s in ruins. What happened here? I¡¯m on a small hill, at the foot of it, and for no explicable reason, I feel the need to climb it. It¡¯s not hard, but as I climb, I notice things. A broken hilt. Is that blood? There also seems to be an arm, though it looks mangled enough to be a leg. Bile works its way up my throat but I force it down. What the hell is going on? I clear the top of the hill, and that¡¯s when I see it, my jaw dropping. It¡¯s a battle. A real, gory battle. Not the battles the storybooks tell of. It has a vicious, gritty realism that is hard to visualize until experienced. The two sides both appear to be mages. There are spells flying in the air, The earth itself erupting, throwing mages and what appear to be horned creatures in the air. Mages bursting into flames. And there are soldiers there too. Cutting off the hands of mages to weaken them. Heads thrown off the creatures. Blood is everywhere. Magefell is unrecognizable from its former glory. It looks like the end of the world. It just may be. For a moment, I watch the devastation in horror. Then the world stops. I look around. No one is moving. It¡¯s like someone stopped time. I walk down the incline slowly, walking towards the scene of the battle. The more I move closer, the more I want to faint. The smell of the blood makes me feel light-headed. Now I can tell what the creatures are. They are a gruesome mix between wolves and humans, except they have horns. One of them is in the middle of separating a man¡¯s head from his shoulders, snarling. The teeth are razor sharp. It¡¯s also tall, over seven feet tall. I can¡¯t imagine facing one in battle. I keep walking, and I spot someone familiar. Is that¡­Jay? She looks savage. She¡¯s fighting two wolf-creatures at the same time, a sword in one hand, fighting off one, as a dagger she¡¯s throwing is taking down another. How did she get so violent? Also, why does she look older? I come up next to her, and tentatively touch her face. Nope. Still frozen. Her face looks equal parts scared and determined. Her sword is bloodied. I can¡¯t stay looking at her forever, so I turn, and my heart catches in my throat. That¡¯s me,wearing a black robe! I¡¯m fighting alongside a woman I¡¯ve never seen before, but she¡¯s beautiful. My eyes are narrow, as me and the unfamiliar woman are locked in battle with three mages. One of them has sent fire in our direction, and I¡¯m blocking it intensely while she stabs him in the gut. The two other enemy mages seem to be¡­ concentrating, though I¡¯m not sure what for. Whatever is happening here, I can¡¯t stand it. From looking around, it looks like whatever side I¡¯m on might be losing. There are more mages wearing black robes on the ground than anything else. And there are almost no wolf-creatures down. I¡¯m almost at the end of the battlefield now, and I must have walked a mile. Now I can see the backside of the opposing army, and what looks like their captain. It¡¯s a man, I think. He¡¯s wearing a dark mask, with glowing red eyes, seated on a throne, and casually thrusting his hand towards where a column of earth erupted. He seems to have more power than anyone. I guess that¡¯s why he¡¯s captain. I shudder. It¡¯s time to leave. I have to. But how? The world unfreezes. Suddenly, everyone¡¯s fighting again. I can hear the screams, the groans, the tears. I feel nauseated, then hear a roar behind me. Dammit. I start to run, but I can hear it behind me. I think it¡¯s a wolf-creature. I push myself forward but he¡¯s faster. I turn around, and suddenly it¡¯s in front of me. It growls, and lunges with its sword. Pain. pure pain in my gut. It slices, and my insides erupt out my stomach along with a ton of blood. I¡¯ve never seen so much blood come out of someone. It feels impossible. The creature already turned away, and is fighting someone else. I start to fade. I know I¡¯m dying, but I stop caring. The last thing I see before I die is the sky turning red. The world is ending. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I wake up, groggy. Then everything hits. My parents. The battle. The blood. Me. and Jade. Speaking of Jade, she¡¯s sitting beside me, looking concerned. I sit up, dizzy, and she gently pushes me down. ¡°Hey, you ok?¡± She asks. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. What happened?¡± ¡°You hit your head on the stairs and have been out for two hours. We¡¯re docking in an hour.¡± ¡°Hmm. Jade, it happened again.¡± ¡°What, the dream.¡± Tears are in my eyes now. I nod. She pulls me to her chest. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I know it¡¯s hard. You wanna talk about it?¡± I shake my head. ¡°No. But I want to talk about something else.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°You know how normally my dreams end with the¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah I know. Go ahead.¡± ¡°This time it didn¡¯t end with that. My dream changed halfway. I was in the middle of some battle. I was in Magefell, and it was in ruins. You were there, and I was too, but a different, older me.¡± ¡°I was there? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You were fighting with these wolves, but they were really tall. Like I said, I was fighting too, but with this other woman.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her before. But she was using a sword like you. And I was using¡­ magic, I think? Anyways, we were both older, and way better at fighting. You had a sword, and a¡­dagger. I had a sword, but it was in its hilt. We were losing the battle, Jay. but I don''t know what it all means.¡± ¡°Were we all fighting those wolves?¡± I think about it. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There were these mages too, who were fighting against us. And this man, with a mask, who led them. He was powerful. Really powerful.¡± Jay looked at me silently, so I keep speaking. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream, right?¡± ¡°I think so. None of that can happen right?¡± ¡°I hope so. God, I hope so.¡± She stands. ¡°If you need anything, say it, alright?¡± ¡°I will.¡± She nods, and leaves. I lie back, in a daze. I feel a headache coming. I should get up. Ugh. I force myself up, slowly. I walk to the door of the crew cabin, and push it open. I expect to get hit with a blinding light. But that doesn¡¯t happen. The sunlight is mostly gone. It¡¯s basically nighttime. As I walk up the stairs, making sure I don¡¯t slip this time, I start to feel the wind on my face and in my hair. I used to keep my hair slightly long, but my da didn¡¯t really like it, so I keep it short most of the time now. Still I could feel the wind. Nothing beats a beautiful night. The ambience of the sun setting, the dark colors slowly appearing, the feel of the air and the wind. It¡¯s one of the simple pleasures in life, going out after sunset. I love it a lot. I always have. When I was younger, I used to go out at night, when my ma and da weren¡¯t looking, and I would just sit outside just taking it all in. Good times. And now I¡¯m excited to see the city, because it definitely looks better bathed in the moon, and I can¡¯t wait to explore it at night now. Jade notices me coming up. ¡°Hey, you shouldn¡¯t be up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live, Jay. It¡¯s boring down there.¡± She scowls. ¡°Fine.¡± She walks over to me and puts my arm over her shoulders. Then she helps me walk up. I don¡¯t need her help, but I don¡¯t complain. ¡°You have to see the city. It looks breathtaking.¡± ¡°I hope it looks better at night.¡± Then we reach the top of the stairs, and I take my hand off of Jade¡¯s shoulders. Immediately, I start to fall. She reacts quickly, and grabs my torso. ¡°You need help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just give me a minute.¡± I stay kneeling for a minute until I realize how impatient Jade is. She really wants to show me the view of the city. So I stand up. She leads me over to the bow of the ship, and I can see the city now. Suddenly, I¡¯m breathless. Beautiful does not describe it. For once, I am speechless.Magefell is glowing. Literally glowing. It must be the magic, because I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. The entire city seems to have a blue-green ring that surrounds each and every individual part of it. There is a tower in the middle, shaped like a blade, stretching higher than anything I''ve ever seen. It¡¯s also on top of a hill, so that the rest of the city sort of hangs off of it. Whoever designed this city to be on a small hill was a genius, because from the outside, you can see the entire thing. Or at least one side of it. And even at night, the city clearly has life. There is a certain buzz to the city that is incomparable. Every building is distinct and unique. I see one that might be an inn. It is made of wood, but it has a dark tint to it. It spans at least three stories, and it looks majestic from the outside. There''s also a carving on the side of the inn, portraying a burning ember in the midst of an ocean. As I stare at it, Magefell gradually grows more inviting. This type of beauty cannot be described. I could stare at the city forever and not get bored. Each district, each road, each building offers something new. Then I see the palaces. The tower was grand enough. The palaces make the tower inferior. There are two palaces in magefell, one on the eastern side, and one on the western. They mirror each other in every way, and it¡¯s incredible and vivid. The eastern one is more white, while the western one is black. I¡¯ve heard they represent light and darkness, and ogling them, I can see why. The white one looks pure, with gleaming walls that even at night shine bright. Meanwhile, the western tower looks like a void, ready to suck you in if you¡¯re not careful. Both are stunning. I hear Jade talking next to me, but I don¡¯t listen. I¡¯m enthralled. She pokes me, and I look around as if coming out of a trance. She smiles at me, and gives me a hug. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± For once, I agree. Chapter Two: Magefell Chapter Two: Magefell We finally dock. It¡¯d taken forever. The Guard here took a long time to inspect us for any illegal goods, which I guess is fair, since Magefell will probably be the place with the most enemies. For every two people who love mages, there¡¯s the person who is suspicious of them. It¡¯s just the way life works. Which means that just Awakening created thousands of enemies for me. I guess that¡¯s just another thing to be cautious of. Me and Jade say farewell to our ten day shipmates, including¡ªfinally!¡ªKellion. Jade will travel back with them tomorrow. I¡¯m not going to miss that trip. Solid ground feels good, but for a few minutes I¡¯m stumbling around on the ground. It feels like the earth is on a seesaw. Whichever way I turn, it inclines. I finally catch my footing, and look around for Jay. For once, she¡¯s having the same problem as me. I can see some of the civilians here in Magefell laughing at us. I try to glower at them, but I don¡¯t know how successful I am. Jade grabs me in trying to right herself, and both of us tumble to the ground. ¡°Really? You had to bring me down with you?¡± I murmur. She laughs. ¡°What are friends for?¡± I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°So, What do you want to do?¡± I ask her. ¡°We have plenty of time before I have to get to Magefell. Any ideas?¡± ¡°Not really. Let¡¯s just have a look around. See what we find. Maybe go over to the market.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± We only get up off the floor when we almost get run over by a horse-drawn carriage, and the driver curses at us. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Ten minutes later, we¡¯re lost. We took a right at the docks, and then a left over by the creepy lady¡¯s house, then a right, left, another right, straight (Jade thought we were going in circles), and then another right¡­ We don¡¯t care though. We¡¯re here to explore the sights, and explore we will. So far, we¡¯ve seen nothing special. Except for that crazy lady. She was smoking something, probably Khaq, the most sold drug in the world, and asked if we wanted any fun. She cackled at our incessant denial, before sending ¡°us lovebirds¡± on our way. ¡°You think we should ask anyone for directions?¡± asks Jade. I arch my eyebrow at her. ¡°You want to ask the people in this street? They look beyond shady. They seem as ready to cut your purse and slit your throat as to answer your questions. If you want to, go ahead. I¡¯ll just be over there.¡± She rolls her eyes. ¡°Ah, here¡¯s someone.¡± She grabs my arm and drags me over to the muscled man with one eye on the corner. I protest, but they¡¯re lost as she stomps over to the man. He looks her up and down in a less than decent way, and smiles at her. It looks more like a snarl. Also, he has several teeth missing. ¡°What do you want, pretty lady?¡± She scowls at him. ¡°Tell us the way to the market.¡± He keeps his smile, though it seems to droop a little now. ¡°Now, you don¡¯t need to take that tone with me, missy. I¡¯m sure we could have a lot of fun together.¡± He cups her chin. I unsheathe my sword a little, and he hears it. I¡¯m getting pissed now. He¡¯s crossing the line, and I¡¯m prepared to do something about it. He turns towards me, eyes narrowing. ¡°You try that with me, and I¡¯ll gut you like a pig.¡± He looks more dangerous now than he did a minute ago, and I didn¡¯t think that was possible. He turns back to Jay, and she cringes, and does exactly what I was waiting for. She slaps him. Hard. I can almost feel the slap as his head jerks back from the motion. ¡°Forget him. We¡¯ll find the market on our own. You know, I really am not liking this city so far.¡± Not that easy to forget him, though, with him chasing us down the street. Thankfully, he¡¯s a little overweight¡ªok, a LOT overweight¡ªbut he¡¯s still quick, and I¡¯m out of shape, considering I was just on a boat for a week. As I run, I look back. Dammit, he¡¯s catching up. I take my dagger out of my coat. I don¡¯t want to lose it but I have no choice. I throw it and keep running. I hear a grunt, and a fall, but don''t bother looking back. I really hope we find the market soon. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª We did. The market wasn¡¯t far, thankfully. Now I didn¡¯t have to worry about the man or any of his potential friends. Jade, obviously, was unfazed. The market looks great. It¡¯s shaped like an oval, with stalls on the inside border of the oval, and shops on the outside border. At sunset, it has such an inviting look, making me want to wander forever around it. ¡°Where to first? I was thinking we could just start here and search for things that catch our eye.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I respond. ¡°Just remember, we need to find a dagger for me. Oh, and after this, we should find an inn. We could have a meal there, and you could stay the night.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± We start to explore the stalls, and read the signs on the stores. Jade is the first to find something interesting. ¡°Ooh, look at that. That is beautiful.¡± It¡¯s a dress. Looks like she found a clothing store. The sign says Dove¡¯s Fashion. I¡¯m grateful for Jay finding this store because I wasn¡¯t really allowed to bring anything from Erenfeld to here, except for my weapons and coin. I don¡¯t know how expensive everything will be, but hopefully not that much. Plus, the trousers and shirt I¡¯m wearing now are dirty, and won¡¯t last the winter. Pity. I had some good coats back in Erenfeld. I hope Magefell has clothes for me. Jade pokes me in the shoulder. ¡°I bet you I can go in there and buy everything I need before you do.¡± ¡°No way. Silver sphere?¡± ¡°Got it. Go.¡± Our competitive nature is shining through now. I smile as Jade runs in the store. I¡¯m confident knowing how long women take in stores, and slowly ease into the store. When I walk in, I notice that a woman is already leading Jay into the back. Huh! That¡¯s surprisingly quick. I walk around the store, noting the suits. They look good. I might try one of those. I start to touch one to get a feel for it. ¡°Hi!¡± A voice next to my head makes me scream. ¡°AAAAHHH. What the hell? Who are you?¡± Standing in front of me is a gangly teenager, possibly fifteen years of age, scruffy brown hair framing his face. He¡¯s dressed sharply, probably to advertise the clothing here. ¡°Do you be needin¡¯ anything, sir?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah? How much for one of these?¡± ¡°Depends on the size you be wantin¡¯, sir. What size be you?¡± I look at him for a second. His rough accent is hard to understand. ¡°I be wear¡ªsorry, I usually wear size eighteen.¡± That¡¯s actually a little bigger than what I wear, but I¡¯m growing. Size eighteen is about the size of a nineteen year old, so the kid looks at me inquiringly. ¡°That be a little big for you, I think sir. Don¡¯t you be thinkin¡¯ size sixteen maybe?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s what I be¡ªam wanting. And no need to call me sir¡­¡± I leave the sentence open for him to say his name. ¡°Reg, sir. Okay, if you be wantin¡¯ size eighteen it¡¯ll be five gold spheres.¡± My eyes pop out of my skull. ¡°Hell, no. Anything cheaper?¡± ¡°Sure, if you don¡¯ mind us deliverin¡¯ it later, you only need to pay 3 gold spheres and 5 silver globules. How about that, sir?¡± That¡¯s still expensive, but I can afford it now. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Do you be wantin¡¯ to pick it up here, or at your residence?¡± I don¡¯t really know if they deliver at the academy, so I just tell him I¡¯ll pick it up here. ¡°Alright, sir. You be order number 456. Here be a slip of paper. Bring it back here when it¡¯s ready. It should be ready in two weeks or so.¡± ¡°Ok. Thank you, Reg. Nice to meet you.¡± I give him the money. ¡°Same to you, sir.¡± I walk towards the exit, but turn around at the last minute. ¡°Call me Zade, Reg.¡± As I walk out the door, thinking about the silver sphere I¡¯m about to win from Jade, I hear Reg¡¯s voice. ¡°Yessir, I mean Zade, sir.¡± I laugh. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I can¡¯t believe it. As I walk out the door, Jay is already there. I didn¡¯t even see her after she went to the back. She can¡¯t possibly have finished before me. She holds out her hand. ¡°My sphere.¡± ¡°How? They have to take your measurement, and that includes your waist, bust and hips. YOU CAN''T HAVE DONE ALL THAT IN LESS TIME THAN IT TOOK ME TO TELL REG MY SIZE!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Reg?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. How did you do it?¡± ¡°Shh. A magician never reveals her secrets. The sphere.¡± I grudgingly hand over the sphere. Jade starts telling me about the dress she bought. ¡°It¡¯s a beauty. It was a little expensive, but how could I not? Kalla is going to be so jealous!¡± I drown her out, as we keep walking through the market. I see an apothecary, filled with potions, and medicines that probably hurt as much as they heal. The Three Day-Old Constipation. I already like this store. They advertise a love potion, and I¡¯m tempted to spike Jade, but I couldn¡¯t go in there without her noticing. So I let her in on the idea. ¡°Jade, I have a great idea. I¡¯m going to spike someone in the academy with a love potion.¡± ¡°Why and how?¡± ¡°Because It¡¯s fun. Also, there¡¯s a store over there. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°No way, I¡¯m coming with.¡± That¡¯s how we find ourselves talking to one of the weirdest women I¡¯ve ever met. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Selyn. What will this lovely couple want today? A love potion maybe?¡± I scowl. ¡°That¡¯s the second time.¡± Jade is smiling, so I shoot her a glare. ¡°And yes, we do want a love potion.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Every teenager wants a love potion these days. It doesn¡¯t replace true love, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I just want it as a prank.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they all say. I¡¯ll tell you what though. Because you¡¯re a first-time customer, and a young one, I¡¯ll give you fifty percent off. Plus you can add in¡ª¡± ¡°No thanks. How much for the potion.¡± ¡°With the discount, 3 silver spheres.¡± Not that pricey, surprisingly. Not even a full gold globule. Good. Hurriedly, to get away from the store as quickly as possible, I pay her. ¡°Come on, Jay. Time to leave.¡± ¡°You wait outside. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I glare at her. She¡¯s up to something, though I don¡¯t know what. Eh. Probably nothing important. ¡°Thank you. Come again soon, mister¡­¡± ¡°Zade. Sure, I¡¯ll come back soon.¡± Sarcasm obviously. Selyn is fine, but she was getting on my nerves. I¡¯m glad to be leaving the store. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª For the next half hour, we just explore the market. Enjoying the smell of baked food and perfumes, feeling of the warmbreeze on our skin and the sight of a beautiful night. The last one we will spend together. Eventually, we find a place that sells weapons, and Jade stays outside while I go in The Gilded Warrior. There¡¯s a marvelous display of weaponry in the store. Magnificent swords with hilts of gold. Longbows with fancy designs on them, arrows for normal use, and ones that could light. Axes and maces, the first of which looked sharp and interesting, though I don¡¯t know when I would ever use it. The latter doesn¡¯t really interest me. It looks heavy and clumsy, but could definitely do a lot of damage. As I look around, I spot the daggers. Some of them are clearly too expensive, having hilts inlaid with jewels, and masterfully crafted blades that undoubtedly have enchantments on them. But even the less stunning daggers still looked inviting. I peruse the daggers. I finally land on one that is a little shorter than normal, but the hilt is comfortable, and looks perfect for throwing. The dagger has a silver carving with words in a foreign language. I wonder where the owner is? ¡°Hello? Is anyone here?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯ll be with you soon.¡± The voice is coming from the back of the store, which is hidden behind a shelf full of books. Soon, a portly man, shorter in height, comes forward towards me. I expected a more muscled man to sell swords, but this man looks more inviting. He looks at the dagger I¡¯m holding, and nods approvingly. ¡°Ah, Nightwielder. A good blade. Are you interested?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Call me Wil. And you are?¡± ¡°Zade. How much for the blade?¡± ¡°One gold sphere.¡± I purse my lips. Damn. I can afford it, but not by much. I somewhat regretfully give him the coin. As I turn to leave though, I turn back. ¡°What does the inscription on Nightwielder say?¡± He nods approvingly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you figure it out for yourself.¡± I turn my head questioningly, but I won¡¯t press him for an answer. I walk out the door, and hear one final thing. ¡°Nighwielder is a special blade, Mister Zade. Treat it well, and it will treat you well.¡± What the hell? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s getting late. The sun is basically gone by now, so me and Jade look for an inn. We pass by one called The Maiden¡¯s Kiss, but it looks less than reputable, and we¡¯re not looking for any trouble. Plus, Jay would never want to stay there. We finally decide on an inn with a better look and name. Ember on the Waters. It¡¯s the inn I saw from the ship. The outside wall with the ember in the middle of the ocean looks even better up close, and now that I¡¯m there, I realize how tall it is. The painting is probably eight feet tall. I have to crane my head to see the top. We enter the building, and are immediately greeted with the smell of warm meat and beer. My stomach starts to rumble. We are immediately greeted by a barmaid. She leads us over to a table in the corner. ¡°What will y''all be having today?¡± ¡°Just a hot meal and a room.¡± ¡°Y¡¯all will have to talk to the mistress about the room. We¡¯re always full. But I can get y¡¯all a meal soon enough.¡± She leaves, shuffling towards the kitchen. I lean back on the chair, finally able to relax for a little. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going to let the last moments we spend together ignoring me, are you?¡± Jade sounds both amused and annoyed. I look at her. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to talk about.¡± ¡°So you are going to ignore me.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± I close my eyes, then I feel a sharp kick on my foot. I sit up. ¡°Ow. What the hell?¡± She shrugs. ¡°You can¡¯t ignore me.¡± ¡°Clearly.¡± She rolls her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re insufferable.¡± I grin. ¡°I try. That way, you¡¯ll be glad when I ignore you.¡± She starts to respond, but she¡¯s interrupted by the barmaid, carrying our food. It¡¯s venison and rice. She¡¯s also carrying two beers. Jade asks her to take her beer back, but I take mine. I¡¯ve heard that mages aren¡¯t allowed to drink. If so, I¡¯ll make the best of this I can. ¡°I have a question,¡± I tell Jay. ¡°How are you going to get your dress back in time for you to leave?¡± She scowls a little. ¡°I had to pay extra. The seamstress was nice enough, though. I¡¯ll have to pick it up really early tomorrow.¡± I take a bite of the venison, and my eyes widen. Food always tastes better when you¡¯re really hungry, but this is amazing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the venison is more important than you. I¡¯m going to ignore you now.¡± Jade¡¯s eyes narrow. Now I''m scared she¡¯ll try to take the venison from me, so I warn her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± She looks at me innocently. ¡°What?¡± She asks. ¡°MY venison.¡± She laughs, and shakes her head. Then she turns solemn. ¡°Seriously, though. This is the last time we¡¯re going to be together for a long time. Please.¡± I¡¯m not smiling anymore. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do now. Life is just so uncertain, you know? I have no idea how to be a mage, I¡¯m starting over in a new place where I don¡¯t know anybody, and you won¡¯t be there. I¡¯m a little lost. So I¡¯m trying not to think about it. It¡¯ll come, and I¡¯ll just go along with it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that. You¡¯ve got to be proactive. Don¡¯t let the world carry you around, Zade. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen to you either. But I know you. You¡¯ll get through it all. You¡¯ll probably destroy the world, and fix it right back up. You¡¯ve got this. But you can¡¯t be led along.¡± ¡°I know, you¡¯ve said. But how am I going to act if I don¡¯t know the consequences for anything I do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s faith. You had faith in coming here.¡± ¡°No, actually, I was forced.¡± ¡°True, but that doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t have a little faith. If you didn¡¯t believe everything would be fine, you would¡¯ve run away. You need faith in the things you can¡¯t see or touch. Maybe you¡¯ll go the wrong way. Maybe you¡¯ll do the wrong thing. Maybe you¡¯ll lose yourself completely. But you need to believe that everything has a purpose. That belief is important. That belief is faith. Don¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°Thanks. Now I¡¯m going to ignore you again for a few minutes to digest what you just said..¡± Jade chuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it. This once.¡± I turn to my food while I ponder the big move I¡¯m making. I find it daunting, obviously, but the main problem is I hate being alone. I¡¯ve had that problem ever since my parents died. I break down at the thought of being alone. It tears me apart. For the last two months, Jay was the only reason I didn¡¯t go completely insane. Sometimes, I feel completely insane, though. I guess that¡¯s why this move may be a good thing. Maybe I¡¯ll find healing here. I¡¯ve heard Mages can do anything. Obviously, that¡¯s not true, but maybe I can forget my problems. I hope I need to focus on being a mage so much that my parents¡¯ death is not an issue. That sounds harsh but I don¡¯t want the memories to leave, only the pain. Yes, I do have trust issues because of all this. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust people in general, it¡¯s just hard to open up. Jade is the only person I open up to. I wasn¡¯t always like this, but now it would feel normal to confide in someone as soon as I met them. I finish my food. It tasted amazing, and I would have another plate, but I should probably head over to the academy soon. Jade is still eating, though. I¡¯ll let her finish. ¡°So,¡± I venture, ¡°What will you do when you get back, Jay?¡± She nods, and swallows the food in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my job in the guard. I heard about some skirmishes between Farmer Holdstadt and Farmer Jolston, so I¡¯ll probably take care of that. It¡¯s just the usual. Nothing magical for me.¡± She smiles to let me know she¡¯s joking. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t choose to be a mage. Magic just chose me. Does that make me special? No, because I already was special.¡± ¡°You, special? I clearly remember Danni talking about how you almost killed her once because you thought the bear¡¯s cave was a man made cavern. The only thing you¡¯re special at is being stupid.¡± I gasp in mock outrage. ¡°You¡¯re calling me stupid?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That hurts.¡± ¡°Like the bear¡¯s claws when it broke your arm?¡± ¡°That was five years ago!¡± ¡°Two, at most.¡± ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s been a long time. Plus, Danni would¡¯ve done anything I told her. She had such a crush on me.¡± Jay laughs once again. ¡°That¡¯s true. Remember when she tried to kiss you during Autumnfest?¡± ¡°I do! How old were we then?¡± ¡°Six, I think.¡± ¡°Yeah, I lived my entire life back in Erenfeld. All my memories are from there. Now I¡¯ll be living in Magefell, Jay!¡± ¡°From the small town to the big city.¡± ¡°I knew everyone back in Erenfeld. Now there will always be people I don¡¯t know here.¡± ¡°You can always talk to Selyn or Wil.¡± I shudder. ¡°Selyn is a nightmare.¡± ¡°She was sweet. I like her.¡± ¡°You like everyone.¡± ¡°Eh. True, I guess.¡± We grow silent, and I finish my beer. I stand up. ¡°Jay, we should go. Let¡¯s talk to the innkeeper and pay her. Then you stay here, and I¡¯ll go to Zenyth.¡± ¡°I''m coming with,¡± Jade says indignantly, crossing her arms. ¡°But you¡¯ll just have to come back.¡± Now she has her hands on her hips. ¡°So?¡± ¡°You can come with me. I just thought you¡¯d like to stay.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just find the innkeeper.¡± I call over the barmaid who attended us. ¡°Can you call over the innkeeper please.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she replies, ¡°Mistress Anan will be right with ya¡¯ll.¡± She walks toward the kitchen, and a minute later, a pudgy woman with a friendly air around her walks over to us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t have two rooms available. Now, if you¡¯re fine with sharing a bed, then¡­¡± Jade bumps in. ¡°I¡¯m the only one staying, miss. Yes, I¡¯d like that room.¡± ¡°Just the night?¡± ¡°Just the night, no breakfast.¡± ¡°Great. This meal, plus the room, comes to five silver spheres.¡± We pay her, and leave., and start the trip to the tower, which looks close, but is on a hill, so should take us an hour to arrive. Jade looks at me. ¡°Ready?¡± I take a breath. ¡°Ready.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Forty-five minutes later, we¡¯re winded. We¡¯re almost there, but the trek is tiring me out, and now I want to sleep. It¡¯s been a long day. I can still see, so I still think we have maybe an hour and a half before midnight. I think the glow around the city will give at least some light even then. ¡°How are¡­you holding¡­up?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Fine,¡± I respond. ¡°Just¡­tired.¡± Jay nods in understanding. The tower stands above us, taunting us. The blue glow around it invites us, while at the same time, the tower keeps itself away from us, no matter how much we walk. I force myself forward. This is the final stretch, then I arrive at my new home. My new beginning. My new life. My legs complain, but my brain is resolved. My eyes are narrowed in concentration, and I push forward. I keep pushing. I keep pushing. I keep¡­pushing. I keep. I¡­keep. I¡­ I arrive. Or at least, I arrive at the gate which leads to the tower. And now that I¡¯m closer, I can see it¡¯s not a tower. Not just a tower, anyway. It¡¯s a mansion, the tower just being its central point. Mages really like a grand life. There¡¯s a guardsman at the gate. I speak to him. ¡°My name is Zade Helstorm, and I¡¯m to be admitted here at the academy.¡± He nods. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± He opens the gate. I start to walk in then hear a voice behind me.¡± ¡°Zade, wait.¡± It¡¯s Jay. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go in.¡± The guardsman nods. ¡°Unless she is a mage or a warrior, she cannot come in.¡± I look back sadly. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Jade tells me. I walk over to her and she gives me a strong embrace. I feel tears in my eyes, and I let them flow. I can tell she¡¯s tearing up too. ¡°Thank you for coming with me.¡± ¡°I had to, Zade. I had to. I don¡¯t want to leave.¡± ¡°I know. I don¡¯t want you to leave either. But you have to.¡± ¡°All good things come to an end.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± We stand there, holding each other for a lifetime, not daring to let each other go. Then Jade releases me and smiles, crying. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll see you one day. Soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back to Erenfeld." ¡°You better.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Then, to reassure myself I say it again. ¡°I will.¡± Jade leaves. I watch her go, until she turns the corner. I wipe the tears off my eyes, and walk over to the guard, who looks a little uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± I take a deep breath and walk in. There¡¯s a courtyard, but it¡¯s too dark, and my eyes are too wet for me to notice, so I walk straight up to the tower. I knock on the door and wait. Eventually, a man opens the door slightly. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Zade Helstorm. I¡¯m a mage, and I¡¯m here to join the academy.¡± He looks down at a piece of paper in his hands, and scans it. Then he opens the door completely. I¡¯m supposed to go in now. But I hesitate. My life was never perfect. The last two months have been torture. I just left the only person I cared about. My life is about to be changed in a drastic way. Am I ready? No. But I remember what Jade said. Faith. You need to believe that everything has a purpose. That belief is Faith. I take a deep breath in and close my eyes. I open them slowly and walk in the door. ¡°You have entered Zenyth, Zade Helstorm, Mage-in-training,¡± the doorman tells me. ¡°Welcome to your new life.¡± Welcome to your new life. Chapter Three: The Warrior Chapter Three: The Warrior Yue was a Warrior. She was the youngest person ever to join Magefell''s personal army, the Vanguard. She was proud of it. She was nineteen now, and it was three years since she first joined the Vanguard. There had been no battle or war since she joined. A few skirmishes here and there, sure, and once a declaration of war was almost signed, but no actual battle had taken place. Her commanding officers always told her to be ready, though. Eventually, it would come. For now, it was a little dull only having to do a few chores, and cleaning up some messes in Magefell, but Yue liked it that way. She was still getting paid, even if she did nothing. She did often have the itch for a battle, but she ignored it. It would come when it came, if it ever came. Currently, she was lost in thought. It was early in the morning, maybe five o¡¯clock, and she had just woken up. She was in the barracks she shared with eleven other women. She only had half an hour to get ready, but she was tired. Was she lazy? Yes. She didn¡¯t mind, though. She was sure that everything important happened after lunch. That was just the way of the world. She forced herself to sit up. If she didn¡¯t get ready soon, her captain would be livid. He was generally a calm and collected man, but when it came to matters of schedule, he was extremely strict. Everyone in the Vanguard loved him, though, because of his protectiveness to everyone in the squad. He would prefer to die himself than kill off any of his soldiers. He would fight to the death to protect the ones he loved, and he was fierce. Thus, he earned the moniker Wolf. Most people just called him Captain Wolf. Some people didn¡¯t even know his real name. Yue grabbed her shirt and put it on. Ugh, she thought, it¡¯s too early. The sun¡¯s barely out. Slowly, she stood up and grabbed her pants. As she donned them, she hopped over to the bathroom. Yup, there were bags in her eyes. She grabbed the bucket her and her roommates shared for drinking. She would have to fill it up later, it was almost empty. She splashed the last of the water on her face. It was ice-cold due to the enchantment it had. It woke her up a little, enough to think clearly. She looked at the mirror they had attached to the bathroom and scowled. Her hair was a mess. The black locks were all over the place. She forced the stubborn hair down, and grabbed her fur cap. She put it on her head so her hair would stay down, and groggily walked to the door of her barracks, opened it, and remembered something. She shuffled back to her bed and grabbed her sword from where she''d left it. Then she left the room. She squinted her eyes. It was still dark. There was no point in waking up this early. ¡°Hey, Yue!¡± Yue looked to her side. Neena was sitting on the chair, perfectly ready and alert. ¡°Hhrmrhmh,¡± replied Yue in the least offensive way possible. ¡°You look tired,¡± Neena said happily, big eyes staring at her. That girl has all the energy in the world. She steals it from the rest of us. Yue really did not want to talk. Not until she had completely woken up. She ignored Neena and picked up her shoes. She sat down on one of the stairs on the porch outside her barrack, and set to pulling them on. Meanwhile, Neena was looking at her attentively. Yue started counting in her head to see how long it took for Neena to talk. One. Two. Three. Four. Five¡ª ¡°Did you sleep well, Yue?¡± Six. Seven. E¡ª Oh, wait. She talked. "I barely even slept, Neena!¡± Yue forced herself to respond. Her mouth barely worked that early in the morning. The petite eighteen year old responded immediately. ¡°I know, right? I¡¯m so tired.¡± Yue cocked my head, and raised one eyebrow. ¡°You? Tired? Really? I didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°Is that sarcasm, Yue?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m deadly serious. You have a gift, I think.¡± ¡°Really? You think so?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Yue finished tying her leather shoes. She walked out to find Wolf, and, of course, Neena followed, and Yue let her do the talking. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was a little more awake now. She had passed by the Vanguard refectory and grabbed some bacon. She was chewing it now, as she waited for the rest of the Vanguard to arrive. Neena, for once, wasn¡¯t speaking either, as she was eating too, so Yue had a moment of peace. She noticed some of the soldiers coming. The Vanguard was a pretty exclusive army, only two hundred soldiers were currently in the Vanguard. Still, she didn¡¯t know most of them. She might recognize the names and faces, but she had never talked to most of the people. She would only consider about a dozen of them her friends, anyway. The others she didn¡¯t trust. They were probably loyal, but only to the Vanguard. There were more than one hundred soldiers here in the green now, with more coming every minute. In five minutes, everyone would be here. If they weren¡¯t, they would be disciplined. The Wolf was like that. She was surprised that some soldiers were arriving now. They were risking being late. She¡¯d been late once. Never again. She¡¯d been suspended for a month, and even after she was allowed back in, she was on latrine duty for months. She shuddered. The Wolf arrived. He always arrived right on time. The muscled man with a scraggly beard looked surprisingly cheerful that day. Not that he was never happy, he just didn¡¯t show it normally. He looked around the green, smiling. Was anyone late? It wasn¡¯t time yet, maybe they would all come. The Wolf turned around and pointedly looked at his assistant. She nodded. Yue breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was here. The Wolf cleared his throat loudly. Everyone shut up immediately. He glared around for a minute daring anyone to talk. No one did. So he started to speak. His voice was booming, and he sounded joyful. ¡°Alright, everybody. I have good news today. This morning there are no practice or chores.¡± Before he could continue, a resounding cheer came from the crowd. Yue didn¡¯t join in. She was happy about it, but she was still waking up. ¡°Quiet down. QUIET DOWN!¡± The Wolf looked annoyed now. ¡°Please calm down. I¡¯m not done. As you know, Magefell is the most diverse and populated city in the world. It has no country, because it is its own country. As such, we also get the most immigrants and foreigners coming here to Magefell than anywhere else. With our population so large, along with the number of mages Magefell possesses, some countries feel the need to attack us. ¡°So,the Parliament and I have devised a way to terrify anyone wishing to attack us. We thought about a lot of options. We thought of comforting them. We also thought about attacking one of the countries. Instead, we hatched a plan. First, we decided we had to welcome them in somehow to prove we don''t bear ill will. Second, we decided to scare them as well. "The hard part was finding something that completed both goals. We decided to host a tournament here. Anyone from any nation is allowed to join if they so wish. Every nation will probably have dozens of soldiers coming for it. This week, we will focus on training for it. Then, we will win the tournament. ¡°This tournament will welcome people from all over, but if we win, it will scare them into not attacking us, We extend peace while at the same time frightening them with the idea of war against us. So, you better win. This week, we will conduct a mini tournament. You will compete with each other. Fifty of you will compete in the real tournament. So if you want to participate, fight well this week, and you will have your chance. Meet me here after lunch. That is all. Thank you.¡± Immediately, hushed voices ran all around the soldiers. Neena looked at Yue. ¡°What do you think about this?¡± She asked. ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to like this.¡± Neena sounded somewhat less excited than normal, but still bubbly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Yue. I think that this could end up being more hurtful than helpful. What if another nation wins? That could escalate into a thousand horrible possibilities.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m going to win.¡± A voice spoke from behind Yue: ¡°Not if I do it first.¡± Yue smiled and turned around to find Alyx standing there. The highly competitive girl was known to do anything to win. Yue had only known her for a year, when Alyx joined the Vanguard at twenty years old, but they had quickly bonded. ¡°You think you¡¯ll win, Al?¡± exclaimed Yue. ¡°You haven¡¯t won a sparring match against me in months.¡± ¡°But I have before,¡± replied Alyx, ¡°Haven''t I? ¡°That was a long time ago.¡± ¡°What happened once can happen again.¡± Neena butted in. ¡°Hey, girls, girls, quiet down. We all know that I¡¯m going to win anyway.¡± Alyx narrowed her eyes, smirking in a friendly way somehow. ¡°Is that a challenge, young one?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Alyx smiled softly. ¡°Alright then. Don¡¯t cry too much when you lose though.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It was lunch time. Yue had spent her morning sleeping. She always told her friends she wished there were more hours in the day so she could sleep more, and it was true. Sleeping was the best part of the day. It was just the way of the world. She was very awake now though. She was with Alyx, Neena, and Diamond, sitting down on a table in the park by their barracks. Pretty much everyone would be eating here. Their table was still half empty, and so it was only expected that some soldiers would try to join their table. They would only let certain people in. Diamond was Alyx¡¯s sister, three years older, but less skilled with the sword. She preferred the bow. Diamond had brought steak from the market, so they would all indulge themselves, as soon as the table was full. Eventually, a group of two girls and two guys hurried up to them. Yue knew them all, but she was only friends with three of them. Xander was a recent addition to the Vanguard, so she wasn¡¯t ready to trust him yet. He was a brown haired kid, and the oldest of all of them, just a month older than Diamond. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Aster was Yue¡¯s oldest friend here. They¡¯d known each other since they were ten. They were never particularly close, but they were friends, and they trusted each other. The dark-skinned girl was in a black top and black jeans. She had a wary look about her. She was suspicious of most people, which was why her trust was so valuable. Yue respected her a lot. Poli was the strangest of all of them. She joined the Vanguard two years before, and refused to tell them anything about her past. She was haunted, though. She found refuge in all of her friends, especially her boyfriend, who was holding her hand as he came over to them. Artemis, her boyfriend, was very protective of Poli. That¡¯s all Yue knew. She almost never talked to him. He was wearing a leather shirt and pants. He really did not care about fashion. They sat down, and Diamond cut up the beef. She passed the portions around the table. Immediately, Neena dug in, ripping through her cut of the meat with vigor. She stuck a piece in her mouth and her eyes widened. ¡°Mmm. This is good. Thanks, Diamond.¡± Diamond nodded. Soon, everyone started eating, except for Poli. She wasn¡¯t touching her food. ¡°Are you okay, Poli?¡± Artemis asked, food still in his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t like this tournament. I would prefer it just didn¡¯t happen.¡± Poli sounded scared. ¡°Why not?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°It sounds like a lot of fun.¡± ¡°No, the mages are going to ruin it.¡± Yue was interested now. ¡°What do the mages have to do with this?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the two factions of Mages?¡± Most people shook their heads, so Poli explained. ¡°Most mages fall into one category. They¡¯re the normal everyday mages. They can be evil. They can be good. But they believe in the system we have here in Magefell. They uphold it and follow the law. No problem there. It¡¯s the other faction I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the other faction?¡± Aster asked carefully. Poli shuddered. ¡°They don¡¯t agree with the political state here. They used to be a small percentage of mages but they¡¯re growing. They think that Mages are divine beings. They revere Dautha.¡± ¡°Dautha?¡± ¡°Their supposed God of Death. They want to bring about the day of judgment, where Dautha comes down and blesses Mages with eternal power. It was never a concern until recently. The problem is that they don¡¯t seem like bad people. I have a friend who worships Dautha, and he¡¯s a good friend, but his ideals are wrong, and if I got in his way, he would probably kill me.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with the tournament?¡± Now everyone felt chilled. Magic was an unknown to all of them. Something completely out of their control. ¡°My friend, Axl, told me a rumor they¡¯re planning something for the tournament. Whatever it is, it won¡¯t be good. It might be a show of superiority from the mages. Or it might be the day of Judgment they¡¯re trying to bring. Either way, something¡¯s coming, and it¡¯s bad. If Axl confirms the rumor for me, I¡¯m leaving. For good. I can¡¯t stay to see what will happen.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m going with her.¡± Artemis was glaring at everyone, daring them to disagree. Neena did. ¡°Poli, you can¡¯t! Can we talk about it?¡± ¡°What is there to talk about? I¡¯m not staying here to witness the apocalypse.¡± ¡°Maybe we can do something about it,¡± ventured Diamond. ¡°No, they¡¯re more powerful than you can imagine.¡± ¡°Then we bring them down.¡± ¡°Diamond, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°I agree with Poli,¡± Alyx said calmly. Neena looked horrified. ¡°I don¡¯t like this at all.¡± Diamond smiled grimly. ¡°How close is Axl to the leaders of this mage cult?¡± Poli shrugged. ¡°No one knows who the leaders are. Axl for sure doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Does he know anyone in the cult?¡± ¡°A couple people, not many.¡± ¡°Then we start a rumor.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Diamond,¡± Yue asked. She was judging the reaction of everybody. Xander was strangely silent, and Neena looked ready to cry. ¡°I mean, Poli tells Axl something that scares the cult. Something false. We could say the Wolf told us that the Parliament is onto them. Something that will make them pause.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work. They have members in the parliament.¡± ¡°Then we infiltrate them,¡± Diamond looked desperate. ¡°One of them joins them.¡± ¡°How?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Only mages are allowed, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± Xander spoke for the first time. ¡°My parents are members.¡± ¡°You know about this?¡± Poli asked. ¡°Yes. And I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll join the club. My parents always tried to convert me. I¡¯ll just say they convinced me. I¡¯ll find out what they¡¯re doing. I already know a lot about them anyway. I can always protect myself if worst comes to worst.¡± Aster butted in. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. If what Poli says is true¡­¡± ¡°It is,¡± Poli retorted. ¡°I never said it wasn¡¯t . If it is true, then you joining them puts you in danger. They would kill you if they found you out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a risk I¡¯m willing to take, if it saves us from Judgment Day.¡± ¡°We should vote on it,¡± Axl said. ¡°Good idea,¡± Diamond replied. ¡°First, everyone agrees to keep this a secret.¡± It was unanimous. No one would talk about this outside of the group, so Diamond continued. ¡°Xander, if we vote against you going, will you refrain from joining the cult?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Swear it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re not going. We can stop you.¡± ¡°Fine. I swear that I will not go if you decide that I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll start the voting. Xander obviously votes that he should go. I vote against it.¡± Diamond looked at Poli. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°It sounds like unnecessary danger to me. I vote against it.¡± ¡°Artemis?¡± Artemis crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m with Poli.¡± ¡°How about you, Alyx?¡± ¡°I vote for it.¡± Xander smiled. Diamond looked betrayed. ¡°Neena?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I trust Xander, so I vote for it.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Aster responded quickly. ¡°It comes down to you, Yue. What do you think?¡± Xander asked pointedly. Yue was thinking. On the one hand, it sounded too dangerous. If word got out, the cult would come after them. Possibly, they would delay Judgment Day, but the cult would definitely try again. If she voted for it, Xander was going to try to outmaneuver an opponent much smarter than him. On the other hand, it was a cult. They were trying to belittle non-mages, and that was downright wrong. If Xander had a chance to undermine them, shouldn¡¯t he take it? It was a difficult choice, one Yue wasn¡¯t prepared to make. She¡¯d never been involved in something as crazy and dangerous as this, and it could jeopardize everyone she knew. Was it a risk she was willing to take? ¡°Yue?¡± She looked up at all of them. Xander, looking grim and determined. Neena, looking scared and unsure. Alyx, smiling with the thought of this challenge. Poli and Artemis, eyes darting around like they were running away any minute. Aster, looking straight at Yue, unblinking, silently asking her to agree. And Diamond, looking angrily at everyone. Yue opened her mouth and spoke. Only three words, but they would change everything: ¡°I¡¯m with Xander.¡± Alyx and Aster nodded in approval. Neena didn¡¯t move or speak. Xander laughed happily, and sighed in relief. Poli and Artemis grumbled, but Yue knew they would go along loyally, and trust Xander. Diamond stood up, fists banging on the table. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing,¡± she screamed. ¡°You¡¯ll get us all killed. How could you do this, Yue? Look what you¡¯ve done!¡± She stormed off, leaving them looking at each other somberly. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Everyone was in the green now. Diamond was keeping her distance from the rest of them, clearly still mad. Poli and Artemis only talked amongst themselves now, but otherwise everything was back to normal. Almost as if everyone forgot what happened. The Wolf was there already. He and a team of workers had set up a ring for the Vanguard Tournament. ¡°I heard that the Wolf has a list of the first match-ups already,¡± Neena whispered to Yue and Alyx. ¡°You wanna go see who we¡¯re going up against.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± They walked over to the captain, with Aster following behind. The Wolf looked them up and down. ¡°I expect you want to know who you¡¯re fighting first, eh?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Alyx, confident as ever. ¡°Alright then. Neena Spangler,¡± Neena sprung to attention and saluted. ¡°No need for that. You will be facing Jordan Hill.¡± Neena sighed in relief. Sparring any soldier in the Vanguard would be tough, but Jordan was one of the most inexperienced. ¡°Alyx Holt, you will be facing Celena Kollier.¡± Alyx nodded in approval. ¡°A worthy foe,¡± she intoned. The Wolf cocked his eyebrow a little but kept reading. ¡°Aster Yarrow, you will go up against Maia Hirnandez.¡± ¡°And finally, Yue Zhang, you will be sparring Kol Guyhian.¡± Yue cursed. He was one of the most elite in the Vanguard, and one of the oldest in the squad, having thirty-five summers already. Tough match. ¡°Ooh, Yue, I think you¡¯re going to lose your first match,¡± Alyx said, smirking. ¡°Oh, and you think you¡¯ll beat Celena, huh?¡± ¡°Eh, she¡¯s an easy opponent.¡± ¡°For me, maybe. We¡¯ll see how you do.¡± The Wolf cut in. ¡°Ladies, shut up, and go back to where you came from. I am about to officially start the tournament, and I don¡¯t want to hear your incessant bickering while I¡¯m trying to speak!¡± Yue and the rest walked back to the group. ¡°Who do you got?¡± Xander asked Yue, half-whisperingly. ¡°Kol.¡± ¡°Oof.¡± Xander said pityingly. ¡°Good luck. I got Seb.¡± ¡°Nice. You got this.¡± ¡°I hope so. But I don¡¯t want to make it in the tournament, so I think I¡¯m going to lose on purpose.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The longer I stay here, the less time I¡¯m with the cult.¡± ¡°Fair. Just be careful there.¡± ¡°I will. I promise.¡± The Wolf started talking then, so they shut up. ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the first Vanguard Tournament.¡± Cheers erupted from the green, Yue joining in. She was excited to start. ¡°As you already know, fifty of you will pass on to the real tournament, only the best. We have here a ring where half of the matches will take place. The other half are on the left ring, over on the other side of the green.¡± Yue craned her neck, and could see the other ring. It was a little far away, but close enough that if she had friends fighting on both rings, she would be able to watch both. She noticed that the Wolf was still speaking, so she focused on him again. ¡°For the real tournament, we will be using real armor and weapons. But, because we do not want to injure you in any way beforehand, you will be using weighted wooden swords and no armor. I have the weapons over here. You may only touch them when your match is starting. In the real tournament, the match ends with first blood. This one ends when you hit a critical spot. Good luck everyone. The first two matches start in fifteen minutes. I have already told the first competitors to prepare themselves. Please come forward. The rest can start to train for your matchup, watch these first two matchups, or just wait for your matchup. Either way, no one is allowed to leave the green until today¡¯s part of the tournament is done. That is all. Thank you.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The next hour caused a mix of emotions in Jade. For a while, she was just talking to her friends, no problem there. Then, Neena had her matchup, so Yue, as a good friend, felt nervous for her. Neena crushed it though. Poli and Artemis both lost, sadly, causing a little anxiety in Yue. Then she had felt the mounting nervousness of her match with Kol. He looked at her once, and smiled knowingly. She thought she was going to win. The problem was he seemed to know he was going to win. She had tried to breathe easy, but she knew that the first match would be one of the most important. She had to win. Then Aster¡¯s matchup came, and what a match that was! It was the longest game so far, lasting a full seven minutes. Aster and Celena gave it all they got, and both were sweating hard by the end. Aster just barely won, and had needed five minutes before she even talked to them. Even now, she seemed to be catching her breath. Now Yue was trying to not let her anxiety show. Her matchup was coming. When the Wolf called her, she would go, and spar with Kol. She was as ready as she could be, but was that enough? She noticed the Wolf walking towards her. ¡°It¡¯s time?¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± When they got to the ring, Kol was already there. He nodded to her, and she nodded back stiffly. ¡°Alright, soldiers,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°I want a nice clean fight. Injuring the other soldier is illegal. No hand-to-hand combat. If the other person surrenders, the match is done. You have five minutes to prepare¡± Yue walked over to her friends. She noticed that there were more people watching this match than any other. Of course. It was Kol and Yue, two of the best soldiers in the Vanguard, if not the best. Everyone wanted to see this. Neena saw her and waved to her. Yue nodded at her. ¡°You got this, Yue,¡± Aster told her. ¡°You¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Yeah, Yue, you got this.¡± I¡¯m ready. All her friends started giving her encouragement, even Diamond, who still looked a little pissed. ¡°Good luck, Yue!¡± ¡°We¡¯re rooting for you, Yue!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ll beat him, Yue!¡± I¡¯m ready. Yue looked at all of them. ¡°Thanks.¡± Her five minutes were up too soon. She walked over to the Wolf and Kol, who were waiting for her. The Wolf looked at her. ¡°You ready?¡± I¡¯m ready. She nodded once again. ¡°Alright,¡± the Wolf exclaimed. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± Yue looked down and took a deep breath. I¡¯m ready. I¡¯m ready. I¡¯m Ready. Yue looked up, glaring at Kol. I¡¯M READY! Chapter Four: The Vanguard Tournament Chapter Four: The Vanguard Tournament Yue entered the ring with Kol. She went to the left side, while Kol went to the right. She took a couple deep breaths. She looked more confident now. From outside the ring, Neena waved at her, and Alyx nodded respectfully. She positioned her wooden sword and got ready for the Wolf to start the match. ¡°Are you ready?¡± The Wolf asked them. Both of them nodded. ¡°Alright, when you hear the bell, you may start.¡± She waited. One. Two. DING. The match started. Immediately, Yue and Kol both took a stance. Kol took a defensive stance, clearly letting her strike first. Yue knew she should attack first, because tiring him out probably wouldn¡¯t work, so she slowly walked over to him, with more of an offensive stance. She feinted to the left to get a feel for his defense, and he subtly looked down and noticed how her foot changed. Then he moved to the side quickly to dodge her swing from the right. Yue smiled. Kol was smart. She swung a little too high, and then turned her sword to strike his side. He easily blocked it, and swung straight at her neck. Instincts took over. She ducked, and thrust at his side. But he wasn¡¯t there anymore. She saw something from the corner of her eye, and swung her sword just in time to block the sword that was right next to her eye. She started to sweat. He knew what he was doing. Yue backed off to regain her composure. He was toying with her. Then he switched his stance. He wanted to finish the match now, and he advanced on her, moving lightly. He swung hard, and she barely blocked. He smiled, and attacked with a series of thrusts and lunges that left Yue barely standing. She was clearly losing. She needed to change something. She lost her footing. She fell hard on the ground, and Kol immediately struck at her to end it. She smiled, and a moment¡¯s hesitation came into his eyes. Then she swept her feet under him. He tumbled to the ground, shocked as she regained her footing. She swung at him, but he crawled out of the way, and stood up. He was pissed now. He glared at her, and the meaning was clear. Now it gets serious. This time both of them attacked. She swung, and dodged his blow, trying to get an advantage. She noticed how his left foot was slightly off. Huh. It¡¯s the fall. It must have hurt him. She swung at his left leg, and connected, but he didn¡¯t fall. She realized what was going on seconds before the sword connected with her arm. Only by sheer luck she didn¡¯t drop her sword. Kol had tricked her. She couldn¡¯t believe she fell for it. Yue was getting tired. Clearly, this match was taking too long. Both were breathing heavily. So she took one last gamble. Either she would win here or lose here. She attacked ferociously, giving everything she had for one last attack. He didn¡¯t expect that. He dodged slowly, and she kept lunging. She threw her foot forwards, and swung with her sword. He blocked her sword, but didn¡¯t notice her foot as he moved to the side. He tripped on it, and as he tried to keep standing, she swung her sword, and stopped it half an inch from his neck. Yue couldn¡¯t believe it. I won. Cheers came from her friends. Everyone¡¯s jaw was on the floor. ¡°Congratulations to Yue Zhang, the winner of this match,¡± The Wolf shouted. ¡°Good luck to both of you in the next round.¡± As she left the ring, catching her breath, Kol extended his hand towards her. Yue shook it. Mutual respect was the best thing one soldier in the Vanguard could give another. She was proud of what she had done. I can¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ve won. I WON. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that, Yue. That was insane!¡± Neena was very excited. Yue was smiling widely. ¡°I¡¯m just better than Kol. He thinks that the sword is everything. He shouldn¡¯t have forgotten his footing.¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°You beat Kol, and now you¡¯re an expert in sparring. You¡¯re letting it get to your head already, Yue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous,¡± Yue told Alyx, teasing her lightly. ¡°Hey, guys, Poli is in the ring now. Wanna check on her? Diamond is there too.¡± They walked over to the ring in time to see Poli disarm her opponent, and touch her sword to his heart. As she got out of the ring, Neena called her. ¡°POLI!¡± Poli saw her come over, and, obviously, Artemis came with. ¡°Where¡¯s Diamond, Poli? She was with you.¡± Poli frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Artemis?¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°She left right after the match started. She didn¡¯t look happy.¡± ¡°She does that all the time when she¡¯s mad,¡± Alyx sounded annoyed. ¡°She¡¯ll come to.¡± ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Neena said cautiously, ¡°is that Xander?¡± Yue looked back. It was Xander, he was running towards them, and his face looked horrified. When Xander caught up to them, Alyx, Poli, and Neena started asking him what was wrong. ¡°Let him catch his breath,¡± Artemis told them. Xander nodded in thanks and took a minute to breath. Then he looked at them, terrified. ¡°You have to see it. It¡¯s Diamond.¡± Yue and Alyx looked at each other. Something was wrong. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue and Alyx arrived first at the Second Female Barracks, which was where Diamond stayed. They waited for the rest to arrive, all panting. They¡¯d gotten permission from the Wolf to delay their games until they came back. When the others arrived, Alyx opened the door and immediately walked in. The others were about to follow suit until Poli spoke. ¡°Wait, Artemis, Xander, you can¡¯t go in. Y¡¯all are both guys. It¡¯s not allowed.¡± Xander¡¯s gaze was like steel. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Diamond asked me to call you. I¡¯m not getting left behind.¡± Poli frowned but let them pass. Alyx was reading something, hand on her mouth. Diamond was on her bed, speechless. ¡°Who did this, Diamond?¡± Alyx asked angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was just here. On my bed. I¡­What do I do?¡± ¡°What is it, Alyx?¡± Yue was desperate to know what was going on, and by everyone else¡¯s faces, they were the same. Alyx gave Yue the paper, and she read it, jaw dropping, Neena and Xander reading it with her. On one side of the paper there was an unmistakable drawing of Diamond on the floor, blood pooling on the ground. The drawing was clearly made by a professional artist. Either that or a mage. Only someone who practiced for years could draw something so realistic. But the truly horrifying part was the note on the back: You have only a couple hours to live. Recant of your sins or be punished. Your time of judgment is here. Tonight you die. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Captain, Captain!¡± The Wolf was focusing on one of the sparring matches, and Diamond had to shake him to get him to turn around. The whole group was with her, acting as her bodyguards, much against Diamond¡¯s wishes. The Wolf looked at them. ¡°What do you want?¡± Diamond gave him the note. He read it slowly, looked at the back, and read it a second time. ¡°This was sent to you?¡± The Wolf asked calmly. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Do you know who sent it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent it! What do we do, Captain Wolf?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything.¡± To the protests of the group, he continued. ¡°It¡¯s probably a prank. Even so, I will find a way to protect her. I can¡¯t guarantee anything, but you need to stay by her unless she or you are sparring. I will keep some bodyguards around her. Is that satisfactory?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we hide her or something?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°No. The tournament must continue. We will catch who sent this, don¡¯t worry. For now, just enjoy the tournament. Diamond nodded reluctantly and walked off, the others following her. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The rest of the afternoon passed without problems. Each had several matchups in the tournament to mixed results. Alyx crushed it. She¡¯d played twelve games, and only lost once, to Kol of all people. Of course, Kol had won every single game since Yue¡¯s. And of course, Yue teased Alyx mercilessly about it. Alyx was definitely in the top fifty, so she was moving on for sure. Poli was another story. Of the ten games she¡¯s played, she¡¯d only won three. She was struggling, and she¡¯d blamed it on the stress from the note. Alyx said it was just an excuse, but Yue saw the haunted look in Poli¡¯s eyes. Yue asked her about it, and Poli said she thought that the cult had written that note. She said it was all because they had talked at lunch. Yue thought it was far-fetched, but the other girl was dead set. And scared. Poli was very scared. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Artemis had done better. He had won six of his ten. He was about average, which he was fine with. He didn¡¯t like sparring. He was very aggressive normally when he fought, but with sparring, he took it carefully. That caused him to lose some of his matchups. But, since he was in the Vanguard, he was still better at sword-fighting than most soldiers in any other army. Xander did really well. He had only played nine so far, but he had won seven. He was waiting to play his tenth game for a while, and he was practicing his stances over and over again for almost half an hour now. He was always stressed when it came to something competitive, and he always let it show, purposefully or not. Aster had disappointed herself a little, winning only seven of her eleven games so far. That was good, but she had lost to Alyx, which frustrated her. So much so that she hadn¡¯t won a game since. She had won her first seven in a row. It was sad to see Aster so demoralized, but she would bounce back up. She always did. Diamond had been very careful of the outside of the ring while sparring, and, because of that, had lost four of her seven games. Neena was doing pretty good, winning five of her eight. She was getting really tired, though, and was constantly clumsy with her lunges. If she didn¡¯t recover from her exhaustion, she wouldn¡¯t win any of her other matchups. And Yue, she was on top of the world. She was the only one who had not lost a match yet, and she had done ten. She didn¡¯t even feel a little tired, and she was excited for her next match. She was sure she would win, as she would the next one, and the next. She was feeling a little arrogant. And she loved it. The Wolf had recently announced that those that lost more than half of their games would be eliminated today, and would not move on to tomorrow¡¯s phase, which got a lot of soldiers fighting desperately, some successfully, others a lot less so. The Wolf had not ignored Diamond. He had given her two bodyguards, also from the Vanguard, albeit veterans, and he had constantly been asking her if anything had happened. It seemed like the note might have been a prank, but everyone was still cautious about it. Now dinner was being served before the last matchups happened. Yue wasn¡¯t too hungry, adrenaline running through her, but her friends were famished, especially Neena. They were devouring their food, while Yue nibbled it slowly. ¡°Well, this has been fun, ladies and gentlemen,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But I have come out on top.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Yue said, cocking her eyebrow. ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t count,¡± complained Alyx. ¡°I haven¡¯t sparred with you yet. I would win the match, obviously..¡± ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°I know so.¡± ¡°I clearly remember you getting whooped by Kol.¡± Alyx glared at Yue, ¡°He got lucky. It happens. Not everyone wins every single game, except you apparently.¡± Yue chuckled. Aster looked at Alyx. ¡°You¡¯re speaking of luck. How about the fact that there was a rock right behind me and that¡¯s how you beat me?¡± ¡°It was skill.¡± ¡°You beating me because I slipped on a rock was skill?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Alyx said. Yue snorted. ¡°Only you do, for some reason.¡± ¡°Exactly. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± Alyx said, laughing. Yue rolled her eyes. ¡°You ever heard of humility?¡± She asked. ¡°That¡¯s my middle name.¡± ¡°Wait, really?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a little ironic.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Yue snorted. ¡°Nothin, nothing. Hey, Aster!¡± Aster looked over at her. ¡°Did you hear that Alyx¡¯s middle name is Humility?¡± Aster laughed loudly. ¡°That¡¯s hilarious. What a misnomer!¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°You girls are insufferable, you know that?¡± Yue acted hurt. ¡°What? That¡¯s so mean, Humility.¡± Alyx glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Neena giggled. ¡°Oh, guys, my match is here,¡± Neena told them. ¡°Are y''all going to watch?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Sure. Who are you up against?¡± ¡°Celena.¡± ¡°Nice. Good luck. You got this.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± She walked over to the ring, where Celena was waiting for her. Soon they walked into the ring and the match started. Neena was a very cautious fighter, only attacking when there was a good chance she would get a strike. She was wary of Celena, who was immediately on the offensive. She attacked Neena, and Neena was forced back. While the fight went on, Yue started to think. She had a lot on her mind now. First was the tournament. She was loving it so far, and she was sure she''d be going to the real tournament, but the whole idea for the tournament was a little sketchy. It really didn¡¯t feel like a good way to warn other countries. She didn¡¯t really have any other ideas on how to do that, but creating a tournament designed to scare the other nations seemed wrong, somehow. What was the parliament really doing? Was this something the cult designed? The cult was the second thing on her mind. She regretted the decision to let Xander go a little. She still had time to recant her vote, but she probably shouldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t know much about the cult. It all came out of the blue for her, and she had acted only in the moment. She trusted her friends, but she¡¯d only heard about the cult from Xander and Poli. Was it even really real? Was it as bad as they said? Sure, the thought of the cult brought chills, and Poli really was scared, which meant she did believe it, but, at the same time, as long as Yue had been born, the cult had never done anything. Why now? Poli said they were growing in numbers. Was that the reason? If they were growing in numbers, didn¡¯t that mean that anyone could be part of the cult. If the cult was real, shouldn¡¯t she distrust everyone? Her head was hurting now. This type of thought always bugged her. She never did trust anyone immediately, but knowing that she couldn¡¯t trust anyone could be scary. Half of her hoped the cult wasn¡¯t real. She still had another thing on her mind. The note Diamond got. Why had she gotten it? Who sent it? Would it really happen? What should she recant? There were so many questions she had about it, and it was stressing her out. It did seem like a prank now, but maybe that¡¯s what the person wanted them to think. Who could it even be? Could it be anyone Yue knew? She didn¡¯t think so, because most of her friends had been with her during that time, but not all of them. Could it be Xander? He was gone for a while. She shook her head roughly. Accusing her friends wouldn¡¯t do any good. But a small voice in her head was accusing them. Especially Diamond. She was mad at them for the whole conversation. Maybe she was pulling this prank to get back at them. But what would that do? Would she really have done that? Yue thought she knew Diamond, but people acted unexpectedly sometimes. Or maybe, the person who sent the note wasn¡¯t anyone she knew. That was scary. It could be a mage! She doubted it, only soldiers were allowed in the barracks, but magic could get anyone through undetected. If anyone asked her, she would deny it, but she was a little scared. She was hoping the rest of the night went well. If it did, she would try to forget today. Speaking of Diamond, where was she? She looked around urgently. There she was. She was fine, laughing with Aster. You¡¯re acting paranoid, Yue! She knew she was, but she couldn¡¯t stop. Being paranoid never hurt anyone, right? It was better to be extra cautious than not cautious at all. You¡¯re going crazy over this. She wasn¡¯t going crazy, right? Right? She shook herself out of her thoughts, and looked at the match, just in time to see Celena force Neena down, and put her sword on Neena''s throat. Neena looked heartbroken. That was sad, but she would move on to tomorrow¡¯s tournament, so it didn¡¯t matter too much. Yue went over to console a crushed Neena, and Neena smiled in gratitude. Soon enough, she was laughing with her friends again. She was a very innocent girl, and Yue would do anything to protect her. Not that Neena couldn¡¯t protect herself, but Yue still protected her. Neena was like the little sister she never had. Yue loved her deeply. Yue suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion come over her. She was tired. Her adrenaline had just stopped it. Kol''s fight had given her the confidence boost to overcome any stress and fatigue that came her way. She hadn¡¯t had a match in a while, so she was getting really tired. She wanted to sleep. But it looked like it would be another long night. The next hour for her passed strangely, like she was in a daze, drifting in and out of consciousness. She tried hard to concentrate on her friends¡¯ games, but it grew hard. She had one match, and that was the only time she didn¡¯t feel as tired, but that was now twenty minutes ago, and she now had one game left. And it was against Diamond. Yue had sparred with Diamond only once. The day she had joined the Vanguard, Diamond had challenged her. They¡¯d never talked about it afterward. Yue had gotten humbled. She¡¯d never forgotten that moment, holding it in like a grudge. She wasn¡¯t as nervous as she was for Kol¡¯s fight, but she was still a little anxious. Plus, Diamond had only won four of her nine games. If she won this one, she would pass to the second day. But if she lost, she wouldn¡¯t. This meant Diamond would be trying harder than normal. Of course, Yue wasn¡¯t going to go easy on her, but she felt a little bad for having to whoop her. That¡¯s if you do beat her. She shook her head. I will win. How do you know? I¡¯ve won every game until now? There¡¯s a first time for everything. Shut up. I will win. No¨C Shut up. How do you¡­ SHUT UP!!! Her internal doubts faded. She had to believe she was going to win. If you thought you would lose, you would lose. That was just the way of the world. She usually struggled with her internal thoughts. It¡¯d been a problem for a long time. She had always thought it was normal, until her friends told her they didn¡¯t argue with their doubts. Her parents just called it an active imagination. It was just normal to Yue. It was also on and off. Her thoughts hadn¡¯t talked before she had fought Kol, but they were talking now. She shook herself out of her head as she saw Diamond walking towards her. ¡°You ready?¡± Diamond asked. ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯m gonna win, too.¡± ¡°I won last time.¡± ¡°That was three years ago,¡± Yue told her indignantly. ¡°True, you¡¯ve improved since then. But so have I.¡± Yue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Hey, let''s do bets. We should get the rest of the group to bet on us.¡± Diamond smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll call them.¡± Soon enough, she had gathered the entire group, and had explained the bets to them. Each was betting a silver sphere. Alyx, obviously betted on Diamond. Alyx never betted on Yue, and Yue never betted on her. That was just how their competitiveness worked. For once, Poli and Artemis disagreed, Poli betting for Diamond, and Artemis for Yue. Neena, as always, was very supportive of Yue. Aster also betted for Yue. Xander betted on Diamond, for some reason. Yue was beginning to think Xander had a crush on her. Diamond and Yue heard the Wolf calling them, so they went forward. He gave them the swords and spoke to them: ¡°Y''all are good friends, so I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you the rules. Just don¡¯t hurt each other. And watch her back, Yue. That is all. Get ready.¡± Diamond and Yue nodded at him, and left to breathe and prepare themselves. Five minutes later, they were in the ring. Yue glared at Diamond. Diamond smiled back. The Wolf looked at both of them ¡°Yue, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Diamond, are you ready? ¡°I am:¡± ¡°All right, you may start at the ring of the bell.¡± Time slowed down for Yue. She looked around at everyone. It was time to beat Diamond. She readied herself in an offensive stance. DING-DING! Immediately, Yue attacked Diamond, lunging with her sword at Diamond¡¯s left side. Diamond easily blocked it and stepped back, putting her sword in the way of Yue¡¯s lunge. Then, Diamond stabbed at Yue''s midriff. Yue dodged it, and stepped out of the way. She feinted to the left. Diamond fell for it, and when Yue brought her sword in from the left, Diamond wasn¡¯t ready. She put her hand in the way, which caused the sword to hit her hand. She reeled back, and shook her hand, clearly bruised. Yue felt bad, but she had done that to not finish the match, so Yue attacked again, not allowing Diamond to catch her breath. Diamond was caught off guard, expecting Yue to wait for her, and barely got her sword in the way. Then Yue stepped back. Diamond glared at her. ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble, Yue!¡± Diamond growled semi-angrily. Yue laughed. ¡°Bring it on.¡± What followed next could only be called desperation. Diamond clearly knew she was outmatched, so she played to her strength, being unexpected. She swung wildly, hoping Yue would try to block her stabs and not attack her. Yue anticipated the wild swing, and didn¡¯t even block it. Instead she moved left, out of reach of Diamond¡¯s sword, and thrust her sword, hitting Diamond¡¯s thigh. Diamond stumbled back. The match was basically done. Diamond was limping. Clearly, she wouldn¡¯t last long. Yue moved in for the kill. Diamond moved back, and stumbled, dropping her sword. She fell hard on her back, and looked at Yue. Yue stabbed down, but Diamond struggled out of the way. She grabbed her sword from where she dropped it, and got up quickly, still limping. Yue attacked again, and this time, Diamond couldn¡¯t block it. She took several hits to her arms and legs, just barely protecting her critical spots. She was breathing hard. Yue let her adrenaline fuel her, not letting herself think of Diamond as a friend. For now she was an opponent. She swung hard, knocking Diamond¡¯s sword out of her hands. It was time. The match was done. She just had to swing once. She stabbed at Diamond¡¯s neck, preparing to stop right beside her neck. Before she could stab, Diamond¡¯s eyes widened, and she gurgled. Then she started to fall. Yue caught her right before she fell. What the hell was going on? Diamond was clearly choking now, spittle running down her mouth. Yue turned her over. She gasped, then retched. There was a knife stuck in Diamond¡¯s back, blood pooling from the wound it created. The crowd collectively gasped. Alyx screamed. She ran into the ring, and grabbed Diamond, tearing her out of Yue¡¯s grasp. ¡°Speak to me, Diamond, Are you ok? Diamond? DIAMOND!¡± Alyx was crying visibly now. Yue was trying not to vomit. Diamond looked slowly at both of them, barely breathing. She only said one word before she died, and Yue knew that word would haunt her forever. ¡°Help.¡± Help. Chapter Five: Zenyth Chapter Five: Zenyth I wake up, slowly. I feel groggy. I¡¯m still wearing the clothes I was wearing yesterday. Where am I? I sit up and look around. I¡¯m on a bed, across from a desk. It has a chair, and two drawers. Next to my bed is a wardrobe. Across from the wardrobe is a wooden door. The room is black, and it¡¯s not because of the light. The sun is already shining in my room, through a window above the desk. Is it my room? I try to remember what happened last night. I¡¯m feeling too tired to think, but I try anyway. Slowly, last night starts to come back to me. I¡¯m at the academy. I had to leave Jade¡­ Suddenly, the realization of it all hits me. I¡¯m somewhere completely new. I know that someone told me something important yesterday night. Last night¡¯s memories hit me, and I remember everything. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª As the doorman lets me in, I look around the hallway I just entered. It¡¯s dark, so I can¡¯t see most of it, but I can see enough to recognize the paintings on the walls. They are the famous paintings that depict the Battle of Magefell. Only the mages know what happened during the battle, but the paintings are famous. I pass by one that shows two mages in combat, one sending a lightning strike through another¡¯s heart. I keep walking. I¡¯m getting tired. I reach the end of the hallway. There¡¯s another door here. I knock on it. Nobody answers. I wait a minute and knock again. One minute. Knock. Two minutes. Three. I tentatively open the door. There¡¯s a room here. There are no furnishings on it.A man is sitting on a chair, facing me. He has a dark beard, and his flowing robes mark him as a mage. I would put his age around thirty-five. ¡°Welcome to Zenyth, Zade Helstorm,¡± He says. ¡°My name is Aegon. I am a High Mage here at Zenyth. Tomorrow you shall initiate your training. Today, I will merely explain a few things and show you to your room.¡± He stands up, and waves me forward. ¡°Come, we must talk.¡± I follow him through a door I hadn¡¯t noticed before, and Aegon starts to speak. I¡¯m too enthralled in what he¡¯s saying to notice my surroundings. ¡°You are here because you have the power to be a Mage. What you do with that power is up to you. Tomorrow, you will be asked to choose your training, Choose wisely. It may decide your future. ¡°Here at Zenyth we have four buildings. Tomorrow, you will be shown through all four of them ¡°The first is the Zenyth Academy. There, all the students spend their time. They eat, sleep, and train there. There is a library, a game room, and a cafeteria there as well. You will spend your time there most of the week. ¡°The second place is the Zenyth Sanctuary. That is where the resident mages live. It includes a much more comprehensive library, along with many other tools mages use. You will rarely be allowed there. Do not let me catch you where you should not be. Is that clear?¡± I nod. ¡°The third place is the Zenyth High Court. You will never be allowed there, unless the trial involves you in some way. ¡°The fourth building is the Mission¡¯s Gate. There, Mages get jobs, get recruited for missions, and there most decisions are made. You will be allowed there, but there shall be no reason to unless you are graduating. ¡°You will learn more about everything tomorrow. For now, you must sleep. Ah, here is your room. We have made clothes for you already. They are in your wardrobe. If there is anything you need, just ask. We will provide it. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll leave you to it. Tomorrow, a student will show you around, and you will start your training. That is all.¡± Aegon leaves. I watch him as he turns a corner, then open the door to my room. I prop my sword next to a bed. I¡¯m too tired to look around my room. I plop into bed, and immediately fall asleep. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I stand up. Someone¡¯s knocking on my door. I should probably have woken up already. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute!¡± I shout. I throw off the clothes I¡¯m wearing, and look in the wardrobe. I quickly select a black uniform, and black pants. There¡¯s also a black robe, but I don¡¯t really care for it. I grab my sword, in its sheath obviously, and tie it around my belt. Then I open the door. There¡¯s a boy standing there, about my age, dark hair clashing perfectly with his black clothes. He looks like he¡¯s been awake for a couple of hours already. He nods at me. ¡°You should probably put your cloak on, before anyone gets mad at you, Every mage in training must wear it.¡± I grumble and turn around. I return to the wardrobe, and take out the robe. Ugh. I put it on. The boy thrusts his hand out, and I shake it. ¡°I¡¯m Xavier. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Zade. Same. Excuse me if I¡¯m a little rude. I just woke up.¡± Xavier smiles. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it here. I arrived here a week ago. I already started my training. Since I¡¯m new, they decided I would be the best one to show you around. We should go eat breakfast now. The cafeteria stops serving it in half an hour.¡± ¡°Alright. Then what are we waiting for?¡± I ask him. He smiles. Then he takes off. I run after him, and, five minutes later, we are at the cafeteria. It is a big room that could probably fit over one thousand people, if it didn¡¯t have so many chairs. There are over one hundred people of all ages sitting on them and eating. There¡¯s a kitchen to one side, which is where Xavier is heading. I walk after him. In the kitchen, a cook is working. She sees us, and gruffly asks us a question: ¡°What will y¡¯all be having today, bacon or sausage?¡± Both Xavier and I ask for bacon, and she hands it to us. It¡¯s not a lot, but it¡¯ll keep me going for a few hours. ¡°The cafeteria is open only for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you can always ask for snacks. Just don¡¯t come too often," Xavier tells ms. ¡°They don¡¯t like it when you do that.¡± I nod as we take a seat on one of the tables. I sit across from a blonde kid, who looks like he just turned thirteen, and puberty is hitting him hard. ¡°Hey,¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯m Zade. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Astil,¡± the boy responds. ¡°Are you new?¡± ¡°Yes, Xavier is showing me around.¡± ¡°Nice. I¡¯m new too. I arrived two days ago. Just started my training. I¡¯m really excited. I love magic.¡± He turns to Xavier. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Xavier nods at him, chewing. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I learned how to shield myself from fire yesterday.¡± I turn to him. ¡°Really? That¡¯s so cool! Can you show me?¡± He finishes his bite. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know. Fine, I¡¯ll do it,¡± he says, trying to sound reluctant but failing. First he grabs a napkin, and closes his eyes. He¡¯s concentrating. I can tell. Then the napkin catches on fire. My jaw drops. I begin to speak, but Astil shakes his head. The meaning is clear. Let him work. I keep watching. As the napkin burns up, Xavier opens his eyes. The flames have reached his hand, but they¡¯re not touching it. It¡¯s like the flames are a shield around Xavier¡¯s hand. I¡¯m in awe, and feel excited to learn. Astil smiles. ¡°I¡¯m learning how to keep something in the air. I still can¡¯t do it but I¡¯m getting there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready to learn all this,¡± I tell them. ¡°When do I start?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not even close,¡± Xavier says. ¡°First you¡¯ll have to get reinstated. Also, I¡¯m already on level 2. And I don¡¯t know what your teacher will say about that.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you meant by any of that.¡± Astil laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll learn quickly enough, I think. I was lost the first day too. Feels like just yesterday I was learning everything.¡± ¡°That was yesterday, Astil.¡± ¡°Right. I forgot.¡± I shake my head. Xavier tries to keep the conversation going. ¡°So Zade, how did you Awaken? I was mad at a tree, so a bolt of lightning struck it, and it caught flames. It burned down two buildings before they stopped it. I knew I was a mage after that.¡± ¡°You were mad at a tree?¡± ¡°It deserved it.¡± I cock my eyebrow at him, but Astil butts in. ¡°I was at my granny¡¯s house when I Awakened. It''s dull there, you see, and I always get bored. So I was just looking around, trying to find something fun, and suddenly her house became a circus. There were clowns there and everything.¡± Astil shuddered. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget the clowns.¡± Xavier laughs. ¡°What about you, Zade? How did you Awaken?¡± I look down, tears staining my eyes already. Zade puts his hand on my shoulder. I look at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, you don¡¯t need to. We understand,¡± Xavier tells me. Astil just looks confused. I force myself to talk. ¡°I was annoyed with my parents. I killed them. I didn¡¯t mean to, it just¡­¡± Xavier nodded sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Why were you annoyed with them?¡± I refuse to think about it. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to say.¡± ¡°All in its proper time, right?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Right,¡± I say, steadying myself. Xavier clapped. ¡°All right, it¡¯s time to meet your teacher. Afterwards, we can tour Zenyth. What do you think, Zade?¡± ¡°Sounds good. Not that I have a choice.¡± Xavier laughed. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Let¡¯s go. Catch you later, Astil.¡± ¡°See you later.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m in a classroom. If you can call it that. I¡¯d just call it a room, but I heard Xavier call it the classroom, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m calling it. Aegon is there, sitting on a desk, and he starts talking. ¡°Xavier, you may leave.¡± Xavier nods, and leaves the room, waving at me as he goes. Aegon smiles at me. ¡°Welcome to the start of your training here at Zenyth. I trust you¡¯ve had breakfast?¡± Without waiting for me to respond, he continues. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to welcome you in a dozen different ways, but let¡¯s get straight to it, shall we? Here at Zenyth, we do not have classes. In fact, we don¡¯t really have formal teachers either. Students learn on their own with the help of something I¡¯ll show you in a minute. Got it?¡± I nod. ¡°Alright,¡± he says, ¡°You, as a student, will have to study hard. There will be exams to make sure you are learning, but, hopefully, you will be doing fine on your own. Learn well, and you will advance quickly. Fail to learn, and you will be exiled.¡± He nods at a stack of ten books on a table. ¡°This is the main way you will learn.This book is magical. It will teach you everything, not just what it says on the title. The title is just the main focus. I will let you figure it out on your own. You must choose your book.¡± He keeps looking at me. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to choose now?¡± ¡°We can wait until tomorrow if you want to.¡± ¡°Really?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°NO! Just choose. Please.¡± He¡¯s a little exasperated. I look at the books. They are all different colors with different titles. The first is purple, and says Arts and Healing. The second is green and is called Magical Combat. The third is white and says Portals and Travelling. The fourth is red and says Biology and Magical Creatures. The fifth is yellow and the cover says Protection and Defense. Xavier probably took that one. The sixth is black, and says Necromancy, Dark Arts and War. The seventh book is a rainbow of colors, and it says Philosophy and Politics. The eighth is purple, only saying Religion and Law. I wonder what magic has to do with those last two. The ninth and tenth are both gray. The first says General Magic, and the second says Dautha. I don¡¯t know what that means. I take my time looking through the books, and finally choose the obvious choice. The black one. Necromancy, Dark Arts, and War. Sounds exciting. Aegon smiles at me grimly. ¡°Be careful with that one. It is unpredictable.¡± I look at him questioningly, but he waves it away. ¡°Now, you shall spend the rest of the morning studying. Then, you can meet back up with Xavier and tour Zenyth. Goodbye.¡± He leaves, and I return to my room eager to study. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It''s been twenty minutes since I returned, and I haven¡¯t figured out how to make the book work. It¡¯s blank. There¡¯s nothing in the thousand or so pages. I gave up after I started writing. The writing disappears after a minute. I pick up the book and throw it at the wall. Suddenly, it glows. I can¡¯t believe it. I had to throw it. That¡¯s unbelievably stupid. The book dims. Oh. I guess that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°Ahem.¡± I turn around. There¡¯s someone behind me. Is it even a real person? The person is mostly transparent. He is wearing a black robe, and he has a stern look. ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask. ¡°I am your new teacher.¡± ¡°I thought that was the book.¡± ¡°Where do you think I came from, student?¡± My mouth drops. ¡°Are you real?¡± ¡°Am I here?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Then no, I am not real. Doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t teach you, right?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m supposed to teach you magic. You¡¯ll have to mostly do it yourself, though. The magic is in you, not me.¡± ¡°Okay. That doesn¡¯t help though.¡± ¡°Listen up, Zade.¡± ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°I know everything about you, Zade. I know about your parents, and about how you accidently let your b¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°As you wish. We will focus on the magic. The first thing we will learn is how to focus your magic, your core, to make a small candle out of your finger. You must concentrate. Close your eyes and breathe. Keep breathing, but focus on the blackness you see. Then stop when you see an array of colors. That is your core, where your magic is. When you¡¯ve got it, I will teach you the rest.¡± I sit down, and close my eyes. All I see is darkness. I breathe slowly in and out. I do it again. And again. And again. Still nothing. All I see is darkness. I try to focus on the darkness to find my core. Nothing. There¡¯s nothing there. I¡¯m sure. I search the darkness, still breathing slowly. I¡¯m slowly losing my concentration. I breathe again. My teacher is silent. I keep looking at the darkness, and will my core to come. Still nothing. I¡¯m concentrating so hard. How is nothing happening? I steady myself. If it works, it works. I shouldn¡¯t force it. I breathe again, slowly, then I see it. It¡¯s a sphere, with every color I¡¯ve ever seen painted onto it. I tentatively touch it with my mind, and it glows. This is my core, shining in the darkness. It¡¯s beautiful. I don¡¯t open my eyes, but I speak. ¡°I see it. How long has it been?¡± ¡°Ten minutes,¡± my new teacher responds. It¡¯d been that long? ¡°Okay, now that you¡¯ve found your core, you must push it. Push it into a flame, and hold that flame on your finger. I don¡¯t expect you to get it now. Just try.¡± I push on my core. It rebounds. It refuses to move. So I do it again, this time trying to push it into a flame. I push hard, but now it refuses to budge. I try again, forcing as hard as I can. My head is hurting. Also, the core isn¡¯t moving. ¡°Try to guide it slowly. Don¡¯t force it,¡± my teacher tells me. I slowly push it now, trying to lead it into becoming a flame. The core moves now, but still refuses to become anything. I imagine my core as a stream of water, and it turns into that. That¡¯s new. I guide the stream into the shape of a flame, and try to make it real. It still doesn¡¯t work. I lose concentration, annoyed. My teacher looks at me, condescending. ¡°We need to try again.¡± ¡°Give me a minute to breathe.¡± ¡°You must try now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Zade!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair that you know my name, while I don¡¯t know yours.¡± ¡°Call me Master Thul.¡± ¡°All right. I feel horrible now. My head hurts. Just give me a minute.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying too hard. You need to go slowly, Zade.¡± ¡°All right, Master Thul.¡± I close my eyes and try again. And again. And again. I go for three hours, trying over and over to make a tiny little flame on my finger, but I can¡¯t do it. It¡¯s impossible. Eventually, I start to feel woozy. Master Thul gives me some water (I don¡¯t know where he got it from), and I drink greedily. I¡¯m really tired. But I keep trying. I have to keep going. I can¡¯t stop now. My core is stubborn, but I can do this. Master Thul waits patiently for me as I try to do magic, but I still can¡¯t do it. I need to do it. I HAVE TO. I¡­have¡­ My headache gets the best of me, and I faint. The last thing I hear is Master Thul calling for me before I lose consciousness. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Lunchtime. I¡¯m sitting with Astil and Xavier. I¡¯m a little depressed with a big headache, but they seem very active, judging by how much they¡¯re talking. ¡°Zade, how did your first practice go?¡± ¡°Urgggh,¡± I respond as politely as possible. Xavier laughs. ¡°It was like that for us too the first day. You¡¯ll get it soon. What book did you get?¡± ¡°Necromancy, Dark Arts, and War.¡± Astil¡¯s eyebrows rise. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want that one. I got General Magic.¡± ¡°I did the healing one.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± I remember the other book I saw. I was confused about it. Maybe Xavier knows something. ¡°Xavier?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°What does Dautha mean?¡± ¡°I was wondering about that too.¡± Astil exclaims. He stops smiling. ¡°That was the tenth book,right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Well, Dautha is the supposed God of Death, War, and Magic. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s real or not, but he is to a lot of mages around here. That¡¯s why the Cult of Dautha exists. I don¡¯t know much about it. They tried to recruit me, and they¡¯ll probably try to recruit you. All I know is that they see us as more divine than normal people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s twisted.¡± ¡°I see where they¡¯re coming from. You both know how the world works. In general, the strongest person wins, the weakest ends up at the bottom. The Cult relies on that. To a degree, it makes sense. I didn¡¯t join because I needed to think about it and never got back to them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a horrible way of thinking,¡± I tell him. ¡°What if you were a normal person?¡± ¡°I was for a long time, Zade, and so were you. I used to live in the north, Valdara. Our army managed to conquer a province, because we were stronger. And now we rule there, because we were stronger. The other province didn¡¯t like it at first, but now they¡¯re used to it, and actually like our rule. It¡¯s not such a black and white issue, Zade.¡± I scowl. He¡¯s right. I already don¡¯t agree with this cult. The world thinks like they do, but i don¡¯t. Astil can¡¯t resist speaking up. ¡°But isn¡¯t it the mages¡¯ job to protect the common people?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t always like that. You¡¯ll learn about the Battle of Magefell soon, and when you do, you¡¯ll see why the Cult thinks what they do.¡± ¡°So this Cult wants to take over the world?¡± ¡°No. They want to bring Dautha to earth, and let him decide who rules.¡± ¡°How would they do that?¡± Xavier shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± We stay silent for a while, each pondering the Cult of Dautha, I presume. Then Astil speaks up. ¡°Zade, you like sword fighting, right?¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± He points at my belt. ¡°You carry it around everywhere.¡± I blush. ¡°Yeah, I guess I do.¡± ¡°Well, we have sword-training tomorrow. It¡¯s not mandatory, but any mage-in.training can come.¡± I smile. ¡°Sounds like fun. Are you both going?¡± Astil nods. Xavier shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I might, but I have a lot of training to do. I¡¯ll think about it. Speaking of, I need to go back to the library. There¡¯s a book in there I have to check.¡± ¡°Can I come with? You¡¯re supposed to show me around, so that could be the start.¡± I ask. I want to check out the library to see if it is useful. Xavier nods to me, so I follow him. Astil shouts behind me. ¡°I¡¯m coming too.¡± I smile ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The library is gorgeous. Shelves lining every wall, and not just the walls. I love reading, and this place is a reader¡¯s paradise. The shelves are ten feet tall, with books packed into them. The books are shelved by topic, then author, then title. I hear the library for full mages is grander, but I can¡¯t believe it. This place is too good. I look around while Xavier goes to find the librarian, telling me and Astil he¡¯ll come right back. I¡¯m exploring a section called The Art of Warfare when Astil starts talking to me: ¡°So where do you come from, Zade?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, Erenfeld.¡± ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°The center of Arcadia. It¡¯s a small town south of the capital.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve always lived here in Magefell. I always wanted to explore the world, but I¡¯ll do that when I become a full mage.¡± I nod, still perusing the bookshelves. ¡°What¡¯s it like living in Magefell?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s great. I¡¯ve always loved it here. I love how close everything is, and how the city is always moving.¡± ¡°Really? I prefer being alone in a quiet place normally. Give me a good book, and a quiet room and I''ll be good until I finish the book.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. I prefer being with people. If I get past my shyness, that is.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound shy.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s because you were with Xavier. He was the first person to talk to me.¡± ¡°And I was the second.¡± He begins to retort outrageously, but realizes I¡¯m joking. ¡°Very funny.¡± I shrug. ¡°Do you still talk to your friends from outside Zenyth, Astil?¡± ¡°Some of them. Not normally. I¡¯m guessing you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t.¡± That ends the conversation. Soon, Xavier comes back, and tells me he¡¯ll give me my tour now, so we leave, saying goodbye to Astil. He tells us he has some work to do and can¡¯t come with us. We start by going to the Zenyth High Court. It¡¯s a simple brick building. It¡¯s nothing special, just a really big courtroom. It¡¯s positioned like a circle, with the defendant at the bottom of it. Must be stressful. The second place we go to is the Zenyth Sanctuary. I¡¯m not allowed to go in the library, which is a pity, but I see some of the mage¡¯s rooms, and they look quite nice. I can¡¯t see most of the building, though. I¡¯m not allowed to. After that, we go to the Mission Gate, which is a big building with four rooms. The first two both have gates on them. The gates are portals. The first Xavier tells me is for mages to go on missions. The second gate is for mages-in-training to become full mages. We can¡¯t see the other two rooms. Xavier tells me they are where the Parliament meets to make decisions, and they¡¯re currently in session, so we can¡¯t go in. We come back to the Academy. Here he turns to me: ¡°You¡¯ve seen the library, the dorms, and the classrooms here. I don¡¯t need to show you the rest, as you¡¯ll end up going there with me anyway. Is that fine?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s great. Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem. I have to go train now.¡± ¡°Same, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°See ya.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯ve been at it for an hour now. Master Thul is speaking to me again. I have my eyes closed, and I¡¯m looking at my core, trying to figure out how to use it to create just a small flame. ¡°Don¡¯t force it, don¡¯t push it. Just guide it. It won¡¯t work unless you let it.¡± I force the core again, and again it doesn¡¯t work. I¡¯m getting tired of this. I try again, and again, and again. My core refuses to do anything. And then I think I understand. Master Thul told me to guide the core, and I haven¡¯t been doing that. Though I have been trying to, I¡¯ve always been willing the core to become something else. I need to let it do the work, and I can¡¯t touch it. So I think about a little flame. I don¡¯t touch the core. I don''t change it in any way. And now it does. My core turns into a spark, and then a flame. I stop myself from getting too excited. Now I need to make it real. I raise my finger, still with my eyes closed. Then I will my core, slowly guiding it to my finger. I imagine it becoming real. Then I feel heat on my finger. I open my eyes. I¡¯ve done it. I¡¯ve done magic. I quickly blow it out before it burns my finger. ¡°Well done,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°Now, you must do it many more times.¡± I nod. That makes sense. I need to get used to the way of doing magic, before I can do any more magic. I eat dinner, and come back just barely talking to Xavier and Astil. They smile knowingly when I leave. I work late into the night, trying to make the flame over and over again. I try hundreds of times, and get maybe two dozen times. It¡¯s not a lot, but it¡¯s a good start. Eventually, I¡¯m too tired. I tell Master Thul I¡¯m done for the time. He nods and disappears. I grab the book and open it. It¡¯s not empty anymore. On the first page it says: Mage Zade Helstorm. Level: 1 Skills: To be unlocked Mage: Necromancy and War Age: 17 Chapters Completed: 1 I flip the page. The next twenty pages are full. It has a chapter detailing the beginning of magic. I know I have to read it, but I don¡¯t have time today. I slip into bed. I¡¯m unbelievably excited. I¡¯m really a mage. There¡¯s so much I¡¯m going to do in the next few weeks. I should focus on tomorrow. I¡¯m at Zenyth. I¡¯ve made friends. I am a mage. Zenyth can¡¯t get much better than this. I miss Jade, but at least this place is good. I look forward to being a mage. The possibilities are endless. Chapter Six: Astil & Anni Chapter Six: Astil & Anni Sword training. I¡¯ve been waiting for this since I woke up. I haven¡¯t even had time to train. I ate breakfast, and came down. Both Astil and Xavier came with me. Xavier decided he didn¡¯t need to study. We came out to a park next to the Academy, still on Zenyth grounds. There are about fifty mages-in-training here today, and a mage who is obviously the teacher. The park is bare of trees, with short grass all around. It is almost twenty paces long. The mage is currently speaking to us mages-in training, and I¡¯m listening intently. ¡°I am Frin, and I am the Swords Master here at Zenyth. Most of you have attended a couple of these practices. But there is one of you here who has not been here before. Zade Helstorm, can you raise your hand, please?¡± I raise my hand. ¡°Zade is a new mage-in-training,¡± Frin says, ¡°He only arrived two days ago, correct?¡± I nod slightly. It was closer to a day, but whatever. ¡°May I ask how much you have used the sword.¡± I nod. ¡°I have been practicing my whole life.¡± ¡°And how good would you say you are?¡± Frin asks. ¡°Above average,¡± I boast. I think I¡¯m a lot better than average, but I don¡¯t want to completely overestimate myself. Frin smiles. ¡°Alright, then. You should have no problem sparring with one of your fellow Academy students.¡± I hesitantly respond: ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Frin says happily, ¡°Lokgurt, if you please.¡± Lokgurt comes up besides Frin. Lokgurt is a muscular man, probably twenty, with blonde hair, and a defined jawline. He looks hungry for a fight. He also looks clumsy, at least to me. Should be easy. Frin and the students form a ring around us. I hold my sword out, positioning myself offensively. So does Lokgurt. Frin shouts at us. ¡°This match is only until first blood. You may start whenever you want.¡± Immediately, Lokgurt stabs at me, but, like I thought, he¡¯s clumsy. I sidestep the lunge and trip him. Having poor footing, he falls, and I scrape his arm with my blade. He bleeds a little. That was easy. Frin starts to clap and speaks to me approvingly: ¡°Good job. Now it¡¯s time for you to fight me.¡± All of a sudden, I¡¯m feeling uncertain. Can I beat a sword master? I don¡¯t think so. I shrug. It can¡¯t hurt to try. ¡°All right. I¡¯m ready.¡± Frin laughs uproariously. ¡°Sure you are.¡± Then he attacks me. I immediately try to dodge, but he¡¯s quick. He lunges at my waist, and I put my sword in the way, a little too late. He knocks the sword out of my hand. Then he nicks me. It all happened before I even blinked. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± He smiles. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve got a lot to learn then.¡± I¡¯m smiling too. ¡°I guess I do. I¡¯m happy to learn.¡± Frin smacks his hands together. ¡°Alright, today, we¡¯ll practice your lunges. Remember what I taught you. Half of you will be on attack, half on defense, then you will switch.¡± I pair off with Astil, and soon he¡¯s lunging at me, trying to score a hit. Frin is walking around the park, congratulating some and criticizing others. We work for hours, mostly on lunges and blocking lunges. Even I needed to learn some things from it. Frin tells me my stance is a little wrong. I need to shift more to the side I¡¯m using my sword on. After the lesson, he comes to talk to me. ¡°I can see you¡¯re mostly ahead of the others,¡± he tells me. ¡°I would like to teach you personally. Meet me every Seventh Day at six, starting next Seventh Day. There will be other students there, but few. You will learn more there than here.¡± I bow. ¡°Thank you, Mage Frin.¡± He chuckles. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I nod, then go after Xavier and Astil, who are waiting for me. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I learn more about Xavier and Astil the next couple of days. Astil has two brothers and a sister, all older. He has a brother named Artemis in the Vanguard, which I¡¯ve figured out is like the elite army of Magefell. His other two brothers are blacksmiths and his sister is still in his parents¡¯ house. I¡¯ve also learned how shy he is. One day, while we¡¯re eating at lunch, a petite, blonde girl comes up to Astil and tries to talk to him. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Astil, right?¡± ¡°Um¡­.yeah, I think so?¡± I chuckle. ¡°You think so?¡± Astil glares at me. ¡°Shut up,¡± he whispers. The girl looks confusedly at us. ¡°I¡¯m Anni. I was wondering if you¡¯d like to hang out with me next Fourth Day. Are you free that day?¡± I¡¯m nodding at Astil enthusiastically, and he blushes. I can tell that Astil is immediately struck by her beauty. But I also know he''ll be too nervous to say anything. And if he does get the courage to say anything, it''ll be no. I need to step in for him. To help a friend out. He needs it. He tries to speak, but fails, so I answer for him. ¡°He would love to. Meet him after lunch here.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± ¡°Zade.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Same.¡± Anni leaves, ponytail bobbing, waving at Astil. He looks awestruck. Xavier is too busy laughing to speak. So am I. Now, anytime me or Xavier mentions Anni, he panics, and refuses to talk. Fourth Day is getting closer, and he¡¯s getting more nervous. He¡¯s talked to Anni only a couple times since, if you can call it talking. Mostly, Anni does the talking, and Astil listens, or squeaks. It¡¯s adorable, really. I¡¯ve learned a lot about Xavier too. He told me and Astil about how his mom used to beat them up mentally, until doctors told him she was sick in the head. After that, Xavier and his family had to leave his mom in a hospital, and she¡¯d gotten out two years later, and much better. He loves his mom, and it¡¯s easy to tell. He also has moments of depression, just like me. I see it sometimes, but I don¡¯t know why. He keeps his secrets close to his chest, unlike Astil. I spend most of my free time with Astil and Xavier, and it¡¯s been great. I¡¯m starting to really like them. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Training has been moving, I guess. I¡¯m still practicing making my core into a flame. I''ve been doing that for three days now. I can do it nine times out of ten now. Master Thul tells me we can move on when I can do it ten times out of ten. I haven¡¯t read the chapter in the book yet, but I need to. Nothing in the book has changed yet. Xavier and Astil can do a lot more things with magic, but I¡¯m doing things differently. By persevering in doing one thing over and over, I¡¯ll know things better. I¡¯ll have quality, while they have quantity. It¡¯s a fair trade, in my opinion. I¡¯ve also had to start wearing gloves, because I¡¯m learning to keep the flame going for as long as possible. It disappears if I stop concentrating for too long. My current record is five minutes. Master Thul wants me to get to at least ten minutes. I think it¡¯s doable. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I decide to go to the market with Astil and Xavier on Sixth Day. I¡¯m getting tired, which is why this break is needed. According to Master Thul, it¡¯s well deserved. Astil and Xavier are exhausted too. We decide to just go to the market and have fun. We leave after lunch. Just before we leave, though, Xavier and I have a talk. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, Zade,¡± he tells me, ¡°Astil is definitely going to forget to dress well and get something for Anni on his date.¡± ¡°Right!¡± I exclaim. ¡°I was thinking that too. We can¡¯t really do anything about his clothes, because we don¡¯t have time to buy it, but we need to get the gift.¡± He slaps me on the shoulder. ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Astil walks over to us. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± I try not to laugh. ¡°Nothing, absolutely nothing.¡± Astil cocks his eyebrows, but doesn¡¯t question us further, and we leave for the market. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª We arrive one hour later. We let Astil guide us, considering he¡¯s lived here his entire life. He knows most of the shopkeepers, waving hi to them, and even sometimes striking a conversation. I smile at Xavier as we wait for over five minutes while a middle aged woman asks Astil how he¡¯s doing. He seems to feel uncomfortable around her, and it¡¯s a lot of fun for Xavier and me. As the woman finally lets him go, we tease him. ¡°Hey, darling,¡± I say, smiling wickedly, ¡°how you be doin¡¯ down at the ol¡¯ mage school of yours?¡± Astil glares at me. Xavier butts in. ¡°Who be your friends, duckling? Be they from the mage school too?¡± We start laughing, and even Astil smiles ¡°My family stayed at her inn once,¡± he tells us, ¡°and since then, I can¡¯t pass by her without her trying to talk to me. I barely even know her.¡± ¡°But she sure knows you, duckling.¡± I respond. Astil wisely ignores me and we keep walking. We pass by Ember On The Waters, and I can see the innkeeper through the window. I tell Astil and Xavier to wait, and I go to talk to her. She recognizes me immediately. ¡°Hello, Zade. Here to ask about your girlfriend?¡± I sigh. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to ask about Jade.¡± Mistress Anan is obviously confused but responds. ¡°Jade stayed the night after you left, and last I heard she was on the ocean heading for Erenfeld. She¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Thank you kindly, Mistress Anan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Just one thing: What did you mean Jade isn¡¯t your¡ª¡± I¡¯m already out the door and talking to Xavier. ¡°What was that about?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°A friend came with me here to see me off. I was just checking to make sure my friend had left, and was safe.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°Jade.¡± Xavier snorts. ¡°So it¡¯s a girl! Hah, I¡¯m sure she really is just a friend.¡± ¡°She is!¡± I shout indignantly. I don''t really want to think about it now. She''s beautiful but I don''t have a crush! Plus, it doesn''t matter anyway! She''s gone, so even if I did have a crush, I should move on. But I don''t, so I don''t need to. ¡°Hey, no need to get pissy about it. I¡¯m sure she feels the same way about you.¡± I glare daggers at Xavier, while Astil is too busy trying to be inconspicuous, but failing, as he starts to laugh. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Xavier. You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t have any dirt on you.¡± Xavier puts on a face of mock innocence. ¡°Me? Dirt? Never. I¡¯ve never done anything wrong in my life!¡± I don¡¯t press the issue as we keep walking. He obviously won this round. We¡¯ll see if he wins when his apple juice has a love potion in it! The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. We pass by a grocery store, and Astil stops to compliment the owner, while me and Xavier tour the place. The shop is full of foods that I love: meats like venison and beef, also bread and cakes. It all gets my stomach rumbling. There is also a lot of food I don¡¯t know: Dragon¡¯s Fire (which looks like a cross between a cake and overly spicy sandwich), Grapes (which look like a sort of purple fruit), and Jumping Jax (a sort of candy that ¡®jumps in your mouth¡¯ or so they say). It all looks great, and I can¡¯t help but buy some of each, talking to the owner on the way out. ¡°You must be Astil¡¯s new friend,¡± he exclaims. ¡°I always thought he was too shy to make them.¡± Astil blushes. ¡°Yes, sir. My name is Zade.¡± I tell him, smirking. ¡°My name is Argyl. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± The owner says. ¡°Pass by anytime you want, and I''ll give you a discount. Any friend of Astil¡¯s is a friend of mine.¡± As we leave, I turn to Astil. ¡°You know, being your friend has some benefits.¡± Astil smiles, and Xavier snorts. We keep moving through the market. I¡¯ve been here before at night, and somehow it¡¯s more busy in the day. There are thousands of people in the market, buying everything ever invented. It should be an introvert¡¯s worst nightmare, but I love this. It feels like the city is alive. There are no streets in the market, so no carriages. The carriages are only allowed outside the market, so people have to leave them to come here, which allows more space for people. People keep bumping into me, which sucks. Astil warns me about pickpockets, and everytime I get close to someone, I keep my hands in my pockets. It wouldn¡¯t do to lose all my coin. Us three take turns carrying the bags we have for the items we buy. Eventually, we pass by Dove¡¯s Fashion, and I can¡¯t help but pop in to talk to Reg. ¡°How¡¯s it going, Reg?¡± ¡°I be good, Zade. What be bringin¡¯ you to the market today?¡± ¡°Oh, just spending time with friends.¡± I point out Xavier and Astil to him, who are busy poking each other for some reason. ¡°That be great, Zade! In case you be wonderin¡¯, your order ain¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°I know, Reg. I was just coming to say hi.¡± ¡°Really? Thanks, Zade.¡± I cock my head. ¡°No problem, man.¡± A customer comes into the store, and Reg has to attend him, so I leave discreetly. We find a perfume store soon after, and Xavier leans in and whispers to me: ¡°I think Astil will need some of that.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll take care of that. You take care of the gift.¡± He nods. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll distract Astil now, and you distract him after.¡± Astil leans in. ¡°I can speak in whispers too.¡± I nod and ruffle his hair. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be right back. Just need to get something. You can keep walking.¡± Astil is very confused and a little disappointed, but lets Xavier lead him away. Once they¡¯re out of sight, I walk into the store Fresh and Beautiful. Immediately, a portly woman with way too much perfume on waddles up to me. ¡°What will a young man like you need today?¡± ¡°I need some cologne or perfume for a friend. He has a date.¡± She nods thoughtfully. ¡°Alright, I have a few ideas.¡± She leaves the room, and comes back with five bottles. ¡°I want you to try all of them. Pick your favorite.¡± I try the first one, and it¡¯s a little weird. Not bad, but smells a little like wet wood. The second smells like a rainy day but in a good way. It seems interesting. The third smells attractive in a way, I think. But it is a little too strong. The fourth bottle is a little like if a new book was made into a perfume. Good for me, not Astil. But the fifth one, not that one is gold! It smells like a piece of heaven. I haven¡¯t smelled anything like it before. The woman sees my eyes open, and smiles. ¡°You want that one, The Golden Child. You can have that bottle for one gold sphere, or a smaller bottle for three silver spheres.¡± I take the smaller bottles, which should still last a long time for Astil. I turn to leave. ¡°I forgot to ask, what is your name?¡± ¡°Zade.¡± ¡°My name is Missi. Come again soon.¡± I don¡¯t think I will, since I will have no reason to, but I don¡¯t tell her that. I only leave. Soon, I catch up to Astil, and Xavier leaves, while I entertain Astil. ¡°Why do you smell like perfume?¡± he asks. ¡°No reason,¡± I respond, making sure he doesn¡¯t see the bulge under my cloak. He narrows his eyes at me. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± I ignore him. ¡°Oooh, is that Anni over there?¡± His face whitens, and he looks around. ¡°Where?¡± I laugh. ¡°Relax, dude.¡± He glares at me. I¡¯m getting tired of that glare. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that!¡± I snort. ¡°That was a scare to you?¡± Astil nods. I shake my head. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°What?¡± he asks. ¡°You¡¯re scared of a girl.¡± Astil nods again. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°She¡¯s so nice, though. How can you be scared of her?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had a full conversation with her.¡± ¡°Neither have you,¡± I point up. ¡°Shut up. She¡¯s scary, and that¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± We fall silent, and soon enough, Xavier returns, bag in hand. Astil tries to look inside, but Xavier refuses, closing the bag completely. Astil loses it. ¡°WHAT THE HELL ARE Y¡¯ALL HIDING?¡± Me and Xavier look at each other. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Xavier answers. Astil doesn¡¯t look happy, but thankfully, once again, doesn¡¯t press the issue. The rest of the day goes fine. We finish our break and go right back to work. It¡¯s fun and challenging. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The rest of the week goes fine. I can now do the Finger Flame (that¡¯s what it¡¯s called, apparently) ten out of ten times. I¡¯m feeling good about it. It is the seventh day since I arrived here. I am loving my time here, surprisingly more than I thought. Xavier and Astil are helping me learn more. It¡¯s dinner time now, and I¡¯m eating dinner when something unexpected happens. Astil is telling me and Xavier about how nervous he is for his date. It is Third Day now, so his date is tomorrow. I¡¯m happy for him, but he looks like a jittery bug. I wonder if he just drank too much coffee. As we¡¯re talking, one of the High Mages comes up to me. I don¡¯t know him personally. I only know him by reputation. He''s a strong defender of his views, specifically of being in the Cult. He''s also known for being strict and somewhat cruel. I can tell he''s a stern figure just by looking at him, and, knowing he''s in the cult, I immediately dislike him. His face is impassive. I wonder what he wants to talk about. ¡°Zade Helstorm, Mage-In-Training, come with me!¡± I have no choice but to follow. His word is technically law for me, since he is a High Mage. I regretfully look at Astil and Xavier. ¡°See you later, guys.¡± They both respond the same way, and I grab my sword and buckle it on. Xavier looks like he knows what¡¯s happening. I don¡¯t but I guess I¡¯ll find out. I nod at the High Mage, and we¡¯re off. We travel through a dark corridor, one I haven¡¯t seen yet. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was some hidden hallway that only High Mages or guests can see. I try to strike up a conversation as we walk. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°You may address me as High Mage Eldor if you must.¡± ¡°And I must. I always know everyone¡¯s name. That way, I always have someone to blame if I do anything wrong. I can say ¡®Oh, High Mage Eldor did it¡¯ or something like that.¡± ¡°Are you always obnoxious like this?¡± ¡°Only when I want to be, which is pretty much all the time.¡± He scowls. ¡°Then can you at least shut up for the rest of our journey?¡± ¡°So you''re calling this a journey.¡± ¡°Can you just SHUT UP?¡± he screams. ¡°Yes.¡± I pause. ¡°No. I get bored if I don¡¯t talk. Isn¡¯t that weird? I don¡¯t like talking to new people, but if I¡¯m not talking, I get extremely bored.¡± That¡¯s not totally true, but he doesn¡¯t know that! He grumbles but is forced to listen to my ¡®incessant bickering¡¯ as he decides to call it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. Usually I try to be annoying, but not this annoying. I think he just rubbed me the wrong way. We turn, and now we¡¯re in a different hallway, bathed in golden light. For some reason, the light doesn¡¯t touch the black corridor we exited. I also can¡¯t seem to find where the light is coming from. I keep walking, noticing the bookshelves on the shelves in the hallway. They¡¯re locked up, as if they¡¯re dangerous. Is that even possible? I want to reach out and touch one, but High Mage Eldor glares at me pointedly. I hurry along, and soon enough, we have arrived at a door. The door is a simple wooden one, with no lock or knob. I wonder how it opens. ¡°Strawberry Apple Banana Pudding!¡± High Mage Eldor says. ¡°Huh? No, thank you.¡± The door slides open. ¡°Oh, that was a password. My bad.¡± High Mage Eldor walks in, and he¡¯s chuckling. I guess my embarrassment is funny. I strut in after him, and gasp. The room is beautiful. Bookshelves lining the walls. A window, with a view to the rest of Zenyth. A beautifully embroidered desk with the Zenyth symbol, which is a black Z surrounded by a flame and a stream of water. The chair next to the desk looks like a throne embroidered with gold. High Mage Eldor smiles at my astonishment. ¡°Please sit. We have much to discuss.¡± I look around and find a simple wooden chair. I take it and sit across from his chair. High Mage Eldor starts to speak to me. ¡°I trust you have been acquainting yourself well this week?¡± At my nod, he continues. ¡°Normally, I don¡¯t spend this long before I get to know the students, but I had a lot to do, so I couldn¡¯t get to you before. I am here now. Tell me, how did you Awaken?¡± I glare at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don''t want to say. Obviously, you do not ¡®want to get to know me¡¯. You say you get to know all the other students. Aren¡¯t there hundreds? You can¡¯t familiarize yourself with all of them. Get to the point, please. I have things to do, and places to be. I can¡¯t afford wasting my time telling someone my life story.¡± His eyes narrow. ¡°As you wish. I want to tell you about myself. I Awakened when I was eight, very young for a mage. I was shipped straight here of course. That was forty years ago.¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t look a day over thirty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, but please don¡¯t interrupt. As I said, I was sent here to Zenyth. I was told to choose my book, and one jumped out at me. It said something weird. Something I¡¯d never heard of before. I know you have. It said ¡®Dautha?¡¯¡± I gulp, and my mouth dries up. He¡¯s trying to recruit me, isn¡¯t he? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want anything to do with that.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you anything yet. I chose that book because it was strange to me. I made it my life¡¯s work to learn about Dautha. It¡¯s taken me my whole life. I¡¯m the world¡¯s leading theologist on Dautha. ¡°Look, let''s cut to the chase, Zade,¡± he continued. ¡°I know you¡¯ve heard of Dautha, and I know you don¡¯t like the idea of belonging to this cult or whatever you call it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right I don¡¯t. How do you know? Also, can I please leave now?¡± ¡°No, you may not. As for how I know, I just do. Listen, Zade, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing out on. Dautha blesses everyone who joins with special gifts. I can do wonderful things only because he gave me those gifts. I can do wonders that would leave you breathless.¡± ¡°Prove it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. You haven¡¯t agreed. Needless to say, I am giving you the best opportunity for becoming a better mage. To take your rightful place as a part of the divine. Don¡¯t you think that the rulers of this world have had their time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care for politics,¡± I say. ¡°Still, look at where the world is. We¡¯re on the verge of war. Even within Magekind.¡± This was news to me. ¡°Those who don¡¯t believe in Dautha have been trying to kill us believers for years, and it¡¯s coming to a head. We lost one of ours today, and I had to bury him myself. Do you know how much that hurts, Zade?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I feel bad for him, but only a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to join. I don¡¯t believe in Dautha, and I don¡¯t want to. I truly feel for you, and I don¡¯t think your intentions are evil. Maybe they are, but I do think you¡¯re trying to make the world a better place. This is just the wrong way to do this. I''m sorry. I¡¯ll see myself out.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± High Mage Elrod tells me. ¡°The door is over there. You should come back when you have a change of heart.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Fine. If you have a change of heart.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡± I leave, wondering if I¡¯ve made an enemy. I think I have. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It is the end of the week. I¡¯m about to go to sleep, when I hear a ding coming from somewhere. I look around my room. Where is that noise coming from? It happens again, and I see it. It¡¯s the book! For some reason, it¡¯s making noise. I open it and see what happened. The part that says my level is gone, it only says Level Up! now. Then the old level bar reappears, this time saying Level: 2. Otherwise, it looks the same. I¡¯m excited. I¡¯ve leveled up. I go to bed happy. I¡¯ve had a good week. And I¡¯ve leveled up. I can¡¯t believe it. I LEVELED UP! Chapter Seven: Help Chapter Seven: Help Yue was crying again. She couldn''t help it. It had now been two days since Diamond¡¯s death. The tournament had not continued. The Wolf had delayed it at least a week, thankfully. Yue wouldn¡¯t have participated if it had continued. It was the middle of the night, and she couldn¡¯t sleep. She didn¡¯t want to either. If she slept, she would dream of Diamond, and her last word. Help. She wished she could have helped Diamond, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. Help. Why did it still feel like her fault? Help. Yue cried, the word ringing in her ears. Help. She was haunted. She wished she could take Diamond¡¯s place. Why did she have to go? Help. In the stories she¡¯d heard, when someone was dying, they would comfort the other person. That didn¡¯t happen here. Tears spilling down her cheeks, she replayed her memories with Diamond. It wasn¡¯t enough. Diamond wasn¡¯t here. She was gone. Forever. Help. She sniffed, and a noise caught her ear. She stopped crying for a second, trying to hear the noise better. It sounded like sniffling. Like someone was trying not to let anyone hear them cry. Yue thought she knew who it was. She got up from her bed, and walked into the bathroom. There were two stalls there, and the crying was coming from one of them. She opened the door. Alyx was on the ground, makeup running down her face, tear-stained face looking heart-broken. She wasn¡¯t wearing much. Yue had heard her ripping some of her clothes in rage and sadness yesterday. She looked at Yue sadly. Yue hugged her. Alyx didn¡¯t hug her back. She just cried. Yue held her as the night passed, both sobbing into each other, each letting the other comfort them with their tears. There was no real comfort, though. Yue thought there never would be. Not without Diamond. Not with that word ringing in her head. Help. After what was probably an hour, Alyx spoke. ¡°Why¡­Yue?¡± she sniffled, choking on her words while crying. ¡°Why..d-d-did Diamond h-have to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Alyx.¡± ¡°I want to die, Yue. I can¡¯t take this. It¡¯s not fair!¡± Yue didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Sometimes she felt the same, but she wouldn¡¯t ever do anything about it. Alyx seemed like the type of person to do it, though. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you protect her, Yue?¡± Alyx said accusingly. Yue bowed her head, tears still flowing. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything. I ask myself the same question every minute. Alyx didn¡¯t speak after that, so Yue fell silent too. Eventually, Alyx hugged Yue back, and they stood there, a picture of grief. Two silhouettes holding each other as the night passed. Two people looking at themselves as failures. Two humans looking for comfort. Not finding it. The night passed slowly. It felt like every day was a thousand years without Diamond. What had she done to deserve it? She¡¯d never been anything but nice. She always helped others. Yue remembered how mad she was when they decided to send Xander to join Cult. I would do anything to bring Yue back, she thought, even if she¡¯s mad at me forever and never talks to me again. She changed to a prayer. Please bring her back. I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ll sacrifice myself to bring her back. Please. Anything. Eventually, even Yue drifted slowly into sleep, tears tiring her out, holding onto Alyx, as they both floated in the pit of sadness, of depression, of helplessness. And so the day came, Yue and Alyx waking up, both still crying, hugging each other, sharing the horrible experience, wishing they were someone else. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Breakfast was the most depressing part of Yue¡¯s day. Except for the rest of the day. She ate slowly, Alyx and Neena eating with her, none of them talking, food soaked in tears. It was a sunny day, no clouds in the sky. The Vanguard was in mourning, but most of the soldiers wouldn¡¯t have known Diamond that well, so even if they were sad, they could still enjoy the day. Not Yue and her group. She didn¡¯t know when she would smile again. Would she smile again? Neena let out a whimper, and Yue put her arm around her. Neena had been hit hard by Diamond¡¯s death and hadn¡¯t talked since then. She always looked tired. Her usually active self had become sad and moody. Yue couldn¡¯t blame her. It was a sad time for all of them. Eventually, Xander came over and started eating next to them. Xander hadn¡¯t cried at all, at least not that Yue saw, but he was grieving in his own way. He was ignoring everyone, and refused to talk to anyone. While Neena didn¡¯t talk because she was shocked, Xander didn¡¯t talk because he was angry and sad at the same time. Xander wouldn¡¯t tell them why he seemed angry. He glared at them sadly, black hair a mess. The Wolf was walking by and saw them. He grimaced and shuffled over to them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Diamond,¡± he told them. He said it every time he saw them. He felt guilty about it. Yue felt bad for him, but felt worse for herself. She knew Diamond better than he did. The Wolf wasn¡¯t done speaking. ¡°Today is her funeral, as you know. The service starts at noon. I know it¡¯s hard, but you should be there. See you then.¡± He left, without hearing them say anything. Not that they would¡¯ve said anything. Some of the Vanguard¡¯s soldiers came into the refectory laughing, and paused when they saw Yue and her group. Then their faces became somber, and they looked pityingly at her group. Yue hated the pity. She didn¡¯t want the pity. She wanted Diamond back. Help. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the table. She heard the soldiers who were laughing before leave, whispering in hushed voices. They would probably be laughing soon, just like everyone else. Except for Yue. She could never laugh. After they finished eating, Neena and Alyx returned to the barracks, not even saying goodbye. Yue left Xander and walked over to where the Vanguard was training. She wasn¡¯t going to train. She was only going to watch. She couldn¡¯t train now. She only watched it to take her mind off of Diamond. Did it work? No. But Yue did it anyway. She watched as two soldiers¡ª she didn¡¯t bother to remember their names¡ªsparred until one of them surrendered. It was a lackluster performance from both of them. Not that she noticed. She was lost in her self-degradation and helplessness when someone came up behind her. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Jos.¡± Yue looked over. ¡°Yue.¡± ¡°I know. You were Diamond¡¯s friend, right? ¡°I still am.¡± ¡°Right, sorry. Look, I came here to offer my condolences. I didn¡¯t know Diamond too well, but I understand how hard it must be.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I do. My best friend died two years ago.¡± Yue looked over at him. ¡°How long did you know him?¡± ¡°Her. I¡¯d known her since I was a kid. She got sick with something the doctors couldn¡¯t identify.¡± Jos¡¯ face contorted. ¡°She died telling me it was okay.¡± He sat down next to me. ¡°I know how it feels. It hurts. I felt the same thing too. I know I don¡¯t know you very well, but if you need someone to talk to, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jos answered. ¡°Oh, and one more thing. My dad is a private investigator, and he taught me some of his skills. I heard that Diamond had been threatened before. You want me to look into it?¡± Yue hadn¡¯t even thought about that. ¡°If you figure out who did it, I¡¯ll be eternally grateful.¡± Jos nodded. ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry.¡± He left and Yue returned to staring vacantly at the sparring matches. She didn¡¯t even notice as Poli and Artemis walked over. ¡°Hey,¡± Poli said tentatively, ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Yue admitted the truth. ¡°Horribly.¡± Poli nodded sadly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Diamond¡¯s gone. We were laughing just two days ago. It doesn¡¯t feel real.¡± Poli was probably the one who had taken it the best so far. She was sad, but she was holding herself up well. Artemis was a little sadder, but rarely shedded tears. There were a couple on his face now. Poli continued talking. ¡°Now more than ever, it''s more important that Xander goes to the Cult. They targeted Diamond, and they¡¯ll come after us if we don¡¯t do something about it.¡± ¡°Can you stop with your theories for once, Poli?¡± Yue asked, aggravated. ¡°I might be leaving soon. If anything else happens, I¡¯m quitting the Vanguard.¡± Yue nodded.. ¡°What,¡± Poli exclaimed, ¡°No retort. No ¡®Don¡¯t Go, Poli?¡¯¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue.¡± ¡°You need to cheer up a little, Yue.¡± Yue broke. She stood up and faced Poli, rage on her face. ¡°Cheer up? CHEER UP?¡± Yue yelled. ¡°OUR FRIEND JUST DIED! DO YOU HAVE NO SYMPATHY? DIAMOND WAS KILLED! MURDERED! AND YOU ARE TELLING ME TO CHEER UP!¡± Yue started to cry, tears once again marring her normally pretty face. ¡°Just leave me alone, please.¡± Poli nodded and left, Artemis shamefully leaving without saying anything. People looked over at Yue, some surprised, others sympathetic. Yue glared at all of them, and left for her room. She couldn¡¯t deal with it now. She had to sleep. It was her only comfort now, even if the nightmares came back. She arrived at her barracks, the Fourth Female Barracks, and slid into her sheets, and fell asleep, exhaustion overtaking her. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Yue was sparring with Diamond. Diamond was losing, obviously. Yue was better. But just as Yue was about to disarm her, Diamond¡¯s eyes turned completely black, and black oil started to leak from them. Then Diamond screamed. ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU SAVE ME, YUE? YOU COULD''VE DONE SOMETHING. YOU LET ME DIE!¡± ¡°No,¡± Yue said weakly, ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t. I tried. I swear.¡± ¡°LIAR! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. EVERYONE BLAMES YOU! YOU DESERVE THE PAIN. YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue cried. ¡°I know, okay? I know I should be dead. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND¡± Diamond yelled, and then rushed Yue. Yue ran away, terrified of Diamond. Then the world disappeared. All that was left was a black void. Yue fell, Diamond above her, falling too. Diamond reached out, hands turning into claws scratching at Yue¡¯s arms. Yue screamed. Blood gushed from her arms, too much for such a little scratch. She curled into a ball, still falling. Diamond grew into a giant¡¯s size and grabbed her. Diamond smiled, and her teeth were filed into points. She squeezed Yue in her hand, and screamed at her once again. ¡°YOU MUST SUFFER HOW I SUFFERED!¡± ¡°No, please. I know I messed up. I know I let you die. I regret it every moment now, Diamond. I wanted to save you. I would¡¯ve done anything.¡± ¡°THEN WHY DIDN¡¯¡¯T YOU DO ANYTHING?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t. There was nothing I could do.¡± Diamond screeched. ¡°LIAR. YOU¡¯RE A BAD FRIEND AND YOU KNOW IT. FRIENDS HELP EACH OTHER OUT. YOU DID NOTHING. YOU¡¯RE WORTHLESS:¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I am. I should¡¯ve saved you. But I didn¡¯t. I failed. And now you¡¯re dead, and the world is hopeless. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Diamond¡¯s face grew sad. ¡°Yue, why did I die?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Diamond. I ask myself the same question. I can¡¯t deal with it. I feel so guilty.¡± ¡°BECAUSE IT IS YOUR FAULT!¡± Diamond¡¯s face grew evil, wickedly smiling as she opened her mouth as far as it could go. Her mouth was a void, and Yue saw death looking at it. Then Diamond dropped her in. Yue felt herself falling, and landed on Diamond¡¯s tongue. She was forced to feel everything, as Diamond bit down, severing her arm. Yue screamed, and she saw her limb disappear. Diamond bit again, and again. Each time, Yue screamed as Diamond¡¯s teeth impaled her over and over and over. An eternal torment. Yue woke up, screaming and crying. She looked around. No one was in the room. She sighed in relief. It was embarrassing enough to cry in front of anyone, but screaming was worse. She looked outside the window. It was still early afternoon. She walked outside, yawning. She was still tired, and didn¡¯t know what she would do for the rest of the day. She started to walk, lost in thought. ¡°Yue!¡± She kept walking, not noticing that someone was calling her. ¡°YUE!¡± She looked around. Someone was running towards her. Who was that? He looked familiar. Jos. That was his name. ¡°Yue, I have some news.¡± ¡°About what?¡± She answered gruffly. ¡°The investigation that you told me to do on the murderer.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°What¡¯s new?¡± ¡°I examined the dagger on Diamond¡¯s body,¡± Yue grimaced, but Jos didn¡¯t notice and kept talking, ¡°And it has a rare gem on it. Whoever they are, they¡¯re really rich to own something like that.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like much.¡± ¡°Trust me, it is. That narrows the list down a lot.¡± Yue nodded and kept walking aimlessly. Jos cocked his head at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to Diamond¡¯s funeral?¡± ¡°Oh, damn! I forgot.¡± Yue looked at the sky. She had twenty minutes to get to the green. ¡°Are you going, Jos?¡± ¡°No, I need to finish the investigation. I think I¡¯m close.¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Yue said, and rushed off towards the green. When she arrived, five minutes before time, she noticed something odd. She¡¯d thought that Diamond¡¯s friends and family outside of the Vanguard would be allowed to join the funeral, but she guessed since no non-soldier was allowed in the Vanguard grounds, they had not been allowed in. There would probably be a memorial for family members later, but for now, the funeral was all that would happen. Alyx saw her arrive, and sadly waved her over. There were about one hundred of the Vanguard soldiers here, which was a surprising amount. The Wolf had brought a podium, and he coughed loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Ahem, attention everyone. Welcome to the funeral for a respected member of the Vanguard. A friend to some, a sister to others, she will always be remembered. We will now have a moment of silence for Diamond Reinholt.¡± Everyone shut up respectfully. The only noise now was the sound of Alyx¡¯s sobs, which cause Yue to tear up. She let her tears fall. A minute passed. The soldiers were bowing their heads now, some whispering prayers, others crying quietly. Most of them didn¡¯t know Diamond well, but it was still a shock to all of them. Another minute passed. Alyx put her head on Yue¡¯s shoulder, and Yue side-hugged her. It was a hard time for all of them, but it was worse for Alyx, and Yue knew it. The final minute passed. The soldiers looked up, and Alyx wiped away her tears. The Wolf spoke once more. ¡°Rest in peace, Diamond Reinholt.¡± ¡°Rest in peace,¡± the Vanguard Warriors chorused. Rest in peace, Diamond. ¡°Now, everyone who wants to may come up and speak for a moment or two about Diamond. Alyx, go ahead.¡± The Wolf spoke softly and somberly to Alyx, who walked up the stage, sniffling. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Alyx, and I¡¯m Diamond¡¯s sister. My sister was always there for me when I was a little kid. She always helped me when I fell. She never fought my battles, but taught me to fight them. Even though she was never super competitive, I got my competitive nature from her.¡± Alyx was now crying visibly. ¡°I remember Diamond told me she would be with me to see me become a member of the Vanguard, and she kept her promise. She was the first to welcome me here. She was my best friend. You were a great sister, Diamond. I hope you find rest on the other side.¡± She touched Diamond¡¯s coffin, which was right in front of her. She stayed like that for a time, silently whispering. Then she returned to her seat. Aster walked up. Yue hadn¡¯t seen her at all today, which was strange. The day after Diamond died, she had really relied on her friends to comfort her. She had probably slept in. ¡°I met Diamond one year ago, after I joined the Vanguard. I was friends with Yue, who was friends with her. I remember when I met her, she was talking to Alyx. Alyx was crying, and I figured out later that Diamond had saved her from a very dark place. That was my first impression with Diamond. ¡°The more I hung out with her, the more I realized that the first impressions I had of Diamond were exactly who she was. She was always there for her friends. If one of Diamond¡¯s friends had an issue, she was generally the first person they went to talk to, because she was always there for them. That is the definition of a friend. Thank you, Diamond.¡± She walked back to the audience, composed yet sad. Yue decided to go for it too. She walked up and started talking. ¡°I met Diamond the day I came into the Vanguard. She challenged me to a duel the same day. I was a very confident girl then. I thought I could win anything. She humbled me. From then on, she became almost the ¡®sage¡¯ in my life. I disagreed with her sometimes, but I always took her words into account. Some of her friends know her as a nice person. Some know her as a helpful person. I know her as a wise person. She was a great friend, and I already miss her dearly. I¡¯ll see you one day, Diamond.¡± Yue walked back to Alyx¡¯s side. The Wolf waited a moment. When nobody stepped up, he returned to the podium. ¡°May you rest in peace, Diamond Reinhart, and may your legacy live on. As a soldier. As a sister. As a friend.¡± He saluted, and the Vanguard followed suit. Yue shed a few tears. Rest in peace, my friend. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Half an hour after the funeral. Yue had been wandering around with Alyx for a while, not really doing anything, lost in thought. Eventually she decided to return to her room. When she got back, she took off her shoes, and walked in. She entered the bathroom and splashed her face. Dammit. Her face was red from all the crying. Ugh. She hated when that happened to her. It just made it so much more obvious that she¡¯d been crying. Plus, her eyes were puffy. Go figure. She walked over to her bead, and sat down, head in her hands. She stayed like that for a minute, then lay down. As she did, she felt a crunch where she put her leg. She looked over. There was a piece of paper on her bed. She opened it, expecting a death threat. What followed got her heart racing. Dear Yue, I know who killed Diamond. Meet me in the forest. Jos. Yue calmed herself. Did Jos know or was it just wishful thinking on his part? Either way she had to check. A knock came from the barracks. She walked to the door slowly and opened it. There was no one there. She looked down. There was a package there and all it said was Yue. Apprehensive, she opened it. There was a hand there. A human hand covered in blood. Still fresh. Yue gagged. There was writing inside the box too. Yue tried not to throw up as she moved the hand to read inside. See you in the forest. Yue grew scared, but decided she would go for it anyway. Here I come, forest. You better be ready! ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The forest. One mile outside the Vanguard grounds, just outside Magefell. She noticed a trail leading in. She¡¯d never entered. The forest had always looked spooky to her. She found another box just outside the trail. This time there was a blood-soaked ear inside. She couldn¡¯t stop it. She threw up. There was more writing on the box. This time it said Follow the trail. See you there. She headed in, feeling nauseous. She followed the trail. The sun was almost setting, giving the forest a ghostly hue. The trees were dark and ominous, and it felt like the perfect place for a murderer to hide. She drew her sword and kept walking. Eventually, there was a fork in the road. She didn¡¯t know which path she should take. That is, until she saw the third box. She gagged once more as she saw the leg inside and read the words as quickly as possible. You¡¯re almost there. Hope you find me. She took the right path, and kept plodding along. The trail ended abruptly. There was nothing else. Should she continue, or was this the end? She looked around. No one was here. What was going on? She strode for a while, not finding anything or anybody. She guessed this was all a ruse. Jos tricked me! That dumb bastard! Then she thought of the body parts. Those were real. What were they about? And whose were they? She didn¡¯t want to think about it now. It was getting late, and she should be getting back to the grounds. She could discuss this with her friends. Maybe get them thinking about something other than Diamond. The thought of Diamond stung, and she tried not to tear up. She closed her eyes and followed the trail to return. Then she saw it There was something right next to the trail, and it was covered in leaves. Yue knelt next to it, and started to wipe away the leaves. The first thing she saw was a mouth, stuck in a scream. She screamed, and backed away. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She had to confirm the thing over there was what she thought it was. She grabbed a stick, and started wiping away the leaves. She noticed they were stained with blood. She finally uncovered the whole thing. It was a head, Jos¡¯ head, to be precise. Yue vomited. His head was covered in blood, permanently stuck with a horrified stare. A search around the trail uncovered his torso, cut in several places. Oh no! Jos is dead! Someone killed him! I have to tell someone! She couldn¡¯t believe it. The murderer had struck again. It wasn¡¯t a one time thing. Someone was targeting them. She found Jos¡¯ other hand next to a tree. He was holding a scrap of paper. She read it, and her heart almost stopped- If you read this, I am probably dead. Either that, or you stole this paper from me. If so, shame on you. I know who killed Diamond, and now the person will kill me. I know too much. Please tell my parents. Anyway, if you¡¯re reading this Yue, I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t alive to tell you the truth. Anyway, the person¡­. The letter stopped there. The murderer had gotten to him before he finished. Yue lay down on the tree and mourned. She mourned for her friends. Alyx had to deal with the death of a sister, and the rest with the death of a friend. She mourned for herself. She didn¡¯t know what she would do now. She wanted to give up and just sleep for the rest of her life. She was totally lost, and life had become too serious too quickly. She mourned for Diamond. Her friend. Yue had relied on Diamond, and now she was gone. And now she mourned for Jos. he died for something he hadn¡¯t been involved in. He had just wanted to help someone in pain. And he paid for it. It wasn¡¯t fair! She had thought she had made a friend, but he had died immediately. She mourned. She mourned throughout the night, until she had to return to the grounds. There, she mourned again. She mourned through the night. Even the next day had no escape. She mourned. Chapter Eight: A Promise of War Chapter Eight: A Promise of War I¡¯m with my parents, sitting at the table, eating dinner. There¡¯s someone next to me, but I can¡¯t see him well. If I focus on him, his form becomes blurry. He seems familiar, but I can¡¯t remember his name. I look down at my plate. I¡¯m done eating. ¡°May I leave the table?¡± I ask my parents. They nod, so I stand up. I walk to the kitchen, and start to wash my plate. I hear an argument coming from the dining room, but I ignore it. I focus on washing my dish. But the argument becomes worse. I hear angry screaming, and I cover my ears, and huddle up on the ground. I can still hear it. I scream, and stomp into the dining room. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± I yell. ¡°Please, just be quiet.¡± The blurry boy looks at me, cocking his head. ¡°Won¡¯t you support me, Zade?¡± He walks toward me and I back away. My da is talking to me: ¡°Zade, come here. Don¡¯t listen to him. You still have time to be better.¡± ¡°NO!¡± I yell. ¡°I won¡¯t let all of you corrupt me. This isn¡¯t fair. Can¡¯t you just get along for once?¡± ¡°Zade, don¡¯t let them poison you,¡± the boy tells me. ¡°I SAID SHUT UP,¡± I say, and then all hell breaks loose. I focus on the blurry boy, and he gets thrown back, and crashes through the wall. He doesn¡¯t stand up. I look at my parents, and I explode. I turn into flames, and throw myself at them. They scream as they try to fight me off, but I¡¯m too strong. They fall and lay still. I get up, and revert back to my normal form. I look around. They deserved to die. It¡¯s their fault. I angrily walk outside, leaving the bodies on the floor, smoking. I slam the door, and pause as I see the world. Or what¡¯s left of it. Everything¡¯s gone, only ruins left. The house I live in is the only thing standing. I look around. There are people crying on the ground. Some missing legs, others missing loved ones. All pleading for help. Help I cannot give. I wonder what happened here. It looks horrible, like a mage struck the entire world with lightning. Somehow, I know this is the apocalypse. Nothing comes after this. This is the end. I hear a roar behind me. I turn and look. I gasp. It¡¯s a huge army, celebrating. Some of the mages are tormenting civilians. Others are just dancing or pumping their fists into the air. Clearly, they are the ones who did this. There¡¯s a man leading them. If you can call him a man. He must be at least nine feet tall, and his face creeps me out. His eyes are balls of fire, and he has wolves¡¯ fangs where his teeth should be. He¡¯s holding a mace in one hand, and a sword in the other. He looks straight at me and I back away. ¡°ZADE HELSTORM,¡± he tells me. ¡°WALK FORWARD.¡± My legs move of their own accord, and soon I¡¯m right in front of him. He tilts my chin up to his face. ¡°DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? ¡°Dautha,¡± I croak out. ¡°GOOD JOB! BUT YOU OPPOSE ME.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I swear.¡± He laughs. ¡°DON¡¯T WORRY, ZADE. I WON¡¯T HURT YOU. I WANT YOU TO TAKE YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS A DEMI-GOD.¡± ¡°Why? I would kill you if I had the chance.¡± ¡°YOU COULDN¡¯T KILL ME IF YOU WANTED TO. BUT IT DOESN¡¯T MATTER NOW. THE PAST IS THE PAST. JOIN ME NOW, AND ALL IS FORGIVEN. I¡¯LL GIVE YOU A SPOT NEXT TO ME.¡± I breathe out. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not lying.¡± ¡°WHY WOULD I LIE?¡± I nod. He has a good point. I don¡¯t know what to do. ¡°CHOOSE NOW!¡± ¡°I accept.¡± He smiles. ¡°WELCOME, ZADE HELSTORM. MAY YOU LIVE FOREVER AS A SERVANT OF DAUTHA.¡± I feel a flood of power wash over me. I feel so good. I see Dautha¡¯s motivations. And I believe. I believe. And it feels good. I wake up sweaty. The dream is already slipping from my memory, but the feelings remain. I feel horrible and weak, like I just lost a lot of power. I take a while to fully recover my senses, and get out of bed. I get dressed. It¡¯s morning, but the sun isn¡¯t completely out yet. I focus on making a flame on my finger. I focus on letting it last as long as possible. I close my eyes as I do it to not get distracted by the outside world. I last twenty minutes. It¡¯s my record. I pick up the black book. I open it to the first chapter, and start to read. CHAPTER 1: The Core Every mage has a core. No one knows where a Mage¡¯s core is. It is only seen with eyes closed. Cores come in a variety of shapes and colors, but most are some form of sphere. The core has limited power, growing along with its Mage¡¯s strength. That strength is called Mana. But the core has unlimited capabilities. It has the capacity to do anything, as long as the Mage finds a way to use it that way. Most Mages can find a way to control their core completely in a year or two. The best Mages control it in a month. The weakest never do. If a Mage has control of their core, their Magic knows no bounds, except when the Mage is not strong enough mentally to take said magic. When a Mage uses too much Magic, it can either kill him, or expunge the Magic from his body turning him into an invalid. This is called The Burning, and it''s the most painful experience a Mage can have. There are ways to increase a Mage¡¯s core. It¡¯s called flexing. A mage must grip his core, and stretch it as far as possible. Then that step must be repeated as much as possible. The more a Mage does this, the more the Mage will improve his core. Not only will it increase a Mage¡¯s power, but it will also decrease a Mage¡¯s chance of Burning. When a fledgling Mage wants to do a bit of Magic, they must use their core consciously. Once they are experienced, they can do it subconsciously. In training, to learn magic, a Mage must guide the core to becoming what they want to happen in the real world. The more complicated the magic, the harder it is to guide the core. The higher the level, the easier it is to guide the core. If a Mage increases his level, his mana will grown, leading him to be able to do more complicated magic without the risk of Burning. If a skill is acquired, the core is required to use the skill, but never enough to Burn the Mage. All Mages have experience points. EXPs can be used to increase your core or improve on skills. Mages earn EXPs from using Magic. The more complicated, the more EXP. I flip to the front of the book. There are two new things there: Mana: 100% EXP: 150 I close the book. I should go eat breakfast. Astil and Xavier are probably a?ready at the cafeteria. I yawn, open the door, and head for the cafeteria. I¡¯ll finish the chapter later. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Astil is shaking with nervousness. Literally. He can¡¯t talk without stuttering. I had totally forgotten that today was Astil¡¯s date, but apparently he didn¡¯t. Obviously, I try to cheer him up. ¡°Astil, calm down. She probably won¡¯t kill you.¡± He glares daggers at me. ¡°D-d-don¡¯t say t-that to me, p-p-please. She might do it.¡± Xavier laughs so hard, it takes him a minute to be able to talk. ¡°Anni is literally the sweetest person you¡¯ve ever met. You think she¡¯ll kill you?¡± ¡°She might.¡± ¡°You wanna ask her.¡± ¡°N-no, please.¡± I see Anni. ¡°Hey, Anni, sit with us.¡± Anni happily comes over, ponytail bobbing as usual. She sits next to Asti?, and hugs him. ¡°Hey, Astil! How are you doing?¡± ¡°I-i-i¡¯m fine, t-t-thanks for asking.¡± I look conspiratorially at Anni. ¡°He isn¡¯t always like this. Only around pretty girls.¡± She laughs. ¡°He¡¯s just sweet, right, Astil?¡± He chuckles nervously. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for our date. I have a lot of ideas.¡± Astil¡¯s eyes widen, and he looks in horror at me. Xavier smiles at Anni. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s ready. He¡¯s been talking about it nonstop since you asked him out,¡± Xavier says. I can¡¯t help but laugh out loud. Xavier is telling the truth, just not the whole truth. Yes, Astil has been talking about it since Anni asked him out, but he¡¯s been talking about how scared he is over it. ¡°I know my Atty is excited for it.¡± Anni says as she grabs his arm. I grin wickedly at Xavier and mouth ¡®My Atty¡¯. He nods, stifling a laugh. Astil looks at us angrily, and stands up. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Anni. As for you guys, please leave me alone.¡± Me and Xavier look at each other innocently as Astil stomps off. Anni looks confusedly at us, and I wave her off. ¡°It¡¯s ok. He gets nervous like this sometimes.¡± She smiles. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you later. Tell Atty I¡¯ll see him after lunch." ¡°We will,¡± Xavier says, and Anni leaves. Me and Xavier finish breakfast, and Xavier turns to me. ¡°If you don¡¯t have to study tonight, I could show you the game room. I know you haven¡¯t gone. You should see it.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I smile. ¡°Sounds like fun. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The game room is massive, and a misnomer. It should be called game rooms. There are two. The first has a host of people playing strategy based magical games: games like chess or checkers. The second room has games that are purely magical and were invented here at Zenyth. Xavier leads me to one of his favorite games, which is called Jockey. Basically, there are three balls, and eighteen holes. It¡¯s a simple game with little concentration, which is why Xavier loves it so much. All you have to do is lift the balls with your mind and get them in the cups. The problem is all I can do is make a flame with my finger. I haven¡¯t learned to lift things with my mind. I decide to give the game a try anyway. Xavier goes first. This game is mostly for mages who just started training, because with more skill, it becomes really easy to get the balls in the holes. He gets the first one in a hole worth five points, and the second in a hole worth three. The last one goes in a hole that gives him negative two points. It¡¯s my turn. I don¡¯t know if i¡¯ll be able to do it, but I decide to try. I close my eyes, and concentrate on my core. I guide it to becoming¡­what? What should it be? Should I guide it to be air or maybe the ball I¡¯m trying to lift? I try making it air first, and my core evaporates, but I can still feel it. It worked! I try to guide the air to the ball in front of me. I concentrate hard. I open my eyes. I did it! The ball¡¯s in the air. As soon as I open my eyes, though, I lose concentration. The ball falls back to the ground. I groan. Now I have to do it again. I close my eyes. This time it takes more concentration and more time to get the ball in the air, but once I do, I fling it, thrusting my hands out as if they¡¯re holding the ball. The ball goes flying too far, and lands on the wall before bouncing back down. ¡°The first time I tried to do that,¡± Xavier says. ¡°I got the ball embedded in the wall. The Mages were furious with me.¡± I chuckle, slightly annoyed. I still wish I had done it. It takes me fifteen tries, but I finally get the ball in a hole, and it¡¯s worth three points! I return to playing the game, and it takes me fifteen minutes to get the other two balls in. In the end, I got five points, which means I lost. ¡°I¡¯m tired. This takes too much concentration,¡± I tell Xavier , catching my breath. He smiles wickedly. ¡°I know somewhere we can go.¡± He runs off, and I run after him. As we rush off, he keeps talking to me. ¡°The day I arrived here I found a place nobody knows about. I¡¯ve been able to eavesdrop on a lot of people from there. You would be surprised by what I¡¯ve heard.¡± I smile as I imagine it. We arrive at a hallway, and he points to a wall. Across from it is a bench. ¡°When I got here,¡± he tells me, ¡°I laid back against this wall, and the wall slid back. I don¡¯t know anyone else who knows about this place, so it¡¯s become my secret hideout.¡± He taps one part of the wall, and it slides open. I walk in after him, and the wall closes. At least, from the outside it does. From where I am, I can still see the hallway. It¡¯s strange. I¡¯m sure that people from the hallway wouldn¡¯t be able to see me, but I¡¯m able to see them. We stay there for about half an hour. Only a couple people pass by, and eventually, I get bored in this tiny closet room. I¡¯m just about to suggest we leave, when I hear something. Xavier puts his finger to his mouth, and I nod, understanding. Two mages appear, one speaking angrily to the other. ¡°They threatened us,¡± He says. I mentally call him the Irate One. ¡°I know. But we can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± says the Calm One. ¡°So we just let it slide? If we don¡¯t do anything, this is war!¡± The Irate One responds. ¡°I know. I know. What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Stop the cult. Arrest a fanatic. Publicly denounce Dautha. Anything. We need to stop the Cult. We need to stop the war.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand,¡± the Calm One replies. ¡°We can¡¯t stop this war. All we can do is delay it. Send another peace offering.¡± ¡°You have to be joking. That won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°It has to. It has to.¡± The mages leave the hallway. Me and Xavier look at each other. Then we run back to our rooms. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m sitting next to my room in what is the Gallery. It¡¯s the most popular place for mages-in-training to hang out, except for possibly the game room. Xavier and Astil are here, and we just filled in what happened to Astil. I¡¯m still processing what happened, and Astil shakes his head. ¡°Really? As soon as we arrive, war is coming? That sucks.¡± ¡°Do you know what a war would entail?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Last time a war happened, the mages almost destroyed the world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine,¡± I say. ¡°If they didn¡¯t destroy the world a thousand years ago, they won¡¯t now.¡± ¡°How can you be sure of that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m here now. And I¡¯m the savior of the world.¡± We all pause for a second, and then burst out laughing. Xavier wipes his eyes. ¡°Imagine you actually thought that. You¡¯d be so much more obnoxious.¡± ¡°That implies that I already am.¡± Astil snorts. ¡°You know full well how obnoxious you are.¡± I gasp in mock outrage. ¡°Me? Obnoxious? How could you?¡± Astil rolls his eyes, and looks at the window. ¡°We should go eat.¡± Xavier smiles. ¡°You know what happens after that?¡± Astil groans. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention it.¡± We head off towards the cafetera and eat our lunch there. Anni is there, but Astil ignores her the whole time. Before he can finish his lunch, we abruptly pull him up, and push him back to his room. ¡°Hey, guys, stop! I wasn¡¯t done. I¡¯m still hungry.¡± ¡°Suck it up. We have to prepare you for your date.¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± We don¡¯t let him go, obviously, and soon we¡¯re back at his room. Xavier looks at him critically. ¡°You¡¯re not dressing like this for the date.¡± ¡°What? Why not?¡± Astil is wearing a simple leather shirt and trousers, with his black cloak. ¡°I¡¯m going to my room to get something. Xavier, take care of his wardrobe.¡± Xavier salutes at me, and I go back to my room. Within a minute, I¡¯m back in Astil¡¯s room. ¡°Okay,¡± I say, thrusting the perfume I bought at him, ¡°You¡¯re putting this on.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he complains. ¡°Because you¡¯re not going on a date smelling like crap.¡± He grumbles but does as I say. Xavier can¡¯t find anything in Astil¡¯s wardrobe that would be good for a date, but decides to force Astil to put on the black Zenyth Uniform. ¡°Everything looks better in black,¡± Xavier exclaims and I agree. Eventually, Xavier slips back for a second, and comes back with a bouquet of flowers. That must be what he bought from the market. ¡°Here, give this to Anni,¡± Xavier commands Astil. ¡°What if she¡¯s allergic.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s allergic. You haven¡¯t thought about this at all, have you?¡± ¡°Of course not. Zade got me into this in the first place.¡± I groan. ¡°We know you wanted to do this anyway.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out. Now go. Anni¡¯s probably waiting for you.¡± Astil heads out, and me and Xavier watch him go. Xavier chuckles. ¡°Our little boy is growing up.¡± I playfully slap him on the shoulder. ¡°We only know him for a week!¡± He laughs. ¡°Look at how nervous he is.¡± ¡°Poor guy,¡± I respond. ¡°He needs this.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Xavier says. ¡°I think this will be great for him and us.¡± ¡°Why us?¡± ¡°Because maybe Astil won¡¯t follow us around anymore.¡± I glare at Xavier, and he chuckles. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± I shake my head, and walk off. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°I¡¯m going to train my magic. I haven¡¯t done that at all today.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you come with me and see what Astil and Anni are doing.¡± I grab him by the uniform. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Xavier. Let him be alone with her, okay?¡± He grumbles. ¡°Fine. I guess I¡¯ll go train too. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Focus on your core. Breathe. It is always better to prepare yourself before you do any magic.¡± I close my eyes, as Master Thul guides me through my training. I asked him to teach me to levitate objects. He agreed but told me to practice what I already knew how to do first. It becomes exponentially easier to do some magic if I¡¯ve done it several times. My core seems to have muscle memory, and intuitively knows when I want to do the Flame Finger now. I barely even need to think for my core to transform itself. I guide it to my finger, and there it is. My gloved finger holds the flame as it dances around. I focus on the flame, not letting it die. It stays strong, and I close my eyes again, trusting it to stay as I mold my core as a flame. I want to keep it going, but Master Thul stops me. ¡°No need to waste your energy, Zade. You did tell me you wanted to do something else as well.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I respond, looking at him. ¡°I was able to levitate a ball with Xavier, but it¡¯s still really hard. I want to practice it.¡± ¡°As you should, Zade,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°As you should.¡± ¡°Wait, before we do,¡± I ask him a question. ¡°How do I acquire a skill?¡± He chuckles. ¡°Skills are acquired in times of great emotion, say joy or ire, even excitement. You do not need to worry about them until you get one, okay?¡± I nod. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Then let''s start. Close your eyes again, and focus on your core. I placed your dagger on the table. Lift it with your mind.¡± I do just that, and gently guide it to becoming mist and air. It evaporates, and I get a chilling sensation that I¡¯ve lost my core. It¡¯s irrational, because I can still feel it, but I can¡¯t see it. I want to breathe fast, but I force the feeling down. Then, as my core starts to whip around, I put up a wall. The air is blocked from going backwards. I¡¯m able to guide it then towards where Master Thul is, and where he put my dagger. I can imagine the dagger floating, but I keep my eyes closed to make sure I¡¯m concentrating well. Eventually, I have to look up, and when I do the dagger is floating. But as I see it, suddenly I feel fatigued. The dagger is heavy. My core is getting weary just from picking it up. I¡¯m forced to let the dagger go, and I lay down on my bed with exhaustion. I try to catch my breath as Master Thul speaks to me: ¡°You should know your limits. You did good by releasing the dagger when you did. Any more and it could¡¯ve knocked you out. Let this be a lesson for you. When you need to stop, you must stop. If you feel exhausted, don¡¯t keep doing magic. Take a breather. If not, you could Burn yourself. Is that clear?¡± I nod slowly. ¡°What if I need to use my magic even when tired?¡± ¡°You better pray to God that doesn¡¯t happen,¡± Master Thul tells me, ¡°Or you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Will leveling up help with that?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Master Thul responds, ¡°But you won¡¯t level up that far until at least a few years from now.¡± ¡°That long?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± I sigh. I knew that it would take years, possibly even decades, to learn magic, but if it takes years to be able to do magic while tired, it seems obsolete. Won¡¯t enemy mages use that against me? I ask Master Thul my question and he nods. ¡°Of course. An enemy mage will do anything to dethrone you, or tear down your reputation. They¡¯ll do anything to win. They¡¯ll exploit all your weaknesses. You must make sure you are well rested every day. Now I advise you to take five minutes. When those five minutes are past, you must try again. Fatigue can Burn you, but it is imperative to learn how far is too far. Never stray so far that you¡¯re close to Burning, but if you feel only a little tired, gauge yourself to see how much you can do before you¡¯re too tired.¡± I don¡¯t know if I understand what he says, and he can see it. So he picks up the book, and hands it to me. ¡°Open it up.¡± I obey Master Thul and notice it immediately. My mana has dropped from 100% to just 65%. ¡°Some mages,¡± Master Thul tells me, ¡°Can last all the way to 5% percent until they can¡¯t do magic any more. Some stop at 50%. It¡¯s different with a mage¡¯s capabilities. And their level, of course. You must figure out where you have to stop. You will probably not take this book everywhere, but if you need it, it will tell you how much mana you have. Use it. Know your abilities. Know your limits.¡± I nod again. I think I understand. My mana is currently at 65%, which means that I can definitely do more magic now. But I probably cannot do much more. I have to be careful. I do still have one question, though. ¡°How does my mana come back?¡± ¡°With rest. Sleeping is the best way. Taking a nap can do much. It¡¯s not called a power nap for nothing.¡± He winks at me. ¡°But you can also just take a break. Sit down and talk with your friends. Relax. When your mana is low, try not to engage in any hectic activities. That only makes everything worse. It won¡¯t deplete your mana, but it will keep you tired longer. There¡¯s dangers to being a mage, just like with any job.¡± ¡°Should I take a nap now, then?¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll wake you in fifteen minutes and we can try again.¡± I lay down, and try to sleep. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I didn¡¯t really sleep, but I felt ready after just fifteen minutes of resting. I was able to keep the dagger up for thirty seconds before it was too much. I joined Xavier for dinner, and we just talked about Astil. We didn¡¯t see him at dinner. Then we returned to the Gallery, and we¡¯re here now, waiting for Astil. ¡°When do you think he¡¯s coming back?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°I don¡¯t think he is. He¡¯ll be too embarrassed.¡± I respond. ¡°You think we act too immature for people with seventeen summers?¡± We stay silent for a minute, and both laugh. ¡°Nah. If so, all other seventeen year-olds are boring.¡± ¡°That¡¯s been my experience,¡± Xavier says. I chuckle. At Erenfeld, there were only a couple people my age. Danni is a month younger. Jade is just eleven months older. And Joh was three months older. I think most of them grew along with me, so we were all just as mature as each other. Or as immature, I guess. Astil returns. Me and Xavier look up at the same time, but Astil doesn¡¯t see us. Either that, or he ignores us, so Xavier calls him. Astil looks over at us. He looks flushed. ¡°Astil, how did it go? He looks at us, and he¡¯s catching his breath for some reason. He¡¯s also smiling, which I take as a good thing. But he doesn¡¯t answer Xavier. He looks a little distracted. So it¡¯s my turn to talk. I walk over to Astil and grab his shoulders. ¡°Astil, how did it go?¡± Astil cocks his head, and smiles wider. Then he finally responds. ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m in love.¡± He walks to his room. No, he¡¯s skipping? I¡¯ve never seen him do that. ¡°Yes!¡± Xavier shouts. ¡°We did it, Zade.¡± I nod, and we laugh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. We really did.¡± ¡°I know. I know.¡± It¡¯s late, so we go to bed soon after. I think I can hear Astil singing from my room. Astil is happy. Therefore, I am happy. At least for today. I am happy. Chapter Nine: End of a Tournament Chapter Nine: End of a Tournament It was a new day, and Yue was tired. It had now been a week since Diamond¡¯s passing, and Yue¡¯s face showed how little sleep she was getting. She still had nightmares every day. But she did feel a little better. At least she could function now. She was still depressed every day, but she could at least think and act semi-normally now. Today was the day that the tournament continued. The Wolf had told Yue and Alyx that if he delayed it any longer, they wouldn¡¯t have time before the real tournament started. Yue was going to participate, obviously. She just didn¡¯t know if she would do any good or not. She didn¡¯t know if she bothered. She barely even bothered to get dressed. Routine just seemed wrong to her now. She was sure that most people would think her indecent for it, but she didn¡¯t really care. She just stepped outside, breathed in the fresh air, and walked out towards the green. She still had an hour to kill before breakfast. Yue didn''t see any of her friends. Good. She wanted to be alone right now. It was a chilly day, and she realized she probably should¡¯ve gotten a coat, or at least worn a little more. It was too late for that now. Being alone was when she was most vulnerable, but for some reason, she craved it. Even being near her friends usually strengthened her, but sometimes she just needed to take some time off, even if it killed her inside. She sat down on the green, and plucked at the grass, vacantly staring into the distance. She¡¯d never really had to deal with death like this. Her grandma had died when she was five, but, except for that, no one she was remotely close to had ever passed. It was all uncharted waters for Yue, and she still wasn¡¯t sure how she would cope. She noticed someone walking towards her, and as he got closer, she recognized him. The Wolf. He was pointedly walking in her direction. What did he want with her? She waited until he was close enough, then stood up and saluted. ¡°Yue,¡± The Wolf said, ¡°I want to give you a proposal. I waited as long as possible before this, but I have to do it now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Yue asked. The Wolf shook his head. ¡°Not now. Come to my quarters with me. We can talk there.¡± Yue nodded and followed him as he led the way. She had never been to the Wolf¡¯s quarters. Not many people had. Usually, that only happened if someone was in deep trouble. Or if they had a special mission. It seemed like Yue would be going there for the latter. They passed the green, and eventually left Vanguard grounds. The Wolf was the only one who did not live with the Vanguard. That was his privilege as captain. He lived nearby, though, she noticed as his hut came into view. They were near the forest where Jos died. She wiped away tears as she thought of him. The Wolf opened the door to his sturdy wooden shack, and waited for her to enter. She did, and he followed her in. She was in an office. There were papers everywhere, as if he couldn¡¯t organize them. There was a desk on one side of the room, and a door on the other, probably leading to his bedroom. Yue sat down on a chair, and the Wolf sat at his desk. ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t have a lot of time, so I¡¯ll get straight to business. We both know Diamond and Jos were murdered by someone. And that someone is probably in the Vanguard, considering Diamond was killed during a match that only Vanguard Soldiers were allowed to attend. The only person I know I can trust is you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I hate to cast suspicion on my soldiers,¡± The Wolf responded, ¡°But I have to. One of them did it. But you are the only one who couldn''t have done it. You were sparring with Diamond when she died. You couldn¡¯t have stuck her in the back. ¡°I want to give you a job. I need you to figure out who killed them. I have three suspicions, and I need you to look into them. ¡°The first is Poli. You know her well.¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Yue said, crossing her arms, ¡°And I know she would¡¯ve never killed Diamond.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be sure. Remove all bias, please. Look into her. The second is Eva. I don''t think you know her well, but she had a grudge against Diamond, so she could¡¯ve done it. The third is Joanne. She is a fierce defender of Dautha, and the word has been spreading that Diamond talked about Dautha before she died.¡± Yue groaned. It was probably Poli who spread the word. ¡°So,¡± The Wolf continued, ¡°Will you look into them to figure out who the murderer is?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to find out who did it.¡± The Wolf smiled. ¡°Good. You will be moved to the First Female Barracks to acquaint yourself with them. Please don¡¯t make them your friends. They¡¯re under suspicion. They might kill you if they know your intentions.¡± Yue nodded again. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t tell anyone about this,¡± The Wolf concluded. ¡°This is a dangerous task I¡¯m giving you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re up to it. Just don¡¯t let your feelings get in the way.¡± Yue took a deep breath. She would do anything to avenge Diamond. If one of the three girls did it, she would kill them herself. She didn¡¯t believe Poli had done it, but any of the other two could have, as far as she knew. Yue promised herself she would find the killer. She would avenge Diamond. She would avenge Jos. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was sitting on the green again. The tournament would continue in a couple of minutes. Alyx and Neena were sitting next to her, silent as usual these days. Neena still had not spoken. Alyx¡¯s words always came out as sobs. The Wolf was currently preparing the first two soldiers who would spar, and Yue would watch them go. Usually, she would critique them in her head, but today she could only see the fight- ¡°Yue?¡± Alyx said. Yue groaned in response, so Alyx continued talking. ¡°I¡¯m going to the room. It was good to see you. Thanks.¡± Alyx walked away, and Yue cocked her head. That was weird. What did Alyx mean by all that? She shrugged, and turned her head in time to watch the first game start. The match was between a man and a woman, the man leaner and shorter. The woman immediately attacked him, driving him back. He never had a chance. Within thirty seconds, the match was done. The man was pinned on the ground by the woman. Normally, Yue would¡¯ve noticed how the man had thrown his foot back wrong, but she didn¡¯t care today. She just wanted to take her mind off everything. Plus, she should find Eva and Joanne. The faster she became ¡®friends¡¯ with them, the faster she could begin to investigate them. She saw Eva congratulating the woman who had just sparred, so Yue told Neena she would come right back. Neena didn¡¯t respond, so Yue walked off to meet Eva. Eva was turning around when she saw Yue, and noticed that Yue was walking towards her. Her eyes widened. She started to run away from Yue, so Yue followed. Some soldiers noticed what was happening, and looked at each other confusedly. As Yue chased after Eva, Yue yelled at her. ¡°Eva! Wait! I promise I¡¯m not mad or anything.¡± Eva didn¡¯t listen and kept running. Yue started to catch up, her agility working in her favor, and was forced to do the only thing she could to stop Eva. Yue tackled her. They both fell on the ground hard, and Eva glared at Yue. ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked. ¡°I just wanted to meet you.¡± Yue said tentatively, knowing it sounded feeble. ¡°Sure, this has nothing to do with me having a grudge with Diamond.¡± ¡°No, I swear, I just¡­¡± Yue racked her memory to remember anything about Eva. ¡°I just wanted to meet you and congratulate you for how good you did in the tournament.¡± Eva narrowed her eyes. ¡°Whatever. Why are you really here?¡± Yue grimaced. ¡°You want to know the truth. I¡¯m tired of my friends never talking anymore. They¡¯re too caught up on Diamond¡¯s death to do anything.¡± It hurt Yue to say that, but if it helped, She¡¯d do anything. Eva smirked. ¡°I agree. Diamond¡¯s death is sad, but it¡¯s not as bad as you were putting it out to be. Maybe I was wrong about you.¡± She offered Yue her hand, and Yue took it. ¡°Where are your friends anyway?¡± Yue started to tell her, and then remembered what Alyx said. Suddenly, it hit her what Alyx was going to do. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Yue told Eva. ¡°I just have to do something quick.¡± Then she ran off to find Alyx, desperation hitting her. As Yue ran, she wondered where Alyx would be. She thought Alyx would be at her barracks, but she wasn¡¯t sure. She silently prayed that Alyx would be there. If not, things would turn ugly. Yue was getting winded, but she kept running. She had to get there in time. She arrived at the barracks, and entered immediately. ¡°Alyx!¡± She called. No response. Yue started to feel apprehensive. No! She thought. She can¡¯t have done it yet! She burst into the bathroom, and called for Alyx again. ¡°I¡¯m here, Yue,¡± someone responded feebly. It was Alyx, behind the bathroom stall. Yue opened the door. There she was, on the ground, knife to her wrists. ¡°Alyx,¡± Yue said, kneeling beside her, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have to, Yue,¡± Alyx responded, crying, ¡°I can¡¯t live without my sister. It¡¯s not fair, Yue.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s not fair. But what do you think Diamond would want you to do?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not here, Yue! She can¡¯t tell me, because she was murdered!¡± Alyx screamed hysterically. Yue¡¯s eyes teared up. ¡°I saw it too, Alyx. I was there. I feel the pain you feel. Maybe not to the same degree, but I still feel it. You think I don¡¯t want to kill myself every time I think about how I could¡¯ve just done something?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Part of me knows that. The other part hates me for it. I replay the moment over and over every minute. But that won¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t live like this. How am I supposed to deal with it?¡± ¡°One step at a time. One day at a time. Look back on Diamond with love, not pain. Don¡¯t think about what you could have done, Alyx. Look at what you did with her. Remember the good times, not just the bad. That won¡¯t take the pain away. It will only reduce it. Because the pain is a good thing. It¡¯s good to feel pain when someone passes. But you can¡¯t let it break you. You have to accept it as part of you, and grow because of it. ¡°Aw,¡± Yue continued, ¡°What am I saying? I¡¯m no good with that myself. I just¨C¡± She stopped mid sentence as Alyx hugged her. ¡°Thank you, Yue.¡± Alyx hiccuped. ¡°That helps. I should¡¯ve talked to you like this before.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Give me the knife, Alyx.¡± Alyx handed it over, and Yue looked at her sadly. ¡°You want to be alone?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°Not right now. Can you stay here with me, please?¡± Yue smiles softly. ¡°Sure, just for a little.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Lunchtime. Xander had reunited the entire group. Some had come willingly, others a lot less so. Alyx and Yue both felt a little better, carrying each other¡¯s burdens. It was always good to have friends. They would always have bad days, but now they had hope. Just a little. Just for now. Neena still looked haunted. Yue would have to talk to her eventually. It was painful to see Neena like this. Poli and Artemis were talking to each other in whispers. Yue had been constantly annoyed with Poli ever since Diamond¡¯s death. Even though Poli was sad, she acted so nonchalant. It didn¡¯t seem right. Aster was sitting next to Yue. Xander was at the front of the table and he was trying to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Okay, everybody. I brought you here for one reason. I will be leaving today to join the cult. Diamond¡¯s death has broken me inside, and I need something to distract myself. And, in the event that the cult did this, I will find who murdered Diamond. I just wanted to say this. I will not leave the Vanguard, and I will be back as soon as I join, but I don¡¯t know how long that will take. So I¡¯m saying goodbye for now.¡± Aster looked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go. What if you don¡¯t come back?¡± Xander sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not your choice anymore. I have to do something. Tell the Wolf I had a family issue to deal with. It¡¯s true enough. Let¡¯s just forget about it for now, and eat.¡± Everyone agreed, and silently ate their beans and rice. Yue loved rice, but these days she didn¡¯t really care what she ate. She didn¡¯t care if she ate. She forced herself to. For her friends¡¯ sake. She noticed that Alyx seemed to be eating reluctantly too. Neena wasn¡¯t touching her food. ¡°Neena, you have to eat.¡± Yue spoke to her softly, but Neena shook her head. Her eyes were pools of darkness, sadness so obvious in them. Neena clearly had never had to deal with something like this before. It was crushing her. Yue knew the feeling. Poli and Artemis kept whispering softly. Yue glared at them. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± Poli responded. Yue grumbled but didn¡¯t respond. It wasn¡¯t worth it. Yue finished her food, and noticed Eva walking out of the cafeteria. Yue walked over to Xander and hugged him. ¡°Good luck. I hope your initiation goes well.¡± ¡°Thank you. I hope you win the tournament. Are you leaving so soon?¡± ¡°I have to. Bye.¡± She left, running, hoping she didn¡¯t lose sight of Eva. Eva saw her coming, and this time, stopped, waiting for Yue to catch up. She looked at Yue, slightly annoyed. ¡°Why did you leave me?¡± ¡°I had a personal issue to deal with.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Eva narrowed her eyes. ¡°Okay. I saw you eating with your friends, though. I thought you said you were tired of them.¡± ¡°Why do you think I left?¡± Eva nodded approvingly. ¡°Good. It¡¯s about time one of you wised up.¡± ¡°What did you have against Diamond anyway?¡± ¡°Nothing you should know about. All you need to know is that Diamond is not the saint you all thought she was.¡± Yue wanted to retort, but bit her tongue. She had to be careful. ¡°Oh, have you heard? I¡¯m moving barracks. I got tired of hearing crying all night long.¡± ¡°Which barracks are you moving to?¡± ¡°The first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in that one.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yue asked. ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡± Eva rolled her eyes and smiled. ¡°I think there¡¯s some hope for you yet. Come, I want to show you something.¡± Eva walked off, and Yue followed her, glaring at her. The more she knew about Eva, the more she hated her. She had to keep it in. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was now going to play her last match in the tournament today. Eva had shown Yue the dirt she had on other girls. Clearly, Eva was taking her under her wing. Yue didn¡¯t know what to think of that. After that, Yue had to fight in the tournament. Yue had to fight back tears constantly while she wasn¡¯t sparring. Diamond had died right there! She could see the exact place! When she was sparring, she was distracted for a little, which was good. The problem was that her depression had really hampered her performance. She had lost two of her four spars so far. This was her last one. And coincidentally, it was against Joanne, the suspect in Diamond¡¯s murder. She¡¯d decided to talk to Joanne before, maybe try to be friendly before the match. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Joanne, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Joanne replied. ¡°And you¡¯re Yue.¡± She phrased it as a statement, and not a question. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Diamond. I didn¡¯t know her very well, but she seemed nice.¡± ¡°She was,¡± Yue said. ¡°I was coming here to wish you good luck.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going against me?¡± Joanne smiled. ¡°Thank you. Good luck to you too. I¡¯ve heard about your skill. I¡¯m honored to be pitted against you.¡± Yue liked Joanne immediately. She didn¡¯t know what to think. If anyone murdered Diamond, it had to be Eva, right? The Wolf saw Yue talking to Joanne and nodded approvingly. Then he spoke. ¡°Are you both ready?¡± Yue and Joanne nodded. ¡°Then get into the ring, please.¡± Yue stepped into the ring before Joanne, and situated herself on the corner farthest from the Wolf. ¡°You know what to do. Start when the bell rings.¡± Yue took a deep breath as she always did, and looked up. Ding-ding. Joanne threw herself at Yue, and Yue dodged. She lunged at Joanne, but Joanne parried it and stepped back. Yue lunged, and Joanne was surprised by it, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to respond in time. HELP! The word hit Yue like a brick wall, and she fell back. She could see how Diamond died right in front of her. Joanne looked concerned. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just tired is all.¡± Joanne looked sad. ¡°You want to restart?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you win?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going through something, and it would be wrong to strike you when you¡¯re vulnerable.¡± She offered her hand to Yue, and Yue took it, and stood up. They returned back to their corners, and the match restarted. Yue made sure to let Joanne win. She deserved it. Yue decided right then and there. Joanne couldn''t have killed Diamond. She was sure. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The last match of the tournament was done. In just an hour, the Wolf would tell all of them who passed. Yue had spent most of the time moving her stuff from her old barracks to her new one. She was now sitting on her old bed. She was thinking as usual. She didn¡¯t know how this small move would go. Would she still be able to be with her friends like normal, or would she spend all her time with Eva and Joanne? Would her friends resent her moving? Who was the killer? Could Poli have done it? Maybe Eva. She seemed like the obvious choice. And Joanne. She couldn¡¯t have done it, right? She was part of the cult of Dautha, so maybe that was it. Maybe Xander could figure out who did it. But would Xander be okay as part of the cult? Would he be indoctrinated? Or would he be in danger? And Diamond. Why did the murder kill her? Personal gain? Because she hated Dautha? Because the murderer had a grudge? Yue didn¡¯t know how anyone could hate Diamond, but maybe if she figured out why Eva hated her so much, it could explain something. The door opened. Neena walked in. Yue looked at her downtrodden look. ¡°Are you ok, Neena?¡± Neena looked at her and burst into tears. She sat down next to Yue, and spoke. She spoke her first words in days. She poured her heart out to Yue. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore. I¡¯m tired of Diamond being gone. I just want her back. I hate it here without her. I just¡­I just¡­ I¡¯ve never dealt with anything like this before, Yue. What can I do?¡± ¡°You want me to tell you everything will be okay, right?¡± Neena shook her head. ¡°No. Tell me the truth.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Here''s the truth. It¡¯s not okay. I don¡¯t know if it will ever be okay. And honestly, I¡¯m more scared than you are, Neena. I¡¯m scared of living life without Diamond. She was such an important part of my life, I don¡¯t know what life will be like. But I still have a little hope. You know why?¡± Neena shook her head again. ¡°Because I have you, Neena. You and Aster. Alyx. Xander. I know I can get through anything because you¡¯ll always be there for me. Right, Neena?¡± Neena nodded, then her face grew somber again. ¡°I¡¯m scared for me, too. Will I get targeted, Yue? Will I die? I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Yue grabbed, and brushed one of Neena¡¯s beautiful golden locks from her eyes. ¡°Neena, nothing will happen to you. As long as I¡¯m alive, I will protect you. I promise. I will never let you go.¡± She hugged Neena, and Neena returned it. ¡°Thank you, Yue,¡± Neena said. ¡°When did you get so wise?¡± Yue was wondering the same thing. She just hugged Neena tight and closed her eyes. She only let go when they had to return to the green, And even then, she didn¡¯t really let go of Neena. She never would. Neena was like her little sister. She would do anything for Neena. Just like she promised. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± The Wolf yelled at the Vanguard. Everyone was sitting on the green now, waiting to see who passed to the real tournament. Yue could hear people whispering. Some were even holding their breath. ¡°The Vanguard Tournament is officially over.¡± The soldiers cheered. ¡°It¡¯s time to see who passed. If your name is called, please come stand by me. Those who are called have advanced to the tournament. Those who are not, I expect you to be cheering for us when tournament day arrives. ¡°The first person who passed, and I¡¯ll say this in random order, is Aster Yarrow.¡± Yue and her friends cheered and clapped Aster on the back as she joined the captain. Some people glared at Aster, which Yue thought was a little dumb. They didn¡¯t even know if they had passed yet. Why were they judging Aster? The Wolf rattled off other names, with each name earning cheers. Yue barely heard all the noise until the Wolf mentioned someone else she knew. ¡°Eva Kerol, please come forward.¡± Eva walked up confidently, and, surprisingly, not a lot of people cheered. Yue made sure to, and she noticed Joanne cheering too. Joanne and Neena seemed to be cheering for everyone, even though Neena still did so half-heartedly. She looked much better, but she still looked beat up. As the Wolf continued calling people, many soldiers grew nervous. She watched as Kol went forward, then Alyx, which caused Yue to clap harder than for anybody else, then Joanne. There were now thirty people standing up front. She could see many soldiers mentally calculating who was left, and how much of a chance they had of getting there. Yue was doing it too. Two of her friends had gone, and she was sure she was going to make it. Xander wouldn¡¯t. That left three. Poli, Artemis, and Neena. She wondered how many would make it. ¡°Yue Zhang!¡± Yue went forward, and shook hands with Kol and Aster as she went by, also nodding at Eva. Many cheers followed her, but not as many that Kol got. In the end, he had only lost to her, which made him number one. She didn¡¯t mind. She would win the tournament. Fifteen more names passed. There were four left. She watched as many soldiers lost hope of getting in the tournament, but they took it in stride. Three names left. Poli, Artemis, and Neena were still not called. Two names left. One. ¡°And the last one is Neena Spangler. Neena, please come up.¡± Yue cheered more loudly than anybody else, and hugged Neena as she came up. The Wolf turned to all fifty of them. ¡°I want you all here first light every day. We will do special training that the other won¡¯t. We will have you prepared for the tournament. See you tomorrow.¡± Yue looked around. They would have to work together if they wanted to win the tournament. But she was sure they would win. They had to. For Diamond¡¯s sake. Chapter Ten: Zade & Yue Chapter Ten: Zade & Yue Fifth day. I wake up refreshed. I look around my room, and locate my book. I need to get reading. I should probably finish the first chapter. Waking up and reading a book is one of the simple pleasures of life. The chapter is more dense than I thought it was. There¡¯s no real new information in it, but it¡¯s full of descriptions and explanations, so it takes me a while to read. But I''m starting to truly wake up, and that¡¯s good. I relax my core for a bit, then decide it¡¯s time for breakfast. Astil and Xavier are waiting for me. Astil has a huge smile on his face, and Xavier looks slightly pissed. ¡°Good morning, Zade,¡± Astil chirps. ¡°How did you sleep?¡± ¡°Great,¡± I respond. My bed is extremely comfortable. I drown in it every day. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Xavier?¡± He scowls. ¡°Astil refuses to tell me anything about his date.¡± I grin. ¡°Lay off. He¡¯ll tell us when he¡¯s ready.¡± Astil nods. ¡°Right. And I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I promised Anni that I would eat with her today, so I have to go. I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡± He skips off, and Xavier looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think we made the wrong decision. That boy will start to ignore us soon.¡± I laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I say. ¡°It''ll be fine. Plus, he couldn¡¯t do much better than Anni.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± We walk off together to the cafeteria with very high hopes. That is, until we reach the cafeteria. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was tired mentally. She didn¡¯t know what she would do. She had woken up early and had to go train with Captain Wolf. Only afterwards had she been allowed to go have breakfast. She¡¯d been indecisive. She didn¡¯t know if she should sit with her friends, or Eva, or even Joanne. In the end, she decided to sit with her friends, since she didn¡¯t see the other two girls. It was now right past breakfast, and Yue was stretching. She was planning on going to find Joanne soon. She wanted to know more about Dautha. She was sure Joanne would be pleased to tell her. It was a warm, beautiful day, and Yue was sure it would be productive. She was waiting right outside her barracks. Eventually the black-haired girl would appear. And appear she did, although she looked so disheveled she could be an animal. Her hair was everywhere. Face, shoulders, torso. She had not taken the time to brush it. Clearly not a morning person. Just like Yue. ¡°Hey, Yue,¡± Joanne said groggily. ¡°Hey, Joanne. I was hoping to ask you a few questions.¡± ¡°Not right now. Let me wake up first.¡± Yue nodded and followed her to the cafeteria. There she waited patiently as Joanne scarfed her food down. She saw Neena walking past. She was the only one who had not had breakfast with Yue today. She still looked dejected, but just a little better. She teared up looking at Neena. That girl was so fragile yet so strong at the same time. ¡°You had questions for me, Yue?¡± Joanne asked energetically. Clearly, eating had done something to her. ¡°Yeah,¡± Yue responded. She would have to edge into this conversation smoothly. Don¡¯t force it, Yue, She told herself. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering something. I love studying religion. I¡¯m looking for the best one, you could say. And I happened to come across one. I heard someone say that you followed it, so I wanted to ask you about it. It¡¯s called the Cult of Dautha or something. Do you know anything about it?¡± Joanne nodded while she chewed. Clearly, she was waiting to finish her bite. As she finished, Yue looked around and noticed Poli and Artemis passing, murmuring as usual. Yue hadn¡¯t really had a good conversation with Poli in a while. And she didn¡¯t know what to think about Artemis. He seemed fine, but Yue suspected that he only hung around them because of Poli. Plus, he never seemed to make any decisions for himself. What kind of person did that? ¡°Yue?¡± Joanne poked Yue on the shoulder. Yue realized how distracted she was, and paid attention to Joanne. ¡°What do you want to know about the cult, Yue?¡± ¡°I know the gist, but I don¡¯t know the details.¡± ¡°So I take it you know about how mages are not currently in their rightful place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part I don¡¯t really get. Why are we putting certain people above others?¡± Yue asked uncertainly. Joanne smiled. ¡°Because they¡¯re not normal people. They¡¯re divinity. Or part-divinity, at least. Descendants of Dautha. So they deserve to be put in a higher place. Not only because they are more powerful, but because they had a hand in creating us. Or at least a sliver of them did.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure I understand.¡± ¡°Think of it this way. Say you created a deer. Do you command it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It¡¯s a deer. It thinks for itself.¡± ¡°Right, except that¡¯s not how it should work. You created it. It owes you for that, at least. Say then that you, and only you, have the power to sustain it. Technically, shouldn¡¯t you have the power to rule it? To guide it and heal it? And if it turns out to be a bad creation, to strike it down when necessary?¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I never thought about it that way. It¡¯s something I¡¯m not prepared to answer.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Joanne responded, beaming. ¡°All in its proper time. You seem sincere. I trust that you¡¯ll find your way. When Judgment Day comes, I hope you¡¯re ready. Because it¡¯s coming. ¡°It¡¯s coming soon.¡± Joanne left, leaving Yue to wonder what that meant. Yue was still wondering hours later, even when talking with her friends. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The cafeteria is a mess. It looks like a hurricane passed through here. Chairs and tables overturned, food everywhere. Me and Xavier walk in, mouths gaping. What happened here? I quickly notice what seems to be the epicenter of this. It¡¯s a group of mages. Or two to be precise. And they¡¯re discussing something. Well, they¡¯re not really discussing so much as arguing and screaming. I can feel energy coming off the mages. I finally understand how dangerous mages can be. It feels like if I get anywhere near the mages, I will be disintegrated. I try to understand what the mages are saying. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND, YOU STUPID¨C¡± One screams. Another interrupts him. ¡°YOU¡¯RE THE ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS. YOU¡¯RE TRYING TO BRING DESTRUCTION ON ALL OF US. I WON¡¯T LET YOU DO THIS.¡± I recognize him. It¡¯s the Irate One, the mage I saw arguing with another one about the cult. This must have something to do with Dautha. ¡°WE¡¯RE NOT BRINGING DESTRUCTION! WE¡¯RE BRINGING IN A NEW AGE. A BETTER AGE.¡± This is a third mage speaking. The Irate One responds. ¡°A BETTER AGE? WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE THAT? YOU¡¯RE SO DELUSIONAL, AZAROTH. YOU ALWAYS WERE! WHY ARE YOU THE ONE WHO GETS TO DECIDE?¡± The third mage grows. He must be using some sort of magic, because his eyes are now balls of fire, and his form is a mix of a shadow and a mountain. ¡°I SERVE GOD! I SERVE THE ONLY ONE WHO DECIDES ANYTHING.¡± ¡°Dautha has no rule here.¡± It¡¯s the Calm One, the other mage who talked with the Irate One. ¡°He¡¯s never ruled Zenyth, and while we are alive, he never will.¡± ¡°THAT CAN BE ARRANGED,¡± Azaroth roars. ¡°SILENCE!¡± High Mage Aegon walks calmly into the room along with two other mages who look angry and terrifying. ¡°Why do you argue? Mages should live in harmony. And yet you argue your petty squabbles.¡± Clearly the mages arguing weren¡¯t High Mages. They¡¯re lower in the hierarchy. The Irate One bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, High Mage. But these people,¡± he exclaimed, pointing, ¡°Wanted to fight. We were trying to bring about peace.¡± Azeroth glowered. ¡°Liar. He was taunting us.¡± High Mahe Aegon sighed. ¡°Please clean up this mess. I better not find you here when I come back. You should be ashamed. The people outside trust us. And this is how you act.¡± ¡°But Dautha-¡± The first mage retorted. ¡°It does not matter if Dautha is real or not. At least not in this situation,¡± said High Mage Eldor, stepping up from behind High Mage Aegon. The three mages sigh and glower at each other, but whisper a few words, and soon, the cafeteria is returning to its former state. I glance at Xavier, and he widens his eyes. ¡°This happens sometimes,¡± says a voice behind me. I turn around. It¡¯s a boy, not much older than me, so a man, I guess. He¡¯s wearing only black, with dark hair styled back. I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s eye shadow under his eyes. And is that a nose ring? ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a year. It¡¯s happening now more than ever though. I¡¯m Th¡¯ul.¡± He says it all in a monotone voice, yet his emotions are clear. He¡¯s somewhat amused. Xavier offers his hand, and he shakes it, not smiling, but in a warm way, somehow. ¡°I¡¯m Xavier, and that¡¯s Zade. We¡¯re somewhat new here.¡± ¡°I know who you are,¡± Th¡¯ul replies. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you around. It''s a pleasure.¡± I nod at him. I see Astil comforting a clearly scared Anni across the cafeteria. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure. Um, I¡¯ve got a friend over there. I just want to check on him.¡± Th¡¯ul chuckles, but he¡¯s still not smiling. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll come with. I¡¯ve been waiting to meet Astil. I¡¯ve known Anni for months.¡± We walk over, and Astil waves me over. ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± He asked. Xavier nods. ¡°Insane, right?¡± Th¡¯ul speaks softly. ¡°It¡¯s a silent war. Well, mostly silent. Eventually, everything will explode. Even the High Mages have had moments of tension.¡± Anni looks scared. ¡°I always thought that being a mage would relax my life a bit.¡± Xavier chuckles bitterly. ¡°You can let that thought go now.¡± I bite my lip. ¡°I knew being a mage was difficult, but I always thought the outside would hate you more than the inside.¡± ¡°The inside is always the most dangerous,¡± Th¡¯ul replies. ¡°I¡¯ve had people turn on me because they disagreed. It¡¯s always the people most like you who will betray you. And that¡¯s always what will hurt the most.¡± I take a minute to think about that. That seems wise. But it also seems like something to experience. Something that only those who¡¯ve gone through it know. Anni seems a little less terrified now. Xavier recommends we go to the game room and blow some steam. We all agree. Can¡¯t be worse than the cafeteria. It is. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue disarmed Aster. Aster shook her head wryly, laughing. ¡°You did it again, Yue! Every single time. One day, I¡¯ll win.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be shocked if you do.¡± Yue was sweating. The sun was baking her, and she was feeling tired now. Hopefully, she would be able to take a break soon. She grabbed her cup of water off the ground and drained the rest of it. It was a hot day. Scorching, really. ¡°Who¡¯s on patrol today?¡± Aster asked Yue. The patrols of Magefell had recommenced since the tournament had ended. Some of the Vanguard soldiers had to go out and patrol the streets of Magefell. In general, Magefell was a safe city, but there were always robberies and murderers. Especially when mages were involved. Yue scowled. She did not want to meet any mages. Not now when she had just figured out about Dautha and the deaths of Diamond and Jos. Once again, the thought of Diamond and Jos brought tears to her eyes. Aster noticed but didn¡¯t say anything. She was generally silent about it. She preferred to brood alone. Yue respected it but sometimes she wished that Aster would try to comfort her. ¡°Maybe we should check,¡± Aster told her. Yue nodded and they walked off to the cafeteria where the schedule for the patrols should be. The patrols would start after lunch. They arrived at the cafeteria, and Yue noticed four other people looking over the patrols. The paper probably had the schedule for the next seven days. Yue looked it over, and groaned. She had Patrol Duty today. Thankfully, Neena was coming. Unfortunately, so was Eva. Yue was quickly getting tired of Eva. Aster laughed. ¡°Good luck, Yue. I¡¯m glad that¡¯s not me. Patrol sucks.¡± Aster told her. Yue agreed. Nothing interesting ever happened during Patrol Duty. Normally, Magefell Guards took care of everything. The Vanguard would only be needed for the most important conflicts and crimes, like with riots or mages disrupting the peace. It would be a boring patrol, especially on such a scalding day. She forced herself not to think of the patrol. It would come eventually. For now, she should just enjoy the day. She was always worried about something. Maybe she needed to relax a little. She walked off to her new room, and lay down a little. She wondered how Xander was doing. She hoped he was getting instated with no problems. How long had it been since he¡¯d left? Was this too much time? She heard the door to her room open, and she was torn out of her thoughts. Eva walked in with another girl, but they didn¡¯t see her. The second girl was speaking, and Yue tried her hardest to listen. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been talking to Yue.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Eva responded. ¡°She¡¯s desperate to make me her friend for some reason, Cali.¡± She sneered. ¡°She¡¯s doing everything to get on my good side. She seems to hate that her friends are dwelling over Diamond¡¯s death. I guess that¡¯s one good thing about Yue. I don¡¯t really care about her. Anyone who was friends with Diamond deserves her fate.¡± ¡°That seems cruel.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what Diamond did to me. Are you taking her side?¡± ¡°Of course not, Eva. It just seems like you¡¯re saying you killed Diamond.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I would never,¡± Eva replied, smiling. ¡°But I won¡¯t say I didn¡¯t think about it.¡± They grew silent and Yue stood there, silent sobs shaking her. She was furious at Eva. Eventually, she left the barracks. Eva and Cali didn¡¯t notice. She wanted to be alone. She walked for a long time alone, wanting peace and not finding any. She couldn¡¯t believe anyone wanted Diamond dead. Eva had to have been the one. She had to tell the Wolf. As soon as she composed herself. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª There¡¯s a legitimate fight going on in the cafeteria. Mages-in-training are throwing things at each other. Some are even using magic, although their magic isn¡¯t as strong as a full mage¡¯s magic. Clearly, this feud doesn¡¯t just involve full Mages. As soon as we arrive, we¡¯re bombarded with items, and we hide under a couch. There¡¯s someone else there, and he looks over at us, eyes narrowed. ¡°State your allegiance!¡± He yells at us. This seems ridiculous to me, but he has a knife in his hand, so, clearly, this is serious. When we don¡¯t respond, he swings his blade wildly, nicking Astil on the arm. Anni screams. I quickly pull Astil away, but I can¡¯t stop myself from rushing the boy. He attacked Astil. I have to do something about it. I throw myself at the boy, and he falls under my weight. I apply pressure on his hand, trying to get him to release the knife. He groans in pain, but eventually, he drops the blade. I grab it, and am about to do to him what he did to Astil when hands grab me from behind. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else,¡± I hear Th¡¯ul say as he drags me away. As I¡¯m dragged off, I can see the destruction in the game room. Some mages are bleeding on the ground. I see one who looks dead. Clearly, this is something serious. I shake off Th¡¯ul¡¯s hands, and get up. ¡°We need to leave Zenyth for now,¡± Xavier voiced what everyone was thinking. Anni looks at me as if she¡¯s scared of me, and I cringe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me. I just didn''t want to see Astil hurt.¡± ¡°We understand,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°But you can¡¯t fight fire with fire.¡± I nod slowly. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± I promise. They accept it as we walk off and decide to go to the market. We don¡¯t joke around now. We¡¯re somber. Plus, Anni keeps her distance from me, so I¡¯m always reminded of what I almost did. We arrive at the market, and just decide to have a relaxing day, and forget what happened this morning. We head to Ember On The Waters to have breakfast, and when we arrive, Mistress Anan greets us all warmly. Well, most of us anyway. ¡°Zade, it¡¯s good to see you. Anni and Astil, looking cute as always. And Xavier, how¡¯ve you been?¡± Then she scowls. ¡°Th¡¯ul, what are you doing here?¡± Th¡¯ul laughs. ¡°Come on, Anan. Why so mad?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Mistress Anan to you.¡± She turns to us. ¡°Y''all are friends with him?¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a scoundrel.¡± ¡°Can we just have a table, please?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± She replies. ¡°But I¡¯m keeping an eye on you, Th¡¯ul.¡± Th¡¯ul shrugs as she leads us to our table. ¡°She¡¯s had some sort of vendetta against me since I came,¡± He whispers to us. ¡°She¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°I can hear you,¡± Mistress Anan replies. ¡°Here¡¯s your table. I¡¯ll bring out your food soon.¡± She leaves, glaring at Xavier. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to see you messing with my girls either!¡± Mistress Anan yells as she walks off. Th¡¯ul laughs and I look at him questioningly. He waves it off. ¡°She¡¯s crazy,¡± He says. Soon, our food is here, brought by the same waitress who was here last time. Th¡¯ul winks at her and she blushes and giggles. He whispers something conspiratorial to her, and she whispers back, clearly excited. I think I¡¯m starting to understand what Mistress Anan meant. We tear into our food, and finally get to relax a little. Or at least I try to, because clearly Xavier doesn¡¯t want to let what happened at Zenyth escape from his mind. ¡°You said that this happens sometimes, Th¡¯ul?¡± ¡°Never this bad,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°It¡¯s usually a small altercation, maybe a scuffle. I don¡¯t know what happened, but, clearly, tensions are high. Everything¡¯s been tense for a while, but things are definitely coming to a head. Especially with the Parliament announcing the tournament.¡± We look quizzically at him, so he continues. ¡°The Parliament decided recently to host a tournament that any soldier from any nation can join. Basically, it¡¯s a way of creating harmony and instilling fear in other nations. It¡¯s also obviously a way for the cult to do something. They¡¯re tight-lipped about what it is, but something will happen during the tournament and mages outside of the cult are scared. The cult is growing confident and for us, that isn¡¯t good. I don¡¯t know if things will come to a head before or during the tournament, but something will definitely happen. It¡¯s better to prepare ourselves. It will be a trying time.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Anni asks, shaking. Astil puts an arm around her, and whispers comfortingly to her. She smiles at him. ¡°I study philosophy and politics. I know most of what''s been happening in the last ten years or so. For example, did you know that ten years ago there was no one from the cult in the parliament. Now, five of the thirteen are. Slowly, things are getting worse.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so wrong about the cult?¡± Xavier asks somewhat annoyedly. ¡°I still don''t get it. Sure, sometimes the way they do things seems rough. But their philosophy seems right!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you get it,¡± Th¡¯ul replies. ¡°If they have their way, then the world won¡¯t end up as they say it will. They seem to think Dautha will bless them. But are you sure? Have you talked to Dautha about this? Also, just being divinity doesn¡¯t make you eligible to rule everyone else. You don¡¯t deserve it, just like I don¡¯t deserve it. Most mages would be terrible rulers, but if the Cult has their way, that¡¯s exactly what will happen. And that¡¯s exactly why we have to stop it.¡± Xavier has no reply to that. Neither does anyone else. We all eat our meals in silence. When we finish, we pay Mistress Anan, who is still glaring at Th¡¯ul, and walk off to have a relaxing day. We don¡¯t really get far, though, before we hear a whistle behind us. It¡¯s the waitress from the inn. Th¡¯ul looks at us apologetically. Or, at least, as apologetically as his face goes. ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll catch up with you later.¡± He heads off with the waitress, and I turn to Xavier and Astil. ¡°Th¡¯ul¡¯s asking for trouble.¡± Astil and Xavier laugh, and Anni looks disapprovingly. ¡°Alright, what are we going to do now that we¡¯re supposed to relax?¡± Astil asks. Anni smiles. ¡°I know a place.¡± She heads off and we follow. I¡¯m determined to ease up a little. To have fun. From the corner of my eye, I think I see someone following us, but I ignore it. I need to relax. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Lunchtime ended, and now Yue was walking with Eva and Neena to the center of Magefell. They were supposed to walk around, but they would probably stay mostly in a tavern and try to get as much enjoyment from this as possible. Yue refused to talk to Eva, and thankfully, Eva didn¡¯t seem to care. Yue was wearing an outfit that proclaimed her to be a Vanguard Soldier, as were Eva and Neena. The uniform just made her feel hotter in the sun, but she couldn¡¯t take it off. If a citizen needed her, the uniform would be the only way they could tell who she was. She doubted that anyone would need anything, though. They turned at an intersection, and started passing through the Wilds, the rough neighborhood in Magefell. In general, even the Vanguard avoided this place. Only in extreme circumstances was someone called here to enforce the law. Yue looked over at Neena. Every time she passed here, she would get nervous. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for a woman to pass by here and return horrified. A lot of people didn¡¯t come out alive. Yue had learned which parts to avoid, though. She¡¯d had to. As they passed, they noticed a man looking hungrily at them, and Neena unconsciously walked faster. Yue let her coat fall a little to show her sword sheathed at her waist. That should dissuade him from trying anything. Eventually, they turned the street and Yue scowled. The most famous brothel was here. Prostitution was illegal in Magefell, but that didn¡¯t stop people from opening shops anyway. Law enforcement couldn¡¯t close the shops either, because the people who lived in the Wilds went insane for drugs and women, so they would riot if the brothels closed. One of Yue¡¯s dreams was to see the Wilds transformed. She didn¡¯t know what it would take, but she desperately wanted it done. The Wilds was a stain on Magefell. One that desperately needed to be cleaned up before it spread. They finally left the Wilds, and entered the better section of Magefell. Slums and ruined houses gave way to beautiful constructs and nice people. Walking from the Wilds to the rest of Magefell was like traveling from darkness to light. It was a difference of night and day. Neena instantly relaxed. Yue looked over at Eva, who was looking around suspiciously. Yue fought off her anger whenever she looked at Eva. She hadn¡¯t had time to tell the Wolf about her but she would. The market was just five minutes away now, so Yue decided it was time to break the silence. ¡°Should we split up and each patrol a part of Magefell or just stick together?¡± Neena shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine with either.¡± ¡°We should split up,¡± Eva replied, sneering. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to spend any more time with you,¡± She said pointedly at Neena, ¡°Then I have to.¡± Neena looked slightly hurt but ignored it. ¡°I call the market,¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ll get the docks,¡± Eva said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take the Antiquated Section then.¡± Neena sounded a bit apprehensive about it, and for good reason. The Antiquated section was the richest part of Magefell, and, while most of the rich people were nice, there were always the entitled ones. It was hard to keep them under the law sometimes. Yue walked towards the market while Eva turned towards the docks. Neena turned left towards where the Antiquated Section would be, and Yue was left alone. She headed off to find a tavern. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I eat at a tavern called The Secret Mistress and finally, I feel relaxed. Anni looks happy, which is great. Th¡¯ul caught up with us right before lunch, and refused to tell us what he did. I can guess, though. We¡¯re walking through the market again, and I wonder when I can head back to Zenyth. I should get some practice in today, so I hope things have cooled down. I can wait a couple hours yet. ¡°Th¡¯ul, where did you live before Magefell?¡± Xavier asks. I¡¯ve been wondering the same thing. ¡°I used to live south of Arcadia, in a city called Galacia. Great place. I had friends there. Not anymore.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I wonder. ¡°Where did you live?¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°Erenfeld, just outside of Arcadia.¡± ¡°And do you still have friends there?¡± ¡°One. Her name is Jade.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve only seen my friends once since I¡¯ve become a mage. They hate me for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± Anni protested. ¡°You can¡¯t change who you are.¡± We turn the corner into an alleyway. ¡°Tell that to my friends. Mages are infamous in Galacia. I¡¯m not really welcome there anymore.¡± ¡°But-¡± Anni is cut off by screaming behind us. ¡°I¡¯ve found them!¡± I turn around and spot him. It¡¯s the guy from the game room. He looks irate. And he¡¯s holding a dagger. Two actually. One on each hand. As I watch him, two others come up beside him. One of them has a sword. She looks experienced with it, too. The other has a dagger, and whips it around. I glare at them and grab Nightwielder from its sheath. I toss it to Xavier, who catches it. Then I unsheathe my sword, and take a defensive stance. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I growl at them. The first boy sneers at me. ¡°I¡¯m here for revenge. See, I didn¡¯t like what happened at Zenyth. It¡¯s time to finish it.¡± He points his finger, and the two others rush us. I immediately get into a confrontation with the girl with the sword. I can see Th¡¯ul take on the first boy with his magic to protect Astil who in turn is protecting Anni. Xavier is taking on the other boy. I thrust at the girl, and she sees what I¡¯m doing. She blocks it and steps back. So I strike there, but it¡¯s a feint. She doesn¡¯t notice it, and tries to block it. My sword isn¡¯t there anymore, and she looks up at me in surprise. I swing the flat of my sword, and it strikes her hand. It doesn¡¯t do any real damage, but it hurts. A lot. She shrieks and drops the sword. I kick her down, and grab her sword to hand it to Th¡¯ul. Th¡¯ul looks at me wildly as the boy he¡¯s deflecting stabs him on the hand. He falls down, and the boys walks to Astil snarling. I hear people screaming for something called the ¡®Vanguard¡¯. I run towards the boy. I can¡¯t let him hurt Astil. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was ¡®patrolling¡¯ the tavern when the farmer came up to her, eyes wide. He came up telling her of a disturbance. Now she would have to take care of it. She groaned. The beer was still half-full. ¡°Let me just finish my drink.¡± ¡°It¡¯s urgent, miss.¡± The farmer protested. ¡°They¡¯re fighting. I think they¡¯re mages.¡± Yue groaned again. ¡°Fine.¡± She laid some coins on the table and unsheathed her sword. Let¡¯s see what the problem is. She walked out of the inn. She hated mages. But at least this was getting interesting. Maybe patrol wasn¡¯t so bad after all. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m thrown back as the boy thrusts his fists. His fists are nowhere near me. That¡¯s how magic works. I hit the wall hard. I try to stand up, but I¡¯m temporarily stunned. I can see Xavier forced back by the second boy. The first one walks over to Astil. ¡°I¡¯m gonna carve you up,¡± The boy snarls. ¡°And then I¡¯m gonna carve up your lady friend right after.¡± Anni whimpers, and Astil stands up. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt her,¡± He says bravely. The boy laughs and flicks his dagger. It scrapes Astil¡¯s chest. Astil falls, bleeding, clutching his chest. From here, I can see the cut isn¡¯t deep, but it must hurt like hell. I stand up, shaking. I grab my sword off the ground. I can barely think, but I do everything I can. As the boy walks towards Anni, I rush him. I charge and tackle him. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE HURT ASTIL!¡± I scream. I stab him in the arm, and he screams. ¡°I WON¡¯T LET YOU HURT MY FRIENDS.¡± I start punching him, and he takes it, unable to do anything. His nose starts bleeding. He looks really hurt. I don¡¯t care anymore. I keep punching. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue ran after the farmer. He was surprisingly agile. He turned a corner, and she did too. Then she saw them. Two groups of mages, fighting. One was punching another on the ground. The one on the ground was bleeding profusely. Yue thought they were too young to be mages, but she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°HEY!¡± She screamed at them. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I hear the noise and stand up immediately. A strange girl is at the beginning of the alley. The boy sees her and curses. ¡°Hell, no. It¡¯s the Vanguard.¡± He runs off with the girl and the other boy. He and the girl are both limping, but they sprint away quickly anyway, leaving a trail of blood. I stand up straighter to face this new woman. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue looked over at a woman who was watching the fight with her hand to her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± She asked with authority. ¡°The three who ran away attacked the others for no reason. These four were just defending themselves.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. You can leave now.¡± The woman thanked her and left, shaking her head. Yue looked over at the four people. One of them was walking up to her. He had brownish hair, and blue eyes. He was the one who had been punching the other. ¡°Are you a guard here?¡± He asks. Yue glared at him. He was a mage. He could¡¯ve had a hand in Diamond¡¯s death. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a guard here. What happened?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I look over at the woman. She looks familiar. She seems just a couple years older than me. And she¡¯s beautiful. Her long flowing hair. Her slim frame. Her fox eyes narrowed at him. He couldn¡¯t help but gape a little. ¡°What happened here?¡± She asks again. I shake myself out of my stupor. ¡°Three mages-in-training attacked us. We were just defending ourselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard,¡± She says disapprovingly. ¡°Do you need to take me in?¡± I ask. She shakes her head. ¡°No,¡± She says, scowling. ¡° I was just coming to break this up. If you see the others, though, I need to know.¡± ¡°Will do. I¡¯m Zade.¡± I offer my hand. She doesn¡¯t shake it. ¡°Yue.¡± She starts to walk off, and I cock my head. I can feel her disapproval of me. ¡°It seems like you hate me.¡± She doesn¡¯t turn around. ¡°I do,¡± She responds angrily. ¡°Why do you hate me so much? What did I do?¡± Yue turns towards me, eyes blazing. ¡°You got my friend killed.¡± Tears are in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I respond. ¡°I promise, whatever it was, I had nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you weren¡¯t directly involved. You and all the mages. It¡¯s your fault. You¡¯re the ones who created the cult!¡± ¡°Woah, woah!¡± I respond. ¡°You think we¡¯re part of the Cult of Dautha?¡± She nods. ¡°We were just now fighting members of the cult. I couldn¡¯t hate those people more. If you think mages are involved, I could help you.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Look, let me prove it. Meet me here in two days at noon. I promise I¡¯ll have information or evidence for you. Just try.¡± She glares. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll meet you here Seventh Day. You better be here. Or I¡¯ll find you. And I¡¯ll kick your ass.¡± She walks off, and I look at my friends. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help me?¡± I say annoyed, and quickly regret it. Xavier is catching his breath. Th¡¯ul is holding his hand, and Astil is comforting Anni even while he¡¯s bleeding from his chest. Anni looks at me gratefully. ¡°Thank you. You saved me.¡± She says. I bow to her. She looks over at Astil and hugs him. I look away, and my eyes widen. I fall on the wall. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Xavier asks. I nod, but my mind is spinning. I know why Yue was familiar. She¡¯s the girl from my apocalypse dream! She¡¯s the girl I was fighting with. Now I really need to talk to her. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was back on the green, and she was conflicted. She didn¡¯t know why she agreed to meet with Zade. He was a Mage, for heaven¡¯s sake! But at the same time, she was intrigued. He seemed sincere, and if he had information, it could help her. Plus, she couldn¡¯t deny that it had put some excitement on her day. Maybe she would be able to avenge Diamond. It depended on Zade, and whoever his three friends were. ¡°Yue,¡± A voice whispered from behind her. She looked back. There was no one there. She squinted. ¡°Yue,¡± The voice croaked again. She turned to the side. There was a man walking towards her. It was getting dark, so she couldn¡¯t see him well. He came into view. It was Xavier, limping and breathing heavily. Yue caught him as he fell. ¡°Are you okay, Xander?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I did it. I think we¡¯re in trouble, though.¡± Then he fainted, eyes glazing to the back of his head. I scream his name, but he¡¯s fallen unconscious. Interlude One: The Guard Interlude One: The Guard Jade is a Guard. She usually loves her job. But it can get boring without her friend. She really misses Zade, and she doesn¡¯t try to hide it. Erenfeld is the type of place where everyone knows everyone, so at least people sympathize with her in general. Some people in Erenfeld miss Zade too. But Jade misses him the most. Zade was usually here in Erenfeld while she was working. He¡¯d listen to her work stories, and share his own before he killed his parents. He¡¯d been a fledgling blacksmith, but he hadn¡¯t been very good at it. He would often tell her of how he messed up here or there, and it would always make her laugh. Until his parents died and everything changed. Some people in Erenfeld hated Zade for what he did. Jade got angry whenever anyone mentioned it. It wasn¡¯t fair to him. He¡¯d been devastated. Jade was the only one who tried to help him at the time. Some of their other friends had warmed up, but not all of them. Sedros had never even talked to Zade again. It was a tough time for all of them, but it had been worse for Zade. Now it¡¯s worse for Jade. Jade is one of five guards in Erenfeld. It¡¯s a small village, so it doesn¡¯t need many guards. Most people live in harmony. Usually, guards are only needed here for feral animal attacks. Therefore, many times Jade and the other members of the Guard must travel to Arcadia, the capital of the land aptly called Arcadia. There they report to the Guard what is happening in Erenfeld. And, if need be, sometimes they even take trips to other villages surrounding Arcadia if there is a big issue in those other villages. It¡¯s a great job. It¡¯s Jade¡¯s dream job. That is, it was her dream job if it included Zade. They had been best friends since they were born. They grew up together. They learned the sword together. They dreamed together. Zade had helped her become a guard. She missed him. Today starts like every other day since she returned from Magefell. She wakes up and has breakfast at her house. She still lives with her parents. She¡¯ll move out when she gets married. She breaks her fast with her family too, just after the crack of dawn. Her dad is a farmer, and is teaching her younger brother Reux how to farm. Because of that, they have to wake up early. Jade wakes up with them because of her routine. ¡°After breakfast, Reux, tend the cows and the sheep,¡± Her dad says, ¡°I have to go see if Farmer Holdstadt has the produce I need.¡± ¡°If you need it,¡± Jade intejects, ¡°I can help. The others can cover for a while. Today is mostly a free day.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine, Jay¡± Her dad, Anselm, replies. ¡°Besides, you should be focusing on something else.¡± He winks. Her dad¡¯s been pressuring her to get married for years now, but she hasn¡¯t gotten around to doing it yet. She supposes she just hasn¡¯t found the right guy yet. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to,¡± her eight-year old brother commented. ¡°Jay wants to marry Zade. But he¡¯s gone now.¡± Jade blushes and looks down. Her father gives her a critical eye. ¡°You could do much better than that boy,¡± Her dad voices. ¡°Plus, he¡¯s gone now, so it¡¯s better you let go of him.¡± His mother, Jeuel enters the room and kisses her father. ¡°Shush, Anselm, let her hope.¡± She says. ¡°Maybe she can move to Magefell with Zade.¡± Jade tolerates this conversation but only just. ¡°Nonsense,¡± Anselm vocalizes, ¡°If anything, Zade will have to move here. Nothing is taking my Jay away from me.¡± Jade laughs heartily and plants a kiss on her dad¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try and stop me. I¡¯ve got to leave. I¡¯ll be back by lunch.¡± ¡°Bye, honey,¡± Her mom says as she leaves. Jade waves. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I miss Zade,¡± Chrome says. ¡°He was such a sight for sore eyes when you were bored.¡± Jade agrees. Chrome is a twenty-two year old woman who originally lived in Arcadia, but, for some unexplained reason, decided to move to Erenfeld when she turned sixteen. She got married soon after that. She joined the guard just a year before Jade. ¡°He was a little bit intrusive, I thought,¡± Demien responds. A slim man with a nasty scar on his left cheek, Demien has been part of the Guard ever since Jade can remember. Zade had a saying: Everything changes. Except Demien. He¡¯ll always be there. And it¡¯s true. Demien loves his job, and Jade could never see him leaving it. Demien does have strong opinions, though, and one of them is that Zade is a mischievous boy. He doesn¡¯t dislike Zade, he just doesn¡¯t like him. Part of it is Zade¡¯s fault, but Demien wouldn¡¯t like Zade anyway. That¡¯s just Demien. ¡°That¡¯s your opinion,¡± Chrome retorts. ¡°I think he was sweet.¡± ¡°As sweet as an onion, maybe,¡± Demien responds. Usually, Jade ignores them. They never talk about anything interesting. This time, she¡¯s just barely listening because they¡¯re talking about Zade. She¡¯s at the Headquarters, which is a small chalet where the Guard hangs out when they don¡¯t have a current job. It didn¡¯t have a name until Jade made a joke calling it that, and everyone seemed to like it. They think it sounds cool. Jade thinks it¡¯s stupid but funny. The door to the Headquarters slams open, and Torr walks in. He is the strongest man in the guard. Jade wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s the strongest man in Arcadia. He¡¯s also technically the captain of Erenfeld¡¯s Guard. ¡°We¡¯ve got a job.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Demien asks, excited. ¡°Finally. I¡¯ve been waiting for one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for everyone. I only need one more person. Farmer Holdstadt is complaining again. He says a giant wolf attacked his farm. Jade, come with me.¡± ¡°What? Why can¡¯t I go?¡± Demien complains. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jade laughs. ¡°Chrome will entertain you. And Guilia, whenever she comes. Where is she anyway?¡± Torr shrugs. Jade grabs her sword. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready!¡± Torr nods, and she leaves with him to Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s house, on the outskirts of Erenfeld, right at the beginning of Eren Forest. It¡¯s a dangerous place if one is alone and not a member of the guard. Many vicious animals live there: wolves, snakes, bears. It was probably just a normal-sized wolf that attacked Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s place, and Jade and Torr will have to hunt it. Farmer Holdstadt has the largest farm in Erenfeld. It¡¯s so large that disputes over where it starts and ends are extremely common. Therefore, the guard can¡¯t let predators attack the place. It would ruin Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s work and a lot of Erenfeld¡¯s economy. Farmer Holdstadt is an exaggerator, but Jade has to check it out anyway. Just in case. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Damn, that thing is huge!¡± Torr says in genuine surprise. Farmer Holdstadt chuckles, and Torr glares at him. The young, lanky farmer stifles a laugh. ¡°Sorry,¡± He says, not very apologetically. Jade is looking at the biggest print she¡¯s ever seen. It looks to be seven by six inches. It¡¯s definitely made by a wolf, but it¡¯s a beast. No wolf would have paws that big. It¡¯s just not possible. The wolf would have to be humongous. Also, there¡¯s something weird about it. ¡°It walks on its hind legs,¡± Torr exclaims. ¡°On its hind legs, it has to be about ten feet tall, right?¡± Jade asks. Torr nods, and Farmer Holdstadt gasps. ¡°You¡¯re not serious.¡± Torr glares at him, and he gulps. ¡°What did it take?¡± Torr asks him. ¡°Five sheep and three cows. That¡¯s ten percent of my stock!¡± ¡°Why would it need so much?¡± Jade wonders. ¡°Not even a wolf that big would need to eat that much. Also, it made several trips, or else it wouldn¡¯t be able to carry this much.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s got friends?¡± Torr says. ¡°Probably,¡± Jade replies. ¡°We¡¯ll have to follow the tracks, won¡¯t we?¡± She crosses her arms. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. Farmer Holdstadt, we¡¯ll find the wolf, and bring you back its head.¡± ¡°You better,¡± Farmer Holdstadt growls. Jade looks at the tracks leading into the forest. Whatever this wolf looks like, it will be hard to kill. If it really is ten feet tall and walks on its hind legs like a bear, can Jade even stop it? Where did it even come from? Torr walks into the forest quietly. Even in the day, being too noisy in the forest could alert any potentially dangerous animals that they were in the area. Jade slinked in after him, following the tracks. The trees let in only partial light, and the deeper they go, the darker it gets. The tracks lead deeper in, but then veer to the right. They keep twisting and turning and backtracking, as if¡­ ¡°This wolf is intelligent,¡± Jade voiced, ¡°He¡¯s purposefully trying to mislead any trackers.¡± Torr growls in agreement. ¡°Something is wrong here,¡± He says. Eventually, the tracks break in two. ¡°Should we split up?¡± Jade asks. She doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a great idea, and apparently Torr agrees. ¡°No. We¡¯ll come back later. After lunch, probably. We¡¯ll come back with Chrome and the rest. Then we¡¯ll split up.¡± ¡°Good idea. I don¡¯t know if we should bring Damien though, unless you plan to use him as bait.¡± Torr cocks an eyebrow. ¡°How did you know I was going to do that?¡± For a second, Jade thinks he¡¯s serious. Then she sees his smile. She laughs. Zade describes her laugh as bells tinkling in heaven. Jade isn¡¯t sure if that means anything or not, but she loves the compliment anyway. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back. And guard my back, Jade. Make sure nothing sneaks up on us.¡± Jade and Torr sneak out of the forest quietly and head back to the Headquarters to regroup and strategize. Jade gears are already turning, deciding how to find this Wolf. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s massive,¡± Torr exclaims. Demien chuckles. ¡°Shut up, Demien.¡± Demien looks abashed. ¡°Anyway, the wolf is probably twice your height. I was thinking after lunch we go fight it. I take the first trail with you, God help me.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°And Chrome, Jade, and Guilia will take the second path.¡± Jade and Chrome nod. ¡°Where is Guilia? Has she really not shown up yet?¡± Jade asks. Chrome shrugs. ¡°I haven''t seen her today. I did see her mom, though. She said Guilia was still sleeping.¡± Demien snorts. ¡°Figures. Always late, that girl.¡± That¡¯s true enough. Guilia is not exactly what anyone except her would call punctual. She arrived one month late to her own birth, and from there it was all downhill. She would come late for her own appointments. Sometimes, she would come late to something she had delayed for being late. But usually, she wouldn¡¯t be later than an hour after time. This must be her new record. ¡°Someone needs to wake her up.¡± Jade says. ¡°A kiss should do it,¡± Demien vocalizes. He puckers up his lips. ¡°Like you would know anything about kissing.¡± Chrome exclaims, chuckling. ¡°I kiss a lot!¡± Demien retorted indignantly. ¡°Yeah, your dog.¡± Torr laughs, and Demien huffs and crosses his arms. Jade almost feels bad for Demien. She can¡¯t deny he deserves it, though. ¡°Okay, so we meet here at two, right?¡± She asks. ¡°Yes. All of us, even Guilia.¡± ¡°If you can get her here on time.¡± Torr rolls his eyes, but smiles. Jade hangs her sword on the wall, and takes her protective vest off. She grabs her linen shirt and pulls it on over her bra. She walks off, heading to her family¡¯s farm. It¡¯s not as big as Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s, but it stands on its own. Her dad is proud of it, and she helps there whenever she can, just to keep her dad happy. He deserves his farm. It¡¯s his greatest pride. Except for his kids. They are the greatest thing he¡¯s ever created, he always says. Jade sees her father on the pigpen, and she walks over to him. ¡°Need any help?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m good. You don¡¯t have a job?¡± ¡°Only in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Then go talk to someone. I think Yogo has his eye on you.¡± Her father smiles. Jade shuddered. Yogo¡¯s nice and all, but she doesn¡¯t want to date him. ¡°Oh, and mom almost has lunch ready. If you could be back in half an hour that would be great.¡± ¡°Okay, dad.¡± Jade says. She saunters off. She sees Danni and waves to her. ¡°Hey, Danni! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, just some chores, Jay. Thinking about Zade, as always. He would¡¯ve dated me if I''d asked him.¡± ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m not sure he would¡¯ve done that.¡± Jade feels a little sorry for Danni, but she knows Zade, and he would not want to marry Danni. ¡°You don¡¯t know that, Jay. I was this close to getting him.¡± Danni almost drops the pails of milk she¡¯s carrying. ¡°Oops, here, can you help me carry this?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jade replies. She grabs one of the pails, and lifts it up. It¡¯s a little heavy. Jade always wondered why milk is so heavy. ¡°Where are we heading?¡± ¡°Taylor¡¯s.¡± Mistress Taylor is one of the best cooks in Erenfeld, and she owned the only inn here. Occasionally, there were visitors, but mostly the inn was always full at night. It was the most popular place for guys to hang out at night. And women too, although some preferred to sleep at night. They arrive at the inn, and Jade opens the door. Danni walks in. ¡°Mistress Taylor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Danni. Come to the kitchen.¡± They walk back towards the kitchen where Mistress Taylor is busy organizing her items. ¡°There you are. Oh, and you brought Jade. How are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, miss.¡± ¡°Good to hear, good to hear. I heard Farmer Holdstadt had a wolf problem?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s massive. I have to follow it after lunch.¡± Mistress Taylor shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t envy you.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± Jade says, shrugging. ¡°Good for you. I¡¯m glad I''m an innkeeper. It¡¯s a great job with little to no danger. At least, here in Erenfeld there¡¯s not much risk.¡± Jade nods and leaves her pail of milk next to the doorway. ¡°I have to head home now.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Mistress Taylor exclaims, ¡°I have something to give your mom.¡± She leaves the room and I wait for a minute. She returns with a set of four plates. ¡°Tell your mom I said thank you.¡± I nod and say goodbye. I leave the inn, and head home to have lunch. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Alright, we¡¯re heading out,¡± Torr announces. ¡°Guilia, thanks for finally showing up.¡± Guilia is thirty minutes late. She yawns, looking very tired. ¡°Guilia, you¡¯re with Chrome and Jade. You will take the right side. Me and Demien will take the left. ¡°I don¡¯t need to remind you, but I will anyway. Be careful. This wolf is dangerous. If it attacks you, don¡¯t take on it alone. If you need help, leave or find us. Don¡¯t be a hero. Do your job.¡± Jade and the others salute in agreement. They leave, heading towards Father Holdstadt¡¯s farm. When he sees us, he only says one thing: ¡°That big, huh?¡± Demien snorts, and Torr grunts. They keep walking deep into the forest. The prints were deep, and are still there. Eventually, they reach the fork. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll see you soon,¡± Torr says. ¡°If you find the monster, try to kill it. If it¡¯s too strong, leave. Cut off its head if you kill it. Good luck.¡± Jade echoes the sentiment and they¡¯re off. Deeper into the forest, the ambience becomes even darker. Jade takes the lead, with Chrome on the left and Guilia on the right like a triangle. ¡°Those tracks really are big,¡± Guilia whispers. Chrome shushes her. The tracks veer left and they follow. Then the tracks cut off. ¡°So our path is a dead end?¡± Chrome asks. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jade responds. ¡°This wolf is smart. He probably started erasing his tracks a little. Let¡¯s spread out and look for more tracks. Don¡¯t veer too far. If you find it, don¡¯t yell. Come find us. Jade walks slowly forward, scanning the ground. The ground has clearly been trodden on recently. The Wolf probably passed through here. She keeps looking to make sure the wolf passed here and not some other animal. Nothing yet. She looks back. She isn¡¯t getting too far apart from her fellow guards. She keeps slinking forwards. There. Prints. On closer inspection, they prove to be wolf prints. She smiles. She found it. She waves at Chrome and she sees it. Chrome pokes Guilia and Guilia looks up, surprised. Guilia points at Jade questioningly, and Chrome nods. They walk over to Jade and notice the prints. This way, Jade mouths. They walk forwards. Jade wonders where Torr and Demien are now. Maybe Torr found a dead end. Maybe he got tired of Demien and decided to use him as bait. Did they reach a dead end? Did they find the wolf? She can¡¯t hear any noises, so she doubts it, but anything is possible. She¡¯s never been this deep in the forest before. They had to be a mile deep. This wolf had walked a lot. She notices a blood trail on the ground. Chrome sees it too. ¡°Probably Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s sheep,¡± She whispers. Jade agrees. Looks like the wolf ate some of the animals here. ¡°We must be getting close,¡± Guilia says. The tracks are getting slightly fresher. The wolf has been here more recently. The path Torr took must have been a dead end. As they keep walking, Jade hears a twig snap. She glares at the other two girls. It wasn¡¯t me, Chrome whispers. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me either.¡±Guilia responds. Jade¡¯s eyes widen. It knows they¡¯re here, doesn¡¯t it? Is it hunting them? Jade shudders. She turns around and unsheathes her sword. Next to her, Guilia and Chrome do the same thing, forming a circle around each other. They walk in circles, scanning their surroundings, searching for the wolf. Snap. Jade looks to the side. She still can¡¯t see anything, but now she¡¯s sure. It¡¯s here. She pauses and waits, listening. She closes her eyes, and lets her ears do the work. The emptiness surrounds her, and she lets it come. She waits to hear something. Her friends are probably doing the same. Snap. She opens her eyes and turns around. There. Behind a thicket, there it is. A mass of fur. It¡¯s clearly crouching, but now Jade can see it. And it realizes that. She sees two burning.red eyes looking straight at her. Then the thing stomps out of the shadows. Whatever Jade thought this wolf would look like, she was wrong. It¡¯s humanoid. Walking on two legs, with a muscular frame like a man. It¡¯s truly giant, over ten feet tall probably. Its fangs are longer than Yue¡¯s hands. Its ears flattened in rage. Its tail flapping on the ground wildly. Its gray fur blends into the forest surroundings. But that¡¯s not the scariest part. It¡¯s wearing armor, Jade realizes, horrified. The wolf is wearing protective gear on its chest, arm, and leg area. Stabbing it with a sword on its chest would clearly not do any damage. And by far the worst part about all this is its weapon. On its right hand, the wolf-human combination is wearing a double-bladed axe. It looks like one hit from that thing could split Jade¡¯s head. Its massive arms carry the axe like it was a simple kitchen knife, but Jade isn¡¯t sure she would be able to lift it. She looks in horror at the wolf. The wolf snarls and roars at them. It charges Chrome, who dodges out of the way just in time. The wolf swings its axe wildly, and Chrome ducks. Jade tries to rush and help Chrome, but she¡¯s too slow. The wolf slaps Chrome with his blade and she¡¯s flung back, hitting a tree. She lies still. Jade runs at the wolf, and while she does that, she yells at Guilia. ¡°I¡¯ll distract the wolf. Go get the others.¡± Guilia nods and runs off, and Jade stabs at the wolf. Her blade slides off its armor, and he turns around, growling. The creature swings its sword in a downward arc, intent on cleaving Jade¡¯s skull. She jumps back, and trips on the ground, falling. She crawls back as it stabs again and again. It growls in annoyance and stomps on her leg. She hears a crunch and shrieks in pain. Her vision gets blurry, and she sees as the wolf smiles in hunger. ¡°AAAAAHHH,¡± Chrome screams from behind her. Apparently, she¡¯s woken up. ¡°I¡¯M HERE! COME GET ME!¡± The wolf ignores her until Chrome attacks him, sword lunging at its arm. He turns around snarling. Jade hopes Torr comes back soon or else they¡¯re dead. The wolf grabs Chrome and flings her around. Chrome falls on the ground and gets up slowly, bleeding. She swings at the wolf and the wolf catches her arm with his left hand, Jade tries to get up, but is too tired. She watches in horror at what happens next. The wolf bites Chrome¡¯s arm, and she screams. It flings its head back, and Chrome¡¯s arm comes with it, blood spurting everywhere. She screams again, terror and pain flooding her. The wolf throws her down. It raises its foot and stomps right on Chrome¡¯s head. Jade looks away as the parts that aren¡¯t crushed by the wolf are thrown in the air. When Jade looks again, all she sees is Chrome¡¯s headless corpse and blood where her head should be. All over the forest is the blood and brains left of Chrome¡¯s head. Jade feels bile coming up her throat. She can¡¯t believe Chrome is dead. The wolf turns toward her, fangs out as a challenge, and Jade¡¯s eyes widen. She scrambles back despite the pain on her leg. She stands up, ready to face it. Her leg complains but she ignores it, adrenaline running through her. She glares at the wolf, and clumsily limp-runs at it. It charges too, axe pointed dangerously at her. It swings, and she slides down on her good foot under its legs. She notices it''s a boy, but doesn¡¯t have time to stab it there before she¡¯s behind it. She quickly stands up, and knowing she had one second to get it right, stabs it in the leg. It howls in pain and anger. Jade doesn¡¯t feel satisfaction. It killed Chrome! She stabs it in the leg again, and it falls. She goes for another one, but this time it¡¯s ready. It moves quicl?y, standing up, resting on its good leg. It holds its axe carefully, expecting Jade to do something. Jade doesn¡¯t move. She wants him to do the first move. Eventually, it realizes this and decides to attack her. Jade smiles, ready. It charges and swings its blade. She ducks out of the way, turning right. Then she jumps forward, thrusting her blade towards its head. The sword slides in its forehead, and she jumps back. Her bad leg buckles, and she falls. She watches as the wolf roars and tries to get the sword out of its head. It does so, but falls back. It breathes shallowly until eventually, it stops breathing. Jade killed it! She did it! She feels tired, and slumps against a tree. Chrome is dead. She has avenged her. Jade sheds a couple tears for Chrome. She breathes shallowly. The pain in her leg was too much. She thinks it¡¯s broken. Her vision starts to get blurry again, and she can see blood pooling from several cuts. She hears screaming, and sees Torr, Demien, and Guilia running towards the scene of the battle. She can barely think, but she tries to signal them that the wolf is dead, and so is Chrome. She can¡¯t move. Torr notices she is alive, and walks towards her. He kneels beside her and asks something that she is too lost to understand. She slips out of consciousness, pain drowning her. Chapter Eleven: Initiation Chapter Eleven: Initiation Yue waited in the hospital the entire night. The Vanguard had a hospital near the cafeteria. It was rarely used, but now it had one occupant. Xander. Yue didn¡¯t want to lose another friend. She¡¯d been awake all night, waiting for him to wake up. He hadn¡¯t yet. He was still alive, though. The doctor said there was nothing wrong with him psychically. Yue didn¡¯t trust the doctor, though. What if he had been affected magically? The doctor wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if anything happened. Yue¡¯s leg was trembling. It had been for hours. She¡¯d been trying to stay strong. But she was scared of losing Xander. She¡¯d already lost a friend and one acquaintance. No more. She made a mental checklist of what she had to do today. First, Xander would wake up. He had to. Then, she would train with the other members who would fight in the Vanguard. Afterwards, she would talk to the Wolf about Eva. Lastly, she would talk to Xander about his time with the Cult. She didn¡¯t know what she would do the rest of the day. She would probably just improvise. Her eyes kept closing, threatening to force her to sleep, but she kept them open. She would stay here awake until Xander was better. She knew realistically it didn¡¯t make a difference if she fell asleep or not, but she didn¡¯t care. She would be there for her friend even if he didn¡¯t know it. She could see the sun rising, and she was getting a headache. Her eyes were definitely bloodshot by now. She looked over at Xander sleeping peacefully on his bed. Was it weird that she felt a little envious that he was sleeping? Her eyes closed. She tried to open them, but it was just too hard. She could feel herself falling asleep. But she needed to stay awake. She had too. She¡­ ¡°Did you stay here all this time waiting for me to wake up?¡± A familiar voice said amusingly. Yue opened her eyes immediately. Xander was awake and looking at her, smiling.! She hugged him, and he laughed, and patted her back. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Oh God, You¡¯re alive.¡± Tears of joy fell from her eyes. ¡°Of course I¡¯m alive. But I won¡¯t be for long if you don¡¯t stop crushing me.¡± Yue abruptly let go of him. ¡°Sorry.¡± Then she laughed. Xander was alive and well. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°To the right!¡± The Wolf shouted as Yue dodged Kol¡¯s blade. She was practicing her defense, while Kolw as practicing his attack, so, while Yue did have a sword, all she could do was parry. Kol lunged hard, and she stuck her sword in the way. When he knocked it down, she cursed. Her hand stung from both swords clashing. She ducked as he swung again, and stepped back. He circled around her, and she moved too. He feinted forward and she adjusted accordingly. ¡°Go, Yue!¡± Neena shouted, as Yue parried a thrust. Yue ignored her, sweat beading on her forehead. Even in practice, Kol was vicious. He stepped back and lunged, and she tried to parry. But he put too much strength into his thrust. She shrieked in alarm at the spike of pain and her sword flew out of her hand, Kol laid his sword at the base of her neck and smiled. He offered her his hand. ¡°Good job,¡± He said. She took his hand and grimaced. Her hand would definitely be sore for a while. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll get you next time.¡± ¡°Of course you will.¡± The Wolf came onto the circle and congratulated Kol on his success. As Yue walked off, she nodded to Neena, and cradled her hand. She should probably put ice on it. It would leave a bruise for sure. ¡°You ok?¡± Neena asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much,¡± Yue lied. ¡°I heard Xander woke up.¡± ¡°Yeah. Doctor won¡¯t let him out yet.¡± ¡°Has he told you what happened with the Cult?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Not yet. I didn¡¯t have too much time to speak with him. He¡¯ll tell us soon, probably. He did say one thing that worries me.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Neena asked. ¡°He said we were in trouble right before he fainted.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yue said, pursing her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could mean anything really.¡± Neena nodded sadly. ¡°Sad?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Neena responded. ¡°Diamond always used to have answers.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Always was the wisest one here. Now we¡¯ve got to figure it out ourselves. We can do it, Neena.¡± The petite girl hugged Yue. ¡°Oh, the Wolf¡¯s calling me. Gotta go," Neena said, and rushed off, grabbing her sword in the process. Yue went with her since she needed to speak with the Wolf. ¡°Neena, you can step up,¡± the Wolf spoke. ¡°Yue, do you need anything?¡± ¡°Sir, I know who killed¨C¡± ¡°Shh!¡± The Wolf spoke harshly. ¡°Meet me at my house in an hour. We shouldn¡¯t be seen together.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Yue saluted and walked off. She watched as Neena sparred, and then discreetly walked off toward her barracks. Halfway there, she switched direction and walked off to the Wolf¡¯s cabin to wait for her captain. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Wolf tapped Yue on the shoulder and she woke up. She was lying against the side of the cabin. She had dozed off as soon as she¡¯d got there. ¡°You should¡¯ve slept more,¡± The Wolf chastised her. She was beginning to agree with him. ¡°Get inside quickly. If you know who it is, you¡¯re in danger.¡± She walked in the cabin, and looking both ways, the Wolf did too. When they were seated, the Wolf spoke. ¡°What do you have for me?¡± He said somewhat nervously. ¡°It was Eva!¡± Yue exclaimed. The Wolf nodded and sighed. ¡°How do you know?¡± Yue opened her mouth and spoke. ¡°She keeps talking about how much she hates Diamond,¡± She said quickly, ¡°Talking about how me and her deserve to die and how Diamond was a jerk. She hated Diamond and would do anything to hinder her. She won¡¯t tell me what Diamond did but she hates her way too much. She did it, I know she did! He was telling her friend how she didn¡¯t do it but I know she did, there''s no way she didn¡¯t!¡± The Wolf looked at her calmly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t admit to doing it?¡± ¡°No, sir. But I know she did it.¡± ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Not yet. But she said some suspicious things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough,¡± The Wolf responded, furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°You have to either make her admit it, or find some other proof that indubitably proves she did it.¡± ¡°But I know it was her!¡± Yue said indignantly. ¡°I understand. But you ¡®knowing¡¯ is not enough evidence to arrest her.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°You¡¯re letting your emotions decide. Calm down. Keep searching. But now keep a closer eye on Eva. What exactly did she say?¡± ¡°She said that any friend of Diamond¡¯s deserved her fate. And that she didn¡¯t kill Diamond but she thought about it.¡± ¡°Kinda seems like the opposite of a confession,¡± The Wolf said, cocking his eyebrow. ¡°She was just saying that so her friend wouldn¡¯t snitch. She did it.¡± The Wolf sighed. ¡°Fine. Say she did it. Just get me proof. Until then, there¡¯s not much I can do. But if she is the killer, you should know that you talking to her is probably the best way to save your friends.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Not only will she be distracted by you, but you can¡¯t possibly be the next victim. If she kills you, everyone will know, since you¡¯re always with her.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Can I leave now, sir?¡± ¡°Not yet. I have something else I need to tell you. I have to leave.¡± Yue broke in. ¡°What? Why? You¡¯re needed here!¡± ¡°I know, but the Parliament has called me to speak as an ambassador to Arcadia and Galacia, even Aleumdaun Seom. I need to convince them to come to the tournament. I should be back within a month, depending on how fast I can travel and convince the monarchs there. I¡¯ll announce it formally soon, but I needed to tell you this because you¡¯ll be on your own for a while. Make sure to keep training with the others in the Tournament. ¡°And be careful. Without me, it¡¯s possible you become a bigger target. Be careful, but don¡¯t give up. Keep searching for the killer. I know you can do it.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s not your fault. I just¡­¡± ¡°I understand, Yue. That is all. You may leave now.¡± Yue stood up and saluted. She walked out of the cabin, wondering. She really needed to talk to Xander. Hopefully, he had some sort of answer. And Zade. The mage-in-training. She hoped he could help too, whoever he was. She hoped he wasn¡¯t just lying to her. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. If he was, she would kill him. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue arrived after everyone else. Lunch had passed, and Yue had passed it with Joanne, who was really taking a liking to Yue. If it was anyone else, Yue would¡¯ve found it suspicious. With Joanne, it was endearing. Now, she was in the hospital with Aster, Neena, and the others. Xander had promised to tell them what happened, so obviously, they came as quickly as they could. ¡°Is everybody here?¡± Xander asked. They all nodded, and Xander kept talking. ¡°So as you know, I went to join the Cult of Dautha. I can¡¯t tell you everything that happened there, but it wasn¡¯t pretty. At least I made it out.¡± ¡°Please explain,¡± Aster demanded. Xander smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I told my parents,¡± Xander said, ¡°That I wanted to join the cult. Obviously, they were very excited, but they seemed a little suspicious. Why now? I told them a convincing story of a fellow Vanguard soldier who converted me and they believed. ¡°They brought me to a place in the Wilds, and there I saw two cult members wearing red attire. They had strange conical-shaped helmets on their heads. They blindfolded me, and one stabbed me with something, probably anesthesia, and I fell asleep there. ¡°I woke up in a completely different place. When they took off the blindfold, I couldn¡¯t see. And when I adjusted to the light, I saw the strangest room I¡¯d ever been in. ¡°There were strange markings in the room. I recognized the word ¡®Dautha¡¯ here and there. The place had a sort of strange aura around it, like it was evil. Just being there gave me goosebumps. There were several cult members around me in a circle. I was laying down, naked. My parents were gone. ¡°I tried to stand up, but one pulled me down. He told me the process would start for me to enter the cult. They started to chant something. I¡¯m not sure what they were saying, but it wasn¡¯t anything good. Around me the ground started to glow and I felt an excruciating pain. I felt a bleeding around my chest. Even now I feel it. Eventually, the pain stopped. ¡°One of the cult members gave me a red drink. I drank it, and it tasted like blood. It probably was. But I''m sure it was infused with magic, because it brought back the pain in my chest, and made me glow. My eyes turned red for a couple seconds, I was told. And it did something to my chest. I¡¯ll show you what happened in a minute. ¡°Afterwards, they forced me to sleep again. They told me that they would finish the process while I was asleep. ¡°When I woke up once again, they did something to me. I¡¯m not prepared to talk about it.¡± He teared up but kept going. ¡°Then the process was done. They welcomed me as a brother, each hugging me. It was a strange experience. ¡°Lastly, they made me swear some things. They made me swear to serve Dautha. They made me swear to put Dautha in front of everyone. Then they made me swear a third thing. One that I know will cause trouble.¡± He looked at them somberly. ¡°They made me promise that when the time came, I would kill those in the Vanguard I needed to. Kill them so that Dautha¡¯s will be made law. ¡°I was forced to swear to kill you all. By name.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue stared at Xander. Neena gasped. Alyx spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Thank you. It hurt to swear it, even knowing I would never do it. But I said I would. I¡¯m the one who should be sorry.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Yue said, grabbing him. ¡°You did nothing wrong. You did what we told you to. If anything, it¡¯s our fault. Didn¡¯t you say you would show us something?¡± Tears came out of his eyes and he nodded. Then he took off his shirt. He winced while he did so, as if it hurt. Soon, Yue saw why. She gasped. Scars everywhere. They looked like they were making a symbol, or maybe some words, but Yue couldn¡¯t tell what they meant. They were recent and still bleeding. How did the doctor not tell Yue this? Most of Xander¡¯s chest was marked. Even his back was scarred. Neena started to cry and hugged Xander. ¡°Oh, Xander,¡± Neena cried, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t want to put you through this.¡± Xander winced when she touched his chest, but he still smiled and hugged her back. ¡°It¡¯s ok Neena. I chose this. This is for the greater good. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Do they do this to every initiate?¡± Xander shook his head. ¡°They decide it by chance. I guess I was one of the lucky ones.¡± He snorted. Yue couldn¡¯t believe what he did. ¡°I would¡¯ve quit before they did any of this. Thank you.¡± Xander nodded once again. ¡°I hope it does some sort of good. If not¡­¡± Poli looked straight-faced at him. ¡°Good job.¡± Yue tried not to get angry with Poli. Good job? GOOD JOB? Xander risked his life and got several bruises and all Poli said was ¡®Good Job¡¯? Yue breathed slowly in and out to not explode. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Wolf call a Vanguard meeting in half an hour?¡± Xander asked. Yue nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to go, though. You need to rest.¡± ¡°I''m fine.¡± He stood up and immediately winced. Yue forced him back into bed. ¡°You need to recover. We¡¯ll tell you what happens. Until then, try to get some rest. Please. You deserve it.¡± Xander nodded for a third time and lay back. After a minute, he opened them again. ¡°You know,¡± Xander said, ¡°It was cute and all when Yue waited for me to wake up, but now it just feels creepy that you¡¯re all looking at me.¡± He chuckled. The group took the hint and decided to leave. It was time to see what the Wolf had to say. Yue hoped Xander would heal quickly. He¡¯d sacrificed for them. It was a miracle he¡¯d survived. Xander was a good friend. Yue was glad he hadn¡¯t died. She just wished Diamond and Jos hadn¡¯t died either. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Wolf announcing his short departure sent shockwaves through Yue¡¯s friend group. Even though they didn¡¯t react until they returned to Xander, when they did, all hell broke loose. ¡°He can¡¯t leave!¡± Poli yelled angrily. ¡°We¡¯ll be sitting ducks.¡± ¡°We already are,¡± Xander responded. ¡°Or at least, I am.¡± ¡°What are we going to do, Yue?¡± Neena asked, but her voice was drowned out. ¡°The Wolf is supposed to protect us,¡± Alyx murmured. ¡°How will he do that now? That bastard!¡± Aster covered her ears, and yelled. Everyone stopped and looked at her. ¡°I heard what Neena said, and I wanted to ask the same thing too. What do we do, Yue?¡± Yue found everyone¡¯s eyes on her, and she shook her head. ¡°Why me? Who nominated me the leader?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Poli spoke, and Aster glared at her. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯m not the oldest here, or the one who''s been here longest. Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the strongest.¡± Neena¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°Swordsmanship has nothing to do with who should be a leader. That¡¯s the whole reason the cult is wrong.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about swordsmanship, Yue,¡± Aster replied. ¡°We¡¯re talking about inside. We were all broken up about Diamond. Who had the guts to try to find who did it?¡± ¡°Jos did.¡± Yue choked. ¡°But who talked with him about it? You did. We know you¡¯re searching for the killer. We don¡¯t know what to do. Meanwhile, you¡¯re comforting us at every turn. Have you seen the effect you¡¯ve had on Neena and Alyx after you talked to them?¡± Yue wanted to argue, but Aster was right. She had noticed Neena and Alyx were a little happier now. Alyx was still depressed usually, but she had been looking up recently. ¡°Only a true friend would do all this. You¡¯re keeping us together. Just like a leader should.¡± ¡°What about Xander?¡± Yue asked. ¡°He¡¯s been more proactive. Or maybe even Poli.¡± Poli nodded. ¡°She hasn¡¯t shown any emotion over Diamond¡¯s death.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wounded. Even if I could be a leader, it¡¯s not the best time,¡± Xander said, smiling. ¡°You deserve it more anyway. And Poli, no offense, but not showing any emotion isn¡¯t a great thing. If even to your friends your emotions are unclear, something¡¯s wrong.¡± Poli frowned a little, but didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Clearly, you¡¯re the best choice.¡± Yue bit her lip. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s vote on it. If I don¡¯t get the majority, I refuse to become leader. If you want me to lead us, raise your hand.¡± ¡°Look at her,¡± Alyx laughed. ¡°She¡¯s already leading.¡± Neena and Aster chucked, and Yue smiled. Xander chortled loudly, then doubled over in pain. Clearly, his chest still hurt. ¡°Um¡­Nobody is raising their hand. I guess that means I¡¯m not leader.¡± Yue shrugged, but inwardly sighed in relief. ¡°Hey!¡± Neena shouted. ¡°I vote for you.¡± She raised her hand, followed by Xander and Aster. Poli and Artemis shook their heads in clear defiance. Yue also didn¡¯t raise her hand. That left Alyx. She looked at Yue. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want it. But we believe in you. We¡¯re putting our trust in you. So reciprocate it. You have to believe we¡¯re making the right choice.¡± She raised her hand. Yue slumped. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± A hand grabbed her shoulder, and she looked up at Aster. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do everything. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. We¡¯ll all help each other. And don¡¯t worry, if you¡¯re no good at this job, we will fire you.¡± Yue rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. ¡°Okay, I accept. Not that I have a choice.¡± ¡°Great. So what do we do?¡± Neena asked. Yue thought for a second. ¡°It¡¯s time to be proactive,¡± She said. ¡°We have to look for the killer. Start with subliminals. I¡¯m pretty sure Eva killed Diamond but I¡¯m not sure, so here¡¯s what we need to do. Talk with other people. Give them hints about Dautha or Diamond. Anything that will bait the killer towards us. If possible, change what you say with every person, to make it more obvious if anything happens who it was. Does this make sense?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Okay. Xander, you stay here. I have to spend a lot of time with Eva and Joanne because the Wolf told me to find the killer, and those were his suspects. Two of them, anyway.¡± ¡°There was a third one?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Yes. I hate to say this, but the Wolf suspects Poli of having done it.¡± Neena gasped, and Poli¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°How dare he,¡± She said threateningly. ¡°How dare he assume I would kill my friend? And how dare you even mention it, Yue?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, I¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Xander yelled, getting up. ¡°I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but I, for one, am tired of this. Poli, you have to stop. I don¡¯t know what happened to you since Diamond died, but your behavior is unacceptable. You¡¯ve been a jerk to all of us. You¡¯ve been distant. Cold, even. You act like nothing is happening until it¡¯s about you. I¡¯m sorry, but if you¡¯re acting like this, then I don¡¯t want you anywhere near me anymore. Not until you''ve fixed whatever you¡¯re going through.¡± Poli gasped, and tears came into her eyes. Artemis pushed Xander roughly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to my girl like that!¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s right,¡± Poli said clearly. ¡°I¡¯ve been a bad person to all of you. I¡¯m sorry. I just didn¡¯t want to talk. I felt horrible about Diamond¡¯s death. I¡¯m the one who brought up the cult. Diamond died because of that, and she was the one who disagreed with me. I felt guilty. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been distant. I thought you all felt the same way. Like the Wolf does.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t feel like that,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°We never did. I¡¯m sorry you feel that way, but next time, you should talk to us about it.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Poli sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yue accepted the apology, but didn¡¯t say anything. Artemis glared at everyone, and Yue wanted to say something about him too, but now wasn¡¯t the time. Some other day then. ¡°Okay,¡± Yue broke the silence. ¡°We each know what we need to do. We should come back to Xander¡¯s room every night to discuss any major issues or successes, and fill each other in. I, for one, am excited to see where this goes. Let¡¯s make the Wolf¡¯s trip profitable for all of us. Xander, we¡¯ll leave you alone now. Get some rest.¡± ¡°I will.¡± They departed, and Yue went off to get some more practice before dinner. Hopefully, Joanne and Eva were there. She needed to spend time with them, no matter how much she didn''t want to. Joanne was nice. But she still worshiped Dautha, so Yue had to step lightly around her. But Eva, Yue just wanted to step on her. That girl needed to learn her lesson. Hopefully, Yue would be the one to do it. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was tired. She¡¯d found Joanne at the green, and they¡¯d been sparring for an hour. She¡¯d eaten dinner with both Eva and Joanne, and tried to hint to both of them that she was interested in Dautha and Diamond¡¯s death. Neither seemed to respond to it very much, both preferring to talk about the tournament and what it would bring. Yue had finished dinner long after the sun had set. She¡¯d gone to Xander¡¯s room in the hospital after that, and none of her friends had any interesting news. After that, she¡¯d taken a short walk, just thinking. It was probably almost midnight now, and she was exhausted. It had been a busy day. She took off her shoes, and tried to get up. After a couple unsuccessful attempts she finally did. She walked over to the door to her barracks slowly, groggily. Her legs were spaghetti and she wobbled over. She opened the door. She strode over to her bed and sat down, looking at nothing. A lot of the girls who slept at this barrack were already here, most sleeping. She was pretty sure Eva had already come here. She entertained a thought of hurting her in some way, but quickly dismissed it. Eva might not be innocent, but maybe she didn¡¯t kill Diamond. She grabbed her pillow, and as she did so, something fell out. A piece of paper. Her smile vanished. She quickly made sure nothing else was in her bed. Who had sent this? An admirer? A murderer? The Wolf to give her an extra job? She felt less secure now and looked around, expecting someone to be looking at her. Nobody was, obviously. She breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed the piece of paper. Her relief vanished and turned into horror as she read what was on the paper. You¡¯re next. She didn¡¯t sleep at all, eyes wide the entire night. She didn''t feel tired anymore. Just scared. Chapter Twelve: Raakhshas Chapter Twelve: Raakhshas ¡°Maybe the most important part of your learning to be a mage is learning to defend yourself,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°With your permission, I want to teach you to defend yourself while you also learn magic.¡± It¡¯s Sixth Day, and I decided to study more today. After yesterday¡¯s drama, I barely got any study. I need to do more. It was announced at dinner that today is test day. I¡¯m sure that the test won¡¯t be hard, but I have to be ready for it. I was practicing both the Flame Finger and levitating my knife when Master Thul asked to teach me defense. ¡°What would that entail, Master? What does that even mean?¡± I ask Master Thul somewhat confused. ¡°Your book will have a chapter on this eventually, but I¡¯ll explain the gist here. Some Mages spend their time just researching defense because of how vast the topic is. Have you ever thought about how powerful High Mages are? Why do you think they don¡¯t just kill whoever they want? Why do you think they don¡¯t just stop an enemy mage¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess they don¡¯t have enough Mana or Exp. Or they¡¯re just good people, I guess.¡± ¡°Your second thought is wrong. The first one, though, is part of it. Most mages wouldn¡¯t have the power or strength to stop someone''s heart immediately. But some can. But they don''t. You know why?¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s because mages learn defense early. You learn to shield yourself from most things that harm you directly. Most mages keep some defenses unconsciously on themselves that will stop any direct magic that kills them at all times. Some even are so experienced and focused on defense that they can stop any magic directed at them, except for some skills.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t always using magic, even for defense, deplete your mana?¡± ¡°No. Defense depletes very little. To a normal mage. It would take years, maybe even decades, for defense to deplete all their mana, unless an attack is directed at their defense. Defense is very important for a mage, and difficult to master. Therefore, we must learn slowly, while you learn other magics.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready. Teach me.¡± Master Thul smiles. ¡°Calm yourself. We will learn slowly. Today, you shall only learn to put a shield around your core. This will not protect you, but it is the first step to doing so. First, you know what to do.¡± I smile and close my eyes. I breathe slowly in and out. My core appears in the nothingness in my mind. This time it appears as a flame. I guess it¡¯s used to my using it to light things up. I think of it as the marble sphere it usually appears as. I listen to Master Thul¡¯s voice as I concentrate. ¡°Imagine your core is in danger. Imagine that if you lose control of it, it will die.¡± I do just that, and, thankfully, it works. My core starts to pulsate energetically, and I feel a pressure inside of me. It feels like my core is about to explode. I try to calm myself, breathing slowly. ¡°Control yourself,¡± I hear Master Thul tell me. ¡°You must put a shield around your core, as if to protect it from whatever comes. Don¡¯t let the feeling of danger stifle you. You must stifle it.¡± I focus on his voice and try to obey him. I think of a force field around my core, protecting it from any danger. I persevere, even when it doesn¡¯t appear, because I know patience goes a long way. Eventually, my core starts to calm down, and I see something happening near it. The darkness, the nothingness, starts to bend like light would. I tentatively poke my core, but I can¡¯t get there. I¡¯ve successfully shielded my core. I open my eyes. ¡°I did it.¡± ¡°Good job,¡± Master Thul says. ¡°This won¡¯t do anything, but it is necessary. Learning to defend yourself will be much more difficult, but for now, this is enough. Now, I think it is time for you to break your fast.¡± I agree, my stomach is rumbling. I dress, and walk out of my room. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The cafeteria is normal. How? Are people just ignoring yesterday? I can see a few glares, some people even finger a knife as if they wish to throw it. Most just act normal, though. Like nothing happened yesterday. Like every mage was a close friend. I feel apprehensive as I eat. It feels like this peace can¡¯t last. I look behind me constantly, expecting someone to attack me. ¡°When do the tests start?¡± I ask Xavier as we eat. ¡°The High Mages will test us each one by one any time during the day. It¡¯s supposed to catch you somewhat off guard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nervous,¡± Astil tells us. ¡°I¡¯ve never done a test before.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯re not hard, and that¡¯s done on purpose. They just want to make sure you¡¯re learning. As long as you¡¯re doing that, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Astil nods, but his face is still clearly anxious. ¡°I hope so.¡± To tell the truth, I¡¯m feeling nervous too. The test is supposed to be easy, but what if I fail? What if I choke up? I try to keep calm as I eat my food, but I notice someone coming towards me. High Mage Aegon. ¡°Zade Helstorm,¡± He tells me, ¡°Come with me.¡± I feel my gut churning as I say goodbye to my friends and walk out with the High Mage. Once again, we take a secret passageway after we leave the cafeteria. I wonder how many there are? This is the second time that a High Mage leads me through one of these. This one is full of sunlight, and the walls are transparent. It feels eerie as I see Magefell from up here. High Mage Aegon leads me through another passageway, this one leading to a set of steel doors. He walks to the second one and performs a series of complex hand movements. The door opens and both of us walk in. ¡°Sit,¡± High Mage Aegon says. ¡°The test will start now.¡± I sit down, and now I don¡¯t feel nervous anymore. Maybe High Mage Aegon did something about that? I look up at him, and he smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got this. Just show me what you¡¯ve learned.¡± I nod and close my eyes, relaxing my core. It softens under my touch, and I guide it to transforming into the flame. As I concentrate, I raise my finger, and will my core there. Eventually, I look up, and there it is. The Flame Finger. I want to keep it as long as I¡¯m able to, but I know that if I do, then I won¡¯t have the mana to do the levitation. So I wait just two minutes, and snuff out the candle. ¡°Good job,¡± High Mage Aegon declares apathetically. ¡°Did you learn any more?¡± I don¡¯t know if I did well or not. I hope so. ¡°Yes, I did learn something else,¡± I respond. Once again, I shut my eyes, and concentrate on my core. Within twenty seconds, I have High Mage Aegon¡¯s quill floating in the air. I still have trouble not losing too much mana when I do the levitation, so I let go of it pretty quickly. ¡°Anything else?¡± High Mage Aegon asks. ¡°I can put a shield around my core, but you wouldn¡¯t be able to see that, right?¡± He smiles. ¡°Actually, I can. Close your eyes.¡± I do so, and look at my core. Then I feel a presence around it. I can¡¯t see this presence, but I can feel it. ¡°I can see your core, now.¡± High Mage Aegon says, and I take that as permission to make the shield. I relax and imagine my core in danger. It pulsates energetically again, but I calm it, and imagine protection around it. Even though I can¡¯t see the shield, I know it¡¯s there. High Mage Aegon seems to feel it too, because his presence leaves as soon as the shield is put up. I look up at him ¡°Good job,¡± The High Mage tells me and smiles. ¡°You have passed the test. I¡¯m proud of your progress. What level are you on now?¡± ¡°Level 2.¡± ¡°Good. You may leave now.¡± I bite my lip. ¡°I have a question.¡± High Mage Aegon folds his hands together. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I talked to a member of the Vanguard the other day, and she said that mages killed her friend. People in the Cult of Dautha. Do you know anything about that?¡± High Mage Aegon shaked his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can trust you with the burden of knowledge, son.¡± I narrow my eyes. ¡°Try me. My friends almost got killed because of the Cult, and I almost got arrested for it. I know that a war is inevitable eventually. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better that I know which side I¡¯m fighting for? Don''t you think it¡¯s better that I know what the enemy is doing?¡± The High Mage smiles grimly. ¡°They¡¯re not our enemy. At least, not yet. But I understand your concern. You want to know what they¡¯re doing. Fine. I¡¯ll tell you what I know. I just hope you¡¯re prepared for the consequences. ¡°When the Parliament decided to hold the tournament, which I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about by now, it was obvious that the Cult had a lot to do with bringing it about. They want to show the world their power. Their fearsomeness. The tournament is the perfect outlet for it. They¡¯ll probably distract it or endanger it and then save it to show how Dautha is their savior. But they need the Vanguard to win, because as long as the Vanguard is a Magefell army, it¡¯s under parliamentary law. So technically, the Vanguard is on their side, even if they don¡¯t know it, and them winning would show even more the strength of Dautha ¡°That¡¯s why the Vanguard is the most dangerous way the Cult can fail. If the Vanguard turns against them, then they fail, and possibly turn many people against them. If Vanguard members are dying, then they oppose Dautha. Many members of the Vanguard are part of the Cult because they or their family members support the cult. If the person you met opposes Dautha, then she¡¯s in danger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. That¡¯s why I have to ask you not to fraternize with the guards. You¡¯ll just be putting yourself in danger. Promise me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± High Mage Aegon sighs. ¡°Okay. I can¡¯t force you. But be careful. If you die, your blood is not on my hands.¡± I gulp. ¡°Thank you, High Mage.¡± He nods, and turns to a piece of paper on his desk. I leave the room wanting to throw up. I need to tell Yue what¡¯s going on. I think I owe her that at least. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I want to go with you.¡± Xavier''s voice sounds more commanding than asking. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. I don¡¯t want you involved in any of this.¡± I retort. I¡¯m with Xavier and Astil in the Gallery, relaxing on the couches. I took more time with High Mage Aegon than most mages-in-training do, so of course they had questions. I told them what happened, which obviously was a mistake. ¡°It¡¯s not your choice;¡± Xavier huffs, crossing his arms. ¡°You already roped us into this. It¡¯s too late. Plus, I want to help. Who knows? Maybe this is a trap, and I should be there to help you.¡± Astil nods. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m coming too. And you can¡¯t stop me.¡± I laugh. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to.¡± He glares at me. Xavier snorts. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try, though. You¡¯d have to get through me first,¡± I make a disgusted face. ¡°Ew, I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, and you know it,¡± Xavier yells. Astil looks questioningly. ¡°Be careful with the kid,¡± Xavier says. ¡°He¡¯s still ignorant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that young,¡± Astil retorts. ¡°And what am I ignorant about?¡± I lock eyes with Xavier. ¡°How does he not know about this at thirteen?¡± Xavier questions. Astil¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°Oops,¡± Xavier says, shaking his head at me. ¡°Hey, has anyone seen Th¡¯ul today?¡± I ask, changing the subject subtly. ¡°He¡¯s at the medic ward, because of the scratch on his arm.¡± Astil responds. ¡°Speaking of, I have to go back to the medic ward. Anni¡¯s probably waiting for me anyway.¡± He turns and leaves. I glare at Xavier. ¡°Really? You had to?¡± ¡°You started it,¡± He replies. ¡°I really wish Jade were here. Then I could hit you with a potato.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I say. Xavier narrows his eyes, but ignores it. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go practice now.¡± He says. ¡°I still haven¡¯t been called for the test yet.¡± ¡°You go do that.¡± I respond. ¡°I need some rest.¡± I lay back on the couch, and my eyes close. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°You are here, because you are prodigies with the sword,¡± Master Frin tells the twelve people around him, including me. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting a long time to be able to coach a group like you. ¡°I believe that experience is the best master. Most of you have technique down. Therefore, what you need now is real practice. Every Seventh Day, you will be here and face each other. I trust that you will all fight fairly. Six of you, come over here. The other six, stand beside me.¡± It¡¯s Seventh Day now, and I¡¯m at the special sword training class Master Frin asked me to go to. I stand next to Master Frin, as do the other eleven students. When I see the person in front of me, my jaw drops. It¡¯s the boy who tried to hurt Astil, bandage around his nose. I growl at him. He smirks. ¡°How¡¯s your nose?¡± I ask aggressively. He glares. ¡°I will kill you. I¡¯ll say it was an accident. Nobody will say otherwise.¡± ¡°You really want to fight? If I remember right, last time we did, you got a broken nose. Or worse.¡± This time, it¡¯s the boy who growls. ¡°Or maybe you want a three versus one. If you catch me undefended, maybe you¡¯ll beat me. If you do, I¡¯m taking you with me.¡± Master Frin coughs. ¡°Please pay attention. I¡¯m glad you are both great friends, but I would prefer you kissed in private.¡± The boy flushes, and I salute. ¡°Yes, sir:¡± He rolls his eyes. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯ve been listening so clearly, I¡¯d love for you to come up and show us your perfect skills. If you don¡¯t listen to the master, that means you¡¯re a master yourself. Zade, Raakhshas, come here.¡± We step forward, and Master Frin smiles at us. ¡°Next time, listen up. I want a fair fight. If someone surrenders, you will stop. The match ends at first blood. Anything worse than a small cut will be punished. You may start.¡± I¡¯m caught off guard, but Raakhshas isn''t. He attacks me ferociously, face red with rage. I''m forced to stumble back, but I can¡¯t stray too far. Master Frin and the others have formed a circle around us. A small circle. Panic starts to build inside me. Sheer aggressiveness could win Raakhshas this fight. I try to get up, but he forces me down again. I gasp as the butt of his sword hits my wrist. Clearly, he is taking his time with this. He¡¯s strong. I don¡¯t know if I can fight him. He strikes again, this time striking my leg, bruising me. It¡¯s just a small bruise, but it already hurts like hell. He attacks again and again, not letting me get up. I can barely defend. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can last. My chest heaves as I breath erratically, and Master Frin steps up. ¡°STOP!¡± He yells. ¡°This match is over.¡± Raakhshas scowls. ¡°But he didn¡¯t surrender.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± I say, standing up slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Raakhshas grumbles. ¡°Now you let him get up.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to continue? It won¡¯t be embarrassing to stop the fight,¡± Master Frin whispers to me. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I nod. I¡¯m tired, but I focus on the fight. Raakhshas attacks again, but this time I¡¯m ready. I¡¯m a little clumsy from all the bruises, but I stand my ground. I even have a chance of winning. My confidence surges as Raakhshas is forced to stumble back. He glowers, and once again attacks, this time even more ferociously. I block, parry, thrust. I¡¯m sure I got this. I attack, aiming for his undefended arm. I¡¯ve got this. I double over as I start to cough. My chest feels compressed, and my eyes water. My vision goes blurry, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s blood coming up my mouth. ¡°First blood has been taken. This match is over.¡± Master Frin rushes at me. Raakhshas is smiling. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to take you to the medic ward. The practice today is over. Congratulations, Raakhshas. Next time, don¡¯t attack a defenseless person.¡± Raakhshas shrugs, and Master Frin takes me away, and I pass out from the pain. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I wake up in the medic ward. I remember seeing Astil here. I didn¡¯t think I would come here so fast. I always thought that if I came here, it would be to visit Astil. I try to stand up. ¡°Hey!¡± A sweet female voice sounds from my left. ¡°I didn¡¯t allow you to leave.¡± It¡¯s Mistress Haley, the resident nurse. ¡°I need to leave!¡± I exclaim. ¡°I have something at noon. It takes like an hour to get there and¡ª¡± ¡°You leave when I tell you to,¡± She responds winking. ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± I groan. ¡°Can I please leave?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± She responds. ¡°I just need to give you some orders. First, be very careful. You are a little fragile right now, so take it easy. Second, your hand is a little bruised. Don¡¯t use it a lot for the next week. Lastly, don¡¯t come back here again!¡± I look quizzically at her and she smiles. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt again, would we?¡± I smile and chuckle, but that was a little weird. Maybe I¡¯m just paranoid. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you around.¡± I stand up, and finally notice I¡¯m naked. I scream and locate my clothes. I put them on hurriedly, trying to shield myself from Mistress Haley, who respectfully turns around. I walk out the door, face flushed, and start to head for the city center of Magefell. Hopefully, Xavier and Astil don¡¯t find me. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Wow, thank God we found you,¡± Astil says, breathing hurriedly. ¡°I thought we would miss you.¡± ¡°I hoped you would miss me,¡± I whisper back. ¡°What did you say?¡± Xavier asks, chuckling. I sigh. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s just find Yue.¡± ¡°Should we split up?¡± Asti asks. ¡°No. She said to meet up where we first met, I think. It shouldn''t be too hard to find her.¡± Astil nods, and stays next to me warily. Xavier looks forward nonchalantly. I¡¯m a little nervous, but try not to show it. We passed Th¡¯ul on the way here, but he didn¡¯t come. He was probably going to meet that waitress. We finally arrive at the scene of the fight two days ago. Yue¡¯s already there, and she brought some friends. The first girl looks small and fragile, yet still strong, like Astil. Her blond hair waves in the wind. The others look tough holding their swords, clearly protective. ¡°You brought others,¡± Yue spits. ¡°So did you,¡± I respond. ¡°True enough. You said you would have evidence or information?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± The petite blond responds. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Fine. That girl,¡± She says, pointing at the blond one. ¡°Is Neena. That one is Aster and the other is Alyx.¡± Alyx nods curtly and I respond accordingly. ¡°That¡¯s Xavier,¡± I say nodding my head at Xavier, ¡°And that¡¯s Astil.¡± ¡°Wait, Astil? As in Artemis¡¯ brother?¡± He sighs. ¡°Yup. I haven¡¯t talked to him since he got a girlfriend.¡± Yue smiles for the first time. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s aggravating, all right. Anyway, let¡¯s get down to business. What¡¯s your information?¡± I tell Yue what High Mage Aegon told me. Neena gets increasingly terrified as I continue. Is she in the Vanguard? She seems so tiny! Alyx narrows her eyes when I tell them about the Cult, and Aster tries to act nonchalantly. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just me, but she¡¯s clearly angry and scared. But Yue, she has a variety of emotions that are hard to process. Most of her emotions are bottled inside, but I think I can see a fire of anger and sadness in her eyes. I notice her right hand is shaking, and she sees that too. She hides her hand, and I finish what I have to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your friend. I¡¯m here to help, Yue.¡± She nods. ¡°I believe you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She wipes tears from her eyes. ¡°I think it¡¯s only fair if you get to hear our story. Let me just compose myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Alyx interrupts Yue. ¡°It was my sister.¡± Xavier looks questioningly at Alyx, and she smiles grimly. ¡°You¡¯ll see in a minute.¡± Alyx starts to speak, and, as her story progresses,, I feel cold and sad. The story of Diamond and Jos is heartbreaking, and I¡¯m led to tears hearing of Diamond¡¯s last word and Jos¡¯ cut up pieces. I hear of how desperate they are to find answers and how Yue¡¯s been holding them together. I hear of the Wolf¡¯s departure and how that could be horrible. And, finally, I hear about the note Yue got, signaling her impending demise. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Astil says, and I can hear how impacted he is. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xavier exclaims. ¡°We hate the Cult as much as you do, and we¡¯ll do anything to find the killer.¡± Neena bows. ¡°Thank you. Anything you can do will help us, even support.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be watching you in the tournament,¡± I say. ¡°If anyone tries anything in the tournament, we will stop them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know us well,¡± Yue replies, narrowing her eyes. ¡°How do we know we can trust you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t what we said enough? Astil has a scratch on his chest from us fighting the Cult. You saw us, Yue. I don¡¯t really have any other evidence. I hate to ask you for blind faith, but I have to. There¡¯s no other choice. I¡¯m doing the same with you.¡± I offer my hand to her, and she recoils to discuss with her friends. I¡¯m left holding out my hand awkwardly, as I hear them mumble and gesticulate. Eventually, they come back.. Yue speaks to me. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing. I hope I know what I¡¯m doing too. Let me just warn you: If you¡¯re tricking me in any way, I will cut you up, boil your bones, and throw them to the pigs.¡± She shakes my hand, and smiles mildly I cringe. ¡°Oof. That¡¯s a horrible thought you just put in my head. Ugh.¡± Neena laughs. ¡°So, what happens now? Do we just go our separate ways?¡± I nod. ¡°Yes, but we should meet each other every couple of days to make sure we¡¯re on the same page. Agreed?¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Yue says. ¡°Should we meet here in two days¡¯ time then?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s perfect¡± I respond. ¡°We should go back, people will start to miss us,¡± Alyx warns. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yue says. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other Second Day. See you then.¡± She waves goodbye and leaves, so me and the other guys head back to Zenyth to discuss what just happened. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°What did you think about them?¡± I ask Xavier in the Gallery. ¡°They sounded sincere enough,¡± He replies. ¡°They¡¯re clearly desperate for answers. I think Aster sees us as villains, though.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She basically refused to talk to us. Think about it. If you lost your friend to a cult that mages started, do you think you would befriend mages, even if they adamantly proclaimed they weren¡¯t part of the cult?¡± ¡°I guess not,¡± I say, thinking hard. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the others didn¡¯t treat us the same way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Did you see they knew Astil¡¯s brother?¡± Astil¡¯s off with Anni, so there¡¯s no problem with bringing it up. ¡°Yeah, it seems like they all have something against him. Astil told us that he exists, but refuses to tell us anything else. Clearly, they all have hard feelings for him.¡± ¡°You know,¡± I say somberly, ¡°When I came here, I hoped I would be able to escape the problems I¡¯d been going through. And it¡¯s worked. I still miss Jade a lot, but, except for that, I¡¯ve been able to leave my past behind.¡± ¡°Your point?¡± ¡°By coming here, I¡¯ve somehow made my life even more complicated. In Erenfeld, about one in every three people will hate me for killing my parents. Here, I only need to take one wrong move and this cult will kill me. It feels like everywhere I am, I¡¯m kind of an outcast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have us.¡± Xavier exclaims. I cock my head at him, and he explains. ¡°We all feel like that. Most of us, at least. I used to live in a place that hates mages. If I go back to Galacia, I¡¯ll be shunned by everyone, including my own family. We¡¯re all going through the same thing. And that¡¯s why we¡¯ve become such good friends. We may not have known it at first, but we connect through shared trauma. It¡¯s one of humanity¡¯s strongest links. And we have it. I know, and I¡¯m sure you do too, that if anything were to happen to you, I¡¯d be there. You¡¯d be there for me too probably. I hope so. And Astil, we¡¯ll be there for him too. I think Zenyth was the greatest place we could¡¯ve come to, even if we¡¯re getting in danger.¡± ¡°You sound like Jay. You would¡¯ve loved her.¡± Xavier smirks. ¡°Not as much as you do.¡± I groan. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I should be getting some sleep.¡± ¡°You go do that,¡± Xavier replies. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Astil to come back.¡± I nod and walk back to my room. I check the book to make sure nothing has changed, then get into bed. It doesn¡¯t take long for me to fall asleep. Chapter Thirteen: The Mysticist Chapter Thirteen: The Mysticist The end of the world is near, He wrote, quill scratching on the paper noisily. It was midnight, and he had to get some sleep. But sleep could wait. This was more important. Yes, the apocalypse is at hand. I¡¯m just glad I won¡¯t be alive to see it. I¡¯ve seen it in a vision, though. I wish I didn¡¯t have the burden as the Mysticist to do this, but I must. It started before my time. It started before anyone¡¯s time. But it will escalate soon. The world will collapse in fear of the creatures that roam it, and anarchy will reign. No one will be safe. I wish this was a lie. But I¡¯ve seen it. And oh, what horrors! The apocalypse begins with a Parliament. But for Zade the ball really starts rolling with a boy. Astil. He shall get the fire going in Zade. Zade and Yue will be two who shall oppose Dautha and Leah. And for Zade, it all starts with Astil. Because of him, Zade shall fight. And what a glorious fight it will be! He shall slay and save many, and, while not the strongest mage in force, in will shall he stand strong. This I have seen, and this is the truth. For Yue, the start will be the tournament. She shall truly learn what she values most there, and, while already knowing she would lay down her life for her friends, she shall not truly understand what she believes until the time of the tournament is at hand. Then shall she become the woman she is meant to be and stand above all others in fearlessness and stature. I do not know how the apocalypse ends. I do not know if any side wins. All I know is that the apocalypse will irrevocably change the world. Nations will be judged, peoples torn, and the world shall burn! Mountains shall become like the ocean, and the ocean like flaming suns. Let the peoples cry out to their gods like worms, because when the time comes, worms shall they be! Only those strong enough to fight shall survive until the war. I do not know who shall win the war. Even me, the Mysticist, does not know the answer to that question. Well, it is time! I know my death is upon me. I¡¯m weary, old as the dust of the earth. How to describe my life of healing and pain to those who do not know what it is like to carry the earth on their shoulders? It is impossible! I dare not try. I shall lay down to sleep for the last time now. I shall not wake up. Nor do I wish to. I¡¯ve led a fulfilling life. All I hope is that if people remember me, it is in a good light. I look forward to seeing the afterlife, if that exists. I look forward to the end. And for Zade, I do not know if you are on the right side or not. Just be ready. Times are coming where everything you know will be tested. This I have seen, and this is the truth. The Mysticist looked at where Zade would be looking at him and winked. He couldn¡¯t see Zade, but Zade would be watching. Maybe Zade was seeing through him. It was possible. Signed, The Mysticist. He stood up, yawning. Time for the last rest of his life. He wondered how long he would sleep before death took him, He wondered if he would even feel sleep. He shrugged. It was not time for philosophical questions. It was time for rest. He sighed and sat on his bed. He scratched his head in thought. He¡¯d promised himself he would go to sleep quickly, but now he was having doubts. He was Mysticism.He was supposed to be able to help the world. But his time was up. And he knew it. He had to face the truth. He lay down waiting for sleep to overtake him. He trusted the world to take its course, whatever it would be. He wouldn¡¯t be there to see it happen, so what did he care? With that final thought in his head, he closed his eyes for the final time. The Mystucust was dead. The Apocalypse was near. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I wake up sweating. I was having a dream of a man, the Mysticist. He was dying, and¡­ The dream is getting fuzzy. I don¡¯t know why, but I know I need to remember it- As if knowing I need him, Master Thul comes into view, and as he appears, I realize for the first time that his name is similar to one of my friends. I wonder why that is? ¡°Zade, do you need my assistance?¡± He asks. ¡°Yes, I had a dream, and I need to talk about it before I forget it.¡± He nods. ¡°Go ahead.¡± So I tell him the dream, and as I do, it becomes much more vivid, as if it doesn¡¯t want me to forget it. I tell Master Thul of the Mysticist and his letter. Of his death and the upcoming apocalypse. Of his prediction of me and Astil and Jade. When I¡¯m done, he smiles grimly. ¡°I knew the Mysticist personally when I was alive.¡± I cock my head. ¡°What do you mean, when you were alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just a teacher in a book, Zade,¡± He chuckles. ¡°I was once a mage myself, and a revered one at that. I died during the great Mage War.¡± ¡°And the Mysticist was alive during that time?¡± I¡¯m extremely curious now. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should tell you,¡± He replies. ¡°I think it¡¯s the High Mage¡¯s responsibility to do that. Tell him you had a vision.Tell him about it. He¡¯ll know what it means and what you should do.¡± ¡°So you think it was a vision?¡± He grimaces. ¡°I know so. You better hope what he said about the apocalypse is wrong, Zade. Because if he¡¯s right, we¡¯re in major trouble.¡± ¡°Was he ever wrong about what he saw?¡± I ask Master Thul, dreading the answer. He shakes his head. ¡°Never. Not once. He was never wrong about a vision. Every single one came true.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I tell Xavier and Astil about my vision, and Th¡¯ul listens in. I don¡¯t know if I trust him, but I didn¡¯t want to be rude. Astil is very confused about it. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± He asks. ¡°I don''t know,¡± I shrug. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to start the fire in me or something.¡± ¡°You want me to set you on fire?¡± He asks helpfully. I laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you on that.¡± Th¡¯ul jumps in unemotionally. ¡°Visions, huh? Ever had them before?¡± I nod. ¡°Two. Both about an apocalypse.¡± Xavier shaked his head. ¡°They can¡¯t be real visions, right? You¡¯re not actually seeing the past and future. It¡¯s impossible.¡± Th¡¯ul shrugs. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it happening. It¡¯s not common, but it happens sometimes.¡± I groan. ¡°Why me? Why can¡¯t a High Mage have these issues?¡± Xavier laughs. ¡°Karma, man. Karma.¡± ¡°For what,¡± I shriek. ¡°Everything.¡± Xavier says, and smiles wide. I shake my head ruefully. ¡°Master Thul tells me I have to talk to a High Mage about this.¡± I venture. ¡°I agree,¡± Th¡¯ul replies. ¡°It¡¯s of vital importance that you do. Just one thing: Did you say your teacher¡¯s name is Thul? Like mine?¡± I nod. ¡°Yes, it is. Do you know of anyone with that name?¡± Th¡¯ul bites his lip. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± He shakes his head, but I narrow my eyes. I think he¡¯s lying. I shouldn¡¯t press the issue, though. I don¡¯t know him well enough. Anni walks over to us and smiles. Her blonde ponytail is bobbing like always, and her slight frame moves lithely and quickly. ¡°Hey, Astil! Hi, Zade!¡± She¡¯d been really nice to me since I saved her life. It¡¯s a token of gratitude, I guess. ¡°How¡¯s your stomach, Astil?¡± He smiles. ¡°It¡¯s better.¡± He lifts his shirt, showing the bandage going from his chest to his stomach. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. Barely even hurts.¡± His wince disproves it. Anni smiles and kisses his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s great. What are y''all talking about?¡± I don¡¯t know if I want to tell her. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust her, but I really don¡¯t want word getting out. I fumble for words, and Astil glares at me. ¡°Anything you tell me you can tell her.¡± I shrug. Fine. So, for the third time today, I tell someone of my vision. Anni has the best reactions out of anybody. She¡¯s so hooked that I tell her of the other visions. She gasps at the right times, and, by the end, looks both terrified and hooked. ¡°Woah! And you think all of this will happen?¡± I shrug. ¡°Some of it already has, apparently. But yes. Supposedly, if this is a real vision, it will happen.¡± Anni grimaces. ¡°An apocalypse? That sounds horrible.¡± I nod. ¡°It was. It¡¯s another mage war, and just being there, I wanted to throw up. So much death. So much pain. So much hopelessness. And the aftermath, somehow it was just as bad.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°When is it supposed to happen?¡± Astil asks. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I reply, ¡°But I think we¡¯ve got at least a couple of years. I look so much older there. We definitely have time to prepare.¡± ¡°Were any of us in your apocalypse dream?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I respond. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but I don¡¯t remember any of you. Yue, me, and Jade were there, but that¡¯s all I remember.¡± ¡°Who are Jade and Yue?¡± Anni asks, puzzled. ¡°Yue is a Vanguard soldier who vehemently opposes Dautha. Jade is my best friend.¡± ¡°How is she involved in this?¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°How should I know? Most of this is a mystery to me as much as it is to you. I¡¯m still trying to figure it out too. That¡¯s why I need to talk to a High Mage about it.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Th¡¯ul questions me. ¡°I¡¯m thinking High Mage Aegon. What do you think?¡± Th¡¯ul nods approvingly. ¡°He¡¯s a good choice, a wise man. He should hold the truth you seek. Just be careful what you tell him. He¡¯s a good man, but I do not know how trustworthy he is. If he feels the need, he would definitely tell other mages, possibly even the Parliament, about this.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Do you know how I could reach a High Mage?¡± Th¡¯ul nods again. ¡°Across the hallway from the entrance to the game room is a chamber called the Calling. There you can place a request to see a High Mage. Do you need any help getting there?¡± I shake my head. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it.¡± I wave goodbye and walk off, excited to get some answers. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I walk into the Calling. The wooden door creaks open slowly, and I step into the room. I look around, confused. I¡¯m thinking I should¡¯ve brought Th¡¯ul with me. The room is empty. There¡¯s no furniture, no wall hangings, and no windows. It¡¯s a big, circular room with simple texture and design. It has almost an ethereal look to it, and it glows softly in a blue color, just like Magefell does to the outside. In the middle of the room there is a circle inscribed on the floor. It has a green glow around it, extending up to the domed ceiling. I slowly step forwards in the direction of the circle and tentatively touch the glow. It disperses around my finger, and, when I pull it out, returns quickly to where it was before. I don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯m supposed to do, but I¡¯m guessing it starts with this inner circle. I step in and immediately feel a rush of cold. I shiver and hug myself. I have my cloak, but somehow that wasn¡¯t enough for the chill that I get. I look around the circle I stepped in. There¡¯s nothing out of the ordinary here, so I stop for a second to think about what I¡¯m supposed to do. There¡¯s nothing here containing instructions. It¡¯s just a simple circle. I feel stupid, but decide to give something a shot. ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± I yell. ¡°I need to talk with High Mage Aegon, please. It¡¯s slightly urgent, I guess. Um, I hope this works. I feel kinda stupid, so a response would be nice. I¡¯m looking for High Mage Aegon. I had a¡­ let¡¯s call it a strange dream.¡± I wait, feeling dumb. I really should¡¯ve brought Th¡¯ul. I don¡¯t know what else to do. It¡¯s not like High Mage Aegon will just appear in front of me like¡­ Something pops in my vision. I yell and back away. Standing in front of me is High Mage Aegon, looking amused. I straighten myself, coughing to save some dignity. ¡°Oh, wow,¡± I can¡¯t resist saying. ¡°That worked.¡± ¡°Of all the people I¡¯ve seen trying that for the first time, yours is definitely the most comical,¡± High Mage Aegon laughs. ¡°I don¡¯t like being disturbed, but whatever it was for, your reaction makes up for it. What¡¯s on your mind, lad?¡± ¡°I had a dream, High Mage,¡± I tell him. ¡°According to Master Thul, it¡¯s a vision. About an apocalypse. And about the Mysticist. I need some help decoding it all.¡± High Mage Aegon¡¯s eyebrows rise. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in my study.¡± I nod and follow him as he leads the way. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I finish telling High Mage Aegon my story. I¡¯m burning with questions, and he can tell. He smiles, but it seems fake. Like he knows something¡¯s wrong. ¡°I have questions myself,¡± He says. ¡°But you¡¯ve been waiting longer. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°How to start?¡± I chuckle. ¡°First, who is the Mysticist?¡± ¡°To put it simply, the Mysticist was a man with visions. A little like you, but more extreme. He lived during the Mage War, and he had a crucial role in the victory of the Visionaries.¡± At my quizzical glance, he sighs. ¡°You can ask your teacher about the war later. Suffice it to say, he provided the Visionaries knowledge of the future through his visions. That was why he was called the Mysticist. He saw the mysteries of the past and future. During his time, no one else had visions. Since his death, many people have had it. It¡¯s a rare gift, but not an unusual one. ¡°The Mysticist grew burdened with everyone asking him their needs. He died in his sleep with one last letter found, which was subsequently burned and kept secret since.¡± ¡°So,¡± I say, ¡°You¡¯re saying that the letter was about me?¡± He nods. ¡°It certainly seems that way.¡± I cringe. ¡°Is there any way we can stop this?¡± He shrugs. ¡°The Mysticist always said that the future was unchangeable. What he saw always came to pass. Other men with visions think it may be possible, but so far nothing has been proven.¡± ¡°If the future is unchangeable, then how was the Mysticist able to win the Visionaries the war?¡± High Mage Aegon smiles. ¡°Great question. One that not many would think to ask. The Mysticist was able to control his visions, see. He didn¡¯t see the outcome of the battle. He made sure he didn¡¯t see how anything ended. What he did see was the plans the other side made. He would fall asleep and have dreams of the future where the Loyalists would have meetings discussing their plans. Or the Mysticist would have a dream of a letter passed between encampments filled with important information. Often, he would even have dreams of potential technological advancement. He didn¡¯t change the future, Zade.¡± His voice turns into a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°The Mysticist took advantage of the future. And that¡¯s what we must do with you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You have visions, Zade.¡± He says mysteriously. ¡°Do you know how many people alive have visions that we know of?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Five. And they only have visions rarely. It¡¯s a very rare talent, Zade. One that we must keep hidden, for your safety and our advantage. And you must use your visions well. Every time you have a vision, you must come to me. Tell me about it. We must prepare for anything coming. Especially if that something is an apocalypse. I know you cannot control your visions as of yet, but we must analyze the ones you have and strategize accordingly. If the apocalypse is coming, and it seems like it is, we need to be ready. If not, God help us.¡± ¡°High Mage Aegon?¡± I ask. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°The Mysticist wrote about Dautha, but along with Dautha, he mentioned someone else. Leah. Do you know anything about her?¡± He looks at me sharply. ¡°Leah? I don¡¯t know.¡± He shakes his head softly. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find. I have a question for you, Zade. You said the Mysticist mentioned Yue? Is that your Vanguard friend?¡± I nod, and he smiles in response. ¡°Good. You must befriend her. She is important to this.¡± I glare at him. ¡°I don¡¯t befriend people for profit, High Mage.¡± He nods curtly. ¡°I understand. I apologize. Still, Yue must be put on watch. You can choose to befriend her or not. But the point stands. She must be watched so she helps us. This is bigger than friendships, Zade. The world is at stake. Do you want to keep friendships or the world?¡± I sigh. He bites his lip. ¡°I understand that you have your morals, Zade. That¡¯s a good thing. But sometimes, morals must take a step back. Killing is bad. But I would kill hundreds of people if it meant saving thousands. Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You must decide, Zade. Unless you get your priorities straight, soon enough, the world will destroy you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I¡¯m not ready for those decisions yet.¡± ¡°Zade,¡± He says sternly. ¡°You turn eighteen soon. You are not a child. Kill or be killed, Zade. That¡¯s the way of the world. And I think you already know that.¡± I cock my head. ¡°I heard of your incident with Raakhshas.¡± I suck in a breath. ¡°This is serious, Zade. I¡¯m not telling you to pick a side. But I am telling you to decide how you will fight. Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire. Violence is not the best resort, but many times, it is the only one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can believe that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re inexperienced, Zade. I¡¯ve lived long enough to know the truth. And, as you know, something is coming. Will you stand around and do nothing?¡± ¡°Supposedly, Astil will light the fire in me or something. Do you know what that means?¡± High Mage Aegon shakes his head. ¡°It could mean anything. I know that he¡¯s definitely a key in this, though. You two are good friends, right?¡± I nod. ¡°Good. Keep him close. As a friend, as support, as hope. He¡¯s a good boy.¡± I smile. ¡°I love him like a little brother.¡± A face comes into my mind, but I force it out. ¡°I would protect him no matter what. He¡¯s the one person I would save no matter what.¡± ¡°I heard that¡¯s what you did with Raakhshas.¡± I grimace. ¡°Are you going to do anything about Raakhshas?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t on Zenyth grounds. I can¡¯t. Yue could, though,¡± He says, winking. ¡°You could ask her to arrest him. I don¡¯t think she would, but it¡¯s always an option.¡± He chuckles to let me know he¡¯s somewhat joking. ¡°I have one last question for now, High Mage,¡± I tell him. ¡°What are we going to do about the parliament?¡± He looks at me quizzically. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, the Mysticist said the apocalypse starts with the Parliament. Can¡¯t we do anything about that?¡± ¡°I have a couple of friends in the Parliament,¡± High Mage Aegon says. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can do anything. No big difference anyway. Remember, the future is set. The apocalypse will happen. The most we can do is hope to weaken it a little. If that¡¯s even possible.¡± ¡°But if the future is set, does that mean we don¡¯t make our own decisions?¡± ¡°No. Time is not as linear as you think. If the Mysticist saw the future, that means that time is different than our minds can comprehend. The future is essentially a different perspective of the past. Think about it. Can you change the past?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But you made those decisions yourself, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I reply hesitantly. ¡°Future you will look back on the you one year from now. One year from now would then be the past. But the same applies. It can¡¯t be changed, and you still made your own decisions. The future exists because we made our decisions. It can¡¯t be changed precisely because we make our decisions.¡± My mind is boggled right now. This discussion is so confusing and I¡¯m not sure I understand. But I decide to take his word for it. ¡°Is that all?¡± He asks. I nod. ¡°Feel free to leave any time you want. Remember, come back if you have another vision, or if you need to talk. I¡¯ll always be here.¡± I thank him, and leave, mind swirling. I have a lot to think about. Too much. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Back in the gallery again, I meet up with Astil and Xavier. I really should practice my magic, but today is not a good day for that. I¡¯m drained today, as if talking with High Mage Aegon was an exercise. It¡¯s not even that late yet, but I need a nap. Before this, I need to fill my friends in on what happened. ¡°So High Mage Aegon said you were really having visions?¡± Xavier breathed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± I laugh. ¡°If only the visions meant something good. I would be glad I¡¯m having them then.¡± Astil grunts. ¡°I think it¡¯s better for you to have these visions. That way, we know what¡¯s coming.¡± I look at him strangely. ¡°When did you get so serious?¡± He smiles. ¡°It was just for a couple of seconds. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Anyway, you are right, Astil,¡± Xavier says. ¡°But why you, Zade? No offense, but why doesn¡¯t a High Mage get these Visions, or a member of Parliament? Wouldn¡¯t they do much better with the information?¡± I shake my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I do have a theory that maybe the Mysticist writing about me might¡¯ve had something to do with it. Because if not, then it¡¯s a crazy coincidence. And I don''t believe in coincidences.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Xavier nods. ¡°But, still. What makes you so important? You¡¯re a mage-in-training. How can you do anything to stop or win a war? You¡¯re not even at Level 3 yet. Oof, that sounded mean, but I¡¯m only on Level 3. It¡¯d be the same problem with me.¡± ¡°I understand your issue,¡± I respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer. My best guess is that since this happens in the future, we¡¯ll all be more powerful. Plus, there¡¯s whatever Astil does to me.¡± Astil shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I''m supposed to do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The future can¡¯t be changed, so it¡¯ll happen whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°How is that supposed to stop me from worrying? I would like to know what I¡¯m supposed to do!¡± I laugh. ¡°It could be a long time before that happens. For now, we should focus on training. Do everything you can to be ready when it comes. And watch out for Raakhshas. He¡¯s pissed.¡± Xavier cringes. ¡°He injured you, right?¡± I shake my wrist, and feel a little shock of pain. ¡°Just a little. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not supposed to fight with it for a week or so, but if I need to, I¡¯ll do it anyway.¡± Astil looks at me critically. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I respond. ¡°My life is getting dangerous. If the doctor thinks I¡¯ll stop fighting because I¡¯m a little hurt, she¡¯s wrong.¡± I yawn. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take a nap, guys. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll see you after.¡± ¡°See you soon,¡± Astil says. ¡°I have to find Anni. We¡¯ve got a date in an hour.¡± I smile. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy.¡± My friends look questioningly at me, but I wave it off, and walk toward my room. I open the door wearily and crawl into bed. ¡°How¡¯d it go with the High Mage?¡± I hear Master Thul ask me. ¡°It went fine,¡± I say. ¡°I have a lot to think about now. I need you to tell me about the Mage War, but not right now.¡± He nods. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± He doesn¡¯t speak again, and I know he¡¯s gone. I yawn again, and close my eyes, but it¡¯s a while before sleep reaches me. To tell the truth, I¡¯m a little scared. I don¡¯t know anything about what will happen next. All I know is that it will be dangerous. I need to be strong, though, if only to save my friends. I let sleep overtake me finally, dreaming nightmares of the end of the world and my death. Chapter Fourteen: The Hanging Chapter Fourteen: The Hanging ¡°We are here to remember and celebrate the life of own of our very own once again,¡± Yue declared formally. Her voice was firm and loud, which was strange, considering how much she felt like shaking. Jos¡¯ funeral was today, and, since the Wolf was gone, she had been chosen to lead it. There were significantly less people here than with Diamond; Jos had been a much more reclusive person. Still, there must have been almost a dozen and a half people at the green. Those who knew Jos knew him well, except for Yue. Alyx and Aster were attending the funeral too, but more to support and guard Yue than to mourn Jos. There was no real body left to bury, and the body parts in the forest had mysteriously disappeared, so the coffin was sadly empty, a reminder that this was no simple death. This was a murder, done by one who had not found justice yet. Jos had been murdered in cold blood, and it made Yue¡¯s blood boil to think about. Jos had just wanted to help her. She closed her eyes, and felt hot tears fill them. When she opened them again, they spilled out. She saw two or three people smile sadly as she cried. ¡°Jos didn¡¯t deserve what he got,¡± Yue talked. She was improvising. She hadn¡¯t had the courage to write a speech. It had only made her hurt more. ¡°I didn¡¯t know him well, but for the few hours I did, he seemed very genuine. He saw someone hurting, and only wanted to give him aid. Where¡¯s the sin in that? ¡°I was broken when I met him. My friend had died, and I was breaking down every minute. My friends and I didn¡¯t know what to do. One person did, though. Through all this, one person came to help, and, though I didn¡¯t appreciate it enough until later, I am eternally grateful to Jos Tillermann. He had the courage and the wit that no one else had to chase the murderer. He wanted to give a newfound friend some closure, and he stumbled on something greater than himself. It¡¯s a pity he¡¯s gone, because the world¡¯s a little worse without him. ¡°It¡¯s a little funny, really. With Diamond, I didn¡¯t have much to say. I was grieving inside, and I was so shocked, I didn¡¯t have words. But with Jos, I¡¯m grieving on the outside for all those who didn¡¯t know him,¡± She cried publicly, and for once, wasn¡¯t ashamed of it. ¡°I¡¯m grieving for all to see what a tragedy it was to see him taken from us before he could accomplish anything. ¡°But I¡¯m not just grieving,¡± Yue continued, her voice turning hard and gravelly, ¡°I¡¯m also angry. Because Jos didn¡¯t just pass on. He was killed, and not in a quick way either. He was sliced open, still alive. Someone cut off his ear, his leg, his hand, and finally, his head. I never found his torso. God knows what trials that man had to go through. And why? Because he was a good man. And now I¡¯m angry. Because I want to see the killer brought to justice.¡± She could see the small crowd getting inflamed too. ¡°I won¡¯t rest until Diamond and Jos¡¯ killer is himself killed. And it¡¯s one of us! We are the Vanguard, supposed to stick together and work together to create a safer world. Instead one or more of us is murdering others. Whoever you are, I hope you¡¯re listening. ¡°You are not part of the Vanguard, not really. We will find you, all of us, and when we do, you better pray to God, but I doubt even he will listen. You killed innocent people, and their blood is on YOUR HANDS! When I find you, I will torture you until you beg me to stop, and then I will let another have a go. You will be brought to justice. While I still have life in my bones, I will not stop this hunt.¡± She stopped to regain a little composure, and her voice softened. ¡°If anyone has any clues, any information, any evidence, even just a rumor, dammit, please talk to me. I promise I will bring the killer to justice. Thank you. That is all. Jos, I hope you rest in peace wherever you are now. I¡¯m sorry for what happened. It¡¯s my fault you¡¯re dead. I should¡¯ve said no to your help.¡± Sobs racked her body once again. ¡°I should¡¯ve said NO!¡± She screamed. Many shifted uncomfortably on the grass, and Yue smiled grimly, wiping her eyes. ¡°If anyone wants to talk about Jos, please come up. I¡¯ll be here after the service if anyone has anything to tell me.¡± She stepped down, and Aster and Axyl rushed to comfort her. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Thank you, that was a beautiful speech,¡± Shalla told her. Shalla was a shy brunette, who had known Jos ever since he¡¯d joined the Vanguard. Not many people had seen Shalla since Jos¡¯ death, and her eyes were tear-stained and swollen. A small smile touched her lips now, though. ¡°I hope you find the murderer.¡± She hugged Yue. ¡°I¡¯m sure Jos appreciated what you did here.¡± This was the fifth person who¡¯d come to talk to her about her speech and how good it was. Alyx was holding her protectively, but Yue just felt comforted. She was glad she could make some people feel better. She did the best she could, and that¡¯s all she could do. She was just glad no one blamed her for Jos¡¯ death. Shalla left sadly, and Joanne took her place. ¡°Hey, Joanne,¡± Yue greeted her warmly. ¡°Thank you for being here. I know Jos really valued you.¡± The tall, lanky black-haired girl shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Do you have anything to tell me, Joanne?¡± Yue said softly. Joanne bit her lip, then burst into speech. ¡°I think Eva is the murderer. She told me about how she relishes the feeling of pain. She loves torture, Yue! I overheard her talking, too. She was talking to herself about how Jos¡¯ death was beautiful, and how his dead body was a work of art.¡± Tears burst on her face. ¡°I saw her holding Jos¡¯ head.¡± Yue¡¯s anger grew. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her. Thank you for telling me, Joanne. In fact, Eva has always been my top suspect. It¡¯s good to have that cleared up.¡± Joanne cringed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s her.¡± Yue nodded mollifyingly. ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I¡¯ll talk to her about it.¡± Joanne nodded and walked off. Alyx spoke in Yue¡¯s ear. ¡°You really think it¡¯s Eva?¡± Yue looked at her. ¡°It must be. Eva is evil, Alyx. Pure evil.¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°I agree. But Joanne ratting her out like this is not like Joanne at all.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But her friend did just died. Give her a break.¡± Alyx frowned but nodded. Yue heard footsteps coming towards her. She looked ahead, and saw an unfamiliar Vanguard woman coming towards her. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Deserey Villians. New recruit. Been here for about two months. Her best friend was one of Jos¡¯ best friends.¡± Yue grunted. ¡°I wonder why she¡¯s here.¡± Thankfully, she didn¡¯t have to worry long. ¡°Yue, I need your help,¡± Deserey told her. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yue asked. ¡°My friend is missing. I saw her yesterday at night getting into bed. When I woke up, she wasn¡¯t there anymore. I thought she was having breakfast or something but she wasn¡¯t there. She wasn¡¯t at Jos¡¯ funeral either, which was strange. I haven¡¯t seen her at all today. It isn¡¯t like her to run away. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± ¡°Your friend was Jos¡¯ friend too, right?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Deserey responded frantically. ¡°Her name is Rosalia. Can you find her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you know any place she usually would go for some peace and quiet?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Deserey said, ¡°But she wanted me to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Did you look there?¡± Deserey shook her head. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be there. She loved going there with Jos, and refused to go there after Jos died. I heard her talking about tearing it down.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Yue told her, ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to look. What is it? And where?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a treehouse she built with her dad. It¡¯s nearby, in the forest where¡­¡± ¡°Jos died,¡± Alyx finished. ¡°Do you think maybe¡­¡± ¡°The killer struck again?¡± Yue said. ¡°I doubt it. But I do understand why you wouldn¡¯t want to go there, Deserey. We should check it out. Why don¡¯t you come with me, and we¡¯ll check it out with some of my friends? How does that sound?¡± Deserey¡¯s lips curled up gratefully. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Wow, this is creepy,¡± Neena said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever come here willingly.¡± Deserey looked at her erratically. ¡°That¡¯s what I always told Rosalia, but I always felt safer with her.¡± Yue, Deserey, Alyx, Aster, and Neena were at the entrance to the forest, armed, ready for anything. It was very improbable the killer did anything to Rosalia but it was always best to come prepared. Alyx and Aster both had drawn their swords, but Yue kept hers sheathed. She would draw it if she needed to, but so far there was no reason to walk around paranoid. ¡°Deserey,¡± Yue said, ¡°Lead us in.¡± Deserey nodded softly, and entered the well-lit forest. Immediately, she veered off the path, and walked left. Yue noted that the site where Jos died was in the opposite direction. As they walked deeper into the forest, the more Yue realized how vast it was. An army could be hidden in here, and it would be almost impossible to find, unless you knew what you were looking for. Neena shivered and walked a little faster. Alyx tip-toed around the forest slowly, disgust written on her face. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aster whispered, chuckling. ¡°I don¡¯t want to step on anything disgusting,¡± Alyx responded, cringing. ¡°Plus, there are probably lots of poisonous bugs here. I don¡¯t want to get stung.¡± Aster laughed softly, and Alyx glared at her. Deserey took a sharp left, and Yue followed. The forest was growing thicker, and the sun was quickly blocked, leaving the forest even more ghostly. Yue wondered how many people had gone in here and never gone out. It wouldn¡¯t be very hard to get lost here. As they passed, a flock of birds squawked and flew away from the trees. Their beautiful azure plumage left a sense of wonder on Yue¡¯s face. She loved birds. They were marvelous. She watched as they flew upwards, quickly disappearing in the foliage. She smiled, and kept walking. Eventually, they reached a small clearing, and Neena asked for a rest. Yue hadn¡¯t even realized they¡¯d been walking for so long, but it had to have been at least half an hour. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Deserey declared. ¡°Just a few more minutes.¡± Yue nodded, and off they were again, Deserey leading the way to something that would inevitably be disappointing. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Deserey said after about five minutes. Yue looked around. She couldn¡¯t see anything in the trees. Where would it be? ¡°Up there,¡± Deserey pointed, and finally, Yue spotted it. It was located on a big tree, and it was very hard to spot. She was sure that unless someone was specifically looking for it, they would never see it. It was big, though. She was sure that at least twenty people could fit in there comfortably. ¡°How do we get up there?¡± Alyx asked. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Rosalia didn¡¯t like ladders,¡± Deserey told her. ¡°She always climbed it. That¡¯s what we have to do.¡± Alyx groaned a little, but didn¡¯t complain. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Yue said. ¡°Is that alright?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Deserey responded. Yue walked up to the tree and planted her foot on a small foothold. She began to climb the tree, and, as she did, she heard creaking coming from the treehouse. Someone was in there. ¡°Hello?¡± She yelled. ¡°Rosalia? Are you there?¡± There was no response, and Yue started to feel a little anxious. ¡°Aster, do you have a dagger?¡± She asked as she kept climbing. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Aster responded. ¡°I might need you to throw it in case someone¡¯s up here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Deserey asked. Aster nodded curtly. ¡°Nothing,¡± Yue said, ¡°I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s fine.¡± She finished climbing and crawled into the treehouse. It really was massive. She could stand up easily here, and there was still plenty of room to spare. It was a simple wooden house, with no furniture or decorations that she could see. It seemed like a place to relax, to spend the day reading, or to focus on an important project. In other words, it was very homely. That is, except for the thing hanging from the ceiling. As Yue got closer, her eyes widened, and she gasped in horror. Deserey walked in and saw it immediately. She screamed, a long, painful shrill that cut deep into Yue¡¯s heart. Rosalia was hanging from a noose naked, cut in several places. Her face was bloated, and the rope around her neck had clearly cut deep. There was a knife below her that she¡¯d used to cut herself beforehand. Her face was a mask of serenity, the opposite of what she must have been feeling. There was no mistaking it. Rosalia had committed suicide. The killer had struck again. This time, though, it had been secondhand. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Hours later, Yue lay in bed. It was now late afternoon, and she was tired and sorrowful. Everytime she thought life was done hitting her, it hit her harder. It had taken a long time to quiet Deserey down long enough to get her down from the treehouse. Then, with the help of her friends, she had carefully extracted Rosalia¡¯s corpse from the noose. Deserey asked to bury her here, and so that¡¯s what Yue did, although there would definitely be a funeral later. She had had to walk back with a broken Deserey, whose eyes were now hollow, without life. The only thing Deserey could do now was cry. Yue called a Vanguard meeting, and it¡¯d taken long enough for everyone to arrive. Once they did, though, she¡¯d been forced to tell everyone what happened. Shockwaves went through the Vanguard as they processed this suicide. Many showed outrage at the killer and the consequences of what he¡¯d done. Most showed sadness in their faces. Yue had announced a formal funeral to be held a few days after, and had immediately gone to her room to fall asleep. She¡¯d found Deserey already asleep in the barracks, and even in sleep she was shaking. Yue had fallen asleep quickly and had only woken up now. Deserey was also awake, and crying visibly. Yue didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I know what you¡¯re feeling right now,¡± Yue said tentatively. Deserey nodded. ¡°I know. How did you get through it?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m still going through it. Every time I stop for a second, my heart beats in pain. When I think, I inevitably feel a flash of pain, and I can¡¯t stop the tears. Every time I speak, I hear Diamond calling out for help. It¡¯s normal, Deserey. You have to go through the pain.¡± Deserey looked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can take it. I don¡¯t like pain, Yue. I would do anything to take it away.¡± Yue cocked her head at her. ¡°Not everything.¡± Then she repeated it more silently, standing up. ¡°Not everything.¡± She walked out of the barracks, only pausing to say one thing. ¡°If you need me, Deserey, just come find me. I¡¯m here for you.¡± She saw Deserey nod, and closed the door. As she wandered around, Yue¡¯s head wandered too. She was thinking of the murders and the suicide. She needed answers desperately, before anyone else died. In other words, she had to find Eva. It was time to confront her. She found Kol at the green. ¡°Do you know where Eva is?¡± She asked. He shook his head, and opened his mouth to talk to her. She didn¡¯t feel like it, though, so she just walked away, feeling a twinge of guilt. She found a girl relaxing on a bench and recognized her immediately. It was Cali, Eva¡¯s friend. Yue''s mouth curled downwards and she stomped over to Cali. ¡°Where¡¯s Eva?¡± She asked gruffly. Cali looked up at her, eyes narrowing. ¡°She¡¯s at the Refectory. Why do you care?¡± Yue didn¡¯t respond. She just stomped off once again, this time in Eva¡¯s direction. She arrived at the Refectory and looked around. There was no one here. Had Cali been lying to her? She looked around and noticed Eva walking away. Yue growled and ran at her, yelling for her to stop. Eva turned around and looked at her scowling. ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked. ¡°I have to ask you about something.¡± Eva growled. ¡°What?¡± Yue sighed. ¡°I know you have Jos¡¯ head.¡± Eva looked up sharply. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But I also know you¡¯re a masochist. You love pain, don¡¯t you? I think you killed Jos.¡± Eva gasped. ¡°Why would I do that? I would never kill Jos! Who told you I would¡­¡± She teared up, and suddenly Yue understood. ¡°You loved Jos, didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked. Eva nodded sadly. ¡°That¡¯s why you had his head.¡± ¡°I buried him,¡± Eva said. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a crush on him. We¡¯d been talking the day before he died, and he admitted his love for me too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yue said. ¡°Joanne just..:¡± Eva¡¯s eyes rose, and Yue realized what she¡¯d done. ¡°It was Joanne who accused me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe she would do that!¡± Eva said. ¡°What a traitor! If I find her¡­¡± Thankfully, she left the threat blank. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt Joanne,¡± Yue told her. ¡°She¡¯s just trying to help.¡± ¡°Help? Help?¡± Eva screeched. ¡°She accused me of murder! How is that supposed to help?¡± Eva sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yue. I don¡¯t want to scream. But I can¡¯t believe that you trusted her. You really thought I could murder Jos?¡± ¡°I heard you talking about Diamond and how you would¡¯ve killed her and she deserved her death, so I thought you might¡¯ve done it.¡± Yue¡¯s voice was soft, and Eva glared at her. ¡°You overheard me? I don¡¯t even care how. Just because Diamond deserved it doesn¡¯t mean I would kill her!¡± ¡°What did Diamond do to you?¡± Yue asked sharply. ¡°I need to know.¡± Eva bowed her head. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see you around. I¡¯m sorry for accusing you.¡± Eva grabbed her shoulder and bit her lip. ¡°You won¡¯t tell anyone about me enjoying pain, will you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡± Eva looked grateful for once. ¡°Thank you, Yue. Don¡¯t talk to Joanne today. Please.¡± Yue narrowed her eyes, but walked it off. Eva wouldn¡¯t do anything, right? It didn¡¯t matter now. Yue was sure that Eva couldn¡¯t be the killer. But who was it then? Joanne? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So Eva isn¡¯t the killer?¡± Xander asked. Yue shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think she is anymore.¡± ¡°So you think it¡¯s Joanne, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. She¡¯s certainly acting suspicious, throwing accusations around.¡± ¡°Could just be concern,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Her friend died recently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Yue said. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure. Remember, she worships Dautha, and we oppose him.¡± ¡°But how would she know? When Diamond died, nobody knew we were planning anything.¡± Yue fell silent for a while. She was visiting Xander in the little hospital. She had eaten dinner, and in a couple of hours, her friends would all reune here to talk about the day. She had felt like talking to someone about the day, and Xander had been a good option. He was a good anchor for her, a willing and reliable friend. He was still stuck in the hospital and would be until the next Seventh Day. He hated it, but Yue always reminded him he needed to heal. She would hate it if something happened to him. ¡°Maybe she eavesdropped,¡± She told him. ¡°Why? It would have to be a major coincidence that she listened to us during the very conversation that we talked about Dautha,¡± ¡°She could¡¯ve heard us say Dautha and listened in.¡± Xander bit his lip. ¡°I doubt it. She might¡¯ve done it, but I can¡¯t see how.¡± ¡°If not her, then who?¡± Xander shook his head. ¡°Could be anyone, I guess. I think we¡¯ll have to start a process of elimination soon.¡± Yue looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s genius. We¡¯ll have to start asking people for their alibis discreetly.¡± Xander arched his eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s harder than you seem to think it is. People will be suspicious if you ask them what they were doing on a particular day.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to split up and try. We¡¯re able to eliminate most of them. Most people weren¡¯t watching Diamond¡¯s game.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Xander¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°We need to tell the group about this. It just might work.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Finally, there¡¯s some hope.¡± ¡°There always is, Yue. You just have to look for it.¡± Xander smiles at me warmly. ¡°Thank you for visiting. I expect you to come back in two hours.¡± ¡°You know I will,¡± Yue responded, standing. ¡°I hope you get better soon.¡± As she left the hospital, she finally felt a little warm inside. It was always good to talk to your friends when life got hard. She began to walk back to her barracks, feeling light. She passed Deserey on the way there and her smile slipped a little. Deserey was clearly haunted. The Vanguard felt like it was falling apart. Many in the Vanguard just looked depressed. Who was doing this? Who could be so cruel? She wondered if this would jeopardize the Vanuard¡¯s victory in the tournament. If they didn¡¯t win, war could ensue. Some nations would think that the Vanguard wasn¡¯t as elite as they thought it was. They would grow cocky and attack Magefell. That would be a huge problem. Surely the murderer knew this. Maybe war was the motivation. She groaned. There were too many motivations for the murderer. It was hard to pinpoint which one he would have. That made it even harder to guess who it was. She had to find out. Yue was desperate. She reached her barracks, and opening the door, she heard something. It sounded like someone grunting, maybe screaming. She could hear something that resembled a fight. She looked in the barracks. There was no one here. Where was the noise coming from? Her mind swam with possibilities, and she closed the barracks door. She listened, trying to pinpoint the location of the scuffle. It seemed to be coming from somewhere behind the barracks. She walked to the other side, and what she saw shocked her. Joanne was on the ground, and Eva was on top of her, punching her. Joanne was barely conscious, but had the energy to scream for help. Eva was raining hell on her, and Joanne couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°EVA!¡± Yue screamed. Eva looked at her wildly. ¡°Eva, you need to stop,¡± Yue told her forcefully. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Eva said, ¡°She accused me!¡± She punched Joanne again, and Joanne¡¯s nose spurted blood. ¡°Eva, I¡¯m going to have to report you for this.¡± Eva sighed. ¡°I know. But I don¡¯t care. Joanne can¡¯t do this to me.¡± Joanne sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you. I just thought¡ª¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Eva said, punching her again. ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT TO HEAR YOU SPEAK.¡± She kept hitting Joanne while Joanne sobbed. Yue decided it was time to step in. She grabbed Eva and pulled her off. Eva didn¡¯t resist. She sagged in Yue¡¯s arms and glared at Joanne. ¡°Don¡¯t come near me again, Joanne.¡± She said, ¡°Do you hear me?¡± Joanne didn¡¯t respond. She had gone unconscious. ¡°Now I have to take her to the hospital. Thanks, Eva.¡± Yue glared at her. ¡°You¡¯ll get suspended for this.¡± ¡°It was worth it,¡± Eva smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a masochist, remember,¡± She continued sarcastically. She licked her lips, and Yue cringed. Yue dragged her off, and saw Aster. She asked her to take Joanne to the hospital, and Aster went off to do that. Yue reached the command center, still dragging Eva. She told the scribe there what Eva had done, and the scribe nodded and sent a message that would reach the Wolf. The Wolf would either suspend Eva or put her in a cell. They should have a response by tomorrow, if they got a mage on the job. Either way, it wasn¡¯t Yue¡¯s problem anymore. She was tired. She needed rest. Too bad she couldn¡¯t have it. Not yet. Not until the killer was found. Chapter Fifteen: Alyxs Day Off Chapter Fifteen: Alyx''s Day Off Yue woke up tired. That was her life these days. After the Wolf left, she had unofficially been put in charge of the Vanguard along with Kol, a girl named Yiro, and another woman whose name Yue always forgot. Mina or something. Because she was one of the leaders now, many people came asking for advice or help. She hadn¡¯t gone to bed until well past midnight, and, with Rosalia¡¯s death, the stress and sadness kept her up long after. It had been a trying few weeks, and, honestly, Yue just wished it would end. This day, just before she¡¯d gone to bed, the Wolf had responded about the Eva situation. Eva was to be suspended for a week, no pay, and under vigilance from the Magefell Guards. It was true that the Vanguard were a better and more skilled army than the Guards, but even a Vanguard warrior wouldn¡¯t be able to take down more than three Magefell Guards. Also, Eva was to be without weapons. If she disobeyed any of the rules, she would be expelled from the Vanguard. Yue didn¡¯t know anyone who had been expelled from the Vanguard, but it had happened twice. Both by people who had committed treason. They were hanged soon after. Yue climbed out of bed, dressed herself appropriately, and walked out of the cabin. By all accounts, it was a beautiful day, one that most people would use to take a walk or just relax under the sun. A small idea started forming in Yue¡¯s mind, but she brushed it aside a little. She didn¡¯t have time for that. Alyx was walking around the barracks, and her look was clear. She was having another bout with depression. It was hard for Yue to see her friend this way. Sometimes, it felt like Alyx was finally getting better, and then she would look dejected the next hour. The small idea Yue dismissed returned, this time fully formed, and Yue smiled. It was a great idea. She needed to gather her friends. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So, what are you planning?¡± Xander asked. Yue had brought all of her closest friends except for Alyx to the hospital. Xander was here, obviously, but she¡¯d gathered Neena, Aster, Poli, and Artemis. She originally hadn¡¯t wanted to bring the latter two, but, in the end, decided it was better. She realized that her friends were much closer now than they were right before Diamond¡¯s death. She wouldn¡¯t have ever considered Aster a close friend. Even Alyx hadn¡¯t been too close. Now it felt like they had an unbreakable bond. And Yue liked it. It was nice. Joanne was in the room next to theirs in the hospital. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t too hurt, but her nose was broken. Yue needed to visit her after this. That girl had gone through a lot. ¡°Yue?¡± Xander asked again, and Yue looked up sharply. She hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been lost in thought. ¡°Sorry,¡± She responded. ¡°I zoned out for a second there. Anyway, you know how dejected Alyx looks today?¡± Most of her friends nodded. ¡°I was thinking we should give her a break. We¡¯ll take her out to the market, have some fun. Explore Magefell. I have to go meet Zade there today anyway. We should take the day off. Give Alyx some much-needed fun.¡± Neena smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Yue!¡± Xander sighed. ¡°I agree. I love the idea. Just wish I could come with y¡¯all.¡± ¡°We wish you could come too, Xander,¡± Neena replied. ¡°We¡¯re all praying you get better soon.¡± ¡°I like this idea of yours too, Yue,¡± Aster said. ¡°I think we could all use a break, but Alyx desperately needs one. It will be good to help her out a little.¡± ¡°Poli? Artemis? What do you think?¡± Yue looked at them expectantly, and Poli shrugged. ¡°Sounds good, I guess.¡± Poli¡¯s face remained impassive. ¡°I could use a break too.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°All right then. We¡¯ll leave in an hour. I just need to go talk to Joanne and then I¡¯ll be ready.¡± Her friends said their goodbyes and left, leaving Yue to walk to Joanne¡¯s room. She knocked. No answer. So she knocked again. No one answered again. She opened the door slowly. Joanne was in the room sleeping, breathing slowly. Yue brought up a chair and sat down. ¡°Hey, Joanne,¡± She said. ¡°How are you doing? I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t step in before. I shouldn¡¯t have told Eva it was you. It was an accident. I¡¯m sorry. Hope you get better soon.¡± Joanne opened her eyes slowly. ¡°Yue? Why are you apologizing? It¡¯s my fault I¡¯m here. I''m the one who needs to thank you. So thank you. Thank you for stepping in. There¡¯s no telling what Eva would¡¯ve done if you hadn¡¯t found us. I¡¯m lucky to get off with only a broken nose.¡± Her voice was slightly nasally today, and it was obvious why. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, all things considered. My nose hurts like hell, but otherwise, I feel good. What happened to Eva?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been suspended. A week. I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s not more, honestly. She¡¯s also being watched by the guard, if that makes you feel better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad she got punished a little, but praise Dautha she¡¯s coming back soon.¡± ¡°Why would you think that? She beat you up, Joanne!¡± ¡°I know,¡± The other girl said cheerfully, ¡°But we need to win the tournament and Eva is very talented. I don¡¯t need to talk to her, she just needs to come back. I think I¡¯ll avoid her from now on,¡± She chuckled. Yue shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re too much of a good person, Joanne. Leave some good for the rest of us.¡± She smiled to show it was a joke, and Joanne teared up. ¡°Thank you, Yue. You¡¯re a great friend.¡± Yue felt a twinge of guilt. If Joanne knew why she had befriended her, would she hate her for it? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Alyx!¡± Yue screamed, and Alyx turned around. ¡°What do you want, Yue?¡± She asked sadly. Yue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°I¡¯m here to cheer you up. Come with me!¡± Alyx reluctantly followed her, and they walked to the edge of the Vanguard grounds where the rest of her friends were waiting. ¡°What is this?¡± Alyx asked suspiciously. ¡°You need a break. You need to have fun. We decided we need to take your mind off all of this.¡± Neena smiled at her. ¡°You need it, Alyx.¡± Alyx cocked her head. ¡°What do we have in mind?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take a trip around the market and have lunch there. We have a meeting with Zade, the mage guy, and after that we''ll walk around Magefell.¡± Aster hugged her. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡± Alyx sighed tiredly. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± Neena cheered and Alyx smiled softly. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Grab it! GRAB IT!¡± Neena yelled excitedly. Yue reached for the cup and downed it. She was feeling tipsy already. She was thinking this wasn¡¯t such a good idea. ¡°Done!¡± Alyx said,setting her cup down. ¡°You win,¡± Yue slurred. She passed her friend a few copper spheres. Alyx smiled, looking completely sober. She drank three pints in just a minute, and looked unfazed. Yue felt sick. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± She said, staggering around. Alyx laughed. In the outhouse, Yue threw up. She immediately felt a little better. She returned to the bar, headache already forming. When she returned, Alyx was competing again, this time with Aster, who was clearly losing. Yue shook her head softly. It was already a crazy day. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°That looks great on you,¡± Neena gushed at Alyx. Alyx was trying on a beautiful pink dress with plenty of lace and silk. Alyx looked like a flower. Yue had noticed how beautiful Alyx looked, but with the dress, Alyx looked stunning. ¡°You think so?¡± Alyx asked suspiciously. ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Yue beamed at her. ¡°I¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alyx retorted, acting offended. ¡°I¡¯ve got money.¡± ¡°This is your day,¡± Yue told her. ¡°Let me take care of it.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Alyx said, biting her lip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Yue paid the shopkeeper, who smiled widely. ¡°You look absolutely marvelous,¡± The shopkeep said. Alyx went into the back to put her normal clothes back on, and Yue turned to the shopkeeper. ¡°When can we expect the dress to be done?¡± ¡°Come back anytime after today. Alyx has been here before. I can have the dress done by tomorrow.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yue, I think you¡¯d look good in this one,¡± Aster told her, smiling at a black dress with a neckline just a little too low for her liking. The dress did look good, though. ¡°How do I look?¡± Poli asked, coming out of one of the dressing rooms. She was wearing a corset dress that maybe accentuated her too much. Artemis smiled warmly at her, and Yue rolled her eyes. ¡°It looks amazing,¡± Artemis told her. ¡°Wow,¡± Aster whispered to Yue, ¡°Artemis can speak!¡± Yue laughed a little too loud. Poli glared at her. ¡°Sorry,¡± Yue said. ¡°The dress looks great.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done,¡± Alyx said, returning. She looked at Poli and her eyes widened. ¡°Doesn¡¯t leave much to the imagination, does it?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Damn, this is hard,¡± Aster half-yelled as the horse bucked her around. Yue just screamed as the thing threw her off again. Aster and Yue were the only ones who did not know how to ride a horse. It was embarrassing, because they were soldiers, but she¡¯d just never learned. At least Aster stayed on. Yue had a hard time just getting on the horse. It was impossible to stay on. ¡°Come on, Yue,¡± Neena laughed as her horse galloped forward. She was clearly having fun. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my horse,¡± Yue replied. ¡°It¡¯s very wild.¡± ¡°But I let you ride the mildest one,¡± The horse¡¯s owner said. Yue glared at him, but he looked confused. She tried to get on the horse, and he looked at her as if saying Come on. Just get on already! After a few unsuccessful tries, the owner of the horse helped her on. She didn¡¯t thank him. She would¡¯ve gotten on the horse the next try even if he hadn¡¯t helped her. ¡°You want to have a race?¡± Alyx asked her friends. ¡°Yes, please,¡± Poli replied. Poli loved horses, apparently. Yue groaned but forced her horse slowly to where the starting line would be. Aster got there before her and grimaced at Yue. ¡°This is harder than I thought it would be,¡± She told Yue. Yue nodded, eyes widened. ¡°Can you start us off?¡± Aster asked the owner. He nodded. ¡°At the count of three. One, two, three! GO!¡± The horses were off. Well most of them. It took a good five seconds for Yue to get her horse started. Yue got to the finish line first. Just not with the horse. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Oof, I¡¯m tired,¡± Alyx said, sitting at a table in the inn they were eating at. Yue didn¡¯t know what this one was called. It was the first one they found. They were waiting for their food, which would consist of potatoes, rice, and beef. All of her friends had lighter wallets than when they came in. She was sure they were all feeling an adrenaline high. ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± Neena shrieked. ¡°I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°Of course you are,¡± Aster resplied. ¡°Here you go,¡± The slim waitress said, arriving with their food. ¡°If you need refills for your drink, just ask.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have one, please,¡± Artemis said. The waitress nodded and walked off. Yue yawned and dug into her food. It tasted great, and within five minutes she finished it. She wasn¡¯t the first one to finish, though. Neena, of course, finished sooner. They all asked for seconds, and Neena and Poli even asked for thirds. Yue sat back. It was a good day. Finally, she was having fun. After all the recent stress, it was good to take a step back. She just hoped that Zade didn¡¯t say anything that ruined it. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª She saw Zade arrive. She and her friends had been waiting in the alleyway for a good twenty minutes. Poli had started to complain, and even Yue had been getting tired of it. Eventually, he came, with his two friends, and the girl from the first time they met. Xavier and Astil, right? She didn¡¯t know the girl¡¯s name. Had they told her it? ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Yue huffed playfully, crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m not late. You were just early,¡± Zade responded, shrugging. ¡°Who¡¯s the girl?¡± Aster asked. ¡°That¡¯s my girlfriend, Anni,¡± Astil said, and Anni waved at them. She was a slim, blonde girl. A little like Neena, except a lot taller and a lot younger. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°You brought a lot of people,¡± Zade noted. ¡°Who the hell are they?¡± ¡°You know Neena, Aster , and Alyx. That¡¯s Poli and her boyfriend is Artemis.¡± Xavier and Zade gasped, and Artemis crossed his arms. ¡°I know who that is,¡± Astil said sourly. Yue shook her head. She¡¯d totally forgotten that Astil and Artemis were brothers. And apparently there was bad blood between them. Artemis growled accusingly at Yue. ¡°You never told me Astil was here.¡± Yue winced. ¡°I forgot. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Artemis huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with him.¡± ¡°Believe me, brother,¡± Astil replied, walking up to him. ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± ¡°If y¡¯all want to leave,¡± Yue said, stepping between them. ¡°Feel free to do so.¡± Astil stood his ground, but Artemis left, Poli looking apologetically at them and following him. ¡°How¡¯ve your last two days been?¡± Zade asked somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Absolutely horrible,¡± Yue said. She proceeded to tell Zade and his friends about Jos¡¯ funeral, and Rosalia¡¯s suicide, how since the Wolf wasn¡¯t there so she had to take on a leadership role. ¡°Basically, I¡¯m tired,¡± She finished. Zade looked at her sadly. ¡°Wow, and I thought my life was depressing.¡± He winced. ¡°Sorry, that was cruel.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Yue responded. ¡°What¡¯ve you been doing? Any news?¡± Zade sighed. ¡°I had a vision about the end of the world.¡± Yue burst out laughing. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Yue said. ¡°A member of my army dies and that¡¯s so much worse than the end of the world.¡± She didn¡¯t even know if she was being sarcastic. ¡°When did the world get so crazy?¡± Alyx looked concerned. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± She responded, wiping her eyes. ¡°Just a month ago, my entire life was so different. Where did it go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with you. I still had parents back then.¡± Zade¡¯s voice was pained. ¡°Oh no, now I have to tell that story, don¡¯t I?¡± Yue nodded at him, but he shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯ll tell you about the visions.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than one?¡± Zade nodded. ¡°Go ahead then.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Wow, I¡¯m going to need to process that,¡± Yue said, shaking. Zade had told them of his visions and his talk with High Mage Aegon. Most of it was just a scary story that Yue loved to hear about but didn¡¯t affect her too much, but one thing did. The first vision included her. Zade had had a vision about her before he¡¯d met her. It was a scary thought. She didn¡¯t know what to think but now she felt afraid. If there was one good thing about the vision, it was that she seemed to be a really good swordsman. But the rest, she didn¡¯t know what it meant, and it terrified her. She was clearly trembling, and Zade looked guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± Zade told her. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m glad I know,¡± She lied. She started to fall, but Alyx caught her. Alyx¡¯s concerned face told Yue all she needed to know. ¡°You¡¯re pale, Yue,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Do you need a drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± She said, not wanting to look weak. ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t able to say anything else before she lost consciousness. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue woke up in a strange room. She looked around. It looked like an inn. Alyx and Neena were in the room. The others would presumably be outside. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Neena asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What happened?¡± ¡°You just fell. Apparently what Zade said really affected you.¡± Yue rubbed her head. Her headache from the beer was much more potent now. Everything came back to her, and she groaned. She hated that she was in Zade¡¯s vision, but there was nothing to do about it now. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go. This is your day off after all, Alyx," Yue said stubbornly. Her friends tried to push her down, but she shook them off and walked out. She took the stairs of the inn down to the common room, where she saw her friends waiting anxiously like she expected. Zade saw her first and smiled concerningly. ¡°You¡¯re up. Are you ok?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m better;¡± Yue responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Yue said. ¡°But we should talk about the rest, though. Let¡¯s take a walk. It will be fun and relaxing. This is Alyx¡¯s day.¡± ¡°You keep saying that.¡± Alyx complained, smiling. ¡°But I like your idea. Let¡¯s go.¡± She walked out with her old and new friends, and began to take a trip down the market. ¡°So, you think the visions are going to come true?¡± She asked Zade as they walked down. She noticed Xavier talking to Neena from the corner of her eyes and narrowed them. Anni and Astil were talking to Aster and Alyx. ¡°According to High Mage Aegon, they will,¡± Zade replied. ¡°It¡¯s a scary thought. I saw it all firsthand, and it¡¯s not something I would wish on anyone, you know?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°I understand. That¡¯s horrible. So you know what Dautha looks like then?¡± Zade shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think it was more of a physical representation of him. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s more of a spiritual figure.¡± ¡°That''s complicated. So you¡¯re saying that if he was brought here, we wouldn''t be seeing Dautha but just an earthly mirror of him or something?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Zade nodded. ¡°Strange, right?¡± Yue laughed. ¡°Yeah. So, how long have Anni and Astil been together?¡± Zade snorted. ¡°Officially, maybe a week. They¡¯re cute. Astil¡¯s like my little brother, so I¡¯m really proud of him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Zade looked at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°Well, Neena¡¯s like my little sister, but I wouldn¡¯t want her dating anyone. I¡¯m really protective of her. Strange that you¡¯re not the same.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m not protective of him?¡± Zade asked incredulously, ¡°Why do you think I was beating up Raakhshas so much the first time we met?¡± Yue guessed Raakhshas was the man who attacked him. ¡°Raakhshas threatened Astil?¡± ¡°Yeah, he cut him on the chest with his sword,¡± Zade responded. Yue winced. ¡°Woah, no wonder you were hitting him. If someone tried to hit Neena, I would kill him.¡± She saw Zade looking at Astil and Anni fondly. ¡°You got one?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He asked, looking at her sharply. ¡°Are you dating?¡± She said more clearly this time. ¡°Oh,¡± He replied blushing. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have anyone.¡± ¡°Why not? You¡¯re old enough?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you have one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Yue chuckled. ¡°But I can see it in your eyes. You¡¯re in love.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be wrong,¡± Zade responded. ¡°I don¡¯t like anyone that way.¡± Yue¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°NOBODY!¡± Zade said exasperated. ¡°Look, there¡¯s this one girl but I don¡¯t like her that way. Her name is Jade, and, even if I loved her, it wouldn¡¯t work. She lives far away.¡± ¡°Probably Erenfeld, right?¡± Yue asked and Zade nodded. ¡°Heartbreak, huh? That sucks.¡± Zade rolled his eyes. ¡°Also, your names rhyme. That¡¯s so cute!¡± Zade groaned. ¡°I always hated that part. People always made fun of that or called it a sign. It means nothing, okay?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Yue laughed, ¡°Sure. How¡¯d you meet them?¡± ¡°They were friends before I came, and Xavier was my guide around Zenyth, so nothing special. It just happened. How about you?¡± ¡°Most of them I met because they were in the Vanguard too. But I¡¯ve known Aster for a while now. A lot of what has happened recently pulled us all close, you know?¡± ¡°I feel the same way. I¡¯ve gotten closer with Xavier and Astil in a couple of weeks than with most of my friends in Erenfeld.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°My grandparents were born in Aleumdaun Seom.¡± ¡°I can tell. I¡¯ve always heard people there are beautiful. Now I¡¯ve seen it firsthand.¡± She blushed and swatted his shoulder. ¡°None of that, please. Jade would be mad.¡± He glared at her and she laughed. ¡°My parents were born there too, but they moved here before I was born, so I was born here in Magefell. My old friends all live somewhere here but I haven¡¯t talked to them in years. They were never that close anyway. My friends now, though,¡± She said, glancing at Aster and Alyx, who were now laughing at something Xavier was telling them, ¡°With them I finally know what it¡¯s like to want to protect someone.¡± Zade looked at her. ¡°So this is your group, then? It¡¯s pretty big. Are you all fighting in the tournament?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Not Poli and Artemis. And there¡¯s another one part of our group, his name¡¯s Xander, great guy, you would love him. Anyway, Xander won¡¯t be either. He¡¯s infiltrating the cult.¡± Zade glazed up sharply. ¡°What did you just say? Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?¡± ¡°I forgot,¡± She replied. ¡°He joined the cult, and their initiation ceremony really hurt him, so he¡¯s in the hospital now. We¡¯re hoping he gets out soon, and not so he gets more ingratiated in the cult. He¡¯s sweet. He needs to get better. We all love him¡± ¡°You need to tell me when something important happens like this,¡± Zade said sternly. ¡°If we¡¯re going to work together, there can¡¯t be any secrets.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t hiding it from you! It¡¯s just that he¡¯s been in the hospital, so I hadn¡¯t remembered his mission.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just remember next time.¡± ¡°I will. And what about you? Is this your whole group?¡± ¡°Mostly. Anni not so much¡ªdon¡¯t tell Astil I said that¡ª, but Xavier and Astil are the closest. There¡¯s another named Th¡¯ul, but we¡¯re not super close. I met him the day I met you, actually.¡± ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m the best person you met that day.¡± Zade chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re better than Raakhshas, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡± ¡°He was the guy that¡­¡± She mimed a sword thrust. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zade grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± They fell silent, and soon Zade was talking to someone else. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Two hours passed, and Yue barely noticed the time. She spent most of it talking to Zade, but some of it with the others too. Sometimes her friends joined in. The conversation grew lighter as the day grew darker, and smiles grew on everyone¡¯s faces. This is what life should be like always, Yue thought, Making new friends, and just having fun. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice, Zade,¡± Yue told him. ¡°You¡¯re carrying around a sword. Are you good with it?¡± He nodded with false modesty. ¡°I¡¯m decent, I think.¡± Astil looked at him in amazement. ¡°He¡¯s not just decent, he¡¯s great. He must be one of the best swordsmen in Zenyth.¡± Zade blushed. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, Astil.¡± Anni rushed in. ¡°Yes, it is. You¡¯re great, Zade.¡± ¡°Want to test it out?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I¡¯m always willing to kick ass.¡± Zade sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t. I got bruised. Doctor won¡¯t let me fight with this bruise on my wrist.¡± He shook his wrist and winced. ¡°Excuses!¡± Exclaimed Alyx. ¡°How did you get the bruise anyway?¡± Zade blushed again and whispered something. ¡°Huh? Say it louder, Zay-Zay.¡± ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Zade said in mock outrage. ¡°Just answer the question, Zay-Zay,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°I got it swordfighting,¡± Zade said finally. ¡°Hah,¡± Alyx laughed. ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be the best! At least tell me you won the fight?¡± Zade shook his head softly. ¡°Man, I expected some sort of challenge. Well, it sucks to be you.¡± She walked in front of Zade, who looked at her, something strange in his eyes. Yue groaned, knowing what was coming. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Alyx turned triumphantly toward him. ¡°Yay, Zay-Zay. Thank you.¡± She unsheathed her sword. ¡°All right, on the count of three.¡± Yue glanced around to make sure no one was near. They had passed the market a while back, so not many people would pass, but it wouldn¡¯t do if even one person saw it. It wouldn¡¯t look right. ¡°One, three!¡± Alyx yelled and attacked Zade. Zade stepped back with lightning speed, shocked. He held his sword delicately as if even a touch would injure his wrist more. Alyx should have no problem disarming him then. And she was intent on doing just that. She attacked, but this time she didn¡¯t strike at his body. She put all her force on hitting his sword. Thankfully, he anticipated that. He positioned himself well and absorbed most of the impact with his body, but he still slid back a little. He was already starting to sweat. He attacked then, and took it softly, less aggressive. Alyx didn¡¯t expect that, but she knew enough to block it, and swung her sword around to strike the pommel of his. The resounding metallic ting told Yue that Zade should be wincing. And wincing he was. ¡°That was dirty, Alyx,¡± Zade growled competitively. ¡°I always learned to use others¡¯ weaknesses,¡± She replied, shrugging, then ferociously rushed at him again. And this time, it was over. She rushed his side, and he went to block it, not anticipating her feint. Her blade came in from the other side, and he doubled over in surprise. Alyx had won, ¡°ALYX! ALYX! ALYX!¡± Neena cheered. Alyx offered her hand to Zade. ¡°You did good, Zay-Zay. You might just be the best outside of a real soldier.¡± Zade took her hand and got up. ¡°Thank you,¡± He said humbly, but Yue noticed something else in his voice. Was that sadness? Why would he be so sad about this? His happy face immediately returned and Yue wondered if she¡¯d made it up. She shrugged. It was probably nothing, and if it was something, then it wasn¡¯t her business. ¡°We should head back,¡± Xavier said. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and it¡¯ll take a while to get back to Zenyth.¡± Yue felt a twinge of melancholy. So soon? ¡°We¡¯ll walk you there.¡± Aster replied. Xavier smiled at her, and she returned it. They took off in the direction of the big black tower in the distance. ¡°I have a question,¡± Xavier told Yue. Zade and Alyx were listening in. Neena and Astil were talking, and so were Aster and Xavier. Poli and Artemis were off to the side isolated. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve lived here all your life, you should know. What are the palaces here in Magefell for? The black one and the white one. Because I know there isn¡¯t any king, and the parliament doesn¡¯t live there. So, what is it?¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. Nobody knows. But I¡¯ve heard it is a mage secret, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll know eventually.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aster chuckled. ¡°And when you do, please tell us.¡± Xavier laughed too. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Sometimes, if you¡¯re closeby,¡± Yue said, ¡°You can see part of it glow. The glow disappears soon after. I don¡¯t know what it means.¡± Zade looked thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ll look into that.¡± Xavier grumbled. ¡°Privileges of being friends with a High Mage.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Zade gasped. ¡°I¡¯m not friends with him. He¡¯s a¡­um¡­ acquaintance, that¡¯s what!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Xavier replied, poking him, ¡°That explains why he went to greet you today, and only you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous,¡± Zade told him. Yue looked at Alyx. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re serious or not.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Zade replied, whispering too. ¡°But play along.¡± Yue shook her head playfully at him. The market came into view soon. The inns were already full because of how late the day was, telling Yue it was close to the end of the first day she¡¯d relaxed in a long time. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They arrived at Zenyth, and Yue knew the time to say farewell had come. She gave all of them a hug. ¡°Thank you,¡± She whispered to Zade. ¡°I appreciate you trying to help us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have friends, isn¡¯t it?¡± He told her, and she agreed. When they entered the tower, Alyx turned to Yue and gave her the most aggressive hug Yue¡¯d ever felt. She almost fell down, barely steading herself. ¡°Thank you for this day, Yue,¡± Alyx told her. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt happy in a long time. Thank you so much.¡± Yue saw the tears of joy on Alyx¡¯s face and teared up herself. She was always happier when her friends were happy. Alyx deserved it. It was good to help her friends. Chapter Sixteen: Love Chapter Sixteen: Love For the first time in a long time, I wake up refreshed. Last night was amazing. Nothing beats talking to your friends for hours. I got back late and immediately went to bed. It¡¯s probably seven in the morning now, so a little late. I haven¡¯t been doing so well on my magic, so I need to do more today. I should ask Master Thul to tell me about the Mage War, but I won¡¯t today. Better to practice for real today, and leave history for another time. Master Thul pops into existence as he always does when I need him. I¡¯ve begun to think it is a little creepy, but it¡¯s magic. Magic is creepy no matter how you spin it. ¡°Let¡¯s review what you¡¯ve done, shall we?¡± He asks, and I nod. I go through all I¡¯ve learned, starting with the simple Flame finger and ending with the Core Shield. I¡¯m getting quite good at it honestly, so it¡¯s a shame that it doesn¡¯t really do anything. ¡°I¡¯m ready to learn something new,¡± I tell Master Thul. ¡°That is acceptable. Do you wish to expound on something you already know, or learn something totally new?¡± I think about it for a second. ¡°How about we expound on the Flame Finger a little?¡± Master Thul nods. ¡°Check your book to make sure you have enough Mana.¡± I open the book to the now familiar first page. Mage Zade Helstorm. Level: 2 Skills: To be unlocked Mage: Necromancy and War Age: 17 Chapters Completed: 2 Mana: 80% EXP: 200 Well, apparently I have a new chapter. I open up to it. It¡¯s about the Mage War. I feel a surge of excitement. I really want to read it now, but I know it¡¯s better to practice magic. ¡°I have enough mana,¡± I reply. ¡°Good,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to teach you another simple thing. I¡¯m going to teach you to move fire.¡± At my questioning gaze, he continues. ¡°Until now, you¡¯ve only learned how to create a little bit of fire. Now you will learn how to move that little fire from or to something.¡± ¡°Like a fireball,¡± I say. Master Thul chuckles. ¡°Exactly. Like a fireball.¡± I smile. ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°You are a War Mage after all. It¡¯s only right you learn something like this so quickly. First, make the Flame Finger.¡± I do so, and as soon as it¡¯s on my finger, I open my eyes. I''m getting used to it so much that I barely need to concentrate to keep it up anymore. ¡°All you¡¯ve learned so far about magic,¡± Master Thul tells me, ¡°Has used your core in a specific way, called Transfiguration. It¡¯s using your core to create something. Now you will learn Infusion. I want you to give a little of your core to the flame. Not a lot. Don¡¯t worry, this will not actually remove anything from your core. It¡¯s only Mana.¡± I nod and close my eyes. My core comes into vision immediately. I try to grab a piece of it but it¡¯s too slippery. I try to cup it and the same thing works. ¡°Think of your inward hand like a straw,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°Suck in a little bit of your core and bring it to the flame.¡± I do that. My core resists, and I pull slightly. I use my inward hand/straw to suck it in and finally, after what seems like a force field breaking, it works. My core erupts into the straw. But I¡¯ve put too much in the straw. I immediately feel drained. I took too much Mana. Thankfully, I¡¯m able to put it back and try again. This time, only a little goes. ¡°You¡¯ve got it now,¡± Master Thul says. I don¡¯t know how he knows I¡¯ve done it, but sometimes he just does. ¡°Now, give it to the flame finger, and push it in my direction.¡± I give the little piece of core to the fire on my hand and open my eyes in time to see it fly away towards Master Thul and dissipate after just one second in the air, not even getting halfway towards Master Thul. ¡°Good job!¡± Master Thul sounds pleased. ¡°The more you do this, the more experienced you¡¯ll be at it, making a more powerful flame. One that shoots farther and faster.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to learn.¡± ¡°Then try again.¡± I do so. This second time, it takes me at least two minutes to be able to make my Flame Finger a fireball, but, once I do, it travels two feet this time, double what last time did. So I try again. And again. And again. I try over fifty times, and at the end, I still can¡¯t get it over three feet. Most times I can¡¯t get it over two. And after about the fortieth time, I start to do worse. My Mana is depleting really quickly, so I can¡¯t hold it for too long. Soon enough, I decide to go down and have breakfast. It was a good practice session. I was able to do something new. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll hit Level 3 soon. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Wow, you¡¯re learning how to make a fireball!¡± Astil beams. ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°What are you learning now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m learning how to change something¡¯s appearance,¡± Astil says. ¡°An Illusion.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m learning how to defend myself from spells,¡± Xavier tells me. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of fun, but it¡¯s really difficult.¡± ¡°I imagine,¡± I reply, ¡°I already have enough trouble putting a shield around my core.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the easy part!¡± I put another piece of meat in my mouth and chew. I love the food here at Zenyth. ¡°Do you know where the food here comes from?¡± I ask Xavier. ¡°I bet you they make it with magic,¡± Astil says. ¡°They just shake their hands and BOOM! There¡¯s a fried chicken in their hands.¡± ¡°If so, I need to learn how to do that,¡± I say. ¡°Infinite food sounds amazing.¡± Astil pats his stomach, which growls. ¡°Yup, you said it,¡± He said, going to get more food. ¡°That boy is going to get fat some day,¡± I tell Xavier. ¡°Oh lay off. He hasn¡¯t gotten fat yet.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what my friend, Rodr said,¡± I tell him. ¡°He can¡¯t even move now.¡± Xavier bursts out laughing. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah;¡± I reply. ¡°Although it might¡¯ve been the bear attack that killed his legs.¡± His jaw drops. ¡°That¡¯s evil, man.¡± I shrug. ¡°You should see the bear.¡± ¡°I hate to ask but: What about the bear?¡± ¡°It was delicious,¡± I respond, and Xavier rolls his eyes. Astil comes back, food in his mouth and a full plate. ¡°What were y¡¯all talking about?¡± Astil asks. ¡°Bears,¡± Xavier responds. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°Never pick a fight with a bear if you want to keep your legs,¡± I say, ¡°At least that¡¯s the one rule that runs Rodr¡¯s life now, considering he¡¯s not the one running.¡± Xavier laughs again, and Astil looks confusedly at me. ¡°I¡¯m missing something, aren¡¯t I?¡± He says. I look at his plate. ¡°You forgot the rice!¡± ¡°Not about that,¡± He replies, exasperated. ¡°About the bear.¡± ¡°We have bear here?¡± Xavier snorts. Astil looks like he¡¯s about to punch me, but he smiles anyway. ¡°You¡¯re insufferable. You know that?¡± ¡°Not as insufferable as the bear,¡± I respond. ¡°Wait, so Rodr is still alive right? How does he live like that?¡± Xavier¡¯s question is surprisingly genuine, and Astil still doesn¡¯t get it. ¡°Well, you know. He had to walk it off. Well, shake it off, really.the first step was the hardest, considering he couldn¡¯t walk. He had to put one foot in front of the other. Well, he tried anyway. He fell.¡± Xavier is laughing so hard that he falls off the chair. Astil looks at me. ¡°You¡¯re making fun of someone without legs, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, he has legs. He just can¡¯t use them,¡± I say wisely. ¡°That¡¯s kind of mean,¡± Astil responds. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if you walked a mile in their shoes.¡± ¡°I think that would be impossible,¡± I note. Xavier tries to get up, but fails from laughing so hard, and Astil shakes his head, but even he¡¯s smiling now. I notice Th¡¯ul coming up to us. He¡¯s not smiling, obviously, but he does look somewhat cheerful. He puts his plate of food next to us, and I notice how little is on it. No wonder Th¡¯ul is so skinny. ¡°Guys, you¡¯ll never believe what I just did,¡± Th¡¯ul tells us monotonically, ¡°I just spiked Tuy with a laxative. I heard him screaming in the bathroom.¡± Xavier once again starts to laugh, and I can see him crying from it. Something about what Th¡¯ul says reminds me of something. What is it? If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Oh yeah! The love potion! I run to my room, not even bothering to tell them anything, and when I reach it, I grab my potion and read the instructions. I¡¯m supposed to think of who I want a person to fall in love with, and pour the potion in their drink. They¡¯ll be in love with the person for five hours. Hmm. It¡¯s somewhat weak, but it¡¯ll work. I stroll back to the cafeteria where Th¡¯ul is telling Xavier and Astil about the laxative. As Xavier is laughing, I think of the first girl I can see. I think her name is S¡¯Sammi, and I smile. I pour the drink in Xavier¡¯s drink. ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Astil begins to tell me, but I shush him. Xavier is laughing so much he chokes. As he chokes, I hand him my drink. He thanks me and downs the whole thing. I try not to laugh as he winces at the drink. ¡°Ugh, what the hell was in this?¡± He sees my face. ¡°What did you do? WHAT DID YOU¡ªOoh.¡± He spots S¡¯Sammi. ¡°Guys, ever noticed how hot S¡¯Sammi is?¡± Astil glares at me, and Th¡¯ul gives me knowing smile. ¡°You spiked him with a love potion, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a potion!¡± Xavier complains. ¡°It¡¯s the real deal.¡± ¡°Of course it is,¡± Th¡¯ul reassures him.¡±You should ask her out on a date.¡± Xavier smiles fondly. ¡°I should, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± He walks off before I can stop him and I look at Th¡¯ul, eyes wide. ¡°What have I done?¡± I laugh. ¡°Just look,¡± Th¡¯ul says. I look behind me and laugh as Xavier strolls casually towards S¡¯Sammi. She sees him and says something to him, one eyebrow raised. Xavier tells her something with a goofy smile on his face, and S¡¯Sammi¡¯s shocked face tells me everything I need to know. I can¡¯t stop myself from laughing. I hear both Astil and Th¡¯ul laugh too. Xavier keeps saying something, and I can see some of S¡¯Sammi¡¯s friends laughing. S¡¯Sammi just looks confused. One of S¡¯Sammi¡¯s friends looks pissed, though. Eventually, S¡¯Sammi says something that to me looks like a nice rejection. Xavier comes back to us not even slightly sadder. ¡°She said no,¡± Xavier tells us, ¡°But she¡¯ll say yes the next time. She¡¯s lovely, don¡¯t you think?¡± S¡¯Sammi sees us laughing, and walks over to us with three of her friends. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± She asks. ¡°I spiked him with a love potion,¡± I say apologetically. ¡°You were just the first person I appended to notice.¡± ¡°Zade, is it?¡± S¡¯Sammi asks. I nod. ¡°Look, that¡¯s funny and all, but please keep him off me. Those potions tend to last a long time, and I don''t want anything creepy happening.¡± S¡¯Sammi looks like she appreciated the joke and two of her friends do too. But the one who looked pissed before crosses her arms. ¡°That¡¯s cruel, you know!¡± She yells at me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that to people.¡± ¡°Stop it, Ffary,¡± S¡¯Sammi tells her. ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Ffary responds. ¡°What do you think he will think when the potion wears off.¡± ¡°Embarrassed, I¡¯m sure.¡± I say. ¡°And furious, at first. But that¡¯s what makes it so funny. He¡¯ll appreciate the joke later.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Ffary huffs and storms off. S¡¯Sammi looks apologetically at us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Ffary,¡± She says and I shrug to tell her it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Tell me his reaction when he ¡®wakes up.¡¯¡± She grins. ¡°Just keep him off me as best you can.¡± I promise to try and she walks off. ¡°Well, that was fun. Hey, Xavier, how about¡ª¡± I cut off when I see Xavier¡¯s not there. I turn around in horror and see him walking up to S¡¯Sammi. I run to him and pull him back. This is going to be harder than I thought. Between chortles, Astil talks to me. ¡°How potent was that thing?¡± ¡°A little too potent,¡± I respond. ¡°A little too strong. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I have to physically restrain Xavier while I¡¯m at the library. Astil and Th¡¯ul decided he was my responsibility, so I¡¯m forced to hold his hand like he¡¯s a baby as I walk around. I get a couple of confused looks and more than one knowing one. I¡¯ve come to the library to research a little bit on fireballs. It would be cool if I could learn this fireball trick a little faster. I asked the Questioner about books on fire, and it gave me three I would probably need. There were a lot more on fire, but the Questioner said these three would be most important. The Questioner is a small spherical device specifically in the library that gives a mage perfect recommendations for books. All a mage has to do is ask it a question, and it responds. I¡¯m currently reading a book called The Art of the Fire. I skipped the first few chapters that detailed random facts and ideas about fire. I¡¯m not here for the theory. I¡¯m here for practice. ¡°Do you think S¡¯Sammi is coming to the library? She must love books considering she is so smart, right?¡± Xavier asks me. ¡°Sure she¡¯s coming. You just have to wait a couple more minutes in silence, okay?¡± I ask in annoyance. He nods excitedly. He starts singing something. I can¡¯t hear it perfectly but I hear something about S¡¯Sammi being beautiful, and his love for her. He starts describing things and I quickly stop paying attention to him. Some things are too awkward and strange for even me to listen to. I try to focus on the book. It¡¯s telling me that putting too much pressure on my core when I¡¯m trying to just take a little out might separate my core. But not only do I have to not use so much force but I also need to go a little softer. I can¡¯t give too hard of a touch or the core will be more resistant. I¡¯m focused on my reading but eventually I can hear Xavier telling me That S¡¯Sammi isn¡¯t here. I¡¯m getting way too exasperated and people are giving us annoyed looks. I can¡¯t do this anymore. I leave the library, Xavier asking me if we¡¯ll be visiting S¡¯Sammi. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m tired of him!¡± I half-shriek, half-tell Astil. ¡°It was funny the first half-hour but now it¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still four hours left,¡± Astil replies. ¡°It¡¯s your problem. Speaking of Xavier, where is he anyway?¡± I look around wildly and I don¡¯t spot him. ¡°Oh no! That¡¯s not good.¡± I run, Astil running after me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you lost him,¡± Astil yells at me. ¡°It¡¯s hard following him. He was busy writing love poems a minute ago. I don¡¯t know what could¡¯ve happened.¡± Astil stops running and his jaw drops. ¡°Is Xavier doing what I think he¡¯s doing?¡± I look out a window to the Zenyth courtyard. My eyes widen in horror. I can see Xavier knelt in front of S¡¯Sammi. Thankfully, S¡¯Sammi seems to be laughing but I¡¯m speechless. ¡°I think I made a mistake,¡± I say. ¡°No, this is amazing,¡± Astil laughs. ¡°We should go catch him, though.¡± We run down Zenyth and out the door there until we reach the courtyard. What I saw through the window is now so much worse. Xavier is singing to her! Badly, too! I walk over and grab Xavier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, S¡¯Sammi, I¡ª¡± I start to say, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. In fact, I want to keep hearing him sing.¡± My jaw drops. ¡°You want to¡­Why? His singing is horrible!¡± ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± S¡¯Sammi responds. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to keep hearing it.¡± I shake my head and listen to Xavier. As far as I can tell there¡¯s no rhyme or reason to the song, but it does detail in length everything Xavier loves about S¡¯Sammi and soon S¡¯Sammi is flushed in embarrassment. ¡°On second thought,¡± She says, ¡°That¡¯s enough. I am glad he doesn¡¯t really feel this way.¡± ¡°But I do, my love,¡± Xavier protests. I cover his mouth and drag him away. ¡°Shut up. You think she appreciates you contradicting her?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Exactly. Now go stay in your room and take a nap.¡± He nods and I¡¯m able to get him to enter his bedroom and soon I can hear him snoring. That love potion must have really messed him up. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m talking with Astil now two hours after Xavier entered his room. He¡¯s still asleep, thankfully. ¡°What¡¯s your problem with Artemis?¡± Astil groans. ¡°He¡¯s the worst, Zade. The absolute worst.¡± ¡°How? Why do you hate each other so much?¡± ¡°He¡¯s always been somewhat mean to me and my family, but especially to me. And things took a turn for the worst when he turned eighteen.¡± Astil teared up a little. ¡°The day he turned eighteen,¡± He continued. ¡°You know what he did? He publicly denounced my family. He shamed us all, telling others about us. Nothing criminal, mind you, but he did spout some stuff that wasn¡¯t true, and it tarnished our reputation a lot. I didn¡¯t see him much after that, and if I did, he would beat me up. One day, I stood up to him, and he realized he couldn¡¯t beat me up anymore. So we never saw each other again. Until now.¡± ¡°How did your parents take it?¡± I ask him somberly. ¡°About as well as you¡¯d expect them to. They were hurt and angry. But the real trouble came after. Because of what Artemis told people, my parents¡¯ business shut down. They were the best blacksmiths in town, but, as soon as Artemis spewed out his lies, no one wanted to buy from my ¡®criminal¡¯ parents anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°And it gets worse,¡± He continues. ¡°I was forced to change my name. My parents forced me to anyway, so my name wouldn¡¯t be stained. My name used to be Hardin Reddin, now I¡¯m Astil Starblessed.¡± ¡°Would you prefer I called you Hardin?¡± ¡°No, I was only ten when my name changed, and I¡¯ve gotten used to it. Plus, Astil Starblessed has a kind of ring to it,¡± He chuckled sarcastically. ¡°Isn¡¯t Astil a word from the old Arcadian dialect?¡± ¡°It means ¡®lucky.¡¯ Lucky that I got away scot-free I guess. That¡¯s why I went to stay with that innkeeper who really loved me, you know. I lied about it to you. I stayed with her for a couple of years because it would be bad for me to stay with my parents.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thirteen now, right?¡± He nods. ¡°It¡¯s been three years since Artemis messed up my family. I haven¡¯t seen my parents in months. They could be homeless.¡± ¡°Must be hard,¡± I tell him, ¡°And Artemis didn¡¯t suffer any consequences?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Astil said bitterly, ¡°He was the hero of the story to most people. He joined the Vanguard, got a pretty girlfriend, and he¡¯s living his best life.¡± I realize how horrible it feels. It reminds me of Eren. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± I tell him. ¡°I killed my parents, you know that. It was a horrible experience. But some people were shocked that I was mostly better after a month. But it wasn¡¯t my fault. ¡°You see, my parents had been drifting apart from me for a long time, for several reasons. Eventually, the dam broke. I hate that I had to Awaken then, but there you go. We all have our demons. Some are worse than others, but they all affect us in horrible and amazing ways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hiding something from your story, aren¡¯t you?¡± Astil asks. I wince. ¡°I¡­Don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± Astil grabs my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You know how many people I¡¯ve told about Artemis?¡± I shake my head. ¡°You. That¡¯s it. I can¡¯t bring myself to tell anyone. If they¡¯re from Magefell, they¡¯ll hate me. I¡¯m from the Reddin family after all! If they¡¯re not from Magefell, they¡¯ll think I''m a coward for abandoning my family.¡± His voice was shaking by now. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re not a coward. You told me your parents made you. They were protecting you. If you ask me, your parents sacrificed their time with you so that you could live a great life. Your parents are heroes, and you, you¡¯re just a victim. You¡¯re not a coward. You¡¯re not weak. You just had life forced on you at an early age. It¡¯s not fair, obviously, but I know that¡¯s made you stronger than most people. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you protecting Anni,¡± I beam at him, joy plain on my face, ¡°You stood your ground when Raakhshas attacked you. If that¡¯s not a sign of a strong man, I don''t know what is. What Anni sees in you, it¡¯s not just a handsome man. It¡¯s a strong, protective one. One who stands up for what is right. You¡¯re the strongest one of all of us, Astil. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know if I would''ve had the courage to fight Raahshas. It¡¯s all you, man.¡± Astil wipes away tears from his eyes. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know if what you¡¯re saying is true or not, but thank you.¡± We fall silent, holding each other up, until Xavier finally wakes up. And the talk with Astil has given me an idea. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Xavier is feeling the last effects of the potion now. He found S¡¯Sammi once more, and this time tried to kiss her, but we were able to pull him off. The potion should wear off anytime now, and I called Th¡¯ul and Astil to the Gallery to reveal my plan. ¡°Are you sure S¡¯Sammi is coming?¡± Xavier asks me. ¡°Yes, she said she would be here, and she has a surprise for you,¡± Th¡¯ul snorts. ¡°S¡¯Sammi is so¡­¡± Xavier shakes his head and looks at us confusedly. ¡°Where the hell am I? What¡¯s happening here?¡± His eyes widen. ¡°Oh no! Please tell me I¡¯ve been dreaming the last few hours.¡± He glares at us. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°I just put a little love potion in your drink,¡± I laugh. He growls at me. ¡°Why would you do that? Oh, no. S¡¯Sammi. I¡¯ll never be able to look at her again.¡± He keeps complaining, and I interrupt him. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Xavier, I have something important to say.¡± Xavier glares at me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have an idea on how to fight the cult.¡± Astil cocks his head. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to offer myself as bait.¡± Astil¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°Why would you do that? And what is that going to do anyway?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to threaten the cult, then isolate myself and let them know. I¡¯ll give you a signal, and you¡¯ll come into the room when the Cult does, then we¡¯ll trap one of them and get information.¡± Astil snorts. ¡°That¡¯s a dumb idea.¡± Th¡¯ul looks at me inquisitively. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Well, most of it is. But some of it is good. What we need to do is identify the cultists here at Zenyth. Instead of baiting yourself to fight them, present a challenge or something like that. Get them to be alone with you. Call us in at some point. Anyway, the point is, if we know who the cultists are, we¡¯ll have a better chance of fighting them passively.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t the cultists very open about their beliefs?¡± ¡°Not all of them,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°Most of them prefer to keep their faith hidden.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal,¡± I say, smiling. ¡°No,¡± Astil looks around wildly, ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to this. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°I say go for it,¡± Xavier says, ¡°It might not work, but if there¡¯s any way to stop them, I say why not?¡± He still looks very annoyed with me, but he¡¯s a little mollified now. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Anni about this,¡± Th¡¯ul warns Astil. ¡°Keep it a secret. From everyone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Astil asks, very annoyed, ¡°She¡¯s trustworthy.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Th¡¯ul says, ¡°But I also know she¡¯s prone to gossip sometimes.¡± Astil blushes. ¡°Just don¡¯t tell her. Don¡¯t keep it a secret, but don¡¯t tell her. Okay?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Astil huffs. ¡°I¡¯ll announce it at breakfast tomorrow,¡± I tell my friends and they agree. I¡¯m happy about this plan. Is it a good one? Not really. Do I care? Not really. I¡¯m just really excited to finally be proactive. I¡¯ve been passive for too long. It¡¯s time to attack the cult. Chapter Seventeen: Elimination Chapter Seventeen: Elimination Yue woke up, and her headache was still there. It was pounding, incessant. She groaned, and forced herself to sit up, headache pounding her like a drum. She tried to remember what happened last night at the hospital with Xander. Slowly, her memory came back. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Xander smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad it went well. Is there anything we need to talk about specifically? It¡¯s super late, and I need some sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you sleep, but there is one thing.¡± Yue looked at all her friends. ¡°Today, me and Xander came up with a plan on how to find the killer.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Neena asked. ¡°Go ahead. Tell us:¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I feel stupid that I didn¡¯t think of it before honestly. Basically, we¡¯ll do a process of elimination. We¡¯ll see who can¡¯t possibly be the murderer, and through that, we¡¯ll find the killer.¡± ¡°Smart,¡± Alyx said, ¡°It just might work:¡± ¡°Aster, can you make a list of every member of the Vanguard?¡± Aster nodded. Yue smiled. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll start the process. Come back at eight. We¡¯ll find the killer now. Finally.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue groaned again, and looked outside her barracks. She had about an hour to get to Xander¡¯s room. She had to eat first. Work came after. That was just the way of the world. She got up slowly, and groaned for a third time. The headache was officially a migraine. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Aster,¡± Xander asked, ¡°You have the list?¡± Aster nodded. ¡°All two hundred and eight members of the Vanguard including the three recently deceased.¡± ¡°Why? They can¡¯t be the killer.¡± Alyx¡¯s face was confused, and Aster smiled at her. ¡°Guilty until proven innocent,¡± Aster replied. ¡°You did good,¡± Yue said. ¡°Can you hand me the list?¡± Aster nodded, and passed her the paper. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m off the list.¡± Yue scratched off her own name. ¡°Wait, why?¡± ¡°Because I was fighting Diamond when she died. Diamond is also not the killer considering she was killed first. Jos is eliminated too, because we¡¯re assuming there was only one killer. Even if there wasn¡¯t, and Jos was a killer, he couldn¡¯t be the only one. Rosalia, sadly, cannot be eliminated yet, because she could¡¯ve killed the other two. Does anyone have any information that we can use to eliminate others?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Xander said, eyes gleaming, ¡°There were only about thirty people watching your match with Diamond, excluding us. If we know who was watching the match, we can eliminate every other person.¡± ¡°Do you know who was fighting in the other match?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Aster said, ¡°It was Kol and Yiro. It was a big matchup.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yue replied, scratching Kol¡¯s and Yiro¡¯s names off the list. ¡°That¡¯s great. Any more information?¡± Alyx listed off a dozen names. ¡°Who are they?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Some of Kol¡¯s friends and some of Yiro¡¯s. Those were watching the match.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yue smiled and scratched those names off the list. Mentally, she calculated how many were left. Seventeen names checked off, one hundred and ninety-one left. ¡°I was talking to Mono the other day,¡± Artemis said. Everyone turned toward him in shock, not expecting him to speak. ¡°What? I can talk to people. There¡¯s no sin in that. So I was talking to Mono, and apparently he and his two siblings were visiting their sick mother at the time. They couldn¡¯t have done the crime.¡± ¡°We appreciate that,¡± Yue said, knocking three more names off the list.¡± Wow, I can¡¯t believe this is working.¡± ¡°Does any of us have an alibi for Jos¡¯ death?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°Aster was still comforting me at the funeral. And there were others there who stayed too long at the funeral to have killed Jos. I don¡¯t know if I can remember their names, though¡­¡± ¡°I know a couple of them,¡± Neena butt in for the first time, ¡°Katty stayed long after, and so did Hulio and Kallen. And Linni and Wrynn.¡± Yue furiously scratched at her paper. ¡°This is great, we¡¯re eliminating so many names.¡± ¡°We still have a lot to go, though,¡± Xander said. ¡°How many have we taken off so far?¡± ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Remember, there were about thirty at Yue¡¯s match, so does anyone remember who they were?¡± ¡°I remember a couple, I think,¡± Aster said, ¡°And I think I remember how many people watched. I was remarking to Alyx about how crazy it was that only thirty-two people were there, compared to the over one hundred seventy at the other game.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll put a star around those who were at the match. All of you were there, so that¡¯s six people, leaving just twenty-six who were at the match.¡± ¡°I know Eva and Joanne were both watching Diamond¡¯s.¡± Poli pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Yue put a star around their names, ¡°That leaves twenty-four.¡± ¡°Kolin-M¡¯Holtter was there, and Jolthin was too,¡± Aster continued, ¡°And I remember that Jos watched it as well.¡± ¡°And Deserey and Rosalia were with them!¡± Neena said triumphantly. ¡°Okay, so, for our suspects, we have us six,¡± Xander told them, ¡°Plus Eva, Joanne, Kolin-M¡¯Holtter, Jolthin, Jos, Deserey, and Rosalia. That¡¯s thirteen, leaving nineteen, right?¡± ¡°Right, and don¡¯t forget that some of the ones we¡¯ve crossed out may have been at the match; we can¡¯t rule out that possibility.¡± ¡°Is there anyone else we can rule out?¡± Everyone shook their heads. ¡°Alright then,¡± Yue said, ¡°Here¡¯s what we need to do. We all need to discreetly start asking people about Diamond¡¯s match. Whoever was watching it wouldn¡¯t be able to forget it. Don¡¯t be too obvious, we don¡¯t want you being targets. It¡¯s already bad enough that they¡¯re going after me. Try to find motives for why a specific person would kill Diamond. But please keep it secretive.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got this,¡± Alyx said. ¡°We¡¯ve got Vanguard tournament practice anyway, so we¡¯ll definitely be able to ask people there. We need to find the other nineteen.¡± ¡°Right, but don¡¯t look just for the ones who were at the match. Try to find alibis so that we know who couldn¡¯t have been the killer. Alibis for both Diamond and Jos¡¯ deaths. If you can do that, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find the killer soon.¡± The possibility was both exciting and anxiety-inducing to Yue. On the one hand, she really wanted to find the killer and kill him. On the other hand, she was anxious that it would be someone she knew well. She hoped it was someone she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Are you going to visit Joanne?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Yes. She needs it.¡± ¡°Then try to figure out her alibi. We know she was watching Diamond¡¯s match. It¡¯s better that we know her alibi for Jos¡¯ death to cross her off the list.¡± ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll get to that.¡± Yue said with only a twinge of guilt. She thought it was a little wrong to be using her friend like that, but it was a necessary evil. She was sure Joanne would understand. ¡°What about Eva?¡± Neena asked ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°Well, if Eva is gone, we won¡¯t be able to get her alibi. She¡¯ll be permanently stuck on the list.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Yue replied, ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Honestly, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll prove she didn¡¯t do it. I know she didn¡¯t. She told me she had a crush on Jos, and she buried him. Her love for him was clear, and I know she couldn¡¯t have done it. But without proof, we can¡¯t eliminate her.¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± Xander said sadly, ¡°I still think she could¡¯ve done it.¡± ¡°You were telling me she didn¡¯t,¡± Yue complained. ¡°Now you¡¯re telling me she did?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that just because she liked Jos and was sad he died, it didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t have done it. Imagine Jos figured out Eva killed Diamond. Diamond would¡¯ve had to kill him just to save herself. She could still be distraught over it, but she still killed him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Yue said stubbornly, ¡°But I still think she didn¡¯t do it. Obviously, she¡¯ll stay on the list, though. Alright, let¡¯s go. We have a practice session to get to soon. It¡¯s better we leave now, so we won¡¯t be late. Remember, be discreet.¡± Her friends all nodded in agreement, and left, Yue included, although she headed in a different direction. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I should be out in a couple of days,¡± Joanne told Yue happily. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Yue responded with mutual joy. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Very,¡± the black-haired girl responded. ¡°My nose will take a while to heal, but I feel fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very happy for you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Have you given any thought to what we talked about?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°About Dautha,¡± Joanne responded. ¡°Have you made a decision yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Yue said, ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot.¡± ¡°What do you still doubt about it?¡± Joanne¡¯s face was warm, but behind it was a glint of something Yue thought was almost dangerous. She shuddered, remembering that Joanne would do anything for her religion. ¡°Well, I just have difficulty processing it all. You definitely know what I mean. It¡¯s hard to believe that my mage friends are above me in stature just because they¡¯re mages. What if a mage is a horrible person? What do you do then?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Joanne replied. ¡°He¡¯s divinity. You must obey him. I know it sounds weird, but you have to trust Dautha. He wouldn¡¯t just give divinity to anyone.¡± ¡°But some mages disagree with others. Are you saying that Dautha intended for that to happen?¡± Joanne laughed. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. But when Judgment Day comes, any mage unworthy of his divinity will be stripped from it. It¡¯s only fair that Dautha gets to do that. He¡¯s more divinity than mages who are more divinity than men.¡± ¡°What about their parents? They¡¯re not divinity!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. The babies are planted there as divinity. As soon as the baby is revealed to be in the womb, he is already divine. He is already semi-god.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to just believe it.¡± ¡°I understand. But feel free to ask me if you have any questions. I¡¯m here for you if you need it.¡± ¡°Thank you. I do have one question, but it¡¯s not about Dautha.¡± ¡°Is it about Diamond¡¯s death?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°How did you know?¡± Joanne smiled. ¡°I guess. You¡¯re looking for her killer, that¡¯s obvious. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll ask me for an alibi when Jos died, won¡¯t you.¡± Yue nodded again. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be honest. I don¡¯t have a great one. I was just talking with a friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad alibi. We can just ask your friend.¡± ¡°Well we could, but I heard she died yesterday.¡± Yue winced. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t know her too well, but it¡¯s still sad. About the alibi, though, you need to find someone who saw us talking at the cafeteria. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of any help. I didn¡¯t kill them, you know.¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± Yue said sincerely, ¡°But it does look suspicious that you ratted Eva out and it turns out that there was no proof.¡± ¡°I know. I made a mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have done that, but it¡¯s too late now. I¡¯ll just have to live with it now.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what we all have to do now. We¡¯ll get through it. We just have to stick together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the truth,¡± Joanne responded. ¡°Thank you for visiting me again, Yue.¡± ¡°Anytime. Have you gotten many visitors?¡± ¡°A couple. You¡¯re the first that¡¯s come first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to help.¡± They fell silent. Yue stood there for several minutes looking at Joanne and the bandage around her nose. It was clean, so it had definitely been changed recently. Eventually, Yue had to leave. She wished Joanne well, and Joanne did the same. She got up and walked out of the hospital, taking a glance in Xander¡¯s room. He was asleep and snoring slightly. Yue smiled and went to practice with the Vanguard. Xander was already getting much better. She wondered if he would like Zade. He probably would. They were both too nice to hate each other. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Move, Yue, move!¡± Yue heard a girl scream excitedly as Yue sparred with Durlan. Yue was obviously winning, but that didn¡¯t stop the other boy from trying. The match had gone on for a couple minutes, and Yue wanted to prolong it a little longer. At the end, she would try to get his alibi. She struck at Durlan¡¯s side and Durlan stepped back, sweating hard. He was an expert swordsman, but Yue was better. Durlan would probably get very far in the tournament. That is, if he didn¡¯t face Yue first. She stepped back and let him attack. She could see on his face that he appreciated her choice to not finish the match quickly. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to be embarrassed. He knew he needed the practice. Yue respected him for that. It was hard to imagine anyone as the killer. As soon as she met someone, she couldn¡¯t see them as a killer. She knew the murderer would be masking their real personality, but these people looked so sincere. Durlan really loved to spar, she could tell. He would never want to hurt someone in the Vanguard, right? Yue didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. If she was suspicious of anyone, she should be suspicious of her friends. They were closest to Diamond after all. But none of them would have done it. They would all have alibis. Except for Artemis. He and Astil hated each other. There had to be a reason for that, and Yue betted it would be a very legitimate one. Maybe Artemis had killed someone, maybe a family member. Maybe he just liked to kill people. No. Yue didn¡¯t like Artemis, but he didn¡¯t like killing people. If that person threatened Polu, he might. And what happened to them leaving? Yue guessed they didn¡¯t really want to anymore, but she didn¡¯t know why. She jumped back as Durlan attacked her again, and this time she barely escaped. He was clearly trying to get the best of her now. He could tell she was thinking too much. She stood her ground as he thrust at her. She parried and sent her own volley, sending him cursing and jumping back, grinning wildly. He was loving this. Which led Yue to more thoughts. How could a member of the Vanguard betray it? They were supposed to be a close-knit army, but because of this killer, it was falling apart. It was a horrible thought. If the Vanguard fell apart, Magefell wouldn¡¯t be safe. If the Vanguard was gone, the tournament wouldn¡¯t go well. Magefell would be overrun. And what did the cult want with the tournament anyway? Would they try to bring about Judgement Day? Or was it just some other terrible plan? Yue shuddered to think about it. If they would give one of their members the scars they gave Xander, they would definitely do anything. She felt bad for Xander. He¡¯d been forced to say he¡¯d kill her. What if it was a binding vow? She was sure mages could do something like that. If they did, Xander would be forced to kill them. And if he was able to, he would live with the guilt for the rest of his life. She couldn¡¯t imagine that. She didn¡¯t wish that on her worst enemy. No, that wasn''t true. She would wish it on the killer. The killer deserved everything. She liked dreaming about what she would do to him. She just wanted him dead. She wanted him to feel pain before he died. She wanted him to feel the pain of the deceased''s friends and families. She wanted him to feel the horror she felt when Diamond died. She wanted him to hear her final word and let it rest on his soul. She wanted him to rot in hell with everyone he killed torturing him for all eternity. And eternity wasn¡¯t enough. The rage she felt was too powerful for just eternity. She would savor killing him. For Diamond¡¯s sake. Was she crazy? She thought so. She didn¡¯t really care, though. As long as that bastard rotted forever, she didn¡¯t mind. She realized she¡¯d been getting too aggressive when she saw Durlan on the ground and her pointing her sword at him. He was shaking hard, and she sheathed her sword and helped him up. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to get so aggressive!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± He smiled. Yue sighed in relief. ¡°You did good,¡± She said. ¡°Thank you,¡± He replied respectfully, bowing. ¡°You did amazing.¡± ¡°My best performance was with Diamond, I think,¡± Yue said. ¡°I think you did really well with Kol. But now I¡¯m sad I didn¡¯t see your matchup with Diamond. I¡¯m sorry about what happened. I was watching Kol¡¯s fight, and when I heard what happened, I didn¡¯t know what to do. A murder in the Vanguard? How could that happen?¡± ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Yue told him. ¡°By the way, were you watching Kol¡¯s game with anyone?¡± ¡°Yeah, Markuth. Why?¡± ¡°No reason. Just checking.¡± Durlan smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you around, I guess.¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly. Good luck in the tournament.¡± ¡°You too. You won¡¯t need it, though.¡± Yue blushed and Durlan walked off. Inwardly, Yue crossed another name off the list. She would have to ask Markuth to verify Durlan¡¯s story, but now she knew. Durlan wasn¡¯t the killer either. Another name down, so many more to go. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I saw Markuth at the cafeteria,¡± Alyx told Yue. ¡°Why do you want him?¡± Yue shrugged the question off. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Alyx started to ask a question but Yue was already off. She found Markuth sitting at a table and sat next to him. He looked strangely at her. ¡°Um¡­Hi,¡± He said. ¡°Hi, Markuth. I need to ask you a question.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Yue, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Markuth nodded. ¡°I¡¯m saying this in the most polite way possible, okay? What the hell are you doing here?¡± Yue laughed. ¡°I just want to ask you a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I was busy fighting with Diamond when Kol and Yiro had their match. I heard it was a crazy fight. Can you tell me about it?¡± Immediately, Markuth beamed. ¡°Yes, I can. When I arrived there, the match had already started. It was a great one. Both Kol and Yiro were on the offensive, leaving all of us on the edge of our seats. Yiro was using more blunt force than strategy, and it was working for a time. But blunt force doesn¡¯t lead you anywhere, and that was obvious with this one. ¡°Eventually, Kol got the slight advantage and really pushed himself to fight better. I think the fight ended a couple minutes before yours did. I¡¯m sorry about that by the way. Sad, just sad.¡± He saw Yue¡¯s somewhat impatient glance and continued. ¡°Kol kept driving Yiro back until she had nowhere to go. She became desperate then, It was a last ditch effort what she did. It was crazy, and it worked a little. When we saw it, me and Durlan were speechless after¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you. I have to go,¡± Yue said as she left. She hated to be so brusque but his confused face made her laugh a little. Cross another name off the list. Slowly, the list was getting shorter. Markuth was not the killer. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Night. Once again, they were at Xander¡¯s room in the hospital. This time, they were here to eliminate more names from their list. ¡°I have two names to cross out,¡± Yue started. ¡°Both Durlan and Markuth watched Kol¡¯s match.¡± ¡°I have some names as well,¡± Neena said. She listed off a couple of names and explained their alibis. Yue crossed them both out. Neena looked proud of what she¡¯d accomplished, and Yue, for one, was definitely proud of her. ¡°Good job. Does anyone have any other names to cross out?¡± Xander groaned. ¡°I hate being at the hospital.¡± Alyx grinned at Aster. ¡°I think I win.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yue asked. Alyx and Aster shared a knowing glance. ¡°Me and Aster had a bet over who could get the most names. Names crossed out counted for one. Names of people that watched your fight counted for two. Like I already said, I know I¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure,¡± Aster replied. ¡°You should¡¯ve included me in this.¡± Yue said playfully. ¡°But you only got two names. You didn¡¯t do very well,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I have five names of people that watched Kol¡¯s game, and two of people that watched yours.¡± She listed the names and alibis and Yue looked at her happily. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that good,¡± Aster grinned. ¡°I got ten who watched Kol¡¯s and four that watched yours.¡± Yue¡¯s jaw dropped as Aster told her the people. She crossed out the ones she needed to and starred the other names Aster mentioned. Aster explained in vivid details about each alibi, and by the end, Alyx was extremely pissed. ¡°Poli? Artemis? Do you have any?¡± They had one apparently. A man named Gabreil. She crossed him out. ¡°How many names are left now, Yue?¡± Neena asked excitedly. Yue did a quick count. ¡°We¡¯ve taken out forty-seven names completely. That leaves one hundred sixty one. We¡¯ve got nineteen people who watched my game. That leaves thirteen. Good job everybody. Tomorrow we¡¯ll keep this going.¡± ¡°Alyx, hand it over,¡± Aster said. Alyx grumbled but handed three coins to Alyx. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you tomorrow,¡± She said. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Aster said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± ¡°Alright everyone, let¡¯s let Xander have his sleep,¡± Yue said. Her friends filed out of the room. ¡°Need anything, Yue?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Yue said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out to lead us.¡± Xander cocked his head. ¡°Why would you think that? Because of you, we¡¯re closer than ever to finding Diamond¡¯s murderer.¡± ¡°But we haven¡¯t, have we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re so close. We¡¯ll have thirty.two suspects soon. And a lot of them we know aren¡¯t the killer. You¡¯re a great leader, Yue. You¡¯ve done more than all of us, even if it doesn¡¯t look that way.¡± Yue nodded, but left without saying farewell. She was lost in thought again. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue reached her barracks and removed her shoes. It was well past midnight. She could barely see in the cabin. Most of the girls there were already asleep. She would have to be silent getting into bed. She walked to her bed silently and removed her outer layer of clothes, leaving her in her undergarments. She slid into bed, and, for the second time in her life, she heard something fall off of it. Immediately, she was alert. She grabbed the piece of paper. It was too dark to read in the barracks. She didn¡¯t bother to put on her clothes. It was indecent, sure, but this was more important. She walked outside and tried to read with the moonlight. It took her a moment to be able to read it. You think I forgot about you? Meet me in the Harbor Warehouse at three in two days. Come alone. See you then. There was a smiley face next to the last phrase. The creepiest part of the letter, though, was definitely the third word. It said ¡®I¡¯ now, but there was a scratched out ¡®we¡¯ next to it. The word sent chills down Yue¡¯s spine. Could there be more than one? She ripped up the paper. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She turned around as a vanguard girl looked suspiciously at her from the door of the barracks. ¡°Nothing. Go back to sleep,¡± Yue replied, annoyed. The girl narrowed her eyes but closed the door. Yue breathed out slowly. She¡¯d known, but now she felt it. She wasn¡¯t safe. She entered her barracks. Yue could see the girl watching her from her bed, but Yue ignored her. She got into bed. She didn¡¯t sleep that night. When she told her friends about it, they all reacted shocked, and they all came up with a plan. Obviously, Yue wouldn¡¯t go alone. They had to stick together. They would work together. And they would take down the murderer. Chapter Eighteen: Torture Chapter Eighteen: Torture Well, it¡¯s time to sacrifice myself. I woke up nervous, and my gut has been bothering me for an hour now. I don¡¯t know if I want to do it anymore, but I know I need to. Th¡¯ul swallows his food and looks at me. ¡°Three High Mages just entered the cafeteria. One is confirmed to be in the cult. It¡¯s now or never, Zade.¡± I gulp in nervousness and nod at him. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± I stand up on the table and yell at the cafeteria. ¡°I WILL BE ALONE TODAY AT THREE IN THE TROPHY ROOM. I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! STATE YOUR ALLEGIANCE. UM, THIS MESSAGE IS FOR THE CULT. Thank you.¡± I sit back down embarrassed. I¡¯m getting more than a few amused or confused looks. ¡°Well, the cult had to have heard it,¡± Xander laughs. ¡°Now we just have to hope they get there.¡± ¡°Meet me here at lunch, Zade,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°I need to give you some pointers.¡± I nod, feeling everyone¡¯s eyes on me. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The fireball almost touches Master Thul, but dissipates right before it reaches him. It¡¯s my best attempt so far. I¡¯m hoping to be able to throw a good fireball just in case I need to use it against the cultists today. Maybe even just to threaten them. But I know there¡¯s something else I need to learn today. ¡°I need to learn to defend myself from magic. I¡¯m ready for the next step.¡± Master Thul sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re ready for it, but I realize your need for it. I don¡¯t expect you to get it your first time, though. Get your shield and I¡¯ll tell you what to do after.¡± I nod and obey him, setting up the shield around my core. The now-familiar protection it seems to offer fills me with calm. ¡°Now you must expand your shield to fill your mind. This is harder than it sounds. You must grasp your shield. Don¡¯t get frustrated. Many take days to learn this trick.¡± I look at my core. How am I supposed to grab an invisible shield? One that doesn¡¯t exist. It only appears when I try to touch my core, and even then, it''s intangible right? I reach out to my core. The shield blocks it, but I reach out towards the shield and try to grab it. It slips out of my reach. I try again, and this time, I¡¯m not even able to touch the shield. I grunt in annoyance and Master Thul chuckles. ¡°Stay calm. Don¡¯t force it. Don¡¯t forcefully grab the shield. Be gentle.¡± I nod somewhat frustrated, but this time take a few deep breaths to steady myself. When I touch the core this time and the shield appears, I gently reach out for the shield. It reacts just like an intangible object does. In other words, I can¡¯t do it. Thankfully, this isn¡¯t wasting much Mana, so I can keep trying. So once again, I try to grab the shield and expand it. The shield is stubborn, not allowing me to get a hold of it. At this point, I¡¯m losing my cool. It¡¯s frustrating to fail something that seems so simple. As I keep trying, my frustration increases, and I realize that I won¡¯t get anything productive if I don¡¯t calm down. So the cycle repeats. I try, get frustrated, then calm myself down. Rinse and repeat. Over and over again. After one hour of trying, I¡¯m done. I can¡¯t do it. Master Thul nods at me. ¡°Don¡¯t feel discouraged. You did well. When you¡¯re ready, we can try again.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Oh, I totally forgot you wouldn¡¯t know how to defend yourself, Zade,¡± Th¡¯ul admits, ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t go there. You¡¯ll be basically defenseless.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve got to be there,¡± I respond. I found Th¡¯ul in the game room playing a strategy game that I can¡¯t even begin to understand. ¡°So you want me to teach you, then?¡± Th¡¯ul says, setting a sphere down on a black square. From the other side of the board, a red square magically moves from up a couple of strange purple spaces. Th¡¯ul winces, and pensively puts his hand together and two fingers near his mouth. ¡°I was hoping you could give me some pointers,¡± I respond. ¡°Can you help me?¡± ¡°NO!¡± Th¡¯ul shrieks. I jump back and he looks at me sharply. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t speaking to you.¡± He moves another sphere to a teal space trapping a square between it and two other squares. ¡°Yes, I think I might be able to help you. Let me just finish my game.¡± I nod and watch as slowly Th¡¯ul gets clearly more frustrated. He keeps moving his pieces into places that trap the opponent¡¯s pieces, but, at every turn, the opponent finds a way to not only trap but remove Th¡¯ul pieces. I don¡¯t understand any of it. Eventually, Th¡¯ul sees something on the board and grins wildly. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen him do that. He moves a sphere and on the board the words You Win! appear. Th¡¯ul nods and turns to me. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to my room.¡± ¡°Your room¡­ Okay, fine,¡± I say, somewhat uncomfortable. I¡¯ve never allowed anyone in my room, and I assumed it would be the same with anyone else. I walk with him, walking down several flights of stairs and down various hallways until we reach the Gallery. There, he enters one of the many doorways. The hallway we enter is darker than the one I enter for my room, more sinister. I like that. It feels like a place I could relax in. We reach a door and Th¡¯ul opens it and leads me in. I¡¯ve never seen so much black in one place, and I realize I like it. The entire room can only be described with the word dark. The furnishings are as dark as the room, the wardrobe and desk ebony. Even the light here is black, but somehow it¡¯s easy to see anyway. It¡¯s a surreal feeling and I love it. ¡°Welcome to my humble abode,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. I chuckle. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Th¡¯ul grins. ¡°I aim to please.¡± He sits on his bed and offers a seat next to him. I do, and he begins to talk to me. ¡°You know the basic Core Shield, right?¡± At my nod, he continues. ¡°It took me three days to be able to do a physical shield, but I¡¯m confident I can teach you in one. Can you see something around me?¡± I strain but there¡¯s nothing. I shake my head and he nods. ¡°Exactly. But I do have a shield around me. What you¡¯ve got to remember is that the shield doesn¡¯t exist to our naked eye. Just as you can¡¯t see it around your core, you can¡¯t see it with your eyes when it¡¯s physical. When you imagine grabbing your mental shield, mentally grab it, don¡¯t physically grab it.¡± I don¡¯t think I understand. But I give it a try anyway. I put up my Core Shield, as Th¡¯ul called it, and imagine it as not real. But as soon as I do that, it dissipates. Nothing changes. I groan. ¡°Here, I have an idea,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°You can¡¯t see my shield, right? Throw a fireball at me. I¡¯ll reinforce my shield, so I don¡¯t get hurt.¡± I want to protest, but I understand the importance. It doesn¡¯t feel right, though, considering I can¡¯t see his shield. I take a minute to create the fireball, then send it at him, wincing as I do so. The fireball whizzes at him but just as it¡¯s about to touch him, it just fizzles out, as if it never existed. I never even saw the shield around Th¡¯ul. ¡°Now you believe I have a shield.¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. ¡°Try again, but this time, think of my shield and how real it was. Or not real, I guess.¡± I close my eyes again, and this time Th¡¯ul¡¯s words strike me. He said to grab it mentally and I think I understand. Even though this is all in my mind, I¡¯ve been imagining this as if I was using my hands to grab the shield. Now that I know it¡¯s real, it¡¯s easier to remember and grab. When I poke the core, I imagine the shield stuck in my grasp. It works, the shield around my core materializing. I can see it now evolving my core. What did I need to do again? Expand it, right? I try to force it to get bigger, and the strain is big, but I¡¯m able to expand it. I keep making it grow until eventually it disappears, but I can still feel myself using magic to keep it up. Does that mean¡­ I open my eyes, and I can see Th¡¯ul smiling. ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Th¡¯ul asks. ¡°I think so,¡± I respond. ¡°Let¡¯s test it, then,¡± He says and I watch as a quill rises in the air. My eyes widen. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea, but it¡¯s too late. It sails through the air until it hits my shield. I feel it dissipate, but thankfully the quill drops from the air. ¡°It''s still not strong,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. ¡°But it''s a shield all right. Congratulations. You did it!¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s lunch and my nerves are exploding in fear right now. I¡¯ve been practicing my shield with Th¡¯ul and although I can do it if I really think about it, it still takes a lot of effort and it¡¯s not strong at all. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to be able to defend myself if they attack me. I¡¯ll have my sword at least. Hopefully, that counts for something. ¡°Okay, I have a couple of pointers for all of us,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me and my friends. Astil nods. ¡°First, we need to know when we can enter the Trophy Room. Zade, when it¡¯s time, scream the word ¡®Trustworthy.¡¯ I promise you I¡¯ll hear it. Second, don¡¯t engage them unless they do first. Don¡¯t do anything brash. Don¡¯t insult them. ¡°Keep your shield up at all times. Keep your sword sheathed unless you need it. Don¡¯t let them know you feel threatened. ¡°Astil, Xavier, you¡¯ll be with me. We¡¯ll stand outside the Trophy Room. I¡¯ll be able to listen in on them. If things go horribly wrong, Astil, you must go find a High Mage. Xavier, if need be, you must have a weapon. Do you own one?¡± Xaier shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± I say, taking out my dagger. I was planning on bring Nightwielder to the Trophy Room, but Xavier might need it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the inscription means, but it¡¯s a good blade.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Th¡¯ul lets out a breath. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s time to go. You must go before any of us, Zade. Trust that we¡¯ll get there in time.¡± I suck in a breath, heart pounding. I¡¯m already regretting my decision to do this. ¡°Remember,¡± Th¡¯ul warns as I leave, ¡°We¡¯re only here to unmask them, not to fight them.¡± As I leave, I can feel many people¡¯s eyes on me. I feel burdened as I take the trip to the Trophy Room. I peek around corners to make sure no one¡¯s following me, although I should be hoping they are. I¡¯ve never felt scared like this. I take a deep breath, sit down, and create my shield. I have it up soon enough and I¡¯m off again. As I crest the final staircase, I hear a rustle behind me. I turn around but there¡¯s no one there. Nevertheless, I walk a little faster. I¡¯ve reached the Trophy Room. I open the solid metal door and it creaks loudly, making me jump. I enter and close the door. The Trophy Room is illuminated by several torches hanging from the ceiling, some of the only natural light in Zenyth. It¡¯s a trophy room in name only. The trophies were relocated recently, so the room is empty. I walk to the middle of the room. There are several paintings in the room now, and many of the men in the paintings look like they¡¯re judging me. I¡¯ve heard these are paintings of the High Mages. Nobody is here yet. Maybe they aren¡¯t coming. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I can¡¯t decide. All I know is that my plan is stupid, and so am I. My breath is coming quickly to me now, and I feel anything but relaxed. I feel like at any moment, mages will come in and attack me. After a few minutes, I relax a little. It really feels like they¡¯re not coming. I lay back on the wall. Maybe I could take a little rest. The door opens. I hunch back in the shadows. Ten men and women come in, and my heart speeds up once again. The ten are masked, and I know it¡¯ll be hard to unmask them. They all look older than me and more experienced with magic. One of them looks at the shadows where I am. ¡°We know you¡¯re here, Zade,¡± The man says in a gravelly voice. I don¡¯t recognize him, but maybe I¡¯ve seen him. I need to rip that mask off his face. Right now, though, I¡¯m only wondering how he knows where I am. I step out of the shadows. ¡°You wanted to talk to us?¡± The man asks. ¡°Here we are. What do you want?¡± ¡°I want to know more about you.¡± The man laughs. ¡°You expect us to believe that? We know what you believe in, Zade, and we know about your incident with Raakhshas.¡± I decide to come clean. It feels like the only option. ¡°I only want to know who you are. How am I supposed to know what to believe if I don¡¯t know the people who are teaching me?¡± The man narrows his eyes but doesn¡¯t dispute my claim. ¡°It is better if you do not know who we are.¡± ¡°How is that better? How can you know if your friend is part of your cult if you can¡¯t even see her face? It¡¯s not right. It makes it easier to infiltrate you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just wasting our time, aren¡¯t you? You called us here for nothing! Did you get your friends to do something for you against us while we were gone?¡± He looks angry now, and I back up nervously. ¡°No, no! I just wanted to talk to you. That¡¯s all, I promise!¡± I stutter a little, and he growls. Clearly, this is serious for him, and I¡¯m intruding. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± The woman next to him yells. She takes something from her cloak, and I gasp. They brought swords. I¡¯m surprised they aren¡¯t attacking me with their magic, but, as four more people draw their swords, I understand. They want to draw this out. They want to make me pay for wasting their time. I¡¯m about to yell for my friends when I feel the air leave my lungs. I gasp for air, and I notice the leader looking at me like he¡¯s concentrating. ¡°Shhh,¡± He whispers. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. If you scream, you will die.¡± I nod and suddenly I can breathe again. I stand up slowly, trembling, and unsheathe my sword. Three of the mages attack me at once, and I¡¯m left to defend myself desperately. I¡¯m good with the sword, but these are probably highly trained mages. Plus, there are three of them. One of them would be hard enough, I parry a thrust from one, then immediately move my sword to my right, where I barely defend my head from being forced off my shoulders. I¡¯m already sweating, and my breathing is hard. As I dodge another lunge, I bring my sword back up. I can¡¯t last long like this. As I duck reactionally under a thrust, I take a chance. I attack one of the Cultists and he sucks in a breath hurriedly. Clearly, he didn¡¯t expect me to try this. I grin, but the smile is wiped off my face as soon as I see the trap. The woman to my left strikes at me, and I feel as the sword enters my back a little before I move right. I know the sword didn¡¯t go in too deep, but it already hurts like hell. The woman strikes at me again. I dodge, but another Cultist scrapes my shoulder. I wince and through the mask, I know the Cultist is smiling. I retreat and the Cultists advance on me slowly. I glare at them obstinately. I spit blood, but I¡¯m determined and steady. I can¡¯t let them win. The woman strikes at me again, and, once again, I dodge it. The next thing I know I¡¯m on the ground, my head hitting the floor hard. I groan. One of the Cultists must have tripped me. I think I dropped my sword somewhere here. I look around and my eyes widen as I see a Cultist raise his sword. I crawl back, barely dodging the deadly weapon, and locate my sword. I grab at it desperately, but the woman kicks it away, and I can feel tears in my eyes. This was a mistake. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this,¡± I whisper. The woman laughs. ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± I stand up quickly, eyes glassy. I raise my fists. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± The leader yells. He waves at the three Cultists and they back off. Are they letting me leave? I look up at the man and he moves his hand downwards. I feel a force pushing me to my knees, and I keep up my shield, trying to stop the man¡¯s magic. I¡¯m not strong enough. The shield breaks, and I grunt in pain. I grit my teeth, but I can¡¯t stop his magic. When I¡¯m on my knees, he moves his hand, forcing my head up. Then I feel myself sliding towards the man. I¡¯m bound, unable to move. I feel claustrophobic, and want to scream, but there¡¯s no air in my lungs. I can barely breathe. When I¡¯m kneeling before him, he cups my chin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come here, Zade Helstorm,¡± He whispers softly in my ear. ¡°I will make sure you never make the same mistake again.¡± He smiles as he takes a knife from his belt. My eyes widen and I desperately try to move, but I can¡¯t. I wonder where Astil, Xavier, and Th¡¯ul are. Shouldn¡¯t they have realized I¡¯m taking too long? I watch as the man rips my shirt off of me. He takes his knife and carefully caresses my chest with it. The cold feel of the steel on my body makes me twitch. Tears are flowing freely now. The man¡¯s smile looks evil now as the knife bites into my skin now, drawing a bit of blood. I groan in pain inwardly, but no sound comes out. He¡¯s still holding me. He starts carving my chest, cutting deep enough to scar but not deep enough to wound severely. The pain blinds me and I want to yell so badly. I¡¯ve never felt pain like this and he clearly knows it. The knife cuts a little deeper. It¡¯s covered in blood now along with his hand. I can barely see my chest anymore. There¡¯s too much blood, sweat, and tears on it. I silently plead with the man asking him to stop, but there¡¯s no chance of that. He forces me down and removes my pants, leaving me in my undergarments. Then he goes to work on my legs. He takes care to not slice bone or muscle, but still the knife cuts deep, injuring me deeply. The other Cultists stand by, masked faces revealing nothing. I want to reach out to them desperately, to plead with them. One of them must be against this. But I know I can¡¯t. I feel embarrassed under their gaze. My face remains impassive, though my tears are leaking out. There¡¯s a pool of blood under me. It feels like I¡¯m drowning in it. I wonder how much more blood I can lose before I die. I feel blood on my mouth. The metallic taste is disgusting, I need to spit it out, but it''s impossible. The man has reached my feet. As he slices them, I renew my efforts to move, to do something, anything. All I can do is watch just like the other Cultists as he slices me open. I feel naked, as if he¡¯s revealing everything about me. After a few hours, or maybe minutes, or pure torture, of pure hell, it seems like the leader gets bored. He licks the blood off the knife, raising his mask a little. I try to see his face, but he doesn¡¯t raise it enough. He sheathes his sword, and I inwardly sigh in relief. The man turns his back to me and the Cultists. ¡°Do what you want with him. Don¡¯t kill him. I need to go. I have an important meeting to go to.¡± He walks away, cloak swishing.¡± Do what you want with him. The words send chills down my spine. I watch sadly as the man leaves. As soon as the door closes, I am free, the magic the man was using on me is released. I still can¡¯t move due to the pain, but at least I can breathe and relax freely. At least, I want to relax freely, but a Cultist kicks me as soon as I move. I groan, and this time I can hear the noise. Strange that even the smallest change causes a little comfort in me. Another kick hits me. I curl into a ball. Another kick hits me. And another one. And another one. I¡¯m hit with a barrage of kicks, and I spit blood out, struggling to get to my knees. All I want to do is get out of here. Everything else is forgotten. A fist crunches my face. I think that was my nose breaking, but I¡¯m not sure about anything anymore. Another punch sends me reeling, and this time it hits my eye. When I look up, I can¡¯t see from it. I¡¯m left with only a little bit of vision. The blurry figures keep hitting me. ¡°Please¡­¡± I stammer, pleading with them. Hoping. ¡°Please¡­stop.¡± A kick smacks my face, and I tumble to the ground. I stop moving. I give up. I let them hit me, my body and soul numb. I just want the pain to end. I just want them to kill me. Several of the kicks stab the recent wounds the leader gave me, and I wince despite myself. I would do anything they asked me now. I hate myself for thinking that, but I don¡¯t really care anymore. I start to slip from consciousness. I can feel the light calling to me, urging me home, each kick energizing it more. I want to take the offer. The Cultists have realized that I¡¯m not moving anymore. I can barely hear as the woman speaks to them. They leave and I¡¯m left alone on the ground, bleeding, barely alive. I don¡¯t know if I can survive this. The pain leaves me. The other senses follow after. My eyes get glassy, and I can¡¯t feel the blood anymore. Unconsciousness settles over me. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I wake up in a familiar place but it takes me a couple of minutes to remember what this place is. The medic ward. I gasp and try to sit up. Pain lances through me and I immediately lay down again. I can feel every part of my body aching. There¡¯s no one next to me. But I do have my book on a table. I mentally call Master Thul and he pops into existence immediately. ¡°What happened to you?¡± He asks, eyes widening in horror. My sheets are stained red, and my face is clearly bloated and sickly. ¡°I ran into a door,¡± I respond, laughing. That was a mistake, as I start coughing, pain lancing through my chest. My heart feels like it will burst at any moment, and all I want to do is vomit. He looks concernedly at me, so I tell him the truth. Everything that happened, from the plan to the moment I lost consciousness. I wonder where my friends are now. Maybe the nurse expelled them. ¡°That was a stupid idea, Zade,¡± Master Thul says, crossing his arms. ¡°I think I know that now,¡± I wince. ¡°You could¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°I know that too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky you escaped in one piece.¡± ¡°Stop telling me the obvious, please,¡± I respond exasperatedly. ¡°Zade, you must not be so brash. The mages in the Cult have practiced magic for years, some decades, some even a hundred years. They¡¯ll always know more than you. You must not fight them directly. You will always lose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s slightly less obvious,¡± I scratch my head, feeling another jolt of pain, ¡°But if I can¡¯t fight them, what am I supposed to do? You¡¯re saying I¡¯m worthless right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Master Thul shakes his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying at all. What I¡¯m saying is that you need more practice and a lot more knowledge to be at the level they are at.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± I mutter. ¡°That¡¯s the definition of worthless.¡± I mentally will Master Thul away. I¡¯m worthless. I can¡¯t do anything. I killed my parents. I moved here to get a better life. One where I meant something, But I don¡¯t mean anything here. My friends aren¡¯t even here to watch over me when I¡¯m hurt. I¡¯m worthless. I only wanted to be able to do something. I didn¡¯t want to save the world. I wanted to save my friends. To be a good friend. To not have to leave them like I did Jade. To not let them end like¡ª But I couldn¡¯t even do that. I couldn¡¯t even figure out who the enemy was. Now I¡¯ve only put a huge target on my back. Not to mention the bruises. I don¡¯t know how long it''ll take to heal, but I know it¡¯ll be a long time. I¡¯ve been injured more than any of my friends ever have. Whatever Raakhshas had done to Astil, the Cultists did to me a thousand fold. I couldn¡¯t defend myself when I needed it most. I lost my shield immediately, and my swordsmanship wasn¡¯t any good either. I could barely defend myself against one of them, much less three. I failed. I couldn¡¯t do a simple job. I¡¯m worthless. Tears sting my face as I take it in. I¡¯m worthless. Chapter Nineteen: Dancing With Blood Chapter Nineteen: Dancing With Blood I wake up depressed. I¡¯m supposed to meet Yue today, but there¡¯s no way that¡¯s happening. I¡¯m too wounded. I can barely move. It feels like a thousand needles are in my body, and moving drives them deeper. I feel uncomfortable so I shift in bed. Searing pain. I groan. My body has never felt this bad. My friends still haven¡¯t visited and that saddens me. I¡¯ve been alone since I woke up with no motivation and no one to help me. The nurse visited me, and clearly, she thinks that I won¡¯t leave the hospital soon. I hope that¡¯s not true. I want to be able to go outside, to take a breather. To relax. To heal. Not from the outward wounds. From the inward ones this fight has caused. Not from the trauma of the knife, but the trauma of the soul. I know I¡¯m worthless, and that kept me up at night. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. It feels like the only thing I¡¯ve been striving for has been taken from me. I just wanted to mean something. It¡¯s too late for that now. As my chest burns with pain like a fire burning inside of me, I recall everything since I¡¯ve arrived at Magefell. I left Jade. I joined the Zenyth Academy. I befriended Xavier and Astil. I learned the fundamental basics of magic. Some of them, at least. I met Jade, and tried to help her with the Cult. I fought Raakhshas. I fought the Cult. And I failed. I failed my friends. No wonder they don¡¯t want to talk to me. As I¡¯m reminiscing on myself, I hear the medic ward door open. I expect the nurse, but am shocked to see Th¡¯ul there, Xavier and Astil following him. Astil has a guilty look on his face, and I bite my lip and hang my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± I start, but Xavier interrupts. ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, Zade,¡± He says. ¡°We should¡¯ve come here before.¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here now. Why didn''t you come before?¡± Astil looks nervously at me. He''s jittery, and obviously his conscience is bothering him about something. ¡°We thought you blamed us.¡± ¡°Blame you?¡± I ask incredulously. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°When you fought the cult, we didn¡¯t show up,¡± Th¡¯ul butts in for the first time. ¡°We should¡¯ve, but we didn¡¯t, so we thought you were rightfully mad at us. Only reason we showed up at all is because we were too worried.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault,¡± I respond. ¡°Astil told me not to do this, but I did it anyway. But I do have a question. Why didn¡¯t you arrive?¡± ¡°A Cultist found us, and we had to run away,¡± Xavier responded. ¡°We wanted to come back, but they were guarding the door. We also tried to contact the High Mages, but the Parliament was in session, so the High Mages were attending it. When we got back, the Cultists were already gone. We found you half-dead on the floor, bleeding out. Th¡¯ul was able to stop most of the blood, and we got you to the medic ward. High Mage Aegon visited in the middle of the night, and dropped off your book for you.¡± I nod again. ¡°Thanks, guys. I couldn¡¯t figure out any of their names. I know that¡¯s disappointing, but¡­¡± I trail off slowly, not knowing how to finish the statement. ¡°You think you failed, don¡¯t you?¡± Th¡¯ul asks. I look away hurriedly, and his lips curl upwards grimly. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen him smile. It''s a pity he¡¯s grinning for the wrong reason. ¡°You didn¡¯t fail, Zade. I knew you wouldn¡¯t be able to uncover them.¡± My eyebrows rise in mild anger. ¡°What? You¡¯re the one who wanted to go forward with the plan! You were sacrificing me?¡± Th¡¯ul shakes his head. ¡°No. I made the wrong decision. I¡¯m sorry for that. I didn¡¯t tell you the truth, and I should¡¯ve.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I knew there was no way you would figure out who they are. No offense, but that¡¯s a terrible plan. I had a better one. I wanted them to know we were after them. They knew we weren¡¯t for them, but I needed them to know we were against them. When you told me your plan, I thought it was a good way to tell them we were coming for them. It worked. They may act arrogant about it now, but they can¡¯t hide the truth. They know now that we know they will try something. I¡¯m just sorry I didn¡¯t come to save you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think about that,¡± I say, thinking. ¡°Why did you want them to know we would fight them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier for them to make a mistake by being nervous. Knowing this will make them nervous.¡± I scoff. ¡°This would not make them in the least bit nervous.¡± ¡°You underestimate yourself, Zade. You have only been here for two weeks, and you had the balls to confront them. Not only that, but they used many people to overwhelm them. Knowing you, I bet you used the sword against them and to some degree, it worked. They know this will humble you, lead you to keep going. They know that you''re strong. They know you won¡¯t quit. Just like we do.¡± He says this pointedly, as if he knows exactly how I¡¯m feeling. Maybe he does. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you alone now. Just know we¡¯re here for you.¡± I smile. ¡°Thanks, guys.¡± They nod and exit the medic ward. I feel much better now. There was something Th¡¯ul said that is really motivating me. They know you won¡¯t quit. Just like we do. I glare at nothing and smile. I won¡¯t quit. I¡¯m not worthless. I haven¡¯t failed. At least, not until I really try. I grimace and get out of bed. I start doing pushups, and immediately the pain overwhelms me. But I don¡¯t care. The pain is good. I welcome it. It motivates me, and I persist. Pushup after pushup, up and down, like my beating, inflamed heart. I switch to one arm and keep going. I don¡¯t know how long I do this, but I switch to situps eventually. I¡¯m bleeding again, but I drink it in softly, and keep doing my exercises. My bandages are starting to fall off, too. But I¡¯m not feeling tired at all, merely excited. I take a break for a minute and drink some water, then get right back to my exercises. I grab my sword and routinely stance myself, thrusting and parrying an invisible opponent. I¡¯ve never trained this hard with myself, and it feels invigorating. My muscles cry out to my brain, and it feeds my resolve. I imagine throwing my problems in a furnace. I start to smile, inhaling deeply. I feel good. Eventually, my imagined opponent falls to the ground, dead, but I¡¯m not done. Ten more opponents rush at me wildly, and I swirl around madly, cutting here, dodging there. My motions become swift and fluid, a violent dance with an enemy only I can see. I kill one, severing his head. I can picture the blood flowing off, leaking on me. I can feel it due to my own blood. Another dies, sword through the heart. One of my opponents scratches me on the arm, but I retract quickly, downing him too. Another goes down right after, followed by another one. They¡¯re falling like leaves, my sword slicing through each of them like paper, me standing tall and still as a tree. Three others go down. The other two flee, and I mentally chase them, catching up to them, and releasing them from life. I breathe deeply again. I look around the medic ward. There¡¯s blood everywhere from me moving around swiftly. It¡¯s my bloody dance. And I love it. I walk back over to my bed and sit down, grabbing my book. I flip to the first page, where the now familiar words stay. Nothing has changed in them yet. I make a vow to myself. I will get to Level 3 today. I summon Master Thul. He guides me through my routine: The Flame Finger, the Levitation, the Fireball, the Core Shield, and finally, the last magic I learned, and the one where I¡¯m more wooden, the Magic Shield. I put more of an effort into this routine than I¡¯ve ever done before. By the end, I feel alive, and not a little tired. I¡¯ve kept the magic up for longer than ever, and I don¡¯t feel my Mana depleting. ¡°I want to learn more.¡± I tell Master Thul. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s wise,¡± He responds. ¡°Given your current state, rest is a much better option.¡± ¡°I want to learn more,¡± I repeat stubbornly. He huffs. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s what you want, we¡¯ll do it. But you must rest.¡± ¡°I will. After this.¡± ¡°Today, we will learn another essential part of magic. You have learned about Fire and Air. Today, we will learn a little about the Soul. It controls life and death. As a Necromancer, this will hopefully be your biggest strength. Healing also deals with the soul. But while Healing deals with strengthening or weakening, Necromancy is more about extracting or giving. You will learn more through your book. Suffice it to say for now, Necromancy is dangerous.¡± He smiled. ¡°But it¡¯s also fun as hell.¡± ¡°What will we do today?¡± ¡°Today, we will learn how to identify when something is living or dead.¡± ¡°How is that important,¡± I ask, eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I can tell that I¡¯m alive, and that you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± He asks. ¡°How do you know I am not alive?¡± I sputter. ¡°It¡¯s obvious. You¡¯re not real. You¡¯re a¡­construct or something.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°You can¡¯t prove it, can you?¡± I think for a minute and shake my head. ¡°Exactly. With magic, you can.¡± Realization dawns on me. ¡°So this will help me identify and focus on people or animals to use magic, right?¡± ¡°Excellent. That is correct. Every living¡­ creature has a core. Most have no magic in them. But they are traceable. A true mage learns to identify cores and who they belong to. Some mages do hide their core, though. The most powerful defense mages are able to truly shield their core off from anyone aiming to find their core.¡± I shudder with excitement. When Master Thul talks like this, I remember how much I have to learn. I¡¯ve never felt this excited about another topic. I¡¯m enthusiastic to learn more. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Okay,¡± I say, ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°Straightforward, are you?¡± Master Thul chuckles. ¡°Very well. Close your eyes, and relax your core.¡± I obey him. I¡¯m used to this exercise by now, so by the time I close my eyes, my core is already ready. I wait for Master Thul to keep giving me instructions. ¡°Identify your core,¡± Master Thul drones, ¡°Make sure you know everything about your core. Make sure you can identify it. Picture it in our mind without looking at it. If you can do that well, you are on the right track.¡± I try to do that. It¡¯s easy enough. I¡¯ve memorized the look of my core fairly well. I nod to show I¡¯ve done that, and Master Thul speaks to me once again. ¡°Now imagine a new core. Not yours. Someone else¡¯s.¡± I try to do that. I imagine a core similar to my own, but different in feel somehow. Like the difference between a used and an unused teacup. ¡°Now search with your mind. You know this room well. Picture this room in your mind, and search for a core. Any core.¡± In my mind, a realistic picture of the medic ward appears. I look for a core, and locate one easily. It¡¯s here on the bed where I¡¯m sitting. Is there anyone else here? The core pulsates familiarly, and I sigh in relief. It¡¯s mine. I walk slowly through the room in my mind, searching for something, anything that resembles my core or the different one I imagined. I feel a glow somewhere behind me. I turn around. There¡¯s a small core somewhere below my bed. I can barely see it. I look under the bed. Even squinting, it¡¯s barely there. It must belong to an ant or maybe a grasshopper. I open my eyes. ¡°I think I found one,¡± I say. ¡°Good. Check to see if you really did,¡± Master Thul says. I nod and crouch down. Under the bed, I strain my eyes, and I can see it. It''s a cricket. I reach over and cup it with my hands. I bring it up to my bed. Master Thul beams. ¡°Well done! You have found your first core.¡± I smile and put the cricket back on the ground. It hops away, and I stare at it until it hides. I rest for five minutes, but right after, I go back to exercising. I can¡¯t stop. I need to keep going. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°How are you feeling?¡± High Mage Aegon asks me, body language showing signs of his worry, though he tries not to show it. ¡°All things considered, not too bad,¡± I respond. ¡°What you did was brash.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve figured that out by now.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve contacted me before. From now on, you must tell me if you mean to do anything.¡± His voice is stern, but kind. ¡°I am an expert with magic. I know the Cult well. I will be able to tell if a plan of yours is smart.¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. I promise.¡± ¡°Nurse told me you weren¡¯t resting,¡± High Mage Aegon says. ¡°You need it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time,¡± I respond. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to stop. The tournament comes soon, and I have to be ready.¡± High Mage Aegon sighs. ¡°I understand the sentiment. I felt the same way when I was your age. But it doesn¡¯t work that way. You¡¯ll end up burning yourself out. What¡¯s your Mana right now?¡± I take out my book. ¡°83 percent.¡± High Mage Aegon frowns. ¡°That high? Interesting. I guess there isn''t too much of a problem with you continuing. Just be careful. And sleep when you need to. Have you had any more visions yet?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Thankfully, no.¡± The High Mage grimaces at me. ¡°Don¡¯t take it as a good sign. Often, the Mysticist would stop having visions days before something important happened. If he stopped having visions, the Mysticist would prepare for the worst. So should we. The tournament is closer than ever.¡± ¡°See? That¡¯s why I need to keep training! If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have no way of stopping what¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone can stop what¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Whatever the Cultists are planning, they''ve checked every issue that could hamper it. So I don¡¯t think we can stop them from bringing about their plan. What we must do is defeat them after their plan has started. They¡¯ll expect us to try and stop them from bringing about their plan. The only thing we¡¯ll try and stop is them finishing it.¡± ¡°Do you think we can do that?¡± High Mage Aegon thinks about it for a minute. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± I warn him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can stop them. But I¡¯m praying we can, because if we can¡¯t¡­¡± He leaves the statement unanswered and I gulp. I can¡¯t let them finish their plan. I need to keep training. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Push down. Push up. Clap. Push back down. A never ending cycle. I barely even feel the strain in my muscles. I¡¯m sweating, though. Sweating more than ever. The nurse came by and rebandaged me. She scolded me too. According to her, if I keep this up, I won¡¯t heal. But she doesn¡¯t understand. I¡¯m more healed than I¡¯ve ever been. I sit up and throw a fireball. I¡¯m starting to be able to throw it without thinking about it much, and it zings away quickly for about ten feet. I put a lot of my core into this one, and still I didn¡¯t lose much Mana. I know I should probably be reading the second chapter in my book, but I don¡¯t have time for information right now. I throw more Fireballs, aiming at different objects this time. One of the Fireballs actually lights a candle and I smile proudly. In the back of my mind, I search for the core. I think there are three in this room, but I can¡¯t be sure. I¡¯m still not too good with that particular bit of magic. It¡¯s past noon now. I was supposed to meet up with Yue around this time, but I wasn¡¯t able to. I managed to tell Xavier to get a message to her. I hope he remembers to. I¡¯ve been practicing for about two hours now. I haven¡¯t eaten lunch yet. Xavier brought it, but I¡¯m waiting until I feel starved. I need to keep going. I go back to my exercises, and this time I do sit ups. My scars are aching, most of them open by now, but I¡¯m not struggling. I close my eyes and bring my torso up over and over. I can feel my bandages falling off again. They¡¯re stained with blood. I think I¡¯m bleeding again. After a couple hundred sit ups, I finally take a break. I pick up the plate of rice and beef next to me and chow it down. It takes me only a few minutes to eat and by the end I feel re-reinvigorated. I can¡¯t afford to stop. Back to sword training. I pretend I¡¯m at the Magefell Tournament, defending myself desperately against the best swordsmen and swordswomen there. I switch to sparring with Alyx. I know how she fights, and it¡¯s hard to beat her, even in my head. My left foot goes forward, my body moving back. I duck as a sword flashes above me. The glint of sunlight in the medic ward illuminates me as I continue my bloody dance. The drops of blood on the ground show the movements I¡¯ve done, and I smile, noticing how many mistakes I¡¯ve made. None. I disarm Alyx, her sword flying above her and sticking to the cobblestone. I smile and shake her hand, telling her she did well. She smiles back, congratulating me. I¡¯m proud of what I¡¯ve done, even if it¡¯s all in my head. I could take on the Cultists with my sword now, as long as they didn¡¯t use magic. I¡¯m breathing hard now, and I know if anyone could see me now, they would find a vicious monster bent on willpower. My chest heaves up and down, blood spilling out slowly. My feet sore from where the wounds ache, my arms flexing softly. I sheathe my sword, and breathe softly, gaining my breath back. I look in the book to check my mana. 65 percent. I still have enough to practice more magic. So I go again. I start the workout again, straining my chest and arms, then moving to my legs. I¡¯m determined to see this through. I move to my magic, throwing fireballs, shielding myself, levitating objects. I¡¯m able to lift heavier objects. Eventually, I''ll try to lift a human. Once again, I return to the sword. I dance with blood, with the invisible, with my problems. And for the first time in years, I win. Then back to exercising. Then the sword. Then exercising again. Magic. Sword. Magic. Exercise. Repeat over and over again until I can barely see. Eventually, it starts getting late, and Xavier and Astil return to visit me. ¡°You ok?¡± I nod. ¡°Never better. Did you talk to Yue?¡± ¡°I did. She was concerned. She told you to get well soon. We¡¯ll need you soon.¡± I wince. ¡°I know. How long until the tournament?¡± ¡°About a week,¡± Astil says, ¡°Some people have already arrived for it.¡± ¡°Inns getting full?¡± ¡°Some of the most popular ones, yeah. Ember On The Waters has no vacancy, but that¡¯s only to be expected. Some shops have started making their wares more expensive. Tourists won¡¯t tell the difference.¡± I frown. ¡°That sounds wrong.¡± Astil shrugs. ¡°Foreigners are willing to pay more, so the shopkeepers take advantage of that.¡± ¡°I visited Arcadia once,¡± Xavier tells us, ¡°And it was the same thing, except worse. Inns had two different menus: one for the foreigners and one for the natives. The foreigners¡¯ one was much more expensive. Thankfully, my dad knew they did that and he was able to stop it.¡± ¡°I never had to go through that,¡± I say, ¡°Because I lived close to Arcadia, so I got all the normal prices. How¡¯s Zenyth? Has anything changed because of yesterday?¡± Xavier nods slightly. ¡°Just a little. Some people heard about what happened, and there are rumors spreading. I heard Anni spread some of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Astil huffs angrily and Xavier chuckles. ¡°What are the rumors?¡± ¡°Some are pretty normal, saying you picked a fight with the wrong crowd, or that you tried to join a group that rejected you. The wild rumors are my favorites, though. Some people are saying you fought off several Cult leaders, barely surviving, but killing plenty of them. Some even think you were fighting a troll.¡± ¡°It definitely felt like I was fighting a troll,¡± I respond. ¡°What happened, though?¡± Astil asks. Xavier glares at him, but he keeps going. ¡°You haven¡¯t told us the story. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to know.¡± I nod and tell him what happened in the Trophy Room. Starting with the arrival of the cult which quickly turned into a one-sided sword fight. Eventually, the leader got tired and decided to torture me himself. I don¡¯t remember too much of the torture, but what I can remember haunts me. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m likely to shake soon. The cold feel of the metal biting my skin, digging into it. My inability to speak. His smile as he carves me. It¡¯s something that I never want to think about ever again. By the end, Astil is in tears. Xavier looks horrified. I smile at them and try to encourage them. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds,¡± I lie. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± Xavier points out. I shrug. ¡°I do that all the time. So do you. We all bleed. It¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°Not like that.¡± ¡°I guess we can agree to disagree.¡± Xavier crosses his arms. ¡°What have you been doing today? You should¡¯ve stopped bleeding by now.¡± ¡°Oh just a couple of exercises.¡± I respond. I look at the blood on the ground, and Astil notices me looking at it. ¡°What is that?¡± He asks, a little worried. ¡°I was just practicing with the sword a little.¡± ¡°You what?¡± His voice sounds incredulous. ¡°You don¡¯t want to heal, do you?¡± ¡°The nurse already told me that. I need to keep going, though.¡± Astil sighs. ¡°I know I can¡¯t convince you, but you really should stop. Wait until you¡¯re healed.¡± I shake my head. ¡°I can¡¯t. Speaking of exercising, I need to go back to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± Xavier says. ¡°We¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you up to that.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s almost midnight now. I¡¯ve been working nonstop, and I do need to get some rest now. Just need to finish my practice. I keep my Fireball up for a long time until I send it towards my book. As the book is magical, the Fireball dissipates when it reaches it. I close my eyes and expand my core slowly. I feel the shield around me, and I know that it is stronger than I¡¯ve ever made it. My mana is down below 40 percent now, so I¡¯m at risk of Burning, especially as a mage-in-training. So I do one last thing. I try to identify any cores within the medic ward. I can feel four or five bugs around, and definitely a rat. I can¡¯t affect them in any way, but I know where they are. It¡¯s a success. I hear a sound in my mind. It sounds almost like¡­victory, maybe? It¡¯s almost like a set of bells rising in pitch. I hear a female voice in my head. Level 3. That¡¯s strange. Nothing happened when I reached Level 2. I wonder who the female is. Maybe I didn¡¯t level up. I check my book, and soon I¡¯m grinning madly. I did. I reached Level 3. My practice paid off. I¡¯ve finally reached it, and I feel like I¡¯ve accomplished something great. I can¡¯t take on the cult. Not yet. But I¡¯m one step closer. I need to keep going. Every day I will get stronger until I can fight them head on. It¡¯s time to stop playing. It¡¯s time to get serious. Chapter Twenty: Assassins Chater Twenty: Assassins Another day and one step closer to the tournament. Yue felt her gut twinging as soon as she woke up. From the moment her eyes opened, the tournament loomed over her like a shadow. She wasn¡¯t scared about the tournament, per se, but she was scared of what the Cult would try. And then she thought about her meeting with the Cult. It was later that day, after she met up with Zade. She¡¯d agreed to plan the meeting with the Cult in the morning with her friends. Xander said he had some special news, which was exciting for Yue. It was a beautiful day, golden sun shining warmly on the good and the evil. The temperature was nice, with a light breeze in the air, leaving Yue breathing deeply, satisfied. It was a scary day, but it had a wonderful start already. As she walked to the hospital, she saw Deserey pacing back and forth, mumbling something. Yue wanted to help her, but recently, Deserey didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone. Yue just hoped the girl didn¡¯t try anything. The Vanguard needed to be strong. She entered the hospital. Her friends were all her already, except for Artemis. He was probably still asleep. Her friends were strangely silent. Neena in particular looked nervous. Yue shared their sentiment. Today they would meet the murderer. Artemis finally arrived, hurrying in, still putting on his coat. Yue wondered why he wore one today. It was a warm day. Definitely not cold enough for a coat. ¡°Okay, you all know why we¡¯re here. Today I have a meeting with the murderer. He wants me to come alone,¡± ¡°Obviously, you can¡¯t do that,¡± Alyx retorted. ¡°Exactly,¡± Yue said, ¡°We need to decide how that will happen. Will you all come, or just some of you? Will you hide or go with me openly? How armed will we be? Also, what is our strategy?¡± ¡°I think we should all go,¡± Aster said. ¡°The more the merrier. The more of us there are, the easier it will be to catch him.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to scare him off,¡± Neena said. ¡°We should take that chance. If he can be scared off, isn¡¯t it even scarier if he stays?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Aster,¡± Yue said. ¡°We should all go. Except Xander, of course. Sorry.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Xander smiled. ¡°And why should I not go?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re healing, right?¡± Xander shook his head. ¡°Not anymore. I told you I had good news. The nurse is letting me go today. I¡¯ll be careful, but I¡¯m definitely going.¡± Yue hugged him. ¡°That¡¯s great. How¡¯s your chest?¡± Xander winced. ¡°I think it¡¯s scarred for life. It still burns sometimes. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about. I¡¯ll have to leave in a few days.¡± Yue narrowed her eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the Cult, right?¡± ¡°It does,¡± Xander sighed. ¡°They told me to check in with them as soon as I was healed. I have to go back soon or they¡¯ll know. I¡¯ll go in two days'' time and I¡¯ll be back soon after. I promise.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. All right, there¡¯s one issue resolved. Question number two: How armed should we be? I was thinking we all take swords and daggers, but I know Poli has a bow, so maybe she should take that.¡± ¡°We all definitely need swords,¡± Poli said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think my bow will be needed. He¡¯ll know we¡¯re there, and there might be close combat. I think a bow would only hinder me. I¡¯ll take a dagger, though.¡± ¡°I have a couple, if anyone needs one,¡± Neena said. ¡°Great,¡± Yue said. ¡°Alyx, you can borrow one of Neena¡¯s. I know you don¡¯t own one. Xander, you have one, right?¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Okay, good. I think all of us have a dagger now. ¡°Finally, what strategy should we use? I¡¯m open for any ideas:¡± ¡°I think you should go in front of us,¡± Alyx said. ¡°We¡¯ll keep me and Aster behind you, guarding you and watching for others. Xander and Neena would be behind us, followed by Poli and Artemis, not only watching our backs, but looking behind us. When he arrives, if he attacks, only Yue, me, and Aster should engage. If we¡¯re in trouble, the rest of us should join. But we need to protect you at all times, Yue. You are their target.¡± ¡°How long have you been thinking about this?¡± Aster smirked. Alyx grinned back. ¡°Too long.¡± ¡°I have one amendment to the plan,¡± Yue said. ¡°Aster and Poli, you should swap. Aster moves to the back and Poli to the front. Also, protecting me is not the main issue. Catching him is. I¡¯m willing to get hurt for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine moving to the back,¡± Aster declared, ¡°But you¡¯re wrong about the second part. We definitely do need to protect you. You may not like it but you are our leader and the main target. You are more at risk than us. And you are arguably the most important one.¡± Yue gritted her teeth. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to convince you, is there?¡± Aster and Alyx shook their heads firmly. ¡°Fine. You can protect me if you want. ¡°I think that¡¯s everything. I¡¯ll see you all later. I want you to practice hard today. The tournament is tomorrow. I want you all on the green at eleven. We have to meet Zade today, so we¡¯ll leave then, and go straight to the meeting with the murderer afterwards. ¡°Everyone get ready. I don¡¯t know what will happen with the murderer. But be prepared for anything. He¡¯s murdered three people. Let¡¯s not add another name to the list.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°They finally let you out?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still injured, but I¡¯m better now,¡± Joanne responded. ¡°I¡¯m excited to go back to training. The tournament is so close. How¡¯s Eva?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yue said. ¡°She¡¯s not allowed in Vanguard grounds. She¡¯s probably fine, though.¡± Joanne frowned. ¡°Do you know when the Wolf is coming back?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°He¡¯ll be back before the tournament, I know that.¡± ¡°He better. There¡¯s so many good things that will happen then.¡± Yue narrowed her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Joanne just smiled. Yue felt shivers down her neck. Joanne knew more than she said. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It was lunchtime, and Yue was waiting for Zade once again. ¡°Where is he?¡± Neena complained. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for forever!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll show up soon,¡± Yue responded. She was feeling nervous, too, but she didn¡¯t want to admit it. What if Zade got hurt? He was at the headquarters of the Cult. Anything could happen to him. He¡¯d told her about the time Zenyth had basically become a battleground. What if that had happened again? She didn¡¯t want to think about it, but anything was possible. What would she do if Zade got hurt? She didn¡¯t know him for too long, so she wouldn¡¯t feel as sad as when Diamond died, but it would still be a crushing blow. She knew he would be important to stopping the Cult. Plus, he just wanted to help her. He wasn¡¯t even eighteen yet. He definitely did not deserve to die. She shook her head firmly. No. He wasn¡¯t dead. He would be fine. He was resourceful. Zade ws a mage. He could definitely use magic. She knew he loved sword fighting too. And there were his friends. He seemed really close with Astil and Xavier. They would protect each other, right? Her own relationship with Neena was a lot like Zade¡¯s with Astil. Zade wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to Astil. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Neena asked Yue. Yue noticed she was shaking a bit, and raised her head and stood firmly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± She responded. ¡°Just waiting.¡± Aster leaned towards her. ¡°You¡¯re worried, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yue nodded softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine. I think we¡¯d know if something bad happened. The news would spread past Zenyth.¡± Yue wasn¡¯t sure that was true but she appreciated the sentiment. She breathed out slowly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s him!¡± Neena exclaimed, glancing past the street. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s just Xavier. Where are the others?¡± Yue looked at Xavier and her stomach dropped. Where were the others? Xavier¡¯s face was grim. More and more Yue felt desperate. She knew immediately something bad had happened. She just hoped it wasn¡¯t too bad. When Xavier arrived, he shook her hand and frowned. ¡°Zade¡¯s not coming today.¡± ¡°I guessed,¡± She responded. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Is that Xander?¡± He replied, pointing. Yue nodded. He smiled and shook Xander¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you,¡± Xander returned the smile warmly. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally meet you.¡± ¡°I like him already,¡± Xavier told Yue, ¡°And that has nothing to do with both our names starting with X.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t,¡± Yue said sarcastically. The jokes eased her nervousness a bit. Obviously, Xander wouldn¡¯t be joking around if Zade or Astil were badly hurt. ¡°So, what happened to Zade?¡± Xavier grimaced. ¡°We made a stupid plan to combat the Cult. Or at least, most of us made a stupid plan. Th¡¯ul hid the real meaning of the plan from us.¡± Yue growled. ¡°Tell me everything. Now.¡± Xavier began the story. He was a dramatic storyteller, telling every detail as an important piece of information, and exaggerating every danger. Yue was sucked into the way he spoke. The tale drew her in, leading her to feel horror and wonder simultaneously. Zade had been impulsive, stupid. He shouldn¡¯t have gone with the plan. She appreciated Astil warning him. Xavier told her about Zade¡¯s torture, and Yue gasped, shocked. It sounded worse than anything she could imagine. It seemed horrible not being able to move or shout while getting cut and stabbed. She felt horrible for Zade. Xavier reached the end of the story. Zade was mostly okay now, and hopefully it would stay that way. ¡°Wow, that''s so sad,¡± Xander said when Xavier finished speaking. ¡°It reminds me of my initiation into the Cult in a twisted way.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± Yue responded. ¡°He¡¯s fine, though,¡± Xavier said, ¡°He seems very motivated somehow now.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Yue replied, ¡°We¡¯ll need him. Wait a second. You told me Th¡¯ul tricked you, right?¡± Xavier shrugged. ¡°Not really. He just had another reason for going through with the plan.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the definition of a trick!¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°He should¡¯ve told you what he was doing. He was immature and a jerk.¡± ¡°He apologized,¡± Xavier muttered. ¡°And what does that matter?¡± Yue responded. ¡°Now that he apologized, everything¡¯s okay? Does it make Zade better? No, of course not! If he told you the truth, would you have gone along with it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xavier said, ¡°But I think so.¡± Yue hesitated. ¡°Then he should¡¯ve told you. I personally blame him for what happened.¡± ¡°How can you do that? He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Zade sacrificed himself because Th¡¯ul told him too! It¡¯s his¡ª¡± Yue paused as Xander put his hands on my shoulder. ¡°Maybe we should all take a breather,¡± He told her, ¡°Relax a bit. Calm down.¡± His gentle voice soothed Yue. She nodded and wisely shut up. ¡°So how wounded is Zade?¡± Neena asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Xavier responded. ¡°I know it¡¯ll take him a while to heal. But he refuses to stop moving around, so I assume it¡¯ll take him months. The way he¡¯s going he won¡¯t heal.¡± ¡°You need to tell him to stop,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I know, and I tried. But he won¡¯t. He just refuses to.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°He needs to be ready for the tournament.¡± ¡°He will. I¡¯ll make sure he is.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be waiting. Tell him to get well soon. We¡¯ll need him.¡± Xavier nodded. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll see you in two days. Zade probably won¡¯t be here, but I¡¯ll try to bring Astil.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Yue responded. She watched as Xavier left. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Her gut twinged, It was almost time to face the murderer. She really hoped she was ready. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They passed from smooth cobblestone to wooden planks as they entered the Harbor. It was a beautiful place looking out to sea. There were plenty of ships docked on the Harbor. Yue felt the breeze of the ocean on her face and loose hair and closed her eyes softly, taking it all in. She wished she could come to the Harbor more. It was such a lovely place. It always reminded her of how large the world was. Here she could see people from all over the world. The pale nation of Galacia. The beautiful chocolate-skinned people of Mrembo. The fair-skinned nation of Aleumdaun Seom. She could hear the different languages, feel the different textures. It was a wonderful experience. As they walked the wooden walkways of the Harbor, Yue wondered how the next few hours would go. She was both excited and nervous to meet the murderer. Was it someone she knew? She hoped it wasn¡¯t. It would hurt more if she knew who it was. They reached the warehouse soon enough. It was a long wooden building, made fireproof by the mages after it burned down long ago. If it wasn¡¯t so big, it would have a quaint, homely feel. It looked and felt like a cabin one would use in the woods. Yue loved places like that. To a degree, it felt a little like going home every time even though it wasn¡¯t even close to what her home was like. There was just something about a cabin that was cozy. A cabin this big did take off some of the allure, but it wasn¡¯t exactly for residential purposes, so that was okay. Yue still enjoyed it. She wanted to live in a cabin when she grew old. Cabins were great places to live. That was just the way of the world. The warehouse was free to enter normally with rooms enclosed and locked for specific ships, but today was the off-day there. Unless someone needed anything from there, no one was allowed in. Thankfully, Yue knew a way in, and she bet the murderer knew she knew that. That couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. ¡°This way,¡± She called her friends over to the side of the warehouse, where a door sat. It had no knob and no lock. It looked like someone had just carved a door but it didn¡¯t seem real. Except she knew how to open it. Her father¡¯s best friend used to work for the warehouse and he taught her dad how to open it. Yue watched her father open it one day and memorized how it was done. She would hide in the warehouse many times throughout her life. It was a comfort for her. Clearly, the murderer had chosen it purposefully. She moved her wrist slowly one hundred and eighty degrees and tapped the spot in the door where a doorknob would usually be. Immediately a doorknob materialized where before there was just a door. She turned it and the door opened. She walked in, followed by her friends. The room was lit brightly by the sunlight filtering in from a window only seen from the inside. Another piece of magic. Yue briefly wondered what it was like to do magic. It seemed unlimited but she knew Zade probably could not do much. It had to take a lot of work. Plus, mages lived to be a hundred plus years old. Must be a result of the magic. Yue didn¡¯t know if she wanted to live to be that age. On paper, it was nice living to be that old. You could experience more love, be wiser. A deeper look revealed more, though. If she lived to be that long, her loved ones wouldn¡¯t. The worst thing that could happen to her would be to end up alone. She was scared of that. Also, by the time she reached one hundred, she¡¯d have a crippling disease and that would be even worse. And there was the fact that after a long time even life could get boring. It was a thought that didn¡¯t normally cross Yue¡¯s head, but she did want to grow old and have grandkids, see her lifeline. It would be a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Even if she ended up not doing much, her lineage would continue. With who? She didn¡¯t know yet. ¡°There¡¯s nobody here,¡± Alyx interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Not yet, but he¡¯ll appear,¡± Yue responded. ¡°How do you know he¡¯ll come to this room?¡± Neena wondered. ¡°Because he already seems to know much about me. Therefore, he must know I used to hide in this room to escape. He¡¯ll come. We just have to wait.¡± ¡°We always have to wait,¡± Aster laughed. ¡°Why can¡¯t we be the ones that arrive last?¡± Yuc chuckled. ¡°You regretting your decision to come?¡± ¡°Hell, no,¡± She responded. ¡°I¡¯m excited. We finally get to arrest the man terrorizing the Vanguard, I¡¯ve been waiting for this,¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Alyx responded, her eyes narrowed in determination, ¡°I¡¯ll finally be able to avenge Diamond.¡± They got into the positions they¡¯d prepared for themselves, Yue in front. The more minutes passed, the more nervous she got. One thing had changed about the room since she¡¯d come here last. There were many boxes spread everywhere around the room. The room was being used for storage now. It used to be more of a meeting room, but she guessed there were important items here now. With a door like that one, there was no way the items in the box were commonplace. Yue wasn¡¯t going to mess with them. She was fine with breaking and entering, but stealing was a different matter. Plus, she wasn¡¯t supposed to see them, so her duty as a warrior was to make sure no one did, including herself. A movement caught her eye. She looked to the left. The box moved. She could swear it. She heard the crossbow bolt before she saw it, and reacted instinctively, pushing Neena out of the way. Neena fell to the ground, and Yue sighed in relief, the bolt whizzing just above Neena. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± She asked. A piercing scream jolted her and she looked to the side. Artemis was on the ground shrieking, crossbow bolt stuck in his leg, blood pooling from the wound. Poli was kneeling next to him, comforting him. ¡°Everyone, watch out!¡± Alyx yelled, and Yue spun to face whatever Alyx was warning her about. A dozen people stepped out of the shadows, swords in hands. One of them still had a crossbow and was loading it. He aimed at Yue and smiled. She tried to dodge, but knew she wouldn¡¯t be on time. A dagger pierced the man¡¯s throat, and he crumpled over. Neena looked at Yue and winked. Yue sighed in relief. Her sigh turned into a gasp as one of the assassins attacked her. She jumped back, sword swinging wildly. The assassin advanced on her. Yue knew what she was doing, though. Years of being in the Vanguard had hardened her into one of the strongest warriors of all time. The assassins didn¡¯t stand a chance and she knew that. Clearly, the murderer had expected the assassins to kill at least one of them before they showed themselves. Plus, the assassins outnumbered them, so the murderer hoped that at least one of them would be mortally wounded. They¡¯d fallen into the trap, and it was Yue¡¯s fault. She growled as she parried a thrust and disarmed the assassin attacking her. The assassin gasped as Yue stuck her in the heart, and she fell over, gasping. Those gasps died quickly, and Yue moved on to the next opponent. Poli was holding off two assassins from getting to Artemis, and Alyx and Aster were fending off three. Neena herself took on two of them, as did Xander. That left one who was watching from the sidelines. Why wasn¡¯t he engaging? He looked straight at her and suddenly she was knocked to the ground by a gust of wind. Her head hit the floor hard, and she groaned. He was a mage. That wasn¡¯t good. Her eyes widened as another assassin broke off fighting Alyx and lunged at Yue¡¯s prone form on the ground. Yue stumbled back, but she felt a wall behind her. She should be far from the wall. It must have been the mage. As the assassin lunged at her, she desperately brought her sword up, barely defending herself. She brought her other hand to grasp the end of her sword. It was the only way to stop the assassin from pushing through. Her hand started to bleed and she bit her lip, and pushed her sword upwards. Eventually, her strength overpowered the assassin¡¯s, He stumbled back and she advanced on him. She attacked ferociously, and he desperately tried to maintain his ground, but was inevitably pushed back. With her other hand, she subtly reached into her belt as she continued fighting him. He was caught off guard as he stabbed him in the neck with her dagger. He stumbled down, and desperately tried to stop the bleeding. His eyes grew glassy, and eventually, he stopped breathing. Yue wondered why the mage wasn¡¯t focusing on her anymore. She counted five assassins on the ground. That left seven, including the mage. She looked over at the mage. He was concentrating on something. She followed his gaze: Neena was floating in the air, struggling with an unseen force. One of the assassins was trying to stab her. Clearly, unless someone helped her, Neena wouldn¡¯t last long. Yue ran. Harder than she had in years. She screamed, jolting the assassin, who glared at her and she jumped on him. He stumbled back, and she stabbed in the arm, disabling him. Six left. Neena fell to the floor, and another assassin lunged at her, stabbing her in the stomach. Yue screamed, a piercing jolt that would¡¯ve caused anyone to worry. Neena groaned and rolled on the floor. The assassin returned to fighting Xander, who glared at her. Yue decided she needed to do something about the mage. She turned to him, and he smiled. Seconds later, a fireball shot at her. She dodged it and sprinted towards him. His smile disappeared, and Yue felt the breath leave her throat. Her brain screamed at her, and she knew that if the mage didn¡¯t give her her air back, she would lose consciousness soon. She kept running, her eyes filling with tears she didn¡¯t need. He waved his hand and she tripped, but putting her hand on the floor as she fell, she got up immediately. She swung at him, air returning to her throat, and he stood his ground. As her sword hit him, she heard a metallic ting. He had magically defended himself. Of course. She should¡¯ve known that. She needed to distract him. He grabbed her sword and wrenched it out of her hand, and punched her. She was flung in the air, and her fall was stopped by one of the boxes, shattering it. She tried to get up, stumbling back. The contents of the box caused her to gasp. They were human bones. She didn¡¯t have time to worry about that, though. She needed to focus on the assassins. She heard a scream, and sharply looked over as Aster fell, an assassin hovering over her. Alyx quickly rushed to Aster¡¯s aid, severing the assassin¡¯s hand, and moments later her head. They had now killed or disabled nine of the twelve assassins. But Artemis, Neena, and Aster were wounded. That only left Yue, Alyx, Xander, and Poli. They had to finish the assassins off. And quick. Before the mage killed all of them. She stood up, legs shaking. There were only two assassins left excluding the mage. She could take them. Thankfully, Xander was already taking care of one. The mage was focused on Alyx and the other assassin, and didn¡¯t notice as Xander stabbed one through the neck. Two assassins left. Yue grabbed her sword and rushed to help Alyx as they took on the final swordfighter. Alyx looked at Yue and smiled. Yue knew what she would do a second before she did it. She tried to yell at her to stop, but Alyx was dead set, and all Yue could do was comply. As the assassin¡¯s sword entered Alyx¡¯s midsection, Yue swung her own sword, severing the assassin¡¯s head. The head flopped to the ground, and immediately, Yue checked on Alyx. The stab wasn¡¯t deep, and didn¡¯t seem to have hit anything critical, which was a relief, but she was still wounded. Why hadn¡¯t the mage done anything about this last assassin? Yue looked around. The mage was gone. She looked around wildly. He wasn¡¯t there. Had he run away? She looked back, and suddenly a punch threw her to the ground. The mage was standing in front of her. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t alone. Xander and Poli rushed to her aid, and the mage was left fending for himself. As he was still using magic, he used his fists to block their swords. Still, they had more skill than him, and his clothes were quickly getting ripped to shreds, even if he wasn¡¯t getting hurt. Yue stood up and joined the fight. The mage was busy fighting them, so Yue was sure that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do any new magic. As long as they kept him occupied, they could hold him down. But they needed a little more. She needed to find a way to stop the magic he was already using. As Xander tried to stab him, he ducked and punched him. Xander tried to stand his ground but still stepped back. The mage growled and attacked Xander, murder in his eyes. That¡¯s when Yue struck. She stabbed at his side, and he was forced to turn around and keep his eyes on her. He may have made his skin like metal, but obviously it still hurt. As he focused on her, Poli struck at him from the back, and Xander did from the side. He looked around wildly as Yue and her friends struck at him again and again, and he yelled in confusion. He tried to block the swords, but it was too much. He was retreating. Xander stepped back and let Yue and Poli take care of it. Yue wondered what he was doing. Her question was answered a moment later as she saw him behind the mage, struggling to pick up a box. The mage was too focused on Yue and Poli to be bothered by him, and Yue was determined to keep it that way. She struck at him again, and he squealed. Xander finally got a hold of the box. He lifted it and walked over slowly, quietly to the mage. As Poli and Yue forced him to retreat, the mage unknowingly closed the distance between him and Xander. And when he got close enough to Xander, Xander threw the box as hard as he could. Thunk. The sharp end of the box hit the mage in the back of the head, and his eyes rolled back. The box hadn¡¯t pierced him, but even with magical skin, a hard enough hit could neutralize him. He fell to the ground unconscious. Poli quickly dispatched him, chopping off his head. ¡°I¡¯ll check on our wounded,¡± Yue told Poli and Xander. ¡°There¡¯s one assassin I left alive. Go check on him. I want to ask him some questions.¡± They nodded and went. Yue went to check on Alyx and Artemis first. They were fine. Artemis¡¯ leg was hurt, but nothing that wouldn¡¯t heal quickly. Alyx was a little more hurt in the stomach, but she would be okay. Same with Aster. She had had her arm stabbed, but she was mostly fine, though Yue thought her arm might be broken. Neena was in trouble, though. While they were fighting, Alyx had apparently gone to stop the bleeding, but Neena was still very hurt. She was slipping in and out of consciousness. Yue thought she would live, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yue whispered to her, crying. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Neena replied, waking up a little. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You were there for me.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t, I¡­¡± ¡°Shh,¡± Neena¡¯s soothing voice relaxed Yue a bit. ¡°I¡¯ll live. You didn¡¯t fail me.¡± Yue nodded, smiling a bit now. ¡°Yue, the assassin is awake,¡± Poli¡¯s voice reached out to her. Yue stood up, wiped her tears, and glared at the assassin. She walked over to him and slapped him. ¡°Who do you work for?¡± She commanded. He just stared back at her. She slapped him again and repeated the question. He didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Don¡¯t make me torture you,¡± She yelled at him. He still didn¡¯t say anything, so Yue looked at Alyx, who smiled wickedly. She grabbed the man¡¯s hand, and quickly chopped off his finger with her dagger. He screamed, but didn¡¯t say anything. So she continued, finger by finger, until all ten were on the ground, blood and bone visible on the ground. The man was whimpering now. ¡°TELL ME WHO SENT YOU!¡± Yue screamed. The man just laughed. Eventually, they had to give up. They decided to bring him back to camp, and give him over to the Magefell Guards, where he would be put in prison. Yue and her friends set off towards Zenyth grounds. Neena needed immediate medical attention. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue had asked the nurse to put them all in one room, at least for an hour. The nurse didn¡¯t like the idea, but she grudgingly agreed, especially when Yue told her it was very important. Yue and her friends had been going over their list for a few days now and there was only one name left they didn¡¯t know of the people who watched her game. They had also been able to eliminate some of them. There were not that many names left. One of them would be the murderer. ¡°Does anyone have the final name?¡± She asked nervously. Poli smiled weakly. ¡°I figured it out. James Windstor. He was there. I can also confirm that he did not kill Jos. He was with three of his friends during that time, all who confirm he was with them. Some outside of their friend group confirmed it too.¡± One step closer. Yue smiled. She starred then scratched off James¡¯ name. ¡°We have ten names left of those who attended my game that could be the murderer. Any news about that?¡± ¡°All of us have been eliminated, right?¡± Neena asked. ¡°Only Alyx and Aster,¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°And me of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m eliminated too,¡± Xander said. ¡°I actually hadn¡¯t done that, but it¡¯s true,¡± She replied, scratching off his name. ¡°I was with Poli and Artemis after the funeral,¡± Neena said, wincing from the pain.. Yue nodded, smiled, and scratched all three of their names off. ¡°That only leaves six,¡± Yue told them. ¡°Marya, Ax, and Petr were all seen when Jos was murdered. Confirmed by five different people. They couldn¡¯t have done it.¡± Alyx¡¯s voice sounded triumphant, even while hurt. Butterflies grew in Yue¡¯s tummy. That only left three people. One man she didn¡¯t know. His name was, coincidentally enough, Josh. The other two shocked her. Eva. Joanne. ¡°Does anyone have an alibi for Josh?¡± She wondered aloud. ¡°I do,¡± Artemis replied, and Yue¡¯s heart sank. Artemis told her his story with Josh and how his friends had had to visit the parliament close to Jos¡¯ death. They couldn¡¯t have been there. Yue¡¯s heart raced. She¡¯d checked every name they¡¯d crossed out after their meeting. Each one checked out. None of them could be the killer. Unless it was Eva or Joanne. Or if there were more than one. She had never wanted to think about that possibility. It couldn¡¯t be true, right? Thankfully, most of the alibis were airtight: Even the killers being more than one couldn¡¯t break them. But the thought of the killers being plural shook Yue¡¯s world. Not as much as the thought of Eva or Joanne doing it. They couldn¡¯t be the ones. Eva was a bastard, sure, but she wouldn¡¯t have killed Jos. And Joanne was just too nice, even if she did worship Dautha. It couldn¡¯t be true. Yue wouldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°There¡¯s only two names left, right?¡± Aster asked. Yue nodded, and Aster cringed. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I can confirm that Eva did not do it. Not only do her friends confirm it, but Kol himself did too.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°That only leaves Joanne then,¡± Alyx groaned. ¡°Once I¡¯m out of here..¡± Yue fell down. No! It couldn¡¯t be Joanne. Joanne was too nice. She¡­ She didn¡¯t have a firm alibi. She was the only one left on the list who could¡¯ve done the murderer. Joanne had to be the murderer! Yue didn¡¯t want to believe it. Joanne had killed Diamond and Jos. Even Rosalia¡¯s death was her fault. It was all Joanne. Yue felt a mixture of sadness and anger. Joanne was a murderer. Interlude Two: Arcadia Interlude 2: Arcadia ¡°Are you all ready?¡± Jade asks. Demien and Guilia nod. ¡°Good.¡± Torr says. ¡°Come back soon. We might need your help.¡± Jade salutes him and sets off with her fellow guardspeople. They are leaving for Arcadia. They need to warn the Guards there about the wolf creature that attacked them. In the meantime, Torr will be searching for any other wolves in the area. Jade hopes that there aren¡¯t. One was bad enough. Chrome is dead because of it. Erenfeld hasn¡¯t really been the same in the week since Chrome died. In a way, it reminds her of when Zade¡¯s parents died. Then, the entire Erenfeld community had mourned the loss of two important members of society, and had grown fearful of Zade. Now, the entire community is scared again. This time, it is a much more energetic fear. Erenfeld is terrified now. Terrified of annihilation. If one wolf can kill a guard and wound another, five wolves alone can decimate the community! Farmers are scared for their crops. Parents are scared for their kids. Kids are scared for themselves. It is a difficult time. Hopefully, Arcadia can help. Jade is walking with a crutch, leg broken. She walks a little slower now, but with a determined look on her face. She can take on a wolf if it tries to attack her. As they trek the trail to Arcadia, none of them talk. Even Demien has been mourning Chrome in his own way. Guilia in particular was hit hard. The only reason they don¡¯t break down is because they need to keep going. If they stop for a moment, Erenfeld could be destroyed. There¡¯s no time to mourn for real. So they mourn inside. And they hope. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Arcadia is an entrancing place. It looks like a bigger version of Erenfeld. While Magefell is a metropolis, Arcadia is more of a large town. It was created to have a homely feel to it. Even the royal family lives in a relatively simple home, though it is bigger than the average home. The Arcadian royal family is known throughout the world for their kindness and good rule. They always have at least one member listening to the pleads of the community, and often, if one is looking, one can find a member just walking the streets. Many normal people are good friends with the crown prince and princess. Arcadia is one of the only places where the royal family can marry whoever they want, regardless of status. Jade can hear the sound of a hammer from a blacksmith down the street, a friendly conversation between two women, and a man yelling his wares all at the same time. No noise overtakes the other, and they form a kind of symphony that Jade loves. Even their shoes clicking on the cobblestone warms her. Every house, inn, and shop feels like home. From a worn place like the tanner¡¯s to the polished feel of most inns, every location gives a feeling of welcoming. Even the smells are wonderful. No piss. The mages take care of that. The smells are of warm meat and perfumes, of books and fires. It is the smell of living in a cold winter in one¡¯s home with a cozy fireplace. In other words, it¡¯s Jade¡¯s home away from home. She has come here over a hundred times. She knows all the odds and ends of this city. One of the best parts about being a guard is being able to come to Arcadia for reports. Jade loves Arcadia. And she¡¯s not the only one. Guilia and Demien both come here whenever they can too. Arcadia is one of the most popular cities worldwide, and one of the most loved. The only city that can compare is Magefell. And Magefell is only better because of the mages. Arcadia was made without mages. That makes Jade like it more. Zade loves Arcadia too. He loved telling her about how he would live here when he grew up. Jade wipes a tear. They reach the headquarters of the Arcadia Guards. Jade knocks at the door, and immediately the door is opened by a smiling figure. Kronos. Jade knows him fairly well. He¡¯s one of the nicest men in the entire world. He would help someone out even if they had been proven to be liars. His smile disappears a little. ¡°Jade! Guilia! Demien! It¡¯s good to see you, but why are you here?¡± Jade winces. ¡°I think it¡¯s better we speak in private.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Arcadia Guards¡¯ headquarters is exactly what the Erenfeld Guards wish they had. It¡¯s beautiful, spacious, and homely. Only a few of Arcadia Guards showed up to listen to their story. Most are patrolling the city. The others are probably on a day off. Excluding Kronos, there are three people listening to them. Jade only knows one of them. Her name is Jin. She''s middle-aged with a protective nature around her. She treats the Guards like her kids. No one has died on her watch, which she is really proud of. Jade hopes it always stays that way. Jade tells the story of the wolf. She would prefer Guilia or Demien do it, but Guilia wasn¡¯t really there, and neither was Demien. Plus, Demien would screw the story up. Once she tells about Chrome¡¯s death, Kronos¡¯ eyes fill with tears. Jade guesses he must be really sentimental. The other three watch mostly impassively, but I can tell Jin is shaken. ¡°So it was just a lone wolf?¡± One of the people I don¡¯t know asks. He looks pensive. His goatee is a little dumb, though. ¡°As far as we know, yes,¡± Jade responds. ¡°But we¡¯re not sure. Torr is investigating as we speak, but we came here to tell you, so that you could spread the word to the royal family. And so you could send someone to investigate.¡± ¡°Hmmm. That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Jin says. ¡°I think we could send a few.I can get a hearing in with the queen too, although I¡¯ll probably have to send some of us hometown guards instead of you.¡± She rubs her chin in thought. ¡°I need to go talk to Robb. He¡¯s on patrol, but I¡¯ll get him to contact the queen.¡± ¡°Who¡¯ll be coming with us?¡± Jade asks. ¡°I¡¯m going, obviously,¡± Jin replies. ¡°Kronos should go too, if just because he knows Erenfeld Woods well. Ragnar,¡± She continues, pointing at the goateed man, ¡°Will be coming. He¡¯s our newest addition and a very welcome one. I¡¯ll also bring Yung along. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to see some action.¡± ¡°Anyone else?¡± Guilia questions. ¡°How about Addi?¡± Addi is one of Guilia¡¯s closest friends. She was born in Erenfeld but moved to Arcadia when she turned thirteen. Jade knows her fairly well, but they aren¡¯t very close. It¡¯s not easy to be close to someone who lives half a day¡¯s journey away. Same with Zade. Jade hopes he finds a way to contact her, because she doesn¡¯t want the relationship to break while they¡¯re separate. Friendship, she reminds herself, not relationship. Relationship makes it sound different than it really is. ¡°Addi can come,but I¡¯ll have to take her out of Patrol. Lan, can you take care of that?¡± The man to her right nods. He has an eyepatch over an eye and a handful of scars on his face. He¡¯s never told Jade about his past, and Jade has never asked. ¡°Alright, we should probably leave at midnight,¡± Jin says. ¡°But¡ª¡± Demien starts to retort. ¡°If we left now, we¡¯d only enter the woods at night.¡± Jin replies. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s a good idea? I understand your urgency,but we can¡¯t leave today.¡± Demien huffs. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Jade tells him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s plenty to do here in Arcadia.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Jin smiles. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you all again.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± Jade¡¯s lips curl upwards. ¡°Just wish it was under different circumstances.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± Guilia stats. ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°You¡¯ll just drink yourself to sleep, Demien!¡± The pretty barmaid exclaims. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Jade replies, eyes closed, hat over her head. ¡°He¡¯s like this all the time.¡± ¡°But what about me?¡± She whines. Demien puts an arm around her waist. ¡°I still have space for you,¡± He whispers in her ear. Jade stands up. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone. Y¡¯all really should keep some things private.¡± She exits the inn, and into the wonderful afternoon of Arcadia. She doesn¡¯t have much to think about, but she always gets lost in thought anyway. She loves just thinking and walking around, not caring where she¡¯s going. She¡¯s thinking about Zade now. But not in a sad way. She¡¯s thinking about him in Arcadia. She remembers the first time she came with him to Arcadia. He was really happy to show her around the places he knew so well, and he asked her to do the same, and she¡¯d been glad to. By the end of that day, they had both felt like they¡¯d seen a different side of Arcadia. While Jade looked for the more pretty, dazzling side of Arcadia, Zade looked for the more homely and friendly side. Jade never forgets that day. It gave her two perspectives of Arcadia, ones that she now sees are two sides of the same coin. She doesn¡¯t even think of them as two perspectives anymore. It¡¯s really only one now. She hears someone yell behind her, and barely moves in time to see a horse and rider gallop forward urgently. The rider looks familiar. Is that¡­ Danni? What¡¯s she doing here in Arcadia? Jade¡¯s heart drops. This can¡¯t be good news! ¡°Danni!¡± She screams. Danni stiffens and stops her horse. She looks at Jade and smiles. ¡°Hey, Jade!¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Danni replies. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to get a message to Jin and the Arcadia Guards.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Jade replies. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jin asks softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°How can you possibly not know?¡± Jade laughs. ¡°You¡¯ve come here for a reason.¡± ¡°Well, Torr told me to give you a message, but I have no idea what it means.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Jin tells her, ¡°What¡¯s the message then?¡± ¡°Torr told me to say: ¡®It¡¯s worse than we thought. No time to explain. Get here as quick as you can!¡¯ That was it. Do you know what it means?¡± Jade cringes visibly. ¡°It has to do with the wolves, but I can¡¯t be sure what that means.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Jin sighs. ¡°Well, I guess Demien will be happy. We leave in one hour. Jade, can you get your friends here?¡± ¡°I can,¡± She replies. ¡°But I¡¯d rather not be the one that disturbs Demien.¡± Jin gives her a questioning look, but Jade waves it off. She can¡¯t help but feel a little excited about finding out what Torr was saying. She just hoped it wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They decide to go by horse this time. It¡¯s faster, and, quite frankly, much more comfortable with Jade¡¯s broken leg. There are eight people going, five Arcadia Guards, two Erenfeld Guards, and Danni. The guards will drop Danni off in Erenfeld and then meet up with Torr in the forest to see what the fuss is all about. The journey to Erenfeld is much more talkative than the one to Arcadia. Because they don¡¯t see each other much, Jade has to catch up with all her friends and acquaintances. Chrome comes up sometimes but Jade doesn¡¯t really want to talk about her. It¡¯s a little painful, especially because it happened when Jade was nearby. She can¡¯t help but feel just a tad guilty. Most of the news in Arcadia is pretty commonplace. Marriages, breakups, and even occasionally some sort of tension between civilians. Jade is surprised to learn about something called the Magefell Tournament. The more she learns, the more she wants to go, but she has work to do. Plus, she would never have a chance to win. Jin is shocked to learn of Zade going to Magefell. She knew he¡¯d awakened and his parents had died, but she didn¡¯t know he¡¯d be going so quickly. She thought it would have taken a couple more months at least. She wishes she could have said goodbye. The walk to Erenfeld mostly takes her mind off the wolves. Spending time with people can be draining, but sometimes she just needs it. Chrome barely flashes across her mind after a while. Jade wishes she could have time to properly cry for her, but now is not it. ¡°How is your family?¡± Jin asks. ¡°Oh, the same,¡± Jade responds. ¡°Not much ever changes. My dad is still working all day, every day.¡± ¡°Some things never change,¡± Jin says. ¡°Speaking of change, have you been able to get in contact with Zade at all?¡± Jade shakes her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m hoping he finds a way, though.¡± ¡°I hope he finds a way, too. It must break your heart to be so far from him.¡± ¡°It does. Especially with all this happening now, I¡¯m sure that Zade would love to help me if he was here. But I¡¯ve still been doing fine without him. I always have to keep going. I¡¯m not going to let my best friend moving out ruin my life!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Jin smiles. ¡°Although, I do know you didn¡¯t just want him to be your friend, did you?¡± Jade sighs. ¡°Why does everyone keep saying that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s obvious,¡± Jin replies. ¡°There was more happening between you two than you cared to admit. There¡¯s no shame in admitting it, Jade.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re wrong,¡± Jade retorts. ¡°Maybe I am,¡± Jin says, ¡°But you¡¯re the one who needs to answer it. Am I wrong?¡± Jade bites her lip and looks forward. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it doesn¡¯t matter now anyway, does it? He¡¯s gone, and I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Not for too long,¡± Jin responds. ¡°Remember, you can move if you want to. And if you want to stay, I¡¯m sure Zade will come back. He wouldn¡¯t abandon you. He feels the same as you do.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Have you seen how he reacts around you? He¡¯s struck. And for good reason. You are pretty, you know.¡± Jade blushes. ¡°I guess. I just¡­Don¡¯t want to think about it.¡± ¡°You should. It¡¯s better to face your fears.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared of it.¡± ¡°Are you? I think you¡¯re scared of life without him nearby.¡± ¡°How would you know?¡± Jade responds sharply. She immediately feels guilty about it. ¡°You live in Arcadia, Jin. You don¡¯t know what my life is like!¡± ¡°I agree. But I can see how you act while you¡¯re here. You try to hide it, but I see it in you, Jade. You must face it.¡± ¡°I know, I just¡­¡± Jade hesitates. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, child,¡± Jin tells her. Jin isn¡¯t much older than her, but she¡¯s always called Jade that. ¡°But you must think about it. Don¡¯t avoid your problems.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jin. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Any time.¡± Jade urges her horse forward. She can see Erenfeld. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Torr is right on the outskirts of Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s farm. He looks worried, and Jade immediately fears the worst. Not that she knows what the worst is. She just hopes it isn¡¯t as bad as her imagination tells her it is. ¡°Like Danni told you, my worst fears were confirmed.¡± Torr told the seven of them. ¡°It¡¯s better I show you what it is. Everyone be quiet. I don¡¯t think I need to warn you, but I will anyway. This might be the most dangerous thing we can do. I don¡¯t want to hear anyone talking when we enter. You are only here so I can show you what is happening. Once we have seen it, we must leave. One of you will need to warn the royal family. You will want to leave immediately. More than that, I would love for you to bring reinforcements when you come. ¡°That¡¯s enough chatter. It¡¯s getting dark, which makes this even more dangerous. Let¡¯s go.¡± He leads the way, and everyone follows. Jade immediately feels apprehensive as they enter the woods. It¡¯s dark and eerie, just like any forest, but knowing there is a monster in here just makes it worse. Clearly, the others feel the same, as they all huddle together when they walk. Even Demien, who normally makes a lot of noise when walking, is able to keep the sound to a minimum. Jade makes sure to breathe softly, carefully. It wouldn¡¯t do to have a wolf hear her. If there were wolves. She isn¡¯t sure what Torr has to show them, but her imagination runs wild with ideas. She thinks that maybe there is a clan of these wolves, all with armor and swords. Maybe it¡¯s a bigger wolf, or a family of wolves. Maybe the one she fought was a female and there was a male who was bigger. She shuddered at the thought of a larger wolf. Maybe it wasn¡¯t about wolves at all. Maybe Torr found enemy scouts, or maybe some sort of information or conspiracy against the royal family. Jade doesn¡¯t know why there would be a conspiracy in the woods, but anything is possible now. She even entertains the thought of an army of mages camped right outside Erenfeld ready to destroy it. It sounds completely impossible, and Jade doesn¡¯t even know where those mages would come from, but right now all she can think about is that Torr said he would show them something bad, and mages would be bad news. They walk deeper into the woods, and Jade begins to wonder if whatever Torr even wants to show them will be in the woods at all. They went very deep in the woods when they chased the first wolf, and unless what Torr is speaking about is another family of wolves, it¡¯s possible he wants to show them something outside of the woods. A big army wouldn¡¯t fit in this forest anyway. Suddenly, a rustling noise comes to the left of them. Immediately, Torr puts his hand up, warning them. Jade kneels down low,making sure she doesn¡¯t touch any sticks or leaves. Her friends do the same. The rustling noise continues. Jade¡¯s heart beats faster. The rustling is coming closer. Snap. Demien steps on a stick. Jade turns to him, eyes wide. Demien looks back at her, horrified. The rustling gets closer, and Jade can now see a shadow. A big shadow. It looks like another wolf. The shadow passes right by them and stops. Jade holds her breath. She can¡¯t hear any of her friends breathing. What she can hear is her own heart. She wonders for a second how the others don¡¯t hear it. It¡¯s beating like a drum. Eventually,the shadow decides it didn¡¯t see anything and walks away. Jade breathes a sigh of relief. And then she realizes how bad seeing the wolf was. The wolf is heading in the direction of Erenfeld. Jade guesses he is going to Farmer Holdstadt¡¯s farm, maybe to steal some sheep. Whatever the wolf is doing, it isn¡¯t good. At least, Jade guesses it¡¯s a wolf. It might not be, but it did have the shape and size. Hopefully, the wolf doesn¡¯t get too close to the village. Now that Jade finally admits to herself that there were multiple wolves, she has to ask herself one question: Why are the wolves here? There were never any monstrous wolves anywhere near Erenfeld in her lifetime, and she assumed that any historical record of Erenfeld would say the same. It was very irregular to be anything like this here. Plus, they are monsters, clearly not a normal animal. The more Jade hears about this, the more confused she is. Maybe the wolves were here because their home had become too small for them. Maybe they were just vicious monsters who wanted to kill. Maybe it is a horde of these wolves. Each theory that passed through Jade¡¯s mind was worse than the next. Torr won¡¯t tell them the truth, and now Jade is burning to know the answer. They keep traveling in the forest. At this point, Jade thinks they must be close to the edge. Her past theory seems to be confirmed. They don¡¯t live in the forest. Do they live down the cliff past the forest? She¡¯s been there once before in her life, when she was seven. She barely remembers it. They might also live in the mountain nearby, in a cave. At this point, they must have been traveling for at least an hour. Jade is really getting tired, especially with her broken foot. It throbs painfully every step she takes. Not that she cares too much. She¡¯s been trained to ignore most of her pain. She can see the end of the forest now. It looks surreal, like it shouldn¡¯t exist. Just past the trees is a big drop. A cliff. Jade has never understood how a forest can be on top of a cliff, but it¡¯s cool nonetheless. She looks past the cliff, though, to something that catches her eye. Smoke. Smoke rising from beneath the cliff. Clearly, something smart enough to make a fire lives underneath. The wolves? They were smart enough for armor and weapons, so they could easily be smart enough for fires. The smell of roasting meat reaches her. This isn¡¯t a normal fire. It has to be man-made. Or creature-made anyway. Torr puts a finger to his lips. The meaning is clear. Any noise now could alert whatever is beneath the cliff. Shut the hell up. They weren¡¯t talking before, but now there was even less noise. Like a more quiet silence. Clearly, everyone is just as worried as Jade. Torr waves them over, and they slowly cross the threshold from forest to cliff. From here, Torr puts his hand up and we stop. He goes ahead of us, looking for any scouts. Knowing what he¡¯s doing scares Jade a bit. If he¡¯s looking for scouts, then that means there must be a lot of wolves. Finally, Torr is done. He waves them over. Her fellow guards rush over as silently as they can, and Jade follows them, looking behind to make sure they aren¡¯t being followed. Something rustles. She looks sharply at a bush, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything there. She¡¯s just being paranoid. Better paranoid than caught unaware. She reaches the edge of the cliff, still looking back. She slowly turns her head around. For a second, she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s looking at. Then her heart drops and her jaw drops. It¡¯s an army. Not just any army. An army made of wolves. Thousands of them, possibly hundreds of thousands, all eating by campfire. They have to have killed hundreds of animals for that, Jade realizes. The camp stretches for more than a mile. She doesn¡¯t know if she can see the end of it. All she can see are wolves, most of them massive and wearing armor. Some of the wolves are wearing more armor than the wolf she killed. She can see some of the wolves acting as lookouts looking up. They can¡¯t see her, but she still ducks out of sight. She looks back at the army, unbelieving. Where did this army come from? Where did they get their supplies? Who¡¯s running this army? Why are they here? What even are these creatures? So many questions run through Jade¡¯s mind, and none she has the answer to. The only thing she knows is that this army is endangering the world. She watches in horror as one wolf stands up, clearly annoyed, and starts to walk away. Two other wolves growl at it and attack it, one with an axe and the other with a sword. The first wolf is quickly dispatched, limbs chopped, and finally, head smashed in. The other two wolves rip its flesh apart and immediately start to roast it. Jade wants to throw up. She barely survived against one of these. She can¡¯t deal with three, much less hundreds of thousands. They need to warn the king. The wolves can only be here for war. And with their strength and numbers, they just might win. Jade is properly scared now. Chapter Twenty-One: The Next Day Chapter Twenty-One: The Next Day Yue didn¡¯t sleep at night. She had two thoughts warring in her mind. No matter how much she tried to ignore the thoughts, they always came back, haunting her. It was a never ending cycle she struggled with, one she hoped to end soon. The first thought was of the battle with the assassins. Yes, they¡¯d won, but at what cost? Neena had passed out yesterday, and she was in a coma now. The nurse didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d survive or not. Her breathing was very shallow now. Yue shook just thinking about it. Thankfully, Xander and Poli had escaped unscathed, just like she did. Artemis, meanwhile, was very injured. The nurse was trying all she could to keep his leg from getting infected, but she told Yue that she might not be able to. Alyx and Aster were mostly fine, but they still needed to heal. They¡¯d killed the assassins, but her friends had gotten hurt. Some of the wounds could be irreparable. They didn''t even unmask the murderer. They had been led into a trap, and had been too stupid to realize it. She had been too stupid to realize it. Her friends didn¡¯t blame her, which did ease her pain a little, but it still hurt to look at her friends now, especially Neena. She looked so fragile in bed, eyes closed, chest covered in bandages, moving up and down slowly. The second thought she had was of Joanne. She hadn¡¯t been able to confront the girl yet, but she would have to. She didn¡¯t know if she was sad or mad at her. She¡¯d trusted the girl, and even came to be friends with her. She¡¯d betrayed her, though. Had she really befriended Yue to kill her? Then the anger would come. Joanne had been playing her this whole time. She worshiped Dautha, of course Joanne would betray Yue. Why had she ever trusted anyone in the Cult? The girl had killed Diamond! She¡¯d killed Jos! She¡¯d killed Rosalia! Yue would kill her. But it was Joanne. She was so sweet, and willing to learn with her and teach her. She¡¯d been nice and likable. Not like a murderer at all. She was sweet, a good friend, not willing to punch back if a friend hit her. Eva had tried to kill her, and she hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. Was that really all an act? Somehow, Yue couldn''t believe it. Maybe she had just gotten too attached, but how was it even possible for her to kill someone? She just didn¡¯t know what to think about any of this. It was a difficult situation, one she wasn¡¯t sure she knew how to deal with. But she had to. She would face Joanne, and get her alibi out of her. If she didn¡¯t have one, Yue would look for evidence against her. She would have to be locked up, at least for a time. Until she was convicted or acquitted. She didn¡¯t want the day to start. She knew it would be a very stressful day. Eventually, the sun started to shine. Yue wiped her tired eyes. It was time to go to work. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Firstly, she decided to visit the hospital. Joanne could wait. She stopped by Alyx¡¯s room first. The girl was wide-awake. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Stomach hurts like hell, though.¡± ¡°I imagine,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Have you confronted Joanne yet?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m hoping to do it after this. I needed to check on you first.¡± Alyx groaned. ¡°The longer you wait, the more time she has to escape. You have to catch her.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re more important.¡± Alyx stared pointedly at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Joanne is a killer. You really want her going around?¡± Yue shook her head again. ¡°No. But you don¡¯t know she¡¯s the killer¡­¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Alyx retorted. ¡°Just go get Joanne.¡± ¡°Fine. Rest well, Alyx.¡± ¡°I will. It¡¯s not like I can do anything anyway,¡± The wounded girl laughed. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue didn¡¯t take Alyx¡¯s order, of course. She went to visit Artemis next. Poli was there, holding his hand. His leg was held high, bandage marked with blood. ¡°Hey, Yue,¡± Poli whispered weakly. ¡°He¡¯s not awake yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°Not infected, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. I think he¡¯ll make it. He''s strong enough. He didn¡¯t deserve it, you know.¡± Yue didn¡¯t know if that was true. She remembered the relationship between Astil and Artemis. There was clearly more there than Poli knew, but Yue didn¡¯t want to debate the issue. ¡°He¡¯s breathing fine?¡± She asked. Poli nodded. ¡°Unless the leg gets infected, he¡¯ll be out of the hospital soon, although he¡¯ll have to use crutches.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Yue said, false positivity in her voice. She wished all her friends would heal that quickly. ¡°Did he wake up during the night?¡± ¡°Once,¡± Poli replied, tears staining her eyes now, ¡°He started screaming about the pain.¡± ¡°Was the crossbow bolt poisoned?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure. If it was, the poison is undetectable.¡± ¡°Well, tell him I hope he gets better soon.¡± ¡°I will, Yue, I will.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Next, she went to Aster¡¯s room. Aster was awake already, eating breakfast. Her arm was in a makeshift sling, but otherwise she seemed fine. Yue asked her how she was doing, and Aster responded cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ve never been better. I feel great. I¡¯m ready to leave.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Your arm is still hurt.¡± Aster waved her comment off. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. How are the others?¡± ¡°Alyx is still in a little pain, but is doing well. We still don¡¯t know much about what¡¯s going on with Artemis¡¯ leg. It might be poisoned. It could get infected. We just have to wait and see. I haven¡¯t checked on Neena, but last night she was in critical condition.¡± Aster sucked in a breath. ¡°She¡¯ll be okay, won¡¯t she?¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope so. I¡¯m going to check on her after I finish with you.¡± ¡°Go,¡± Aster told her, ¡°I know you want to.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Thank you. Rest well.¡± ¡°Give Neena my love.¡± ¡°I will. I will.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue tentatively knocked on Neena¡¯s door. ¡°Yes?¡± A familiar voice answered. Yue opened the door. Xander was sitting on a chair worriedly looking at Yue. ¡°Hasn¡¯t woken up yet?¡± Yue asked. Xander shook his head. Yue sighed. ¡°She stopped breathing a couple hours ago, but she¡¯s better now,¡± Xander told her. ¡°¡±I really don¡¯t know if she¡¯s going to make it, Yue.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Yue retorted sharply. ¡°She can¡¯t die!¡± ¡°Take a seat,¡± Xander whispered slowly. Yue nodded, surrendering. She pulled up a chair and sat down next to Xander, laying her head on his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. I was this close to stopping them from¡­¡± Yue choked on her words. ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault,¡± Xander replied, stroking her hair, ¡°She knew the risk she was taking.¡± ¡°She¡­¡± Yue refused to call her by her name. That way, it didn¡¯t seem like she was hurt. ¡°She said I took care of her. What did she mean? I let her get stabbed!¡± ¡°You were protecting her,¡± Xander looked at her sweetly, ¡°And because of you, she¡¯s still alive. You may not have been able to stop her from getting hurt, but you stopped her from dying.¡± ¡°She might still die,¡± Sobbed Yue. ¡°I thought you told me to not say that,¡± Xander teased softly. ¡°Don¡¯t think of it that way. Think like this: She might still live. Don¡¯t think of her death, Yue. It¡¯s worthless to think of possibilities. If she makes it, she makes it. You have to keep hoping.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all we can do, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all we have,¡± Xander corrected, ¡°Hope is our last resort. If one doesn¡¯t have hope, one has nothing.¡± Yue nodded, and cried on Xander¡¯s chest. He pulled her close and she wept. Neena needed to be okay. She was Yue¡¯s hope. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue found Joanne at the cafeteria eating. She wasn¡¯t mad currently. Just sad. ¡°Joanne, come with me,¡± She said, forcing steel into her voice. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± Joanne¡¯s eyes were wild as she saw the dozen or so Magefell Guards behind Yue. ¡°You¡¯re being arrested for the potential murder of Diamond and Jos. Please comply.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Joanne was scared now. ¡°Please just come with us,¡± Yue said sadly. Joanne stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, but I didn¡¯t do it, Yue! Why are you accusing me?¡± The betrayal on her face haunted Yue until they arrived at the jail. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was in the interrogation room with Joanne. No one was listening in, which left both of them to speak freely. ¡°Why am I getting arrested?¡± Joanne questioned. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. You know it!¡± Yue sighed. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who could¡¯ve done it. You didn¡¯t have an airtight alibi. Plus, we¡¯ve eliminated every other potential murderer.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it. I told you. I do have an alibi. I just don¡¯t have any proof of it! You have to believe me, Yue.¡± Joanne was clearly desperate, and Yue almost felt a stab of pity. ¡°If you¡¯re not the killer, Joanne, then who is?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Joanne hung her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only person who could¡¯ve done it, Joanne,¡± Yue said softly. ¡°If you aren¡¯t the killer, I¡¯ll find him. But if you are, then you should be ashamed for using me like this.¡± Joanne hung her head and cried, sobs wracking her body. Yue left, not sure whether she felt angry towards her or not. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was leading a Vanguard meeting now. The day was passing too quickly. Her speech now could end up acquitting Joanne. A small part of her heart hoped that would happen. The other part worried about the consequences of Joanne not being the killer. She had set up a three foot tall stand to be able to look at all the members of the Vanguard. ¡°Today,¡± She spoke to the waiting crowd. ¡°We have arrested a suspect in the murder of Diamond Reinholt and Jos Kholt.¡± A murmur spread to the crowd, and many people looked around, searching for who wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Today,¡± She continued, ¡°We have arrested Joanne Ivanov.¡± Gasps and murmurs spread through the Vanguard. ¡°We are not sure she is the murderer. But all signs point to her so far. If we find any evidence that she is the murderer, we will convict her. ¡°In the meanwhile, everything here will stay the same. If anyone has proof of what she has done, please reach out to me. If anyone can clear her name, I would like to know that as well. Thank you. That is all.¡± As soon as the speech ended, many people left in groups, discussing what just happened. A few people stayed, though. They began to approach Yue, who was standing next to Xander, arms crossed. ¡°Are you here to convict or acquit Joanne?¡± Yue asked. The twenty or so people all said relatively the same thing to her. ¡°I have evidence of Joanne¡¯s innocence,¡± One girl said. ¡°She didn¡¯t do it, and I can prove it,¡± Another said. ¡°She would never. I saw her!¡± Said a third. ¡°You know what to do,¡± Yue told Xander. He nodded, and pointed at half of the people in line. ¡°All the ones I pointed at, please come with me,¡± He said. ¡°The others, come with me,¡± Yue told the rest of them. Yue shared a quick nervous look with Xander before he was lost to sight. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The plan was simple: Xander and Yue would each interrogate half of the people who wanted to clear Joanne¡¯s name. Then they would switch and interrogate the people again. Afterwards, they would compare the stories. Hopefully, that would tell them if the stories were legitimate or not. ¡°I saw her eating by the cafeteria with Rosalia, you know, the girl that offed herself,¡± A boy was telling her arrogantly. ¡°That was the time when Jos was found murdered. I remember because she went there right after the funeral for Diamond. So did I, incidentally. So I was eating there, and Joanne was at a table across from me. She couldn¡¯t have killed Jos. You found him dead in the woods a little after the funeral, right? So Joanne isn¡¯t the killer. ¡°The boy sat back and crossed his arms, as if to prove his point. That was the same story she¡¯d gotten from eight people. Two people had told her stories that she didn¡¯t know if she believed. They just seemed like concerned friends doing anything to clear her name. She was inclined to believe the story that Joanne was innocent. She herself had said that she had been eating in the cafeteria. Plus, all the people had also noticed that Rosalia had been eating there too. Was Joanne really innocent? There was one person left to interview before Xander and her switched people. She brought the girl in. The girl had a feral look about her, clearly high. Ugh. This would not be good. Drugs were illegal in the Vanguard. The girl would have to be punished. Yue did have to follow her investigation, though. Just in case. ¡°You said you can prove Joanne is innocent?¡± ¡°Yes, I can!¡± The girl shouted. ¡°She didn¡¯t do it. I know so because she was busy with Jos.¡± Yue cocked her head at the girl. ¡°With Jos?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Doing things, if you know what I mean.¡± Yue grimaced. ¡°You said Joanne was ¡®doing things¡¯ with Jos when Jos was murdered. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a contradiction?¡± ¡°NO! I saw them. I could hear them too.¡± The girl seemed to get a faraway look to her. ¡°I wanted to join them.¡± Yup. This was a headache. ¡°How could Jos be in two places at once?¡± ¡°Magic,¡± The girl responded. ¡°She killed him because he didn¡¯t want to do it anymore.¡± ¡°You just said she didn¡¯t kill him!¡± Yue shrieked. She was quickly losing her patience with this girl. ¡°And she didn¡¯t!¡± The girl replied indignantly. ¡°What gave you that idea? They were just¡ª¡± ¡°I get the gist,¡± Yue said, ¡°This interview is over.¡± ¡°Wait! Not yet! I haven¡¯t told you about what Jos and Joanne did when the other girl joined. It got so much louder!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Yue warned her, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave.¡± As she started to leave the room, the girl spoke again. ¡°But I haven¡¯t told you the message from Dautha yet!¡± Yue narrowed her eyes and turned slowly towards the girl, who was now looking at her, eyes blank, pupils hidden. ¡°What did you say?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Dautha is coming, Yue. You¡¯re not safe. Neither is Zade. And most of all, neither is Neena!¡± The girl cackled, and Yue punched her roughly, fuming. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT NEENA!¡± She screamed. The girl cackled. Yue left the room, only sparing one glance back. The girl was gone somehow. Like she¡¯d never existed. Yue shivered and left to find Xander. It was time to interrogate the other warriors. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª This group was much easier to interrogate. She¡¯d already done nine of the ten and all had the same story. Joanne had been eating in the cafeteria with Rosalia. One of the people didn¡¯t remember Rosalia was there, but the point stood. Joanne was not the murderer. Or at least, that¡¯s what it seemed like. If so many people could prove Joanne¡¯s story true, then it had to be. But Yue wasn¡¯t sure yet. Until she released Joanne from prison, she refused to even think about the fact that Joanne might not be the killer. ¡°Joanne didn¡¯t do it,¡± The man exclaimed as soon as he entered. He looked to be around forty, but he was still very in shape. His muscles bulged, and he was clearly used to holding a sword by the way he positioned himself. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that from over a dozen people today,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But I have the real story. She was eating in the cafeteria¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that.¡± ¡°No, but¡­Oh wait, you have? That¡¯s great news.¡± The man looked relieved. ¡°You¡¯re releasing Joanne from prison then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What? But we all agree. She couldn¡¯t have killed Jos.¡± ¡°I get it. But who else could be the murderer?¡± The man bit his lip. ¡°Not Joanne, that¡¯s what I know. I hope you do find the murderer, though. If you need any help¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure to ask you,¡± Yue lied. She probably wouldn¡¯t ever need his help, unless a war started, which was very unlikely. ¡°Are you in the tournament?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± He said, puffing out his chest proudly. ¡°That¡¯s what you can do. Prepare for the tournament. Win it, if you can. It¡¯s the most any of us can do.¡± He saluted. ¡°Yes, maam.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So,¡± Yue asked, ¡°What¡¯d you get?¡± ¡°Eighteen of the people I interviewed told the same story of Rosalia and Joanne eating together.¡± ¡°Same. Three people said something different.¡± ¡°Three?¡± Xander asked. ¡°There were only twenty people.¡± ¡°No, I counted twenty-one!¡± Yue¡¯s voice was scary now. ¡°Who were the other three?¡± Yue wracked her head to figure out who the other three were. There were the two who were obviously Joanne¡¯s friends, and there was¡­ Yue gasped. ¡°What?¡± Xander asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The other person¡­You¡¯ll never believe what happened to me!¡± Yue told Xander what happened with the other person. Xander¡¯s face grew darker the more she said. ¡°And this person was gone when you looked again?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Yue responded. ¡°She disappeared into thin air.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Xander responded. ¡°Clearly, the murderer is onto us. I think this confirms that the murderer worships Dautha.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, we might oppose Dautha, but we¡¯re not explicitly going after the Cult, are we? The only way we could be attacking the Cult is if the killer is a member of the cult himself.¡± Yue winced. ¡°We¡¯d always thought that was a possibility. I¡¯m glad we could confirm it, but still, it¡¯s a scary thought, knowing there¡¯s a Cult after us. They¡¯re stronger than us, more numerous than us, smarter than us.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Xander said, grabbing her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re not alone. We have the seven of us, plus Zade¡¯s group and all the non-Cult mages that Zade talks to. You¡¯ll never be alone. I¡¯ll always be here for you, even when all else fails.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Yue straightened. ¡°We still have to talk about the two different stories the people gave us on Joanne¡¯s innocence.¡± ¡°Well, for me, one of them said that she was hanging out with Joanne catching frogs at the time, and the other said Joanne was fishing alone, although the closest fishing spot should be at the harbor.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Laughed Yue, ¡°They must¡¯ve changed the story a bit. One of them told me a story that they were catching worms. The other did say she was fishing, but according to her, she wasn¡¯t alone.¡± ¡°Well, case closed then,¡± Xander told her. ¡°Those stories are fake.¡± ¡°So what should we do now?¡± ¡°I guess we need to release Joanne from prison. She¡¯s just as innocent as anyone else we had scratched off on the list.¡± Yue winced. ¡°I was afraid you would say that. I don¡¯t think I can take the shame of facing Joanne. It¡¯s my fault she went to jail.¡± Xander smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. It¡¯s just as much my fault.¡± He offered her his hand, and she took it, beaming back up at him. They walked off towards the center of Magefell, where the prison was located. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So, what now?¡± Yue asked as they walked the glowing streets of Magefell. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xander wondered aloud. ¡°Well, now that Joanne isn¡¯t the murderer, how do we continue the investigation? We finished eliminating every name. There¡¯s no one else. Does that mean that the killer isn¡¯t a part of the Vanguard.¡± ¡°There might be another possibility.¡± At Yue¡¯s questioning look, Xander continued. ¡°There could be more than one.¡± Realization dawned on Yue. The one thing she¡¯d been dreading. Her eyes widened. ¡°No! That would be horrible! We¡¯d never be able to find out who did it!¡± ¡°Jos did,¡± Xander replied. ¡°If Jos did, I¡¯m sure we can.¡± ¡°I hope so. We¡¯re getting closer to the tournament, but not any closer to solving this. Do you think the murders have anything to do with the tournament?¡± ¡°I think so. Think about it. The Cult wants to do something during the tournament. The killer is a Cultist, or Cultists, murdering us right before the tournament. You see the connection?¡± ¡°But why? Why murder us?¡± ¡°Maybe just because we oppose Dautha. Or maybe because¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a distraction!¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°They think that by putting the Vanguard in disarray that we¡¯ll just be too distracted to stop them. Well, that¡¯s not gonna happen! We need to keep our ears open.¡± She tripped on a rock. ¡°And our eyes,¡± Xander laughed. Yue glared at him, and he helped her up. ¡°If it helps, that was a very graceful fall.¡± She pushed him playfully and he fell down. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t so graceful.¡± She said, walking off. ¡°Are you not going to help me up? Not gonna return the favor?¡± Xander¡¯s voice oozed fake betrayal. ¡°Nope. Get yourself up.¡± Yue told him. She kept walking, and heard footsteps behind her. Soon, Xander was walking beside her again. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They arrived at the prison, and proved to the guard there that they belonged to the Vanguard, He was quick to let them in. ¡°Are you here to release the girl?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes sir, she has been acquitted.¡± Yue told him. He winced. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°Better than her being a murderer.¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± He said, taking out a set of keys from his pocket and leading them down the corridor. Soon they arrived at Joanne¡¯s cell. ¡°You¡¯re free,¡± The jailer said to Joanne as he opened the door. Her jaw dropped. ¡°I¡¯m free? Already?¡± The disbelief in her voice hurt Yue. ¡°Yes,¡± Yue told her shamefully, coming into Joanne¡¯s field of vision. ¡°You are free to go. I want to apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have accused you. I am so sorry. I don¡¯t know what I can do to repay you.¡± She hung her head. Joanne looked at her sadly, but didn¡¯t respond. ¡°We should get back to the Vanguard,¡± Xander told them. It¡¯s getting late.¡± Joanne nodded curtly and set off, Xander and Yue behind her. The return trip to the Vanguard was awkward. Joanne refused to speak to Yue, and Yue and Xander couldn¡¯t have a normal conversation with someone who ignored them right between them. They all fell silent fairly quickly. Some people gawked at three members of the Vanguard walking side by side on the street, but all turned away at their cold gazes. Yue wanted to offer Joanne her sincerest apology, but she already had done that and Joanne had ignored her. Hopefully, this would go away soon, and Joanne would be back to her chipper self. Yue was praying that she could repair her friendship with Joanne. Could Joanne still be the murderer, though? If there was more than one murderer, it was possible that Joanne did it with a few of her Cultist friends. No. Yue shook her head. Unless every person she interviewed had been a part of the plan, and she doubted it, then it couldn¡¯t be. They returned to the camp, and all went their separate ways. Xander went to his barracks, while Yue went to eat. Joanne went somewhere else. Yue didn¡¯t bother to check. If the girl wanted to be alone, that was her right. Yue was lost in thought all dinner. She didn¡¯t know what she was going to do anymore to find the killer. She only knew one thing: They were back to square one. When it was time for her daily meeting with her friends, where Xander would leave to meet the Cult, she found Deserey looking for her. ¡°Have you heard the good news, Yue?¡± Deserey asked. She seemed more excited than normal. These days, she mostly just stood around crying or looking sad. She didn¡¯t really feel like talking to anyone. It was good to see she was doing better, although Yue was burning with curiosity to know what this news was. ¡°What?¡± Yue asked. ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the first to tell you?¡± Deserey asked. ¡°That¡¯s great. I love to be the bearer of good tidings. Anyway, in case you haven¡¯t heard, the Wolf is coming back! Tomorrow!¡± Yue felt a tingle of excitement. The wolf was coming back tomorrow! Suddenly, things looked a whole lot brighter. Chapter Twenty-Two: Level 106 Chapter Twenty-Two: Level 106 I wake up sore, obviously, at midnight. With the intense training I did the past two days, my body aches for more rest. Plus, I¡¯m still wounded, and I know I should probably stop and let myself heal. But the tournament is so close. I need to be able to help Yue if she needs it, and in the hospital I won¡¯t be able to do anything. So it¡¯s time to leave. I need to do it without the nurse finding me. Or anyone else, for that matter. I tuck my book under my arm, and get out of bed, clothed only in my undergarments and bandages. IF anyone sees me now, they¡¯ll think they¡¯re looking at a drugged, homeless man. I open the door to my hospital room, fully expecting to see an empty hallway with more doors to the other rooms. Instead, I find myself looking at the pudgy nurse¡¯s face, frowning up at me. ¡°What are you doing out of bed, Zade?¡± Mistress Haley asks softly. ¡°What are you doing outside of my room?¡± I retort. She walks in. ¡°I¡¯m not outside.¡± She grabs my arm. ¡°You need to sleep:¡± ¡°I¡¯ve slept enough. I¡¯ve rested enough.¡± I move to leave, but she pushes me back. ¡°You cannot leave yet,¡± She whispers. ¡°You will only hurt yourself more.¡± ¡°I need to do so many things,¡± I respond. ¡°You have to let me go.¡± ¡°I am sorry, that is not possible.¡± I sigh. I guess it¡¯s time to try something I¡¯ve been meaning to these last few days. I close my eyes and focus on my core. It invites me to use it. I smile and try to locate Mistress Haley¡¯s core. It takes me a good minute, but I find it. I can hear Mistress Haley telling me something, but I ignore her. I then use my core to use Levitation on her core. I think that should do the trick. A squeal erupts from Mistress Hale¡¯s throat. I open my eyes to see her rising in the air slowly. She releases my arm, and I shrug at her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mistress Haley, but I need to do this.¡± I limp off, hearing Mistress Haley shouting behind me. I shut the door to my room, and her screams are muffled. I feel a little bad for her, but I needed to do that. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I put my book down on the desk in my room and lay on my bed for the first time in the last few days. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I wake up to an incessant knocking on my door. I groan and get out of bed, wincing at the pain. I limp over to the door and open it. Xavier has his hands on his hips, glaring at me. ¡°What the hell are you doing here? Did the nurse let you out?¡± He demands. ¡°Well, I kinda let myself out,¡± I respond, grinning cheekily. Xavier sighs. ¡°You should go back to the hospital.¡± I shake my head fervently. ¡°No. There¡¯s too much to do.¡± ¡°Fine. But if you get hurt, it¡¯s on you.¡± He turns and walks off to the cafeteria. I close the door to get dressed. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I hobble down the streets of Magefell, Astil and Xavier in tow. I¡¯m determined to buy some crutches here so I can walk better. Or at least, limp easier. Astil constantly asks if I want any help walking. I refuse. I¡¯ll be fine. I notice how overflowing the city feels. There are people already arriving to participate in or watch the tournament. It feels suffocating almost. People are everywhere. It makes the Magefell of one week ago seem deserted even though it was anything but. There are already plenty of different cultures here, and probably many shops already offering different varieties for those cultures. I¡¯m jostled by some people walking in a different direction than me, and I realize how easy it would be to get swept up by the current of people and get lost here in the Magefell market. I can barely even see the shop signs. I pass an inn with a sign saying No Vacancy and my eyes widen a little. It doesn¡¯t even look very comfortable, but if even an inn like this is running out of rooms, I don¡¯t know if everyone who¡¯s coming for the tournament will be able to stay. It¡¯ll be way too crowded. I pass by the alleyway where I usually find Yue and walk a couple more blocks before I notice what I¡¯ve done. I backtrack and when I reach the alleyway, I check my pockets to make sure no pickpocket took anything. They¡¯ll definitely be about, especially this close to the tournament. Yue is already there with her friends. There are only two others here, though, which scares me a bit. Poli is here, and that annoys me slightly, since I don¡¯t like her and her association with Artemis. The other man I don¡¯t recognize. He seems to be a bit older than me, with jet black hair cropped somewhat short and a warm smile plastered on his face. I think his name is Xander. I like him already. Yue hugs me softly as soon as she sees me, and I react surprised before wrapping my arms around her too. I cringe a bit at the pain, but it¡¯s not too bad. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± She tells me. Suddenly, she releases her grip and glares at me. ¡°Why did you go forward with your stupid plan? And why the hell are you out of bed? You should be¡­¡± ¡°Resting, I get it,¡± I laugh. ¡°You don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve heard that word in the last few days. It¡¯s good to see you, Yue.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great to see you too,¡± She replies. ¡°Hi, Astil. Hi, Xavier.¡± ¡°I assume that¡¯s Xander?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Yue exclaims in surprise, ¡°You haven¡¯t met him yet! I totally forgot. Xander, this is Zade. Zade, Xander.¡± Xander nods respectfully at me, and his eyes seem to smile at me. ¡°So, anything new? Where¡¯s Alyx? And Neena? And¡­the others?¡± I ask, momentarily forgetting their names. There are just too many of them. Yue cringes a bit. ¡°They¡¯re fine, mostly. Except for Neena, she¡¯s¡­ Not ok, right now.¡± ¡°Tell me everything. From the beginning.¡± Yue nods. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I hope Neena¡¯s alright,¡± I comfort Yue, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that. You said you fought a mage?¡± She nods. ¡°Much stronger than you, no offense.¡± I wave the comment off. ¡°He could do things I didn¡¯t imagine. And it told me one thing. We need a mage in the Vanguard!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what the Vanguard is for,¡± I reply. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be an elite army of warriors for emergencies?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± She replies. ¡°But think what just one mage could do!¡± ¡°A lot,¡± I admit. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you see the point. If the Vanguard is ever needed, I¡¯m sure that the mages would join with you. You won¡¯t need them because you¡¯ll already have them.¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± She says, thoughtfully. ¡°So, what are you gonna do now?¡± I ask. Xavier and Xander are locked in conversation, and Astil is listening to my conversation with Yue. I don¡¯t know what Poli is doing, and I don¡¯t really care. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have any suspects now. Thankfully, the Wolf is coming back today, so maybe he can help. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll find the murderers. They really are escaping me.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re sure it¡¯s more than one?¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°Relatively sure. What else could it be? We eliminated every suspect possible. The murderer had to be part of the Vanguard. It had to be more than one person. The idea scares me, though. It could be any number of people. Maybe it¡¯s a ring of people who didn¡¯t necessarily murder them, but knew about it and didn¡¯t tell me. It¡¯s such a big issue, and there¡¯s no way for me to solve it and..:¡± ¡°Hey, hey,¡± I tell her. ¡°You¡¯re doing more than I could ever think of doing. You¡¯re not only looking for the murderer, but you¡¯re also in charge of the Vanguard right now, while also having to prepare for the tournament. That¡¯s a lot of work. Just the fact that you¡¯re able to do all this is insane!¡± Yue smiles shyly. ¡°It¡¯s not as hard as it sounds.¡± I gape. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s harder. I¡¯m sure Xander could confirm it. You want to ask him?¡± Yue shakes her head. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. I get it. But still I want to do more. I need to do more, you know?¡± ¡°I understand that. I have the same feeling a lot of times. I just want to be able to fight the Cult. But I¡¯m too weak. I tried, and I suffered. Horribly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Yue berates me. ¡°You already do so much.¡± Her eyes widen. ¡°Oh, I get it now. You trapped me into that thought, didn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°You did, technically.¡± Yue scowls in mock anger. ¡°You¡¯re really annoying.¡± I bow. ¡°I try.¡± ¡°Have you seen how packed Magefell is?¡± Astil asks. Yue nods. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it this full.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Astil responds. ¡°The closest it¡¯s gotten was the last year of the Magefell Festival.¡± ¡°I remember that,¡± Yue exclaims. ¡°It was hard being part of the Vanguard then.¡± Astil chuckles wryly. I cock my head at them. ¡°What¡¯s the Magefell Festival?¡± ¡°It was a festival that used to happen every year,¡± Astil responds. ¡°Mages came and did tricks, and there was plenty of food and games. It was a great time. Sadly, riots broke out last year and they canceled any other festival.¡± ¡°Why were there riots?¡± I ask. ¡°Just drunk people acting drunk,¡± Yue says. ¡°It was a right mess to clean up, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡± ¡°I imagine,¡± Astil tells her. ¡°Someone broke my dad¡¯s arm there. Kept saying things about my family. I¡¯m a little glad they didn¡¯t bring it back.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Yue commented. ¡°I don¡¯t miss rounding everyone up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope that doesn¡¯t happen with the tournament,¡± Astil says. ¡°Speaking of, what are we gonna do during the tournament?¡± Zade asks. ¡°I know we have to be ready in case the Cult tries something, but does that mean we should watch every game in the tournament?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If we did, we would probably have to stay there all day every day.¡± Yue thought for a second. ¡°I know I have to stay there most of the day considering I¡¯ll be fighting. I guess you only need to stay there during my matches or the ones the others have. Also during the final games. Those will be very important.¡± I nod. ¡°That sounds good. Maybe me, Xavier, Astil, and Th¡¯ul can alternate watches during the other matches.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Yue shakes her head. ¡°Not Th¡¯ul.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t like him, but so far he¡¯s only been a good friend and a great source of information.¡± ¡°A good friend?¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°Really? You think so?¡± I sigh. ¡°I understand your concern. But he was just doing what he thought was best. You can¡¯t blame him for that.¡± ¡°Yes I can! The Cult might be doing what they think is best, but that does not mean they are right. Or that we should befriend any of them.¡± ¡°Yes, but Th¡¯ul is on our side. He knows more than us. He¡¯s an invaluable man to our team.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want him on our team,¡± Yue tells me. ¡°I think he¡¯s only going to make everything worse. If he could trick you like this, what else is he doing?¡± Astil butts in. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think, Yue. Th¡¯ul is growing, just like the rest of us. He regrets what he did. He won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°And how do you know?¡± ¡°We just have to trust him.¡± ¡°After what he did? I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°You need to let him earn your trust, Yue,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t. At least not for now. You can be friends with him if you want, but keep him away from me.¡± ¡°Fine. But I really wish you would give him a chance,¡± Yue shakes her head. ¡°No. And I have to go. I need to check up on Neena. I need to see if she¡¯s woken up.¡± ¡°You go do that,¡± I tell her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in two days.¡± ¡°See you.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Fireball whizzes forward and strikes the levitating dagger. Nightwielder blocks the flame, which surprises me a bit, but I guess the dagger really is special. As the flame flickers out and the dagger falls to the ground, my lips curl upward. I can multitask with some magic now. It¡¯s something I hadn¡¯t tried before, but now I know I can do it. I look proudly at Master Thul, who beams at me. ¡°Good job. Hopefully, soon, you¡¯ll be able to focus on many things at once without breaking your focus. Multitasking is one of the most important lessons a Mage learns. Never underestimate the importance of focusing on one task at a time, but don¡¯t forget that sometimes you will need to do more than one thing at a time. ¡°Sometimes, a Mage needs to do more than one piece of magic to make something work. For example, to put an enchantment on a book like yours, not only do they need to infuse the book with a little bit of their core, specifying what they want, but they must also put the core of a long-dead mage in it at the same time as infusing it with their core.¡± ¡°Cores stay after death?¡± ¡°No,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°Or at least, not usually. Sometimes, a Mage might ask for others to preserve their core after death. I did, for example. That is why I am now infused in your book.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cool. It¡¯s like life after death.¡± Master Thul shakes his head. ¡°Not so. I only appear when you need it, and, even then, I have my memories but I am not me. I am here to teach you, but I have no magic in me. No free will.¡± ¡°Do you wish you weren¡¯t here?¡± I ask, worried. Now I feel like I made a big mistake. Like I enslaved him. Slavery was outlawed throughout the world only a hundred years ago, so I have never experienced a world with it. I¡¯ve heard of the horror of it, though. ¡°No, I do not regret it. No need to worry,¡± Chuckles Master Thul. ¡°I think this is a perfectly fine way of preserving me. I am happy here.¡± I sigh in relief. ¡°Thank God. So, you were talking about using more than one kind of magic?¡± Master Thul nods. ¡°Exactly. Another example of this would be creating an illusion in someone¡¯s head. Not only would you need to locate their core, but you would then need to take over it in a specific way for a time, then you would need to infuse it with your illusion. It takes only two or three seconds for an expert Mage. but in that time, they have wrought something so terrifying that you would piss your pants just thinking about it.¡± I shiver. ¡°So you want me to practice doing more Magic at once?¡± ¡°Exactly. Try locating cores and putting a shield around yourself at the same time. It should be an easy transition to other forms of multitasking.¡± I bow. ¡°Thank you for the lesson. I promise to practice a lot.¡± ¡°I know you will. I¡¯ve seen you practicing recently.¡± ¡°You have? But you¡¯re not here.¡± Master Thul shrugs. ¡°I live in your head. I can see everything.¡± With that strange yet comforting last statement, he disappears, and I get to training. I try to make a shield around my core and it appears immediately. While I do that, I try to locate another core. It¡¯s difficult work, trying to do both at the same time, but I know in the end the payoff will be great. Eventually, I can locate the core of a fly while finally expanding my shield enough to cover my body. I feel powerful. And I¡¯m only Level 3. I know I¡¯m not very strong in the world of Mages. I¡¯ve got a long way to go before I become truly powerful. But this definitely a start. I¡¯m advancing at a pretty average pace, on the same level as Xavier and Astil, although Xavier tells me he¡¯s on the verge of Level 4. I wonder how long it¡¯ll take me to get there. Hopefully, not too long. High Mage Aegon is definitely a powerful mage. I could probably learn something from him: maybe I should ask. He probably has a high level. What even is a high level? I mentally call up Master Thul and ask him my question. ¡°Hm. That is a good question,¡± He responds. ¡°Three hundred years ago, the Level system was invented. Before then, people did have Levels but no way to compare them. Since this system was invented, some historians debate whether us mages have gotten weaker or more powerful. ¡°I was a powerful mage during my time. I was a Level 95 when I died.¡± At my blank stare, he coughs. ¡°It¡¯s a lot. You start to level up slower the higher you get. I know that the average level for my time was about 50. Now I think it would be a bit higher because of the wonderful schooling you mages-in-training get now. High Mage Aegon is probably somewhere near Level 80.¡± I nod. ¡°Who had the highest level count ever?¡± Master Thul shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure. The highest I ever heard about was 106. I don¡¯t think anyone has gone higher than that, but it is possible.¡± ¡°What can you do with 106 levels? How many skills and how much EXP could you have then?¡± ¡°Skills and EXP don¡¯t have much to do with levels. I had friends who were in the 60s in terms of level, but had really low EXP and only one or two skills. On the other hand, some Mages with only 20 levels might have a lot of EXP and maybe eight skills. ¡°And to answer your other question, you can do basically anything your mind can think of with 106 levels. Your imagination is the limit then. Most people don¡¯t even reach 75. With 106, you could conquer the world, and only every other Mage combined could stop you. If that would even work.¡± ¡°Sounds amazing,¡± I say, and Master Thul disappears. I imagine what I would do with 106 levels. I would take down the Cult for once. Make sure Judgment day never comes. I would help my friends too. They all need help with things, and I would provide it for them. I would end all the world¡¯s issues. With unlimited power there''s so much I could do. But I probably shouldn¡¯t think about that. I probably won¡¯t get there in my lifetime. I should focus on where I am now. I need to focus on my training. Speaking of, I think I may have skipped sword training. I¡¯ve totally forgotten what day of the week it is. I didn¡¯t like sword training last time, though. Does it have anything to do with the duel I had with Raakhshas right at the beginning? Yes, it does. I don¡¯t know if I want to go back. I don¡¯t want to see or talk to Raakhshas ever again. I have seen him around recently. Sometimes, I see him walking around the cafeteria or playing in the game room. He never looks at me and I try not to look at him. If I do, I start to feel an intense rage. I¡¯ve never hated someone like I hate Raakhshas. I can feel myself getting more agitated the more I think about him so I force myself to calm down and forget him. I need to train more. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I unlocked a skill today!¡± Astil exclaims. ¡°Really?¡± I ask. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t a skill unlocked in moments of great emotion. Then how¡­¡± ¡°You were with Anni, weren¡¯t you?¡± Xavier says. Astil blushes. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°What skill was it?¡± I ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means. It¡¯s called Core Boost. Any ideas what it can be?¡± I shrug. ¡°I have no idea,¡± Xavier says. ¡°That could be anything. It has to do with the core for sure.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± I reply sarcastically. ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± ¡°I asked Master Samuel what it means, and he didn¡¯t know either,¡± Astil says, ¡°But I did figure out that my core seems bigger and brighter now.¡± ¡°Well, have you tried to do any magic since?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Astil resplies, ¡°And I didn¡¯t notice any difference. It was just as easy or hard depending on the particular bit I wanted to do. I think I got a useless skill.¡± ¡°No skill is useless,¡± Xavier says. ¡°You just have to figure out what it means. You could definitely figure it out in the library.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Astil tells us. ¡°How about we go there after we finish eating?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I say. Xavier nods. ¡°Sounds good.¡± I look over Astil¡¯s shoulder. Raakhshas is at a table across from me and he¡¯s glaring at me. I try to ignore him but I feel his piercing gaze. I start to feel a little uncomfortable, and finish my food somewhat self-conscious. ¡°All right, are we all ready?¡± Astil asks. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you guys,¡± I tell them. ¡°I have something I need to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xavier says suspiciously, ¡°This better not hurt you more.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± I reassure him. ¡°I promise.¡± He glares daggers at me but in the end walks away with Astil. I turn towards Raakhshas and walk over to him. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± I growl at him. His eyes bore into me. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Then why were you looking at me?¡± I ask him forcefully. ¡°Just thinking about how you were limping. They really did you dirty, didn¡¯t they? You deserved it.¡± The punch hits him square in the jaw. He reels back from the pain and shock and I punch him again. He stumbles back and stands up. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± He screams at me, wiping the blood already coming off his nose. I can see people starting to stare, but I don''t think about them. This is between me and Raakhshas. He swings at me and I duck, stretching my arm out to try to grab his hand. As my hand connects with his arm, he brings it back, and I tumble to the ground. He attempts to kick me, and I grab his leg and pull it hard. He falls to the ground, head banging on the floor. I can hear a crack. Raakhshas groans. I can tell he¡¯s hurt. There¡¯s blood pooling on the ground near his head. My leg starts to ache. It was hurt badly enough, but I think when I fell I landed wrong. Many mages-in-training are gaping at us. To them, this must have lasted only five seconds. To me, it lasted an eternity. My chest is heaving up and down rapidly as I look at Raakhshas¡¯ prone body. He¡¯s not dead, but maybe he has a concussion. I turn my back to him, and start to slowly limp my way towards the exit of the cafeteria. I grab the crutch I brought after I talked to Yue. It¡¯s already being a lifesaver for me. As I reach the exit, gasps from the cafeteria make me stop. A warning shout solidifies what I thought. I turn around and unsheathe my sword. Just like I expected, Raakshas is rushing towards me with a dagger inlaid with silver. He skids to a stop when he sees my sword. ¡°That isn¡¯t fair,¡± He growls at me. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair when you attacked me in the alleyway. It wasn¡¯t fair when you kicked me when I was down. How dare you think I¡¯d be fair with you. You don¡¯t deserve it.¡± He scowls. ¡°Funny you think you can win anyway.¡± ¡°You seem to think so,¡± I respond. He roars and launches himself at me. His dagger thrusts dangerously in my direction, but I have the advantage. My sword swoops in, cutting his hand, and he yelps, dropping his dagger. He picks it up immediately, though. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t keep going, if I were you,¡± I tell him. ¡°You could get hurt.¡± He hangs his head in surrender, and once again I turn my back on him. This time, I know he will try something. So when I feel a whoosh, I move to the right. The dagger embeds itself in the wall inches from my face. I turn towards Raakhshas. ¡°You really think¡­¡± He¡¯s gone. He ran away. He¡¯s a coward. I laugh, leaving the onlookers giving me concerned glares. But I don¡¯t care. I just laugh. I won. Not only did I win, I shamed him. He ran away. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Do you know what the Core Boost is?¡± I ask. ¡°We looked in the library and got no answers.¡± ¡°I do not know what that skill is,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°All skills are unique in some way to their person, but most have a specific quality that many other skills have too. I am assuming that skill boosts the effects of his core on the magic he uses. If I am right, then not only will his magic waste less Mana, but he will also be able to learn magic faster than normal.¡± ¡°Sounds great,¡± I say enviously. ¡°I wish I had a skill.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that;¡± Master Thul winces. ¡°The first skill I got was after my best friend died of a sickness. It was a devastating loss, one I would''ve definitely sacrificed my skill for.¡± ¡°That sounds horrible,¡± I reply, ¡°But I still want a skill. It could improve me so much.¡± ¡°Focus on what you have,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°Don¡¯t focus on what you could have.¡± ¡°I know, I know,¡± I say stubbornly. Suddenly, I get an idea. ¡°Is there a way to send someone a message magically?¡± ¡°Yes, there is,¡± Master Thul smiles. ¡°For Jade, I assume?¡± I nod. ¡°Can you teach me?¡± ¡°Yes, I can. But not today.¡± My heart sinks in disappointment. ¡°You need to sleep. Tomorrow, I will teach you how to send someone a message across thousands of miles instantaneously. Deal?¡± I yawn. ¡°Deal.¡± He winks out of existence, and I hold my excitement in. I¡¯ll be able to talk to Jade again! Or send one way messages anyway. That¡¯s almost as good. That¡¯s all I could want. With that thought in my head, I go to bed and sleep easily. I will finally be able to talk to my best friend again! I love magic. Chapter Twenty-Three: Square One Chapter Twenty-Three: Square One Yue got back from her talk with Zade trying to hold in her excitement and nervousness. The Wolf was coming back in the evening, and she couldn¡¯t wait. She didn¡¯t want to keep leading the Vanguard with Kol and Yiro. But she also wanted to touch base with him, to ask him how they should restart the search for the murderer. She was out of ideas, and she couldn¡¯t exactly gather all her friends to discuss it. They really were back at square one, and Yue had no idea what to do anymore. If their search was still inconspicuous, they might have been able to try something, but Joanne¡¯s arrest and subsequent release had warned the murderers they were looking for them. She was pretty sure there was more than one murderer. She¡¯d gone through all the soldiers who had watched her match with Diamond. Their alibi¡¯s were pretty tight. She guessed the one good thing about this was that at least they knew who had watched her match. One of them still had to be a murderer. That bit was true. Then technically, Joanne could still be the murderer. Yue didn¡¯t want to face Joanne right now. The girl had been ignoring Yue since she¡¯d been released from prison. Yue felt bad for her but couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Sometimes, Yue could see her glaring at her across a room or the green. Once, she saw Joanne look sad, but when Joanne saw her looking, her face changed. Yue didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d been imagining it or not. She hoped she hadn¡¯t though. If Joanne really was sad, then there was hope. She was in Neena¡¯s room at the hospital again. Neena¡¯s breathing was still shallow, the slow rising and falling of her chest the only way Yue could tell she wasn¡¯t dead. She had been bleeding in the morning again. Yue held her hand, feeling her steady heartbeat. It was slower than normal, but at least it hadn¡¯t stopped. Neena¡¯s face was gorgeous but pained. Her eyes closed in peace, but her mouth was turned down, as if in fear. Sometimes, Yue heard her whimper in her coma, and it scared Yue. She hoped Neena wasn¡¯t in too much pain. Neena¡¯s long, beautiful golden locks covered a bit of her face, so Yue gently brushed them off. ¡°I hope you recover soon,¡± Yue whispered, ¡°Please don¡¯t leave.¡± Neena didn¡¯t respond. ¡°This is unhealthy,¡± A voice came from the door behind Yue. Yue turned to find the nurse standing behind her, arms crossed. Yue didn¡¯t know her name. Her face was twisted in concern, but she still found a way to stare at Yue sternly. ¡°What¡¯s unhealthy?¡± Yue asked. ¡°You being here so much,¡± The nurse responded, laying a hand on her. ¡°You come here every day, and today you¡¯ve been here at least three hours. You should go live your life. Staying here won¡¯t make her get better. She¡¯d want you to do something productive, dear.¡± Yue bowed her head. ¡°I know. But it¡¯s hard. I feel like she¡¯ll die if I¡¯m not here.¡± ¡°You think I can¡¯t take care of my patients?¡± The nurse teased. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t die on my watch.¡± Yue knew the nurse was just trying to comfort her. The nurse couldn¡¯t really do anything to stop Neena dying, but Yue appreciated the effort. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Yue said, standing up. ¡°Make sure I know if she wakes up, though.¡± The nurse smiled and nodded. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Come at me,¡± Yue grinned. Xander rushed at her, sword stanced perfectly. Yue jumped to the side, swinging her sword up to block Xander¡¯s. Xander was getting much better with the sword, and Yue wished he¡¯d been in the tournament. That reminded her that he was leaving today, right after this. She didn¡¯t want him to go, but he had no choice. The more the Cult believed in him, the more chance he had of uncovering the killer. He had to take that chance. It was currently Yue¡¯s only hope. As Xander brought his sword down, Yue swung hers up to block it. The swords clashed, and Yue gritted her teeth as she felt as she felt pain lance up her arm. Xander was stronger than her, and the contact of their swords had hurt. His muscles bulged as he forced his sword down, and Yue struggled to defend herself. Eventually, her arm failed her and her sword dropped from her grip. Xander stopped his sword inches from her head. ¡°I think I win,¡± He declared. ¡°Good job,¡± Yue smiled, ¡°You did what Kol couldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Only because you were going easy on me,¡± Xander retorted. ¡°I was not!¡± Yue laughed. ¡°If I was, you would¡¯ve had an easier time with me.¡± Xander shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re a gem, you know that?¡± Yue beamed at him, but her smile left soon after. ¡°You have to leave now, don¡¯t you?¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Yue hugged him fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t let them do to you what they did last time.¡± ¡°I might not have a choice,¡± He replied. Yue pushed herself off him. ¡°Promise me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Just do it. Please. For me.¡± Xander sighed. ¡°Fine. I promise.¡± He brushed her hair behind her ear and winked at her. She blushed. ¡°Thank you,¡± Yue whispered. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± She walked him to the edge of the Vanguard grounds, where he stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t go with me. It would be suspicious.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Xander.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Yue,¡± He said. ¡°You better get a lot done before I come back.¡± Yue laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue watched the Wolf come back. He looked exhausted, which Yue expected. He had been traveling the world anyway. Even if he had recruited a mage to teleport him, he was still away from home. And he still had to talk to the royals of the different nations around the world. It was tiring work. Yue was just glad to see him back. She wanted to talk to him as soon as she saw him, but knew it wasn¡¯t wise. He needed to rest a bit. She would try to speak with him when he returned to his duties. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be too long. Two hours after he arrived, she was going through her stances on the green. The tournament was around the corner, and she was making sure she was prepared for it. She had been sparring with basically every other Vanguard warrior who was fighting in the tournament and she was pleasantly surprised by how good they were getting. Yes, they had always been the most elite army in the world, but with this extra push, they really had advanced to something more. It was a wonderful feeling, like the Vanguard was uniting again. The only thing that could make it worse was another death. After Rosalia¡¯s, things had calmed down in the Vanguard. Hopefully, they stayed that way. As she finished her practice, she found Yiro coming towards her. She¡¯d never really talked to Yue. They were members of the Vanguard, but that was ir. Not that Yue didn¡¯t like Yiro. They¡¯d just never crossed paths until now. ¡°The Wolf is asking for us,¡± Yiro told her. ¡°We need to meet at his cabin. Do you know the way there?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°I do. Where¡¯s Kol?¡± ¡°He¡¯s already there.¡± Yiro turned to leave. ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Yue exclaimed. Yiro hesitated, and Yue caught up to her quickly. They set off together to the Wolf¡¯s cabin near the woods. ¡°I¡¯m really glad to be able to let the Wolf lead the Vanguard again,¡± Yue ventured. ¡°How about you?¡± Yiro shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I like leading. It was fun.¡± ¡°I did, too, but it was tiring,¡± Yue said. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining. Just that I¡¯m happy it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I would like to be the captain of the Vanguard one day,¡± Yiro told her. ¡°Leading the army if a war comes.¡± Her eyes shined. ¡°Well, from what I heard, you¡¯re definitely qualified to do that,¡± Yue laughed. ¡°You will have to wait a long time, though. The Wolf isn¡¯t really going anywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got time. Been practicing my entire life for it.¡± ¡°Me too. Dreams do come true, I guess,¡± Yue said. ¡°You¡¯re the one investigating the murders in the Vanguard, right?¡± Yiro asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you arrest the wrong person?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Yue winced. ¡°Mistakes were made. I got too impulsive. If you have any leads¡­¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Yiro responded. ¡°Whoever it is, though, I hope you catch him.¡± ¡°Them,¡± Yue corrected. ¡°It¡¯s more than one. And thank you.¡± ¡°How do you know there are more?¡± ¡°We eliminated every possibility for one person. Joanne was the last suspect.¡± ¡°So do you have any suspects now?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yue blushed. ¡°Not yet.¡± She fell silent and Yiro didn¡¯t press the issue. Eventually, they reached the Wolf¡¯s cabin. Yue knocked on the door. They waited for a minute. Then Kol opened the door right. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± He smiled. Yue walked in first followed by Yiro. ¡°Welcome,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°I trust we¡¯re here so you can reclaim your status?¡± Yue asked. The Wolf nodded. ¡°That is right. But not just that. I need a report on everything that has happened. I will talk with each of you in private. I need to know every tiny detail, every move the soldiers made. I¡¯ve already heard a lot,¡± The Wolf looked at Yue sternly, ¡°But I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot I haven¡¯t. ¡°Let¡¯s get started, shall we? Yue, you go first. Kol, Yiro, you may leave.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I have a lot to say,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°First, you really should not have arrested Joanne before you had evidence. You made a horrible mistake. This will be a stain on your reputation, and it will be a while before anyone believes you again. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out. ¡°Second, we should bring Eva back.¡± ¡°But she attacked Joanne,¡± Yue interrupted. ¡°Yes, yes, but the tournament is so close,¡± The Wolf replied. ¡°We will need her. She has not had the opportunity to train. She needs it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Yue said. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Good. Third, you did good with the assassins. You said Neena hasn¡¯t woken up yet?¡± Yue shook her head. The Wolf adopted a concerned look. ¡°Hmm. That is not good.I am very sorry. Next time, tell me. I know I wasn¡¯t here to help before, but I am now. If you get another letter, I can help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Yue answered. ¡°I am hoping the murderers don¡¯t try anything else soon, but with the tournament coming up, I am a little scared they will.¡± ¡°I am too,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°That brings me to my next point. We need to talk about the murderers. You said you eliminated every possibility of there being only one killer?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Yue nodded. ¡°How will we search for them now?¡± ¡°I think we have to wait for their next move,¡± The Wolf smiled. ¡°I bet the murderers are getting desperate to stop you. We need to guard you and your friends secretly until the murderers try something, then we attack.¡± ¡°I think we can defend ourselves on our own,¡± Yue replied. ¡°We¡¯ve done a lot so far.¡± ¡°That is true,¡± The Wolf admitted. ¡°But you never know what they can do. I¡¯ll keep some spies watching you secretly making sure no one is watching you. You won¡¯t even notice they¡¯re there. Sounds good?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Good. I only have one more thing left to tell you. About Rosalia. Have her parents been told about what happened?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Not as of yet, but I was hoping you would do it,¡± She said sheepishly. The Wolf chuckled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it. What about her funeral?¡± ¡°Deserey doesn¡¯t want it yet. She wants to wait a little longer¡­¡± ¡°We should do it as soon as possible, hopefully before the tournament,¡± The Wolf interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do about that.¡± ¡°Is that all, sir?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I think so. I do have to check on the others, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back sir,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª That night, Yue looked out in case Xander appeared. He had left almost seven hours ago now, and she knew she was being paranoid, but she was starting to get worried about him. She hoped he''d come soon. She stood outside her barracks looking out for him. Eventually, she got tired and decided to visit her friends in the hospital. Both Alyx and Artemis were asleep so Yue didn¡¯t disturb them. Poli also wasn¡¯t visiting Artemis, and that was the first time Yue hadn¡¯t seen her there. That must be a good sign. She knocked on the door, and heard a ¡®Come in.¡¯ When she opened the door to Aster¡¯s room, Aster looked at her and smiled. ¡°Why are you up this late?¡± Aster asked. ¡°I could ask you the same question,¡± Yue responded defensively. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep. I was waiting for Xander to come back.¡± ¡°Did you hear? I¡¯m being released tomorrow. I¡¯m much better now. Still have to heal a bit, but I think I should be good to train a little tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see you back.¡± ¡°The Wolf came to visit a couple hours back. Told me to get better. I expected him to talk about the tournament but he even told me that if I wasn''t healed by the tournament, it would be okay.¡± ¡°He really is the greatest captain, isn¡¯t he?¡± Yue told her. ¡°I¡¯m really glad he¡¯s back. I think the killers won¡¯t want to try anything with him around.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Aster said. ¡°How¡¯s Zade?¡± ¡°He¡¯s good. He left the hospital today, so I did see him at lunch. He was feeling much better, which is amazing. The only struggle getting there today was the traffic. People are starting to arrive for the tournament, and Magefell is getting really crowded.¡± ¡°I bet,¡± Aster replied. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see that. Does it remind you of the Magefell Festival?¡± ¡°A little,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°Though not in a bad way. It is uncomfortable being around so many people, though.¡± ¡°And all those people to watch me win? Sounds like a dream come true!¡± ¡°You, win?¡± Yue laughed. ¡°I think I''ll have to teach you a lesson tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Aster teased. ¡°Take advantage of the poor wounded girl. That¡¯s low, Yue.¡± ¡°All¡¯s fair in war,¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°Plus, all the people are there to see me win.¡± Aster snickered. ¡°Humble as always, Yue.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s Alyx,¡± Yue retorted, and they both laughed out loud, Yue doubling over. As their laughter subsided, the room grew quiet. ¡°I am a little worried, though,¡± Yue told Aster. ¡°With so many people, the Cult will find it easier to hide. And with whatever they¡¯re planning, with so many people, it could cause so much more destruction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too,¡± Aster said. ¡°If only we knew who they were¡­ You could ask Joanne!¡± Yue winced. ¡°Not really. Joanne doesn¡¯t really like me anymore.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t even that long in jail,¡± Aster complained. ¡°So? I betrayed her. She has the right to be angry.¡± ¡°You know one of the killers could still be her, right?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue nodded. ¡°But I have to give her the benefit of the doubt now. When we were eliminating soldiers off our list, it was guilty before proven innocent. That was necessary. Now, it¡¯s the opposite. We have to assume no one is the killer, or else we just suspect all of the Vanguard. If we do that, we alienate ourselves and create a separation in the Vanguard. Right now, that is the worst that could happen. We have to step carefully. With three deaths, the Vanguard is fragile.¡± ¡°This is why you¡¯re the leader, Yue,¡± Aster smiled. ¡°What?¡± Yue wondered. ¡°You think better than any of us. You¡¯re clearly smarter. I¡¯m lucky to have you as my leader,¡± Aster said. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have you as a friend, Aster,'''' Yue said, squeezing Aster¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Well, you should go to bed,¡± Aster told Yue. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll wake up tomorrow with a horrible headache.¡± ¡°Same to you, Aster,¡± Yue said, walking towards the exit. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hopefully outside this infernal place,¡± Aster smiled. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue didn¡¯t even knock on Neena¡¯s door. She knew there wouldn¡¯t be any response. She just opened the door silently, and pulled up a chair. ¡°Hey, darling,¡± Yue said, ¡°I hope you¡¯re doing okay.¡± She knew it wasn¡¯t good to be visiting Neena so much, but five minutes wouldn¡¯t make too much of a difference, right? There were flowers next to Neena¡¯s bed now, probably Xander¡¯s work. They were beautiful golden dandelions, exactly the flower that defined Neena. It made the room a little brighter, a little more hopeful. There was a note under the flowers. Yue picked it up. We miss you, Neena. You¡¯re the glue sticking us together. We need you. Get well soon. ¡ªXander Yue silently thanked Xander. She appreciated the short but elegant note. Neena would appreciate it, too. Once again, Yue thought about Xander. He had said he¡¯d be right back. What did that mean? How long was it supposed to take? She knew he was resourceful. He¡¯d taken his sword. He could take care of himself. But they were mages. Not exactly your average foe. Even Xander wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up to them. What happened last time was a testament to that, even though Xander hadn¡¯t been fighting back at the time. He hadn¡¯t wanted to. Sometimes the scars on his bare chest made Yue cringe. She knew they must hurt like hell. She couldn¡¯t imagine what it must be to have them. A painful, personal reminder of what he¡¯d gone through. It was something she hated to see, but at the same time she was drawn into it. Because sometimes, the scars made Yue smile more. Xander looked better with them. He looked like a man who¡¯d weathered the storm and made it through, not without trauma, but more mature. More grown, stronger. More Xander. As much as they were a painful reminder, they were just as much a testament to how strong Xander was, and how together they could stand the Cult. The Cult wouldn¡¯t kill them. She wouldn¡¯t let her friends die. She wouldn''t let the Cult kill Neena. She would keep Neena alive, no matter what. Maybe she should ask Zade for some healing. She doubted he knew enough yet, but maybe he did. He might know another mage who could help her. She would do anything to keep Neena alive. It was past midnight. She needed to get to sleep. She left the hospital sadly, heading for her barracks. Hopefully, by the time she woke up, Xander was back. The chilly wind bit at her nose, and she shivered. She should¡¯ve worn a cloak here. The trees swayed in the wind, basked in the glow of the moon. Usually, she appreciated the night, but today it only reminded her of how dangerous her position was. Anyone could come out of the shadows now and attack her. She wouldn¡¯t even notice. That reminded her of the spies the Wolf would put watching her. She understood the need for them, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to like it. It would be uncomfortable knowing that someone was watching them at all times. What if they needed to keep something private but the spies heard it? Having the spies would be a risk to their safety just as much as it would be a help. If one of the spies thought what they said was dangerous¡­ Hopefully, the spies wouldn¡¯t listen to hear conversations. She hoped they only tried to protect them. That¡¯s why the Wolf would be hiring spies anyway, not bodyguards. Still, she didn¡¯t know if it would work. If the cult really wanted to reach them, she was sure they could. There wasn¡¯t much Yue would be able to do to stop them. Defending herself had been hard until now, but she was sure from now on it would only get harder. The Cult would only try harder. They had shown themselves ready to kill members of the Vanguard associated with Yue. And they had sent assassins after her. She was sure they would have no problem taking down spies, or sending more powerful mages after her. She had to be careful from now on. She tripped on a tree trunk. That¡¯s a little ironic, she thought. She finally reached her barracks. She reached down sluggishly to take off her shoes, and heard a noise behind her. She looked around. There was a small slip of paper beside her. Ugh. She was getting tired of these. She read the note by moonlight. Behind the barracks. Now. She felt goosebumps down her back. This was not good. She wanted to get some help, but knew whoever was asking for her wouldn¡¯t stay if she got anyone else. She should just ignore the note. She knew that, but¡­She had to check. She couldn¡¯t stop herself. Yue walked watchfully to the back of her barracks, which was cast in shadow. She could barely see anything, but she squinted her eyes. There was nobody there. The wind breezed against her skin and she shivered for more than just the breeze. She felt a pair of eyes on her but couldn¡¯t pinpoint where. Slowly, she put her hand on her sword. Yue moved in a circle, wary of any movement. She heard a rustle of leaves, and turned sharply to her left. Suddenly, she was swept off her feet, embraced in a powerful hug. She struggled to escape the mysterious person¡¯s grasp. ¡°Calm down,¡± A familiar voice told her, ¡°It¡¯s just me.¡± Yue stopped and turned her body. Xander smiled down at her. She hugged him tightly. ¡°Xander, you¡¯re back!¡± Then she pushed him. Hard. ¡°Why did you scare me like that?¡± Xander laughed. ¡°I wanted to surprise you.¡± ¡°Well, it was definitely a surprise. Just don¡¯t do it again,¡± Yue said sternly. She hugged him again. He hugged her back, and they held it for a good minute. ¡°So, how did it go?¡± Yue asked. Xander looked away. ¡°I said some bad things.¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± Yue said, putting her hand on his cheek. A tear appeared on Xander¡¯s eye ,and she wiped it off. ¡°I¡­ They forced me too,¡± He whispered. ¡°Start from the beginning,¡± Yue told him. He nodded. ¡°When I arrived at the place, they blindfolded me and locked me in the room. They took off my blindfold, but it didn¡¯t really do much. The room was very dark, so I couldn¡¯t see anything. Three Cultists entered the room, and they glowed with a certain red light that creeped me out. ¡°They asked me where I¡¯d been and I told them the truth. I¡¯d been healing from my wounds. Then they asked me why I helped you with the assassins.¡± Yue gasped. ¡°So it is them?¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Seems so. Anyway, I told them that I thought they were just normal assassins, and that I didn¡¯t know the murders in the Vanguard were done by them. They believed it, thankfully. ¡°It got bad from there on out, though. They told me that they were planning something massive for the tournament. They didn¡¯t tell me what, but they did say that I needed to get you out of the way. ¡°The first thing they made me say is that I would infiltrate our group. That I would work against you. That I would sabotage you. Make sure you don¡¯t win the tournament.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Xander choked out. ¡°They made me make an unbreakable oath. They bound it with magic. If I disobey them in any way, I get punished.¡± ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Yue grabbed his arm. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought they could do that.¡± ¡°It gets worse, Yue,¡± Xander told her, ¡°They made me promise two more things. First, they forced me to promise that if you got anywhere near the murderer, that I would find a way to stop you. Any way I could. ¡°The third promise is the one I hate the most,¡± Xander continued, tears forming in his eyes again. ¡°They made me promise that¡­ I had to say that I would kill you. Again! This time it was worse. I had to mention you by name, then promise to kill you, but before that I would have to torture you to make sure you learned a lesson. They told me when I would have to do it too.¡± Yue shook her head softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll get through this.¡± Xander grimaced. ¡°I can¡¯t go back on my word. I could die. I¡¯m stuck with the Cult forever now. You have to cut ties with me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Yue reprimanded him. ¡°Please don¡¯t. I can¡¯t do this without you. Without everyone. I need you, Xander. You¡¯re essential to this team. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ll be forced to try to kill me. I won¡¯t let it happen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you can stop it, Yue. I did win our sparring session today.¡± ¡°That was just practice,¡± Yue protested. ¡°In a real fight, I could defend myself against you.¡± She kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave. I need you,¡± She whispered in his ear. He nodded. ¡°Okay, fine. I won¡¯t leave. For now. But if worse comes to worse, I¡¯ll do anything to save you. Even if that means I must sacrifice myself.¡± Yue didn¡¯t want to hear it, but she let him say it. They held each other as the day came in. This could be one of the last times they were together. Yue needed it. She smiled in his arms. He was here now. And that was good. Chapter Twenty-Four: Astil Chapter Twenty-Four: Astil ¡°So, you have any siblings, Zade?¡± Astil asks. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t asked you this question.¡± ¡°No,¡± I respond. ¡°I don¡¯t have any siblings. Don¡¯t have any family really. I guess that¡¯s one thing moving didn¡¯t change.¡± I stuff more rice in my mouth, chewing hungrily. ¡°I have a couple of siblings,¡± Xavier says, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen them in a while, though. I do wonder how they¡¯re doing sometimes.¡± ¡°What about yours?¡± I ask Astil. ¡°I know about what happened with Artemis, but how did it affect your other siblings?¡± ¡°Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t too bad for my sister,¡± He replies. ¡°She was already married by then. Her new family status didn¡¯t change. My older brother, Demien, left for Aleumdaun Seom with a girl and I haven¡¯t seen him since. He does send me letters every once in a while, but they¡¯re expensive, so it¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t sent any letters to Jade yet,¡± I tell them. ¡°Not only does it cost so much, but it would take a long time to reach, and to get a response, I would have to wait months. It just isn¡¯t worth it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t bother with my country,¡± Th¡¯ul says, plopping his plate on our table and sitting down. ¡°It¡¯s much easier when they hate mages. You just forget about them.¡± ¡°That must suck,¡± I respond. ¡°Having your old friends turn on you.¡± Th¡¯ul shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s been over a year. I really don¡¯t care anymore. You learn to live with it, then you learn to not care about it.¡± ¡°Th¡¯ul have you ever heard of sending a message magically?¡± I ask him. ¡°Master Thul was telling me about it, and I want to learn, but knowing it could take a long time to learn, I wondered if you knew a way.¡± ¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t been to the Message Room?¡± Th¡¯ul wonders. ¡°No?¡± I respond. ¡°What¡¯s the Message Room?¡± ¡°Huh, I¡¯m surprised you haven''t used it yet,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°Basically, it¡¯s a room where you can send messages to someone.¡± ¡°Wow, genius,¡± Xavier tells him sarcastically. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was for that!¡± Th¡¯ul rolls his eyes. ¡°Look, the point is, for a small price, you can ask for a message to be sent to someone.¡± ¡°A price?¡± ¡°Yeah, money,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cheap, but I wouldn¡¯t advise sending a message every day. It would get expensive.¡± ¡°Hmmm. I wonder why I haven¡¯t heard of it,¡± I look at Th¡¯ul quizzically. ¡°I think High Mages don¡¯t want to spread the word about rooms like that because it could take your mind off your training. I found the room while exploring on my own when I first got here.¡± ¡°Zenyth really is full of secrets, isn¡¯t it?¡± Astil intoned. ¡°There¡¯s always more,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°So, should we go send some messages?¡± I ask. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Astil says. ¡°I should probably send one too.¡± Xavier nods. ¡°Th¡¯ul, you coming with?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Th¡¯ul leads us down a stairway. I look out the window on the wall, I can see one half of Magefell from here. The view never fails to amaze me. Magefell is just so beautiful. The glow around it isn¡¯t so obvious during the day, but the city still feels alive. As we turn a corner, Th¡¯ul opens a door into a brightly lit hallway, and my eyes are blinded for a few seconds. When my eyes adjust, I immediately try to look for the light source before remembering it¡¯s magical. There is no source. The light just is. I¡¯ve never seen a Zenyth corridor this bright, though. The room feels more illuminated than even the sun could do. Strangely enough, it¡¯s a little chilly in the room. We pass by a door that says High Mages Only and I wonder what it means. ¡°It¡¯s a boring room,¡± Th¡¯ul says as if he read my mind. ¡°Just banned books and cursed artifacts.¡± ¡°That sounds so cool,¡± Xander replies. ¡°How can you call that boring?¡± Th¡¯ul shrugs. ¡°You can¡¯t exactly use any of the artifacts. Ah, here we are.¡± We arrive at a simple, acacia door. I try the knob. Locked. ¡°How are we supposed to open it?¡± I ask. Th¡¯ul¡¯s eyes glint. If he ever expressed himself, he¡¯d be grinning. ¡°I¡¯ll let you figure it out.¡± ¡°Ah, come on,¡± Astil complains. ¡°You¡¯re acting like we can figure it out easily.¡± ¡°It took me an hour. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll take you less,¡± Th¡¯ul says lying down and closing his eyes. ¡°Ugh,¡± Astil groans, waving his arms. ¡°He¡¯s acting like just saying Alakazam will¡ª¡± The door opens. ¡°What the hell?¡± Th¡¯ul exclaims. ¡°How¡¯d you get it that quick?¡± ¡°Huh, that was quick,¡± I grin. Th¡¯ul grumbles something about an hour and being lucky, but I¡¯m not paying attention to him. I¡¯m currently staring at the room in confusion. The room is mostly empty, with a cobblestone floor and a painting of a High Mage who I don¡¯t know on the ceiling. He seems to be raising his hands to the sky in prayer. The walls are purposefully boring. They¡¯re black, which is cool, but otherwise, it¡¯s just stone. Nothing appealing about it, but it does its work. I assume this room could fill about twenty people, but no more. It¡¯s not a large room. What captures my attention though, is the man in the middle. Or what seems to be a man. It¡¯s like a silhouette hanging in midair. The form is a man¡¯s, and he¡¯s naked. Or at least, I guess he¡¯s naked. His entire body is black as night, and he has no details. As I get closer, I notice that the body isn¡¯t completely together. The body is made of individual black globes, each spread only millimeters apart. I reach out to touch it, and the globes separate at my touch. ¡°This, my friends,¡± Th¡¯ul announces, ¡°Is the Message Man!¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Well, go in him, of course,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. Xavier chokes, and I can¡¯t help but laugh a bit. ¡°Not like that!¡± Th¡¯ul glares at us. ¡°Can¡¯t you be serious for a little?¡± ¡°You¡¯re serious enough for all of us,¡± Xavier responds. ¡°Anyway,¡± Th¡¯ul continues, ignoring Xavier, ¡°Over here, on the wall is a small depression. Enter a silver globule here and stand where the man is. From there, you¡¯ll know what to do.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go first,¡± Xavier ventures. ¡°Any of you can go after.¡± He walks over to the small hole in the wall and places a silver globule there. The globule slowly dissipates, but nothing changes. Xavier looks quizzically at Th¡¯ul who winks at him and points at the man. Xavier walks slowly over to the black globes, almost like he¡¯s nervous. As soon as he gets close enough to touch it, the black globes separate and form around him. He screams but then his screams stop. ¡°Um¡­¡± He says. ¡°My mother. Her name is Lysandra.¡± He pauses. All I can see are the black globes forming his frame. I can see a little of his facial features. Suddenly, the black globes forming his mouth move, and he starts to speak again. ¡°Umm¡­ Hi mom? How are you doing? I¡¯m great here. I found friends. I miss you, though.¡± His voice becomes softer. ¡°I¡¯ll come visit as soon as I can. I promise.¡± He pauses for a few seconds. ¡°Bye. That¡¯s it.¡± The black globes leave his body and reform the man they were before. Xavier¡¯s eyes are teary-eyed. ¡°Thank you, Th¡¯ul,¡± He whispers. Th¡¯ul bows. ¡°I¡¯ll go next,¡± I say. I give the hole in the wall my money, and walk over to the man. When the black globes envelop me, I gasp. I feel a chilling cold. Destination? A voice asks in my head. ¡°My best friend,¡± I reply, saying the words how Xavier did. ¡°Her name is Jade.¡± Access Granted, The female voice replies. What is the message you would like to send? ¡°Jade, it¡¯s me, Zade,¡± I say, feeling a little awkward speaking to the black globes covering my face. ¡°I just wanted to reach out to you. I hope you¡¯re doing great. I¡¯m fine, been learning a lot of magic. It¡¯s been fun. I¡¯ve met a lot of great people, including some actual warriors! Isn¡¯t that crazy? I wonder what you¡¯d do if you could see me right now. Probably throw a potato or something. ¡°Anyway, I just hope you get this message soon. Don¡¯t worry. I promise to visit you soon. As soon as I can, I¡¯ll be there. Bye, Jay. I¡¯m done.¡± I finish speaking, and the black spheres separate from me, and heat returns to my body. ¡°Th¡¯ul, do you want to go next?¡± Astil asks. Th¡¯ul shakes his head. ¡°Wel, then. I guess it¡¯s my turn.¡± After letting go of his money, he steps up to the man, and the globes envelop him immediately. ¡°Dammit, that¡¯s freezing!¡± He screams. Me and Xavier chuckle, and Th¡¯ul rolls his eyes. ¡°Oh, woah! Why is there a voice in my head?¡± A pause. ¡°My dad, Viktorius.¡± There was a pause longer than the one I had, but eventually Astil speaks again. ¡°How¡¯s life, dad? I¡¯m good. I¡¯ve got a girlfriend now, did you know that? She¡¯s the best. I¡¯ve been having a lot of fun here at the Zenyth Academy. ¡°I saw Artemis again, dad. He¡¯s exactly the same. He still doesn¡¯t regret anything.¡± He starts to choke on his words. ¡°How can he live with himself? How can he live with what he did to you? ¡°Anyway, I hope you¡¯re fine. I promise that one day I¡¯ll bring back our reputation. You won¡¯t always have to be where you are, dad.¡± My eyes are tearing up hearing Astil talk. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± He¡¯s visibly crying when the globes leave his body. He turns to us and wipes the tears from his eyes. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go,¡± He says, clearly not wanting to talk about it. ¡°I have to meet Anni at the library. Are you coming with me?¡± We agree and follow as he leads us out. I feel bad for Astil. I relate to him, though I try to hide it. But I still can¡¯t imagine what it would be like to have a brother who betrayed you. My hatred for Artemis grows the more I hear. Clearly, Astil is broken over his family. Thankfully, he can still live happily knowing his parents love him and want him to be happy. His parents don¡¯t care so much about what happened to them. They only care about their kids, and that¡¯s wonderful. Astil¡¯s love for his parents makes me smile as we walk. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Anni kisses Astil as soon as she sees him. ¡°How are you doing?¡± She asks. ¡°I¡¯m great, now that you¡¯re here,¡± He replies, and Xavier gags. ¡°I was just at the Message Room with them.¡± Anni looks questioningly at him, and he continues. ¡°It¡¯s a room that you can send messages to other people in. How are you?¡± ¡°Oh, cool,¡± Anni says. ¡°I¡¯m great. Tired from yesterday, though.¡± Astil blushes. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°What are we doing here in the library?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°I need to find some books for me and Anni,¡± Astil says. ¡°I can help you with that,¡± Xavier tells him. They go off to find the books and Th¡¯ul goes with them, leaving a confused Anni behind. I look at her. ¡°So¡­¡± I say awkwardly. ¡°They just left us here.¡± ¡°Seems so,¡± Anni resplies. ¡°We should probably catch up to them.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± I respond, and we start walking to where we last saw them. ¡°How¡¯s your relationship with Astil?¡± ¡°It¡¯s great,¡± Anni beams. ¡°Astil¡¯s so nice and considerate. I love him so much.¡± ¡°Did you know him before you came to Zenyth?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But you asked him out not even a week after he got here.¡± ¡°It was a dare.¡± I cock my head at her and she laughs. ¡°I had a crush on him basically as soon as I saw him. My friends saw me looking at him, and dared me to ask him out. So I did. It was a great decision.¡± ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t gonna say yes. We had to do it for him.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Thank you for that.¡± ¡°You know he was scared of you?¡± I whisper conspiratorially. ¡°Before your first date, he was absolutely terrified.¡± She laughs. ¡°Aw, that¡¯s so cute. That¡¯s so¡­ Astil.¡± ¡°How was he on that date?¡± I wonder. ¡°Surprisingly comfortable. He didn¡¯t act nervous at all.¡± Astil comes into view and Anni smiles. ¡°I don¡¯t think I deserve him really,¡± She says. ¡°None of us do,¡± I reply. ¡°He¡¯s so innocent and carefree, but at the same time, he¡¯s gone through so much and has become truly a wonderful person. But I think that if there¡¯s one person in the world who deserves Astil, it¡¯s definitely you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She beams up at me. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± I tell her. ¡°I may not have known him much before you met him, but I can see how much of a difference you make to his life. He¡¯s so much happier because of you. You gave him a skill, for heaven¡¯s sake. ¡° ¡°He told me about that,¡± She replies. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for him.¡± ¡°Do you have a skill yet?¡± ¡°No. I came here like six months ago, and I¡¯m a Level 5, but I still have not unlocked one.¡± I can hear a twinge of envy in her voice. ¡°Astil¡¯s the first of us, huh?¡± I laugh. ¡°Well, he deserves it.¡± ¡°He sure does,¡± Anni says. Astil finally notices us behind him and runs over to us. ¡°What were you guys talking about?¡± Me and Anni share a knowing glance. ¡°Just about all of us,¡± Anni says. ¡°Have you found your books yet?¡± ¡°Some of them,¡± Astil nods. ¡°Still have to find the one about shields, though.¡± ¡°I could use one like that.¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be a good help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually behind on that,¡± Anni tells me. ¡°I should¡¯ve done it a while back, but I¡¯ve been procrastinating a bit.¡± ¡°If only you didn¡¯t spend so much time with Astil,¡± Xavier jokes. ¡°I¡¯m gonna help her learn,¡± Astil says. ¡°Considering I¡¯m a defense mage, I know a lot about this kind of thing. Ah, here it is.¡± He takes a book off the massive shelf, and nods. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± We leave the library, heading for the gallery, where Th¡¯ul tells us he has something planned. ¡°You¡¯re leaving us?¡± Astil asks. Th¡¯ul shrugs, walking off. I sit down on the fluffy couch, drowning in it. The comfortable feeling of it makes me want to leave, but I want to talk to my friends. ¡°So, Anni,¡± I ask, ¡°What was life like for you before Zenyth?¡± She shrugs. ¡°It was pretty boring. I¡¯ve always lived in Magefell, just like Atty, but my parents are silk traders. I never really cared for their work, but I still had to work for them, at least until I Awakened.¡± ¡°How did you Awaken?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°I blew up a building down near the Harbor.¡± Anni smiles. ¡°Wait, that was you?¡± Astil gapes. ¡°How do you know about this?¡± I ask. ¡°It was pretty big news at the time,¡± Astil tells me. ¡°A girl blew up a residential building on Mayfeld street. I can¡¯t believe it was you.¡± He beams. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°How did you all Awaken?¡± Anni asks. Xavier and Astil eagerly tell her about their circumstances. When Anni turns to me expectantly, I embarrassingly move around. ¡°I um¡­ I blew up my parents,¡± I say somberly. ¡°Oh, I heard about that,¡± Anni replies. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It must¡¯ve been hard.¡± I nod. ¡°It was at first. I learned to live with it quickly. I had a good friend who helped me through it.¡± ¡°Jade?¡± Xavier asks. I nod. ¡°Yeah. Then I was shipped here soon after. So I didn¡¯t really have so much time to mourn them. And here, I have so much to do that I also don¡¯t really have time. I have you all to thank for that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure,¡± Xavier laughs. ¡°That¡¯s what we''re your friends for. Making you forget your problems.¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s worked so far,¡± I shrug. ¡°I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m worth more than that,¡± Astil grins. ¡°You are,¡± I reply. ¡°To some people. Oh no,¡± I look behind Xavier, ¡°Is that S¡¯Sammi?¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes widen, and he shrinks on the couch. ¡°Is it really her?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°I don¡¯t see her,¡± Anni says, confused. I snort and Astil hides a grin. Xavier glares at us. ¡°I still haven¡¯t forgiven you for that,¡± Xavier tells me. ¡°One day I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind the money,¡± I say and wink at him. He sighs. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Anni asks. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear about Xavier taking the love potion and falling in love?¡± I whisper conspiratorially. Anni shakes her head for once. I smile. This is gonna be good. ¡°A couple days ago, I spiked Xavier¡¯s drink with a love potion,¡± I tell Anni, who is already smiling, ¡°And he fell madly in love with S¡¯Sammi. All day he was pining for her. We had to physically pull him away from her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cruel,¡± She grins. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Xavier groans. ¡°It was worse,¡± I whisper. ¡°Eventually, he started singing to hear and reciting potions. When the potion wore off, he still had a crush on her. Even now¡­¡± Xavier rolls his eyes. ¡°You know how immature you are?¡± He asks. ¡°I distinctly remember you saying you want to stay immature,¡± I respond. ¡°I already regret it,¡± He says. ¡°You know that you¡¯re acting like you¡¯re my age, right?¡± Astil asks. ¡°The older you get,¡± I tell him, ¡°The more you realize no one matures. We just grow up.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Anni replies. ¡°For now.¡± Astil and Anni share a glance and shrug. ¡°Clearly, they¡¯re too young,¡± I whisper to Xavier just loudly enough for them to hear. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think like that,¡± Xavier says back. ¡°They¡¯re just not that wise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so much worse,¡± I laugh. ¡°But I guess there¡¯s no running from the truth.¡± Astil rolls his eyes at Anni. ¡°Old people,¡± He says, and she giggles. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t help but feel like your dad,¡± I tell Astil. ¡°And for that disrespect, go to your room!¡± Astil rolls his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just proving his point,¡± Anni tells me. ¡°And you¡¯re proving mine,¡± I reply. ¡°This is a pointless conversation,¡± Anni tells me. ¡°Is this how all your conversations work?¡± ¡°No,¡± I reply. ¡°Some of them are serious. Like the one about the bear. Or the one about the love potion. Or the one¡­¡± ¡°Those are the worst examples you could¡¯ve given,¡± Astil shrieks. ¡°You weren¡¯t there for the bear one.¡± ¡°Y¡¯all were laughing your asses off when I arrived,¡± Astil retorts. ¡°I think I know when something is serious or not.¡± ¡°Yeah, clearly,¡± I reply. A snore erupts from the couch next to me. I look over to find Xavier asleep. I turn to Astil. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice he¡¯d stopped talking,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the day. How is he so tired?¡± Astil shrugs. ¡°Well, I had a date with Anni scheduled for now, so I guess this is a good segway.¡± Anni smiles and takes his hand- ¡°Have fun,¡± I tell them as they leave. ¡°But not too much. Don¡¯t do anything I wouldn¡¯t do, son!¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I am levitating three things at once. It¡¯s past lunch, almost dinner time. Last I saw, Xavier was still asleep. It¡¯ll ruin his sleep schedule, but I don¡¯t want to wake him. He¡¯d just get mad. My dagger is floating in the air now, alone with the book and my sword. I close my eyes and prepare a fireball. I have an idea but I¡¯m not sure I can do it. It¡¯ll take a lot of concentration, but, if it works, I¡¯ll have unlocked a better fireball. As the Flame Finger appears on my finger, I make it bigger. It takes a lot of concentration, but after about a minute, it¡¯s about as big as my head. Then I mentally try to separate it, still concentrating on the levitating objects as well. My head starts to hurt as I try to do this. It¡¯s harder than I thought. As the Fireball starts to break, I feel a small pain in my core. I wince, but keep going anyway. Eventually the fireball breaks, and I whimper. It hurt a lot, but there it is, in three pieces. I smile. Last step. I mentally fling the Fireballs and they whizz at the floating objects. None of them reach, the farthest one only going about five feet, but this is a victory. I¡¯m beginning to learn how to do things on my own. Sometimes I forget that what I¡¯m doing is magic. As a kid, I never thought I¡¯d be a mage. When I was young, I really wanted to be a mage, just like everybody else. When I got a little older, I lost the enthusiasm for it. Not only did many people hate mages, but being a mage would be tough work. I know that some people hide their talent so that others won¡¯t recognize them and recruit them. Mages often get the most dangerous jobs, like assassinations or fighting off a clan of wild animals. I met a mage when I was eight, who was only thirty but looked like he was eighty. He had told me that being a mage was not all it¡¯s cracked up to be. Now, though, I don¡¯t know if he was right. I¡¯m not a full mage, but I¡¯ve seen the High Mages. They don¡¯t look too old, and they¡¯re older than the average human, And the other mages I¡¯ve seen walking around the Zenyth Academy don¡¯t look like they have a tough job. Maybe that mage was just weak. Or maybe he¡¯d had to deal with people who didn¡¯t appreciate him. I hope I don¡¯t find anyone like that, but if I stepped out of Magefell, it wouldn¡¯t be long before I did. I hear a knock on my door. The objects I was focusing on fall to the ground. I groan. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Xavier says from behind the door. ¡°It¡¯s dinnertime. You coming or not?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going,¡± I reply. I pick the book up off the ground and set it on my bed. When I open my door, Xavier nods. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± He says, already walking. ¡°Why¡¯d you let me sleep that long?¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve been pissed if I woke you up,¡± I answer. ¡°But I could¡¯ve done something productive. Now I¡¯m gonna be up all night, tired and bored.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± I tell him. We reach the cafeteria, and get some food. I can¡¯t see Astil or Anni here, so they¡¯re probably in the city. I¡¯m not really hungry today for some reason, so I just stab the food with my fork, vacant stare in my expression. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°I think so,¡± I reply. ¡°Just not hungry.¡± My gut twinges. I can¡¯t help but have a bad feeling about something. Xavier shovels food down his throat. ¡°Man, my nap made me really hungry,¡± He exclaims. ¡°Can I have your food?¡± I push him my plate. He smiles and thanks me. I bow my head. The gut feeling is getting worse, but I can¡¯t explain it. I think I want to throw up. My throat feels a little dry, so I drink a little water. Immediately, my stomach complains. My heart speeds up as well. Something¡¯s wrong. I know it. I just don¡¯t know what it is. ¡°I have to take a walk,¡± I tell Xavier. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He cocks his eyebrows, but I shrug it off. ¡°You look pale,¡± Xavier says. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I reply, standing up. I limp towards the exit. Maybe my wounds got infected. Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m feeling bad. I shouldn¡¯t have exerted myself so much. Panic starts to rumble in my stomach. No. I didn¡¯t injure myself that much. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m feeling this bad from it. This feeling is more like a sixth sense. I know something is wrong. What is it? I try to breathe slowly, but I can''t. My heart hammers in my throat. I need to know what is happening. Someone comes running down the hallway. I ignore her, thinking she¡¯s just a stranger. But her blonde ponytail is familiar. Anni. My heart plummets as she reaches me. She¡¯s crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask. She struggles to speak, sobs wracking her body. ¡°Calm down,¡± I tell her, even though I feel panic in my own body. She nods, and takes a second to breathe. When she speaks again, it¡¯s in a pained whisper. ¡°It¡¯s Astil,¡±She tells me, crying again softly. ¡°They took him! They took Atty, Zade! You have to get him back!¡± Chapter Twenty-Five: The Dragon Head Chapter Twenty-Five: The Dragon Head ¡°What happened?¡± I ask Anni urgently. ¡°It was¡­Raakhshas,¡± She sobs. ¡°He appeared out¡­Out of nowhere. He was with¡­ some adults. They tried to get us, but¡ª¡± She whimpers. ¡°Atty tried to protect me. He did everything. But they¡ª¡± She pauses again, and I grab her shoulders. She looks up at me. ¡°They just stole him. They took him away. I don¡¯t know where they went.¡± My gut feeling dissipates as if saying I did my job. Now all I have left is panic for my friend. ¡°Raakhshas,¡± I spit. ¡°Why did he go after Astil? It¡¯s me they want. Come on, Anni, we¡¯re gonna find Xavier. Then, we¡¯re gonna find Astil. And I¡¯m gonna kill Raakhshas.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I knock on Xavier¡¯s door. ¡°It¡¯s urgent,¡± I say, voice shaking like my legs. He opens the door, and when he sees my face, his face oozes concern. ¡°What happened?¡± I quickly tell him what Anni told me, words streaming quickly. I barely understand what I¡¯m saying, but evidently Xavier understands, because he nods. ¡°Let¡¯s go find him,¡± He says. We reunite with Anni in the gallery. She¡¯s shaking visibly, and her face is full of terror. Basically, she looks like what I feel inside. I¡¯m trying to hide it, though. Anni clearly doesn¡¯t want to. ¡°We¡¯ll get him back, won¡¯t we?¡± Anni asks. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay?¡± I don¡¯t know. Honestly, my hope is fading fast. But I can¡¯t tell Anni that. ¡°Of course we will,¡± I force a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to save him. Just like he saved you. Where did he get kidnapped?¡± ¡°Down in the gardens. Do you want me to show you where?¡± Anni¡¯s quivering voice saddens me. ¡°Yes, please,¡± I tell her. ¡°Lead the way.¡± As we leave, two conflicting emotions rage in my head. The first is sadness, of course. I¡¯m scared for Astil, and that makes me sad, knowing that whatever they do to Astil will only hurt him. I¡¯m sad because the thought of never seeing him again scares me. But I¡¯m also angry. Irate at Raakhshas. Astil did not need to be involved in our beef. It was only ever about me and him. There was no need to go after my friend. When I find Raakhshas, I will kill him. I don¡¯t care what it takes. I will make sure he ends up in the grave. We walk down a flight of stairs toward the exit of Zenyth proper. I want to run as fast as I can, but I don¡¯t know where he was caught. I need to follow Anni. She¡¯s running too, but not too quickly. We finally exit the Zenyth building and enter the gardens. I haven¡¯t been here much, but it¡¯s beautiful. As it¡¯s getting dark, the flowers shine through the night. I wish I could appreciate them now, but I don¡¯t have time. The gardens are large, and Anni leads us through the twists and turns. We pass benches where couples snuggle, and I try not to wince. I don¡¯t mind it, but I keep thinking that Anni and Astil were probably doing the same thing before he was taken. Anni stops by a bench. There¡¯s nobody in sight anymore, and now I can understand how Astil could¡¯ve been taken by surprise. ¡°It was here,¡± She says. ¡°They came out of that bush and swarmed us. We tried to fight back, but they were too strong.¡± She starts to weep again, and I hug her. ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Xavier says, caution in his voice, ¡°You might want to see this.¡± He¡¯s looking at the bench. There are words carved into the bench that look like the work of a knife. I squint my eyes to read the words in the fading sunlight. You have two hours to come to Dragon Head. I won¡¯t kill Astil ''till then. The longer you take, the more he bleeds. My eyes narrow the more I read it. Anni reads it, and her eyes tear up again. Xavier screams. ¡°What do we do?¡± Anni asks. ¡°They¡¯re hurting him!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I growl. ¡°Do you know where the Dragon Head is?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Xavier?¡± Xavier¡¯s rage is plain on his face as he looks at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know where it is either,¡± He says, struggling to not let his anger show in his words. ¡°We should ask Th¡¯ul.¡± We rush off, not bothering to even think about what we¡¯ll do after. I have nothing in my mind now except for Astil. I hope that Raakhshas isn¡¯t hurting Astil too much. I hope Astil can take it. I pray Astil can hold on until we arrive. We search the cafeteria first, but Th¡¯ul isn¡¯t there. ¡°We should split up,¡± I suggest. ¡°I go check his room. Anni, you go check the game room. Xavier, go to the library. They nod and set off. I head towards Th¡¯ul¡¯s room. If we can¡¯t find him, then I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get to the Dragon Head in time. I¡¯m running so fast that I pass by his room and have to skid to a stop before I can turn back. I knock on Th¡¯ul¡¯s door and wait. There¡¯s no answer so I knock again. After a minute, I decide he¡¯s not here. I turn to leave when the door opens. ¡°What do you want?¡± A groggy Th¡¯ul asks. ¡°I need your help,¡± I manage to say. ¡°Do you know where Dragon Head is?¡± ¡°There are three locations. Why?¡± ¡°No time to explain. Come with me,¡± I say. ¡°I can¡¯t. I have things to do.¡± Th¡¯ul¡¯s voice is weary. ¡°Astil is in danger.¡± Th¡¯ul straightens up. ¡°Let me get my cloak then.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª As we dash back to the cafeteria, I tell him what happened. Th¡¯ul¡¯s face darkens as I finish. ¡°I should¡¯ve realized something like this would happen,¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I breathe. ¡°We just have to make sure we catch them. So tell me about this Dragon Head.¡± We arrive at the cafeteria, where Anni and Xavier are already waiting for us. ¡°The Dragon Head is probably the most popular inn in this entire city. It¡¯s definitely the most popular spot to gamble. It¡¯s so popular that it¡¯s branched into three different places. The first is at the market. The second is near the Harbor. The third is smack dab in the middle of the Antiquated Section. That one is the most expensive one. None of us would be able to afford any of it. My bet is that they¡¯re at the market.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for, then?¡± Anni asks. We run out of Zenyth in the direction of the market. I¡¯m running so fast that I need to make sure I don¡¯t stumble. Magefell is a hill, and while the magic prevents exhaustion uphill, when I¡¯m running downhill, I can feel how steep it is. It feels like I¡¯m taking five strides with only one. Anni struggles to keep up with us, but I know that she would want us to be in front anyway. Th¡¯ul is by far the fastest of us, and when he turns a corner and I follow, I lose sight of him. A second later, I see him down an alleyway. I keep following. Normally, it takes a good thirty minutes to get to the market at least. Today I¡¯m making it in five. As the market comes into view, I groan. I totally forgot how crowded it would be. I have to slow down so that I don¡¯t bump into any passersby, but I still manage a speed walk as I follow Th¡¯ul. I assume Xavier and Anni are following but I can¡¯t really be sure anymore. I¡¯m focused on what¡¯s ahead. While I walk, I stretch my core. I¡¯ve figured out that¡¯s a good way to prepare it for magic. I imagine the core as the magic I might have to do. Then I put on my magic shield. I finger the hilt of my sword, making sure it¡¯s there. Then I check the inward pocket of my cloak for my dagger. It¡¯s there. I breathe a sigh of relief. If I¡¯m right, I¡¯ll have to use it today. Every second we take to find Astil, the more he gets hurt. We need to be quicker. I quietly make a prayer, hoping that the first Dragon Head we go to is the right one. Th¡¯ul skids to a stop, and I hold his arm as I try not to fall. Xavier and Anni are there a second later. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Th¡¯ul says. I look at the building. It¡¯s a simple wooden building with a sign on the front. The sign has a knight with a sword embedded on a dragon¡¯s skull. The Dragon Head. We¡¯re here. I open the door. The bar is full of drunkards and barmaids. I quickly realize that I have no idea how I¡¯m going to find Raakhshas. Where would he be in this bar? ¡°Do you want anything?¡± Asks a gruff looking man at the front of the bar. He glares at us ¡°Are there any mages here? Maybe a man names Raakhshas?¡± I ask. ¡°Ain¡¯t no Raakhshases here,¡± The man replies. ¡°If y¡¯all want some beer, I got that. If you don¡¯t, scram.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be at this one,¡± Th¡¯ul whispers to me. ¡°But I think I know where he is.¡± We leave the Dragon Head. ¡°Okay then, explain yourself,¡± I demand. ¡°The Dragon Head on the Antiquated Section is owned by a mage. I¡¯m thinking that¡¯s where Astil was taken.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say that before we came here?¡± Xavier complains. ¡°No time,¡± I reply. ¡°Th¡¯ul, get us there. As quick as you can.¡± He nods, and sprints left. I follow him, immediately going down a path I¡¯ve never been to. After a five minute run, I start to notice better houses. Some are made of marble. Some are obviously made of very expensive jewels. I¡¯ve never seen a house made of rubies. It looks exotic, but too bright for my taste. Not that I care. Right now, I just want to find Astil. No matter what it takes. We pass a house that seems to have a shield around it. It¡¯s probably magic protected, which on any other day would interest me. I look over at Anni. She¡¯s struggling for breath, and she¡¯s also trying to keep her panic in. I want to reassure her, but speaking while running isn¡¯t gonna do anything. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I wonder how much time of the two hours has passed. At least forty-five minutes. I try not to think of Astil, innocent Astil, screaming in pain as they carve him. His blond hair drenched in blood. No. It can¡¯t be happening. Not to Astil. We arrive at the Dragon Head. This one looks miles better than the other one. It¡¯s made of marble, and it looks to be triple the size of the other one. Th¡¯ul slowly opens the door to the bar. There¡¯s nobody inside. It looks like the other bar, except empty and made of marble. ¡°They¡¯re closed but the door isn¡¯t locked,¡± Xavier whispers. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± I agree with him. We walk to the back of the bar where there is a door leading to what should be the hall to the rooms. As Th¡¯ul opens the door, I hear a creak. It¡¯s loud, but I hope it didn¡¯t warn anybody of our coming. We enter the dimly lit hallway. It¡¯s spooky, and looks haunted. The light here is coming from the candles posted by the walls. I hear a scream. A guttural, painful noise that splits the silence. I think I recognize the scream. It sounds like Astil. ¡°That was Atty, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Anni asks, scared of the answer. I nod softly, and she sobs. I follow the scream I heard. It leads to a double door of iron. On the doorknobs are marble heads of a man and a woman, eyes filled with fire, tongue like snakes. I shudder and open the door. There he is. Astil is in the middle of the room, tied to a plank of the wood held vertically in the air. He¡¯s shirtless and bleeding from somewhere, but he¡¯s alive. He sees us, and his eyes widen. He¡¯s gagged, so I¡¯m not sure of his expression. Anni screams and runs to him; me, Th¡¯ul, and Xavier are on her heels. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anybody else here, but it is dark, so maybe I just don¡¯t see them. I take out my dagger, and start to untie Astil. No one comes to stop me. Anni removes the gag, and he speaks to them. ¡°Thank you so much for coming,¡± He says, throat parched, ¡°But it¡¯s a trap. You should¡¯ve left me here.¡± He starts to sob. ¡°Anni, you shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± ¡°I told you they were coming,¡± A familiar, snake-like voice comes from the darkness. ¡°The entertainment is here.¡± Suddenly, the room is lit, and I groan. It¡¯s Raakhshas and four grown Mages, each wielding a sword I bet they won¡¯t need. I get flashbacks from the torture I had recently, but this time I know it¡¯ll be different. I¡¯m stronger. And I¡¯m here to protect my friends. Th¡¯ul brought a sword from his room and he takes it out. Xavier brought a dagger, so I give Astil mine. ¡°Anni,¡± I say, ¡°Stay away from this fight. You won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± She raises her hands, and there¡¯s water in the air above them. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me,¡± She growls. ¡°No surrender,¡± Raakhshas¡¯ face looks sad. ¡°Pity. Now.¡± The four mages rush at us, Raakhshas staying behind, and I quickly make sure my shield is still up. I locate Anni throwing water at a mage, who defends it with his sword, water streaming out in two directions once it touches the sword. Astil and Xavier engage in a back-to-back fight with a couple of mages. I engage in the other two. I can¡¯t see Th¡¯ul. I block a thrust from one, and back up as another swings at me. My back hits a pillar and I groan. I hadn¡¯t even noticed these were here. I scan the room. There must be at least ten pillars. I duck desperately as the mages attack me again. I poke one of them in the leg and he jumps back, yelping a bit. I look at the other mage and try to levitate him. It doesn¡¯t work. He must be using a shield. I feel a poke against my shield, and I smile. Raakhshas is glaring at me, but he can¡¯t get past my shield so far. I¡¯m thankful I¡¯ve been able to make it stronger. As I fight with one of the mages, I hear something behind me. I realize what¡¯s happening right before it¡¯s too late. I¡¯m about to die. A Fireball whizzes past my shoulder and smashes the other mage in the head. The mage falls back. The Fireball didn¡¯t hurt him as he was wearing a shield, but it did catch him off guard, giving me time to step back and restance myself. I look at where Th¡¯ul is behind a pillar and nod at him respectfully. He winks. I thought he¡¯d left the fight, but I¡¯m glad he¡¯s still fighting for us. A Fireball comes my way, but before it reaches, a gush of water extinguishes it, Anni¡¯s hand still stretched to where she threw the water. I yell a warning as a mage¡¯s fist aims at her. The fist looks like a boulder. It smashes into Anni and she flies back, hitting a wall. Her chest heaves up and down. I would help her, but there¡¯s no time. Thankfully, Th¡¯ul rushes to her aid. I bring my sword up to match the weapon of the mage attacking me. I match him in strength, but slowly, his sword seems to grow stronger, and I start to feel myself being overpowered. He must be magically enforcing his sword, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. But I have an idea, I levitate my sword only a centimeter then let go of my hand and step back. He doesn¡¯t anticipate it, and suddenly he¡¯s locking swords with the air. It¡¯s my mental strength against his physical one. I try to levitate my sword higher, but he bring his sword back and rushes me. I smile. This is exactly what I wanted. As he runs at me, I do something I¡¯ve been practicing. I fling my levitating sword with my magic. It embeds itself in his back and he screams as he goes down, back spurting blood. None of the other mages are dead yet. In fact, my friends are being forced to retreat. The mages are stronger at magic than the rest of us. I feel a strength pulling at me and my shield breaks. I start to rise in that air, and I see Raakhshas concentrating on me. A blinding pain rushes through my body. With my last bit of concentration, I levitate a rock and throw it at him. The small pebble strikes him on the shoulder. It doesn¡¯t hurt much, but it breaks his concentration enough for me to fall down and put my shield up. My leg twists as I hit the floor, but I can ignore the pain. I¡¯m ignoring my wounds while I do this. I see the sword of the fallen mage and I levitate it. I can feel my mana depleting but I still think I have enough. I attack a mage who was trying to get to Astil. I attack him with both swords, but I quickly realize I don¡¯t have the concentration or strength to be fighting someone, sword in hand, and levitate another sword and fight him with that too. The levitating sword clatters to the ground. ¡°Psst,¡± I hear Th¡¯ul whisper. I look over and see that my friends are all hiding behind pillars. I quickly rush behind one where Th¡¯ul is. ¡°I killed one,¡± I say. ¡°I know,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°But we¡¯re still losing. They¡¯re too strong.¡± ¡°There are five of us, and only four of them.¡± I protest. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°They¡¯ve been going easy on us. They¡¯re clearly just taking their time. Unless a miracle happens, we¡¯re gonna die here.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I say, ¡°If I have to die, I¡¯ll go down fighting.¡± I send a fireball forward as one of the mages tries to get to us. He steps back as the fireball whizzes in front of him. His shield still manages to stop it. I look at where Anni and Astil are huddled behind a pillar. Astil sees me, and I can tell he¡¯s not doing so well. An explosion rocks me. I look as I see Xavier rushing behind another pillar, what remains of his other one scattered on the ground. ¡°They¡¯re blowing up the pillars?¡± I groan. Th¡¯ul nodded. ¡°I told you. We¡¯re not getting out of this.¡± I concentrate hard and send forward a trio of Fireballs. I fully expect them to dissipate but they only get stronger and bigger, reaching the other mages. I look at Th¡¯ul. He must be helping me. I focus on the fire with him. The Fireballs stop when they reach the mages¡¯ shields, but me and Th¡¯ul concentrate on keeping it up. It becomes a mental fight. I can feel my strength sapping, but I give this all I have. Eventually, the Fireballs stop and boomerang back to us. I shriek and step behind the pillar again as the whizz next to my face. ¡°When do you think they¡¯ll end this?¡± I wonder. ¡°Any time now,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°We¡¯re getting tired.¡± Anni and Astil scream as they send a wave of water at the mages. I send a Fireball at them at the same time, and Th¡¯ul strengthens it. Xavier sees what we¡¯re doing and sends a pile of rocks, magically throwing them at the mages. The mages walk forward and the rocks shatter. The wave washes over them, but they don¡¯t get wet. The Fireballs, as always, do nothing. One of the mages raises his hand. The marble from the broken pillar congregates around him, forming an armor. He jumps to the pillar where I¡¯m hiding and punches it. It shatters, and I¡¯m flung back, landing on a dazed Th¡¯ul. What Th¡¯ul said before finally dawns on me. We can¡¯t fight them. They¡¯re too strong. They¡¯ve been learning to be mages for years. They¡¯ve experienced so much more, and just know things I couldn¡¯t dream of. Plus, they¡¯re Cultists. If the High Mage who tried to recruit me was right, then they have power imbued from Dautha. If so, then they¡¯d be even more powerful than someone who¡¯d been learning the same amount of time as them. I¡¯m going to lose. I know it. And they¡¯re going to kill me. I hope Jade doesn¡¯t miss me too much. I hope she lives a wonderful life and that she finds a great husband. There¡¯s just one thing I want to do now. I want to kill Raakhshas. And I want to save my friends. Okay, two things. I yell and rush towards Raakhshas, ignoring all the other mages. The mage with marble armor punches me and I fly forward falling to the ground. I get back up soon after, and strike at Raakhshas. He steps forward to fight me. I hope my friends can at least cover me for now. My sword strikes his and flies back. His sword must be magically protected. I groan. This is going to be harder than I originally thought. I duck beneath his sword and strike with mine. It scrapes his stomach, and he groans, surprise on his face, The surprise quickly turns to anger. ¡°You never were the better fighter,¡± I sneer. He shrugs. ¡°I still win anyway. I don¡¯t need to be better.¡± He steps back, and only a last minute scream from Xavier makes me step to the left. A sword strikes where I was a second ago, and I¡¯m forced to fight another mage. This one is a woman, and she looks terrifying. Her body has red markings all over them, and she stands at seven feet currently. Part of me is scared to death. The other part wonders what it¡¯d be like to have that kind of magic. I¡¯m forced to retreat as I fight her. I need to do something to get the advantage over her, but I¡¯m fresh out of ideas. This is a very strong mage, and I¡¯m just a mage-in-training. Her sword scratches my arm, and I scream in pain. I¡¯ve got basically no mana left to do magic and even my shield is waning. I can see Anni fall through the corner of my eye. Th¡¯ul and Xavier are clearly on their last stretch. I can¡¯t see Astil, but he¡¯s probably fighting someone too. The woman swings at me again, and my sword flies out of my grip. It lands on the floor some ten feet away. I want to get it, but I know I don¡¯t have time to get it. I stumble back as she swings at me, tripping on the ground. She lifts her sword, ready to kill me. I prepare for death. I just wish I¡¯d been able to keep my friends alive. ¡°Wait!¡± I hear Raakhshas scream. ¡°I want him to see this before he dies.¡± The woman looks back. When she looks back at me, I can see her evil smile. She steps back, and I can see the other mages do the same. What was Raakhshas talking about? I look at him and I gasp. My eyes widen, and I try not to scream. Raakhshas is holding a dagger up to Astil¡¯s throat. Astil is looking at me, desperation in his eyes. I look at Raakhshas. ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± I beg. ¡°Please. This is between me and you. He didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Raakhshas slits Astil¡¯s throat. Me and my friends all scream at the same time. ¡°ATTY!,¡± I hear Anni yell. Th¡¯ul screams in anger. Xavier yells in desperation. ¡°NOOOOO!¡± I scream. Astil¡¯s body falls to the ground, blood already pooling around him. Raakhshas¡¯ dagger is red with Astil¡¯s blood. I can barely feel anymore. I¡¯m going numb. Raakhshas just killed Astil. Astil¡¯s dead. My eyes water, and tears stream out. Astil can¡¯t be dead. He was like my little brother. I loved him. He was so innocent, so sweet. He was my anchor, my hope. He can¡¯t be dead. I look at Astil¡¯s limp body, sobs wracking my body. Astil doesn¡¯t move. ¡°No, no, no,¡± I whimper, in pain. Astil¡¯s blood reaches me, and I feel its cold touch telling me he¡¯s dead. But I don''t want to believe it. I remember his happy laugh. How alive he seemed when he was with Anni. How much he looked up to me. All I want to do is bring him back. But I can¡¯t. Astil¡¯s gone now. There¡¯s nothing I can do. And I surrender to death. Because now all I want to do is die. I don¡¯t want to live if the one person I wanted to protect is dead. Astil¡¯s face looks at me guiltily. I let Astil die. The realization hits me again. Astil is dead. He¡¯s gone. Forever. I hear a female voice in my head. Skill Unlocked: Burning Pillar. I look up at Raakhshas, and suddenly a pillar of fire erupts beneath him, consuming him. When the fire disappears, all that¡¯s left of him is ashes and a couple of bones. I¡¯ve killed Raakhshas, but I don¡¯t care. Suddenly, I¡¯m filled with rage in my heart. My mind explodes with fury. I strike at the woman with the red markings and she backs off, horror in her eyes. I focus on her and she explodes in a pillar of fire. The other two mages¡¯ eyes wien and they back off, clearly reinforcing their shields. I look at Xavier, who¡¯s kneeling on the ground crying. Anni is looking at me fearfully. ¡°YOU KILLED HIM!¡± I yell at the mages. Another pillar of fire erupts, taking the life of a mage. The last mage growls, knowing he can¡¯t run away, and attacks my friends. Th¡¯ul quickly jumps in to block him and they begin to fight each other. I slowly walk over to them, rage blazing in my heart. I want to kill everyone. As I get nearer, the mage gets more desperate. His swings grow wilder, and his thrusts less powerful. He knows that if I reach him, he¡¯s dead. Th¡¯ul keeps him busy, and half of me wants to let him stall, but I need to end it now. ¡°Th¡¯ul,¡± I say. ¡°Back off.¡± Th¡¯ul tries to get away from the mage, who attacks harder. I groan and grab Nightwielder from where Astil dropped it. I fling it, and it takes the mage in the shoulder. He screams and falls to the ground. I smile. ¡°I hope you burn in hell.¡± Fire consumes him, and his screams please me. The mages are dead. As soon as that hits me, so does everything else. I fall to my knees. My anger leaves my body, and all that is left is the sadness. Astil is gone. I crawl over to his prone form. The blood pooling on the ground seems like too much for such a tiny cut. I grab his body and cradle his head. It moves limply back and forth in my arms, and I weep loudly. Why couldn¡¯t it be me? I would¡¯ve died for him if I could. I could¡¯ve done something. I scream at the air. My tears hit Astil¡¯s face, and I caress his blonde hair. He had so much to live for. Just today, he was so lively and happy. And now he¡¯ll never be happy again. Th¡¯ul comes to me and wraps his arms around me in a comforting way. It doesn¡¯t help. All I want now is Astil. I can hear Anni whimpering a few feet away from me. She¡¯s in shock, so petrified she can¡¯t even cry, And Xavier¡­ Xavier¡¯s eyes are so full of sadness that just looking at them would be enough to change anyone¡¯s mood. Tears fall down his face. We¡¯re drowning in liquids now. The blood, sweat, and tears falling on the ground threaten to overwhelm us, but we don¡¯t really care. The best of us is dead, And we did nothing to stop it. Why couldn¡¯t I have unlocked the skill before he died? Before Raakhshas took his life in a cowardly way? ¡°Please wake up,¡± I beg Astil. ¡°Please, please, please.¡± My voice becomes a phantom, a whisper. ¡°Please¡­ Please. You can¡¯t go yet.¡± My sobbing muffles my voice. ¡°Please come back. Please come home.¡± Astil¡¯s eyes stare at me, empty and lifeless. I scream again. And again. And again. I cry with my friends for hours. Nobody moves. If we move, then this is real. We stay for as long as we can, crying, denying the truth. We cry for Astil. Because he was my hope. He was happy when nobody else was. I weep. Xavier weeps. Anni weeps. Even Th¡¯ul weeps. My tears fall over Astil¡¯s eyes. Even he seems to weep. Astil is dead. And so are we. Chapter Twenty-Six: Yue & Xander Chapter Twenty-Six: Yue & Xander Sunlight hit Yue¡¯s face. She looked up at a white-painted ceiling. Where the hell was she? She sat up and looked around. Dammit! She¡¯d fallen asleep in Neena¡¯s room in the hospital wing. She and Xander had talked late into the night here in Neena¡¯s room. Xander had eventually gone to bed, or at least Yue had tried to force him too. His eyes had betrayed his exhaustion and Yue had pushed him away. Seems like he hadn¡¯t been the only exhausted one. She was laying on Neena''s bed. She hadn''t realized that she''d fallen asleep here. She stood up. Her back hurt a little, but it was fine. She should probably go eat. It was already light outside. The Wolf would be pissed if she arrived late to practice, although he might be a bit lenient considering the circumstances. She was putting on her belt when she heard a rustle behind her. She turned and smiled. Neena was looking at her groggily. Neena was awake! Yue hugged her. ¡°You¡¯re okay. You¡¯re alive!¡± She wept tears of joy. ¡°Of course I am,¡± Neena responded. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°We were all so worried for you,¡± Yue responded. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± Neena asked. ¡°Two or three days, I think;¡± Yue responded. Neena sucked her teeth. ¡°That long?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°But you¡¯re awake now. That¡¯s good!¡± Neena smiled. ¡°It is. How are the others?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all okay,¡± Yue said. ¡°We¡¯re still not sure how Artemis¡¯ leg is, but the others are all okay.¡± Neena nodded. ¡°Great. You¡¯re leaving, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yue said. ¡°I have to go to training soon.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Neena replied. ¡°But tell the nurse as you leave that I¡¯m awake and feeling fine. Can you do that?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to,¡± The nurse said, coming in through the doorway. ¡°You¡¯ll have to stay here for a while, though, Neena. You¡¯re still not healthy enough to leave.¡± ¡°I expected that;¡± Neena smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re awake,¡± The nurse told her. ¡°You¡¯ll be good in no time.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Eva¡¯s back,¡± Aster told Yue. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look happy,¡± Alyx said. They were both out of the hospital now. There were now only two in the hospital, which was a blessing. They were healing. Xander winced. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure both Joanne and Eva are going to ignore you, though, Yue. They¡¯ll also be ignoring each other.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a triangle.¡± ¡°I just wish Joanne stopped ignoring me,¡± Yue responded. ¡°She¡¯s really nice. I feel like I betrayed her.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get over it,¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. She¡¯s a Cultist. You know the crazy thing they make you say, Xander. You can¡¯t possibly believe that she has our best interests in mind.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, Yue,¡± Xander said. ¡°We can¡¯t trust Joanne, so I think it¡¯s a good thing you two aren¡¯t friends anymore.¡± Yue frowned. ¡°But she¡¯s different. She¡­¡± ¡°She what, Yue?¡± Alyx demanded. ¡°She cares, okay? She cares about us. Most Cultists wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Xander asked. ¡°How would you know that other Cultists wouldn¡¯t care? And for that matter, how do you know Joanne cares?¡± Yue stood up sharply. ¡°You¡¯re against me too, Xander? Why do y¡¯all feel the need to argue about this?¡± ¡°Yue,¡± Aster said softly, ¡°We were just saying what we believed. We don¡¯t mean anything wrong by it.¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have anything good to say, don¡¯t say it,¡± Yue told them. She walked away angrily. She didn¡¯t know why she was so mad all of a sudden. She didn¡¯t usually explode like this but she guessed she was very sprung up after Joanne¡¯s arrest and subsequent release. She sat down on a bench and put her head in her hands. She felt bad already for exploding. She felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Mind if I sit?¡± Xander asked. She shook her head and he sat down. ¡°We¡¯re not mad, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering,¡± He said. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re going through, Yue.¡± ¡°I just¡­ I just feel so exhausted from everything that¡¯s been happening these last few days. It¡¯s been so much. And now you are being forced to try to kill me. It¡¯s just too much.¡± ¡°Imagine how I must feel,¡± Xander replied. Yue sucked in a breath. She hadn¡¯t thought about that. He laughed. ¡°You know what I think every time I want to explode or collapse from exhaustion.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°I think about you. You¡¯re always here for me. These last few weeks, you¡¯ve stuck by me through everything, Yue. Before Diamond died, I didn¡¯t even know you that well, Yue! But after¡­ You were always trying to help me. After I joined the Cult, you were the one always in the hospital watching over me. Was it a little creepy? Yes.¡± Yue laughed. ¡°But it got me through it all. Because you care, Yue.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°I would do that to everyone I love, Xander.¡± ¡°What did I do to deserve it, Yue?¡± Xander wondered. ¡°That¡¯s what makes you special. None of us did anything for you. You do everything for us. If you think Joanne is okay, then we¡¯ll trust you.¡± ¡°Did Alyx set you up to this?¡± Yue asked suspiciously. Xander shook his head. ¡°No. She wanted to let you cool off.¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°Sounds like Alyx.¡± Xander grew serious. ¡°Yue, I have something to say.¡± Yue looked at him, heart sinking. ¡°What is it, Xander?¡± ¡°I need to say this in case anything happens. Yue, I think I love you.¡± He sighed nervously. ¡°I understand if you don¡¯t feel the same. But ever since Diamond died, you¡¯ve just been there. And you¡¯re so beautiful and..:¡± Yue interrupted him with a kiss and his eyes widened. Then he hugged her and leaned into it. ¡°I love you too,¡± Yue said softly. ¡°I love you, Xander.¡± Yue pressed her body against his, lips against his. It was the calm after the storm. Yue felt love and passion inside of her. They kept the kiss up as long as they could, Yue only breaking apart when she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. ¡°Well, this might get awkward,¡± She said. ¡°With the others and all.¡± ¡°Not as awkward as you watching me sleep.¡± Yue slapped his shoulder. ¡°You probably liked it.¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°I was asleep. Couldn¡¯t really have enjoyed it, could I? I know you did, though.¡± Yue laughed. ¡°Only way I could stare at you without it being weird.¡± ¡°It very much was weird.¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Yue put a finger to his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t make it weird.¡± Xander sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t win this one, can I?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Yue grinned. ¡°Well,¡± Xander laughed. ¡°Of all the things I thought could happen today, this was not one of them.¡± ¡°Same,¡± Yue responded. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you felt the same way.¡± ¡°I hoped you did, but imagine how embarrassing it would¡¯ve been if you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been cute,¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°Plus, I do love you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°I guess not,¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯m just relieved I¡¯ve finally said it. And excited because you feel it too.¡± Yue felt excited too. Many in the Vanguard were dating, and some were married, but it wasn¡¯t too common of an occurrence. She hoped that whatever happened with Xander would be good. She wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if something bad happened between them. She put her hand in his. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see where this goes.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± He said, leaning in for another kiss. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So, you finally admitted it to each other,¡± Aster said proudly, noticing their locked hands. ¡°You knew this whole time?¡± Yue asked. Aster shrugged. ¡°It was pretty obvious. We were waiting for you to work it out together.¡± ¡°We bet on who would admit it first!¡± Alyx exclaimed. ¡°So who did?¡± Yue locked games with Xander and smiled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Alyx groaned. ¡°Come on! There¡¯s coin on the line here.¡± ¡°Not if I don¡¯t want there to be,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I already hate your relationship with him,¡± Alyx grumbled. ¡°Only because you couldn¡¯t get a boyfriend no matter how hard you tried,¡± Xander teased. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Alyx grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough with Artemis and Poli. Y¡¯all two will tip me over the edge.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll change her mind one day,¡± Aster told them. ¡°She¡¯ll meet a guy and she won¡¯t be able to stop herself then.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I thought y¡¯all just said I couldn¡¯t get a boyfriend,¡± Alyx protested. ¡°There¡¯s always someone for everyone,¡± Xander replied. ¡°But he¡¯ll probably be ugly, though.¡± Yue didn¡¯t join in this time. She knew her friends were just teasing but Alyx was pretty, that much was obvious. And if she wanted a boyfriend, she¡¯d have one by now. She really didn¡¯t want one. And Yue didn¡¯t blame her. With the stress they had had recently, it would be hard having to pay attention to someone else. Not that it would be hard with Xander. He knew what could happen. They would have to talk about that soon. She saw many warriors heading off towards the green. It was time for practice. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue rushed at Alyx, sword swinging precisely. As she got closer, Alyx stepped back and Xander stepped in. She began to spar with both of them, her blade defending both of theirs. ¡°Kol!¡± She yelled. ¡°I need you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± He groaned, straining as he fought off three different people. Yue had bet that she and Kol could take on five different Vanguard members. Of course, Alyx and Aster accepted the offer immediately. Xander had stepped in as well, telling her he wouldn¡¯t go easy on her. Yiro had stepped in to join, which worried Yue a bit. Another Vanguard soldier had decided to join as well, which persuaded Kol to agree to the match. Obviously, the Wolf was all for something like this. It was good practice. Yue was already regretting her decision to do this. It had only been going on for about fifteen seconds and already they were getting a beating. She had overestimated how good she was. Again. She¡¯d totally forgotten how good Xander was and now she was paying the price. She ducked and stepped back, quickly retreating from the fight she wouldn¡¯t win on her own. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± She asked Kol. ¡°Yiro¡¯s too good,¡± He replied, shirt soaked in sweat. Aster broke off from Xander and rushed at Yue. Yue had expected this and smiled. She dodged the strike and swept her blade up, nicking Aster on her arm. Aster groaned but left the match. One down. Four to go. Once again, Xander went after her, and she vowed to not let her new boyfriend beat her. It was okay when they weren¡¯t dating, but now it would be a problem. She really did not want to lose right now. If she won this match, not only would it prove to herself that she had the strength, but it would cement in her mind that she would win the tournament. If she could win against more than one of the most elite warriors in the world, then the tournament should be easy. She twisted to the side as Xander struck. Her moves were lithe and quick, but not rushed. She had to maintain a level head. That was the most important part. She struggled to keep herself level-headed when Alyx came in. The girl attacked ferociously, and Yue retreated until she was back to back with Kol. "So, you still think we''ll win?" Kol asked. "Definitely," Yue responded. "We already are." Kol grunted but didn''t respond. She struck at Xander, fully expecting him to be defenseless. Somehow, he was able to put his sword in the exact place and she groaned. She wouldn''t last much longer unless something happened. From the corner of her eye, she saw a glint of metal. Her eyes narrowed and she stepped to the right and swung, connecting with the leg of the Vanguard warrior she didn''t know. The warrior groaned as a sliver of blood flowed out. Three left. Xander saw what happened and attacked even harder, trying desperately to disarm Yue. Alyx, thankfully, moved on to Kol, who was looking very tired. Yue swung, connecting with Xander''s sword. Then she pushed hard. He was stronger, but he was still forced to defend himself as her sword got closer to his body. Seeing how desperate he was to defend himself, she quickly slid her sword off and changed its direction, shocking Xander. As the sword sliced his right arm, he smiled grimly. "Good job," he told her. She nodded and moved on to the next opponent. There were two left, and Alyx immediately saw her advancing. She retreated slightly like a lioness assessing the hunt. She glared at Yue and Yue glared back. When Alyx launched herself, Yue was ready. She stanced herself to block Alyx''s incoming attack, and the sounds the steel made pleased Yue. The sounds of swords clashing was always beautiful. That was just the way of the world. Alyx swung, but Yue didn''t let her attack. She pushed forward, leaving Alyx strained, so she retreated. Yue rushed forward and heard a warning. She barely turned back in time to see Yiro rushing at her. She stood to block Yiro''s path. That''s when the unthinkable happened. A flash of pain greeted her from her side and she turned to see a small cut oozing blood from her side. She glared at Alyx who was already gloating. "That was low," Yue said. Alyx shrugged. Yue reluctantly left the fight and watched as Kol was left fighting the two girls. She wondered how Yiro was able to break apart from him and attack her. However she did it, her plan had worked. Yue had been eliminated. It all depended on what Kol did now. Except he was clearly losing. There was no way he could take on both girls. They were simply too good. As he swung around to block a strike from Alyx, Yiro took her shot, thrusting at his side. He tried to move, resulting in him tripping on the ground. His subsequent fall caused both Alyx and Yiro to attack him wildly. Yue gaped as he deflected shots from both of them on the ground. Somehow, he was able to keep himself from losing. Eventually, he was able to rise to his feet. As he stepped back, Yiro and Alyx shared a glance. Yiro attacked Kol and he stepped in to fight her. Kol swung his sword, and she squealed. Her sword flew out of her grasp, and he smiled triumphantly. He scraped her shoulder and just as he was turning, Alyx put her sword to his throat. ¡°You lose,¡± Alyx said. Kol fell to the ground exhausted. Yue went to sit next to him. ¡°Well,¡± She told him. ¡°We got close.¡± He grunted. ¡°We got four of them. I didn¡¯t even expect us to get three.¡± ¡°Were you underestimating me?¡± Yue asked. ¡°No, I was overestimating them. Yiro was by far the best one. The others are great, but¡­¡± ¡°Not as good as us,¡± Yue finished. Kol nodded. ¡°Exactly. I think the tournament is going to be really boring.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Kol smiled. ¡°Clearly, we¡¯ll be the ones passing on each time. I¡¯ve already sparred with y¡¯all hundreds of times. I don¡¯t need another tournament like that.¡± His tone was slightly teasing, but she could tell he did feel that way a little. ¡°We are supposed to be the most elite army in existence,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I think it¡¯s only obvious we¡¯re the ones winning the tournament. That¡¯s a good thing, though, isn¡¯t it? The purpose of the tournament is to show the world that Magefell is the strongest.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Kol asked. ¡°Is that really the purpose? It seems so weak! So confusing and somewhat convoluted. That can¡¯t be the real purpose.¡± Yue had no answer to that. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I have to speak with you,¡± Yue said, entering Artemis¡¯ room. Artemis was awake, and Poli was by his side. Yue had directed her statement towards Poli, but she was hoping to have a conversation with both of them. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Poli asked. ¡°Are you still going to leave the Vanguard?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I remember you told us you would if things got worse. Well, thighs have gotten much worse now, and you haven¡¯t left. Do you still plan to?¡± Poli sighed. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no way to do it now,¡± She said, pointing towards Artemis¡¯ foot. ¡°But honestly, we decided not to. It just didn¡¯t sit right with us. Plus, there is some hope now. It isn¡¯t worth it to leave our job.¡± ¡°What about Axl?¡± Yue asked, remembering Poli¡¯s Cultist friend. ¡°Have you heard from him recently?¡± Poli shook her head. ¡°I broke ties with him after Jos¡¯ death. I knew it was the Cult doing this, and when I confronted Axl, he was very hostile. So I stopped talking to him. Last I heard, he was raging about me to his friends.¡± Yue winced. ¡°Oof. I¡¯m sorry, Poli.¡± Poli shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really care. He was a bastard anyway. The Cult always puts themselves first. If you¡¯re not part of the Cult, then you¡¯re evil according to them. Axl never really cared about me. And I bet Joanne never really cared about you.¡± Yue¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You can¡¯t be sure about that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Poli replied. ¡°I just have experience with this kind of thing. Axl was the last person I thought would be a fake friend. But he was. I¡¯m sure Joanne is too. At least to some degree.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. I just don¡¯t want to think about that.¡± ¡°Neither did I,¡± Poli responded. ¡°But I had to face it. You do, too. If she offers a white flag, I wouldn¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not gonna take it, are you?¡± Artemis said. Yue just looked somberly at them. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue walked aimlessly around the Vanguard grounds, just thinking. The search for the murderer had completely stopped now. She didn¡¯t have any clues anymore. She had no idea what she would do. The Wolf told her that he needed to talk to her soon and that they would discuss it, but she really didn¡¯t know how to keep going yet. And it was really bothering her. The murderers were out there! And they must be so happy right now, thinking about how they got away with it. Plus, they probably weren¡¯t done. Yue wondered what they would do next. They could do so much, what were they waiting for? Yue spotted a spy watching her from a tree. She was getting tired of seeing them. She was pretty sure they intruded everywhere. She couldn¡¯t see them most of the time, but they were there. It was hard sometimes, having a conversation knowing someone you didn¡¯t want was listening in. But she had to get used to it. ¡°YUE ZHANG!¡± A voice yelled at her from behind. She turned sharply and saw Eva walking somewhat quickly towards her. She winced, expecting to get an onslaught of insults. Instead, the girl smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yue replied. ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± ¡°What for?¡± The other girl laughed. ¡°You gave me a vacation. I needed it.¡± ¡°Glad your back,¡± Yue told her. She didn¡¯t know if she actually believed that, but she had to say it. ¡°Are you ready for the tournament?¡± ¡°Hell, yeah,¡± The girl responded. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing while I was away.¡± ¡°But you weren¡¯t allowed to!¡± Yue protested. ¡°Shhh,¡± Eva said. ¡°They don¡¯t know anything. Don¡¯t tell them.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re back now. In case you¡¯re wondering. Joanne is not the murderer.¡± ¡°Tell me more,¡± Eva replied. ¡°We arrested her then indicted her,¡± Yue said, embarrassed. ¡°No more needs to be said.¡± ¡°Oof, must¡¯ve been awkward,¡± Eva laughed. ¡°She should¡¯ve stayed in jail, though. She deserves it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who beat her up,¡± Yue pointed out. ¡°I¡¯d do it again, too,¡± Eva said. ¡°I don¡¯t regret anything. In fact, I kinda want to relive it. So Joanne better not come near me.¡± ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Yue was thinking of the spies. She couldn''t tell Eva about them, but she was trying to give hints. ¡°I don¡¯t really care, Yue,¡± Eva said. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s good to see you. It¡¯s great to be back.¡± Yue nodded. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I think we need to talk,¡± Yue said, sitting next to Xander. ¡°About what? He asked. ¡°Us.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°I thought we already did.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°No. All we did was admit our love. But we still haven¡¯t talked about how that fits in what the Cult wants you to do.¡± Xander hung his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to talk about this. In my opinion, you should stay away from me, Yue. It¡¯ll only hurt you more when I turn against you.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll know you¡¯re not you!¡± Yue protested. ¡°But you¡¯ll be forced to kill me!¡± Xander exclaimed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to admit it, but you know the truth.¡± Yue stared at the grass, thinking. She knew that most likely if theCult actually sent Xander against them, then killing him could be the only option. She desperately searched for any other solution. There had to be something they could do! ¡°How about you hide? That way they can¡¯t tell you to do anything,¡± Yue said. ¡°You think that will work?¡± Xander protested. ¡°The Cult is mostly made up of mages. I¡¯m sure if they wanted to find me, they could.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°I know. There¡¯s nothing we can do, is there? We really made the wrong decision sending you there.¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Xander soothed her softly, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°It was a good plan. I just didn¡¯t take advantage of it.¡± Yue knew he wasn''t telling the truth. ¡°But Yue, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I do love you. The true me would do nothing to hurt you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± She locked eyes with Xander. ¡°I know, Xander.¡± ¡°But I also need you to promise me something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She asked Xander. ¡°I need you to promise to let them kill me when I turn.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Yue shrieked. ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°You have to. I¡¯ll never be able to live by myself if I kill anyone. You have to let them kill me immediately. And if it comes down to you, promise me you¡¯ll do it. For me.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°No. No. No. No. I won¡¯t do it, Xander. You know I can¡¯t.¡± He sighed. ¡°Then I guess this is better for both of us.¡± He stood up sadly. ¡°Yue, I don¡¯t think we should date. I¡¯m really sorry, but if I turn, then I need to be put down no matter what. Maybe this will make it easier for you. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Yue could see he was on the verge of tears. He started to walk away, and Yue bit her lip. Truth was, she understood Xander. She understood that doing this would lessen the pain if something happened. She knew that he was only acting harsh to make it easier when he died. Because he knew he would die. She knew the only way to make it better for him would be to kill him. And she also knew that if she was in his place, he¡¯d do the same thing. ¡°Wait!¡± She screamed at Xander. He turned towards her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± She told him. ¡°I¡¯ll go to hell for it, but I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± He hugged her. ¡°I want my last memory of you to be a happy one, Yue.¡± ¡°But what about mine?¡± She asked him. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry,¡± He whispered. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She kissed him. ¡°I guess we should enjoy the time we have left.¡± He nodded. ¡°That we should.¡± Yue snuggled next to him on the bench. ¡°We¡¯ve got time.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± He responded, hand in her hair. ¡°Whatever happens, Yue, just remember that you saved my life. After I joined the Cult, I really hated myself. You caring for me really helped. Whatever I do, you¡¯re the one I care about most. I hope you can forgive me for what I will do.¡± ¡°I already have, Xander.¡± Yue sighed in happiness. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive you for.¡± ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± ¡°Just be quiet and enjoy it,¡± Yue said. ¡°Okay.¡± He replied and closed his eyes. The day grew darker as they rested there, enjoying the sunset together. It was a perfect day, and Yue was just happy to experience it with Xander. He kept his eyes on her, which was slightly creepy, but then again, she was doing basically the same thing. She never thought that she would be the person to fall so hopelessly in love. Just showed that life was unpredictable. She really hoped she could find a way to save Xander. If not, she didn¡¯t know if she could live with it. Xander was the better person. He deserved to have a life. And she didn¡¯t want to take it from him. This just made her hate the Cult more. Whatever happened, she would do anything to take the Cult down. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Suicide Chapter Twenty-Seven: Suicide It¡¯s not a good day. I don¡¯t know if I will ever have a good day again. I wake up completely drowned in tears. My bed is an ocean, and I don¡¯t want to get up. Last night, my friends and I took Astil¡¯s body back to Zenyth and told High Mage Aegon what happened. His pained look cut deep, and he apologized profusely. But there¡¯s nothing to apologize for. It¡¯s my fault. Astil is dead, and I have caused it. I sob into my pillow, crying so painfully even Dautha probably feels bad for me. Today, I don¡¯t want to get out of bed. I want to return to sleep, where I can escape reality, but the sunlight streaming through the window stops me. Astil¡¯s death crushes me inside. It¡¯s hard to breathe. All I can see in my mind is Raakhshas¡¯ dagger slicing,slitting Astil¡¯s neck as I watch. In my mind, I¡¯m the one who slit Astil¡¯s throat. I was supposed to protect him! I remember how worthless I felt before. How one phrase from Th¡¯ul motivated me. But it didn¡¯t do anything. I was still worthless when everyone needed me the most. And to tell the truth, this all just reminds me of what happened with my parents. I was paralyzed for a week, unable to do anything. Then Jade came in. She told me to face my issues, and helped me through it. Except I didn¡¯t face the problem. I realize now that I buried it. And now it¡¯s back. All I can think of now is that I killed my parents. I murdered them! And then I killed Astil! At least it¡¯s my fault. I remember my mom and dad¡¯s smiling faces, how Astil used to laugh. Truth be told, I¡¯m a failure. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here. I only ruin others¡¯ lives. Even Eren¡¯s. My sobs turn to whimpers as I recognize who I am. I''m nobody. And those who know me are cursed. The pillar of fire erupts in my mind again. I only did it after Astil died! Why couldn¡¯t it be before? Why did Raakhshas have to go after my friend? I regret not facing my issues before. Just another mistake about me, I guess. I need to die. That¡¯s the thought that comes into my mind. If all I do is ruin my friends¡¯ lives, then I¡¯m better off dead. I need to die. And that means I have to do it myself. All I want to do is jump in a lake and drown myself. It¡¯s what I deserve. Except I don¡¯t even have the motivation to do that. A knock comes at my door. I ignore it. I don¡¯t want to talk to anyone today. Another knock. I still don¡¯t answer. Hopefully, whoever is here decides I¡¯m somewhere else and decides to leave. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, Zade,¡± I hear Xander¡¯s voice. ¡°You can¡¯t stay there all day. It isn¡¯t healthy.¡± I ignore him. ¡°I can bust in here,¡± Xander warns. I doubt he can get in. The door recognizes when the person outside isn¡¯t the owner of the room. So I ignore Xander. ¡°Fine.¡± A creaking noise comes from where the door is, and I look up sharply. Xander found a way to open the door, and I glare at him. ¡°How did you do that?¡± I ask angrily. ¡°Th¡¯ul told me,¡± He responds. His eyes are haunted, lifeless. Clearly, he¡¯s just as sad as I am. ¡°Zade, you really shouldn¡¯t stay there.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I say, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll go eat with you in a minute. Just let me get dressed.¡± Xander nods and leaves. Of course, I¡¯m not going with Xander. I need to be alone. I put on my cloak hurriedly and open the door. Seems like Xander is waiting in the gallery. I can sneak past him. Seeing him on the couch, I walk past the gallery quickly, making sure he doesn¡¯t notice. When I exit the hallway, I sigh in relief. Then I head for the exit. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m sobbing. Again. I just can¡¯t deal with death. Ever since my parents died, death has been a looming monster in my life. Until I learned to ignore it. Now it¡¯s back. Especially because I¡¯m going to kill myself. I¡¯m going to the Harbor and jumping off, rocks tied to my leg. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else, so this is the best way. I don¡¯t belong in this world. I don¡¯t even want to anymore. Honestly, Astil deserved to live much more than me. All I wanted was for my friends to be okay. Was that really so much to ask? I turn down an alleyway, thoughts jumbled. I¡¯m visibly sobbing, and I can barely breathe or see. I just can¡¯t see the beauty in Magefell anymore. It all looks so dirty now¡­ ¡°Excuse me, mister,¡± I hear a little voice say. I turn as someone grabs at my cloak. It¡¯s a girl, twelve years old at most. ¡°Can you spare some change?¡± She asks. I look in my pocket and pull out a silver sphere. I force a smile and hand the money to her. ¡°Here you go,¡± I tell her. I wish I could help her more. But there¡¯s really not much more I can do for this urchin. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Sally, sir,¡± she responds. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Her eyes tear up. ¡°You might have just saved my momma.¡± She starts to skip away and I watch Sally fondly. I¡¯m glad that I was able to help someone at least. Suddenly, someone burst out of the shadows, grabbing Sally. It¡¯s a buff man, undressed to the waist. He puts a hand over her mouth and begins to drag her down the alleyway. ¡°HEY!¡± I scream. ¡°Put her down.¡± He looks at me and growls. I run towards him and he sprints away from me, Sally screaming the entire time. I¡¯m faster than him. I can reach him. I can¡­ I twist my foot, tripping. I hit the ground hard, losing my breath. I look up guiltily. The gruff man leads Sally down an alleyway, and she¡¯s sobbing. I stretch my hand to her, but of course she can¡¯t reach. Her eyes plead for help, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. They disappear from view, and I scream, hitting the ground with my fists. I pound the cobblestones, sobs shaking me again. ¡°WHY?¡± I yell. ¡°Why does this happen?¡± I couldn¡¯t even save a girl from getting taken. I curl up on the ground, sobbing. This is why I have to die, I can¡¯t save anyone. There¡¯s no hope for this world. I lay on the ground, too lazy to get up. I realize, though, that Xavier will be looking for me. I have to get moving. Before he finds me. I pick myself up slowly, tears staining my clothes. I limp to the market. It¡¯s not in view yet, but I know I am close. I can see many people looking at me oddly, or angrily. I must look like a street urchin myself at this point. It hurts to walk. It hurts to think. It hurts to live. I can finally see the market now. I pull my hood up and try to look inconspicuous. It would be bad for anyone to notice me now. I hear snippets of conversations of various people. Some are talking about the tournament, others about their spouses. All their conversations are lively. Do they not understand how messed up the world is? I envy their joy. I just can¡¯t have it. Not without Astil. I push past the people, leaving the market in the direction of the harbor. I¡¯m in one of the worst neighborhoods now, and it¡¯s obvious. Women showing their bodies, and men fingering their blades. It looks like how I see the world now. It¡¯s ugly. And hopeless. I see a man looking at me angrily, as if he wants to try something. I grip the hilt of my sword and hurry on. I¡¯m going to kill myself, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want someone else to do it. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I can see the harbor now. It¡¯s still far away, but I can see how packed it is. It will be hard to jump into the water without anyone noticing or trying to save me. I really hope that I¡¯m able to do this. I just can¡¯t live like this. I know I¡¯m weak. That¡¯s just who I am. ¡°Have you smiled today?¡± A man asks me, clearly high. ¡°We all need to laugh. We can¡¯t live if we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not living,¡± I tell him. ¡°Soon enough, anyway.¡± He squints his eyes at me. ¡°You a ghost, kid?¡± ¡°Close enough,¡± I respond. ¡°Hmm,¡± The man looks suspicious. ¡°Why¡¯d you come back? It¡¯s a messed up world.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I say. ¡°I''m not here on purpose. I¡¯m on my way back home.¡± ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t we all? Aren¡¯t we all?¡± He smiles. ¡°Well, it was good to meet you, little ghost. I hope you can find your way home.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± The man turns down an alleyway and I wonder what just happened. This was definitely one of the weirdest conversations I ever had, but at this point it only confirms what I already know. I keep walking, eyes still wet. I¡¯m not crying anymore, just numb. Astil¡¯s bloody face comes into view and I cry out, falling to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I groan. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to let you go!¡± People are looking at me oddly, but Astil just glares. I feel his eyes on me as I cry, getting up. I feel the condemnation in his look. I know I messed up and I deserve to die. It¡¯s the only thought in my mind right now. With Astil¡¯s eyes on me, I walk towards the harbor, mindless as a drone. The world seems gray and lifeless, and each step grows more tiring, yet more hopeful. It¡¯s like the more I lose hope, the closer I get to death, the more hope I have for death. I know that¡¯s a scary thought, but to me, it¡¯s comforting, I get to die! What a privilege! I finally reach the beginning of the harbor. As I thought, it is completely packed, leaving me almost no room to even move. I finally realize the flaws in my plan, but it¡¯s too late to turn back now. The end is just too close. Some women cast concerned glances at my wet eyes. I ignore them, heading determinedly to the end of the pier, where no ships should be docked. There, I should be able to jump, no problem, I just hope it works. But of course it will. There''s no reason for it not to. I¡¯ve been on this journey for longer than I normally do. I think it¡¯s been a little over an hour of me limping very slowly and tiredly. Now all I need to find is a massive rock. One that will lead me to the bottom. One that will stop me from changing my mind last minute. My mind swims as I search for a big stone. The thoughts in my head are ones of failure and depression. I know that if someone tried to convince me now, I would stop. Inside, I can feel my heart in turmoil. My consciousness shakes. I check my core subconsciously, and it scares me. It¡¯s roiling erratically, as if tremors are running through my body. A small touch could send it overboard. The way it pulses leads me to think it could explode at any moment. It only sends me deeper in my hole. I finally find a stone big enough for my destiny. I take the rope out of my pocket and tie it to the stone. I can¡¯t even lift the stone with my hand; it¡¯s just that massive. I lift it with my mind somewhat reluctantly. My core struggles with me, refusing to do anything. It pulsates quicker, turning a deep shade of purple. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I turn to see a woman looking concernedly at me. My lips curl upwards in what I hope is a smile. I try to show the woman a side of me that I definitely don¡¯t feel. ¡°I¡¯m fine, ma¡¯am,¡± I respond. ¡°Just¡­ tired. A lot on my mind.¡± ¡°We all have those days,¡± she tells me knowingly. ¡°My husband died a month ago.¡± I raise my eyebrows at her. ¡°It was horrible. He got killed at sea. Pirates. I have three kids. All yungens.¡± ¡°How do you do it?¡± I ask. ¡°You look so strong. How is it possible?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. At least, not alone,¡± Her voice sounds distant now, like she¡¯s recounting something deep in the past. ¡°We never go anywhere without our friends, you know. At least, we don¡¯t go anywhere good. You¡¯ll always be stuck until you move on with others. Don¡¯t keep your burdens to yourself, kid. A burden shared¡­¡± ¡°Is a burden halved,¡± I respond. ¡°I know. But what if they¡¯re going through the same problems?¡± ¡°Even better,¡± she responds, winking at me. ¡°As soon as you understand each other, your burden becomes lighter. Because you both know that together you are stronger. When you have the same burden, you may not be able to halve it. But it¡¯s easier to run with it.¡± I smile wistfully, and this time it is genuine. A tear slides down my cheek. Then Sally¡¯s face appears to me, face horrified. I can only imagine the sort of torture she must be feeling now, and my grin disappears. ¡°Why does this happen?¡± I wonder out loud. ¡°Why isn¡¯t everything better?¡± ¡°In a perfect world, evil would not exist,¡± the woman tells me. ¡°Our world was perfect once. But the greed, innocence, and sins of humans destroyed perfections. Humans cannot live in a perfect world. We are imperfect creatures. That does not mean we have no right to live. It just means we need to grow every day, every minute. We are flawed, but in some way, that¡¯s what makes us us. That¡¯s what makes humans so hard to live with, but at times, it is also what makes us easy to love. Because we¡¯re here to learn.¡± My eyes glisten. ¡°Thank you for that. It rings true. May I know your name?¡± ¡°Angela. My name is Angela.¡± I hang my head, breathing in and out softly. A soft breeze tickles my face, and I look up. Angela is gone. My foundation is shaken now. My only purpose now was to end everything. What Angela said, though, changes things. Now I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m doing is right.. I need to keep going, though. If I should stop, then something will stop me. I¡¯m sure of it. My core is more relaxed now. Clearly, Angela has comforted it as well. I lift the rock with my mind, and, with a lot of effort, it works now. I need to head to the small hill up the harbor. There everything ends. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s not a long walk up the hill, but the added weight of the boulder on my core slows me down. I can see people glancing at me, questioning looks in their eyes. They¡¯re wondering what a mage is doing hauling a stone. If they knew, they would be sobered. Most just go about their business. They don¡¯t care what others do, and I¡¯m perfectly happy with that. I grunt as the stone falls to the ground. My core is exhausted. Any more, and I could Burn. I¡¯m almost up, though. Maybe I can roll it up the rest of the way. I heave the rock up slowly, its weight attempting to drag me down. My muscles bulge as I struggle, but slowly the boulder trudges upwards and forwards. Eventually, I reach the top of the hill. I wipe the sweat off my face and look towards the ocean. There are no boats moored here, so I¡¯m just beyond the reach of help. If I jump now, especially with the boulder tied to my foot, I will die. I bend down and tie the rope to my leg. Then it goes around the stone. Sighing, I look nervously to where the waves roil. My mind is in turmoil. I don¡¯t want to live with the pain anymore. I don¡¯t want to live in a world where Astil is gone. But I don¡¯t want to fail my friends. I know I should trust them with my problems. They would want to help me. I shake my head. I can¡¯t be weak. I need to have the courage to jump off. Or else I don¡¯t even deserve to live. Isn¡¯t it more courageous to live with the pain, though? If I survive with this pain, then I could never consider myself weak. Plus, I would end up stronger than before. But I¡¯m not strong enough. That¡¯s the point. I wasn¡¯t strong enough to save Astil, and now I won¡¯t be strong enough to survive the pain of his death. I close my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Open my eyes. The ocean invites me in, the sun shining softly on my face. I feel a peace in my soul as I step towards the edge. Angela was wrong. My lips tug upwards and I close my eyes for one final time. A step past the edge. ¡°NO!¡± A voice screams from behind me. A familiar one, I realize, dread churning in my gut. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. We need you, Zade!¡± I turn around, tears already forming under my eyelids. ¡°What are you doing here, Jade?¡± I ask softly. Xavier is behind her, eyes betraying the concern on his face. Jade looks worried too, but more than that, she looks desperate. Sad. Betrayed. It stings to look at. ¡°Xavier told me what happened,¡± she replies. I can tell that behind her face, she¡¯s also trying not to cry. Astil¡¯s death hurts us all. ¡°We saw you heading this way,¡± she continues. ¡°We barely got in time, but here we are.¡± ¡°I knew you would try something like this,¡± Xavier butts in. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would be able to stop you alone.¡± ¡°I was in the area,¡± Yue says. My head is already hurting from all the back and forth. ¡°Waiting for you to appear.¡± ¡°So here we are,¡± Xavier finishes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± I tell them. ¡°And you¡¯re too late. I will not stop.¡± Yue sighs. ¡°Zade, why do you feel the need to do this? Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wrong.¡± I bite my lip, choking on my words. Then the words explode out of me. I tell them of my worthlessness. Of how I¡¯ve failed. Astil is dead because of me. I¡¯m not strong enough. All I wanted was to save my friends. Even that I fail. By the end, I¡¯m silently sobbing, shoulders shaking. I¡¯m showing my friends how vulnerable and I¡¯m scared how they¡¯ll respond. Part of me expects them to be disappointed in me. Either they¡¯ll tell me I¡¯m right, or that my problems are stupid and I¡¯m stupid for having them. I dread that response. If this is their response, they won¡¯t be able to stop me. The other part of me is more hopeful, even if I don¡¯t believe they¡¯ll respond that way. The second part of me thinks they¡¯ll respond lovingly, respectfully. Even helpfully. But they won¡¯t. They can¡¯t. Because it wouldn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯m just not worth it. ¡°Zade¡­¡± Yue falters. Her face is twisted in concern. Either that or disappointment. I¡¯m not sure yet. ¡°I know.¡± I whimper. ¡°I need to jump, don¡¯t I?¡± I turn around and prepare to jump. ¡°Y¡¯all should look away.¡± Someone grabs me from behind, enveloping me in what I recognize as a hug. ¡°Zade, of course you¡¯re worth it.¡± Yue¡¯s voice is reassuring, sad. She sounds genuine. I¡¯m not sure she means it yet. ¡°Zade, we need you! You think you¡¯ve failed? Look at all of us! I let Diamond die. She was only a foot in front of me! Xavier was also with Astil when he died. Th¡¯ul and Anni were there too. Plus, Th¡¯ul let you get tortured. I led Jos to his death, and Rosalia died on my watch. Do you not see Zade? ¡°We¡¯ve all messed up,¡± she continues. Her hug feels comforting, and I lean into it. ¡°We¡¯ve all made so many mistakes. That¡¯s why we need each other! You may not see it, but without you, none of us would be here. Without you, Xavier, Anni, and Th¡¯ul would all be dead. You killed all the other mages! ¡°And me and my friends? I may not have shown it, but I was ready to give up. When you told me you would give me information, you gave me hope! Can¡¯t you see? Zade, you¡¯ve kept us all sane. If anyone here is worth it, it¡¯s you. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think you failed. You didn¡¯t fail. Astil may have died, but it wasn¡¯t your fault. You saved Xavier, for heaven¡¯s sake! ¡°And you know Astil wouldn¡¯t blame you. ¡°Zade,¡± She concludes, ¡°Look at me.¡± I look up, tears staining my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think for a second that we don¡¯t need you. Don¡¯t you dare think that you¡¯re not worth it. We need you, Zade, and not to fight the cult for us. We need you to keep us together. Because you¡¯re a good person. ¡°Don¡¯t leave us, Zade.¡± She reaches down, breaking the hug. I look down and she unties the rope tied to the rock. ¡°Thank you for everything, Zade.¡± I can¡¯t speak. I¡¯m choking on my tears. Now, though, I¡¯m crying for another reason. ¡°That¡­That was¡­beautiful, Yue. Thank you.¡± I smile softly. She gives me another hug, and this time Xavier joins in. I return the hug, and now I can feel Xavier and Yue crying too. ¡°We all miss him,¡± Xavier says. ¡°We miss them all,¡± Yue tells us. ¡°And that¡¯s why we need to live. To remember them. The hurt is good. The pain is the everlasting remembrance. We can never truly forget someone if the pain of their death stays, and that¡¯s a good thing.¡± We all fall silent, my tears staining Yue¡¯s clothes, her and Xavier¡¯s tears staining mine. Angela is right. A burden shared is a burden halved. I don¡¯t want to die anymore. I want to live now. For Astil¡¯s sake. For Yue¡¯s sake. For Xavier¡¯s sake. For all my friends. Now I know the truth. I¡¯m not here on earth to live for myself. My suicide would¡¯ve been the most selfish thing I ever did. From now on, I promise myself, I will do everything only for my friends. That is the only real way to live through life. The only right way. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Many people do not know the complexities of magic,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°Most mages don¡¯t even know. But magic truly is a complex thing. ¡°Take the Fireball, for example. I taught you the right way to do it. But if you had imagined something slightly different, like imagining throwing the fireball before making a flame, you would only have succeeded in making an explosion. ¡°Much magic uses complex forms. Without levitation first, you cannot learn to hover in the air. If you try, you¡¯ll only end up humiliating yourself. It¡¯s a progressive process. And that¡¯s why levels are so important.¡± I asked that question to him because I was wondering whether Levels really were all that some of my fellow mages-in-training think they¡¯re cracked up to be. I was beginning to think they might just be worthless, a piece of information that doesn¡¯t mean much, but apparently I¡¯m wrong. ¡°Knowing someone¡¯s Level means knowing how much skill they have. The more skilled and powerful, the better Level. Plus, many times your core will become stronger when you Level up. That is why many mages do not share their Levels with others. They want other mages to underestimate them.¡± Master Thul finishes his speech. ¡°Is that the answer you wanted, Zade?¡± I nod in confirmation. ¡°Good,¡± Master Thul says. ¡°Unless you plan to resurrect me, I need to go now.¡± With that last joke, he chuckles and disappears. I look around for a few seconds and suddenly what he said hits me. ¡°Is that possible?¡± I say out loud, wishing for Master Thul to come back. He reappears, sighing. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He says reluctantly. ¡°It¡¯s never been done. But I guess anything is possible, right?¡± He sees the look on my face. ¡°What are you planning, Zade?¡± I just smile. I¡¯m going to resurrect Astil. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Artemis Story Chapter Twenty-Eight: Artemis'' Story With a heavy heart, Yue walked into the Vanguard grounds. Her conversation with Zade was already taking a toll on her. As much as she hated the thought, she understood what Zade was going through. She even related to it. Astil had been her friend too, and his death reminded her of Diamond¡¯s. Astil was just another name to add to the quickly-growing list of people the Cult had killed. It made Yue angry just thinking about it. Astil was the fourth person she knew who died by their hands. Not to mention how many times they had wounded her friends. It was another somber day, exactly the opposite of the day before. Why can¡¯t I just be happy for just a little while? She thought. She had thought life had been turning around when she and Xander professed their love for each other. And then Astil died. And now Yue was feeling the weight of it. Especially because she would have to tell her friends about this. She was already dreading it, for one reason: Artemis. Zade had told her what happened between him and Astil, and all she could feel now was a white-hot rage towards him, although she was trying to control it. Artemis had betrayed Astil¡¯s family. All she knew was that Artemis had a lot of explaining to do. So she set off to find her friends. And give them the bad news. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Are we all here?¡± Yue asked rhetorically. She knew they were, but it just seemed right to ask. ¡°Yup,¡± Neena responded from her bed. She still wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the hospital, much to her chagrin, so they had decided to have their meeting here. Artemis was walking with a crutch now, and the nurse still wasn¡¯t sure if he would get infected. Thankfully, his wound was looking better. He was looking happier too. Clearly, he couldn¡¯t wait to be able to walk normally again. Xander was holding her hand, squeezing softly. He could tell something was wrong, but he clearly didn¡¯t want to pressure her. She looked at him, and he smiled reassuringly, nodding. ¡°Go ahead,¡± He whispered. ¡°We¡¯re here for you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yue breathed. She steeled herself for what was to come. ¡°I have really bad news. Yesterday, Astil was killed.¡± Silence. No one spoke. Yue could see her friends processing the information. Then, like a wave hitting the shoreline, the information hit them. Xander just gave her a hug. Yue knew he had only met Astil once or twice, mostly having heard of him from her, but she appreciated the comfort. Neena was stunned into silence. To Yue¡¯s knowledge, of all her friends, Neena was the one closest to Astil. Still not very close, but much closer than her. Alyx and Aster had a less noticeable reaction. Their faces showed a lot of sadness, but Alyx tried to mask it with a more steely facade. Aster didn¡¯t cry, but neither did she hide her sorrow. Poli reacted impassively, almost apathetically. She didn¡¯t like any of Yue¡¯s Zenyth friends, so obviously, this wouldn¡¯t hit her as hard as it would the others. Artemis, though, was a different story. He looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost. His face was pale, his mouth open in horror. His eyes were welling up, and he was gripping Neena¡¯s bed aggressively. Yue thought he was shaking too, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°What¡­ happened?¡± Artemis asked through gritted teeth, struggling to speak. It looked like he could faint at any moment. Yue told them what she knew. How it started with Zade¡¯s rivalry with Raakhshas, which caused Raakhshas to kidnap Astil. How Zade had gone to rescue him. How Raakhshas had killed Astil in a cowardly way. Finally, she told them of Zade¡¯s skill, and him killing Raakhshas and the other mages. By the end, Artemis was leaning against the wall. Now, Yue was sure he was shaking. ¡°No, no, no, no, no,¡± He whimpered, breaths coming in ragged gasps. ¡°No, no, NO!¡± Yue fought her fury. She had both anger and sympathy warring in her mind right now. Eventually, her curiosity got the best of her, and she let her anger out. ¡°Why do you care?¡± She asked Artemis. He looked up sharply, and Yue could see his eyes. He looked betrayed. Yue flinched but kept speaking. ¡°Zade told me what happened with your family. You lied about them, ruined their reputation. Why do you care now that Astil died? You hated him!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hate him,¡± Artemis whispered. ¡°I swear, I loved him. I loved Hardin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call him that,¡± Yue growled. ¡°Will you please let me explain myself?¡± Artemis asked. Yue nodded tiredly. ¡°Fine. Go ahead.¡± ¡°I made a lot of mistakes,¡± Artemis commenced. ¡°But you don¡¯t know the whole story. It started a long time ago¡­¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Me and Astil were best friends for a long time. I took care of him as a kid. He wouldn''t go anywhere without me. I loved him like I loved no one else. When I was twelve, everything changed, I remember everything that day. I was walking down the gardens of a particularly nice house of the Antiquated Section. One of the public ones. I had gotten into an argument with one of my friends. I don''t even remember what the argument was about. Probably something stupid. Anyway, I was just walking, angry as all hell, when I saw someone out of the corner out of my eyes. I get closer, and I find a girl resting on a bench, book in hand. She was beautiful, and clearly rich. She was wearing a stunning silk dress. I immediately knew who she was. Arabella Cowles. The gardens belonged to her family. I felt like I was trespassing, even though realistically, I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. I was turning to leave when I heard her speaking. ¡°Excuse me,¡± She said. ¡°Who are you?¡± I grew nervous around her. I was only thirteen. I didn¡¯t talk to women, especially rich ones. ¡°My name is Artemis, Miss Arabella,¡± I said. Her eyebrows rose up. ¡°How do you know who I am?¡± Her voice oozed outrage, and I started to sputter until she laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I assume you¡¯re the Reddin¡¯s kid?¡± I nodded, and she smiled. ¡°My parents buy from yours all the time.¡± She patted the bench. ¡°Here, sit.¡± I reluctantly sat there, self-conscious of my basic clothes. That day, I fell in love with Arabella. And clearly, the same happened with her. We talked for hours. I remember when the day ended, her father came to bring her inside, and I could see he approved of us talking. It was strange, you know? A rich man approving of his daughter¡¯s relationship with a not so wealthy boy. Not that I was poor. Still. Anyway, after that first day, our relationship blossomed. We started dating after just a week, and for years that¡¯s how it stayed. Astil started to become a little more independent as I grew up. He still relied on me a lot, but at least he was beginning to learn to do things on his own. I kept my relationship with Arabella a secret. It could¡¯ve been a scandal in Magefell. I couldn¡¯t let that happen to either of our families. As the years went by, though, something started happening with Arabella. I was blind to it at the time, but now I can see it clearly. ¡°Demi tried to slander me today,¡± She told me one day, scowling. ¡°I had to fix it. A right bummer, it was.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked. ¡°Let¡¯s just say she won¡¯t be leaving the hospital anytime soon,¡± She said. I would¡¯ve protested it, but she kissed me, and that erased all doubts. And that was only one of the many things she did. She started to be very controlling of me, narcissistic even. She assumed that she could do anything because she had the money to. Love blinded me to all the problems. I remember Astil asked me one day if I had a girlfriend. ¡°Well, Hardin,¡± I told him. ¡°Can you keep a secret?¡± He was about nine at the time, and I knew him well enough. He wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. He nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m secretly dating Arabella Cowles.¡± I whispered conspiratorially to him. His eyes widened. ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing. I have to meet her sometime.¡± As immature as I was, I agreed to it immediately. So a few days after that, I brought him to her. ¡°Is this Hardin?¡± Arabella asked. I nodded. ¡°He¡¯s so cute!¡± That day was the beginning of the end. Even though Arabella had a positive reaction to meeting him, she clearly didn¡¯t like him very much. Often, she would tell me I shouldn¡¯t talk to him as much as I did. That I should push him away. And, even though Astil never noticed it, I did. Then, three years ago, the dam broke. My parents refused to sell something to the Cowles. Apparently, the Cowles tried to blackmail them. I don''t know the details. Arabella was furious with my family. ¡°We have to get them back,¡± She told me. ¡°And I have the perfect idea. You¡¯re going to tell everyone all the horrible things they¡¯ve been doing!¡± ¡°But they haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± I protested. ¡°It¡¯ll be their word against yours,¡± Arabella said. ¡°And rumors fly quickly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°They deserve it,¡± Arabella whispered. ¡°They refused to sell to us. Now I¡¯m going to end their career. It¡¯s the only fair thing to do. Are you with me, Arty?¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know if..:¡± She looked at me pleadingly. ¡°Please. Do this one thing for me.¡± I should¡¯ve ended it there. But I didn¡¯t. I agreed. Yes, it was stupid of me. I messed up. But the story isn¡¯t done. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. We agreed that I would meet with her parents where I would tell them everything. The next day, I saw Astil and my heart broke. I started crying in front of him and he saw it. ¡°Are you okay, Artemis?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Hardin,¡± I said. ¡°I was going to do a bad thing.¡± ¡°But you didn''t, right?¡± He asked. ¡°You still have time to fix it then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I need to leave now. I love you, Hardin.¡± I rushed off to Arabella¡¯s house to break off the deal. But I was a little late. Arabella must have realized I would get cold feet, because she started without me. When I got there, her parents were listening to her with shock on their faces. ¡°Is this true?¡± They asked me. ¡°Are your parents really corrupt like this?¡± I didn¡¯t understand some of what they said, but now it was my choice to deny everything. I looked at Arabella and she smiled encouragingly at me. I bit my lip. ¡°Yes, they did,¡± I said frailly. Then my voice rose. ¡°They did. And it¡¯s about time someone exposed them.¡± You don¡¯t understand how much I hate myself for what I did. As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them, but I couldn¡¯t take them back. It was the worst thing I ever did. ¡°You¡¯ll be hailed a hero!¡± Arabella¡¯s dad grabbed my shoulders. And hailed a hero I was. I quickly became the talk of the town. I had exposed one of the most popular merchants in Magefell! I had the courage to do that! Everyone loved me. Except for me. The more I looked back, the more I started to hate myself. I saw my parents lose their jobs. I saw Hardin change his name to Astil. I watched as all this happened with a quickly breaking facade. The final straw for me was my final confrontation with Astil. He saw me walking with Arabella one day and rushed me. ¡°YOU!¡± He screamed. ¡°You ruined my life! You ruined my family¡¯s life! And all for what? A whore?¡± His words shocked me, and Arabella was fazed too. ¡°What did he call me?¡± She shrieked. ¡°He called me a whore! Arty, get him!¡± I was stuck between my emotions. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Astil decided it for me. He punched me. Twice. I was forced to defend myself. But I swung back. And then I took the advantage. I shouldn¡¯t have. But I started to beat him up. I broke his nose that day. And I dislocated his shoulder. Arabella was proud of me. But I was done. I finally took back everything I said and did. But it was too late. My relationship with my family was ruined permanently. But I finally broke free. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore,¡± I told Arabella. ¡°You¡¯re ending this? Why?¡± Arabella seemed more angry than sad. ¡°You¡¯re making me hate myself. You¡¯re making me do things I don¡¯t want to do!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one making those choices.¡± Arabella said. ¡°You want this. You know you do.¡± She grabbed me, but I pushed her away. ¡°No,¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re not a good person. You¡¯ve been making the worst decisions and you ruined my family.¡± Arabella glared at me. ¡°Do you know what I could do to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. Whatever you do to me will be better than staying with you.¡± I left and didn¡¯t look back. After that, I was homeless for a while with no job. Arabella found a way to influence people into rejecting me. I thought about going to reunite with my family. But I couldn¡¯t do it. They wouldn¡¯t take my apology. They wouldn¡¯t understand. And, to be honest, I didn¡¯t feel like I deserved them anymore. I stayed in the shadows, supporting them when I could. I never got the courage to find them again. Then I joined the Vanguard and my life changed. I found Poli, and she saved me from the hole. She didn¡¯t care that I had done the wrong thing. She still appreciated me. And then I found the rest of you guys. Since then, my life has gotten much better. I¡¯ve heard that the Cowles have lost a lot of their position in society. I think it¡¯s well deserved. My parents found another job, albeit a much less profitable one. I still give them money when I can, but I haven¡¯t seen them in forever. I made the worst mistakes. I know that. I know that nothing I did can be fixed. But I regret it. And one day I hope to pay it all back. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Artemis finished his story and turned to Yue. ¡°I just want you to know,¡± He said, ¡°If I could go back, I wouldn¡¯t do any of what I did. It¡¯s my biggest regret. You can hate me for it, but I¡¯m just glad I was able to get my story out.¡± He hung his head, crying. ¡°And I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do now that Astil¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Artemis, I¡­¡± Yue paused, unsure of what to say. ¡°Artemis, what you did was unthinkable. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that we don¡¯t hate you for it. I know I¡¯m not the right person to do this, but I forgive you.¡± Artemis looked up at her gratefully. ¡°Thank you.¡± Poli helped him up and kissed him softly. ¡°It''s okay, Artemis, the past is the past.¡± ¡°I just hate that Astil died thinking I hated him. That he died hating me.¡± Yue grimaced. ¡°You can¡¯t change that, Artemis.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s tearing me apart already,¡± Artemis said. ¡°If only I¡¯d admitted the truth to him and apologized.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve,¡± Yue nodded, ¡°But you didn¡¯t, okay? And now it¡¯s too late. And it¡¯s not a good thing to ruminate on what could¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, Artemis,¡± Neena said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Astil forgave you for what you did.¡± Artemis smiled softly. ¡°I hope so. Gods, I hope so.¡± ¡°What happens now?¡± Aster asked. ¡°With Zade, I mean. How¡¯s he taking this?¡± ¡°Not well,¡± Yue winced. ¡°He almost killed himself yesterday, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll try it again.¡± ¡°Is he going to be well enough to watch the tournament?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Definitely. He wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Alyx said. ¡°We¡¯re going to need everybody. Knowing how dangerous the Cult is, unless all of us are there, we¡¯re doomed.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Walk with me,¡± The Wolf told Yue. She followed him past the green and towards Magefell. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Just for a walk. I need to talk to you,¡± The Wolf¡¯s voice was firm but kind, reassuring Yue that she wasn¡¯t in trouble. ¡°What do we need to talk about?¡± They crossed Vanguard grounds and into the path leading towards the center of Magefell. ¡°The tournament is coming, Yue. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already feeling nervous about it, just as much as I am. But maybe what you don¡¯t know yet is how important it really is.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°I do. It¡¯s the way to keep the peace. Although I¡¯m not sure exactly how it¡¯ll work. It could backfire in so many ways.¡± The Wolf nodded. ¡°It could. I admit that. But just remember, you don¡¯t know as much as the Parliament. If anyone knows anything about politics, it¡¯s the leaders who¡¯ve studied it their entire life. All of them went through the Cartenium.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°But I would still like to understand.¡± The Wolf sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. You deserve to know. As you know, I went on a diplomatic mission throughout the world. I convinced the leaders there to join this tournament. But I also made deals with them. The leaders of most countries will be there. You¡¯ll find the Arcadian Royal Family there, the Magefell Parliament, the Aleumdaun Seom Khan there. Going to Magefell first-hand will show them everything. You may not understand it yet. But I¡¯m sure you will eventually.¡± Yue¡¯s skin tingled at that. To her, this tournament had just become five times as dangerous. Whatever the Cult was planning, the monarchs of the world would be involved, whether they liked it or not. This wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Captain?¡± ¡°Aye?¡± The Wolf heard her urgent tone, and turned towards her. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have involved the royals.¡± She told him what she¡¯d just thought and he shrugged. ¡°I know about that. That¡¯s why the Vanguard Warriors will be protecting them. Whatever happens, protecting Magefell will be our first priority, as it always is. But you will also have to protect the royals in the process. ¡°I know how scary this sounds. But you must realize we have no other choice. We have no idea what they are planning. Without that knowledge, we can¡¯t stop them. All we can do is hope and fight back.¡± Yue nodded, and from the corner of her eye, she saw someone, dressed completely in black. Must be one of the spies. ¡°I appreciate you giving me spies to protect me, Captain,¡± She began, preparing to plead with the Wolf to remove them. She didn¡¯t have a chance to finish the sentence, though. She heard a whizz, and reacted instinctively, tackling the Wolf to the ground. The arrow flew, landing in the ground a few feet away, passing where the Wolf had been a millisecond ago. The spy was already running away. Yue stood up quickly and ran after him, the Wolf on her heels. The Wolf passed her and sprinted at the spy. As fast as the black-garbed assassin was, the Wolf was faster, Yue just a second behind. The spy half-turned as he ran, throwing a dagger which the Wolf deftly avoided, shifting to the right. As they started to catch up, the assassin grew desperate, pumping his legs faster. It wasn¡¯t enough. The Wolf tackled him from behind, flinging him to the ground. Pinning him with his knees, the Wolf unsheathed his sword. Yue caught up to him quickly. ¡°What do we do with him?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Who sent you?¡± The Wolf growled. The assassin squirmed but didn¡¯t answer. ¡°TELL ME!¡± The assassin groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The assassin said. ¡°It was a couple, a young one. I heard the boy annoyedly call the girl Polynesia or something.¡± ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± Yue shrieked. Poli was short for Polynesia, and Poli hadn¡¯t done it! They¡¯d gone through this before. ¡°I¡¯m not. I swear. Can I go now?¡± The assassin pleaded desperately. ¡°Of course not,¡± The Wolf answered. He swung his sword, expertly cleaving the assassin¡¯s head from his body. ¡°You can¡¯t believe him, right?¡± Yue asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t them.¡± ¡°You do remember that she was one of my primary suspects?¡± The Wolf asked, grimacing, wiping the blood from his blade. ¡°I know,¡± Yue said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± The Wolf told her. ¡°I don¡¯t believe the spy. Clearly whoever sent him told him to say this.¡± Yue shivered. ¡°The assassin was aiming for you, not me. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± The Wolf replied. ¡°I guess attacking the commander was the best option for them. But why?¡± ¡°You have to call off the spies you put on me,¡± Yue said. The Wolf nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do that in the evening. I still have something to do first. This does not bode well. They¡¯re getting desperate. We need to be very careful in what we do. You, my advice is to avoid any sort of confrontation with the Cult until the tournament. Don¡¯t do anything to anger them. Chances are they¡¯re more desperate because the tournament¡¯s on its way. We¡¯ll deal with the tournament when it comes, alright?¡± Yue didn¡¯t know if she agreed, but she nodded anyway. She definitely agreed with part of what the Wolf said. The Cult very much was getting desperate. But to Yue, that just meant they could be getting close. And if they were close, there was no way in hell Yue was stopping. She would be more careful now, though. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I got you something,¡± Xander told her, smiling widely. Yue returned the smile. ¡°What is it?¡± They were sitting on the bench they had professed their love for each other near the ground. Yue wouldn¡¯t consider this a date, but Xander promised he¡¯d take her on one soon. Xander opened his hand, revealing his gift. It was a pendant. A beautiful, shining piece of jewelry. Yue stared at it. It was encrusted with diamonds in a heart shape, and the words I love you were engraved on them. As Yue looked, the pendant opened up, showing the inside. One one side was a mirror. The other showed a picture of Yue. Not a painting. A picture. Somehow, Xander had gotten a mage to get a picture of her. ¡°Xander, how? That must cost...¡± He stopped her with a kiss. ¡°Just accept it, Yue. I got it for you. So you can know how much I love you. Remember how much I care if I die.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yue breathed, grasping it. She put the pendant around her neck. It felt light but comforting, and she smiled. ¡°Thank you so much, Xander.¡± She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again, brushing her lips with his. He leaned in. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, darling.¡± Yue felt a shiver down her spine at the words. They broke apart and Xander smiled. ¡°Wanna walk around the Vanguard grounds?¡± Yue entwined her hands with his. ¡°Of course.¡± They stood up and their conversation was light and sweet. They talked for hours, Yue just enjoying his presence. Xander¡¯s gift shocked her. In a good way, of course. She loved it. It was a very sweet, thoughtful gift. Clearly, Xander had been planning this for a while. She hadn¡¯t been expecting this. Fingers interlocked, they walked around the grounds, passing the barracks, the green, the cafeteria. It was already widespread news that they were dating. As they passed, Alyx and Aster gave them a knowing glance as they passed, causing Yue to roll her eyes. Xander didn¡¯t even notice, enamored with Yue as he was. Too soon, the sun began to dip below the horizon. It was getting late, and as much as Yue wanted to stay up with Xander, she really needed to rest. The more rest she got, the more prepared she would be when the tournament started. The tournament was in just two days¡¯ time. Inching ever closer and closer, the day of the tournament already haunted Yue a bit. She knew she had the skill to do good, but winning wasn¡¯t her only goal. Once again, she wondered what the Cult would do for the tournament. She was nervous about what would happen. Xander didn¡¯t know, and the only reason they¡¯d sent him to the Cult was to figure out. And the murderer was still out there! Would he try anything during the tournament? Yue assumed he would. He¡¯d tried to kill her several times, but she would catch the murderer! ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to rest,¡± Yue told Xander. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± Xander kissed her. ¡°See you.¡± He turned to leave, walking in front of her. Yue heard a whooshing noise. Then¡­ Xander buckled down, screaming. ¡°Come on! I just got healed. Dammit!¡± He yelled in pain, clutching his leg. Yue bent down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? She asked, looking down. She gasped as she saw it. There was an arrow sticking out of Xander¡¯s thigh, blood already pooling down. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t deep, and clearly not critical. Still, Yue felt anger. Two assassination attempts in one day! She was sure this one was aimed for her, and she was just lucky Xander was struck. She looked around. The assassin was gone. He had probably been another of the spies. ¡°Are you okay, Xander?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got an arrow sticking out of my gods-cursed leg, but otherwise, I¡¯m fine.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°They really want to keep me in the hospital, don¡¯t they?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I guess they do,¡± Yue said. ¡°We have to get you there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was dreading.¡± Xander told her. ¡°I was just released from there! Now I have to go back in.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t argue, Xander,¡± Yue said, picking him up and letting his arm drape around her. He started to limp, wincing with every step he took with his injured leg. Eventually, they found Alyx and Aster on the way, and Alyx helped Yue, making sure Xander didn¡¯t have to use his bad leg. ¡°What happened?¡± Aster asked. ¡°Assassin. Twice in a day,¡± Yue replied. ¡°Damn!¡± Aster breathed. ¡°They desperately don¡¯t want us in the tournament.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t stop us,¡± Alyx said determinedly. ¡°If they think attacking one of our own will do the trick, they¡¯re wrong. We¡¯ll only have to try harder.¡± Yue agreed. Attacking Xander had been the worst idea for the Cult. Yue would have to go after them now. She couldn¡¯t let them keep attacking her friends. She saw someone from the corner of her eye. Someone familiar. When she turned, he was gone. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the hospital,¡± Yue said. ¡°Then we can talk about our next move.¡± Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Magefell Arena Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Magefell Arena Yue woke up nervously. She immediately thought about the tournament. It started tomorrow. It was closer than ever, and now, Yue didn¡¯t know if she was prepared. She knew she had the skill, but she hoped that when the time came, she could show it. The sun was already shining when she exited her barracks. She missed her old barracks. She¡¯d been relocated to this one to investigate Eva and Joanne, but she wasn¡¯t really doing that anymore. Mentally, she decided to talk to the Wolf later about it. She was well rested, ready for the day. She would probably practice less today than the other days. Too much practice could be worse than too little. She ate her breakfast, making sure she ate it slowly. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to get a stomach ache before the tournament. ¡°You¡¯re really taking those extra precautions, aren¡¯t you?¡± Alyx smirked as they ate. Yue shrugged. ¡°I want to be at the tournament.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± Alyx replied, wolfing down her food. ¡°The speed at which I eat has nothing to do with it. The more I eat the better. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so skinny.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not exactly filled with muscle,¡± Yue pointed out, eyebrows raised. ¡°Plus, you keep this up and you¡¯ll be fat by the time you¡¯re thirty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got time to change,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I¡¯m in the Vanguard! At the first sign of obesity, the Wolf would get on my ass about it.¡± Yue laughed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Remember Marci?¡± ¡°Do I remember her?¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°She¡¯s a legend.¡± Marci had been a warrior in the Vanguard long before Yue had joined. When Yue had become a warrior, Marci had been skinny, just skin and bones mostly, but one day, it just seemed like Marci ate an elephant. She had gone drastically overweight and unfit to be in the Vanguard. The last Yue heard, she was trying desperately to lose all her weight. ¡°You¡¯re going to end up like Marci at this rate,¡± Yue told Alyx. ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Alyx replied. ¡°I would have to eat triple what I¡¯m eating now every day for five years to even get half of her weight.¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little mean?¡± ¡°She brought it upon herself,¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t become 450 pounds without knowing it.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Yue chuckled. Alyx raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t think you remember right.¡± The conversation ended as Alyx stood up, all food gone from her plate. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you on the green,¡± Alyx said. ¡°In a couple days, if you eat at this rate.¡± She walked off chuckling to herself. Yue was left to her thoughts as she ate, pondering what the tournament would bring. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue knocked. ¡°Come in,¡± Xander called from inside the room. Yue opened the door, and found him lying down, thigh covered in bandages. ¡°How¡¯s¡­¡± Yue waved at his butt area. Xander winked. ¡°What, no good morning?¡± Yue crossed her arms. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it yet.¡± Xander snickered. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing serious. The arrow didn¡¯t go that far in really. I should be fine in a week or so. We really should have a Healing Mage here, though.¡± ¡°The Wolf still doesn¡¯t want one. Says it¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Build us up, I know.¡± Xander huffed. ¡°It¡¯s a bunch of huey, if you ask me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Yue responded. She smiled to let him know she was teasing and sat down next to him, holding his hand. ¡°So, the tournament is tomorrow, right?¡± Xander asked. Yue nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be there to watch everything, Yue. I¡¯ll be there to see you win.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Thanks for the confidence.¡± ¡°Yue, I¡¯ve made a decision.¡± Xander¡¯s voice grew somber, soft even. ¡°At the first sign the mages are trying to mess with my head, or get me to do something I don¡¯t want to, I will run. If you ever don¡¯t see me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Yue said. ¡°Don¡¯t explain it. I don¡¯t want to hear it. It won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Yue, you¡¯ll have to deal with it eventually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready to lose you!¡± Yue raised her voice. ¡°You can¡¯t go yet!¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Xander said, sitting up. His hands reached for her face, his fingers on her cheeks. Moving himself, he set his forehead on hers. ¡°Soon, but not yet.¡± Yue closed her eyes, staying there, feeling Xander¡¯s hands cup her head. Eventually, she pulled away. ¡°I hope you get better soon,¡± She said. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way through this. I promise.¡± Xander clearly wanted to protest but didn¡¯t. He just nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± He said. ¡°Have fun at practice today.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Have fun in bed.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Xander exclaimed. ¡°That was uncalled for.¡± A frantic noise came from outside the door, and it slammed open. Aster flinched as she opened it. ¡°Oops, sorry, was I interrupting anything?¡± Her embarrassed look made Yue blush. ¡°No, what is it?¡± Xander asked. ¡°Yue, Xavier¡¯s asking for you. He says he needs to talk to you,¡± Aster said. ¡°What, inside the grounds?¡± Yue asked. Aster shook her head. ¡°Of course not,¡± Aster replied. ¡°He¡¯s waiting outside. He says it¡¯s a little urgent.¡± Yue sighed and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± She closed the door on her way out, then thought better of it and opened it again. ¡°Good morning, Xander.¡± She could hear him chuckling as she left the hospital. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª She met Xavier just outside the grounds, on the path to Magefell. ¡°What is it, Xavier? Zade?¡± She asked. Xavier nodded. ¡°I¡¯m worried about him, Yue.¡± ¡°Again? I thought he was better now.¡± ¡°He is,¡± Xavier responded. ¡°A little, anyways. He doesn¡¯t want to die anymore, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. Now it¡¯s something different. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ motivated for something, that¡¯s all I know. He looks hard, like he¡¯s daring anyone to get in his way. He barely talked to me at all today, and has basically spent all day in his room, presumably studying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not so bad,¡± Yue said. ¡°It¡¯s good that he wants to practice his magic.¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. He¡¯s not just ¡®practicing his magic,'' as you said. Basically, he¡¯s preparing himself for something. Before you ask, it¡¯s not the tournament. I know it. He¡¯s acting like he¡¯s going to do something dangerous. I don¡¯t like it, Yue. There¡¯s something wrong with him. Even when he was injured, his motivation wasn¡¯t as¡­ cold, I should say. He refuses to speak to anyone.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know for sure he¡¯s actually in danger then?¡± Yue thought what he said could be true, but maybe Zade had just needed some incentive and his training was it for him. ¡°Not for sure,¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°But I know it. Yue, you have to help me.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Xavier, I would love to help. But I can''t just go to Zenyth. Not only do I have things to do, but I can¡¯t be sure there¡¯s actually something wrong with Zade.¡± Xavier started to protest so she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, come back here if it gets any worse. If Zade actually starts trying something tell Th¡¯ul and come to me.¡± ¡°Th¡¯ul already knows,¡± Xavier replied. Yue didn¡¯t know if she liked that Xavier went to Th¡¯ul first. Although Th¡¯ul was closer to him in terms of distance, so it didn¡¯t bother her too much.. ¡°And what did he say?¡± Xavier hung his head. ¡°The same as you.¡± Yue smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°See? You might be right, but, as long as he isn¡¯t in immediate danger, it should be fine. Keep an eye on him, though.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I just hope you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± Yue said. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to happen to any of you.¡± ¡°I never got to thank you, by the way,¡± Xavier told her. ¡°For yesterday, I mean. Thank you for what you did.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°I had ro, didn¡¯t I? I couldn¡¯t let Zade die.¡± Xavier nodded. ¡°Thank you anyways. It means a lot. I¡¯m horrible with encouragement. My words never come out the way I want them to.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I was able to help.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t need you again, eh?¡± Xavier lips curled upward. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, hopefully.¡± ¡°Not today,¡± Yue finished. ¡°Exactly.¡± Xavier turned around and took off towards Zenyth, Yue watching him go. ¡°What did he want?¡± Neena asked, walking up beside her. ¡°Just worried about Zade,¡± She responded. ¡°Aren¡¯t we all?¡± Neena said. ¡°He just lost his little brother. Oh, by the way, Yue, the Wolf called us. Time for practice.¡± Neena walked away for a second then looked back, waiting for Yue to catch up. But Yue was stunned by what Neena said. She¡¯d totally forgotten the type of friendship Zade had with Astil. Mostly, it was the same kind of relationship she had with Neena. She began to think of what would happen if she lost Neena and it put a new perspective on Zade¡¯s depression. If Neena had passed, would Yue have done the same? She didn¡¯t know, but now she understood Zade better. She caught up to Neena and gave her a side-hug. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± She smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot to do before the tournament.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue breathed in and out heavily, sweat pouring down her back. The sun shone heavily on her and after a couple hours of practice, she was exhausted. Exhausted but happy. She had done well. She felt ready for the tournament. And she was confident her friends were too. They were already much better prepared than they had been a week ago. The other soldiers had to watch out. The Vanguard was coming with a vengeance. Alyx sat down next to Yue, grinning madly. ¡°Whew,¡± She said. ¡°That was amazing!¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Yue replied. ¡°The tournament is ours.¡± ¡°Mine,¡± Alyx corrected. ¡°You still don¡¯t have a chance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yue said, ¡°But you seem to have forgotten how the Vanguard Tournament went.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean the practice we did,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying too hard. I have to save my best skills for the real tournament.¡± ¡°What skills?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Exactly,¡± Alyx said. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen them yet. Just wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think you¡¯re serious about this, Humility,¡± Yue grinned. Alyx gave her a mock hurt look. ¡°I told you not to call me that. And I am serious. When I win the tournament, you¡¯re gonna be all like: ¡®Oh no! I should¡¯ve seen it coming. Alyx is just too good!¡¯¡± Alyx said in her best Yue voice. ¡°And she still lost,¡± Yue finished. ¡°Pity.¡± Alyx laughed and punched her shoulder. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡± ¡°Or not see, I guess,¡± Yue responded. ¡°You won¡¯t really be there fighting.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Alyx rolled her eyes. Yue watched as the Vanguard Warriors sparred. They were the Vanguard; they were supposed to be the most elite squad in the world. Looking at them now, Yue could see it. She¡¯d never really had to do a battle with them yet, considering they were supposed to be a last resort, but watching them fight, she knew that no small army could compare to them. Obviously, a large army could withstand the two hundred soldiers, but in that case, the Magefell Guard and the Zenyth mages would help. That¡¯s why the Vanguard needed to stick together. Without a sense of camaraderie and trust, the Vanguard would divide. And if it did, Magefell would fall much easier in the event of an attack. Whoever the murderer was, they were causing a sense of panic in the ranks, and that was a bad thing. Hopefully, the tournament would turn things around. Especially because Yue would be trying much harder to find the murderer during it. She knew he would probably attempt another murder during the tournament, when the warriors would be distracted. Murderers, she corrected herself. She kept forgetting that there were more than one. It still stung knowing that more than one Vanguard Warrior was killing others in cold blood, but Yue had accepted it. Yes, it was horrible. But it was the truth. And there was nor running away from it. Especially if Yue wanted to catch them. The Vanguard Warriors started to disband, the Wolf announcing the end of practice. ¡°Everyone meet me here tomorrow at eight. We have to get things ready and I¡¯ll lead you to the Arena myself.¡± Arena? What the hell is he talking about, Yue wondered. All in due time, she expected. She guessed she would figure it out tomorrow. She saw the Wold looking at her. Staring back, she noticed him give a slight flick with his head. Clearly, he wanted her to go with him. She ran after him and slid to a stop next to him. ¡°Sir?¡± She asked. ¡°Meet me on the edge of the grounds in five minutes.¡± The Wolf whispered. ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± She faltered. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions,¡± The grizzled man told her. ¡°Just do it.¡± ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± She saluted. She wondered what he wanted. Something about the murderers? Maybe about the tournament? She started to take the small walk to the edge of the grounds, possibilities on her mind. Yue just hoped it wasn¡¯t anything bad. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª She stood up as the Wolf arrived and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Kol and Yiro were with him. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with the murderer. It wouldn¡¯t be bad news. ¡°I brought you here,¡± The Wolf told them, ¡°Because I¡¯m taking you to see the Arena. I¡¯m not really allowed to bring anyone else there, but you three are allowed to see it.¡± ¡°I heard you talking about this Arena before,¡± Kol said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We call it the Magefell Arena. Creative name, I know,¡± The Captain snorted. ¡°Some Mages were hired to build an arena for the tournament. It turned out beautiful. Can fit about fifty thousand people.¡± Yiro whistled. ¡°That¡¯s huge. Where¡¯d you put it?¡± The Wolf rolled his eyes. ¡°Where else, Yiro? The Plains!¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± Yiro responded. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°Of course it does,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°We couldn¡¯t really fit it anywhere else. Don¡¯t ask dumb questions, Yiro!¡± Yiro smiled. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°We should get there in about an hours¡¯ time, so I don¡¯t want any dallying. Is that clear?¡± The Wolf¡¯s tone was professional, and Yue nodded instinctively. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know what the Wolf meant by dallying. They were all serious if they needed to. She shrugged. Just another Wolf quirk. They set off down the path leading to the center of Magefell. The trees here are scant but tall, reaching for the sky like the hand of a pleading child. A fork in the road led them away from Magefell and toward the Plains. Yue had only been there once or twice before. There was nobody there. Nothing to protect. It was just a massive grass field, hundreds of yards long. Putting an arena there sounded cool to Yue. Especially if used for the tournament. Knowing fifty thousand people were watching her match wouldn¡¯t help with her nervousness, but it wouldn¡¯t bother her too much. Yiro broke the silence as they walked. ¡°When was this arena built?¡± She asked. ¡°It was finished just yesterday,¡± The Wolf responded. ¡°Took two weeks to create.¡± ¡°You said it holds fifty thousand people,¡± Kol butted in. ¡°Are that many people really going to watch?¡± The Wolf nodded. ¡°If we could have created more space, we would¡¯ve. There might be thousands of people who want to get in but won¡¯t.¡± Yue winced. ¡°If I want to bring in some friends¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have special seating for that,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°Each contestant will be able to reserve three seats for friends.¡± Yue did a quick count in her head, even though she clearly didn¡¯t need to. There were definitely enough spots for Zade, Xavier, and Anni, especially if her friends volunteered to give up a seat. Oh, and Th¡¯ul, she reminded herself with a grimace. She still didn¡¯t like him. He hadn¡¯t shown himself to be trustworthy. ¡°What are the security measures in the arena?¡± She asked. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see soon enough,¡± The Wolf nodded approvingly, ¡°But the Vanguard soldiers who aren¡¯t guarding the royals or participating in the tournament will act as security. I¡¯ve already briefed many on this. The Magefell Guard will also survey the area. No one will pass unsupervised. No one will be killed in the middle of a fight,¡± He finished, looking pointedly at Yue. Yue nodded pensively. ¡°Good. How long will the tournament last?¡± ¡°If the weather is right, three days,¡± The Wolf responded. ¡°You will fight about five matches a day, the last day probably less. It¡¯s also double elimination. If you lose once, you¡¯ll still fight.¡± Yue breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ll need the double elimination, Yue?¡± Kol winked. ¡°Of course not,¡± Yue retorted. ¡°But it¡¯s always a good last resort. ¡°So how many participants?¡± Yiro wondered. ¡°Now, about two hundred fifty. The first day we will try to eliminate one hundred. The second day will be the same. The third day we will eliminate the rest until one of us is the winner.¡± ¡°Confident much?¡± Yiro smirked. ¡°Of course,¡± The Wolf responded. ¡°You would too if you could see the squad from the vantage point I do.¡± He beamed and Yue blushed. It was high praise coming from the Wolf. The path curved left and now Yue knew they were close. They only needed to pass the small downwards hill to arrive at the plains. As they started to slope downwards, Yue got her first glimpse of the arena. Her jaw dropped. A stagnating archway entrance was at the foot of it, made of marble, even from the top of the small hill, she could tell there were intricate designs on there. Behind the archway was the stadium proper. Somehow, it was in the shape of a howling wolf, the Vanguard¡¯s symbol. It was the color of black marble, carved in a way to reflect the rays of the sun. In the night, she was sure the red eye in the middle of the wolf head would shine brightly. The top of the wolf head was open to let in the light of the sun. From there she could see the seats. They were positioned how she had expected, in a downward circle formation. The people at the top would have a hard time seeing the match, and the ones at the bottom should be almost close enough to touch the contestants. Those seats would probably be where the participants would sit. Clearly, though, the Arena wasn¡¯t just the stadium proper. She could see the entrance to the Arena positioned on the neck of the wolf. From there, she assumed that there would be some sort of lobby, a small one, for contestants or villagers to chill in, maybe a small bar in there too. From there, one could enter the stadium itself. As they got closer, she gawked at how detailed the Arena was. The wolf¡¯s fur was so intricately designed that she wondered if it was real. She knew it was marble, but it looked fluffy. The archway had depictions of weapons on it, all clearly designed minutely. Everything from swords to nun-chucks and everything in between. Yue even thought she saw a spoon on it. ¡°We are going in now,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb anyone. Many are still working on small details inside the Magefell Arena, so don¡¯t bother them.¡± They entered the Arena, and Yue¡¯s assumption was officially confirmed. They were in a lobby, complete with a small bar already stocked up with enough beer to satisfy hundreds¡ªno, thousands¡ªof individuals. The room was dimly lit by light which seemed to come from nowhere. Yue had seen Mage Light before, but it was still discomforting. She couldn¡¯t turn off the light here like she could blow off a candle. There was just light. She almost wished she could do magic just to experience something cool like that. Almost. ¡°This way,¡± The Wolf motioned to them. ¡°Through here,¡± He said, pointing towards an open doorway, ¡°Is where the spectators will stay. Over here is where you will enter.¡± He motioned towards a small ice fountain. The wolf engraved on it gave Yue the sensation that the Mages went overboard with the Vanguard imagery. That wouldn¡¯t go over well with the other nations. The Wolf grabbed the wolf¡¯s head on the sculpture and twisted it. The fountain moved out to reveal a small opening in the wall. Yue could see a staircase leading into darkness there. The Wolf waited for them to go inside, and Yue decided to enter first. She was quickly swallowed by darkness, but just as quickly, she saw light close by. Walking towards it, she strained to see what the strange room was. When she got there, she whistled in surprise. It was a small training room, complete with wooden dummies and training weapons. ¡°The participants can train here whenever they want as soon as the tournament starts,¡± The Wolf dictated. ¡°It will be a way to gauge your own abilities just as much as others¡¯. I expect you to use it at least sometimes.¡± He smiled, scruffy beard turning up. ¡°What do you think of the Arena so far?¡± He winked. ¡°I call it the Wolf!¡± ¡°Oof, egotistical, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yiro smiled. ¡°I love it. It¡¯s breathtaking.¡± Yue agreed wholeheartedly. ¡°It will be an honor fighting here.¡± Nodding enthusiastically, Kol spoke up. ¡°I think this place is absolutely wonderful. I can¡¯t wait to fight here.¡± ¡°I knew y¡¯all would love it,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°But we aren¡¯t done yet. You haven¡¯t seen the ring. Through here.¡± Wondering what the ring would look like, Yue followed the Wolf out of the door set into the wall. Sunlight shone on her face immediately and she squinted until the sun disappeared a little. The ring looked incredible. It was a twenty by twenty foot square set on a pedestal. Small pillars stood on the four corners and roped connected the pillars together. Yue corrected her earlier assumption that the seats higher up in the Arena wouldn¡¯t be able to see the match well. She could see now that every seat had a good view of the ring. She could already imagine the cheering as she stepped up to the ring to fight. She wasn¡¯t being egotistical, just realistic. She had never had fifty thousand eyes on her before. She wondered how the cheering¡ªor lack thereof¡ªwould affect her performance. The Wolf looked at their wide eyes. ¡°Cool, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Breathtaking, just like I said,¡± Yiro smirked, gently elbowing Yue in the ribs. Yue smiled at her. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°I know y¡¯all are probably dying to explore any other parts of the arena, so I¡¯ll let you do that. Meet me outside in ten minutes. No more than that. We need to be heading back soon. You will have plenty of time to explore when the tournament arrives tomorrow.¡± Yue nodded and took off towards the stands where she would be able to see the ring in a more passive view. She wanted to know what it was like to be in the stands, considering she would never sit anywhere except the first couple of rows. She especially wanted to see the view from the top row. She dashed to the lobby then headed to where the doorway was. On the way, though, she heard someone talking. She tried to ignore the woman¡¯s voice, but something the woman said stood out to her. ¡°...Dautha,¡± The woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°I¡¯m betting the Vanguard wins.¡± Yue stalked closer to where she was hearing the voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see two women talking. She hunched down under a pot just out of their view and strained her ears. ¡°It¡¯s not up to whether you bet or not,¡± The second woman replied. ¡°The Vanguard must win. It is the first step on the path to victory. We need this.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± The first woman asked. ¡°You want to sabotage the games or something?¡± ¡°Not in so many words,¡± Said the second one. ¡°I was thinking we give a little helpful nudge to the Vanguard. Nothing explicit that could jeopardize us, just to make sure we win. Just to make sure everything we do isn¡¯t for naught. Dautha knows we¡¯ve been preparing this for forever.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± The first one responded. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Did they set you up to this?¡± ¡°Of course they did. In fact, they¡¯re already deep in this. If it wasn¡¯t for them, none of this would be happening.¡± The first one laughed. ¡°All right then, I await your next order.¡± They started to separate and Yue sucked in a breath. Once they both left, she sighed in relief and left her hiding spot, all thoughts of seeing the view from the stands gone.. She left to find the Wolf. She had a lot to think about. Chapter Thirty: Resurrection Chapter Thirty: Resurrection The day after I decide to resurrect Astil, I feel reinvigorated. I¡¯m going to do everything I can today to bring Astil back to life. I slept for a long time, but I¡¯m glad I did. The more I rest, the better my core will feel. I don¡¯t know how resurrections will work. Because of this, I¡¯ll need to work harder today. By the end of today, I¡¯m hoping Astil will have been brought back to me. Yue¡¯s talk with me yesterday may have been a godsend, but I would still much rather have Astil here than not. Standing up, I grab my shirt and trousers from where I left it. Quickly, I dress myself. Breakfast is my first priority now. Only after can I prepare myself for what I¡¯m sure will be a very stressful day. I rush to the cafeteria where I grab my food, sit down, and start shoveling it down as quickly as possible. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Xavier asks softly, sitting down next to me. Refusing to stop eating, I grunt. ¡°Are you okay?¡± His tone has changed now. Instead of being just soft and tentative, his voice is concerned now. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I respond sharply. I glare at him, and he shrinks back. ¡°Something is wrong with you,¡± My friend tells me. Hitting my fist on the table, I stand up. ¡°I¡¯m fine, okay? I just have so much to do. You¡¯ll see when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t comforting,¡± My friend responds, standing up as well. Worry all over his face now, he grabs my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± I yell ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.!¡± As I finish speaking, his head recoils as if I¡¯d slapped him. His face grows stony. ¡°Fine! If that¡¯s how you want it¡­¡± he storms off, food still on his plate. I feel bad for speaking like I did, but I don¡¯t have time to think about that. There just isn¡¯t time for distractions. My book is calling to me already, and I can¡¯t help but feel a thrill of excitement as I think about it. I¡¯m going to bring you back, I think. I won¡¯t leave you, Astil. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I want to learn something new,¡± I tell Master Thul, my voice determined and no-nonsense. ¡°Sure, what do you want to learn this time?¡± I¡¯m reassured by his optimistic tone, so I don¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Resurrection.¡± ¡°Of course not. That is off the table.¡± Master Thul winces. ¡°Not only is it advanced, but it is also dangerous, immature, impulsive, and just plain stupid. Zade, forget it.¡± My lips curl upwards. ¡°You can¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Master Thul retorts. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can outright refuse me, can you? Every time I ask you for something, you¡¯ve accepted the request. You¡¯ve never refused to teach me anything. You can¡¯t, can you?¡± Hanging his head, Master Thul sighs. ¡°Most mages-in-training take longer to figure it out. No, I cannot outright refuse something. I can try to refuse you, but if you push, I am forced to teach you. ¡°But I will try to convince you otherwise.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± I respond. ¡°My mind is made up.¡± ¡°Not if I can help it. Zade¡ª¡± Reaching for me, Master Thul¡¯s voice turns sad¡ª ¡°No one has ever successfully been able to complete a resurrection. Not even with animals. It¡¯s merely a theory. You¡¯re just a mage-in-training. If you try, you¡¯ll just Burn.¡± ¡°I have to try,¡± I retort frustratingly. ¡°If there is a way to bring Astil back, I have to try, right?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. He might be happier on the other side.¡± ¡°But he might want to come back.¡± I look down, realizing how weak my logic is. ¡°I need to try, okay? I can¡¯t let this go.¡± ¡°Zade, do you know what a shade is?¡± Shaking my head, I narrow my eyes at Master Thul. He smiles grimly. ¡°There was a High Mage hundreds of years ago who wanted to resurrect his wife. He did everything he could, but nothing worked. After years of training, he did it. ¡°He had more knowledge than you. Years of experience. When he looked at his wife reborn, he realized immediately something was wrong with her. She didn¡¯t act like herself, Zade. As the days went by, her skin began to turn sickly, pale. Her eyes turned black, and veins of darkness tore through her body. After just a couple of weeks, she was unrecognizable. ¡°And then she turned feral. Her mind was gone, don¡¯t you see? The rest of his life, the High Mage had to hunt her because she attacked everyone she met, killing many and injuring more. ¡°She had become a shade, Zade. After that, others found ways to create shades. They grew rampant, until finally it was outlawed to even try to create shades. ¡°What you are trying to do could create one, Zade. You can¡¯t take the risk.¡± Master Thul sighed. ¡°Have I convinced you?¡± Heavy thoughts in my mind now, I shake my head. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry, but I need to do this. Even if just to prove to myself that I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Give me five minutes then,¡± Master Thul says, disappearing. Breathing in and out, I relax my core, getting ready for what I¡¯m sure will be a grueling session. What Master Thul said sounds scary, and making Astil a shade is not a comforting thought, but I know I have to try. Without risk, there is no reward. Right? I start to juggle the book, my dagger, and my sword in the air. It¡¯s hard work, and I still can¡¯t do it very well, which is proven a second later by the clatter of the sword on the ground. Magic is hard. But I love it. And now I have a reason to do it. If I¡¯m successful, I get my friend back. If I¡¯m not, he either becomes a shell of his former self or I Burn. Therefore, I need to succeed. It¡¯s the only option. ¡°Necromancy is a delicate thing,¡± I hear Master Thul say. Looking to the left, I spot him staring at me somberly. ¡°Necromancy is about controlling the dead, communicating with them. You are a necromancy mage, Zade. ¡°But resurrection has never been part of Necromancy. Necromancy is about zombies, shades, ghosts. As resurrection is a form of changing what is, it cannot be Necromancy. Necromancy is using what is but not changing its essential form. Zombies are still dead, as are ghosts. ¡°That is why the theory of resurrection is so hard to make concrete. How do you make life? Only a God can do it, and you have no God to ask, do you? I¡¯m telling you this to once again warn you, Zade. But not just to warn you. This is essential information if you want to attempt resurrection. ¡°And we can¡¯t jump right into resurrections. First, you will need to learn a little of Necromancy, because it will be a stepping stone into resurrection.¡± ¡°How long will it take to learn?¡± I ask. ¡°Usually, a few decades. In your case, we¡¯ll do as much as we can in as short a time. I know your patience is running short,¡± Master Thul says. ¡°Damn right,¡± I respond. ¡°I want to attempt it today.¡± Shaking his head, Master Thul speaks to me. ¡°There is no way I can teach you that much in so short a time.¡± ¡°Well, teach me only what is essential.¡± ¡°I already was!¡± Master Thul¡¯s indignant voice makes me smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out. Okay, what¡¯s first?¡± I rub my hands, preparing myself for what is coming. ¡°The first step in Necromancy is always being able to tell when something is living or dead. You can already tell when something is alive. Now, I will teach you to recognize when something is dead. It is a relatively simple thing to do. It shouldn¡¯t take you long. Firstly, You will need to bring me something dead.¡± ¡°From where?¡± ¡°You figure it out,¡± Master Thul shrugs. A buzzing in my ears gives me exactly what I need. I concentrate on the mosquito whizzing around my room. Eventually, it stops and sits on my book. I slowly crawl up to it. Crack. My hand slaps down hard on the fly, killing it instantly. Picking it up, I bring it to Master Thul carefully. ¡°That is acceptable,¡±The man tells me, rolling his eyes. ¡°Now, try to find the mosquito¡¯s core. It won¡¯t be there. But something else will.¡± As I close my eyes and focus on my core, I can see the two cores in this room. Mine and Master Thul¡¯s. I focus on where the mosquito will be, dead in my hands. There is nothing there, so I concentrate harder. A glimmer of something catches my attention. I shift my focus to it, and I¡¯ve found it. Instantly, I feel a thrill. It would be hard to describe this. It¡¯s not a core. It¡¯s more like the absence of one. Instead of a pulsating ball, I can see thin white lines radiating from something. I just can¡¯t see the something, because it doesn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s a surreal feeling. ¡°I did it,¡± I say. ¡°Good,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°Normally, I would tell you to keep practicing this. But I guess this isn¡¯t a normal circumstance. Because you want to finish this today. I¡¯m going to skip all the talking to the dead bits. They are extremely important but I do not have the time to teach you today.¡± A twinge of regret builds in my gut at that, but I stuff it down. I¡¯ll learn all that some other time. ¡°What I do hope to teach you now is how to manipulate the core of the dead. It is the first step in creating a zombie, and I will not teach you everything about manipulation, but I will teach you the beginning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready for it,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are, but make sure to check your mana ever once in a while. As much as you¡¯ll be training today, the resurrection will not be the only chance you have of Burning. I advise you this: Be careful. This is a dangerous business.¡± My response is curt. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started then,¡± The man from my book almost smiles there, but it disappears quickly. His disapproval makes me question what I¡¯m doing, but, once again, I shove it down. I don¡¯t have the time for that. ¡°What do you see when you look at this mosquito¡¯s core?¡± Master Thul asks me. ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s like an inverted core. Little light streams running off it.¡± I shrug. ¡°Kinda hard to explain, you know?¡± ¡°I understand. You explained it well enough. Now I want you to grab one of the ¡®light streams¡¯ as you called them.¡± Nodding, I close my eyes. The darkness envelops me, lit only by my core. I can see the mosquito¡¯s non-core and all its tiny little streams coming off of it. They seem easy enough to grasp, although it is probably harder than it looks. I reach tentatively for it, grabbing one of the streams like I would my core shield. It resists my touch, vaulting around it yet still staying straight. Clearly, I¡¯m doing something wrong. Reaching for it from both sides, I try to clasp it, to feel the light in my hands. Once again, it seems to decide it doesn¡¯t want me, although this time it shrinks back, as if shy of my touch. ¡°How do I do this?¡± I annoyedly ask Master Thul after a few more tries. ¡°It¡¯s different for everyone in general. I couldn¡¯t tell you,¡± He replies. ¡°I can tell you this. Those streams are intangible. You told me they were made of light. While that isn¡¯t completely true, it¡¯s a close enough description.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t grab light!¡± I retort. ¡°Exactly!¡± Master Thul smiles. ¡°You must figure out how to do it yourself. I can¡¯t really help you with that.¡± I groan but can¡¯t really do anything about it. Closing my eyes, I focus on the mosquito¡¯s core. It seems to be fading. That isn¡¯t good. As if reading my mind, Master Thul responds. ¡°Yes, it is fading. All Anti-Cores, as we call them, fade over time. Human Anti-Cores never truly fade, but they get so dim it¡¯s almost impossible to control them. Animal Anti-Cores are different. A mosquito¡¯s Anti-Core takes only a few hours to disappear completely. I would advise you to hurry up, unless you want to kill another animal, which I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± I grunt in acknowledgement. Time to hurry up, then. How am I going to grab it? It¡¯s light, impossible to grasp. No one can control it. I know mages can create light, but I can¡¯t do it myself. Clearly, I am skipping several steps to get here, and it¡¯s not wise. I need to think about this problem realistically. If I wanted to grasp sunlight, how would I do it? Is it truly impossible? It can¡¯t be, right? Because most think mages can do anything, I did too. I¡¯ve realized that isn¡¯t true, though. Clearly, mages can only do what is in the realm of imagination and their own control. I doubt any mages could level the world, for instance. But grasping light shouldn¡¯t be a problem for high level mages, I assume. So, therefore, if I figure out how they could possibly do that, I might be able to figure out how to grasp the streams of light. And I¡¯ve got only a couple of hours to do it. Better get to it, then. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª After an hour of thinking and prodding, I think I¡¯ve figured it out. Once again, I was thinking about it the wrong way. You can¡¯t grasp light. What you can do is let it grasp you. What I need to do is let the streams land on me. If that works, I should have a hold on it. That sounds unnecessarily complicated, but I¡¯m relatively sure it¡¯ll work. So I close my eyes and instead of reaching for the Anti-Core, I imagine my touch as a finger under one of the streams. As the stream gently moves, I position myself perfectly still. Hopefully, it doesn¡¯t move away from me this time. At first, it acts like a frightened animal, afraid of going where my touch is. Slowly, though, my finger becomes like the rest of the darkness to it and it starts to return to its place. Closer and closer it gets to my hand until¡­ I shiver. The stream is freezing, and I¡¯m not even tangibly touching it. I attempt to move my touch away, and the stream gently goes with it. I think I can control it now! ¡°Good!¡± Master Thul exclaims when I tell him, although his face tells me he doesn¡¯t think it''s ¡®good¡¯. ¡°Now you will have to do that to all of its light streams.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. I groan. ¡°There are hundreds of them! I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± ¡°No resurrection then,¡± My teacher shrugs. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it,¡± I respond. ¡°This better not take too long.¡± It does. Especially when the mosquito¡¯s Anti-Core disappears. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m in the Zenyth Gardens looking for a fly or a worm when I spot Xavier coming in. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I ask. ¡°I was talking to Yue, Zade,¡± he responds genuinely. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. Clearly, you¡¯re doing something I won¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Xavier, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± My voice is reassuring, but he doesn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°I¡¯m better now. Nothing bad will happen. Do you trust me?¡± Xavier sighs. ¡°I have to, don''t I?¡± When I nod, he sighs again. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll trust you. Just please don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± I grin. As he leaves, though, my smile disappears. I hate hiding things from him but now I have to. I keep searching for a dead animal I could use, and eventually I strike gold. There¡¯s a dead bird on the ground under a tree. Sadly, it was young, and I feel a pang of sorrow. Picking it up softly, I carry it up to my room. ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± I tell Master Thul. ¡°Oh my God!¡± He yells. ¡°Did you kill that thing?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± I reply indignantly. ¡°I would never do that.¡± He breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, you know what to do, Zade. Go ahead.¡± It takes me five minutes to grab the first light stream and after that the others seem to be less reactive to my touch. It becomes easier to get them together. Instinctively, I start to clump them together, and they seem to join together, forming a thicker light stream. After the first dozen, I start to really get the hang of it. It¡¯s still tough and it takes patience but I¡¯m learning quickly. The more I do, the easier it gets, and I know it¡¯s not because I¡¯m getting good. The more I grab, the more the streams want to be grabbed. I¡¯ve got another dozen. Then another dozen, As the time wears on,¡ªhow many minutes, I¡¯m not sure¡ªI realize that I only have a couple dozen left. I¡¯ve probably grabbed a couple hundred at least. I can feel myself sweating. It¡¯s tough work, but I¡¯m really liking it. Hurriedly, I lay my finger under another, and it reaches for my touch almost immediately. Another two go for it as well. More and more light streams reach for me, and I pile them all on the massive stream I¡¯m creating. Finally, there¡¯s one left, and this one is the easiest of all. I don¡¯t even need to reach for it; it slides over and joins with the monstrous light stream I¡¯ve created. I open my eyes, but subconsciously, I keep my hold on the stream. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± I say. ¡°How long did it take?¡± ¡°Just over an hour,¡± Master Thul responds, and I gape. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d been this long. ¡°You must go to lunch.¡± ¡°Not yet. Teach me how to Control and I¡¯ll go immediately.¡± Master Thul huffs. ¡°Check your Mana, Zade.¡± Reaching for my book, I wonder how much Mana I¡¯ll have. I don¡¯t feel too tired, but you never know with Mana. My heart sinks as I see the number. 61% I don¡¯t have a lot left, so I need to be very careful. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I say. ¡°I have enough.¡± My teacher raises his eyebrows at me but doesn¡¯t retort. ¡°Those light streams you have are now strings to a puppet. You are the puppeteer. Each string you pull can do something different. Something minute. I know that is not a lot to go off of, but you need to figure this out on your own. Be careful. I trust you can do this.¡± Master Thul¡¯s explanation leaves me a little confused, but like he said I can figure it out. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Closing my eyes once again, I reach for the massive light stream I have created. The first thing I¡¯ll need to decide is how I¡¯ll control the bird. Will I make it fly? Jump around? No, after a little bit of thought, I know that just making it move a little will be hard enough. Hopefully, I¡¯ll make the wing move. That should be enough. Pushing on the stream, I try to pull apart a small strand. Gently, one comes off, and I smirk. This should be easy enough. Oh, I¡¯m a fool. As soon as I try to pull on the strand, it reacts instinctively, pushing on me. It¡¯s a small tug-of-war, one I quickly realize I can¡¯t win. I cannot pull on the strand harder than it can pull on me. Clearly, I will have to think about this differently. Normally, if you pull on the string of a puppet, it will move. This is no normal puppet, but it also should act like one. So shouldn¡¯t it work if I pull on the strand? Master Th¡¯ul told me that every string will do something minute. Maybe I was moving something. Or maybe I wasn¡¯t moving anything because I didn¡¯t think about moving anything. I¡¯d told myself I would try to move the wing. But I hadn¡¯t thought of the string as being attached to the wing. Time to try again, then. This time, when I try to pull on the strand it works, sort of. I can feel resistance, but it isn¡¯t the pull I felt before. The feeling now is of an object too heavy for me to pull. Maybe I need more strands. That might be too advanced, though. I¡¯ll try to move a claw. Hopefully, that will work better. Imagining the string pulling on a claw, I gently pull on it and open my eyes. There! If I¡¯d blinked, I would¡¯ve missed it, but I¡¯m sure I did it. The claw moved. ¡°Great job!¡± Master Thul explains. ¡°Now, you know how to manipulate the movement of a dead vessel. That does not mean you can command it. You only know how to make it move; you can only pull on it. We will skip control for now. ¡°I hate skipping all the theory and practice, but if you really want to resurrect your friend today¡ªwhich I still think is a bad idea¡ªthen this is it. There is only one last part left for me to teach you.¡± Shuddering in anticipation, I speak. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± ¡°Eat and rest,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°Take a two-hour nap and refuel your mana. It is your best option. While you¡¯re eating, pick up the book Resurrection Theory. I will not force you to read the entire thing, but you must read one specific part. It will be very important for what you want. Now go. You¡¯ve got things to do.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I eat as quickly as humanly possible. Xavier isn¡¯t there; I assume he¡¯s either studying or relaxing. For a minute, I want to talk to him and apologize for this morning. But once again, I remind myself that I just don¡¯t have the time. I can apologize later. Hopefully, with Astil by my side. Passing by the library, I grab the book Master Thul told me too. It¡¯s hefty, and must have at least one thousand pages, but it seems interesting enough. Hopefully, it gives me the tools I need. The clouds obscure the sun as I walk by a window in the direction of my room. Looks like it could rain later today. That might make it uncomfortable going to the Dragon Head later today. The High Mages are removing the bodies of the dead mages tomorrow, Astil included. That means I need to try today, or else I won¡¯t have access to Astil. Now that I think about that, it sounds evil, but I¡¯m not here to do what sounds good. I¡¯m here to do what needs to be done. As I reach my room, I begin to feel my exhaustion. My mana is down to about 50% now and I can¡¯t afford to do any more magic until I¡¯ve rested. Master Thul was right, as much as I hate to say that. I get to bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I start to lose consciousness. There¡¯s a lot of stuff I have to do now. I just pray I¡¯m strong enough to do it all. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Master Thul¡¯s face smiles above me as I wake up. ¡°AAAAAAHHHH!¡± I scream. ¡°WHAT THE HELL?¡± Master Thul laughs. ¡°You forgot to tell me to go away, so I decided to give you a little surprise!¡± ¡°That was uncool,¡± I respond. ¡°It woke you up fine,¡± My teacher shrugs. ¡°You seem energized now.¡± Cursing, I glare at Master Thul. I reach for my book. My mana is at 72%. Not amazing, but it should be enough. If not, then I guess I¡¯ll have a high risk of Burning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Master Thul tells me. ¡°You will still have a chance to rest. I want you to read pages one seventy-one to the end of that chapter. Your mana will regrow while you do that.¡± ¡°How long will the reading take?¡± I wonder. ¡°I¡¯ll need time to still try the resurrection today.¡± ¡°You better get to reading, then,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°Books don¡¯t read themselves, you know! At least, this one won¡¯t.¡± Chuckling, he disappeared. Well, I guess I have no choice. I flip through the book, finally landing on page 171. The Theories There are three main theories on how a resurrection can be done. The first has been disproven. The others have not been, and may never be. Not many mages attempt resurrections, and, from those that do, many assume if they just had more power, they could have accomplished it. Of course, none of them did. What is life if it does not have an end? There is no point to infinity. It goes on forever. Of course, that is not the point of this book. But please, dear reader. Do not attempt any of these methods. You will fail. You could Burn. You could even die. And as you probably already know, coming back is impossible. With that out of the day, I shall now proceed to describe the different theories. Theory #1: The Anti-Core Theory Maybe the most popular theory was the Anti-Core theory. And then it was disproved. I will endeavor to explain it anyway, if just to put the process into words. This theory proceeds on the belief that if the Anti-Core could be reversed, it would become a fully functioning core again. The procedure of this one is simple. All one needed to do is force the strings being excreted from the Anti-Core back into the Anti-Core. It is a grueling process, and in the end it came to naught. It took one mage two straight days to force every string back into the Anti-Core, but, once he did, he realized the extent of his mistake. By putting the strings back in the Anti-Core, the man had created a shade. The shade has a core, yes, but a dark one. An empty one. Clearly, this theory was proven wrong. Theory #2: The Strings Theory This theory is the most popular one now, and, while not having been disproven yet, it is most probable that it does not work. This theory involves a lot of work. I would not advise anyone under Level 30 to try this. The theory is simple. The mages think that the strings are not coming out of the Anti-Core, they are going in. By removing the strings, they might be able to reverse the effects. No mage has so far been able to remove all the strings. It takes a lot of effort to remove the first one, and the more one removes, the harder they are to remove. Also, they regenerate if one takes too long to remove them. Still, if one were able to remove all the strings, my personal opinion is that whatever happened to the core would create something worse than a shade. Something monstrous. Theory #3: The Core Theory To me, this is the most plausible theory. While I do not think this will work, of all three, this was always the one that made the most sense. This theory is based on the idea that Anti-Cores need something else to survive. The process for this theory is easier to perform than the others. All one must do is impute some of their core to the other core. When done properly, the Anti-Core will start to fill up. But it depletes quickly. No one has been able to fill it up in time. This is also the most dangerous of the three theories. More people have burned out with this one than with any other. That is why it is the most uncommon and least popular. Once again, I must advise you not to attempt any resurrections. The next three chapters will explain the theories in detail. I finish reading the chapter, yawning. To me, the most appealing theory is the third one. That is the one I need to try. Calling up Master Thul, I tell him what I think. ¡°Okay,¡± He grimaces. ¡°Theory three it is.¡± He sighs. ¡°Zade, I really don¡¯t want you to do this. It¡¯ll only be bad for you.¡± Trying to ignore what he says is harder than I thought it would be; I know he¡¯s right. Inside, I know that nothing good can come of this. But I have to try. Master Thul sighs for a second time. ¡°I can¡¯t stop you, can I? Well, here¡¯s what you need to do. You will not be able to resurrect this bird, but you must practice the technique with the dead animal. Just familiarize yourself with it. ¡°When you feel ready, go find Astil, I guess.¡± Shaking his head, he disappears. I breathe out slowly, in and out. This job might be the hardest I¡¯ve done, and if I fail, it will have the worst consequences too. I need to get this perfect. Grabbing the dead bird, I close my eyes and focus on its core. The strings are all still united and in my control. This shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I have done imputation of my core before, specifically on the Fireball. Therefore, I already know some of what I need to do. Channeling a little of my core, I begin to funnel it into the dead bird. Of course, I am not trying to resurrect the bird. Not only would that take too much of my mana, but if I tried and didn¡¯t work, I would get unmotivated. No, here, I¡¯m just practicing the process. If I get the process straight with this animal, it will get much easier with Astil¡¯s Anti-Core. As I funnel more of my core in, the Anti-Core seems to light up slowly. This must be how it fills up, so I concentrate harder on imputing my core in it. Eventually, though, the Anti-Core starts to deplete, and I feel the urge, the desperation, to give it more, to not let it get empty again. But I can¡¯t. I need to conserve my energy. I let the core drain, and I open my eyes. I am ready. Time to resurrect my friend. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Dragon Head looks lonely when I arrive. The marble house feels haunted, but I enter with no hesitation. For the first time, I wonder why no one came to take the bodies away. It¡¯s been two days since Astil died. Normally, the mages would¡¯ve already come to collect his corpse. Maybe they¡¯re just too occupied. I guess with the tournament happening, most High Mages won¡¯t have time to deal with petty squabbles. The corpses aren¡¯t going anywhere, after all. Except for Astil¡¯s, obviously. I enter the room where the fight took place, and immediately the carnage makes me wince. The room is in ruins. Pillars destroyed, bodies on the floor, blood pooling everywhere. It looks like a battle scene. I guess it was. Walking over to Astil¡¯s rigid body, I feel tears forming in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m bringing you back, Astil,¡± I whisper. ¡°Just wait for a little.¡± Breathe, Zade. Breathe. It¡¯s time. I close my eyes. Relaxing my core, I search for Astil¡¯s Anti-Core. I shiver. There are a lot of Anti-Cores here. That makes sense, obviously, but it only adds to the creep factor of this place. I want to be done with this as quickly as I can. Astil¡¯s Anti-Core isn¡¯t too hard to find; it is the closest one to me. It is still fresh, a thought that gives me goosebumps. Also, it feels familiar. I didn¡¯t expect that, but I guess it makes sense. Preparing myself, I start to impute my core into Astil¡¯s dead core. Slowly, it begins to fill up. The bird¡¯s Anti-Core was filling up faster at first, but, due to Astil being a human, his core just has more essence. It¡¯ll be harder than it would be with the bird. Sweat begins to form on my brow as I impute my core. I¡¯m already beginning to feel tired, and Astil¡¯s soon-to-be core is only a quarter full. Push, relax for a second, push harder. That is my process and I can¡¯t afford to stop it. Especially when Astil¡¯s Anti-Core begins to drain, slowly at first, but soon, faster than I can infuse my own essence. My brow furrows. My head begins to hurt. My core pulsates faster. I am breathing faster now and my concentration is unwavering. There is no stopping; I push harder than I have before. I can feel pain, but the risk of Burning is far from my mind now. All I can think about is my friend. And how I can resurrect him. Astil¡¯s Anti-Core is only about a fifth full now. As the essence I gave him starts to disappear, I struggle to fill the empty space. I need to go faster. Grunting in pain, I force myself even more. Then the core stops emptying. It takes me a minute to realize it, but when I do, I smile. Somehow, I am going fast enough to rival the speed of the Anti-Core. My core, though, is clearly not okay. It¡¯s pulsating quicker than I¡¯ve ever seen it, and the colors are diluting. The size also seems to have changed. If I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s gotten smaller. But I¡¯m close. I push. And push. And push. And suddenly, a barrier breaks. The feeling is like if I had been leaning against a wall, and it had randomly disappeared. Now, Astil¡¯s Anti-Core loses its resistance. I¡¯m not sure what I just did, but once again, the Anti-Core starts to fill up. Bile comes up my throat, and I desperately want to throw up. This is not good for me. I¡¯m feeling sick, and I¡¯m sure that if anyone could see me now, I would be pale. Hell, even my core is pale now. I think I¡¯m on the verge of Burning. But the Anti-Core is this close to being full. Half of it is encased in the light from my core, and the rest is filling up quickly. Three-fifths. Two-thirds. Three-fourths. Groaning again, I ignore the pain in my core. I am this close. ¡°AHHHHH!¡± I yell. The pain is blinding now. I don¡¯t know if I can do this. I¡­ I must. For Astil. One last push. Steeling myself, I once again force my core on Astil¡¯s. There is only a tiny bit of darkness in it now, not even enough to see. The light streams, or strings as the author called them, start to disappear. I can¡¯t believe it! Somehow, I am doing it! The Anti-Core begins to reshape itself. Slowly, color starts to grow back into it. Just a little more, and it¡¯s done. I¡¯m beginning to lose consciousness, but I think I still have a few minutes left before I faint. The little darkness left starts to dissipate. It¡¯s beginning to look like a real core now. With just a small imputation, something happens. I breathe a sigh of relief. I think I did it. I think I¡­ Something explodes. The world goes black. Interlude Three: The Commander Interlude Three: The Commander One week after Jade sees the army of wolves, her village is in panic. Unfortunately, the news spread quickly that a massive army of monsters is at their doorstep, figuratively. She and the rest of the guard have had a hard time controlling everyone. It has been difficult, especially because they must keep an eye on the wolves. So far, they haven¡¯t really moved from where they are. Of course, that doesn¡¯t stop Jade from being nervous. The wolves are there for a reason. They just don¡¯t know what it is yet. They stay in shifts now, the Erenfeld guard. They watch the wolves, making sure they aren¡¯t preparing themselves. Sometimes, an Arcadian guard will help them too. It¡¯s a boring job, yet stressful. If she missed something, she would be the reason why their village got destroyed. She is in her bed now, resting. Torr is watching the army now with Jin. Jade is glad she can sleep during the night instead of staying up to see if the monsters moved. Suddenly, a blinding flash disrupts her. She stands up. What the hell? Zade is standing in front of her. He just appears. ¡°Zade?¡± She asks. There¡¯s something wrong with him. He looks translucent, maybe a little blue. ¡°Jade, it¡¯s me, Zade,¡± His voice is uncertain, nervous almost. She notices immediately that he can¡¯t see her. This must be some sort of pre-recorded message. ¡°I just wanted to reach out to you,¡± Zade continues. Tearing up, Jade smiles softly, reaching out to him. Unsurprisingly, her hands go right through his see-through body. ¡°Hope you¡¯re doing great. I¡¯m fine, been learning a lot of magic.¡± Her best friend says. ¡°It¡¯s been fun. I¡¯ve met a lot of great people, including some actual warriors! Isn¡¯t that crazy? I wonder what you¡¯d do if you could see me right now. Probably throw a potato or something.¡± Jade laughs, tears flowing freely now. ¡°Anyway, I just hope you get this message soon. Don¡¯t worry. I promise to visit you soon. As soon as I can, I¡¯ll be there. Bye, Jay.¡± Zade disappears and Jade stands there, staring at where he had just been. Sniffling softly, she starts to whisper. ¡°Thank you so much, Zade. I¡¯ll see you soon. I promise.¡± She stands up. Torr and Jin should be back soon. I need to be ready for them. I¡¯m next. It was going to be a boring day. At least it started well. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I miss Chrome,¡± Guilia says as soon as Jade enters the Headquarters. ¡°We all do,¡± Jade responds. She dresses herself in her Guard armor, and sits down next to Guilia. ¡°But you know what she used to say¡­¡± ¡°¡®I hope you all forget me when I¡¯m gone. Better to be forgotten than to cause my friends pain in the afterlife.¡¯¡± Guilia laughs slightly. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s happy?¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± Jade grunts. ¡°In the afterlife, I mean? Do you think she¡¯s having fun? Remembering us maybe?¡± Jade shrugs. ¡°Do you believe in heaven?¡± ¡°I want to.¡± Guilia responds. ¡°For Chrome.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sure she is,¡± Jade says, rubbing Guilia¡¯s shoulder. She¡¯s probably watching us right now. She¡¯s probably mad at you for thinking about her. Better be careful, or she¡¯ll curse you.¡± Chuckling, Guilia nods. ¡°Sounds like Chrome. I can¡¯t sleep anymore, you know.¡± Jade has noticed that. Guilia had never been late for anything. Not since Chrom died. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Guilia responds. ¡°Just my way of dealing with things, I guess.¡± Jade smiles. ¡°We do what we can. Do you know when Torr will be back. He seems to be late.¡± ¡°He is,¡± The other girl nods. ¡°He should be here any moment now, though. I wonder what¡¯s taking them. You think something happened?¡± ¡°To Torr and Jin?¡± Jade wonders incredulously. ¡°No. They¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯ve been on the Guard longer than us,¡± She points out. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Guilia responds. ¡°I¡¯d just hate it if they died like Chrome.¡± Jade nods. ¡°I understand. They¡¯ll be back soon. You¡¯ll see.¡± At that moment, the door swings open. ¡°I¡¯ve got bad news,¡± Torr says as soon as he enters. ¡°This just got a whole lot more complicated.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Ugh!¡± Demien exclaims. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell us now?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Jin replies, ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself. So we¡¯re going to Arcadia. The king needs to hear about this news.¡± Demien grumbles but a quick glare from Torr shuts him up. Jade struggles onto her horse, broken leg still paining her. ¡°My brother just came into town,¡± Jin whispered, coming up to her. ¡°You have a brother?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Sure,¡± The middle-aged woman responds. ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve seen him. He¡¯s a Healing Mage. Point is, I was thinking he could do me a favor. Usually, he requires payment, but¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Jade says excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m saying I could get him to fix your leg¡ª¡± Jin stops as Jade hugs her. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± ¡°Any time,¡± Jin chuckles. ¡°Any time.¡± As they take off towards Arcadia, they fall silent, the only noises Jade can hear now coming from Demien¡¯s mouth. He¡¯s still complaining, albeit not loudly. The path to Arcadia feels tense now. All of Arcadia seems to be feeling the weight of a foreign army inside of it. ¡°Has the Royal Family made any decision about the wolf army?¡± Guilia asks. Jin shakes her head. ¡°Not yet. Although I¡¯m sure they will with what I found today.¡± Demien shoots her a glare, but she ignores him. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very important.¡± Torr teases. ¡°It really cannot wait. It¡¯s a life-or-death scenario.¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Jin says, catching on. ¡°I really wish the Royal Family lived in Erenfeld. That way, we wouldn¡¯t have to wait. The longer it takes, the more time the wolves have to¡­ Oh wait, I can¡¯t say anything.¡± Demien screams. ¡°I get it, okay? I¡¯m not supposed to know. Just stop tormenting me!¡± Torr and Jin share a glance, laughing. Guilia rolls her eyes, and whistles at Jade. ¡°They¡¯re crazy,¡± She says. ¡°I guess we have to keep the sanity here.¡± Jade shrugs. ¡°I thought it was funny.¡± Guilia shakes her head softly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m the only normal one then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at it wrong. You can¡¯t be normal if more people think it¡¯s funny than not. Me, Torr, and Jin think it¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°Demien didn¡¯t,¡± Guilia protests indignantly. ¡°Do you really want to be associated with him?¡± ¡°Good point,¡± Guilia scowls. ¡°You¡¯re right. Gods preserve us on the day Demien is normal.¡± ¡°I heard that!¡± Demien frowns. ¡°You were supposed to,¡± Guilia shouts back. Demien starts to retort then pauses, speechless. Guilia winks at Jade, who smiles softly. ¡°Thank you for shutting him up,¡± Torr tells Guilia. ¡°I¡¯d always wondered how to do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you all. One day, you¡¯ll all wake up and¡­¡± Demien pauses. ¡°No, you won¡¯t wake up, because I¡¯ll have murdered you all.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t even murder your little sister if you wanted to,¡± Jade responds. Demien looks hurt. ¡°You too, Jade?¡± He scowls again. ¡°And yes, I could beat up my sister. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! The greatest retort of all time,¡± Torr says. ¡°When someone insults you, just contradict the insult. Works every time.¡± ¡°I feel like that was sarcastic,¡± Demien ventures. ¡°It was, dumbass!¡± Guilia groans. ¡°Takes one to know one,¡± Demien retorts. ¡°Ah, yes! The second greatest retort of all time,¡± Torr laughs. ¡°That was sarcastic,¡± Guilia whispers. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Demien yells. ¡°And¡­ that was the third greatest retort.¡± Torr says. ¡°I think he wins.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you all,¡± Demien grumbles. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve said,¡± Jade replies. ¡°Are y¡¯all always like this?¡± Jin asks. ¡°I¡¯d never noticed.¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± Guilia responds. ¡°And before you say anything, we aren¡¯t being mean to Demien. We¡¯re just trying to lighten his mood.¡± ¡°Well, consider yourself a failure,¡± Demien retorted. ¡°My mood is very much NOT lightened.¡± Guilia shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the toughest job in the world. Plus, I get no pay.¡± ¡°Yup, it¡¯s always like this,¡± Jade laughs. ¡°You get used to it.¡± Jin smiles. ¡°I hope so. Seems like we¡¯ll be spending a lot of time together now.¡± Once again, silence reigns. Jade wonders what the news is. Torr believes it is important enough to have to tell the Royal Family now. That scares Jade a little. Could it really be that bad? She does know that it can¡¯t be too urgent, or else they would¡¯ve kept some of the Guard in Erenfeld. Originally, Demien was going to stay in Erenfeld, but he was stubborn. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hopefully, nothing happened while they were gone. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Back in Arcadia, Jin leads Jade away from the rest of the group. ¡°They¡¯ll be getting a hearing with the Royal Family,¡± She tells Jade. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up with them. First, we can heal your foot.¡± Jade smiles. ¡°Thank you so much, Jin.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already said that,¡± Jin responds. ¡°Ah, here we are.¡± She knocks on the door to a homey cottage, and immediately a man opens the door. He¡¯s the spitting image of Jin. ¡°Jin! You¡¯re back! Any news?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask,¡± Jin replies. ¡°This girl broke her foot. She¡¯s part of the guard, and¡­¡± ¡°Say no more,¡± He winks. ¡°This way. I¡¯m Xin.¡± He leads her to a sofa, where he takes a look at her cast. ¡°I¡¯m Jade.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. This shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± He frowns. ¡°It might hurt, though. I would advise you to prepare yourself.¡± Jade nods. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Smiling, Xin removes her cast. Then he closes his eyes. Mentally, Jade prepares herself for the pain she knows is coming. Although she¡¯s nervous about magic, she trusts Jin. Suddenly, a spike of pain crashes through her. She groans. Her foot feels like it''s on fire. A cracking sound resonates from her leg, and she tries not to yell. Now her entire body feels like it has erupted into flames. Jade strains to not make a noise. It has only been a minute, but it feels like an hour. A calming sensation spreads through her. Her leg grows warm, a tingling sensation that makes her shudder. She begins to feel better. And even more, she can¡¯t feel any pain from the broken bone. ¡°That was quick,¡± She says. Xin smiles, but now his eyes look tired. ¡°It is, but it is also taxing. That is why I usually require expensive payment. I cannot do many of these a day. But for any friend of my sister¡¯s, it is free.¡± He bows. ¡°I have food, if you¡¯re hungry. Drink?¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Jade replied. ¡°We must be leaving,¡± Jin says. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, but I¡¯ve got a hearing with the Royal Family to get too.¡± Xin frowns. ¡°Well, visit when you can. That goes for you too, Jade.¡± ¡°Thanks for everything, Xin,¡± Jade stands up, taking a few tentative steps. Her leg feels fine now. ¡°Of course,¡± The joyful man says. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Well, what¡¯s this news you¡¯re dying to tell me?¡± The Queen asks. Queen Maeve looks stunning as usual in her silk dress. The crown on her head is the only thing separating her from any other rich woman, though. Jade is sitting with her friends¡ªand acquaintances¡ªin the Sitting Room of the Royal Family¡¯s home. The King is in Magefell for the tournament, so they had to make do with the Queen, who Jade thinks is better. ¡°Queen Maeve, we bring tidings that cannot mean anything good,¡± Jin takes the initiative. ¡°Today, while me and Torr were on duty, we noticed there was someone walking with the wolves. Closer inspection proved it to be a man. The more we saw, the better we confirmed it.¡± ¡°This man leads the wolves,¡± Torr continues. ¡°And clearly, he is preparing them for battle. This cannot be good. We thought they were savages, uncontrollable. Knowing they have a commander sobers me.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Queen Maeve replies. ¡°It is a sobering thought. And you are sure this man leads the army?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jin says. ¡°As sure as we can be.¡± ¡°We must figure out what they want,¡± Queen Maeve tells them pensively. ¡°And I have an idea. One that will undoubtedly put one or more of you in danger. But I think it must be done.¡± ¡°Anything, your majesty,¡± Demien bows. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s not start with that,¡± Queen Maeve waves at him like she would at a distraction. Demien blushes. ¡°I am looking for one of you in the Guard to be an ambassador. One¡ªor more, I might add¡ªmust go to them with a white flag, and try to reason with them. Ask what they are doing. This mission will be dangerous, though. There is a good chance they will not want to let whoever goes out. Will you take on this mission for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Jade says quickly. ¡°Seems interesting enough.¡± She doesn¡¯t know why she volunteered immediately, but now it¡¯s too late to turn back. ¡°One of you should come with me.¡± ¡°Hey! We haven¡¯t decided anything yet,¡± Torr replies. ¡°If she wants to go, you should let her,¡± Queen Maeve tells him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Robin to go with you. She¡¯s been itching for something.¡± ¡°Robin?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Another of the guards here,¡± Jin whispers. ¡°She moved here a couple years ago and complains about the inactivity here. No one knows where she moved from.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Jade tells the queen. ¡°I¡¯ll leave as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Queen Meave replies. ¡°Please come back. I do not want to have another of my citizens die to those monsters. Good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Jade says. ¡°Your majesty.¡± Queen Maeve rolls her eyes. ¡°You know what I think of that term. Now, get out. I have a lot to do.¡± She winks to show she¡¯s teasing a little, but Jade can take a hint. ¡°We have a lot to talk about,¡± Torr tells her angrily as they leave. ¡°What do you have to say? I volunteered,¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go,¡± Torr growls. ¡°You¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Let me guess. You want to go instead,¡± Jade retorts. ¡°Yes, actually! To protect you.¡± Jade softens. ¡°I understand, Torr. But I¡¯m part of the guard just as much as you. I have a right to make my own decisions, you know. I¡¯ll be fine. I promise.¡± Torr huffs but doesn¡¯t reply. Jade is just as nervous as he is, but she doesn¡¯t want to think about it. Right now, she just wants to meet Robin. Hopefully, they get along well. If not, this mission could end before it even started. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Hi,¡± The red-headed girl tells Jade. She looks to be about Jade¡¯s age, but there is a certain steeliness to her eyes that tells Jade she¡¯s seen blood, and a lot of it. ¡°I¡¯m Robin.¡± ¡°Jade. So, you¡¯ll be going as ambassador with me?¡± Jade asks. Robin nods. ¡°Yes. They said you would explain the details. We¡¯re supposed to ride back together, so you have a lot of time to explain it.¡± The others had left already. Jade had just been waiting for Robin. They get on their horses and start the trek back to Erenfeld. ¡°A week ago, we found out a massive army of wolves was endangering Arcadia,¡± Jade tells Robin. ¡°Not normal wolves, either. These are about eight feet tall. They crushed the head of one of my friend¡¯s like it was a rubber ball. They all have armor and weapons.¡± ¡°I knew most of that already,¡± Robin says, thinking hard. ¡°That sounds like fun. What¡¯s the news?¡± ¡°They have a human captain,¡± Jade responds. ¡°We need to go there to find out what they are doing.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± Robin stares at Jade for a second. ¡°So we waltz right in, yelling for peace, and assume they won¡¯t arrest us or kill us. Aren¡¯t the wolves savage?¡± ¡°Yes, but the human commands them,¡± Jade says. ¡°He should stop them. We¡¯ll attempt to make peace if we can, or hear their demands. But this mission is to find out theirs.¡± ¡°You ever seen a battle?¡± Jade shakes her head. Robin grunts. ¡°It ain¡¯t pretty. Blood everywhere, men screaming. You better pray it doesn¡¯t happen. ¡®I¡¯ve had a dozen friends die from war. For that reason alone, I want to stop the wolves from attacking.¡± ¡°Where are you from?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Not trying to prod, but I haven¡¯t heard of war happening anywhere recently, so I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°Eil¨ªfur Snj¨®r,¡± Robin tells her. ¡°There is a lot of war with wild animals or with other tribes up there.¡± The land of eternal snow. Jade had never been there, but she¡¯s heard a lot about it. Robin is the first Snjornan she¡¯s seen, and she bets it¡¯s the first Snjornan any Arcadian has seen. ¡°Why did you leave?¡± Robin shrugs. ¡°My tribe got overrun. I didn¡¯t have a life there anymore. The Bl¨®e?ttkv¨ªsl took over Eil¨ªfur. I can¡¯t go back, not unless I want to be a slave.¡± She spits on the ground. ¡°May they rot in the maggots and be buried in dirt.¡± ¡°Buried in dirt?¡± Jade wonders. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone?¡± ¡°Not in Eil¨ªfur,¡± Robin chuckles. ¡°You may live in a furnace, but Eil¨ªfur has snow every day.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that warm here in Arcadia,¡± Jade replies. ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Robin says in her coarse accent. ¡°I would take this all off if I could,¡± She continues, pointing at her clothes. ¡°No one minds,¡± Jade shrugs. ¡°Really? Okay,¡± Robin exclaims, and immediately starts to strip. Jade looks away. ¡°I was kidding,¡± She says. Robin frowns, rolls her eyes, and proceeds to put her shirt back on her bare chest. ¡°You have weird customs here in Arcadia,¡± She says. ¡°Us?¡± Jade laughs. ¡°To us, you are the weird one.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Robin roars happily. ¡°Well, I will be happy to share a beer with you when we are done with our mission.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Jade responds reluctantly. She doesn¡¯t know what custom she was brought into now, but she rolls along with it. She¡¯s starting to really like Robin. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s time to leave. Jade has a good view of the army¡¯s encampment, and her friends are with her, ready to see her off. ¡°Stay safe,¡± Torr tells her. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you if you get yourself killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be okay,¡± Jade resplies, hugging him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± As she leaves, Guilia waves at her. Jade breathes in and out, trying to calm down her nerves. As much as she doesn¡¯t want to admit it, she is scared. This mission can go wrong in so many ways, and if it does, Jade can die. It¡¯s a sobering thought. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡± Robin says, walking with her. ¡°Today is not the day we die.¡± Looking at her, Jade nods. They begin to walk down the hill, and virtually immediately the wolves notice them. Legs shaking, Jade raises her white flag, waving it up and down. The wolves begin to growl, drawing weapons, and Jade hears Robin unsheathe her sword. A glare in her direction stops her. ¡°Not yet,¡± Jade warns. Nodding, Robin sheathes her sword. One hundred paces from the encampment. The wolves start to organize themselves, ready to tear them apart. Jade shudders. Eighty paces from the encampment. They are waving their swords around now. Fifty paces. The Wolves yell a battle cry, howling at the moon. Stamping the ground, they begin to take an attack stance. Thirty paces. Jade can smell their breaths now. She tries not to vomit as the stench hits her. Ten paces. The wolves charge. Jade closes her eyes. The end is near. ¡°Stop!¡± A voice commands. Opening her eyes, Jade looks around tentatively. The wolves stopped. In front of them is a man, weathered by age yet sturdy as a tree. His muscles bulge, and he¡¯s clearly seen a lot of battle, his scars a proof of that. He¡¯s clean-shaven with hair clearly well taken care of. This must be the leader. ¡°What is the meaning of this intrusion?¡± He asks. Jade takes a minute to understand it, but Robin jumps right in. ¡°We¡¯re ambassadors,¡± She says. ¡°We come in peace. As you can see, we pose no threat. We are here to talk.¡± ¡°We can talk in my tent,¡± The man responds gruffly. ¡°You must leave all your weapons here.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Jade exclaims. ¡°This is¡­¡± Robin kicks her softly. ¡°Do what he says,¡± She whispers, winking. Narrowing her eyes, Jade does as she asks. She removes her sword. ¡°I want a guarantee we¡¯ll get these back when we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± The man bows. ¡°Now, let us go. We must speak.¡± Walking away, he waved at them to follow. Jade and Robin share a look, and Robin shrugs, walking forward. Conscious of the many eyes on her, she walks with Robin. Many of the wolves growl as they pass, some brandishing weapons. Even others reach for them, Jade just barely moving out of the way. There are a couple of smaller wolves looking at them, clearly terrified. Jade assumes they are babies, even standing at four feet. ¡°Don¡¯t slow down,¡± The man warns, grinning. ¡°The wolves are hungry.¡± Shuddering, Jade picks up her pace. She doesn¡¯t think anything will happen, at least before they talk, but she still errs on the side of caution. Finally, a tent comes into view. Simple, utility prioritized over quality. The man enters and waits for them. As soon as she enters, Jade breathes a sigh of relief. For now, they are safe from the wolves. ¡°So,¡± the man wonders. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we wanted to ask you,¡± Jade responds. ¡°We want to know why you are here, and if you are willing to parley.¡± The man laughs. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I want to parley. I think victory is mine. Why would I want peace? If there is war, I will win.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Robin growls. ¡°That is simple,¡± The man tells her, standing up. ¡°Wine, anyone?¡± Shaking her head, Jade responds, ¡°Just get to the point.¡± ¡°Fine, fine,¡± The man responds. He pours himself a cup. ¡°Arcadia is not our objective. Of course, if anyone is in our way, we will destroy them, but if you leave us alone, we will leave you alone. ¡°Our objective is Magefell. We are here to destroy it. We will pass by Arcadia and go straight to Magefell.¡± Jade sucks in a breath, and her world heaves. Magefell! That¡¯s where Zade lives. She can¡¯t let this happen. ¡°Keep a level head,¡± Robin hisses to her. ¡°Now that I have answered your question, I have one of my own.¡± The man folds his hands in front of them, sitting down again. ¡°Did you kill the wolf that my troops found dead a fortnight ago?¡± Jade¡¯s eyes widen, but she doesn¡¯t answer. Don¡¯t betray your senses. ¡°It was you,¡± The man breathes angrily. ¡°Excuse me, can we leave now?¡± Robin asks. ¡°We need to discuss things with our people.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± He replies. ¡°She killed one of mine. She must be punished. You may leave, of course. But you¡­¡± He screams and falls to the ground, dagger stuck in his knee. ¡°We should leave,¡± Robin responds, already brandishing another dagger. ¡°He won¡¯t stay down for long.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d given them your weapons,¡± Jade smiles, already leaving the tent. ¡°Of course not,¡± Robin says, running ahead of her. ¡°Hurry, they¡¯ll be after us.¡± The wolves notice as they start to run, and some begin to run after them. One of them positions himself in front of them, but Robin flings her second dagger, embedding it in his chest. He falls, groaning, but not dying. Jumping above it, Robin yells at Jade. ¡°Come on, hurry! We must run!¡± They dodge the string of bodies and weapons as the wolves target them. One axe lands a grazing blow on Jade¡¯s shoulder, but she ignores it and keeps running. A wolf, this one female, growls at her, swinging her axe for her face. She doesn¡¯t have time to respond, but thankfully the dagger in the wolf¡¯s eye stops her right in her tracks. Jade looks gratefully at Robin, who grins. ¡°That was my last one,¡± Robin says. ¡°Final stretch.¡± Jade sprints for the hill. She can see it clearly now. It¡¯s so close. Her friends are waving her over. Then the first arrow hits the grass next to her. The wolves are shooting now. Dammit! Robin tackles her as another arrow lands where her head just was. ¡°That¡¯s twice you¡¯ve saved my life,¡± Jade stands up. ¡°I¡¯m in your debt.¡± ¡°No, sister,¡± Robin responds. ¡°All friends must protect each other.¡± They¡¯re ten paces away from the top of the hill. Demien waves them over. ¡°You¡¯re so close,¡± He yells. ¡°Come on.¡± They¡¯ve done it! Jade reaches the top of the hill and looks down, in time to watch the arrow¡¯s flight. It¡¯s heading for Robin. Jade uses the split second she has and tackles Robin, the arrow whizzing just by them. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jade stands up. Her heart drops when she hears the gurgle. Demien is bleeding out on the ground. ¡°I¡­Hope,¡± He says, ¡°I hope¡­You¡­.Miss me,¡± His voice turns shallow. ¡°But¡­don¡¯t miss me¡­T-too much. That¡­would..would be w-w-weird.¡± Chuckling, his eyes fade, and with one final breath, he stops moving. Jade crawls over to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Demien,¡± She cries. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± But there¡¯s nothing she can do. Demien is dead. Chapter Thirty-One: The Magefell Tournament Chapter Thirty-One: The Magefell Tournament Tournament day. This was the day Yue had been both anticipating and dreading. This was the day that would change everything. The first thought Yue had when she woke up was about the tournament. She didn¡¯t know any of the participants, excluding the Vanguard ones, of course. The Vanguard should win. That didn¡¯t mean they would. Well, what happened would happen. No use worrying about it now. Looking out the window, Yue realized she would be late, unless she got up now. She had to get to practice. It wasn¡¯t going to be grueling practice, it would be more of a warm-up to prepare for the tournament. As she stood up, Yue noticed that many of the women in her barracks hadn¡¯t gotten out of bed yet. Eva and Joanne were gone, so clearly the ones who hadn¡¯t wouldn¡¯t be participating. Yue almost felt bad for them. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She would¡¯ve hated to miss out on it. Leaving her barracks, she felt the chilly wind on her face. Looked like it would be a sunny day, but mornings in Magefell could be nippy. Yue would have to skip on breakfast for now. Obviously, she would have to eat before the tournament started, but now she didn¡¯t have the time. She needed to be at the green. The Wolf would be waiting. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Welcome, everyone!¡± The Wolf exclaimed to the seventy-or-so people on the green. Although only fifty would be participating, friends of the participants were already showing their support. Yue hadn¡¯t seen any of her friends. She¡¯d arrived just as the Wolf started talking. ¡°Today is the Magefell Tournament,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°In just a couple of hours, it will commence. We have only a few hours to train before it is time. All participants, please stand with me.¡± In unison, all fifty Vanguard Warriors who would be fighting walked over to stand by the Wolf. Alyx noticed Yue and waved her over. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Alyx whispered. Yue nodded. ¡°How are your nerves?¡± ¡°Nervous,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°But I¡¯m still gonna win.¡± The Wolf shot them a look and they shut up. ¡°Okay, I want you all in pairs. I want you to practice your stances with each other. Afterwards, you need to spar a little. Do not strike each other. Avoid it at all times. Thank you. This should take you at least half an hour. I will be watching, so no funny business.¡± ¡°So, me and you?¡± Aster asked Alyx, walking over. Alyx nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you,¡± Neena told Yue. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Yue said. ¡°Did you rest?¡± Neena nodded. ¡°Yup. Haven¡¯t have breakfast yet, though. I don¡¯t think I can stomach it.¡± Yue frowned. ¡°You have to eat something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Neena shrugged. ¡°I think I¡¯ll do better without food.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me act like your mother, Neena,¡± Yue grinned. Neena rolled her eyes. ¡°So, are we going to start or not?¡± She asked. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª An hour later, Yue felt invigorated. The training hadn¡¯t tired her out. She¡¯d taken it easy, like Neena had. It was what the Wolf wanted. She¡¯d sparred with Neena first, then Alyx. Alyx, obviously, hadn¡¯t gone easy. Her chest had been heaving by the end. ¡°We¡¯ll take a small break now,¡± the Wolf told them. ¡°Meet me back here in fifteen minutes.¡± Yue left with her friends toward the cafeteria. There, she found Xander waiting for her. ¡°Hey,¡± He said, greeting her with a kiss. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°How are you?¡± Yue retorted. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out of the hospital.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± He said. ¡°Just limping a little. You thought I would miss out on the tournament?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t even thought about that,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°Did the nurse release you?¡± ¡°She told me to be careful.¡± Xander responded. ¡°I don¡¯t think she wanted to let me out, though.¡± Yue frowned. ¡°Well, let¡¯s eat.¡± Walking over to the trays of food, she grabbed only a little bit of eggs. She shouldn¡¯t eat too much. She sat down and waited for her friends to sit down next to her. ¡°I heard you saw the arena,¡± Aster said. ¡°What¡¯s it look like?¡± ¡°A wolf,¡± Yue responded. ¡°It¡¯s a damn wolf. Our captain is getting more egotistical every day,¡± She chuckled. ¡°But it looks amazing. It¡¯s stunning. I promise that fighting there will be the most amazing experience. But I did see something there that worried me a little.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Alyx asked. Quickly, Yue related to them what she¡¯s heard from the Cultists. Xander winced, and Alyx groaned. ¡°They better not ruin my tournament,¡± She complained. ¡°We need to keep an eye out then,¡± Aster said. ¡°If they try something, we need to be ready.¡± ¡°And not just with sabotage,¡± Yue told them. ¡°We know they have a big plan for the tournament. I want us all with our eyes and ears open. If anyone seems like a Cultist, make sure you watch them. Oh, and if you see Poli or Artemis, tell them to keep their eyes out too. They will not be fighting, so they will have more opportunity to investigate. ¡°Another thing. Watch out for the murderers. It is my and the Captain Wolf¡¯s opinion that they will try something during the tournament. We need to be watchful in case they do. But don¡¯t just look out for others. We are targets too. Remember that. ¡°One last thing. Xander,¡± Yue continued. ¡°I know you said that if the Cult messed with your head, you would run away immediately. As much as I hate it, that is a wise thing to do. But please, Xander, find a way to warn us. If we know they¡¯re trying something, we get a slight edge over them.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yue responded. ¡°Xander, don¡¯t leave us,¡± Neena implored. ¡°We don¡¯t care if the Cult controls you. We need you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Xander said. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good, Neena. But I¡¯ll stay for as long as possible.¡± ¡°At least say goodbye if you go.¡± Xander bit his lip. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Yue sighed. Looking at her, Xander winced and hugged her. Yue leaned in. Whispering, so only he could hear, she spoke to him. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave. I need you. I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too, Yue,¡± Xander responded. ¡°Never forget that.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª All of the Vanguard was on the green now. Poli and Artemis had joined them, Artemis limping as usual. Yue had told them what she¡¯d told the rest of the group. ¡°As you all know by now,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°The tournament starts in just two hours. We will walk to the Arena soon. Just a few words. ¡°Thank you all for coming. The Magefell Parliament is grateful for everything you are doing. This tournament is more important than you can imagine. You must try your hardest. You must win. This tournament is not just for your glory. It is for the glory of Magefell, the country you have sworn to protect. ¡°I presume you will all act civilly. Do not belittle the other participants. Do not say anything to insult them. Remember, they are foreigners in our land. They will already be feeling out of place. ¡°All fifty of those participating, you will have two shots at victory. Use them well. Do not underestimate those you will be fighting. They are stronger than you might think. Those who are not fighting, support those who are. Your support can go a long way. ¡°Now a few rules. The other participants already know these rules. It is time you learned them. First, these matches will be to first blood or submission. This means that serious injury or death can occur and will not be punished unless the fighter¡¯s intention was clearly malignant. Some of the participants there will be stronger than you. Be careful that you don¡¯t get seriously hurt. ¡°Next, I have already glossed over this, but this tournament is double elimination. If you lose a match, do not worry. You still have another chance. Do not let your emotions get in the way. If you lose, do not get so angry you lose yourself. That is not the way. ¡°Also, half of you will probably be eliminated on the first day. There are two-hundred and fifty participants. You make up fifty of them. A lot of you will be eliminated. It is part of the game. ¡°No roughhousing is allowed. Only swords and shields will be brought with you into the ring, and you may not use your fists. This tournament is based on swordsmanship. If you use any more, you will be immediately disqualified. ¡°Finally, listen to the official. I am the official,¡± He grinned, ¡°And whatever I say goes. I will not be biased to you. If you cheat, I will point it out. If you lose, I will announce your loss. But I do hope you win. That is preferable. ¡°Remember, you are the Vanguard. The most elite army in the world. This is your chance to prove yourselves. Most of the world doesn¡¯t believe the Vanguard is as strong as they believe. You must win the tournament. Show them who the Vanguard is.¡± His voice grew louder. ¡°YOU are the Vanguard! YOU are the best warriors in the world! NOBODY can compete with you. This tournament is OURS for the taking. WHO¡¯S WITH ME?¡± A massive cheer rose from the Vanguard, Yue joining in. ¡°FOR MAGEFELL!¡± The Wolf roared. ¡°FOR MAGEFELL!¡± The Vanguard repeated. ¡°FOR THE WOLVES!¡± ¡°FOR THE WOLVES!¡± ¡°FOR GLORY. STRENGTH, AND HONOR!¡± The Wolf finished. ¡°FOR GLORY, STRENGTH, AND HONOR,¡± The Vanguard screamed. Then they roared. A battle cry from the Vanguard, a visceral, primal roar. ¡°Follow me,¡± The Wolf exclaimed. He walked away, in the direction of the Magefell Arena. The Vanguard marched after him professionally. Yue tried not to let her nerves show. Finally, it was time. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The arena came into view, and the Vanguard gasped in unison. Yue had seen it before but it still shocked her. It was so big, so¡­beautiful. The Wolf head howling at the sun, the glint of the sun¡¯s rays on the Wolf¡¯s fur, the red eye shining brightly. Yue heard some soldiers mumbling their appreciation for the arena. Yue smiled. They would love the inside even more. From where Yue was, the Arena already looked a little full. She wondered if she would be able to find Zade here. She¡¯d tried to send a message to them with the tickets, but she didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d gotten it. She would have to talk to security. There was a line waiting to enter the Arena. The non-participating Vanguard members were forced to stay in line, but Yue and the others were able to pass the line. Spectators gaped at them as they passed. Yue tried not to flush under all the attention, and failed. When they crossed the entrance and entered the practice room through the fountain entrance, Yue breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°There are way too many people here,¡± She told Alyx. ¡°Not really,¡± the other girl responded. ¡°The more that watch me win, the better.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Yue rolled her eyes. ¡°Can you be serious for one moment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m offended,¡± Alyx protested. ¡°I¡¯m always serious.¡± ¡°And humble.¡± ¡°That too,¡± Alyx said ponderingly. ¡°Who¡¯s the first match?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They like to announce things last minute,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But I assume it will have a Vanguard soldier. That would make the most sense.¡± The training room was packed. Yue was fairly sure all participants were here. There was barely any room to breathe, much less move. ¡°Everyone! Can I have your attention?¡± The Wolf asked. Over two-hundred pairs of eyes fixed on him, and he cleared his throat. ¡°The tournament will start in just half an hour. In twenty minutes, I want to see you all sitting in the stands in your seats. I am excited for this, and I hope you are too. ¡°For the next twenty minutes, you can practice or you can talk. Make new friends, or talk to your old ones. Just prepare yourself. This tournament will be taxing. Thank you. That is all.¡± He walked away to the podium, then turned back. ¡°Oh, and I forgot to mention. The first match is between Yue Zhang, and Gunnar Guejohnsen.¡± Yue gasped. She was fighting first. All of a sudden her heart began to pound. Her nervousness grew tenfold. ¡°Oof, first, that sucks,¡± Alyx told her. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Yue replied. ¡°You want to go find Gunnar?¡± Alyx nodded, and they began to search. Most of the people here were buff, only a few dozen skinny. A lot of the participants were taller than Yue, and here she could see the difference in cultures, from the looks to the practices. Gunnar would probably be from Galacia. Either that or Eil¨ªfur Snj¨®r. All she had to do was find someone from there. ¡°Are you Yue?¡± A blonde man asked. He looked to be about thirty, and his chest bulged with muscles. Yue groaned. ¡°Let me guess. Gunnar?¡± ¡°That is right,¡± He rumbled, smiling. ¡°I have heard plenty about you. You are strong warrior. I am honored to fight you.¡± ¡°As am I,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Are you from Eil¨ªfur Snj¨®r?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°It is wonderful place. Hard to live there. But I¡­how do you say? I love it there. Ah sorry, my language not great.¡± ¡°It¡¯s totally fine,¡± Yue told him. ¡°You don¡¯t need words on a battlefield.¡± Gunnar roared in delight. ¡°Well said, little sister. I will have to go easy on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Yue narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°I am just¡­how you say¡­making funny.¡± He replied. ¡°If I was easy on you, you win. And I am here to win.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Yue said. Gunnar smiled. ¡°May we stand tall and fight taller,¡± He intoned. ¡°May our blades stay strong and our enemies be broken.¡± Yue cocked her head, and he frowned in disappointment. ¡°Er¡­¡± She said, ¡°may we stand tall and fight taller. May our blades stay strong and our enemies be broken?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gunnar rumbled. ¡°Exactly. Thank you, Yue.¡± He put his blade to his chest, and she followed suit. ¡°Now I have to go prepare. I shall see you later.¡± ¡°See you,¡± Yue told him. ¡°Well,¡± Alyx whispered. ¡°That will not be an easy one.¡± Yue agreed. He seemed battle-heavy, ready for blood. But she liked him. He was nice and funny. His broken version of the Common Language only made him more endearing. She already felt a little pity for beating him. ¡°So, you¡¯re fighting first,¡± Aster walked up to them. ¡°I feel bad for you, Yue. Although I am sure you¡¯ll bring glory to Magefell with that win, it¡¯ll be tough. Gunnar looks strong.¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Yes, he does. He¡¯s Snjornan. I didn¡¯t think anyone from there was coming. I guess even a war-torn place might have to take a break sometimes. How much time until the match?¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes still,¡± Aster replied. ¡°I think I need a beer to calm my nerves,¡± Yue told them. ¡°You¡¯ve got this,¡± Aster said. ¡°Want to sit down?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Yue shivered. They walked out to the Arena. Not many people noticed them walking out, and those who did didn¡¯t seem to recognize them. They sat down in the front seats. Yue looked behind her. Where is Zade? He wasn¡¯t here yet. Yue tried not to think the worst, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Was he in line? Late, maybe? The stadium was still filling up. Maybe he just wasn¡¯t here yet. Or maybe he really wasn¡¯t coming. That didn¡¯t make any sense, but maybe he had a reason. Xavier had said he was planning something dangerous. Had she made a bad decision in not going to help him? ¡°Looking for Zade?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering where he is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yue responded. ¡°He¡¯d better show up.¡± ¡°No use worrying about it,¡± Neena told her. ¡°Your match starts in just ten minutes. Look, all the fighters are already sitting down.¡± Looking around, Yue saw that Neena was right. The stadium was full now, not many spectators coming in, and the tournament fighters were sitting down. ¡°Got your sword?¡± Alyx asked. Yue nodded. ¡°Oh, just a warning, Yue. Magnus will probably be using a shield. I know you don¡¯t like using them, but just be careful about that.¡± Yue nodded stiffly. ¡°Right.¡± She tried to calm herself down, but even her leg was shaking now. Looking at Magnus, she saw how aloof and decidedly not nervous he looked. It unnerved her. ¡°WELCOME TO THE FIRST MAGEFELL TOURNAMENT!¡± The Wolf roared, entering the ring. Immediately, all voices hushed. ¡°I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THESE THREE DAYS! THEY HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR MONTHS. ¡°BUT YOU AREN¡¯T HERE TO HEAR ME SPEAK! PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND GUNNAR GUDJOHNSEN!¡± Heart beating rapidly, Yue stood up to cheers from fifty thousand people. The cheers invigorated her, and she felt her confidence rising a bit. Sure, they were cheering for Gunnar too, but knowing they were cheering was a good thing. Gunnar met her in the ring. ¡°Good luck,¡± He told her gruffly. ¡°You too,¡± She responded. ¡°Okay, I want a nice, clean fight, blah, blah,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°You know what to do. When one of you submits, you may not keep fighting. If first blood is achieved, you will not fight.¡± Raising his voice, he turned to the crowd. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­¡± Yue closed her eyes and breathed in and out, walking to the far-left corner of the ring. She was getting nervous again. Gunnar glared at her now, ready to fight. Yue steeled her nerves. ¡°TWO!¡± Yue glared back at Gunnar and brandished her sword. He raised his shield in defiance and roared. She roared back, and he smiled. ¡°ONE!¡± Yue breathed out once. It was time. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Yue stanced herself defensively. She needed to understand how Gunnar fought before she attacked him. It was useless to barge in with no knowledge. Clearly, Gunnar didn¡¯t care. He ran at her and swung his sword widely. She moved out of the way, but the sword still slapped her. She was sent flying, landing on the ground a few feet away. Groaning, she stood up, her back complaining. That had hurt. And this was just starting, The Wolf looked nervously at her, but she shrugged it off. She could still win. Standing up, she stanced herself again. Once again, Gunnar rushed at her. This time she was ready. Before he could swing again, she lunged with her sword. Grunting, he knocked it down with his shield. Clearly, he liked to rush in blindly. She couldn¡¯t afford to be defensive with him. It just wouldn¡¯t work. He was clearly stronger than her. Dodging his next blow, she feinted left. He swung his sword to block her, and she grinned. He¡¯d fallen for it. A blow to her left threw her to the ground again. The crowd gasped. What the hell? Gunnar raised his shield. Of course. She should¡¯ve brought one. Only now was she realizing how much they could hurt. Yue wasn¡¯t bleeding yet, but she was already bruised. Once again, she lunged at him, aiming for his shield. He took the bait unknowingly, but for Yue it was enough. Flinging her sword back as hard as she could, she watched as his shield flew from his hand, landing out of the ring. Unfortunately, so did her sword. ¡°I am very sorry, Yue,¡± Gunnar said. ¡°It is done.¡± He swung at her midsection, and she barely jumped over it. Without a sword, she just wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. His next blow glanced off her breastplate, scratching her. Dammit! Gunnar was obviously a trained fighter. He knew his strength was his greatest weapon, and he was using it to his benefit. Yue didn¡¯t know how she could stop him, unless she reached for his sword. And that would be impossible. Not without bleeding. She ducked another lunge, and ran to the back of the ring. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t being cowardly; she just needed time to think. The crowd cheered Gunnar on as he went after her. The one weakness Yue could see in him was his recklessness. He lunged whenever. There was no pattern, no¡­strategy. She needed to catch him off guard. So when he swung his sword at her chest again, she jumped. Higher than she thought she could. She wasn¡¯t dodging Gunnar¡¯s sword anymore, though. She was jumping on it. Yue had never done this before, but it should work. Her weight on the sword would force it down, and Gunnar would be forced to let it go, or break his arm. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t what happened. As she landed on his sword, he brought it back down, and she slipped on it. Her head hit the ground hard and she yelled in pain. Touching her head tentatively, she sighed in relief. Still no blood, but she couldn¡¯t see straight anymore. Her vision was blurry, and she could barely focus on the fight. Gunnar straddled her, and clutched her arm. She squirmed but he was too strong. The crowd gasped. ¡°You were a strong opponent, Yue!¡± Gunnar exclaimed. He brought his sword to her arm. Yue brought up the last strength she had¡­ Crunch. Her fist on Gunnar¡¯s nose sent him reeling. ¡°Ah! Sk¨ªtur!¡± The man cursed. ¡°Dammit.¡± He glared at her and grinned. His nose was clearly broken, but it wasn¡¯t bleeding. What will it take to make him bleed? Yue wondered. She would¡¯ve bled if she¡¯d had a broken nose. This wasn¡¯t fair. But she had caught him off guard, She had the advantage now. Attempting to stand up, she saw her vision go dark for a second before it cleared. She was shaky on her feet, but she walked over to Gunnar who was attempting to grab his sword from where he¡¯d dropped it. Mind messed up, Yue kicked it out of the ring, before realizing what she¡¯d done. I should¡¯ve grabbed it. It was too late. Gunnar roared at her, and stood up. Just as he did so, Yue swung her fist, connecting with his gut. He grunted falling to his knees. Yue smiled. Raised her fists¡­ Slap. She went flying back again, landing on the ropes to the outside of the ring this time. Her face was already swelling up, and she tried not to groan in pain. Gunnar was trying to stand up, but reeling around like a drunkard. She still had the advantage; she just needed to use it. The crowd roared its approval for this fight. Her friends cheered her on as she stepped up to Gunnar. Yue had barely even been noticing the crowd¡¯s chants, so focused had she been in the fight. They were clearly very invested in this fight, so Yue assumed it was already a half-success in the Wolf¡¯s eyes. She just needed to finish the rest. Gunnar blocked her first punch, but her second caught him on the groin. He stumbled back, and she doubled her attack, swinging on him. Quickly, he was faced with a barrage of attacks that left him unable to move. She punched him again, and his face swung back and he fell to the ground, motionless. Yue hadn¡¯t killed him. But he still wasn¡¯t bleeding yet. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Yue screamed. ¡°Just bleed, dammit!¡± Gunnar¡¯s eyes opened slightly, and he looked at her. ¡°You fight¡­well,¡± He said, wiping his nose. Looking at his hand, Yue gasped. ¡°Look! He¡¯s bleeding. I did it! First blood!¡± Yue yelled. Gunnar¡¯s eyes widened. The Wolf came to inspect. The match wasn¡¯t over yet. Not until he declared the winner. After a few seconds, the Wolf stood up, grabbing Yue¡¯s hand. ¡°After close inspection,¡± He said, voice amplified by magic, ¡°YUE ZHANG IS DECLARED THE WINNER!¡± He raised her arm, and she yelled in victory. ¡°I DID IT!¡± Face puffy, head spinning, she stepped forward. ¡°WE WILL BE BACK IN TEN MINUTES FOR THE SECOND FIGHT!¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Xander asked her. ¡°Dead,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Everything hurts. Even worse, I¡¯ll have to fight again later today.¡± ¡°Three more times,¡± Aster agreed. ¡°That was an amazing win, though! We were all shocked when you won, no offense. You seemed to be losing.¡± ¡°I was,¡± Yue responded. ¡°That was the hardest fight I¡¯ve ever had. My head hurts.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Xander responded. ¡°You got hit pretty hard. Also, I can barely see your eyes. They¡¯re swollen.¡± The Wolf entered the practice arena. ¡°Are you okay, Yue? Your next fight isn¡¯t for another four hours, so you should be fine by then.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you give me him first?¡± Yue wondered. ¡°Drawn by luck,¡± The Wolf replied. ¡°Good news is, you won¡¯t have such a hard match again today!¡± ¡°Yay,¡± Yue said sarcastically. ¡°That makes me feel so much better.¡± ¡°Xander, what are you doing here?¡± The Wolf questioned. ¡°This is for participants only.¡± ¡°They let me in,¡± Xander protested. ¡°I¡¯m also in the Vanguard!¡± ¡°Did you make the tournament? No. So you shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± The Wolf told him. ¡°We have to obey the rules.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Xander said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Yue.¡± With one kiss, he left. ¡°Really, Captain?¡± Yue asked- ¡°Had to,¡± Her captain shrugged. ¡°If one person does this, then another will. Soon, we won¡¯t even have space for the participants in this place.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at the next fight?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t for another three minutes,¡± The Wolf responded. ¡°I needed to check on you. If you need, we have a medic ward.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t serious,¡± Yue breathed. ¡°This place has everything.¡± The Wolf chuckled. ¡°Yup. Well, I have to get back. Once you¡¯re ready, you can go up too.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yue told him. ¡°I¡¯ll be up in a little.¡± The Wolf nodded and left. ¡°Do you know who¡¯ll fight?¡± Yue asked Aster. ¡°A guy from Mremba and a woman from Galacia,¡± Aster responded. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter too much. They look pretty weak.¡± ¡°Definitely weaker than Gunnar.¡± ¡°Speaking of Gunnar,¡± Aster said. ¡°Here he comes.¡± ¡°YUE!¡± Gunnar growled, coming in the room. ¡°You have defeated me!¡± ¡°I guess I did,¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± He asked. ¡°You did well. You have defeated someone who was¡­ how do you say?... not defeated back home.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gunnar responded. ¡°This was humble experience. You have done well. May you rest in V¨ªn¡¯s halls when you pass.¡± ¡°Same to you,¡± Yue responded . ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to go back out.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Aster asked. ¡°You still look really hurt.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m hurt, woman!¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°I just got pummeled by a bear. No offense, Gunnar.¡± ¡°None has been taken,¡± Gunnar rumbled, chuckling. ¡°If you want to, we can go,¡± Aster said, leading her to the exit. The match had not started yet when she entered the stands. A massive roar rose from the crowd as she sat. ¡°YUE! YUE! YUE!¡± The crowd chanted. She smiled and waved. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head,¡± Alyx whispered. ¡°I¡¯m still gonna win.¡± ¡°Not if you have to play Gunnar,¡± Yue whispered back. After fighting Gunnar, though, she was feeling pretty good. Maybe she really would win. She was ready for the rest of the tournament. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. Her friends all had one or two matches. All of them won, even Neena, although she had a very hard time. Alyx and Neena had both fought twice. There would be many more matches in the afternoon. Ten people had already lost the tournament, all of them losing both of their matches. Unfortunately, the last game of the morning fell to Yue. Her face was still swollen, although Xander had gotten an ice pack. It was better than before, but her vision was still slightly impaired. ¡°PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND VIKTOR BELL!¡± Viktor Bell had lost his first fight after two minutes. It had been a medium-length fight, and Victor had clearly been less skilled than the other Vanguard soldier who had fought him. The skinny brown-haired kid sauntered into the ring before Yue. When Yue stood up, the crowd applauded and cheered. Viktor sneered at Yue. ¡°You¡¯re going down, loser,¡± He said arrogantly. Yue just smiled, causing Victor to frown. ¡°Clean fight, please,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°You know the drill. Wait till it starts. No cheating. THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­¡± Yue unsheathed her sword. ¡°TWO!¡± Yue arched her back and heard a satisfying crack. ¡°ONE!¡± Yue breathed in. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Viktor rushed at Yue and she dodged lithely. She didn¡¯t want to end this too quickly. She felt bad from the boy hailing from the southern part of Arcadia. He was clearly less skilled than he thought he was, and Yue didn¡¯t know why he was chosen to come here. Looking up, she saw the world leaders. Looking at the Khan from Aleumdaun Seom, and the King from Arcadia, she was reminded of the importance of winning. Delaying the fight wasn¡¯t needed. What was needed was the win. Sighing, she swung her sword. As Victor brought his up to block it, she lunged, catching his shoulder, probably severing a muscle. He screamed and fell to the ground. Yue hated to hurt him like this, but it wasn¡¯t even one of the worst injuries in the tournament thus far. One Vanguard member got her arm broken. Clearly, she was not going to win the whole thing. Another participant had had a few fingers cut off. Still another had lost an ear. It was a dangerous business, and the one who had lost the ear had not even lost the battle. The other had already been bleeding. The crowd cheered for her as the Wolf raised her arm for the second time that day. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE YUE ZHANG!¡± He yelled. ¡°WE WILL RECONVENE IN AN HOUR¡¯S TIME. AFTER LUNCH.¡± As people started to file out, worry began to eat at Yue again. She had one question lingering in her mind. Where¡¯s Zade? Chapter Thirty-Two: Cheating Chapter Thirty-Two: Cheating Alyx ducked, the sword swinging where her head had just been. This was her third and final match of the day. Lunch had finished just ten minutes ago. Alyx was the sixth match since, all of the matches having lasted only about a minute. She was fighting a Magefell Guard. Yue didn¡¯t know who she was, but she was evidently strong. Maybe even strong enough to be in the Vanguard. She and Alyx had been fighting violently for almost a minute now, and they were almost equally matched. Alyx was slightly better, though. As Alyx swung her sword as hard as she could, the Guard positioned her sword to block it. Sweat beaded on Alyx¡¯s face as she forced the sword down. The Guard struggled as Alyx¡¯s might pushed on her. Alyx was very strong, that was true, but Yue didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d be able to take the Guard down that way. ¡°Alyx, you¡¯ve got this,¡± Aster whispered. ¡°Come on!¡± ¡°She can¡¯t hear you,¡± Yue pointed out. ¡°Not with you whispering like that.¡± Aster glared. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like noise. Plus, she tells me she knows when we cheer her on, even if she can¡¯t hear it.¡± Yue rolled her eyes. The crowd was very attentive this game. This was the Guard¡¯s second game, and she had won it. Since Alyx had won both of hers so far, this meant that one of them would lose their first game here, and the audience loved it. The cheers and claps when something interesting happened were deafening. It was nice to know that everyone appreciated their talent, at least for now. There was still no sign of the murderer or the Cult, but Yue wasn¡¯t too concerned about that. She assumed the Cult wouldn¡¯t try anything until the third day, and the murderer definitely wouldn¡¯t try anything in broad daylight. Still, she had to be careful. The Cult was unpredictable. The crowd cheered and Yue watched as Alyx was finally able to bring her sword down, slicing on the Guard¡¯s chest, slicing through the armor. The slight blood on the armor announced Alyx as the winner. ¡°The whispers worked,¡± Aster told Yue. Yue just smiled. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°The Captain wants us to meet some people,¡± Kol told Yue, walking up to her. ¡°Who?¡± Yue wondered. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kol responded. ¡°Follow me.¡± He walked away, leaving Yue to stand up quickly and rush after him. As they walked up the stands, some people beamed at her or congratulated her for her wins. She waved and smiled at them all, causing Kol to roll his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head,¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯ve won yours as well, right?¡± She asked. ¡°Only played one so far,¡± Kol replied. ¡°But I¡¯m playing a second soon. I saw your fight with Gunnar. You did really well, although some would call it luck.¡± His eyes twinkled. Yue shrugged. ¡°If I had to go again with him, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d win,¡± She told him. ¡°I¡¯ve never fought anyone like him.¡± ¡°Comes with being Snjornan, I guess. Ah, here we are.¡± Kol pointed to a room built into the top stands. Yue paled. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? That¡¯s where the Royals stay!¡± Kol smiled. ¡°Yup. We¡¯re going to meet them.¡± ¡°A little warning would¡¯ve been nice,¡± Yue groaned. ¡°I gave you one,¡± Kol shrugged. ¡°You just didn¡¯t know it was. Now come on. We have to do this before my game.¡± Yue took a deep breath as Kol opened the glass door. When they went into the massive room, Yue gasped. The room was furnished with silk and leather, clearly made for important people. This room was more expensive than Yue¡¯s entire salary for a decade. But it wasn¡¯t the room that made her gasp. It was the royals. They were really here! One came forward to meet him. He was a simple man, no crown on his head, but a posture of authority. Yue and Kol bowed. ¡°No, no, none of that, please!¡± The man told them. ¡°I am King Aeson from Arcadia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, your majesty,¡± Yue curtsied as best she could. The king smiled. ¡°You must be Kol and Yue. The Wolf told me you were coming. I watched your fights. You were wonderful. It was a joy.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yue flushed. ¡°I¡¯m honored by your praise, your majesty.¡± ¡°No formalities, please,¡± King Aeson told them. ¡°And call me Aeson. King is slightly weird.¡± ¡°Yes, your¡­Aeson,¡± Kol told him. ¡°It really is an honor to meet you. We must meet the other Royals, though.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. How cruel of me!¡± Aeson grinned. ¡°Here, let me introduce you. This is Quan, Khan of Aleumdaun Seom.¡± Yue bowed as the Khan looked at her. He was dressed in gold and purple, black cape flowing from behind him. His long hair was held by a headpiece in the top leading to a ponytail. He looked like the definition of a king. Powerful, stern, mighty, yet just. After a minute, the Khan nodded, and Yue stood up. ¡°Yue Zhang. You are originally from Aleumdaun Seom. Is that right?¡± Yue nodded, and the Khan smiled slightly. ¡°I expect you to win then, if none of my subjects win first. You are always welcome in our land.¡± ¡°Thank you, great Khan,¡± She said. ¡°Who is this?¡± A female voice asked from behind her. ¡°Ah, Queen Ingrid,¡± Aeson said. ¡°This is Kol and Yue, two of the greatest Warriors of Magefell.¡± Yue turned to find the Queen of Galacia staring at her. She wasn¡¯t glaring, but her look was¡­icy was the way to say it. She was wearing very light clothing, clearly unused to the warmth here. ¡°It is an honor, your majesty,¡± Yue curtsied. Kol repeated her. ¡°Hmmm, yes,¡± Queen Ingrid told them. ¡°I have heard much about you both. I would hate for you to disappoint me.¡± Yue bristled. ¡°We won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a show to watch,¡± Queen Ingrid told them, sitting down in her spot. Yue looked at Kol uncertainly. ¡°Feel free to stay here,¡± Aeson told them. ¡°I would love to chat with both of you.¡± ¡°I have to go,¡± Kol said regretfully. ¡°My match is coming up.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Good. You should go then.¡± Kol waved bye at Yue and left. ¡°Sit,¡± Aeson told her. ¡°Sit.¡± It was phrased more like a plea than a command. ¡°I¡¯d heard that the Arcadian Royal Family was very informal, but this is not what I expected.¡± Yue said. ¡°Yes, it does surprise most people when they meet us,¡± Aeson laughed. ¡°But if you were a queen, I¡¯m sure you would want to have a normal life as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure your life is completely normal, your majesty.¡± ¡°What have I said?¡± He told her sternly. ¡°Call me Aeson. And yes, it isn¡¯t 100% normal, but it is as close as I can get while ruling a kingdom.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°How long have you been part of the Vanguard now?¡± Aeson asked. ¡°Two or three years now,¡± Yue responded. ¡°It¡¯s my dream job.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very talented,¡± Aeson said. ¡°It really was a joy watching you perform. Would you consider yourself the best in the Vanguard?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Yue answered. ¡°Kol is better than me.¡± ¡°Really? You think so? I think you¡¯ve been performing better than anyone else! Oh, look, there¡¯s Kol now.¡± Aeson crossed his legs and looked down to where Kol was expertly handling another soldier. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s actually one of my soldiers. His name is Rubio. He¡¯s good, but he still has a lot to learn. Pity he¡¯s already forty, you know?¡± ¡°How¡¯s Arcadia doing in the tournament?¡± Yue asked him. ¡°Not great,¡± Aeson admitted sadly. ¡°I would¡¯ve loved to bring others from there. Jin, Torr, Jade, Mena, Deria. They¡¯re better than most of these here. Problem is we¡¯re facing a threat there, and we need to keep the most elite here.¡± Yue wasn¡¯t sure if he was giving excuses or not, but she didn¡¯t want to prod too much. She was curious, though. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind the question, what kind of threat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Aeson said. ¡°Some sort of animal. Wolves, I think. Whatever it is, it poses a big danger. My wife, Maeve, is taking care of it.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need to be there?¡± Yue asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a Royal Family if there is no family,¡± Aeson laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll be fine. If they need me, they¡¯ll call.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yue nodded. ¡°So what¡¯s Arcadia like? I¡¯ve never been.¡± ¡°Oh look, Kol won,¡± Aeson smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m happy or pissed. Arcadia is great. It¡¯s my home, you know. If you ever went, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d say it felt like home.¡± Yue had heard that Arcadia was like that, but she doubted it. It couldn¡¯t be as good as Magefell, right? ¡°Well, I should probably get going,¡± She told Aeson. ¡°I am a participant in this tournament after all.¡± ¡°Right. It was great to meet you, Yue.¡± Aeson¡¯s voice was sincere, kind. ¡°Likewise,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Still no Zade?¡± Yue asked Xander. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m getting worried about him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine,¡± Xander replied. ¡°But if you want, I¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Neena¡¯s on now, right?¡± ¡°Yup. Ooh, looks like it started.¡± Yue spun her head around. Neena was taking on a woman clearly from Aleumdaun Seom. The woman took the offensive while Neena stayed mostly on the defensive, struggling to reach the taller woman. As they fought, Yue turned to Xander. ¡°Any word from the Cult?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Xander responded. ¡°You¡¯d know if there had been. Plus, I wouldn''t be here.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue bit her lip. ¡°Still nervous, though.¡± Xander kissed her somewhat still swollen lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Everything will be fine.¡± Yue nodded and watched as Neena was knocked down by the other woman. ¡°GO, NEENA!¡± She yelled. It was too late. The woman sliced, scoring a hit on Neena¡¯s arm, blood seeping from the shallow wound. ¡°Damn! That¡¯s the first one of us who lost a game,¡± Xander cursed. ¡°The Vanguard is doing really well, though,¡± Yue said. ¡°One elimination so far is pretty good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Xander admitted. ¡°Do you know when your next match is?¡± ¡°In like an hour,¡± Yue told him. It was about three in the afternoon now. ¡°I¡¯ll have four in all, according to the Wolf. I¡¯m gonna win them all, obviously.¡± ¡°Did you hear?¡± Xander asked her. ¡°You¡¯re one of the top five favorites.¡± ¡°Wow! Really?¡± Yue smiled. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I didn¡¯t expect that.¡± ¡°After Gunnar, you definitely deserve it.¡± Neena walked over to them dejectedly. ¡°I lost,¡± She told them when they waved at her. ¡°I know,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But you¡¯ve only lost one. You can still win the tournament.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have slipped,¡± Neena grimaced. ¡°It was a bad mistake.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Neena,¡± Xander winked. ¡°I didn¡¯t even make the tournament. You¡¯re in the top fifty warriors in the Vanguard.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Neena grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll win the next one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± ¡°Yiro¡¯s gonna fight now,¡± Alyx told them. She had been talking to Aster until a minute ago. ¡°It should be fun. She¡¯s up against another Arcadian. He seems really good. I actually don¡¯t think she¡¯s gonna win.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not serious, right?¡± Yue responded. ¡°She¡¯s not going to lose this. Yiro¡¯s too good. Plus, Aeson told me they didn¡¯t bring in the best Arcadian soldiers.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Aeson?¡± Xander asked. ¡°The king of Arcadia,¡± Yue replied off-handedly. ¡°You met the king of Arcadia?¡± Alyx shrieked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Yue responded. ¡°He¡¯s a great guy.¡± Alyx sputtered. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ crazy. Anyway, that doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s just making that up because he doesn¡¯t want to seem weak.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I doubt it,¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°But I guess it could be true.¡± ¡°YUE!¡± A voice called to her from behind. ¡°I need to talk to you. It¡¯s urgent.¡± Sharply, Yue turned to find Eva shouting after her. ¡°What is it, Eva?¡± Yue asked. Eva bit her lip. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s move then.¡± She led Eva to the foyer of the theater. There were many people here, but it would be really hard to eavesdrop on them. ¡°I think Yiro is going to cheat,¡± Eva blurted out. ¡°I thought you disliked snitching,¡± Yue said. ¡°Yes, except Yiro could kill the other soldier!¡± Eva exclaimed. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Yiro wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡± Yue told her incredulously. ¡°Yiro isn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know Yiro. You have to do something.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Yue told her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Eva grimaced and scurried away. Yue didn¡¯t know if she believed that Yiro was cheating, but she didn¡¯t think Eva would purposefully mislead her either. She had to keep an eye on Yiro, at least until this match ended. She walked back outside to find the match almost over, and, surprisingly, Yiro was losing. Yiro was on the ground, and the Arcadian was charging towards her. So Eva must¡¯ve been wrong. That¡¯s when the unexpected happened. As soon as the Arcadian reached Yiro, she stuck out her fist, almost imperceptibly. The most surprising part was that she missed, yet the Arcadian still stumbled back. As soon as he fell, Yiro raised her sword and stabbed him where she¡¯d almost hit him. He bled there now, but Yue was sure she¡¯d seen blood there already. From Yue¡¯s perspective on the foyer, it was clear foul play had happened. No one else would have noticed, though, sadly. Yiro had cheated, and no one would think otherwise. The Cult had done exactly what they¡¯d intended. Yue felt sick. And, apparently, so did the Arcadian. He fell to the ground moaning, frothing at the mouth. Yiro rushed to his aid, and soon he stopped moving, although he was still breathing. Yue growled. She needed to do something about the Cult. If only she could find them. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It was time for Yue¡¯s third fight. She was fighting someone from the Vanguard this time, surprisingly. Before the fight, a familiar face came to see her. ¡°Hey, Yue,¡± Joanne said. ¡°How are you enjoying the tournament?¡± ¡°It¡¯s great,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°I¡¯m having a lot of fun. I¡¯m pretty confident in myself right now. Did you win your bouts?¡± She knew Joanne had won at least one of them, but she didn¡¯t know about the rest. ¡°I lost once,¡± Joanne scowled. ¡°I still have one more game to play, though, to salvage some dignity. I saw what happened with Gunnar. You were incredible! I¡¯ve never seen anything like it!¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Yue flushed. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± The other girl responded. ¡°Good luck with Wen. And I forgive you for throwing me in jail.¡± Yue nodded to her. ¡°PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND WEN RENNALD!¡± The Wolf¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°Oh, got to go,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Walking to the ring, she saw Wen. Wen was a big woman, in her thirties, and Yue found her familiar. She¡¯d never talked to her though. As soon as she entered the ring, a thunderous applause and roar echoed throughout the crowd. Yue waved and smiled at them. ¡°You know the drill already,¡± The Wolf whispered to them. Yue couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly apprehensive. Would Wen cheat like Yiro? She doubted it, but at this point, she didn¡¯t know anything about the Cult. She felt paranoid, but she needed to stay strong. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­¡± Unsheathe your sword. ¡°TWO!¡± Deep breath in. ¡°ONE!¡± Glare at Wen. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Yue rushed at Wen, intent on gaining the upper hand immediately. She assumed Wen would prefer the offensive, so if she got a nudge early on, it would really help. Yue was wrong. Wen was clearly used to being on defense, as she clearly showed when Yue lunged for her. Wen side-stepped lithely. She didn¡¯t have a shield. As far as Yue had seen, only a dozen or so participants use them. It was hard to use in situations like this. Gunnar was obviously adept at it but not many were. Shields were heavy, not good for a quick fight; at least, not for most people. Yue shook her head. She was distracted. Wen was in the Vanguard; she would easily take advantage of something like that. Yue needed to focus. Wen feinted left, gauging Yue¡¯s reaction. Yue, of course, stepped back, allowing for the feint. Smiling, Wen lunged at Yue¡¯s left, and as soon as Yue blocked it, changed her stance and swung right. Thankfully, Yue expected this. Moving her sword, she reached for Wen¡¯s side. The sword scraping her armor caused Wen to gasp. ¡°How¡­¡± Wen wondered. Yue grinned. Wen narrowed her eyes, and rushed at Yue, who was forced to retreat under the hail of attacks. Yue ducked and slid to the ground, feigning. Wen, assuming Yue had tripped on the ground, charged on her, and Yue swept her legs out from under her. As Wen fell to the ground hard, Yue scraped her sword over Wen¡¯s forehead. ¡°I win again,¡± Yue smiled. Wen groaned. ¡°AND THE WINNER IS YUE ZHANG!¡± And the crowd goes wild. Yue kept her smile up as the crowd showered praises on her. Three wins. Zero losses. This was a good start to the tournament. Just as long as no more cheating happened. ¡°Good job,¡± Neena said to her as she got back. ¡°You just eliminated Wen.¡± ¡°Oof,¡± Yue replied. ¡°That¡¯s tough. How many people have been eliminated now?¡± ¡°A little over fifty, although a lot have lost one already,¡± Aster replied, turning towards her. ¡°Think about it. We¡¯re all in the top two-hundred warriors in the world.¡± Yue couldn¡¯t help but smile again. Aster was right. They¡¯d done great so far. All she was missing was Zade. Where the hell was he? ¡°I¡¯m going to step out and get some air,¡± She told her friends. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You know we¡¯re already outside, right?¡± Aster pointed out. Yue shot her a withering glare. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± She said. She began to descend the steps towards the foyer. There, she was met with adoring fans. ¡°Oh gods,¡± One girl shrieked. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. ¡°It¡¯s you! Hi, Miss Zhang.¡± ¡°Please, call me Yue,¡± Yue replied. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Polynesia, Yue,¡± She replied. ¡°Most of my friends call me Sia.¡± ¡°I have a friend called Polynesia,¡± Yue responded. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Sia.¡± Sia shrieked again. ¡°AHHHH! No one is going to believe you¡¯re my friend.¡± Yue winked. ¡°Come over and see me sometime. I have to go now, though.¡± ¡°Of course. Of course,¡± Sia responded. ¡°Oh my Gods. It¡¯s really you.¡± Getting away from Sia, and flushing from ear to ear, Yue ran into another of her fans. ¡°You¡¯re Yue, right?¡± The man asked. ¡°I see all your fights. I¡¯m betting you¡¯ll win the entire thing.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yue responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just in a hurry. It¡¯s good to see you, though, Mr¡­¡± ¡°Cole,¡± the man responded. ¡°It was great to meet you too.¡± Yue pushed herself through the dozen or so people waiting to meet her. As soon as she passed the stadium, though, she was alone. Finally. Alone to think. She was starting to really worry about Zade. he said he would be here to watch her fight. Obviously, she didn¡¯t need him here, but Zade was her friend. It wasn¡¯t like him at all. Once again, Xavier¡¯s worry began to eat at her. It really seemed like he¡¯d tried something. But wouldn¡¯t one of his friends come to tell her? This wasn¡¯t normal, that much was obvious. Everything had just seemed to fall apart for Zade after Astil¡¯s death. Yue wished she could see him more, even if just to encourage him. Right now, she just wanted to know he was alright. She was also nervous that the worry from Zade¡¯s disappearance would affect her performance, but obviously, that came second. Without Zade watching, though, they had one less pair of eyes on the Cult. They needed every resource they could find. This was not good. She needed Zade. Someone began to run from the hill to the Arena. She squinted her eyes, but couldn¡¯t place the figure. It was a man, clearly, and he looked like he was having an emergency of some sort. The man ran faster than Yue could believe, and she could tell he was coming here. What for? As the man came closer, Yue began to recognize him. He was familiar. She was sure she¡¯d seen him before, but she couldn¡¯t remember well. Then it hit her. It was Th¡¯ul. He was still far away, but his face was unmistakable. Yue¡¯s heart dropped. What was he doing here? Yue waited patiently as he got closer. Eventually, he went past her and kept running. ¡°TH¡¯UL!¡± She yelled. He stopped and looked back. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°Well, I came here to bring you some bad news.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Yue groaned. ¡°What happened to Zade?¡± ¡°He¡¯s alive, but just barely. He also has a chance of Burning,¡± He said. ¡°What happened?¡± Yue growled. ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Th¡¯ul responded. ¡°We found him in the Dragon Head. That¡¯s where Astil died. Anyway, Xavier found Zade half-dead on the ground cradling Astil¡¯s corpse. We barely got him to the hospital in time. It wasn¡¯t pretty. We still don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll live or not.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°I was worried about him. Thank you for coming.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t come before,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°How is the tournament going? Nothing suspicious?¡± Yue didn¡¯t know if she could trust him, but, right now, she wanted someone to talk to who lived in Zenyth. Plus, Zade trusted him. As much as she hated to admit it, that did mean something. ¡°A girl cheated, and I¡¯m pretty sure the Cult made her,¡± Yue said. ¡°Otherwise, everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Explain the cheating.¡± Yue did, and at the end Th¡¯ul nodded. ¡°Yeah, that sounds off. Clearly, the Cult wants the Vanguard to win. But why?¡± He wondered. ¡°You know, that¡¯s an excellent question,¡± Yue responded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Why would they want the Vanguard to be the winners?¡± ¡°I¡¯m betting whatever the reason is, it¡¯s also the same reason that they won¡¯t do anything until the last day.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Are you going to stay here?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Th¡¯ul shook his head. ¡°I have a lot to do. But if anything happens, get someone to Zenyth. I¡¯ll be willing to help. I wasn¡¯t a great friend to Zade. I need to change that.¡± Yue narrowed her eyes. He sounded genuine, and if he was then she was happy. But at the same time, he could just be faking it all. ¡°Why¡¯d you do it?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Tricking Zade into getting hurt.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Th¡¯ul paused. ¡°Oh, you mean that. I don¡¯t know. I made a horrible decision. I¡¯ve said this before. I thought he wouldn¡¯t do it if I told him the reason, and I¡­acted harshly. It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse what you did!¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°Of course it doesn¡¯t,¡± Th¡¯ul responded. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to help Zade since, but I¡¯m not the best person out there. I¡¯ve always been forced to live in shades of gray, Yue. To me, not everything is in black and white. Sometimes you have to make decisions that seem off. I make mistakes, but I know that in the end, that choice has shaped Zade¡¯s life, and for the better. You might not have seen it, but that moment changed him. He became stronger. Yes, I made a mistake. I know I can¡¯t be excused. But it did work out. In the end, sometimes, the past must be forgotten.¡± ¡°That sounds like an excuse,¡± Yue growled. ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Th¡¯ul said, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yue. I hope you can forgive me one day. I wish you good luck. I promise that I¡¯m on your side.¡± ¡°I really hope you are too,¡± Yue told him. ¡°I forgive you. Just¡­ don¡¯t do anything like this again.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, Yue,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°And¡­thank you. For giving me another chance.¡± Yue nodded. As Th¡¯ul turned to leave, Yue¡¯s mind swam. Zade was hurt. There was nothing she could do about it, of course, but she still felt horrible. Xavier had been right. She should¡¯ve font to help Zade. She felt she¡¯d made a mistake just like Th¡¯ul. Now she knew how he felt. That¡¯s the only reason she could forgive him. ¡°Don¡¯t die, Zade,¡± She prayed. ¡°Please don¡¯t die.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It was mid-afternoon and it was time for Yue¡¯s final game. There would be many games afterward, but this was Yue¡¯s final one for the day. Thankfully, it seemed like another easy one. This time, she was fighting someone from Aleumdaun Seom. The man had already lost once, and Yue was looking to eliminate him. She was excited for the opportunity. But at the same time, thoughts of Zade got in the way, She was scared for him. He was in danger, and she could do nothing to help. Yue hated the thought. But she still couldn¡¯t change it. She¡¯d told her friends, and they¡¯d reacted about as well as she had. At least they understood why he¡¯d gone now. ¡°PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND LAOTEO GONG!¡± The Wolf announced. Yue hadn¡¯t been able to talk to him at all, him being busy with the tournament, but she desperately needed to tell him a lot, especially about Yiro, although she doubted he¡¯d do anything about it. He still needed to know. Yue and Laoteo walked onto the stage together, leading to an already familiar cheer from the crowd. Alyx had told her that she was one of the top three favorites now, and she was more than proud of that accomplishment. She¡¯d already passed day one. Yue just needed one last win to guarantee her undefeated-ness for round two. ¡°You know how it goes,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°Keep it a clean fight.¡± He winked at Yue. ¡°THIS MATCH BEGINS IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­¡± It¡¯s time. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Taoteo struck. Somehow, he¡¯d reached Yue immediately, faster than Yue could see. She fell backwards. What the hell? She wasn¡¯t bleeding, but whatever had just happened disoriented her. She didn¡¯t know how Taoteo had done what he did, and apparently neither did Taoteo. A roar of outrage rose from the crowd, and Taoteo reacted bewilderedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He told Yue. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that happened.¡± ¡°Just keep fighting,¡± Yue responded. She looked at the Wolf and nodded. Strangely, he looked distracted but he turned towards her and nodded back. Taoteo looked uncertainly at her. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She rushed at Taoteo, and he swung, parrying her thrust. Clearly recognizing her skill, he backed away from her, maintaining his defensive stance. Yue let him wander, gathering her breath still. Looking around, she wondered what happened, but right now she didn¡¯t have time to wonder. She had to beat Taoteo. Yue rushed at him. As soon as he saw her, he paused to swing, lowering his sword slowly. Suddenly, Yue felt a pain in her leg. Taoteo removed the sword quickly from where it had embedded itself slightly. He screamed in shock. Yue grimaced, clutching her leg. Taoteo had been almost ten feet away. He couldn¡¯t have run that fast. Something was off. But she was bleeding. The crowd was booing in outrage. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± Tomato shrieked at the Wolf, who shook him roughly. ¡°You must have cheated, ¡° The Wolf said. ¡°What happened isn¡¯t possible. You injured one of my people. You are disqualified.¡± ¡°You must believe me, Yue!¡± Taoteo screamed. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Yue didn¡¯t want to believe him. But she had to. She had seen the look on his face. Unless he was the greatest actor in the world, he was just as shocked as she was. ¡°I believe you,¡± She screamed, and the crowd gasped, then shut up. ¡°I believe you, Taoteo. But the fact stands that you won unfairly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± The Wolf told her. ¡°He must be disqualified.¡± Yue sighed, knowing it had to happen. He had won illegitimately, and rules were rules. The Khan would be disappointed and angry. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE YUE ZHANG!¡± The Wolf exclaimed, and the crowd roared again. They still seemed supportive, but she was sure that now there would be a few more people that would hate her. Yue¡¯s first suspicion was that the Cult did this. Of course. They were behind everything, right? But she couldn¡¯t be sure. It could just as easily have been anyone else. Looking at Taoteo, she felt pity in her stomach. He looked dejected, sad. Yue was pretty sure she saw tears in his eyes. It hurt her to see that, especially because it wasn¡¯t his fault. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yue whispered to him. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Taoteo responded, tone telling her it was anything but. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have beat you anyway.¡± Yue grimaced, but it was true. Still. Whoever did this had ruined this, causing tension in the tournament. Was it the murderer? If so, then it really had been the Cult. She looked around wildly, accusing everyone in the stands of doing something. ¡°THE NEXT MATCH STARTS IN FIFTEEN MINUTES AS WE DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED HERE!¡± The Wolf told the silent crowd. The tension could be cut with a knife. The Captain looked at Yue, concerned. She waved it away. Taoteo hadn¡¯t stabbed very far, thankfully, and she would barely have even a bruise. It still hurt, though. Now she had an injury in her leg, and a slightly swollen face. The tournament could only get better. As she began to walk back to the stands, words rang in her mind. This was a reminder for you. Stop looking for us. Do not try to find us anymore. You will not find a murderer. If you keep going, we will kill you. This was just a taste. Win the tournament for us, but do not do anything else. We¡¯re watching. Yue gasped. It had been the Cult. It seemed like they knew everything. The words echoing in her mind, she sat back down. Everything was a lot more complicated now. Chapter Thirty-Three: The Broken Core Chapter Thirty-Three: The Broken Core Darkness. Pain. Regret. The emotions I feel as I wake up feel like drowning. I want to vomit. Something inside hurts but I can¡¯t quite place what. All I know is that I am clearly not okay. It takes a moment to remember why I¡¯m like this. When I do, I silently curse myself. What the hell was I thinking? I knew this wasn¡¯t a smart idea. Not only had I been warned by many people, but I had known the truth myself. And now something¡¯s wrong with me. Not physically. Not emotionally either. I just know that part of me is injured, maybe irrevocably. It hurts to move. I haven¡¯t even opened my eyes yet. So I do. Xavier and Th¡¯ul are locked in conversation next to my bed, which I assume is in the hospital. My brain hurts when I think, but I¡¯m fairly sure this is not my room. A flash of pain. I groan. As one, Xavier and Th¡¯ul turn to me. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± The first boy says, eyes widening. ¡°You¡¯re awake! YOU¡¯RE AWAKE!¡± Tears in his eyes, he hugs me. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Th¡¯ul asks. ¡°Everything hurts,¡± I respond. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­move.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Xavier questions me. ¡°Why did you go to the Dragon Head?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I cough. ¡°Look¡­I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Damn right you did.¡± ¡°You¡­don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Explain it,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. And so I do. Slowly, carefully, I tell them the truth. I leave nothing hidden, no stone unturned. With a heavy heart, I tell them of my plan, my training, and my attempt to resurrect my fallen friend. Finally, I tell them of the explosion. When I finish the story, my friends¡¯ faces tell me everything I need to know. Th¡¯ul looks impassive as normal, although I see a hint of sadness in his eyes. Xavier, though, is a different story. The emotions in his eyes sadden me. I can see hurt, sorrow, anger, pity, even a little bit of shame. I turn my head away from him, unable to look him in the eyes. ¡°Zade, why?¡± He asks. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I cough out. ¡°I just wanted him back and I thought I could do it. Clearly, I was wrong.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve stopped me, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± His nod confirms it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I don¡¯t deserve a second chance. I have no excuses.¡± Hanging my head, I flip myself on the bed, turning my back to them. ¡°Zade¡­¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. ¡°We¡¯ve all made mistakes. Yours was a very big one, and you shouldn¡¯t have done it without us knowing. But I made a mistake, remember that? You almost got killed. Yue still hates me for it. She says she forgives me, but I can see the hurt in her eyes. You didn¡¯t give up on me when I tricked you, so why would we give up on you?¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him. ¡°Can I be alone for a minute, though? Just to reflect. I want to think about this for a little bit. Just give me a little time.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± My friends turn to leave, and the betrayal in Xavier¡¯s eyes still stings- What do I do now? Obviously, nothing will be the same anymore after this. I¡¯ve done something that hurt my friends. And I did it knowingly. Another sting of pain wracks my whole body and I groan in pain. The door opens to my room. High Mage Aegon strides through. ¡°I heard what happened, Zade,¡± He tells me. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°High Mage, I know something¡¯s wrong with me,¡± I respond. ¡°I feel injured, but I can¡¯t find anything.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± High Mage Aegon twists his beard pensively. ¡°We arranged for a Healing Mage to fix you up, and he did. But there was one thing we couldn¡¯t fix. Something very important.¡± ¡°What happened to me?¡± My heart drops. ¡°Son, it¡¯s possible that you Burned.¡± I gasp. Suddenly, I¡¯m drowning. This can¡¯t be happening to me. ¡°Now, we can¡¯t be sure,¡± High Mage Aegon tells me. ¡°It could be a danger to you if we probed. The only person who can tell us is you.¡± Nodding, I close my eyes. I need to find my core. A flash of pain makes me groan again, but I know I¡¯m on the right track now. This is hurting more than it should. I open my eyes, vomiting. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this,¡± I tell the High Mage. ¡°You must try,¡± He responds. Fighting the bile in my throat, I nod. Once again, I search for my core. It should be here somewhere. But where¡­ There. Oh Gods. This is horrible. I know I¡¯m throwing up, but I can barely focus on that. My core looks horrible. Obviously, it¡¯s still here, considering I¡¯m still alive. But it¡¯s mangled. Instead of pulsating at a normal rate, it¡¯s beating slowly. There are cracks in it somehow, and the light erupting from it is what¡¯s causing my pain. My core also has much less color than it used to. But there¡¯s one thing I think looking at it. Unless I¡¯m very wrong, I did not Burn. I just injured my core. Now, I don¡¯t know how to fix it, but I have a feeling there¡¯s a way. Painfully, I explain to High Mage Aegon what I see. ¡°I agree with you,¡± the High Mage responds. ¡°You did not Burn. What happened to you is not normal, but it does happen. Your core will heal, but you are the one who will need to do that. It might take an hour. It could take weeks. I¡¯m not sure how to fix it, because it¡¯s different for everyone. But you must do everything you can to fix it. Do not try to do any magic. It won¡¯t work, and it will only hurt you more.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I tell him. ¡°What did you do?¡± He asks me. ¡°Why were you seeing Astil? I have my suspicions, but I need confirmation.¡± And so I find myself for the second time today telling someone what happened. It already hurts to talk about, but I have to. At the end, High Mage Aegon¡¯s stern face scares me. ¡°Zade, what you did was highly irresponsible¡­¡± He starts, but I interrupt. ¡°Are you going to expel me?¡± ¡°What?¡± He exclaims. ¡°Of course not. We only expel mages-in-training if they do something illegal, which you did not. If you had resurrected Astil, it would have been illegal, but you failed in your mission. He is still dead. You do not want to know what we do to people to expel them. But the point stands, Zade. You really should not have done this. Clearly, you were being selfish. Zade, you are the only mage-in-training with visions, and you risked the chance to lose it. I understand your sorrow, I really do. But you can¡¯t do things others you trust tell you are blatantly wrong.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I tell the High Mage. ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson. I won¡¯t do it again, nor do I want to.¡± ¡°I hope you did. I¡¯ll leave you to rest now. Work on fixing your core. After you¡¯re done with that, you can leave the hospital.¡± ¡°Sir, what time is it?¡± I ask. ¡°Four in the afternoon,¡± He responds. ¡°So that means the tournament has started.¡± I say. ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°So far so good,¡± High Mage Aegon responds. ¡°Your friend Yue is doing better than anyone else, as far as I¡¯ve heard. The Cult still has not tried anything, as far as I¡¯m aware.¡± I sigh in relief. ¡°Thank you, High Mage.¡± He nods. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I spend the next hour working on fixing my core. Sadly, I have no idea how I¡¯m going to do it. I¡¯ve tried forcing the light back in, shielding my core, trying to make it more colorful; at this point I¡¯ve exhausted all the possibilities I came up with. Of course, I haven''t given up. I just need to think more. Xavier and Th¡¯ul haven¡¯t been to see me, but I understand. Someone does come to see me, though. And it¡¯s not anyone I was expecting. When Master Frin opens the door, my jaw drops. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in forever, Zade,¡± He grins. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to my practices.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I respond. ¡°What with Raakhshas and everything, I needed a break.¡± Master Frin nods. ¡°I completely understand. Still, when you want to return, I¡¯ll be ready. You¡¯re a good swordsman, Zade.¡± He pauses. ¡°I heard about what happened. I¡¯m sorry, my boy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I respond. ¡°I just need time to heal.¡± ¡°Healing is one of the most important aspects of life,¡± Master Frin tells me. ¡°No one gets far in life without healing.¡± ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m learning that lesson now,¡± I say. My swordmaster laughs. ¡°Ah, too true. Well, I¡¯ve got to run. The tournament is on. It was good to see you, Zade.¡± ¡°You too, Master Frin.¡± As he leaves, I once again focus on my broken core. It still moves lazily around, my touch doing nothing to excite it. If I move, I still feel pain all over from it, but I¡¯m learning to accept it. I deserve the pain, and it¡¯ll help me grow. High Mage Aegon told me it could take weeks to fix my core. I vow to myself I¡¯ll do it in mere hours. But there¡¯s just one tiny problem: I¡¯m not sure how. There¡¯s no manual for this, and I don¡¯t have any help. I don¡¯t have my book, so I can¡¯t ask for Master Thul¡¯s help. I briefly wonder why no one brought it, considering they brought it last time, but I guess it makes sense. I currently cannot do magic. What¡¯s the point of the book without the magic? Instinctively, I reach for magic. My core screams in pain, and I scream with it, pain lancing through my body. Letting go of my core, I gasp on my bed. High Mage Aegon is right. I really shouldn¡¯t try to do any magic, not right now. Now my core seems even more broken. The crack on it has spread even farther. Somehow, though, I feel slightly better. I might know how to fix my core. If this doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll probably Burn. If this does, I¡¯ll have my magic back. To me, this is worth the risk. I already can¡¯t do magic, and this is the only solution I can find. I steady myself. Time to do this. With a heave, I begin to rip my core in two. The pain I¡¯m feeling now is deadly, and I know I¡¯m yelling, screaming, pleading. My core begins to pulsate rapidly, but erratically and dangerously. As the tear widens, so does the pain. With one final rip, my core erupts in two, and I feel darkness. I wake up ten minutes later. I¡¯m in more agony than before, cramps all over my body and bruises all over. Looks like the damage I did to my core reciprocated in my physical body. But I¡¯m not done with my process. I barely have any strength or will now, but I¡¯ll use the last of it. Gathering the two pieces of my core, I notice they¡¯ve become whole. Strangely, they look like two separate cores. Obviously, that doesn¡¯t fix my problem. Two cores won¡¯t help me. So, I begin to bring them together. Like gelatin, they start to merge together. It''s an arduous process, considering the suffering I¡¯m already going through, but slowly it begins to work. As the cores bring themselves together, my wounds start to heal, and the pain wracking my body begins to grow more tolerable. One final push and¡­ Done. My core is whole again. Bright colors, healthy beats, and completely whole. I begin to feel more awake now, more healthy. It worked. I can¡¯t believe it. For now, I need to rest for a couple of minutes, but I¡¯m almost ready to leave. It¡¯s been two hours since I started trying to fix my core. I¡¯m just glad I was able to do it. Level 4. A grin of elation rises in my face. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Smiling, I let my eyelids cover my eyes for just a little. I¡¯m okay now. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Looking for Anni. I need to apologize to her. Strangely, I haven¡¯t seen her since Astil died, so I want to apologize for both Astil¡¯s death and my botched attempt at reviving him. Hopefully, she¡¯ll forgive me. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ll find her. Honestly, she could be anywhere, and if she¡¯s in her room, then it¡¯s off limits for me. Therefore, I need to find a friend of hers. Easier said than done. To tell the truth, I don¡¯t know many people at Zenyth Academy. I have a small friend group. And because I only saw Anni when she was with Astil, I never really met any of Anni¡¯s girl friends. I begin to regret that a little. I should get to know more mages-in-training. Of course, I don¡¯t have time for that now. Walking towards the gallery, I spot a gaggle of girls. A dozen of them. One of them must know Anni, right? ¡°Sorry for intruding,¡± I say, conscious of how I look. I am obviously limping, and I still have some bruises on my face. My clothes are dirty and so is my face. ¡°Do any of you know Anni?¡± Most of the girls look at me sideways, amused or irritated. One of them, though, a brunette who looks a couple years younger than me speaks up. ¡°Yeah, I know Anni,¡± She tells me, scowling. ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°I really need to speak to her,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m her friend. I was also a friend of Astil¡¯s. Do you know where she is?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes narrow at me. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to talk to you. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re Xavier?¡± ¡°Zade, actually,¡± I smile. ¡°Please, can you just call her?¡± At my insistence, the girl groans. ¡°Fine! But if she says no, then the answer is no, Zade,¡± She spits out the word. Turning away from me, skirt swishing, she leaves for the girl¡¯s dormitories. I wait patiently while the girl is gone. The other girls stare at me suspiciously, but I ignore them. This situation is awkward enough without me instigating a conversation. After a couple of minutes, the girl returns, scowling. ¡°Wait here,¡± She tells me, leading the others down the hallway. Soon, they¡¯re lost to my sight, and I sit down on the couch, waiting for Anni. When she appears, my heart sinks. Anni looks horrible. She¡¯s clearly been wearing the same clothes since Astil died. But it¡¯s her face that saddens me. Her makeup is dirty, and her eyes are empty. One look at her expression tells me all I need to know. Anni isn¡¯t just sad, she¡¯s despairing. She¡¯s on the edge. ¡°Hi, Zade,¡± She tells me wearily, sitting down. I hug her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about what happened.¡± Anni bursts into tears. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± She sobs. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± ¡°Did you hear what I did?¡± I don¡¯t really want to tell her, but she has a right to hear it. When she shakes her head, I bite my lip, then tell her everything. ¡°Well, thanks for trying,¡± Anni sniffles. ¡°You don¡¯t hate me? You don¡¯t blame me?¡± I¡¯m incredulous. ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± She responds. ¡°I would¡¯ve done the same thing. You did what you could. Thank you for not Burning.¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I ask Anni. She chuckles bitterly. ¡°How do you think?¡± ¡°Right. Do you want to take a walk or something?¡± The blonde girl shakes her head. ¡°I just want to stay in my room. I don¡¯t want to talk to you. No offense, I just want to be alone, you know?¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I respond. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± ¡°Thank you for checking on me. It¡¯s good to know you still care about me, and it wasn¡¯t just my relationship with Astil that kept us friends.¡± ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t!¡± I tell her. ¡°We all like you! Why do you think we were happy that Astil was dating you?¡± Anni smiles sadly, standing up. ¡°Goodbye, Zade.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Anni.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So, you¡¯re better now?¡± Xavier asks, crossing his arms. ¡°Yes,¡± I reply. ¡°And I was thinking we should go to the tournament.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± He scowls at me. ¡°The first day is almost done. But, sure, we can go.¡± Clearly, he doesn¡¯t really want to talk to me. I try to hide the feeling of depression inside of me. Of course, I really miss Astil. He was a great friend, and it¡¯s only right that I still feel depressed. Right now, I really feel Astil¡¯s absence. I miss laughter. Of course, eventually, this will all pass. Instead of remembering him both fondly and sadly, I¡¯ll only think of the former. But for now, all I can think about is that he was just too young to die at that age. Another death the Cult needs to pay for. Speaking of the Cult, I need to go to the tournament. Whatever they are going to try, I need to be ready. ¡°Is Th¡¯ul coming?¡± I ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Xavier shrugs. ¡°You can go call him if you want. I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside.¡± He turns to leave and I walk to Th¡¯ul¡¯s room. As soon as I knock, he opens the door, dressed sharply. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re up.¡± He tells me. ¡°So, we going to the tournament or what?¡± I smile softly. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The walk to the Magefell Arena is uneventful. Any sort of conversation is light, but tense. Th¡¯ul tries to instigate deep conversation several times, but it is never successful. The closer we get to the Arena, the more I hear the crowd. Even before we can see it, I can hear it. To me, that is incredible. I hear applause coming from somewhere in front of me, but I can¡¯t see it! It¡¯s magical, but there¡¯s no magic involved! Unsurprisingly, I¡¯ve never been to this side of Magefell. I doubt even ten percent of the Magefell citizens have. No one lives here. It¡¯s an empty plain. But it does seem like a good place to be alone. I mark that in my head, in case I ever need solitude. When the Arena comes into view, I can¡¯t help but gape. I¡¯d heard from Th¡¯ul that it looked like a wolf, but this is insane. It feels so¡­real. I almost expect to hear the howl of the wolf. I guess the real howl of the wolf is the cheering of the crowd. ¡°I¡¯ve got the tickets,¡± I tell my friends curtly. No need for extra conversation. Everything is light. They nod back at me. For a second, it looks like Th¡¯ul will say something, then he turns away. I see a few people milling outside the arena, and, surprisingly enough, I see Poli and Artemis there. When they see me, Poli¡¯s eyes narrow, but Artemis lights up. ¡°Hey, Zade!¡± Artemis calls. ¡°I think Yue¡¯s been looking for you. Why didn¡¯t you come before?¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Complications. How¡¯s the tournament going?¡± ¡°As well as it could,¡± Artemis responds. ¡°Although someone cheated with Yue.¡± ¡°What?¡± I ask indignantly. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°No one knows,¡± Artemis shook his head. ¡°The man rushed at her quicker than anyone could see. It was¡­strange. Yue didn¡¯t get hurt, thankfully, but the tournament has been a little tense since.¡± ¡°Hmm, must¡¯ve been the Cult¡¯s work,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°I agree,¡± Artemis responds. ¡°But there¡¯s no proof. All we know is that one person did the impossible. Oh, but there¡¯s something even stranger about all that. He says he doesn¡¯t know what happened, and Yue believes him!¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± I can¡¯t help but show interest in my voice. ¡°The man who cheated doesn¡¯t know what happened to him somehow. Yue says he actually thinks that. Which must mean that¡­¡± ¡°Someone was doing that to him,¡± Th¡¯ul finishes. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible portent.¡± ¡°The Cult is watching, and they¡¯re preparing,¡± Artemis says. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good we¡¯re here now.¡± ¡°We need all the eyes we can get.¡± ¡°Then why are you out here?¡± I ask. ¡°Needed a breather,¡± Artemis shrugs. ¡°The tournament is very quick-paced. It¡¯s just too much for me and Poli.¡± ¡°Yeah, I bet,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve been excited to see it. Sucks that I basically missed all of the first day.¡± ¡°Eh,¡± Artemis shrugs. ¡°There was nothing very exciting except for the match between Yue and Gunnar.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I wonder. Artemis fills me in, and I¡¯m sucked in. I can feel how exciting and nerve-wracking the match was. By the end, I feel like I need to take a breather. ¡°So Yue¡¯s doing the best?¡± ¡°It sure looks that way,¡± Artemis responds. ¡°She¡¯s the favorite. You should hear how excited the crowd gets when she starts fighting.¡± ¡°The crowd can¡¯t get louder than this, right?¡± I¡¯m on the verge of screaming, that¡¯s how loud the spectators are screaming. Artemis laughs. ¡°Believe me, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet. You¡¯re not even inside the arena.¡± ¡°The outside is incredible,¡± I breathe. ¡°It really is,¡± Artemis agrees. ¡°Mages built this. How didn¡¯t you know about it?¡± ¡°Still only just a mage-in-training. Not really involved in anything, especially the politics, thankfully. Th¡¯ul might have known about this, though.¡± Th¡¯ul flushes, smiling briefly. ¡°I might¡¯ve.¡± ¡°When does the first day end?¡± Xavier asks, speaking up for the first time. ¡°I think maybe four or five hours. Each day is very long. It¡¯s too much stress. What with the Cult and everything, I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not participating.¡± He smiles. ¡°Yue¡¯s match with both Gunnar and the cheater confirmed that for me.¡± ¡°How many Arcadian Guards are here?¡± I ask. I wonder if I know any of them I might not, but who knows? Maybe even Jade came, although I doubt it. She would¡¯ve found a way to tell me. Artemis shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They¡¯re probably the weakest of the bunch.¡± Seeing my disappointment, he chuckles. ¡°Just telling the truth. They don¡¯t seem to be too strong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± I reply. ¡°Arcadia definitely has some of the best swordsmen in the world.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think any of them will last even two days,¡± Poli¡¯s boyfriend says. ¡°Oh, you should probably go find Yue. She¡¯s been waiting for you the entire day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Artemis,¡± I reply. Then, I remember Astil. ¡°You were Astil¡¯s brother, right?¡± I say, turning to him, eyes burning. He winces. ¡°Unless you have time, I don¡¯t want to explain.¡± I cross my arms. ¡°I have time.¡± My tone is curt, almost dismissive. Artemis sighs. ¡°Okay. You¡¯re going to hate me for this¡­¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Swallowing the bile on my throat, I look sadly at Artemis. I can see the hurt in his eyes, but I can¡¯t help but feel a little angry at him. But I need to remember, I¡¯ve made mistakes. Bad ones. Horrible ones. With my parents. With Astil. With Eren. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you,¡± I tell him. ¡°At least, not a lot. And I don¡¯t hate you.¡± I don¡¯t need to say anymore. He¡¯ll understand perfectly. Nodding, he thanks me. ¡°We should really get going,¡± Xavier tells me. ¡°I¡¯m getting bored.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Artemis¡¯ story?¡± Turning to him, I realize the true reason he wants to leave. He¡¯s crying visibly. ¡°Ah, Xavier, I¡¯m sorry. Yes, let¡¯s take a seat. I¡¯ll see you later, Artemis.¡± ¡°You know what, I want to stay here with these guys, if it¡¯s okay with you,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. I nod, give Th¡¯ul his ticket, and lead Xavier in the direction of the arena. At the entrance, we¡¯re met by a burly guard, who doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s in the mood to smile. Actually, he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s ever in the mood to smile. ¡°Tickets, please,¡± he says gruffly. I hand them to him. As he begins to inspect them, I turn to Xavier. He seems to be composing himself well, but he¡¯s still clearly shaken. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can forgive Artemis,¡± He says. ¡°Why not? We¡¯ve all done stuff we regret,¡± I tell him. ¡°Yes, he made a terrible mistake. But so did I.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Xavier pauses. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. I still see your good intentions, even with all the bad things you do. With Artemis, it¡¯s a different story, you know? I know he regrets it, and I¡¯m happy he is. I bear no ill will, I just don¡¯t ever want to talk to him again.¡± I sigh. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t force you.¡± ¡°All good,¡± The guard tells us. ¡°You may pass. Keep the ticket in case you leave and need to come back. This ticket is valid for all three days. Enjoy the show.¡± His face tells me he doesn¡¯t care if I enjoy the show or not. Me and Xavier pass the guard and enter the arena. The foyer looks beautiful. There are plenty of spectators milling around, talking, drinking, even a little dancing. I¡¯m pretty sure I see plenty of participants in the tournament too, judging by the wicked looking scars and the weapons. The place is lively, and I love it already. It really looks like a place made to make you comfortable before you enter the arena proper. It¡¯s a nice touch on an already perfect canvas. I¡¯m really excited to see the rest of the arena. But first, I need to order some drinks. I¡¯m not going to watch a tournament without beer! I tell Xavier my plan. ¡°You can go ahead and sit down if you want,¡± I say. ¡°No, I¡¯ll order too. I want to see what they have.¡± Xavier tells me. I order a good Arcadian beer, and, after a little prodding, Xavier orders the same. To me, no beer is as good as a perfect Arcadian brew. And I¡¯m not the only one who thinks that. Arcadian beer is the most sold in the world, and, because of that, it¡¯s also the most expensive. At least, it is outside of Magefell. But it¡¯s the tournament. I deserve a little fun. It¡¯s time to see the stadium itself. Stepping outside, I immediately feel overwhelmed. There¡¯s more people here than I¡¯ve seen in my entire life. It¡¯s hard to fully take it in. Somehow, fifty thousand people fit into this stadium. I can¡¯t hide my shock. Now that I can see how large the crowd is, I begin to understand how they could make much more noise than they are right now. Also, the cheering is much louder now. I get the urge to cover my ears, but the noise soon grows sweet, and I want to join in. Even Xavier is smiling now. ¡°Wow, this place is incredible!¡± He shouts at me and I can¡¯t help but agree. Currently, two women are locked in a fight in the ring. One of them clearly has the advantage, knocking the other to the ground. I don¡¯t recognize either of them, but that makes sense. I only know less than ten of the participants. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t block the entrance!¡± A man scowls at me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, letting him pass. ¡°So, should we go find Yue?¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re friends with the Sterkona?¡± The man asks. ¡°Who the hell is the Sterkona?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Yue Zhang,¡± The man tells us. ¡°The backbreaker. The strong woman. She beat Magnus. We call her Sterkona now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice nickname,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ll have to use that now.¡± ¡°So you do know her?¡± I nod. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve known her for a little while now.¡± The man smiles. ¡°Sorry for growling at you before. If you¡¯re with the Sterkona, then you¡¯re cool.¡± My eyes widen. ¡°Oh, ok. Apology accepted?¡± As the man leaves, I turn to Xavier. ¡°Well, Yue¡¯s getting a reputation,¡± He says. ¡°Who?¡± I wonder. ¡°Oh! You mean the Sterkona.¡± Xavier rolls his eyes. ¡°She must really be doing good for people to be nice to you.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± I smile. It¡¯s good to be having fun with Xavier again. I feel a pang of sadness. Usually, Astil would be here, having fun with us, maybe talking about how immature we were. I really miss him. ¡°Oh, I think I can see Yue,¡± Xavier exclaims. ¡°The seats behind her are empty. That¡¯s probably where we¡¯re sitting.¡± I look at where he is. There she is! The Sterkona herself! Her face is a little swollen, but otherwise, she looks fine. She¡¯s stuck in a conversation with Neena, who¡¯s nodding along. Alyx and Aster are there too, as is Xander behind them, listening in. I can¡¯t help but grin a little looking at them. ¡°Let¡¯s go see them,¡± I tell Xavier. I take the lead, walking slowly, stealthily to where they are. Some spectators turn to us as we walk, but they quickly realize we are not participants, so they turn away. The match on the ring seems to be ending soon considering many people are on the edge of their seats, ready to jump up and down. Then the match is over. Cheering erupts from the crowd. One of the women is crying on the ground, blood seeping from a massive cut on her chest. I turn away, blushing. I can see her chest plainly. Her armor was cut away. Turning back, I see the other woman pumping her fist in the air happily. The first woman doesn¡¯t bother to hide her modesty, and just walks away. Yue is very distracted now with the match so I keep walking towards them now, preparing to surprise her. Xander sees us and a smile lights his face. He begins to speak, but I put a finger to my lips. Cocking his head, he narrows his eyebrows in confusion, but doesn¡¯t say anything. I wink at him. We¡¯re just a couple paces away from Yue, and she hasn¡¯t noticed us. I grab her shoulders. She jumps out of her seat, but still hasn¡¯t seen me. Clearly, she assumes a stranger grabbed her. ¡°Hey, Sterkona!¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± Chapter Thirty-Four: Reunited Chapter Thirty-Four: Reunited ¡°Hey, Sterkona! It¡¯s good to see you.¡± Yue turned around sharply. That was Zade¡¯s voice. Seeing him, she broke into a grin and embraced him. ¡°Oh, thank God you¡¯re okay,¡± She exclaimed, tears already forming. ¡°I was worried about you. And what did you call me?¡± ¡°You were worried about me?¡± Zade responded. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± She glared at him and he laughed. ¡°I called you Sterkona. It¡¯s what some of your fans are calling you. It means strong woman. I think they¡¯re calling you that¡­¡± ¡°Because of Gunnar, I know,¡± Yue responded drily. ¡°I was there. You were not. I deserve an explanation for this.¡± Zade sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, you do. Just know that I already regret it.¡± ¡°What did you do, Zade?¡± Yue asked, already scared of what her friend would say. ¡°Well,¡± He responds,¡± I might of, sort of, probably, kind of, possibly¡ª¡± ¡°Just say it already!¡± Alyx shrieked indignantly. Zade glared at her. ¡°Fine! I tried to resurrect Astil.¡± ¡°You did what?¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°Yes,¡± Zade winced, ¡°I did.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª When Zade finished his story, Yue gaped at him. ¡°You risked your life for something you knew wouldn¡¯t work?¡± She asked. ¡°Pretty much,¡± He replied. ¡°I almost died, but at least I learned my lesson. Yue, I¡¯m so sorry for what I did. I promised to come here, but I didn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°I think it was a little cool,¡± Alyx said. ¡°It¡¯s a pity it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Alyx,¡± Yue hissed. ¡°Shut up! No one thought this was a good idea, and Zade is clearly distraught about it.¡± ¡°Well, then, I was saying maybe Zade shouldn¡¯t be so distraught about it,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°He was doing what he could.¡± ¡°It was still a dumb decision he made,¡± Yue replied. ¡°He was sacrificing himself for something no one had done before, and he knew he wasn¡¯t strong enough to do it.¡± ¡°You know ¡®he¡¯ is right here, right?¡± Zade asked. They ignored him. ¡°I still think he did the right thing. It all worked out,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Nothing is wrong with Zade. Anymore, anyway. And Astil will stay dead. Yes, that''s sad, but he¡¯s not a shade, and we know he can¡¯t be brought back.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that what he did was wrong,¡± Yue told her. ¡°And this isn¡¯t even mentioning the moral implications of what he did.¡± ¡°Okay, I get it!¡± Zade exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about this already. You don¡¯t have to argue about it.¡± Yue looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. ¡°I totally forgot you were there,¡± Alyx grinned. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Zade rolled his eyes. ¡°So. How¡¯s the tournament going?¡± ¡°As well as it could be, I reckon,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°We¡¯ve all won our bouts.¡± ¡°Except for me,¡± Neena replied. ¡°I lost one.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re out?¡± Xavier asked her, clearly interested in what she had to say. ¡°No, I can still win,¡± Neena told them. ¡°I¡¯m just closer to losing completely than before. It happens.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Is Th¡¯ul here?¡± Yue asked. ¡°No, he¡¯s with Artemis,¡± Zade responded. ¡°Wanted to get away from you, I guess.¡± Yue rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve made my peace with what he did.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to think so,¡± Xavier told her. ¡°Well, he can go¡ª¡± she paused. ¡°Eh, whatever. I don¡¯t care anyway.¡± ¡°Oh, did you hear?¡± Xander elbowed Zade. ¡°Yue met the Royals.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Zade breathed. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. The Arcadian Royal Family too?¡± ¡°Just the king,¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°You met Aeson?¡± He grinned. ¡°He¡¯s a great guy, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± Yue said. ¡°You¡¯re one of his greatest friends.¡± ¡°No, I know the prince better,¡± Zade replied. ¡°But I did have some good conversations with Aeson.¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy how the Royal Family does that,¡± Xander said. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re universally loved for it,¡± Zade told them. ¡°Not everyone would be able to pull something like this off.¡± ¡°The Royals were all pretty nice,¡± Yue agreed. ¡°But there was one I didn¡¯t love so much, and I don¡¯t think she liked me either. The Queen of Galacia. I forgot her name, that¡¯s how much I care.¡± ¡°I think I might know why she didn''t like you,¡± Zade responded. ¡°Th¡¯ul is from Galacia. According to him, they don¡¯t really like mages there. I¡¯m guessing she really hated being in the hotspot for mages.¡± ¡°Ah, that makes sense.¡± Yue said. ¡°I wonder why she came then.¡± ¡°She had to, politically.¡± Xander told them. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t come, she would¡¯ve been isolating herself. Every other country was sending a Royal. Obviously, she didn''t want herself getting isolated. That would only cause others to band against her. That¡¯s probably another reason she¡¯s not happy. She didn¡¯t come here willingly.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Politics is complicated.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything yet,¡± The other boy responded. ¡°We¡¯re not here to talk about politics, though,¡± Zade said. ¡°We¡¯re here to watch the tournament. So, if you don¡¯t mind, I am going to ignore you now, and drink my beer.¡± He sat back and relaxed, watching the fight starting on the ring. ¡°Who¡¯s fighting now?¡± Xavier asked. Yue shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know either of them. But one of them lost a game. If he loses, he¡¯s eliminated.¡± They were both clearly fighting with every ounce of their strength, determination and desperation in their faces as they sparred, swords waving back and forth. ¡°The one on the left is winning, right?¡± Xavier said, Yue cocked her eyebrow at him ¡°You¡¯re not serious, right?¡± She asked. The woman on the left was clearly suffering from the onslaught of blows the man was serving her. ¡°So she¡¯s not?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°No, Xavier,¡± Yue said exasperatedly. ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± As Yue watched, the woman spun, catching the man off-guard. As the man tripped, the woman lunged at him, severing a pinky. Yue winced. ¡°So the woman did win,¡± Xavier told her. ¡°I was right.¡± Yue sowled. ¡°She wasn¡¯t winning before!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how I saw it,¡± Xavier responded. ¡°She was obviously winning the whole time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already regretting giving you the tickets,¡± Yue crossed her arms. ¡°Ain¡¯t your ticket,¡± Xavier sipped his beer. ¡°Technically, it¡¯s Aster¡¯s.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aster turned to him. ¡°And I¡¯m already happy I gave you the tickets.¡± ¡°Hey, watch this,¡± Xavier winked at Aster, then began to walk down the steps. ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± Zade asked Yue. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Yue shrugged. ¡°Probably nothing good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Xavier,¡± Zade replied. ¡°Of course it¡¯s nothing good.¡± Yue watched as Xavier went down to where the woman who won the match was. There, he began to talk to her. The woman began to laugh. Zade¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°I did not expect that,¡± Yue said. Aster shook her head. ¡°Show-off.¡± Suddenly, the woman embraced Xavier and kissed him. The crowd went wild, cheering for this new romance. The Wolf looked exasperated. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding.¡± Yue gaped. Xavier winked at them, breaking the woman¡¯s embrace. As he left, she called something to him, and he nodded. She blushed. ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t too hard,¡± Xavier told them. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Yue asked him. ¡°It was fun,¡± He shrugged. ¡°And she¡¯s cute. Oh, I might have to leave in an hour. Skai needs me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re letting Th¡¯ul rub off on you,¡± Zade told him. ¡°No,¡± Xavier replied indignantly. ¡°He does this for fun and he never means this. I do this for fun except I mean it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this will be a serious thing,¡± Neena said. ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Skai comes from Magefell,¡± Neena replied. ¡°From what I saw, she seems to be Arcadian, or maybe from the north of Galacia.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± Xavier admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask her.¡± ¡°I think that was the first Mremban to lose, though,¡± Alyx told them. ¡°They¡¯ve been doing very well.¡± Mrembo was known for their viciousness. They were a great and welcoming people, but when it came to defending their country, you had to be lucky to survive. It was no surprise then, that the Mremban people were doing very well in the tournament. Yue had seen them fight some of the Vanguard, and most of the time, they had won. ¡°Skai is special,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Of course she¡¯d win.¡± ¡°You know she lost before, right?¡± Yue told him. ¡°And it was against a Mremban.¡± ¡°Whoever it was got lucky,¡± Xavier shrugged. ¡°It happens sometimes. Even Neena lost one.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re involving me?¡± Neena groaned. ¡°I could take on Skai any day!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± ¡°Xavier, I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Zade told him. ¡°Neena is definitely stronger than she looks. She¡¯s in the Vanguard. Calm down, before you get your girlfriend¡¯s ass kicked.¡± Xavier frowned. ¡°I still think she would win.¡± ¡°Anytime, Xavier,¡± Neena smiled. ¡°Any time.¡± Xavier looked nervous now, and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING ASTER YARROW AND GEORGI HERLOW!¡± The Wolf roared at the crowd, who reacted accordingly, cheering. ¡°Well, that¡¯s my cue. Wish me luck. This is my last game today.¡± Aster walked away, gripping her sword hard, knuckles white. ¡°She¡¯s nervous,¡± Zade noted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Georgi has been doing really well,¡± Yue responded. ¡°He hasn¡¯t lost any yet, and he¡¯s always won within forty-five seconds.¡± ¡°Oof,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Well, I hope she does well.¡± ¡°She¡¯s more skilled than him,¡± Yue said. ¡°She just needs to keep her cool.¡± As soon as the Wolf announced the start of the game, Aster rushed at Georgi, catching him off guard. Unfortunately, he reacted quickly, expertly weaving his sword around. As Aster and Georgi sparred, Yue examined every move. Aster wasn¡¯t trying too hard; mostly, she was trying to expose any weaknesses, constantly feinting and exposing herself obviously. Georgi was giving this all he got, attacking mercilessly, and Alyc, not giving it her all, was forced to retreat. Suddenly, Georgi¡¯s eyes narrowed. He began to swing and lunge quickly, and Alyx¡¯s eyes widened as she was forced to react defensively. Alyx was having a hard time, but all she needed to do was take the offensive. Then Georgi made a small mistake. He extended his foot a little farther than it should, and glancing down quickly. Aster swung her foot slowly. Georgi was sent crashing to the ground, and, while he reacted quickly, he had already lost his advantage. And now Aster knew what she was doing. She began to attack his right side, where he was limping slightly from his fall. Desperately, he began to move backwards, sword swinging wildly now. As Aster swung at his hand, his sword was thrown from his grip. Georgi cursed, and ran desperately to where his sword was. It was too late. Aster caught him a glancing blow across his back. A hint of blood escaped from his back. Aster yelled and thrust her fists in the air. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°LET¡¯S GO!¡± She yelled as the crowd cheered for her. ¡°AND THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS ASTER YARROW!¡± The Wolf yelled. He whispered something to Aster and she blushed. ¡°Good job,¡± Zade told her as she came back. ¡°Thanks,¡± She flushed. ¡°That was harder than I thought.¡± ¡°What was the Wolf telling you?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Just complimenting me. He says I¡¯m doing very well.¡± Aster said all of this dismissively, but the wide smile across her face told Yue it was anything but. ¡°The Wolf does seem proud of us,¡± Yue told her. ¡°Only a couple of Vanguard soldiers have lost.¡± ¡°Second round will be harder, though,¡± Alyx pondered. ¡°There are a couple of soldiers I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried?¡± Yue smirked. ¡°I thought you were going to win.¡± ¡°I am,¡± She replied. ¡°I¡¯m worried for you.¡± Yue rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m still the favorite here.¡± ¡°Not for long.¡± Xavier grinned at them, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s calm down ladies. None of you have a chance.¡± Yue ignored him and stared at the next match. She was really glad Zade was back. Right now, she didn¡¯t even care about what he¡¯s done. At least he was alive and well. That was the best thing. And she also understood why Zade wanted to do what he did. She would never have tried it, but at least Zade¡¯s intentions were good. Looking at him now, Yue could see his struggle with emotions. On the one hand, he really did look happy to be with them and watching the tournament. On the other, she could see his sadness. Obviously, he still missed Astil. She hadn¡¯t expected him to get over it immediately, so this didn¡¯t come as a surprise, but it was still heartbreaking to see Zade like this. It only reminded how messed up this world was, forcing men to do things they didn¡¯t want. It was just the world they lived in. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I¡¯ve got to go,¡± Xavier told them apologetically. ¡°Skai¡¯s calling me.¡± He walked over to where the woman was and they shared a kiss. ¡°Xavier was the last person here I thought would have a girlfriend,¡± Neena said. ¡°What,¡± Yue teased. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°No,¡± Neena sputtered. ¡°He just didn¡¯t seem like the type of guy, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hey, Miss Zhang!¡± A voice called from behind her. Yue turned to find her fangirl Sia looking at her. ¡°Hi, Sia. Come sit down,¡± Yue told her. The girl¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± She asked. ¡°Sure, come on.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Alyc whispered to her. ¡°Fan of mine,¡± Yue responded. ¡°You have fans?¡± Alyx exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky.¡± Sia sat down where Xavier had been. ¡°Wait a second. Are you all Miss Zhang¡¯s friends?¡± Yue laughed. ¡°I told you to call me Yue, Sia. And yes, they are all my friends.¡± ¡°No way,¡± The teenage girl responded. ¡°You¡¯re Miss Yarrow. And you¡¯re Miss Spangler. And you¡¯re Alyx!¡± Alyx scowled, and Yue laughed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s us.¡± ¡°That is crazy. It¡¯s an honor to meet you all. You¡¯re my heroes.¡± Zade smiled at her. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Zade.¡± ¡°Are you a friend of theirs too?¡± At Zade¡¯s nod, Sia continues. ¡°It¡¯s great to meet you, Zade. How long have you known them?¡± ¡°A couple of weeks.¡± ¡°Wow. So you knew her before the fame.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really call it fame,¡± Alyx mumbled under her breath. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Zade responded. ¡°They¡¯re great people.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Sia said. ¡°When I get to your age, I¡¯m going to be part of the Vanguard too.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be waiting for that day,¡± Yue told her. ¡°Where do you live?¡± ¡°Here in Magefell,¡± The other girl responded. ¡°Lived here all my life. I always wanted to be a mage, but I think I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± ¡°Being a mage isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Zade shrugged. ¡°What, are you a mage?¡± Sia asked drily. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait, really?¡± Sia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s insane. Sorry about how I reacted, I just didn¡¯t believe you at first. What¡¯s it like, using magic?¡± ¡°Harder than I thought,¡± Zade responded. ¡°But it¡¯s a lot of fun.¡± ¡°Wow! This is all so incredible. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m meeting all of you guys!¡± Sia looked like she was going to faint, water in her eyes. ¡°My friends didn¡¯t believe I¡¯d met you.¡± ¡°Well, next time, bring your friends,¡± Alyx told her. ¡°We can prove it to them. Plus, one of them might like me,¡± She finished in a whisper. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Sia narrowed her eyes in confusion. ¡°Well, that is a good idea. I¡¯ll do that. Thank you, Alyx.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Alyx replied. ¡°Are you coming here every day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sia replied, face turning somber. ¡°I had enough for today¡¯s ticket, but i don¡¯t have enough for tomorrow¡¯s.¡± ¡°What about your friends?¡± ¡°Some of them don¡¯t want to come to the other days,¡± She responds. ¡°Some of the others are coming to the other days. Only a couple can¡¯t afford it like me.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck,¡± Yue told her, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°We have plenty of extra seats, and we didn''t know what to do with them. We can get you the tickets.¡± Sia burst into tears. ¡°Really? Oh, thank you, Yue.¡± She embraced yue, and then broke it apart rapidly. ¡°Oops, I''m so sorry.¡± Yue laughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sia. I like hugs.¡± Sia embraced her again. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯re even better than I thought you¡¯d be.¡± ¡°SIA!¡± A voice called to her. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Here!¡± She called. A few seconds later, a couple of girls and one guy came into view. ¡°Sia, is that you? And¡­¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened, and she was left speechless. The guy finished the statement for her. ¡°Is that Yue Zhang?¡± He asked. ¡°Yup,¡± Yue winked. ¡°Sia is one of my best friends. I¡¯ve given her tickets next to me.¡± ¡°See?¡± Sia smiled. ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°No way,¡± the second girl said. ¡°Is that Alyx Holt?¡± Yue tried to stifle a laugh as Alyx grinned. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s me,¡± Yue''s friend said. ¡°Are you one of her friends who isn¡¯t coming tomorrow?¡± The girl nodded sadly. ¡°Can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°Well, you can sit behind me,¡± Alyx told her. The girl shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t abuse your kindness that way.¡± ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I know you want to.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± The girl shrieked. The others looked enviously. Yue bet they had tickets already. ¡°Thank you, Miss Holt.¡± ¡°I like that,¡± Alyx said. Yue shook her head in amusement. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later,¡± The fangirl said. ¡°It was nice to meet you. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± The girls and boy left, talking excitedly. ¡°Y¡¯all are amazing,¡± Sia told them. ¡°You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Alyx replied, checking her nails. ¡°Are any of you going to have any more fights?¡± Sia asked. ¡°Just me,¡± Neena said. ¡°Well, that will be exciting. I was so sad when you lost,¡± Sia smiled again. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll win.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Neena responded. ¡°Your encouragement really helps.¡± Sia beamed more than yue thought possible. ¡°When¡¯s your match then?¡± Zade asked. ¡°Right after this one,¡± Neena responded. ¡°Nervous?¡± Zade asked. ¡°Very,¡± Neena nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already lost one. If I lose another¡­¡± She left the statement unfinished, but yue got the gist. She knew only one person would win the tournament, but she still wanted her friends to pass every day. She would hate it if she had to face any of them. Strangely, none of them had faced each other yet. Yue didn¡¯t know if it was normal or not, but it would have to happen eventually, right? If it did, Yue would try to win, but it would pain her a little. Yes, she liked to act competitive with Alyx, but the truth was, she just wanted her friends to be happy. And she knew how much this meant to them. It was a complicated problem. She just hoped it never came to her against them. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re done,¡± Neena winced. ¡°I guess it¡¯s my time.¡± ¡°PLEASE WELCOME TO THE RING NEENA SPANGLER AND JOANNE VALARIA!¡± ¡°Oh, no,¡± Yue told Neena. ¡°You¡¯ve both lost a game. This isn¡¯t good.¡± Of course, Yue wanted Neena to win, but Joanne was a better sparrer. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Neena told her, walking forwards. Joanne met her halfway and nodded to her. Half a minute after they arrived at the ring, the Wolf began the countdown. ¡°THIS MATCH BEGINS IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN!¡± Both Joanne and Neena looked at each other, sizing each other up, waiting for one to strike. Clearly, they both wanted to take it easy. With their spot in the competition on the line, they wouldn¡¯t take unnecessary risks. This match would come down to who struck first and well. They must¡¯ve stood almost a minute just waiting for each other to move, the audience on the edge of their seats the entire time. Eventually, Joanne decided it was time. She rushed at Neena, screaming. Neena dropped back defensively and blocked Joanne¡¯s lunge when it came. Joanne stepped back as quickly as she struck, and Yue groaned. This was going to be a boring fight. Neena clearly wasn¡¯t going to take any chances, and Joanne didn¡¯t want to either. Then, surprisingly, Neena attacked. And her soft side disappeared. ¡°Wow!¡± Zade breathed. ¡°If Xavier could see this, he wouldn''t say anything about Neena and Skai anymore.¡± This was a show for anyone who thought Neena was weak. The sword went from side to side viciously, her face a twist of anger. Joanne blocked defensively, not easily, but she wasn''t having too much difficulty either. This was clearly a very equal match. Whoever won would win more with luck than skill. The maelstrom of attacks kept coming from Neena, but they slowed down slowly as Joanne fought back ferociously. For the first time since Yue had arrived, the crowd was dead silent. Nor mumbles, no cheers, no boos. Just people on the edge of their seats, waiting to see who would win. Even Yue and Aster had their eyes wide open, watching the steady stream of attacks from both girls. Neena struck Joanne with the flat of her blade on Joanne¡¯s chest, and the bigger girl fell back, reacting quickly. Without giving her a chance to react, the blonde girl swung again, and Joanne leapt out of the way, her chest heaving. Neena had the upper hand for now, but just barely. She needed to take advantage of it, before it was too late. And clearly she was planning on doing just that. She renewed her attacks with vigor, pounding Joanne mercilessly. Joanne growled audibly, seat pouring from her like a cloud, and she took to blocking some of Neena¡¯s attacks with her vambraces, Neena being too quick for Joanne to keep swinging her own sword around. With a shout, Neena struck down, severing one of Joanne¡¯s vambraces. Joanne cursed, and seemed to realize that she was on the verge of losing. She lunged for Neena, who blocked it. Then, as Neena defended herself, Joanne swept her sword sideways. It was a perfect lunge. There was no way Neena would dodge it. And it was going straight towards Neena¡¯s stomach. Joanne clearly didn¡¯t mean it, but it could do serious damage to Neena, maybe even kill her. But somehow, Neena dodged it. Out of nowhere, Neena was to the left of Joanne, sweeping her sword through Joanne¡¯s arm. The cut went deep enough to draw blood, but not deep enough to do permanent damage. Joanne groaned in pain, falling to the ground. The audience cheered like they had for Yue¡¯s win with Gunnar. Yue looked at Zade. He was clearly shocked by how loud the audience was, but he joined in the cheering too. Yue smiled and roared her own appreciation of the match. Neena breathed hard, not even able to celebrate her victory yet. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE NEENA SPANGLER.¡± The Wolf said, raising Neena¡¯s arms. Neena finally got the ability to celebrate, and she screamed in happiness. ¡°Joanne, you have been eliminated. You did good.¡± The Wolf spoke softly to Joanne, who was crying on the ground. YUe wasn¡¯t sure if it was from her injury or her elimination. Either way, Yue felt a pang of sympathy. As Neena came back to them, Yue enveloped her. ¡°You did it, Neena!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°That was incredible.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± The petite girl responded. ¡°Can I breathe now?¡± Yue laughed, dropping her on the ground. ¡°Yue¡¯s right,¡± Sia told Neena. ¡°That really was an incredible performance. I¡¯m so glad you won. Did you see how excited us spectators got?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Neena nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were cheering for me like that. It feels¡­¡± ¡°Amazing,¡± Alyx finished. ¡°You¡¯re going to Round Two.¡± Neena gasped. ¡°I am, aren¡¯t I? I AM!¡± She shrieked in delight. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! WE¡¯RE ALL IN ROUND TWO!¡± ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Yue agreed. ¡°We did it! Now we all need to pass Round Two.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got this,¡± Xander whispered to her. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who can do it, it¡¯s you guys.¡± ¡°Thank you, Xander,¡± She kissed him. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So, you passed Round One too?¡± Eva asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Did you see Neena eliminate Joanne?¡± ¡°It was such a good moment for me,¡± Eva replied. ¡°Seeing Joanne lose¡­I only wish I could¡¯ve done that myself.¡± Yue¡¯s grin disappeared. She really hated how she had created the rift between Eva and Joanne. Sadly, it was nothing that could be fixed, at least anytime soon. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to face you,¡± Eva told Yue. ¡°You¡¯ve been a menace on the ring.¡± ¡°Just doing what I can to bring glory to the Vanguard,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Eva grinned. ¡°No self-glory involved.¡± ¡°Maybe a little,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°But that¡¯s what we¡¯re all doing.¡± ¡°Gods know if I win, I¡¯m taking all the glory,¡± A familiar girl said, walking up to Eva, Cali, her name was. She was one of Eva¡¯s best friends, Yue remembered. ¡°Screw the Vanguard. Anyway, my match is soon. You coming to watch?¡± Eva nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there. I need to go, Yue.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yue stayed in the practice room for a little, just trying to get a little bit of peace. It¡¯d been a full day, but it was almost over. Just a couple of matches left. After that, the first round would be officially over, and she could rest. At least, until tomorrow. Tomorrow, the matches would get harder. Then on day three, it would get worse. Especially with what the Cult was trying. Thinking of the Cult reminded Yue of the murderers. She was a little surprised they hadn¡¯t tried anything yet, but she was glad about that. Of course, she didn¡¯t want them trying anything. But it was still strange. Maybe they were waiting for the Cult to try something. Yue would have to wait for that. She heard the Wolf announce a new match. There were just three matches left in round one. This one was the one Cali was fighting in. She walked back to the stands carefully, abiding notice. While she loved the attention she got, and she loved her fans, sometimes she needed a break. When she sat down, she winced, fully expecting Sia to gush about her again. Strangely, she didn¡¯t. Looking at Sia, Yue saw her looking at the match. ¡°She knows we¡¯re tired,¡± Alyx whispered. ¡°She says we need our rest.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Yue responded. She appreciated Sia a little more because of that. She really was a nice girl. The match ended, Cali winning by the other girl surrendering. Cali had been on the upper hand the entire time, so it was no surprise. As the Wolf announced the penultimate match, Yue closed her eyes, listening only to the sounds of the crowd and the Wolf. It was relaxing enough. ¡°So, are you going to celebrate after?¡± Aster asked, destroying her peace. ¡°What, are you joking?¡± Yue answered. ¡°It''s straight to bed for me.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ll regret it,¡± Aster responded. ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll be fun.¡± ¡°No,¡± Yue responded. ¡°And I promise you this, you¡¯ll be the one to regret it. That hangover will be horrible with the tournament.¡± ¡°Please,¡± begged Aster. ¡°If Xander goes, I¡¯ll go,¡± Yue caved in slightly. ¡°Good. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to.¡± Aster went to ask him. After a minute, she came back, looking dejected. ¡°He said no, didn¡¯t he?¡± Yue asked. ¡°No, he said he would go if you went, that bastard,¡± She replied. ¡°I take it you¡¯re not going, then?¡± ¡°Damn right,¡± Yue told her. The second match ended. The Wolf called the final two contestants to the field. The match was short yet aggressive. In the end, a member of the Vanguard beat a Mremban. ¡°THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO DAY ONE OF THE MAGEFELL TOURNAMENT,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°WE WILL RECONVENE FOR DAY TWO TOMORROW. TO ALL THOSE PARTICIPATING, THANK YOU. FOR ALL IN THE VANGUARD, MEET ME IN THE PRACTICE ROOM.¡± ¡°Goodbye, everybody,¡± Sia told them, leaving already. ¡°Wait, you forgot your tickets,¡± Yue said, handing them to her. The girl flushed. ¡°Thank you so much again.¡± ¡°Any time. Zade, I assume you¡¯re leaving now too.¡± At his nod, she continued. ¡°You better come here tomorrow in the morning.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Good night to you too, Yue.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Wolf looked at all the members of the Vanguard. ¡°I am proud of you,¡± The grizzled man smiled. ¡°Out of the fifty of you, only seven were eliminated today. None of you have faced a severe injury. I expect you to do even better tomorrow. Thank you all for showing up. Those who supported and didn¡¯t fight, you have brought honor to the Vanguard. Thank you all. You are dismissed.¡± Yue sighed to her friends. ¡°Back to the Vanguard grounds?¡± Aster shook her head. ¡°Me and Alyx are staying here to celebrate.¡± Neena rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a stupid idea. I¡¯m going with Yue.¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Aster shrugged. Holding out her hand to Alyx, Aster stood up. Alyx grabbed her hand and they left for the foyer. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Yue told Xander, who smiled. A scream split the air. It was coming from the ring. Yue looked sharply at Xander and immediately ran for the stadium. She saw the silhouettes of two people next to the ring. One of them was holding the other, both clearly women. The second woman was limp in the other¡¯s arms. The first girl was crying and screaming. As yue closer, she recognized the girl who was crying. It was Eva. Yue rushed towards Eva, heart breaking as she heard Eva¡¯s pain. Rushing up to her, she hugged Eva. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know!¡± Eva sputtered. ¡°Someone¡­ came up out of n-n-nowhere and slit her throat. It¡¯s d-d-dark, so I couldn¡¯t¡­see who it w-w-was. Why w-w-would they¡­do this? What did¡­did she do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Yue told her. Of course, that didn¡¯t really console Eva. Especially when Yue saw who had died. It was Cali. Eva had just lost her best friend. Chapter Thirty-Five: The Sterkona Chapter Thirty-Five: The Sterkona I get to the Arena as soon as I finish breakfast, Xavier and Th¡¯ul in tow. When I woke up, I tried to find Anni, but she did not want to talk to me. I don¡¯t blame her; she deserves her moment of sadness. I need to let her mourn. There is a long line of people waiting to get in the stadium when we arrive, but thankfully, Neena is there waiting for us. ¡°I can get you through the line,¡± She tells us. ¡°Follow me.¡± We do, and the guard lets us pass, taking one quick peek at our tickets. When we get to the foyer, Neena turns to us apologetically. ¡°I need to get to the training room,¡± She says. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the stands.¡± We nod, and she leaves us, sparing us a glance. ¡°Beer, anyone?¡± Th¡¯ul asks. Obviously, I need a pint. After we order, we direct ourselves to the stands. There are about seven thousand people sitting there now, and I can¡¯t deny the strange empty feeling I get looking at it. I can¡¯t wait to see it completely full again. We sit down and barely have a moment¡¯s rest when we hear a voice behind us. ¡°Hey, Xavier!¡± Skai exclaims. ¡°Can I sit with you for a while?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Xavier responds. ¡°These are my friends, Zade and Th¡¯ul.¡± ¡°Hello,¡± She waves, sitting down. ¡°Are you participants?¡± ¡°No,¡± I chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re with Yue.¡± ¡°The Sterkona?¡± Skai asks. ¡°Xavier told me about her. If I get far enough, I may have to fight her. If I do, I only hope I get lucky.¡± She smiles. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s great to meet you. Xavier told me a lot about you.¡± ¡°I bet he did,¡± Th¡¯ul rolls his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure he had much to say.¡± ¡°He told me about Astil too,¡± Skai says sadly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. He didn¡¯t deserve it.¡± My heart hurts every time I think about him. Skai is right. He didn¡¯t deserve to die. I can¡¯t bring myself to agree with her loudly, though. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d start crying. The stadium is starting to really fill up now. The matches start in half an hour, and I¡¯m still hoping to talk to Yue beforehand. As I¡¯m thinking about that, Yue walks over to us from the training room, looking sober. My heart sinks a little as I look at her face, but I know whatever she has to say isn¡¯t going to be life-changing. She just doesn¡¯t look sad enough. ¡°Someone was murdered yesterday,¡± She tells us. ¡°I was there too,¡± Skai responds. ¡°It was horrible.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I ask. ¡°We don¡¯t know, obviously,¡± Yue responds. ¡°All we know is that Cali died when she was talking with Eva.¡± ¡°So Eva is the murderer?¡± Xavier asks. Yue shakes her head. ¡°No. Cali was her best friend. It is possible the murderer was trying to frame her, but, if so, they did a bad job of it. Eva is clearly distraught over her best friend¡¯s death.¡± ¡°She could just be sad because he had to kill her,¡± Th¡¯ul points out. ¡°That is true,¡± Yue agrees. ¡°But I myself think I know Eva well enough. I don¡¯t think she did it. But, you should still keep an eye on her now.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Xavier responds. ¡°You are talking about this like it¡¯s happened before. What are you talking about?¡± Skai asks. ¡°I hadn¡¯t even noticed her,¡± Yue groans. ¡°Why is she here?¡± ¡°You can trust her,¡± Xavier complains. ¡°Not yet. We don¡¯t know her.¡± My voice is stern, but king. ¡°No offense, Skai.¡± Skai puts on a pouty face. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave me in the dark like that.¡± Xavier glares at us. ¡°Here, come with me.¡± He begins to lead Skai back to the foyer. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her anything!¡± I shout as he leaves. Xavier ignores him. ¡°Wait a second,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°If the Cult wants the Vanguard to win, why would they kill a Vanguard soldier?¡± Yue gasps. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever know the answer to that, though. Either the Cult doesn¡¯t want the Vanguard to win, which I guess is possible, or Cali said or did something that angered them. I didn¡¯t talk to Cali, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°We could talk to Eva about that,¡± Th¡¯ul points out. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Yue winces. ¡°She isn¡¯t exactly in the mood to talk right now.¡± ¡°Still better to try,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°I¡¯m just tired of all this murder,¡± I say. ¡°We really need to catch the killer.¡± ¡°And that''s exactly why I needed you yesterday,¡± Yue grins. ¡°But you¡¯re here today. You need to watch everything that happens. If anyone seems to be doing anything suspicious, tell me. Or even better, do something about it. We¡¯re going to need to keep guard today and tomorrow. And tomorrow, we¡¯ll need to stick together. The Cult has something planned. We can¡¯t let them get away with it.¡± ¡°Yes, Sterkona,¡± I laugh. Yue rolls her eyes. ¡°Gods preserve me,¡± She whispers. ¡°I need to get back to the practice room. The Wolf will be looking for me. I¡¯ll be back in ten minutes.¡± Xavier finally returns, Skai in tow, who looks happy now. I narrow my eyes at Xavier, but he shrugs. ¡°Where¡¯d Yue go?¡± He asks. ¡°She¡¯ll be back,¡± I respond, unwilling to talk. The next ten minutes are grueling. I feel the tension and the nervousness in the arena, both from the anticipating crowd and the anxiety of the participants. My heart beats faster the more I focus on it, but I like it. I also begin to covertly try magic. I don¡¯t really want anyone here to see me doing magic, but I am able to stretch my core out, and do a small Fireball subtly. After a while, Th¡¯ul and Xavier join in. Skai gaps at us. ¡°That is so cool!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Another voice shrieks from behind us. I quickly eliminate the Fireball I was making and turn to find Sia standing behind us. ¡°That was incredible! Y¡¯all are so good at magic. Do it again.¡± I share a glance with Xavier. He smiles, and I shake my head softly. ¡°Why not?¡± He asks. ¡°The girls like it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it then.¡± I begin to create a Fireball, and Xavier starts to add his own to the mix. As the Fireball gets brighter and bigger, Th¡¯ul begins to help it too. I¡¯ve totally forgotten about the rest of the crowd. Currently, I¡¯m just focusing on how big I can make this ball. Eventually, it¡¯s bigger than my face, and it¡¯s still growing. This is not a hard exercise, one I¡¯m sure anyone could do better than me, but it¡¯s still fun, and Skai and Sia are clearly loving it. ¡°Send it to the sky,¡± Th¡¯ul whispers to me. ¡°Trust me!¡± The ball is now twice as big as my head. With a grunt,I fling it in the air. It flies up for about five seconds, then explodes like a firework. Th¡¯ul grins at me. ¡°Wow!¡± Skai and Sia exclaim at the same time. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re cool,¡± Xavier tells them. ¡°I really want to do magic now,¡± Sia says. I smile. ¡°Who knows? You might Awaken some day.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± She sighs. ¡°I think I¡¯m too old for it, though.¡± ¡°Too old?¡± I exclaim. ¡°I Awakened only a few months ago. I¡¯m not even eighteen! You have plenty of time.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Sia responds. Finally, Yue and her friends come to sit down. ¡°None of you are in the first match?¡± Th¡¯ul asks. ¡°No, thank god. Hi, Sia! Where are your friends?¡± Yue says. ¡°Hi!¡± Sia exclaims. ¡°They¡¯re on their way. I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m talking to you!¡± ¡°WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE SECOND DAY OF THE MAGEFELL TOURNAMENT!¡± The Wolf roars from the ring. ¡°YESTERDAY, THERE WERE 250 PARTICIPANTS. NOW THERE ARE 150. TODAY, WE WILL ELIMINATE 100 MORE. ¡°BUT FIRST, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE SAID. YESTERDAY, A VANGUARD WARRIOR WAS MURDERED.¡± Gasps rise from the crowd and the Wolf nods. ¡°IT IS A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY! IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ME OR YUE ZHANG! THANK YOU!¡± ¡°You?¡± Sia asks. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been investigating this murderer,¡± Yue responds. ¡°Do you think anyone will come?¡± I wonder. ¡°Definitely,¡± She responds. ¡°But I doubt that they¡¯ll have relevant or honest information. It will probably be fabricated.¡± ¡°Then why all of this?¡± Xavier says. ¡°Just in case someone does have information,¡± Yue replies. Xavier nods. The Wolf calls the first two fighters to the match: an Arcadian and a Mremban. As the match starts, I try to recognize the Arcadian. He looks somewhat familiar, but I¡¯ve probably only seen him in passing. ¡°He¡¯s already lost one,¡± Neena tells me. ¡°The Mremban is undefeated.¡± ¡°How many people are undefeated?¡± I ask. ¡°Only fifty or so,¡± She responds. ¡°Although I doubt there will be even a dozen by the end of today.¡± The Mremban swings at the Arcadian, who ducks the blow. He seems wide awake, while the Mremban acts a little sluggish. Alyx groans in front of him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask. She turns and glares at me. ¡°She acted stupid yesterday,¡± Yue laughs. ¡°Now she has a hangover and she¡¯ll have to fight anyway.¡± ¡°That was a dumb move, eh, Aster?¡± I grin. Aster turns to me, and moans. ¡°She was there too,¡± Yue tells me. ¡°Why were y¡¯all drinking so much?¡± ¡°It was supposed to be a celebration,¡± Alyx mumbles. ¡°But the tournament isn¡¯t over. Why were you celebrating now?¡± I¡¯m confounded. ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Xander tells me. ¡°We never did understand why they did this.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t either,¡± Aster replied. ¡°Hopefully, my next fight clears my head. The Mremban fell to the ground and the Arcadian took his chance, slicing the other¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, I guess the Mremban isn¡¯t defeated anymore,¡± I tell Neena, who shrugs. ¡°THE NEXT MATCH COMMENCES IN JUST A FEW SECONDS,¡± The Wolf says. ¡°WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE FIGHT?¡± ¡°The Sterkona!¡± The crowd yells. ¡°We want the Sterkona!¡± The Wolf laughs. ¡°I CALL TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND ASTER YARROW!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Aster shrieks. ¡°Not now!¡± Yue grins wickedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aster.¡± They walk to the ring, and I can see Aster walking a little sideways. It¡¯s pretty clear she has no chance. The crowd chanting Yue¡¯s name seems to unnerve her too. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN!¡± Aster steps as far back as she can immediately, understanding the risk of attacking. As strong as Yue is, Aster knows that her hungover self can¡¯t compete. Yue, seeing this as well, takes advantage, attacking immediately. Aster desperately dodges the hail of swings Yue throws her way. Strangely, it seems to work. Aster looks more concentrated now, and the hangover seems to be taking a break. Of course, Yue is still a better swordswoman. And Aster let her have the advantage early on. Unless she can turn it around somehow, Yue will have a clear win. And both of the fighters know it. Yue attacks mercilessly while Aster triest to trick her in a feint. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Poor Aster,¡± Sia says. ¡°Yue is just too good.¡± Yue makes a mistake, then. She leaves her left flank open as she lunges for Aster. I can see Aster trying to keep her cool as she advances on Yue¡¯s side, lunging. Then Yue smiles. And I know it¡¯s over. It wasn¡¯t a mistake at all. Yue knew Aster was desperate, so she faked it. And Aster fell right in. When Yue scrapes Aster¡¯s shoulder, Aster falls to the ground, and the crowd screams its approval. ¡°ONCE AGAIN,¡± The Wolf announces, ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE YUE ZHANG, THE STERKONA!¡± I watch as Yue shakes her head softly, and I smile. Aster walks dejectedly back to the stands. She can now only lose one more time, or she¡¯s out of the tournament. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± High Mage Aegon tells me in the foyer. I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s here; I didn¡¯t think he would like the tournament. To me, he seemed more scholarly, less inclined to sport. Although I guess he¡¯s watching out for the Cult, so maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s here. ¡°What about?¡± I ask. ¡°Not here,¡± He replies. Looking around nervously, he waves to outside of the stadium. Clearly, something is stressing him out, and that scares me a little. If he needs to talk to me about something stressful, then I must be in danger. I already don¡¯t like this. As I follow him out of the arena, I notice a couple of mages watching me. Their stares are hard, almost¡­judgy? Shuddering, I walk a little faster. Once out of the Arena, the High Mage pulls me into a corner. ¡°Listen to me,¡± He hisses. ¡°You are in big danger. You must stay with your friends at all times. Do not lose sight of them.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I wonder, eyes wide. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I had a meeting with the other High Mages,¡± He whispers. ¡°And of course, the incident at the Dragon Head was mentioned. Many Cultists want you to be brought to trial. By all accounts, though, they are the ones who started the fight and you acted in self-defense.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the truth,¡± I tell him. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about all this?¡± ¡°The Cultists want retribution, you idiot,¡± He tells me. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m¡­worried for you. You did the right thing in going after Astil when the Cult kidnapped him, but they want payback. Just because they can¡¯t try you doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t go after you.¡± I gape. ¡°You think they¡¯re going to attack me.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± He nods. ¡°That is why you must stay with friends at all times.. Any minute they could come after you. Be careful, Zade.¡± ¡°I will,¡± I tell him. ¡°Thank you.¡± High Mage Aegon smiles. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll have an eye on you at all times, but I¡¯ll be watching you too.. We¡¯re reaching the climax, Zade. This is where it gets real.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I feel a little embarrassed when High Mage Aegon escorts me back to the stands, but I understand it. Honestly, the shock of what I just learned overrides any sort of shame. I should have expected that they would not be happy with me killing some of their number, but I was just worried about other things. Now, I need to warn my friends. They deserve to know this, as they¡¯re in danger too. I just need to find a way to tell them without telling Skai or Sia. They can¡¯t be trusted yet. Of course, getting both Skai and Sia away will be easier said than done. I can¡¯t just get my Zenyth friends and tell them; Yue needs to know too. If I try to do anything subtly, chances are one of the girls will get suspicious. Plus, I can¡¯t hide the fact that now it feels like someone is watching me. In truth, I knew the Cult probably had eyes on me at all times, but now that High Mage Aegon basically guaranteed it, I get goosebumps. Is the person over there to the right a Cultist? I don¡¯t know. Maybe she¡¯s staring at me because I¡¯m with Yue. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s watching me. Maybe she isn¡¯t staring at all. I feel absolutely overwhelmed. Plus, thoughts of Astil are flooding my mind again. I keep playing back all the sweet memories I had with him, of how he trusted me and confided in me. I imagine what he¡¯d say if he was here with Anni. They¡¯d be laughing, and they¡¯d bring the laughter out in us all. Then there¡¯s Anni. Her depression pangs me. I feel a little of the same, but Anni got hit harder than even I did. I need to help her, but at the same time, I understand that she needs to be alone. Her depression is not something I will be able to fix, but I really want to do something about it. I can¡¯t stand seeing her so sad. I¡¯m conflicted about Xavier, though. Sadly, he¡¯s keeping his emotions mostly internal, and refuses to show me his struggle. While I don¡¯t mind that,¡ªI understand that¡¯s who he is¡ªI don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s actually okay or not. And then there¡¯s Yue and her friends. They¡¯re clearly having fun with the tournament, but there¡¯s an underlying nervousness to them, too. They know something is coming, and the murderers aren¡¯t stopping. They may have been waiting for the tournament to come, but now they¡¯re dreading it as well. It is something that is stressing Yue out more than the others, but I can see that to some degree they are all paranoid. And why shouldn¡¯t they be? Someone in their army is targeting them. They have every right to fear and paranoia. And there¡¯s also another added emotion to Artemis. He is obviously beating himself up over Astil¡¯s death. While I have forgiven him, at the same time, I do understand what Xavier feels. The truth is, Artemis was not a good brother to Astil, and, even though he regrets it, he cannot change it now. That will not stop me from being friends with Artemis, but it¡¯s still something to think about. There¡¯s just too much on my mind. I don¡¯t know what I should be doing anymore. Every decision I make could end up being the worst one. Obviously, I need to tell my friends what the High Mage told me. But it will be almost impossible to do so without Skai and Sia listening. So I have two choices: Tell them or don¡¯t. Both decisions seem horrible now. I need help, but I can¡¯t exactly ask my friends. Once again, the other two girls could hear it. And I¡¯m back to where I started. My thoughts are running in circles. I need to get a hold of myself. ¡°I need to check on my friends,¡± Sia tells us. ¡°They should be here by now. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She leaves the stands, and I smile. Now I just need to find a way to get Skai out of here. Thankfully, the Captain of the Vanguard saves me from having to come up with a plan. ¡°I CALL TO THE RING SKAI PELT AND KRELL MAIA!¡± The Wolf¡ªthat¡¯s what Yue calls him¡ªsays, and, kissing Xavier, Skai leaves to fight the Magefell Guard. This was a big coincidence, but I need to take advantage of this. ¡°Hey, everyone!¡± I call them. In unison, they turn to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got some bad news.¡± I tell them what High Mage Aegon told me. Neena gasps. The others control themselves well enough, although their faces darken. ¡°I knew there was something wrong,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°Of course they would be after us.¡± ¡°This is not good,¡± Yue agrees. ¡°Aegon is right. We need to stick together. Especially you three.¡± ¡°I was thinking we never go anywhere without a partner,¡± I tell them. ¡°That way they¡¯ll never attack us without having to deal with someone else.¡± ¡°The ideal is to take more than just one partner,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°But that¡¯s a good idea. We also need to make sure we aren¡¯t leaving the stands too much.¡± Xavier and I nod our agreement. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Aster pats my knee, seeing the look on my face. ¡°We won¡¯t let them take you.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want them taking anyone else,¡± I mumble. ¡°Now, let me watch my girlfriend fight,¡± Xavier leans back. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± I ask. ¡°Y¡¯all are moving quickly.¡± Xavier refuses to respond, instead watching as Skai spars with Krell. ¡°Who of y¡¯all will fight next?¡± I ask. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Neena responds. ¡°I have to fight another undefeated bastard.¡± ¡°Nervous?¡± ¡°Who, me?¡± Neena spits, then smiles. ¡°Of course. When am I ever not nervous? I¡¯m just glad to be in the tournament. Surviving the first day was pretty good. If I survive the second day, I¡¯ll be surprised.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Alyx tells her. ¡°But I am one step closer to winning. Poli, Artemis, and Xander aren¡¯t fighting, and both you and Aster have lost one. That leaves only me and Yue undefeated.¡± ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t have to fight Yue or Gunnar,¡± Aster points out. ¡°That would only have made it easier for me to win,¡± Alyx responds. ¡°Gunnar isn¡¯t as strong as he looks.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Yue raised her eyebrows. ¡°I can go call Gunnar for you. I¡¯m sure he would be¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good!¡± Alyx shrieks. ¡°I don¡¯t need to talk to him.¡± Skai buries her sword deep in Krell¡¯s arm, and the man falls, screaming. ¡°YES!¡± Xavier screams. ¡°YOU DID IT! YES!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think she went a bit too far?¡± I ask. ¡°Skai?¡± He asks. ¡°Of course not. She did what she had to to win.¡± Skai walks back up to the stands and passionately kisses Xavier. ¡°Did you see what I did, baby?¡± She asks. ¡°I did!¡± He exclaims. ¡°You were incredible. I think you¡¯ll win the entire tournament.¡± They continue to sweet talk each other and I make a gagging noise as Neena, who giggles. Baby? I mouth, and Neena shrugs. ¡°A day ago, they didn¡¯t know each other,¡± She tells me. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± ¡°I wish I knew,¡± I respond. Xavier and Skai keep up their kissing as the Wolf announces the next game. ¡°When¡¯s your game, Neena?¡± ¡°After this one,¡± She says. ¡°I hope it never comes.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got this,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯ll do good, because the other person will underestimate you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mea?¡± She asks. ¡°Well, um¡­¡± I stutter. ¡°You know, you look fragile, and¡­¡± ¡°And what?¡± She stands up, eyes blazing. ¡°Ah, just kidding. I know exactly what you mean. I love to trick people into thinking I¡¯m smaller than I actually am.¡± ¡°Yes, but you are scary,¡± I tell her. ¡°Remind me not to get on your bad side.¡± ¡°Are you a Cultist?¡± She asks. ¡°Of course not!¡± I retort. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°You should be fine then,¡± She shrugs. ¡°They¡¯re the only people I have a bad side for.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± I shiver. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Neena¡¯s match. She is visibly shivering as she heads down the stands to meet the Aleumdaun Seom woman. Her opponent is strong, with bulging muscles, towering over Neena. Neena cringes under the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡°Come on, Neena,¡± I whisper. ¡°You can do this.¡± ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE, TWO, ONE, BEGIN!¡± The big Seoman barrels into Neena, knocking her to the ground. Neena groans, letting go of her sword. The Seoman grins and jumps on Neena. I wince as I hear a crunch. ¡°HEY!¡± I hear Yue yell. ¡°That¡¯s illegal. She can¡¯t jump her like that!¡± Evidently, the crowd feels the same thing as they roar their outrage. The Wolf, seeing what¡¯s happening, steps in and separates them. He begins to speak angrily with the woman, who nods softly. Neena stands up slowly, her left hand hanging slightly limp. ¡°This is horribly unfair,¡± Yue whispers. ¡°She should be eliminated.¡± The Wolf recommences the match, and this time, the Seoman advances more slowly. And now neena is done playing. Screeching, she runs at the Seoman, catching her off guard. The Seoman begins to flounder as Neena runs around her, striking on the left rather than right. Neena¡¯s speed throws the Seoman off-balance. ¡°Good job,¡± I say. ¡°Take advantage of your size.¡± The Seoman roars in anger and swats at Neena with her massive hand. Neena flies backwards, but stands up quickly. She¡¯s clearly in pain, but she isn¡¯t going to stop. The Seoman prepares to charge, but just as she gets ready, Neena jumps, wielding her sword. With a final roar of defiance, Neena swipes down, striking the Seoman in the shoulder, cutting through muscle. The woman cries out, falling to the ground. Neena pumps her fists in the air, determination and happiness warring on her face. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE NEENA SPANGLER!¡± ¡°Well, the Seoman isn¡¯t going to get better anytime soon,¡± Alyx remarks, grinning. ¡°And she sure as hell won¡¯t win the tournament.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m getting thirsty,¡± I say. ¡°And a little bored, too. Anyone want to head to the foyer with me?¡± Xavier shakes his head. ¡°No. I need to stay with Skai here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Th¡¯ul volunteers, rolling his eyes. ¡°Anyone else? Three is always better!¡± He winks at me. ¡°I can go with you,¡± Aster tells us. ¡°I need a break too.¡± We head out of the stands down to the foyer. The sounds of both the match and the steel from the practice room ring in my ears as I head out. ¡°It¡¯s very tiring being a spectator,¡± I say. ¡°Imagine participating,¡± Aster responds. ¡°Honestly, I almost just want to lose and get this over with. But I need to prove Alyx wrong.¡± I laugh. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard, right?¡± Aster cocked her eyebrow at me. ¡°From what I remember, you fought her and lost.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not part of the Vanguard and I still put up a fair fight,¡± I respond. ¡°So, you shouldn¡¯t have too hard a time.¡± Aster smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to get me to say you would¡¯ve done well in the tournament, it won¡¯t work. You would¡¯ve gotten destroyed.¡± ¡°I was doing no such thing,¡± I say indignantly, flushing. ¡°But I m?wouldn¡¯t mind if you said I would¡¯ve done well.¡± Aster rolls her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s it like at Zenyth?¡± She asks, not-so-subtly changing the subject. ¡°Is it hard?¡± Th¡¯ul shrugs. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s very casual. They test you every once in a while, but the tests are easy. The only hard part of Zenyth is learning magic, and even that isn¡¯t too hard, because you¡¯re allowed to move really slowly. I have an acquaintance who has been in Zenyth for three years and is only level 5.¡± ¡°What level are you?¡± I ask. ¡°I have a better level than most,¡± He responds. ¡°Been here a year and I¡¯m on Level 10. It¡¯s very rare, but I¡¯ve been practicing a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on Level 4 now,¡± I say. ¡°Is that normal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not abnormal,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°Most will be on level 2 or 3 but you will find several on Level 4 after a few weeks here. You¡¯re progressing rapidly. At this rate, you¡¯ll be on Level 7 or by the time you¡¯ve been here as long as I have.¡± I frown. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like a lot.¡± ¡°Still higher than normal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to keep acting like I know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Aster smiles. ¡°Levels basically tell other mages how much they know of magic,¡± Th¡¯ul explains. ¡°The better the level, the better and more powerful the mage.¡± ¡°So is Level 10 good?¡± She asks. ¡°For how long I¡¯ve been learning? Yes,¡± Th¡¯ul nods. ¡°For a mage who¡¯s been learning for years, no. I¡¯m still just a mage-in-training. I¡¯m not an expert mage.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds complicated,¡± Aster tells us. ¡°It¡¯s less complicated than it sounds,¡± I respond. ¡°Just imagine that you had a level for how good a swordswoman you were. People who¡¯d been practicing for a little would be on Level 1 or 2. Members of the Vanguard would be 60 or 70.¡± ¡°Yes, except you can¡¯t lose Levels in magic, and if it worked that way, you¡¯d lose levels with swordsmanship,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°Don¡¯t make it more complicated,¡± I hiss. Aster looks at us, confusion plain on her face. ¡°Well, all this just makes me glad I¡¯m not a mage,¡± She tells us. ¡°I¡¯m going to the practice room. I¡¯ll see you in a minute.¡± As she leaves, I turn to Th¡¯ul. ¡°Now look what you¡¯ve done,¡± I say. ¡°No, look at what you have done,¡± A voice booms from behind me. An all-too familiar voice I never wanted to hear again. ¡°Elrod!¡± I spit. ¡°That¡¯s High Mage Elrod to you,¡± The Cultist replies. ¡°You killed some of my friends, my fellow worshippers. What do you have to say to that?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I pause. ¡°You killed Astil!¡± ¡°That does not change what you did,¡± He responds. ¡°Think wisely. Do you recant? Do you choose to fight for Dautha?¡± I look at him defiantly. ¡°What, are you crazy? Why would I worship that old bastard?¡± I smile, and High Mage Elrod¡¯s face darkens. ¡°You brought this upon yourself, Zade!¡± He says. ¡°I tried to warn you. I tried to convince you to join us. Instead, you have attempted to stop us at every turn. Unfortunately, Zade, I am done playing nice. The Cult of Dautha is done playing nice. I¡¯m sorry, Zade, but your time is up.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Th¡¯ul coughed from behind High Mage Eldor. The Mage jumped in shock. ¡°What the hell?¡± He frowned. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Th¡¯ul. What have you come to defend Zade?¡± ¡°No, he can defend himself on his own;¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°I¡¯m just here to help him.¡± High Mage Eldor smirks. ¡°Funny that you think that will do anything. Did that help when Raakhshas slit Astil¡¯s throat?¡± I bristle. ¡°Yes, I can see how that wounds you. That little scumbag deserved it, you know. You know where he is now?¡± ¡°DO NOT SPEAK OF ASTIL!¡± I roar at him. He laughs. ¡°Predictable. You rise to anger with a tiny mention of your dumbass friend. I can¡¯t wait to do to you what Raakhshas did to him. I bet you remember it clearly, don¡¯t you? The blood running down his neck. You probably grabbed him, tried to stop the blood, but it wouldn¡¯t go back. How he looked at you as he died¡ª¡± My anger rises until it¡¯s too much. So I do the only thing I can. I punch Eldor then focus on him. I want to use my skill on him. I need him to die. But it doesn¡¯t work. He stands up, wipes his nose, and snarls. ¡°You hit me, boy,¡± He smirks. ¡°And I can see you tried to use your magic on me. Pathetic!¡± He begins to rise in the air, conjuring magic. ¡°Prepare to meet your doom, boy.¡± I do the only thing I can. I run. Chapter Thirty-Six: High Mage Eldor Chapter Thirty-Six: High Mage Eldor Th¡¯ul runs with me as the High Mage chases us. My breath heaves as I leave the stadium and run down the plain, Fireballs landing next to me. I should never have picked a fight with Eldor. The High Mage is just too strong with magic and I tested him. I¡¯ll be lucky if I survive. Th¡¯ul whispers something under his breath, and suddenly, I can run faster, lighter on my feet. Looking at him, I mouth the words thank you and keep sprinting. A Fireball lands on the ground a few feet in front of me and I¡¯m flung back, groaning. ¡°Come on!¡± Th¡¯ul helps me up. ¡°We need to leave!¡± As I get up, Th¡¯ul sends a couple of blue Fireballs at the High Mage. When they reach him, they disperse, turning into bolts of lightning. None of them touch Eldor, his shield being too strong. Instead, they just evaporate. ¡°He¡¯s too strong,¡± I tell Th¡¯ul. ¡°How are we supposed to defeat him?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°We just have to survive until we get help.¡± The ground lurches and heaves up. I scream in fear as I¡¯m thrown into the air by the dirt, Th¡¯ul coming with me. We fly for almost ten seconds, and for a while, it feels exhilarating. Then gravity takes care of us. We fall down, crashing into the ground far enough from the High Mage to rest for a few seconds. Everything hurts. Somehow, I didn¡¯t break anything, but my back feels like a horse ran over it, and I think I¡¯m bleeding from my mouth a little. Th¡¯ul looks okay. Knowing him, he probably was able to arrest his fall a little. High Mage Eldor is coming after us, and I need to move. Standing up feels impossible, though, not unless I have some sort of help. Th¡¯ul picks me up and slings me over his back. ¡°I can¡¯t do this for long,¡± He says, gritting his teeth. ¡°So when you¡¯re ready to run, just tell me.¡± I feel his shield was over me too, and I lay my head on his chest. High Mage Eldor could probably destroy the shield, but for now, Th¡¯ul is protecting me. I am heavy, though, so High Mage Eldor is still catching up to us. In the distance, I spy the forest. If we can reach it, we might be able to escape the High Mage, at least for a while. ¡°Put me down,¡± I tell Th¡¯ul. ¡°I can go the rest of the way.¡± As soon as I¡¯m on my feet, I take off. Every step is painful, but I need to do this, or else I¡¯ll die. Small shards of ice erupt from the ground, some of them piercing me, but I grit my teeth and walk on. We¡¯re still almost a hundred feet from the forest, but at this rate, we might reach it before he catches up. That is, until I hit the boundary. Something invisible pushes me back and I land on my ass. ¡°Damn it,¡± Th¡¯ul curses. ¡°He¡¯s put up a boundary. We need to find a way around it.¡± He begins to run to the side, and while he does so, he turns to me. ¡°Run the other way. He¡¯s going to be expanding the boundary my way and won¡¯t expect you. Go. I¡¯ll meet you in the forest!¡± I smile at him softly. Thank you. I take off, sprinting to the side, touching the invisible boundary as I do so. Eventually, it tapers off and I run for the forest. From the corner of my eye, I see High Mage Eldor catch up to Th¡¯ul. I want to help, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to do anything. Th¡¯ul will have to take care of himself. Closing my eyes, I take a step into the forest. I¡¯m much safer now, but I still need to find somewhere to hide. I take a path to the left, not a man-made one, or else that would be too obvious. Leaves crunch as I walk slowly, trying to minimize the noise I make. Sounds of magic and fire erupt from beyond the forest, but I ignore it. The crowd in the arena cheers for something, and, for once, I wish they would just shut up. I need to be able to hear if anyone is coming. The sounds of magic cease. I hold my breath. Whatever happened, they are done fighting. EIther Th¡¯ul will come to find me, or the High Mage will come to kill me. Or both. I hide behind a tree, searching the area for anyone, hoping, praying that Th¡¯ul made it out alive. Snap. My eyes widen. There¡¯s somebody here. Already? Did I not go in far enough to escape the Cultist? Slowly, carefully, silently, I unsheathe my sword. I need to prepare for the worst. A silhouette comes into view about fifteen feet away. I still can¡¯t tell who it is. The form gets closer. I swing with my sword¡­ And stop it an inch away from Th¡¯ul¡¯s head. ¡°Why are you trying to kill me?¡± He whispers. ¡°Sorry,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Just making sure.¡± Sheathing my sword, I look at him. ¡°So, should we go deeper?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Th¡¯ul nods. ¡°But not too deep. If anyone comes to help us, we need to be able to be found.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯ll be easier for Eldor to find us?¡± ¡°Oh, for sure,¡± He replies. ¡°But we¡¯re not taking him down on our own. This is a risk we must take.¡± I think for a minute, then two, then three. I nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°This way,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me, forking right. ¡°Have you been here before?¡± I ask. ¡°Several times,¡± He replies. ¡°I¡¯ve been everywhere.¡± ¡°I was starting to think the same thing myself,¡± I tell him. We fall silent as we continue to walk the forest, listening for any suspicious noises. All I can hear right now are the birds and the deer somewhere in the forest, and the crunch of my feet on the floor. I¡¯ve never been a very stealthy person, so I expected that, but every crunch still makes me wince. Th¡¯ul, obviously, doesn¡¯t make a sound. A Fireball lights up the air fifty feet away. I gasp, looking at Th¡¯ul, who nods. ¡°We need to move faster,¡± He says. ¡°I KNOW YOU¡¯RE THERE,¡± A voice screams from the distance. ¡°YOU CAN HIDE BUT YOU WON¡¯T LAST FOREVER.¡± ¡°We just have to wait until Yue notices we¡¯re gone,¡± I mumble. ¡°Just a few more minutes.¡± Another fireball whizzes nearby. I scan the area for any cores. Because of my inexperience, I can only see for about thirty or forty feet. If High Mage Eldor tries this, then¡­ I duck as a Fireball whizzes where my head had just been. ¡°He¡¯s found us,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°Run!¡± We take off together, which I¡¯m not sure is the smartest idea, but right now, I need to be by Th¡¯ul¡¯s side. He knows the forest better than I do. I hear crashing sounds around the forest, and turning back, I gape. HIgh Mage Eldor is ten feet tall now, and his mouth breathes fire. I feel a well of despair in my soul. How are we supposed to survive that? Th¡¯ul pulls me to go faster as High Mage Eldor throws a tree, landing a good way away, but the more he throws, the more danger we¡¯re in. ¡°Come on, Yue,¡± I whisper. ¡°We need you now.¡± Another tree is thrown, landing just shy of where Th¡¯ul had just been. He grits his teeth and keeps running, enforcing himself with his magic. Third time¡¯s the charm. The third tree lands on Th¡¯ul¡¯s legs, and he yells, falling to the ground, pinned by the tree. I can¡¯t help him; I¡¯m not strong enough to lift the tree. But I¡¯m not leaving him either. Eldor roars at us, sending a pillar of fire towards me, and I¡¯m too late to stop it. Reaching his hand, Th¡¯ul redirects the fire, engulfing a tree nearby in flames. ¡°I¡¯m spent,¡± Th¡¯ul tells me. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do any more.¡± This is it, then. My final stand. I unsheathe my sword. Eldor laughs, and digs another tree out from its roots. ¡°YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME?¡± He roars, flinging the tree. I suck underneath it, sliding closer to him. I feel a wave of unfamiliar magic over me, Eldor trying to kill me, but my shield blocks it, although it¡¯s growing weak. I charge at the High Mage, murder in my eyes. I¡¯m about to reach him when a gust of wind blows me back, sending me against a tree, and I fall backwards, vision blurry. Eldor advances on me, smiling; he knows he¡¯s won. As soon as he reaches me, I attempt to hit him, filing my arms and legs around. But I¡¯m too weak now. Eldor prepares to punch me with what I¡¯m sure is a killing blow. His fist descends¡­ ¡°High Mage Eldor!¡± A voice calls from behind us. Weakly, I grin at High Mage Aegon. ¡°Aegon!¡± Eldro snarls. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Stopping you!¡± The other Mage responds. ¡°What you are doing is illegal and irresponsible.¡± ¡°The boy deserves to be punished!¡± ¡°We all decided he would not be. You cannot take matters into your own hands. Yours is not the arm of justice, Eldor. If you do this, you will be stripped and forcefully Burned.¡± Eldor turns his back to High Mage Aegon. ¡°Watch me,¡± He growls. A Fireball forms in his fist and it descends towards me. I close my eyes, but nothing happens. Opening them, I find my High Mage friend standing over me. ¡°Eldor!¡±He booms. ¡°You will stop right now.¡± Eldor finally seems to realize that this is worthless, that he cannot win the battle. He spins around and begins to walk away. ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Zade,¡± He tells me. ¡°You will be punished.¡± As soon as he¡¯s gone, High Mage Aegon turns to me, concern in his eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asks. ¡°Th¡¯ul,¡± I point. Turning, the High Mage sees the trunk of the tree sitting atop my friend. Th¡¯ul is unconscious now. The High Mage flicks a wrist and the tree rolls off Th¡¯ul. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay,¡± Aegon tells me. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We were together like you said,¡± I tell him. ¡°But he still attacked us. We were too weak. How did you find me?¡± ¡°Well, Yue found me,¡± Aegon responds. ¡°She told me you were missing for too long, and that I should look for you. Seems like I arrived just in time.¡± I nod, grateful. ¡°Emm,¡± Th¡¯ul groans, coming awake. ¡°We¡¯re alive? High Mage Aegon? Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± The mage responds. ¡°We should go back to the Arena now.¡± Standing up, he leads us out of the forest. Th¡¯ul and I are limping, but Th¡¯ul has it worse off, his torso covered in blood. As we leave the forest, a whizzing noise comes from behind me. I¡¯m too late, and I watch as the dagger speed towards my back. Aegon catches it with ease and throws it away. ¡°Coward,¡± he spits. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll try that again. We need to return now.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª As soon as Aster sees us, her face pales. ¡°Oh my Gods!¡± She shrieks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I reassure her, ¡°it wasn¡¯t your fault. And we¡¯re okay. Just need to take a little break.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yue asks. I nod. ¡°Good. My second fight of the day is coming up. I wouldn¡¯t want you to miss it.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Xavier?¡± I wonder. ¡°With Skai.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alyx responds, and I roll my eyes. ¡°But they are looking for you. He¡¯ll be glad you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sia asks. I give Yue a pointed look, asking if I can tell her. Yue bites her lip. In the end, she takes initiative. ¡°Sia, we¡¯re talking about things that are very dangerous. We don¡¯t know if we should involve you. Also, we don¡¯t really know you for that long. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Sia tells her. ¡°I¡¯ll earn your trust.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Zade, you missed the greatest match of the day,¡± Neena exclaimed. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen it. I had never seen the man before, but he¡¯s from Mremba and he took down this woman. It was insane. From what I heard, yesterday, the man stayed in the shadows. He¡¯s had two games today, and both times, he demolished his opponents. He might just be the best one here.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Alyx interjected. ¡°Better than me? But you are right. I am worried about him. And I know he¡¯ll still have a match today. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°I CALL TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND GEORGI HERLOW!¡± The Wolf booms. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the one I fought,¡± Aster said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Yue winks. Xavier finally comes back from looking for me. He¡¯s dejected, but as soon as he sees me, his face lights up and he rushes towards me. ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± He exclaims. ¡°What happened?¡± I fill him in and he scowls. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they would do that,¡± He growls. ¡°They¡¯ve gone too far. We had buried the hatchet with Raakhshas. High Mage Aegon said it himself: they can¡¯t attack us. Will he face any repercussions?¡± I shrug, ¡°I doubt it. He¡¯s a High Mage, first of all. Plus, the Cult doesn¡¯t think he did anything wrong. And technically, he didn¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re limping.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not hurt, just a little bruised,¡± I reply. ¡°I¡¯m not defending him, but there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± Xavier tells me. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Skai says. We ignore her. ¡°What do you think will happen tomorrow?¡± Alyx asks. ¡°Honestly, I think they¡¯ll be trying to bring Judgment day,¡± Neena tells us. ¡°It seems like what they most want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Alyx retorts. ¡°They¡¯d be preparing more for it. I just think they want to cause chaos.¡± ¡°Yes, but the royals are here,¡± Xavier says. ¡°It¡¯s the best time to bring Judgment Day.¡± ¡°I agree with Alyx,¡± I say. ¡°They would¡¯ve done a lot more to bring about Judgment Day. In fact, they would¡¯ve done much more to stop us.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Alyx says. ¡°Clearly, they are preparing something on a much smaller scale, although I doubt we¡¯ll think it small-scaled.¡± ¡°To me,¡± Xander says. ¡°I think they¡¯ll try to prepare the world for Judgment Day.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Neena tells us skeptically. ¡°It¡¯s possible, and I hope you¡¯re right, but I still doubt it.¡± ¡°I hope we¡¯re right too,¡± I say. ¡°All we can do now is hope. Tomorrow, we can act.¡± ¡°Tomorrow we act,¡± Xavier echoes. Yue¡¯s match seems to be ending, Yue with the upper hand. Georgi was desperate, knowing he would be eliminated, but Yue was still better. She attacked him ferociously, and somehow he stayed upright, his sword moving left and right to block Yue¡¯s. He was cracking, though, and it was only a matter of time before she won. And Georgi knew it. His eyes shifted up and down rapidly as he searched for any mistake Yue was making. Yue, mindful of this, kept herself light, making sure every step she took and breath she drew was controlled. It was a fight that had been decided before it even started. By the time Yue connected her sword with his leg, Georgi already had a surrendering face. Obviously, the crowd loved another show from the Sterkona. The cheering was deafening. ¡°What¡¯s it like, being over there?¡± I ask. ¡°With the crowd and everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty normal,¡± Neena responds. ¡°In general, you drown out the outside noise and just focus on your opponent.¡± ¡°Must be stressful, though.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Neena told him. ¡°We are fighting the greatest swordsmen and women in the world. Just having the chance is great, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± I tell her. ¡°I¡¯m proud of all of you, even if you¡¯d joined the tournament before I met you.¡± ¡°Not all of us made it,¡± Neena said. ¡°Both Poli and Artemis failed, as did Xander, although he probably did it on purpose.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, he joined the Cult at the same time. For him, it would just be added stress.¡± ¡°Has he heard anything from the Cult yet?¡± I wonder. ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± He chuckles. ¡°And no, I have not. But I can feel something on its way. Whatever the Cult is planning, I think it involves me killing you. I always thought it was two separate things, but now¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to kill me too?¡± I ask. ¡°I thought it was just your Vanguard friends.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re involved too,¡± He responds. His legs shakes as he thinks about it. ¡°I¡¯m scared, honestly, Zade.¡± His voice turns to a whisper so Neena doesn¡¯t hear. ¡°I know Yue told me not to leave, but I think I need to. Can we talk in the foyer?¡± I nod, and we head there. After we get a little privacy, Xander spills his soul to me. ¡°I know I don¡¯t know you very well,¡± He says. ¡°But you¡¯re the only one I can talk to. I really don¡¯t want to hurt Yue. I¡¯m afraid that if I stay, I won¡¯t be able to leave. I have to keep my oath to them, dammit! I think I need to run now, or else I¡¯m putting all of you in terrible danger.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I were in your position. Honestly, I would do anything to see Xavier and Th¡¯ul safe. To see yue and you safe. But I¡¯m not dating any of my friends. That puts an extra layer on everything. I¡­I¡¯m sorry, Xander. But I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± He tells me. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to decide for me. But if I leave, the Cult may kill me. I don¡¯t want to put that on Yue either, you know? I¡­¡± He sighs. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Zade, that either I die or yue dies, and if yue dies, I¡¯m going with her.¡± ¡°Xander, yue loves you,¡± I say. ¡°I think she¡¯ll understand if you leave, even if she¡¯ll hate you for it at first. She knows you¡¯re protecting her.But still, it might be a breach of trust if you leave.¡± ¡°I know, I know, I made a promise to them too. It¡¯s too much, Zade. I can''t deal with all this. There¡¯s just so much I have to do, and it¡¯s muddling my mind. Plus, I can feel the oath in my mind, forcing me to remember the Cult with every word I say and every thought I have.¡± ¡°Is there any way to sever your oath and control with the Cult?¡± I ask. ¡°I think so,¡± He responds. ¡°It¡¯s a very simple solution, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be able to figure it out.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± He responds. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything that will hurt the Cult. I can give you information, but I can''t give you anything explicitly hurtful to the Cult. It¡¯s part of the oath.¡± I hang my head. ¡°That¡¯s horrible. I can¡¯t imagine what that¡¯s like.¡± For a few minutes, silence reigns. ¡°Xander, whatever you decide, it¡¯s the right decision. If you stay, I¡¯ll support you. If you leave, I¡¯ll be on your side. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xander smiles. ¡°Thank you. I hope Yue feels the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she does.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s time for Neena¡¯s fight. While on the outside she looks confident, I can tell that she¡¯s really nervous. She¡¯s fighting an undefeated Arcadian, the only undefeated Arcadian now, and most spectator¡¯s seem to think Neena will lose it. Secretly, we all do. Of course, none of us voice it. We all show our support for our friend. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN!¡± Everything seems to stop. Both Neena and the Arcadian look at each other, assessing the other¡¯s strengths. The Arcadian is not going to underestimate her, sadly. He knows what would happen if he did. The crowd was just as unmoving as the fighters, and I look around as all my friends watch the match unblinkingly. Then everything explodes. The Arcadian and Neena rush at each other simultaneously and their swords clash in mid-run, steel clanging loudly. The crowd cheers at this first attack, and Neena smiles at the Arcadian. The Arcadian returns the smile, pushing on her sword. Neena smoothly steps back. This rush wasn¡¯t meant to finish the match, It was meant to gauge each other¡¯s weaknesses. Seems like not many were found, as both Neena and the Arcadian frown slightly. ¡°Slow game,¡± Xander points out. ¡°You¡¯d think the Arcadian would go faster, seeing he doesn¡¯t have much to lose.¡± Apparently, the fighter gets the same idea as he charges Neena, who curses and blocks rapidly, her stance sloppy. ¡°Come on, Neena,¡± Yue whispers. ¡°You¡¯ve got this.¡± The Arcadian swings again, this time aiming for Neena¡¯s head, and as she defends, he steps left, sending her spinning towards the ground. Neena tumbles hard, her sword flying from her grip. The Arcadian waits patiently, seeing if she was okay. At a nod from her, he advances. Yue groans. ¡°You can still do this, Neena,¡± I pray. ¡°Just grab your sword.¡± Neena crawls back as the man swings at her foot, attempting to slice some blood from her. The match was over, anyone could see that. As Neena reached her sword, the Arcadian kicked it away. He whispered something to Neena who smiled sadly. The Arcadian helped her up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask. ¡°Oh no,¡± Yue pales. Neena raises her voice to the crowd. ¡°I surrender. Zak winds the match.¡± The crowd cheers, and Zak gives Neena a quick hug. ¡°I guess I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE ZAK,¡± The Wolf says confounded. Zak tells Neena something else as she leaves the ring and she hugs him again. He smiles and pats her back as she leaves. ¡°What happened?¡± Yue asks her. ¡°I lost,¡± She responds. ¡°Zak gave me the chance to surrender; he didn¡¯t want to hurt me. I took the chance, and he congratulated me on how far I got: Told me I was the hardest match he¡¯d had. I know it wasn¡¯t true, but he was really nice. That helps a little knowing I lost.¡± ¡°You did something braver than most people could,¡± Yue says. ¡°I¡¯m just sorry you lost.¡± ¡°I knew I would eventually,¡± Neena shrugs. ¡°But I¡¯m glad I got this far.¡± I agree with Neena, but I still can¡¯t help but feel a little sad. One of us has been eliminated. There are just three left, and one has already lost a game. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The more I stay here at the Arena, the more discomfort I feel. Sometimes, I can see High Mage Eldor watching me and my friends. Other times, I¡¯m sure that some of the spectators are watching me. And there¡¯s the added bonus that another Vanguard Warrior cheated. ¡°I was in the foyer,¡± I tell my friends. ¡°And I saw the Warrior, what¡¯s his name¡­¡± ¡°Juli,¡± Yue offers. ¡°Exactly, I saw Juli with a knife hidden under his sleeve. He stabbed it in the other person when the angle was just right. Then he stabbed his sword in the same place!¡± ¡°And the other person can¡¯t complain!¡± Neena exclaimed. ¡°Right! Because he¡¯s unconscious,¡± I say. ¡°The moment has passed. You cannot prove Juli cheated, so by all accounts, he won legitimately.¡± ¡°This is horrible,¡± Alyx says. ¡°I always wanted the Vanguard to win, but with this, I¡¯m not so sure anymore. I feel ashamed about this. Where is the honor in the Vanguard?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget,¡± Yue jumps in. ¡°The murderers are in the Vanguard too. The Vanguard was losing their honor long before this. The only way to solve it is to win fairly and arrest the murderers.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t close to finding who they are, though,¡± Aster complains. ¡°They remain illusive. How do you expect to catch them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore!¡± Yue shouted. ¡°They¡¯re not going to show themselves, and I¡¯m not risking any of you!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not asking you too,¡± Alyx told her gently. ¡°We¡¯re just as lost as you are.¡± ¡°But you elected me leader,¡± Yue said. ¡°You made me the one in charge! Me being lost is worse than you being lost.¡± ¡°Yue, no one blames you,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯ve done well as their leader. You¡¯re doing all you can and that¡¯s all we ask of you.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not enough!¡± Yue exploded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys, but I just can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tight,¡± Aster stood up. Neena and Alyx gaped at her. ¡°You can¡¯t, okay? But neither can we! That¡¯s why we stick together. We did less before we elected you leader. I know you¡¯re stressed about what¡¯s coming, Yue, but we¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re a good leader. Why do you think we trust you?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°I just need some time alone. Is that okay?¡± We nod and she takes off. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t one of us be following here because of the Cult?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I volunteer. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Yue¡¯s friends give me skeptical looks, but don¡¯t stop me. I run down to the foyer, where I find Yue sitting on the ground. There are many spectators around her, but none approach her, except for one. Sia. I approach them. ¡°I got this, Sia. Yue¡¯ll catch up.¡± Sia turns and walks away, confused. I pull Yue up and hug her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Yue sniffles. ¡°Just stressed with everything. Sorry for shouting at you?¡± ¡°We understand,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot on your shoulders. If I was in your place, I would be feeling worse than you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just need rest, but there isn¡¯t any time!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk,¡± I offer. ¡°Around the inside of the Arena.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t we seen everything?¡± Yue asks. ¡°Nope,¡± I smile. ¡°There¡¯s a door behind the bar. I wanted in and they wouldn¡¯t let me, because I wasn¡¯t part of the participants.¡± ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Can¡¯t hurt to look.¡± Yue walks up to the bar. ¡°Ah, a member of the Vanguard,¡± The barmaid says. ¡°Anything for you is on the house.¡± ¡°No, I just want to get in there.¡± Yue points and the barmaid smiles. ¡°Right this way, ma¡¯am.¡± She leads us in the door. Once inside, I gape. We¡¯re in a massive hallway, at least a hundred yards across. It''s dark, but this seems to be a warehouse of some sort. ¡°Wanna explore?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Yue responds. ¡°I do need to go back soon, though.¡± We open the first door. It¡¯s full of swords and shields, of medium quality but still usable. ¡°Must be for the soldiers who broke or lost theirs,¡± Yue ventures. ¡°This room is boring. Let¡¯s go to the next one.¡± I smile and let her lead me away. Yue skips some of the doors, instead turning down a corner into another hallway. Once there, she opens the door. This room is mostly empty, except for the paintings on the wall. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± I wonder. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She responds. ¡°I¡¯m guessing these rooms are storages for participants. Some may even sleep here.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± I breathe. We keep exploring the rooms, finding several different types of objects. Eventually, it starts to feel like intruding. These are other people¡¯s private rooms. We shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°We should probably leave,¡± I say. That¡¯s when we hear the voices. There are at least two of them, and Yue turns to me. ¡°Most of the participants should be in the stands.¡± ¡°Suspicious,¡± I tell her. We walk slowly closer to the noise down the hallway. They are hushed, almost angry even. Whoever it is, they don¡¯t want anyone to know they¡¯re listening, and that only widens my curiosity. The voices slowly get louder when we turn a corner and keep walking. I hear a couple of words. One of them tingles my spine. Dautha. Yue looks at me sharply and my eyes widen. We might¡¯ve just stumbled on something really important. Suddenly, this becomes much more dangerous and urgent. ¡°Hurry up!¡± One of the voices, male, says. ¡°We don¡¯t want them to know we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going as quickly as I can,¡± Another voice, this time a woman, responds. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me here?¡± ¡°I need to keep watch. If someone¡¯s coming¡­¡± ¡°Just get your ass here and help me!¡± The woman groans. The man mumbles then grows silent. ¡°This is our chance,¡± I whisper. ¡°We need to find out what they¡¯re doing.¡± Yue goes in front of me. I can hear the Cultists grunt as whatever they¡¯re doing weighs on them. We reach the final corner. Yue stops me, hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll look first,¡± She says. I nod, and her face pokes around the corner. The silence is not broken, so I guess the Cultists did not see her. She watches whatever the Cultists did for almost a minute when she turns back. ¡°Oh my god,¡± She breathes. ¡°We¡¯re in massive trouble. Thank Gods we got here when we did. We can stop them.¡± ¡°Let me see,¡± I hiss. I gently push her out of the way, then look around the corner. For a second, I¡¯m not sure what I see. It just looks like two people bent over something. The more I look, though, the more I realize what it is. I gasp. They¡¯re arming explosives. Magic-powered explosives. They¡¯re triggered when a mage aims any sort of fire at them. I¡¯ve heard of them but I¡¯ve never seen them. My breath hitches in my throat when I realize the consequences of this. Whatever the Cult is trying, it involves blowing up the Arena, or at least a part of them. We need to stop them. But we might be too late. Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Royals Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Royals ¡°I can¡¯t believe they would do that,¡± Alyx said. ¡°This Arena is beautiful. Why would they destroy it?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the Cult,¡± Xander told her. ¡°Of course they¡¯d do something like this. The real question is what are we going to do about it?¡± ¡°First, I need to tell the Wolf,¡± Yue replied. ¡°As soon as the Wolf calls a fifteen minute break, I¡¯ll tell him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel safe here anymore,¡± Neena said. ¡°The stadium could explode at any time.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t blow it up today,¡± Zade told her. ¡°But now that we know what they¡¯re doing, we can stop them.¡± ¡°How?¡± Neena asked. ¡°They¡¯ll never allow anyone near it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still surprised they would destroy it,¡± Alyx said once again. ¡°We have Royals here, and fifty thousand spectators. Do they really want to kill them all? What is the point of killing all the royals?¡± ¡°Mass chaos?¡± Xavier guessed. ¡°The Cult loves spreading chaos, because then their arguments are more believable to others.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t like this,¡± Zade told them. ¡°High Mage Aegon told me that we wouldn¡¯t be able to stop what the Cult wanted from starting, we could only stop it if it was in motion. But if they start with blowing up the Arena, we might not be alive to do anything else.¡± ¡°But what is their real reason for blowing up the Arena?¡± Alyx continued, persistent. Yue felt a pang of annoyance, but didn¡¯t intervene. ¡°Chaos is fine, but they won¡¯t do this just for chaos. Is the reason really killing the Royals? Maybe they want to endanger Magefell or cause a war?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Xander agreed. ¡°We need to know why they want to do this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can,¡± Zade said. ¡°They¡¯re watching us, remember?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re watching you, though,¡± Aster jumped in, ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean they know you were in the storage rooms?¡± Yue had no answer to that. ¡°If so, you need to bring the Wolf there immediately,¡± Aster continued. ¡°And, more than that, we need to be more careful. If they know you were there, we¡¯re in even more danger than before. We need to constantly be looking behind our backs.¡± ¡°Can I bring Sia and Skai back?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°Not yet!¡± Aster, Alyx, and Zade exclaimed at the same time. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet,¡± Yue said. ¡°You¡¯re right, Aster. And I do think this puts Skai and Sia in danger. The Cult knows they were with us.¡± ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we involve them?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°If they are in danger, they deserve to know why.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Xander told him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can trust them. And, honestly, I think they¡¯ll be better off not knowing.¡± ¡°I think Xavier is right, though,¡± Alyx said. ¡°They need to know now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Zade said. ¡°The consequences if they end up being untrustworthy are horrible. We should not trust them, Sorry, Xavier.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯re voting again;¡± Yue chuckled. ¡°Raise your hand if you think we should involve them.¡± Poli and Artemis, who had been silent so far, did not raise their hands. Neither did Xander and Zade. Yue did, choosing to trust them, as did Xavier and Alyx. Neena and Aster did as well. Th¡¯ul seemed on the edge, but in the end, did not decide to raise his hand. ¡°It¡¯s equal,¡± Neena said. ¡°What do we do?¡± Th¡¯ul raised his hand. ¡°We should go for it,¡± He said. ¡°We need to take risks. Everything happens tomorrow. We need all the help we can get.¡± ¡°Alright, then,¡± Xavier told them. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the girls.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Skai and Sia gaped at them, simultaneously horrified and excited about the story. ¡°This is all real?¡± Sia asked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the Cult,¡± Skai told them. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that they¡¯re bringing mass destruction tomorrow?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Zade replied. ¡°But knowing what they¡¯ve done, I think so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Astil, Diamond, Jos, and Rosalia,¡± Sia said. ¡°They sounded like nice people.¡± ¡°They were,¡± Yue told her. ¡°At least, the ones I knew did.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Anni now?¡± Skai asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s really depressed,¡± Zade responded. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll see her. She¡¯s on the edge, but I think she¡¯ll sort it out.¡± ¡°This is horrible,¡± Sia said. ¡°They just get away with it?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Th¡¯ul shrugged. ¡°And they have positions of power. Does that mean you don¡¯t want to be a mage anymore?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sia replied. ¡°I want to be a mage more now. I want to stop them.¡± Zade chuckled wryly. ¡°Do you see us, Sia? There used to be thirteen of us. We didn¡¯t know each other then, but there did. Diamond and Astil died. Anni is depressed to the brink of death, who knows for how long. I have been tortured and almost killed. Xander has been permanently scarred physically. Neena, Aster, Alyx. and Artemis have been injured by the Cult. Only Th¡¯ul, Xavier and YUe have escaped mostly unscathed, although even they have scars. And we all are more skilled than you. Meanwhile, what have we done? Killed one mage-in-training and a couple other Cultists! We haven¡¯t actually done anything to stop them! No offense, but what do you think you¡¯ll be able to do against them?¡± ¡°Anything I can,¡± Sia responded. ¡°I know I¡¯m not a mage. I know I¡¯m not a warrior. But you¡¯ll need all the help you can get, right?¡± ¡°Yes, we will,¡± Yue said, shooting Zade a glare. ¡°We¡¯re happy you want to help. What about you, Skai?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in,¡± Skai smiled. ¡°This sounds like fun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Alyx grinned. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± Sia asked. ¡°Not much,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I have to tell the Wolf about what happened, but he needs to call a fifteen minute break first. He should call one in a couple of fights. We don¡¯t have to wait long.¡± ¡°Knowing all of this does make me nervous, though,¡± Sia said. ¡°I¡¯ve never really been in immediate danger before. I have a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Yue told her. ¡°I have a question too. Where are your friends?¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t come,¡± Sia told her. ¡°They got sick. Anyways, my question is: Where should I sleep? If I go home alone, they could follow me. They could get to my home and kill me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Aster breathed. ¡°You can¡¯t be in the Vanguard grounds, though, considering your status. Can she go to Zenyth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Zade shrugged. ¡°She can,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°We¡¯ll bring her in as a guest.¡± ¡°I should go, too,¡± Skai told them. Zade nodded in confirmation. ¡°I get to go to Zenyth?¡± Sia shrieked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! I¡¯ve always wanted to go there!¡± Zade chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll love it there.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± Yue said. ¡°Any other questions?¡± No one responded, so she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to say this, but we need to be quiet. Don¡¯t mention this to anyone, and, even between yourselves, keep the Dautha talk to a minimum.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Skai told her. ¡°I won¡¯t speak of it.¡± ¡°THE NEXT MATCH COMMENCES IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!¡± The Wolf roared from the ring. ¡°I guess that¡¯s my cue, then,¡± Yue stood up, walking down to the ring. ¡°What happened?¡± The Wolf asked. ¡°Is it urgent?¡± ¡°Very,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out part of what the Cult wants to do.¡± The Wolf sucked in a breath and his eyes widened. ¡°Show me.¡± Yue led him to the Foyer, where they entered the storage hallway. ¡°Why are we here?¡± The Wolf asked nervously. ¡°These are the storage rooms. Are you telling me they¡¯re targeting the participants?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yue nodded. ¡°In fact, they¡¯re targeting everybody.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Wolf asked. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yue nodded again, leading him down the corner. They were close, and Yue could feel her heart beating rapidly. ¡°Thank you for telling me,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°We might just be able to stop them. Out of curiosity, how did you find it?¡± Yue blushed. ¡°Me and Zade had decided to explore the storage rooms, and we stumbled on the Cultists doing it.¡± ¡°You brought Zade here?¡± The Captain asked. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have come. Only participants¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue replied. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t bring him here again unless I give permission,¡± The Wolf told her. ¡°Are we close?¡± ¡°Just down this hallway.¡± Yue responded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the secrets in this Arena!¡± ¡°And you haven¡¯t found half of them,¡± The Wolf¡¯s eye twinkled. ¡°I bet,¡± She responded. ¡°Okay, here we are.¡± She turned the corner and her heart skipped a beat, breath hitching in her throat. Everything was gone. No Cultists, no explosives, no¡­nothing. ¡°What am I looking at here, Yue?¡± The Wolf asked. ¡°I swear, me and Zade found Cultists here rigging explosives,¡± Yue said. ¡°They were preparing to blow up the Arena!¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± The Wolf thought. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to believe you, but there¡¯s nothing here. Maybe they changed their mind, or maybe they just decided to move everything. And it is also possible that there was nothing.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Yue agreed grudgingly. ¡°But Zade saw it too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I believe you,¡± The Wolf responded. ¡°This is not good. They know you found them. They must¡¯ve decided to hide this from you.¡± ¡°So, what are they doing now?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± The Wolf replied. ¡°They might try the same thing. Or they could do something different. Either way, I don¡¯t think coming back here will be fruitful. YOu know about this place, and the Cult knows that. They won¡¯t set up anything here anymore.¡± Yue nodded sadly. How had the Cult had time to do this? It had only been half an hour since they''d left. ¡°I¡¯ve got a tournament to judge,¡± The Wolf told her. ¡°It¡¯s about to start. I need to get back. Thank you for showing me. If there¡¯s anything else, tell me.¡± ¡°What do you mean, there was nothing there?¡± Zade asked incredulously. ¡°We saw it all there!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue gritted her teeth. ¡°But it¡¯s not there anymore.¡± ¡°Were you in the right spot?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sure of it. They just had time to move it all.¡± ¡°Either that, or they did some magic,¡± Th¡¯ul told them. ¡°An illusion or they moved it magically.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± Yue said. ¡°Should I go back?¡± ¡°Not now,¡± Th¡¯ul told her. ¡°Since they¡¯re onto you, they¡¯ll have time to do anything before you go there.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Neena complained. ¡°They¡¯re always a step ahead of us. It¡¯s so annoying.¡± ¡°Is that what happens every time?¡± Sia asked, eyes wide. ¡°Pretty much,¡± Alyx hung her head. ¡°We¡¯re never really able to do anything to stop them. They always know everything.¡± ¡°And they also might try to kill us at any moment,¡± Aster pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s a shield around this part of the Arena,¡± Th¡¯ul told them. ¡°ANy sort of harmful magic will be stopped.¡± ¡°No,¡± Yue responded. ¡°That can¡¯t be. Remember Taoteo? He was magically powered, but he harmed me!¡± ¡°The magic just made him faster,¡± Th¡¯ul responded. ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt you directly. It-s a technicality.¡± ¡°I hate technicalities,¡± Yue murmured. ¡°I CALL TO THE ARENA SKAI PELT AND ALYX REINHOLT!¡± Skai gaped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Why?¡± Alyx smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think Skai would have to fight any of us,¡± Aster said. ¡°But both of them are undefeated. Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Alyx for sure,¡± Zade chuckled. ¡°I still feel the bruises she gave me.¡± ¡°No, I think Skai will win,¡± Xavier responded. ¡°Well, of course you would think that,¡± Neena retorted. ¡°You¡¯re her temporary boyfriend.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Hey!¡± Xavier exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? I¡¯ll have you know, she¡¯s moving to Magefell after the tournament.¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing that for you?¡± Neena asked, incredulous. ¡°Not exactly,¡± Xavier said. ¡°She¡¯s looking to join the guard here.¡± ¡°Not the Van-guard?¡± Yue asked. Xavier rolled his eyes. ¡°Not as far as I know. You could ask her, though.¡± Yue smirked. ¡°No, she¡¯s not strong enough.¡± Xavier didn¡¯t rise to the bait, instead looking at the field, where both Alyx and Skai were stretching. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN!¡± The charge was astounding. Roaring in unison with the crowd, Alyx and Skai ran at each other, swinging rapidly with their swords. Yue struggled to keep up with all the blows coming from both girls. Since they were both on attack, they were forced to block and return their strikes rapidly, leading to a match that left the crowd gaping in astonishment. The rush lasted over thirty seconds, both parties unwilling to stop, either afraid of the consequences or adrenaline-fueled, Yue didn¡¯t know. All she knew was that she needed to keep watching this exhilarating match. Eventually, Skai pulled away, brow filled with sweat. Alyx stopped her barrage as well, breath hitching, chest heaving up and down. The break didn¡¯t last long, though. Simultaneously, the girls rushed at each other again, murderous glint in Alyx¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is the craziest thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Zade breathed, and Yue agreed. This was incredible, and she couldn¡¯t be sure who would win it. As Alyx and Skai continued to rain hell on each other, even the low mumbles of the crowd quieted down. Skai stepped back again, thinking critically. Obviously, she knew that if this match continued how it was, whoever won would mostly win by luck. If Skai wanted to win from skill, she¡¯d need to change her strategy. Of course, Alyx wasn¡¯t intent on giving Skai a moment of thought. She kept pummeling her, forcing Skai on the defensive now. That was Skai¡¯s only mistake. And it proved to be decisive. As Skai struggled to contain Alyx¡¯s wrath, Alyx pushed harder, faster, determined to end the match. Skai grew more desperate, seeing how the match could end, her movements erratic and her lunges slow. Ducking a sloppy swing, Alyx struck at Skai. At the last minute, Skai moved out of the way, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The flat of the blade hit her in the head, sending her spinning to the ground. From there, the match ended quickly. Alyx raised her sword ?, then laughed and scraped it slightly on Skai¡¯s arm. Skai winced but nodded in a congratulatory manner. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE ALYX REINHOLT!¡± The Wolf exclaimed. Another match down, and another participant with one loss. They were one step closer to the end of the tournament. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Oh, Yue!¡± Kol told her. ¡°Did you hear who your next fight is?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Jabari.¡± At Yue¡¯s black stare, he rolled his eyes. ¡°The big Mremban.¡± Yue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh no. You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Kol winced. ¡°It¡¯ll be a hard one. But I¡¯m actually here to tell you something else. After your match, it¡¯s your turn to guard the Royals.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Yue said sarcastically. ¡°After I get pummeled, I have the privilege and duty to guard the ones who saw my shame.¡± ¡°Aw, come on, Yue,¡± Kol told her. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go fight Jabari?¡± ¡°I see your point,¡± Kol laughed. ¡°Well, good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I¡¯ll need it.¡± As Kol left, Yue turned to her friends. ¡°You¡¯re taking on Jabari?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to be you!¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking!¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Alyx replied defensively. ¡°I¡¯m undefeated, remember?¡± ¡°Someone needs to put you in your place,¡± Neena said. ¡°I am already at the top.¡± ¡°I CALL TO THE ARENA YUE ZHANG AND JABARI KOLO!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s me,¡± Yue told them. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± The crowd cheered for the match they expected to be the greatest one. The Sterkona against the Strongarm. It was a match for the ages. When Yue met Jabari in the ring, she offered her hand. He didn¡¯t take it. ¡°You will get pummeled,¡± He rumbled. ¡°You will not escape!¡± Yue was taken aback but didn¡¯t show it. She walked to her corner of the ring. She needed to breathe. In and out. In and out. In and out. With every breath, she calmed herself a little. Without a level head, she wouldn¡¯t make it very far in this match. She tried not to look at Jabari, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Glaring at her, he took a few practice swings with his sword. He was a more strategic version of Gunnar. This would be even more difficult than that match. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­¡± Yue unsheathed her sword, and closed her eyes. I¡¯m at peace, she told herself. I¡¯ll be fine. Her heart pounded with the applause of the audience. ¡°TWO¡­¡± Breathe in, breathe out. An endless cycle that began to rattle her instead of calm her. She shouldn¡¯t overthink this. She needed to be calm. That was the only way she¡¯d be able to win. ¡°ONE¡­¡± She stanced herself defensively. The guarding dragon. It was one of her favorite stances from Aleumdaun, but she didn¡¯t use it, as she was rarely defensive, and it was an extremely defensive stance. Jabari flexed his bulging muscles, his sword waving this way and that, the man staring daggers at her. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Jabari ran towards Yue and brought his sword down at her, intent on cleaving her in half. Bringing her sword up, Yue blocked the swing, grunting from the force of his sword. She didn¡¯t know who was stronger, Gunnar or Jabari, but Jabari was much bigger. Jabari went for another lunge, this one horizontal, and once again, Yue parried it, sliding back a few steps. This was already exerting on her, and it had just started. She ducked a blow, then dodged, sending her sword his way. With a grunt, he slammed his sword into hers, and she had two options. Either she let her sword go, or she went with it. She chose the latter, and went flying, landing on the ground a few feet away, breathing hard. Jabari rushed in, and Yue jumped up, desperately blocking him. Sending a lunge his way to distract him, she stepped back again. Jabari recognized what she was doing and ignored her, swinging at her again. And again and again. Je began to send more and more quick volleys. Thankfully, those weren¡¯t as strong as the swings before, but she was still hard pressed to defend him. And she could see that Jabari was not tired. If anything, the more he realized he was winning, the more awake he got. Jabari was well aware that at this rate he would win. The only thing Yue could do now was hope for a mistake. Eventually, she got her opportunity. Jabari wasn¡¯t perfect, and with a sloppy swing, he put his foot too far than it should be. With a smile, Yue swung at him, a feint, but he didn¡¯t notice. He tried to step back, but Yue stuck out her foot, catching him off guard and sending him tumbling to the ground. With a roar, Jabari latched onto Yue, and screaming, she fell on top of him. Her plan hadn¡¯t worked as it should¡¯ve, and now she was in a precarious position. Flipping her around, Jabari straddled her and punched her. Yue reeled from the shock and pain, but didn¡¯t feel any blood. No crack from her nose either. Another punch came her way. Her hair flew up as her head hit the ground. Seeing the next punch coming her way, she stuck her hand up, catching Jabari''s hand midair. Jabari smirked and pressured her hand, and, as it went back, Yue groaned from the pain. He was breaking her hand. She wouldn''t let that happen. In a moment of surrender, she let her hand go. As soon as the punch hit her head, she felt the pain. The Mremban punched her again, and again, and again. After the fifth punch, Yue was done. With a scream of exertion, she pushed Jabari up and punched him, and he stumbled back. The crowd cheered. Then they gasped. Yue looked around. What was going on? Jabari was standing up slowly, but he was fine. He looked at her and laughed. The realization hit her like a brick. Hands shaking, she raised her hand to her mouth. Nothing, no blood. Then she raised it to her nose. There. She was bleeding. And rapidly too. She had lost to the Mremban. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE JABARI KOLO!¡± The Wolf said with obvious remorse. ¡°Go clean yourself up, Yue. And come back stronger, I know you can.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Well, nothing''s broken,¡± The nurse told her. ¡°You got lucky there, I heard what happened. You should be right in a few hours and ready to fight again by tomorrow. Just don¡¯t do anything that will be of extreme exertion.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, thank you,¡± Yue told her. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m the only undefeated one now,¡± Alyx said proudly. ¡°No sorry?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Sorry for what? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Alyx retorted. ¡°You¡¯re the one who lost. I didn¡¯t beat you. I just watched as you got beat.¡± ¡°Alyx, I really hate you.¡± ¡°Aw, that¡¯s sweet,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Just make sure to congratulate me when I win.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Yue said, leaving the room. ¡°So you admit that I¡¯ll win!¡± Alyx rushed after her triumphantly. ¡°Fine. Whatever. Just get off my ass.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I was just lightening the mood. Seemed like you needed it.¡± ¡°Can you just be quiet for once?¡± ¡°I guess.Where are you going now?¡± ¡°I thought I told you to be quiet,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to see the Royals now. My turn to guard them.¡± ¡°You know I don¡¯t obey you,¡± Alyx said. ¡°And that¡¯s cool. I wish I could meet the Royals.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue said, confused by the two conversations. ¡°And you probably will meet the Royals eventually.¡± ¡°If you know, why do you tell me anything anyway? And yeah, I guess I will meet the Royals eventually, but can I go with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a habit! And no, you can¡¯t come with me. I can¡¯t stand you right now.¡± ¡°A bad habit for sure. Ugh, you¡¯re no fun. Fine, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Alyx left to find her friends, and Yue headed up to the Royals¡¯ box. Kol was there waiting for her. ¡°I saw what happened. Bad luck.¡± ¡°It happens,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I¡¯m here to relieve you then.¡± ¡°Finally,¡± Kol said. ¡°I liked being here, but Aeson is tiring sometimes.¡± ¡°I bet,¡± Yue laughed. ¡°The Galacian queen is the worst,¡± He continued. ¡°And the Mremban King is something different.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t meet the Mremban one yesterday.¡± ¡°He arrived today,¡± Kol replied. ¡°He had something to deal with. He¡¯s here now, and he just radiates Kingly-ness.¡± ¡°Kingly-ness?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kol smiled. ¡°Good luck with your next matches.¡± ¡°You too, Kol,¡± She replied. She opened the door to the box, and immediately Aeson came to greet her. ¡°YUE!¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you. I am sorry for your loss. You fought well. It happens. I don¡¯t think you met the Mremban king, did you? He¡¯s over here, his name is King Umi. You¡¯ll love him. He¡¯s great. We all are.¡± Yue was already overwhelmed by all he was saying. ¡°Ah, this must be Yue,¡± A man with a coarse accent and chocolate-dark skin walked over to her. Kol was right. King Umi exhumed kingly-ness. He was wearing simple armor with no helmet, but it was his countenance that separated him. His face and tone told her he was in charge, and his large stature was enough to prove it. He seemed kind and just while at the same time prone to wrath when he needed to be. Yue bowed low. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°You may rise, Yue Zhang,¡± King Umi told her. ¡°I have watched many of your exploits. You are a worthy fighter. Jabari was better, though.¡± ¡°That he was,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°It was an honor to fight him, majesty.¡± ¡°That it was,¡± The king said. ¡°He is an honorable fighter. One of our best.¡± ¡°Not your best?¡± ¡°No,¡± The king laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It depends on how the rest of the tournament goes.¡± ¡°I hate to steal Yue from you,¡± Aeson stepped in. ¡°But I want to speak to her.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± King Umi said. ¡°But I keep telling you, Aeson, you must be more kingly.¡± ¡°Aw, screw that,¡± Aeson told him. ¡°Here, Yue, sit. So, how¡¯s your day going?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Yue half-lied. ¡°It¡¯s been a busy day, and I¡¯ve been very nervous, but it¡¯s been fun.¡± ¡°You, the Sterkona,¡± She blushed and Aeson laughed. ¡°What do you think of that name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°I''ve never really had a nickname before. But, as far as nicknames go, it¡¯s pretty good. I¡¯m the strong woman.¡± ¡°No, not the strong woman,¡± Aeson corrected. ¡°You¡¯re the strong woman. Many women are strong. Take my wife, for example. But you are strong. You took on Gunnar. You¡¯re strong both in mind and body. That is something that not many men and women can say. I can, though,¡± He winked. ¡°Most kings can. But you, Yue, are rare, because you are strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°As well you should be,¡± Aeson said. ¡°It¡¯s something most don¡¯t want to think about, much less agree with. It¡¯s against everything the mages say. But it is true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still confusing,¡± Yue responded. ¡°You sound wise, though.¡± ¡°I have to be,¡± Aeson winked. ¡°I¡¯m a king, aren¡¯t I? We¡¯re all wise. Except for Ingrid.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± The Queen hissed from where she was. ¡°And it¡¯s Queen Ingrid.¡± Aeson put up quotations with his hand. ¡°Queen Ingrid, yes. Also, wisdom comes with age, Yue. That¡¯s why I¡¯m the wisest one here.¡± He chuckles. ¡°I may not look old, but I have gray hairs in my mind.¡± ¡°Oh, please,¡± King Umi told him. ¡°If I had hair, it would be gray. You have baby brown hair. Your wisdom pales in comparison to mine.¡± ¡°As you can tell,¡± Aeson said, ¡°We are all humble too. Most of us, anyway.¡± Yue had always thought that the Royals would be serious and work-minded, and to a degree, most of them were. But Aeson still threw her off. He was so normal that it was abnormal. Aeson was informal and was always joking, it just wasn¡¯t kingly. But at the same time that was what made him endearing. It was refreshing. As the rest of the day went along, yue enjoyed her time with the royals. The talk stayed mostly light, with only a little politics mixed in, something Yue never liked, so she was glad. Aeson, of course, loved talking with her, and Queen Ingrid avoided her like the plague. King Umi and King Xin were both cordial but unless the conversation directly involved them, they didn¡¯t really want to jump in. The day wore away. It was getting dark, and Yue was tired. She was glad that she wasn¡¯t going to have any more games today, because she didn¡¯t know how she would stomach them. Speaking of stomach, she was getting hungry. She would have to buy something in the bar before she went back to the vanguard grounds. When the next Vanguard soldier came to watch the Royals,¡ªthe last one of the day¡ªshe went down to the foyer. The tournament was almost done. Just one more day, and the winner would be decided. The favorite was now Jabari, but the tournament wasn¡¯t decided yet. Yue could still win. Not that she was very intent on winning. Although she wanted to, it was her second priority now. After the confirmation of the Cult¡¯s preparations and the subsequent disappearance of said preparation, Yue was getting more nervous, and her guarding of the Royals only made her more so. And it would all happen tomorrow. Yue didn¡¯t have much time to prepare for it. And then there were the murderers. Where did they fit into all this? Would they be involved in whatever the Cult wanted? If so, what would they do? Yue just had so many questions and no answers. Tomorrow, everything would be answered, though. Everything happened tomorrow. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The tournament was over for the day. Two hundred contestants had been eliminated¡ªnoth Joanne and Eva being part of those¡ªand just fifty were left. There were just fifteen Vanguard members left, and just two were undefeated, one being Alyx. Tomorrow would have a lot less matches, most people having already lost one. Alyx was still not a favorite, and, surprisingly enough, Yue was still a higher favorite than Alyx was, which caused endless frustration to the girl. Jabari, of course, was now the favorite of the tournament. And Gunnar was one of them too, although he had also lost one. Sia and Skai left with Zade, Xavier, and Th¡¯ul to return to Zenyth. Hopefully, they would be safe there. Yue didn¡¯t think the Cult would attack them the day before their big plan, but anything was possible. She and her friends had returned to the Vanguard grounds. They needed to rest. They had a big day coming up, what with the end of the tournament, and an apocalypse they weren¡¯t ready for. Everything was coming to a head. Yue didn¡¯t know what would happen tomorrow or who would survive or die, but now she felt she was ready for it. The time was coming. And for now she couldn¡¯t wait. So as soon as she got back to the ground, she went to her barracks. Wisely, Alyx and Aster did the same, not wanting to repeat their hangover. As soon as she reached her barracks, she undressed and got into bed. Five minutes later, she was asleep. Her dreams that day were of a horrible earthquake shattering Magefell. All her friends tried to escape but each was sucked down to the pits of hell. Only she was left. Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Final Day Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Final Day The last day of the tournament had arrived. Surprisingly, Yue woke up with a peaceful and rested mind. She only got nervous when she saw her friends. They were all visibly nervous, Neena especially. Xander, thankfully, was still here, which meant the Cult wasn¡¯t starting their plan yet. It would probably start after the final match. And the Vanguard needed to win, at least according to the Cult. At this point, Yue didn¡¯t know which was worse: letting someone else win and suffering Magefell¡¯s shame, or winning and giving the Cult what they wanted. It was a dilemma, and this time, Yue just didn¡¯t want to think about it. WHatever happened would happen, and Yue clearly didn¡¯t have the time to stop it. All she could do was prepare herself. Breakfast was light. Yue wanted to eat enough to have energy throughout the day, but eating just a little too much could be problematic. Of course, she could eat during the matches, so she¡¯d decided to not eat too much. The trip to the Arena was uneventful, although Yue kept her eyes peeled the whole time. It was a long walk, but Yue didn¡¯t see many travelers. Except for her and her friends, the few people they saw were part of the Vanguard. When they reached the turn that combined the Vanguard Grounds Road to the Magefell Road, everything changed. Suddenly, the roads were flooded, people milling around, some running, some walking towards the Arena. Yue desperately wanted to warn them, but what could she say? Run away, there¡¯s this Cult that wants to kill you and make you a slave to the God of Death? Who would believe that, even coming from the Sterkona? She pulled her cloak up as she walked through the multitude. For now, she didn¡¯t really want anyone recognizing her. If they did, Yue would be forced to fight a torrent of fans, and she needed to reach the arena. Now was not the time to stop. When the Arena came into view, the men and women formed a line. In an obvious demonstration of who she was, Yue kept walking, skipping the lines. ¡°Hey!¡± One man yelled. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Yue groaned, turned around, and pulled her hood up. The man gasped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He curtsied. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was you.¡± Yue gritted her teeth. Others were already starting to notice her. ¡°Make way!¡± Alyx roared, grinning madly. ¡°Make way for the Sterkona!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yue asked, irritated. ¡°You had to do that?¡± Alyx led her through the line of people. Most were gazing at her, jaws open. Yue flushed. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t deserve this kind of praise. She wasn¡¯t even undefeated! She was just a warrior, and not even the best one. There was the Mremban¡ªYue didn¡¯t remember his name¡ªwho had beat her, and he was undefeated. Yue didn¡¯t know how she would beat him, but she would find a way. They passed the line and entered the foyer. It was virtually empty, the few people in it heading towards the stands already. The first match of the third day would start in just twenty minutes. Thankfully, neither Yue nor any of her friends would be a part of it. With just fifty fighters left in the tournament, and only a few undefeated, this day would be the fastest out of all of them. Possibly, it would only last until midday. In most of the matches, someone would be defeated. The Wolf had created a bracket specifically for this day, but he was keeping it close to his chest, which Yue thought slightly strange, but she accepted it. She would fight whoever was appointed to her. Moving to the practice room, Yue breathed a sigh of relief, able to unwind a bit. She could see forty or so participants here already, waiting for the start of the matches. To her mild surprise, Gunnar was here. Although he was one of the strongest men in the tournament, he¡¯d lost his first game. That couldn¡¯t be good for morale. Yue applauded him for staying this long. It was a great achievement. ¡°Congratulations, Gunnar!¡± Yue told him, slapping him on the back. ¡°Much thanks, Sterkona,¡± He responded. ¡°You have been doing wonderful, as well. I am hoping to do well today. My first match is with Jabari.¡± Yue gaped. ¡°He¡¯s the one who defeated me!¡± Gunnar was doomed in Yue mind. There was no way he could beat Jabari, Jabari was just too strong. ¡°I know,¡± Gunnar rumbled. ¡°I will defeat him. He is not as strong as his looks. He is weak in heart, weak spirit. His body is strong, but no more.¡± ¡°His strong body was enough,¡± Yue winced. ¡°I¡¯m still bruised from it.¡± ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re still bruised from what I did too, hmm?¡± Gunnar laughed. ¡°I wish you the best luck, Yue. Hopefully, I see you in the finals, and then I get¡­ how do you say?¡± ¡°Revenge.¡± ¡°Yes, my revenge,¡± Gunnar smiled. ¡°Good luck to you too,¡± Yue told him as he left for the stands. ¡°WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE FINAL DAY OF THE FIRST MAGEFELL TOURNAMENT!¡± The Wolf said from the ring to the crowd¡¯s applause. ¡°I WILL SPARE THE FORMALITIES. YOU WANT TO SEE THE FIGHTS, DON¡¯T YOU?¡± The crowd roared in approval. ¡°ALRIGHT THEN. I CALL TO THE RING GUNNAR GUDJOHNSEN AND JABARI KOLO.¡± The big Mremban pushed past Yue and thundered down to the ring. Gunnar met him halfway, nodding to him politely. Jabari glared. ¡°I feel bad for Gunnar,¡± Alyx told her as they sat down on the stands. Sia, Skai, Zade, Th¡¯ul, and Xavier were all there already. ¡°He has no way of beating him.¡± ¡°Gunnar looks strong,¡± Zade shrugged. ¡°He is, but Yue beat him, and then Jabari beat Yue,¡± Neena responded. ¡°It¡¯s not as much of a contest as it looks.¡± Jabari growled a few words at Gunnar, and smiling, Gunnar threw away his shield. Yue gasped. Gunnar had never fought without a shield before! How would that affect his performance? ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE, TWO, ONE, BEGIN!¡± The clash of steel began immediately. It felt like the beginning of a thunderstorm, what with the sparks flying and the booming of the swords. Gunnar and Jabari stared daggers at each other as they swung hard. Both were relying on their strength to win this match, which usually worked in their favor. This match, though, was equally matched in terms of strength. If it came down to who had more muscle, Yue didn¡¯t know who would win. Jabari seemed smarter, though, so Yue still expected him to dominate. A massive thrust from the Mremban sent the Snjornin stumbling back, recovering quickly to lunge himself. Both players swung hard, murderous intent in their lunges. Yue assumed that since they knew the other would block their thrusts to some degree, they could swing with that power. Maybe they just wanted to kill each other, though. The blows were strong enough to cleave someone¡¯s head clean off. After forty-five seconds, the match still hadn¡¯t let up. Both fighters were still giving it their everything, and none had a clear victory. Gunnar was losing ground very slowly, but it wasn¡¯t enough for Jabari to win. A few swings scratched Gunnar, but his light armor prevented them from doing anything. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± Neena breathed, and Yue agreed. The ferocity of the match was astounding. Even the Wolf looked on raptly, and he usually saved those glances for Vanguard games. Eventually, someone had to give, and unfortunately, that man was Gunnar. His sword dropped slightly more than he wanted, and Jabari swung hard. Gunnar caught the blow with his chest to the flat of the blade, mostly able to stop it from doing any real damage, but he still flew back, landing at the edge of the ring. Unhesitating, the Mremban rushed at him and chopped again, intent on chopping Gunnar¡¯s torso in half. At the last second, the Snjornin rolled out of the way, stepping up behind Jabari and elbowing him in the back. Jabari stumbled forward, dropping his sword. Gunnar came in then, swinging wild, punching Jabari¡¯s face. Clearly, Gunnar had lost all patience. The Mremban stared daggers at Gunnar as he was pinned down and struck. Gunnar hit him time after time. A crunch erupted from the ring, and Yue gasped, unsure if it was Gunnar¡¯s fist breaking, or Jabari¡¯s nose. The bright red on the Snjornin¡¯s fist told Yue everything. The Mremban¡¯s nose was broken. Somehow, Gunnar had won. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I told you I would win, Sterkona!¡± Gunnar rumbled. ¡°He has weak mind. I probed him and he crumpled.¡± ¡°That he did,¡± Yue laughed. ¡°You did great. I didn¡¯t expect you to win, honestly.¡± ¡°Well, you have faith next time,¡± He said. ¡°I can already see the finals.¡± He walked away, posture full of victory. Yue looked at her friends. Her game was next. She had five minutes to prepare herself for it. She felt something strange when looking at Zade, though. A twinge of what she thought was pity mixed with some guilt. This was one of Zade¡¯s worst days, she could tell. His battle with depression wasn¡¯t going well today, and Yue hated seeing him like this. He had a sort of hollowness in his eyes, which was how he described Anni. Yue didn¡¯t expect him to attempt suicide anymore, but depression was still depression. Zade caught her glance and smiled softly, although he didn¡¯t let the smile touch his eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She whispered. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± He responded quickly. Too quickly. She didn¡¯t have time to contemplate this, though, as she was called up. ¡°WELCOME TO THE RING YUE ZHANG, THE STERKONA, AND ALYX REINHOLT.¡± Alyx gaped. ¡°No wonder the Wolf wouldn¡¯t tell us who we were fighting.¡± Yue grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll finally lose a match.¡± ¡°Who, me?¡± Alyx wondered. ¡°I¡¯m the undefeated one.¡± Yue rolled her eyes, and, taking Alyx¡¯s hand, they walked to the ring together. When the crowd cheered, Alyx raised her and Yue¡¯s hand. ¡°I hate to pair you together, but it had to be,¡± The Wolf told them. ¡°Get to your posts.¡± As soon as they were ready, the Wolf nodded to them. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN.¡± Silence. Absolute, complete silence. Yue and Alyx stared at each other. Unmoving, unwilling to run at each other yet. Slowly, Alyx walked the frontier of the ring, getting closer to Yue, and Yue did the unexpected. She moved towards Alyx. Both girls raised their swords slightly, and Alyx took on an offensive stance, albeit a slightly more neutral one. Yue feinted an attack. Alyx stumbled back nervously. She was scared about losing, and fear led to mistaked. Yue needed to exploit that. She roared a battle cry and launched herself at Alyx, swinging low. Alyx, slightly caught off guard, attempted to deflect her blow, but only managed to change the direction slightly. The sword swept Alyx¡¯s feet off the ground, sending her tumbling to the ground. Yue sliced down, and Alyx crawled away desperately, attempting to stand up. Yue knocked her down again and sliced down on her stomach. The sword sliced through armor and just barely grazed Alysx¡¯s skin. The thin well of blood that appeared confirmed Yue¡¯s victory. ¡°Let that humble you,¡± Yue winked. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The next few hours passed mostly uneventfully. A dozen participants lost, in total there were just 34 fighters left. Yue, Alyx, Aster, Gunnar, Jabari, Kol, Yiro, and Skai were the only people Yue had met who were still competing. All her other friends or acquaintances had lost, including Eva and Joanne. The tournament was reaching its end. There were now no more undefeated soldiers, so every match someone would lose. In all, there were still about thirty games left. There were still eleven Vanguard members left. It was a good number, and the Wolf was clearly excited about the outcome. Of course, it could¡¯ve been better, but not by much. Currently, two warriors Yue had never met were fighting. They were both women. One was a Mremban¡ªthere were still ten left, the most after the Vanguard¡ªand the other was an Arcadian¡ªthere were only three of those left. There were still five Valacian warriors and four from Aleumdaun Seom. The final warrior was Gunnar. Zade had been mostly silent the entire day. Yue could see the war in his mind, but decided not to probe him. He didn¡¯t want it, and he deserved his privacy. Alyx had gotten considerably more nervous after her loss with Yue. She¡¯d gotten less braggadocious, and spent most of her time practicing. Aster kept her cool on the outside, but on the inside, yue bet she was shaking with fear. And Yue was scared. She was nervous for the tournament, that was true, but at this point, she was growing paranoid. In her mind, the Cult could try anything at any moment, and she needed to be prepared. Every few seconds, she would look around, expecting to find a Cultist ready to blow the Arena apart. Yue would have to evacuate the Arena. If the Cult really wanted to blow it up, everyone in the Arena was in danger. But hadn¡¯t Yue stopped them? She had exposed them, right? Her leg shook. Neena noticed it and grimaced. ¡°The Cult?¡± She asked. Yue nodded. ¡°I¡¯m scared, too,¡± Neena replied. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen anything. This can¡¯t be good.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we know if they were preparing themselves, though?¡± Yue asked. ¡°They can¡¯t possibly be so secretive about it.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°They¡¯re mages.¡± Neena responded. ¡°You don¡¯t know what they can do.¡± Yue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re doing. They¡¯re hiding the explosives with magic. That¡¯s how it disappeared so fast. I have to tell the Wolf.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t listen to you,¡± Neena told him. ¡°And you need to stay here for the tournament. I can take care of it. I¡¯ll take Poli, Artemis, and Th¡¯ul. Zade can stay here with you.¡± ¡°Why Th¡¯ul?¡± Yue asked suspiciously. ¡°Because he¡¯s a mage. He might be able to get past any illusion.¡± Yue nodded. That was wise. ¡°Okay, you can go. We¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Neena stood up and walked towards Poli and Artemis. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°The Cult is getting ready,¡± Xander told her. It had been an hour since Neena left to see about the explosives, and Yue was getting worried about them. If they took much longer, she would have to send Xander after them. There were just 21 fighters left. Both Skai and Alyx had won a game, Alyx only barely beating her opponent. Aster was going soon. Yiro had been eliminated by Jabari, who seemed only more rejuvenated. Xander¡¯s eyes were wide and erratic as he talked to her. His head swung back and forth; clearly, he was as paranoid as her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked. ¡°I can hear whispers,¡± He told her. ¡°The Cult is preparing itself for something big. And I¡¯m involved in a small part. I hear something calling to me softly. Yue, I don¡¯t know if I can stay for much longer without putting you in danger.¡± She grabbed his hand and kissed him. ¡°Xander, please stay,¡± She whispered. ¡°Please, just for a little longer.¡± ¡°Yue, I don¡¯t want¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want,¡± Yue snapped. ¡°Not right now, anyway. I know you care about me. Don¡¯t leave me now.¡± Xander bit his lip. ¡°I¡¯ll stay for now. But I won¡¯t hesitate to leave as soon as I feel more. Even you won¡¯t be able to stop me if I want to leave.¡± Yue laid her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. For a few minutes they watched the matches¡ªKol beating a Seonan, and Gunnar winning against an Arcadian¡ªuntil Xander sucked his teeth and gasped. ¡°What happened?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Neena?¡± He replied. ¡°I sent her to delay the Cult. Why?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± He asked harshly. ¡°She¡¯s in danger. We need to find her now.¡± ¡°Tell the others,¡± Yue said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get more weapons.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They met at the foyer. Aster stayed, as she had a match coming up. She wanted to come with, but Yue wouldn¡¯t let her. Skai and Sia had decided to come, although Yue hadn¡¯t wanted them too. Yue passed swords around to Skai, Sia, and Xavier. The others all had weapons already. The group of seven entered the foyer with no problem, the barmaid only giving them a strange glance before leading them inside. ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± Yue asked. Xander shook his head. ¡°Not really. But I think it¡¯s somewhere southeast.¡± They took the left path when it forked, leading them south. They reached another fork in the path. Then another, and another. Every time, Yue asked Xander which way they should go, and each time he responded with more and more certainty. They were getting close. Eventually, they heard a scream. ¡°That was Neena,¡± Xander exclaimed. ¡°We need to move quickly.¡± They rushed forward, and soon they could hear clangs of steel clashing. There was a fight going on. Sia started to shake violently, paralyzed in fear. ¡°Hey, Sia,¡± Yue knelt down. ¡°Do you need to stay here?¡± ¡°N-no,¡± Sia gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m f-f-fine: Let¡¯s keep¡ªgoing.¡± She stopped shaking and started walking slowly in the direction of the scream. A figure ran towards them. Artemis. ¡°Oh, thank god you¡¯re here!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°We need you.¡± He ran forward. Yue¡¯s mind reeled from the chaos of what was happening. The possibilities of what her friends could be going through scared her, but she didn¡¯t have the time for that. She followed Artemis as he ran forwards. Then they found her friends. Neena, Th¡¯ul, and Poli were locked in combat with five people who Yue guessed were mages. Th¡¯ul was staring strangely at another mage who stared back. Poli was swinging in the air, a puppet in the wind. Neena was fighting sword to fist with a mage, whose ferocity forced neena to fight desperately. One of the mages cursed as she saw them. ¡°Rayse! Tye! Take care of them!¡± She growled, and then she disappeared. A fireball whizzed past Yue, who was only saved by Xander tackling her. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here,¡± He said. ¡°They¡¯ll know!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± Yue told him. ¡°They won¡¯t punish you while they need you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± He said smiling. Suddenly, he pitched over, his eyes glazing over. He began to froth at the mouth, and he yelled in pain. ¡°Xander!¡± She yelled. ¡°Come on! Stop, please!¡± Yue shook his already twitching form. Suddenly, he went still. Yue yelled in grief and checked his heartbeat. He was alive for now. All she could do now was stop the other mages. Looking up, she found one on the ground already, Zade¡¯s blade wet with blood, Th¡¯ul next to him wiping his brow. A mage rushed her, and she deflected his blows. He wasn¡¯t using a sword, but there was still some sort of invisible weapon attacking her. Yue assumed it was a magic sword. The only reason she knew it was swinging was the whistle of the wind. The mage pitched over as Alyx stabbed him in the face, splitting him open like a watermelon. His blood and brains exploded on Yue¡¯s face. ¡°You look better that way,¡± Alyx smiled. ¡°Watch out!¡± Yue pointed. The fourth rushed at Alyx, throwing Fireballs and sending whizzes of lightning. ¡°I¡¯ve got this one,¡± Th¡¯ul told Yue. ¡°I have magic. You take care of the other one.¡± Yue nodded to him and turned towards the last mage. The mage¡ªa woman¡ªwas standing over Sia, who couldn¡¯t move, only whimpered in fear. Yue screamed in rage, running forwards. The mage turned in shock and growled at her. Yue swung and connected with¡­ Nothing. The mage had to be using a shield. She couldn¡¯t hit her. The mage smiled, took out a dagger, and sliced down. Sia screamed as the blade bit into her hand. The mage took out another dagger and stabbed Sia¡¯s other hand. Sia¡¯s next scream bit into Yue¡¯s soul. She kept attacking the mage, trying to reach Sia, but it was no use. The next dagger took Sia on her left foot, then her right foot. She was now crucified to the ground, tears flowing from her face, and helplessness on her face. The mage raised a fifth dagger to Sia¡¯s face. ¡°I am going to carve her now unless you drop your weapons.¡± Yue dropped hers immediately. ¡°Xander! Zade! Drop your weapons!¡± She called, looking over. The fourth mage was already dead, and her friends looked confusedly at her. Seeing what was happening, though, they dropped their swords. ¡°You made the right decision,¡± The woman told them. ¡°Now I will take this girl as a hostage and you will not follow us anymore.¡± She ripped her daggers off of Sia, who once again yelled in pain. Yue stood still, tears in her eyes, wishing she could do something. The woman began to drag Sia away, and suddenly a form whizzed past her, and knocked into the woman, who flew back, hitting her head on the wall, unmoving. Yue stared at the form. Xavier. He was standing over the woman, breathing heavily, his fists out. He looked at Zade and smiled. ¡°I think I just unlocked my skill,¡± He said, then fainted. As Zade ran towards Xavier, Yue turned towards Sia. She was bleeding profusely, and needed to reach the hospital now. ¡°Alyx!¡± Yue said. ¡°Can you take Sia to the hospital?¡± Alyx nodded and flung Sia over her shoulder, Poli and Artemis following for safety. ¡°Xavier¡¯s alive,¡± Th¡¯ul told them ¡°He¡¯ll wake up in a few minutes. I don¡¯t know about Xander, though.¡± Yue¡¯s eyes widened and she rushed at Xander. He was still breathing shallowly, his eyes closed in unconsciousness. Yue shook him, and his eyes darted open. ¡°Hey, Sterkona,¡± He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The Cult turned me off,¡± He responded. ¡°They didn¡¯t want me fighting. They¡¯re mad now. But they won¡¯t kill me. They still need me to kill you later.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°We need to get back to the Arena. We don¡¯t want to miss Aster¡¯s match.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They missed Aster¡¯s match. They found her in the stands, eyes rimmed with a couple tears. ¡°I lost,¡± She told them. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all alive,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Sia is going to the hospital, though. I¡¯m sorry about your loss.¡± Aster shrugged, wiping her eyes. ¡°It happens. I was nervous for you, and I lost. I was in the top twenty, though. Number eighteen in the whole world. That¡¯s pretty good, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Who¡¯s fighting next?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Skai responded. ¡°I¡¯m tired, but I can still fight.¡± ¡°Well, you should get ready,¡± Aster told her. ¡°The Wolf will call you anytime soon.¡± Skai nodded and headed towards the practice room. ¡°Are you going to check on Sia?¡± Alyx asked her. ¡°After this match,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I want to watch Skai.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Skai lost her match. She returned to Xavier dejected, but his hug seemed to mollify her. Yue headed with Zade and Aster to the hospital, where they found Sia awake but in pain. ¡°Everything hurts,¡± Sia told them. ¡°My hands aren¡¯t broken, but one of my feet is. I can still feel the daggers. They hurt so much.¡± She began to sob. ¡°I was weak. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry for,¡± Yue responded. ¡°You were courageous enough to face them. Anyone else would¡¯ve suffered the same fate in your place. No one thinks you were weak. Sia, we¡¯re sorry we couldn¡¯t protect you.¡± ¡°Fighting with the Sterkona,¡± Sia smiled softly. ¡°And then she apologizes to me. I can¡¯t believe my life went in this direction.¡± ¡°We¡¯re happy to have you,¡± Yue told her. ¡°I hope you get better soon.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sia responded. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much that means to me. If you don¡¯t mind, can you stay a bit? I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll stay,¡± Yue told her. ¡°I¡¯ll stay however long you need.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª She stayed for an hour, long after Zade and Aster left. She only came back for one reason. Her next match. It was coming up. She didn¡¯t recognize her opponent, but he was the first of only two Arcadians left. With only a few participants left, it made sense that there would only be a couple from each country, but Arcadia had a particularly low score. They were the squad with the last members except for the magefell Guards, who had been eliminated on the second day. If the King was right, then they could¡¯ve sent better warriors, but two in sixteen was still very good. Of course, there would only be one in fifteen when Yue was done with her match. Truthfully, she wasn¡¯t feeling nervous at all about this match. Her worry for her friends overruled it all. She had to find a way to tell the Wolf what was happening, but she would have to wait for the break, which would come when there were only ten warriors. ¡°I CALL TO THE RING YUE ZHANG AND DESTRY FAELS!¡± Yue walked forwards, keeping an eye on Destry as she did so. He was a lean man in his mid-twenties, blond hair framing his youthful unscarred face. He had an arrogant manner about him, and he cracked his neck when he saw her. Clearly, he assumed he would win this. Clearly, he was wrong. As soon as the Wolf announced the start of the match, Destry ran at Yue. Unconcerned, Yue stepped out of the way. Destry swung again and again, trying his hardest to strike her, but Yue dodged him every step of the way with ease. How he¡¯d gotten to the top sixteen Yue did not know. He must have gotten easier matches. Once again, Yue stepped out of the way as he swung. This time, he tripped, slamming onto the ground unnaturally. Yue wondered what had happened. His footing was fine, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with him. Destry¡¯s face twisted to face her. His body stayed where it was, but his head turned in a 180 degree angle. She retched as foam erupted from his head, mixed with blood. ¡°We gave you a little help,¡± Destry whispered, a thousand voices coming from him, but only Yue could hear them. ¡°We know what happened. You are too late. Win the tournament. Then you shall be eradicated.¡± The crowd gasped as the man¡¯s face shattered in two, and Yue vomited on the ground. ¡°What did you do?¡± The Wolf asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°I was too far away to have done that.¡± ¡°I know,¡± The Wolf admitted. ¡°You clearly didn¡¯t cheat, but something happened. Either way, the boy is dead. You have passed.¡± Yue grimaced. Destry¡¯s unnaturally angled head stares sightlessly at her. ¡°WE WILL TAKE A BREAK NOW TO ASSESS WHAT HAPPENED!¡± The Wolf roared at the crowd. ¡°WE WILL RETURN IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue finished recounting her story to the Wolf. ¡°Is Sia okay, then?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yue nodded. ¡°She¡¯s fine. What do we do about this?¡± ¡°Nothing. We don¡¯t have the power, strength, or surprise,¡± He responded. ¡°Keep an eye out, though. Things are coming to a head. We need to be prepared.¡± ¡°What are you going to say happened to Destry?¡± ¡°He slipped, hit his head on a rock, and died.¡± ¡°But his head twisted¡­¡± ¡°Just an effect of the rock,¡± The Wolf said. ¡°We need to assuage the spectators, Yue. If what you say is right, and the Cultists did this, we don¡¯t want the crowd to know about it. Ignorance is bliss for them.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°I do. Now, if you don¡¯t mind, I have to go finish the last matches. I expect you to win, Yue. You are my favorite.¡± He winked, leaving towards the ring.¡± Dejectedly, Yue walked back to the stands. She felt horrible about what had happened to Destry, but she needed to keep a level head. Once she got back, though, she noticed someone was missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Zade?¡± ¡°He went for a walk,¡± Neena replied. ¡°Told us he might be a while.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it!¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°We need to find him. Everyone, come with me.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Aster asked. ¡°You¡¯ll still have a game!¡± ¡°Not for a while yet!¡± She responded. ¡°Zade isn¡¯t feeling well, and we need to confront him, especially me and Xavier. But you need to come with, for support and safety.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Xavier said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zade wasn¡¯t hard to locate. He was sobbing right outside the Arena, his body shaking from the sadness. ¡°Zade,¡± Yue poked him on the shoulder. He looked up, eyes rimmed with tears. ¡°Hey, Yue. Why are you here?¡± He sounded tired, spent. ¡°Because I know how bad you feel. And you can¡¯t keep this private. It¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± ¡°But I haven''t kept it private,¡± He responded. ¡°You already know everything.¡± ¡°Do we?¡± Yue wondered. ¡°Tell me honestly, Zade. Have you told us everything?¡± ¡°No,¡± He shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t told you about my parents.¡± ¡°We already know that story,¡± Xavier told him. ¡°Don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know about Eren, Or Sh¡¯Hani, do you? No, you don¡¯t know everything. You¡¯re right, Yue. But what does this change?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t hide anything,¡± Yue said. ¡°It¡¯ll only make you worse if you don¡¯t tell us.¡± Zade sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The only person who could¡¯ve possibly understood this was Astil. And he¡¯s gone. IT WAS MY FAULT! JUST LIKE EREN!¡± He sobbed again. ¡°Try us,¡± Yue said. ¡°Tell us. If we don¡¯t understand, at least you tried. If we do, we can help you. I guarantee you¡¯ll feel better either way.¡± Zade nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you everything. Just please keep it a secret.¡± Yue nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Zade began. ¡°I guess the story starts when I was young¡­¡± Chapter Thirty-Nine: Eren Chapter Thirty-Nine: Eren Fifteen Years Ago I walked down the path slowly, unused to walking. I was two summers old at the time. My first memory. The grass was green, but not healthy green. A more sickly green, almost yellow. It was fall, and I was laughing. My eyes were filled with joy, and I was innocent. The path was old, beaten, but trustworthy, and my feet on the rough cobbles were uneven. I still wasn¡¯t very good at walking, but I tried my best. He was leading me, of course. Holding my hand, making sure I never slipped. He always did. At some point, I screamed in pain as my foot twisted, and I fell to the ground. That¡¯s when he stood over me. Eren, my brother. Seven summers old at the time, but always caring for me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked. ¡°No,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I bwoke my foot.¡± Eren laughed slightly, picking me up. ¡°You just twisted it a little. You¡¯ll be okay.¡± I hugged him as he led me back to my house. ¡°I wove you, big bwudew,¡± I said. ¡°I love you too,¡± Eren replied warmly. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Thirteen Years Ago When I was four, I grew really close to the two people who would become my best friends. Of course, Eren was one of them. The older he grew, the more he wanted to care for me and lead me. My parents loved it. They commended Eren for being responsible, and they were always advocating for us spending more time together. He was now nine. The other person was Jade. I¡¯d known her since I was born, but we really became close only when I was four. We were inseparable, so much so that if I ever go back to Erenfeld, people would immediately ask me when I¡¯d marry Jade. She was just a year older than me, and we were thick as thieves. Jade¡¯s mother babysat me often when my mother was doing chores or buying groceries, and that only led to us getting closer. With Eren, our relationship was both of brothers and protectors. With Jade, it was close friends. One day, Eren led me to Jade¡¯s house where I would stay for the day. ¡°Eren?¡± I asked. ¡°I need you to promise me something.¡± ¡°Anything,¡± He replied, smiling. I don¡¯t know what came upon me that day, but it was some sort of melancholy, and so I said what came to my mind. ¡°To never leave me,¡± I told him. ¡°We¡¯ll stick together forever.¡± Eren knelt down beside me, his head cocking slightly sideways. ¡°Zee, we don¡¯t know how our lives will go.¡± He told me. He was the only one to use that nickname in my life. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I can guarantee you. I will always protect you. You hear me? I won¡¯t let anything hurt you.¡± Later, I asked the same question to Jade, my mind burning with some sort of spontaneous uncertainty. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll always stay with you,¡± Jade says. ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. I would never leave my best friend. Do you promise that too?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Of course, at that age, my promise meant nothing. I had no idea how my life would turn out. If I did, I would never have promised any of this. I¡¯m not with Jade, as you all know. She stayed in Erenfeld as a Guard while I lived here. But with Eren, it was much worse. Eren didn¡¯t deserve the fate he got. His promise was a lie, but it isn¡¯t his fault. I really miss him. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Ten Years Ago I was now seven summers old. Jade was eight. Eren was thirteen. This was where the beginning of the end begun. The period from when I was four summers to seven is a haze for me. I don¡¯t remember most of it. It was a routine, you see. Not much interesting happened. It was uneventful but fun. I only grew closer with Jade and Eren. I began to make friends with others in Erenfeld, but none as close as those two. Eren, as a teenager, began to work on my da¡¯s farm more than my own da did. He took care of the cattle and the sheep, and often took our hounds for walks in the woods. One day, he asked me to come with him while he took the hounds on a walk. He was hoping to show me how they hunt. I asked if Jade could come with us, and, ever nice, he said yes. So, there we were, the three of us, just walking in the forest with a pair of dogs. I was scared of the forest at the time. It was eerie, strange, unfamiliar. With Eren, though, I felt safe. The hounds sniffed around as they walked, searching for any hints of prey. There were many rabbits in the forest at the time, and still are, I¡¯d wager. Eventually, they found something. They took off, and Eren went after them. ¡°Come on!¡± He yelled at us. Me and Jade ran as well, although we were not as fast as him. We lost track of him quickly, eventually getting lost ourselves in the forest. I panicked, yelling in fear. Jade was trying to calm me down, but I could tell she was scared too. ¡°EREN! EREN!¡± We yelled. Thankfully, we got a response back. ¡°Over here!¡± We ran in the direction of the voice as quickly as we could, aware of the dangers of the forest. When we found Eren, we paused. He was with a family who I didn¡¯t recognize. They looked haggard and they were naked. A mother¡ªshe looked about thirty-five¡ª, a father who was about thirty-four and a daughter who was fourteen at the time. I didn¡¯t realize it yet, but I soon would. They were bandits, or at least they had used to be. They had realized the error of their ways and decided to leave their gang. The gang members hadn¡¯t taken it well, beating them up, ripping off their clothes, and raping the mother. Since then, they had been walking, looking for shelter. And they had ended up in Erenfeld. ¡°We need help!¡± The man told us. ¡°We¡¯re tired and hungry. We¡¯ve been walking for weeks. I don¡¯t know how much longer we can last.¡± Eren took pity on them. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help you,¡± He said. ¡°Can I take you to the village?¡± ¡°Please,¡± The woman told him. ¡°Although we would like some clothes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you some there,¡± Eren said. The family finally noticed me and Jade. The fourteen summers old girl smiled at me. ¡°And who are you, sweetheart?¡± She asked. I beamed up at her. ¡°I¡¯m Zade!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Are you Eren¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Him?¡± The girl asked, pointing. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re my friend,¡± I told her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Sh¡¯Hani,¡± She replied. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Sh¡¯Hani.¡± We returned to Erenfeld in high spirits. I couldn¡¯t believe it! I was helping somebody! Eren immediately fell for Sh¡¯Hani, that much was obvious. As soon as he got to Erenfeld, he found clothes for them. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go find my family,¡± He said. We introduced the family to my parents. I never expected their reactions. They were irate. ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± My da yelled. ¡°Their part of the Shadows. I¡¯ve been robbed by them before. Hell, one of my old friends was killed by them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that,¡± The man responded. ¡°We have realized the evil that we did, and we have changed. We aim to help others now, not hurt them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late for that, isn¡¯t it? You deserve justice.¡± My da asked. ¡°Please forgive us,¡± The woman told him. ¡°At least take Sh¡¯Hani, please. She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± My da unsheathed his sword. ¡°Please comply. I¡¯m putting you under arrest.¡± ¡°DA! How could you do this?¡± Eren asked indignantly. ¡°Step aside, Eren,¡± My da warned. ¡°They¡¯re criminals.¡± In the end, the former criminals were able to escape into the woods. My da told the Guard, but they assumed the family had left, but they hadn¡¯t. Eren began to leave into the forest regularly to feed them and care for them. He and Sh¡¯Hani kept a close relationship, eventually beginning to date. Eren was taking care of a good family, no matter what my parents said. Eren told Jade and me what he was doing and we wisely kept our mouths shut. I supported Eren, and looking back, I still would. I do hate the family, though, even if they were better now. They ruined my life, somewhat. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Seven Years Ago I turned ten. Eren was fifteen now, maturing a lot now. Somehow, he was able to keep the former criminal family¡ªthe Yuilos¡ª a secret, but my parents got suspicious at times. They never found the family, though. As former bandits, they knew how to avoid detection. One day my da brought his hounds to chase the family, expecting them to find something. Thankfully, Eren had taught them to ignore that smell. My father never caught them. It was then that I fell in love with the sword, me and Jade both. My da gifted us wooden swords and we practiced them every day, honing our skills, getting better and better. Of course, we were still not very good, but we were trying and improving. Sometimes, my da would practice with us. We would get bruised those days. Those were the fun days. After a particularly grueling session, I turned to Jade questioningly. ¡°What do you want to be when you grow up?¡± I asked. ¡°A warrior,¡± She responded. ¡°I want to fight in an army conquering cities and winning battles.¡± ¡°That sounds like fun,¡± I replied wistfully. ¡°I just want to be a guard. Protecting this city or another like Eren protects me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that would be boring?¡± She wondered. ¡°No, it¡¯s always good helping others, no matter if it seems like you¡¯re not doing much.¡± ¡°What happens if I become a warrior, though, and leave Erenfeld? What happens then?¡± She asked. ¡°With us?¡± ¡°I''m leaving with you,¡± I responded. ¡°I will never leave you alone.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± Ah, the ignorance of the youth! Life was still mostly normal and uneventful. I began to do so many chores that my da began to relax a bit around the house. I did sometimes have to do extra work because Eren was off with the Yuilos, but I was willing. And the Yuilos appreciated it. They told me many times. I saw them only a few times since we¡¯d rescued them. Jade only saw them once. They became sort of a legend between me and Jade, almost magical. Of course, there was nothing magical about them. If there had been, this wouldn¡¯t end the way it did. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Five Years Ago Jade had now become a teenager. I envied her. I saw becoming a teenager as the greatest thing that ever happened to a man, and I couldn¡¯t wait for it to happen. Eren was seventeen now, the age I am now. Unbeknownst to me, he was discussing marrying Sh¡¯Hani. Sadly, if he wanted to, he¡¯d have to leave Erenfeld. He didn¡¯t want to tell me, because I¡¯d want to go with him and take Jade. Anything else would feel like a betrayal. On the outside, everything was the same. My parents grew less suspicious and then more suspicious when Eren started leaving at night, but they didn¡¯t for a second imagine the Yuilos were there. They assumed Eren was taking care of some sort of wild animal. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Me and Jade had gotten very good with the sword for our age. The Guard had agreed to train us in their spare time so we were getting professional lessons at the time. A few months before I turned thirteen, Eren finally bought a ring. He took a trip to Arcadia so our parents wouldn¡¯t about it, but he bought a somewhat cheap ring¡ªhe wasn¡¯t rich¡ªand asked Sh¡¯Hani in marriage. She agreed. Sort of. She told him that she would the next year. She still had some things to take care of. Then the worst happened. Her parents died. They got sick from some sort of disease and they never recovered. I was devastated. I felt so bad. My parents saw me crying but I refused to tell them why. Sh¡¯Hani didn¡¯t know what to do or how to live. She was alone in the forest. Eren didn¡¯t know what to do either. And for months, Eren and Sh¡¯Hani discussed what they would do. The day I turned thirteen, they told me. ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Eren said. ¡°Sh¡¯Hani has agreed to marry me. We can¡¯t get married here, so we¡¯re leaving.¡± At this point in my life, I¡¯d assumed that eventually Eren would leave. ¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit you often,¡± He promised. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Three Years Ago The next few years went by quickly. I saw Eren and Sh¡¯Hani often. They¡¯d moved to a village nearby, one that my parents had never been to. Sh¡¯Hani hadn¡¯t been recognized as a former shadow, so everything was good. Eren loved to tell me about his life. He¡¯d become a blacksmith apprentice, and he was doing very well. He told me he¡¯d be a professional blacksmith by the time I turned eighteen. He was earning enough money to provide for Sh¡¯Hani and him. They were trying for a baby, but they hadn¡¯t had any luck yet. My parents refused to talk about Eren. He was dead to them. They didn¡¯t know where he¡¯d gone, but they assumed that he¡¯d either died or become a bandit. Any mention of Eren to them just brought anger or sadness. It was not wise to mention him around them. Me and Jade grew a sense of humor during this time. We became jokers, pranksters, really confusing everyone around us by how we talked. One of the main ways we showed affection was by teasing or insulting each other. My parents were astounded, assuming we weren¡¯t good friends anymore. We were closer than ever, though. Eren and I began to take regular trips to Arcadia, and sometimes Jade went along. We each had chores to do there, and we made sure no one recognized Eren. It was a risky business, but a necessary one. I had a feeling everything would go to hell eventually. Still took a few years for that to happen, though, thankfully. For now, I appreciated the time I had with my mentor, friend, and brother. Everything could be over so quickly. And it really would be. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª One Year Ago Everything ended after I turned sixteen. Eren, me, and Jade were taking a trip to Arcadia. Unbeknownst to us, my da was also coming, although he wasn¡¯t coming for us. He was going to buy something from a friend of his. He took the path just half an hour after us. Ignorantly, we walked the streets of Magefell, doing our chores, having fun, and talking to the Guards. Some of them knew us well by now, and our excitement for swordsmanship gladdened them. They told us often about how they would really want to see us in the Guard. To them, Eren was a distant relative of Jade. He never removed his hood, which is the only reason he never got uncovered. According to us, he was riddled with scars and hated to show them. As we turned the corner, we saw him. Our da, speaking with a merchant. My heart stopped as I looked at him. His back was to us, and he seemed to be speaking very animatedly with the merchant. As the merchant looked at us, his eyes widened and he pointed at us. Da turned to us and for a second he looked confused. ¡°Who is that?¡± He asked dangerously, but Eren was already running away. ¡°Who was that, Zade?¡± ¡°Nobody,¡± I said, turning. My da growled and cased Eren. Jade and I ran after him. For a good five minutes, the chase was kept up. Eren ran faster than my da, often losing him in the streets. As we passed the Arcadian Guard¡¯s Headquarters, my da inexplicably stopped. I ignored him and kept running after him. A minute later, though, I realized what he¡¯d done. My da had gotten a Guard, and they were chasing Eren too. At this point, my da still didn¡¯t know this man was Eren but his suspicion was rising. Eventually, Eren was cornered. He turned, and unveiled his face. ¡°Hi, dad,¡± he said. ¡°Eren!¡± My dad breathed. ¡°This is where you¡¯ve been hiding? Why? Why did you run?¡± Eren sighed, looked up at my father and told him the truth. The whole story. My da grew increasingly more and more angry as Eren continued his story. At the end, my da was fuming. ¡°How could you? How dare you?¡± His voice was cold, hardened. ¡°You are not my son. Guard, kill that man.¡± ¡°That is not my jurisdiction,¡± The man replied. ¡°He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± ¡°He married a convict. Isn¡¯t that illegal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± The man replied. ¡°We might have to arrest you.¡± Eren panicked. If he went with them, he might not see Sh¡¯Hani again. She was pregnant now. They needed each other. Possibly, even she would be arrested. He unsheathed his sword. The Guard, who I later learned was known to be brash and often cruel, rushed him immediately, murder in his eyes. ¡°You dare unsheathe your sword against me?¡± The man growled. I don¡¯t remember much of what happened next. All I remember is the end. I know the guard attacked Eren. I remember that Eren defended himself. And I have a distinct memory of when Eren¡¯s sword plunged into the man¡¯s heart, ending his life. The moment after, Eren dropped his sword, shock on his face. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± He said. ¡°It was self-defense.¡± ¡°You monster!¡± My da screamed. He rushed away, yelling for guards. ¡°We need to leave,¡± I said. ¡°Eren, come on, we have to go.¡± Eren was shocked, paralyzed. My hand on his shoulder roused him. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± He said. ¡°Jade, you coming?¡± She nodded, and we took off. Before long, we heard a pounding on feet on the cobbles. ¡°You run faster,¡± I told Eren. ¡°You can go ahead of us.¡± Eren smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be caught with me, Zade. They¡¯ll only get mad at you too.¡± With that, he sprinted faster than us ducking down an alleyway. Jade and I turned right, running towards Erenfeld. We stopped near the beginning of Erenfeld and strained our eyes. I heard a scream. Eren¡¯s. I screamed his name and returned to where I last saw him. Jade followed after me, and following the screams, we were able to reach Eren. There were five guards holding him. He¡¯d clearly surrendered. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest,¡± One of the guards said. ¡°You will be kept in prison until tried.¡± Eren began to cry softly. ¡°Tell Sh¡¯Hani I¡¯m sorry,¡± He told me. ¡°Please.¡± The next few days were grueling. My da refused to talk to me, and my trip to visit Sh¡¯Hani was very sad. She was sobbing by the end. ¡°What will I do now?¡± She wondered. ¡°What can I do?¡± The next day, Sh¡¯Hani was arrested as well. Jade and I were devastated. The trial was delayed for a long time. I was hoping against hope that it would never come. Throughout all that time, Sh¡¯Hani and Eren stayed in jail, even while she was pregnant. A month after he was arrested, the King went to visit my da. ¡°We need to talk,¡± The King told him. ¡°Zade, go away,¡± My da commanded. ¡°Ah, let him stay. This involves him too.¡± The king paused dramatically. ¡°As you know, your son Eren was arrested. I want to try him but I need your witness on what happened. Whatever you say will decide his punishment. If you tell me that he killed the guard in self-defense, he shall pay a fine and go free. If you tell me he didn¡¯t, then, well, the penalty of killing a guard is death.¡± I sucked in my teeth. ¡°I know the truth!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the witness is not yours,¡± The King told me, and he seemed genuinely apologetic. ¡°You cannot give reliable witness until you turn eighteen.¡± ¡°Please, da,¡± I begged. ¡°Tell the truth.¡± My da smiled at me softly. ¡°I can only tell the truth, son. I saw everything that happened. Eren killed the Guard out of pure spite. He had no reason to do what he did. He deserves to die.¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE A LIAR!¡± I screamed in rage. ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T BELIEVE HIM!¡± The King sighed. ¡°I have to, Zade. I¡¯m so sorry. He must be executed.¡± ¡°And what about Sh¡¯Hani?¡± I asked weakly. ¡°She will be beheaded too, for belonging to the Shadows, who have killed many.¡± I began to cry then. ¡°You can¡¯t do this.¡± A tear rolled down King Aeson¡¯s cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it. But it¡¯s the law. Maybe it must be changed. But for now, this must be done. I truly am sorry, Zade.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Six Months Ago Sh¡¯Hani and Eren stayed in the jail for months. I visited them often, as did Jade. Seeing them was always sad, and I left crying every time. King Aeson was true to his word and changed the law over reliable witnesses. Unfortunately, it was too late to change anything. The day before the execution, I visited them one last time. Looking at them through the bars, I immediately began to cry. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯ll kill you,¡± I sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Eren replied. ¡°I¡¯m dying by Sh¡¯Hani¡¯s side. It¡¯s my dream. I¡¯m just sad the kid will never be born.¡± ¡°Eren, you can¡¯t leave me. You said you never would!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my choice, Zee,¡± He replied. ¡°I hate to leave you. But you still have your entire life ahead of you. You have so much to live for.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t live without you there.¡± ¡°Of course you can,¡± He said, shedding a tear of his own. ¡°You¡¯re strong, Zade. You¡¯ll become a warrior or a guard and do more than I ever did, Zee. I believe in you.¡± I sighed and reached at him through the bars. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°I have to,¡± He said. ¡°Stay with Jade. I can see it. She¡¯s your rock. Keep her by your side. Marry her. Have kids. It¡¯s the best you can do. Take care of her, and leather take care of you.¡± I nodded. ¡°Anything, Eren. I¡¯ll do it.¡± I wasn¡¯t thinking about what I was saying. I only realized later what I¡¯d said. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± He said. ¡°Just know that I love you, Zee.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you so much,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡± ¡°Not soon, I hope,¡± He responded with a grim laugh. I turned and left, trying to contain my tears. I spent the night with Jade, crying, unable to sleep. She usually tries to comfort me, but that day she did not. She was just as sad as I was. It was the worst day of my life until then. The next day was even worse. The execution was early in the day. Thankfully, the King had allowed it to be a private session, so it was to be done right outside of Arcadia. I didn¡¯t wake up that day because I¡¯d been awake the entire night. I got to the designated spot an hour before anyone else did, my heart racing and my tears threatening to spill over. Jade came to me about ten minutes before anyone else did. This time, she did try to comfort me, although I was inconsolable at the time. When they brought Eren and Sh¡¯Hani out, my heart dropped. They looked so weak and frail. It was so painful to watch. My ma refused to watch the execution. My dad came, though, more out of spite for Eren than anything else. The King came as well, as much as it pained him to do so. The executioner was wearing the traditional Arcadian black mask over his head to represent death. The first one they killed was Sh¡¯Hani, laying her head on a stump.. Before the executioner brought his axe down, he asked her for her last words. They¡¯ve haunted me since, and I¡¯ve tried to ignore them. Every day, I block the words out of my head so I don¡¯t dwell on them. Some days, they return. ¡°Why can¡¯t you save the baby?¡± Even the executioner paused at that. Eren pleaded with him to spare the kid, spare his wife, but the executioner readied himself too quickly. The axe came down quickly. There was so much blood. I didn¡¯t even know humans had that much. Her head rolling on the ground made me throw up and choke in the pain, but Jade held me, and I held her as my anchor to reality. This couldn¡¯t be happening. But it was. The next victim, and last one, was Eren. He walked over to the stump with a defeated look on his face. Clearly, his wife¡¯s death had taken a massive toll on him. ¡°Any last words?¡± The executioner asked. ¡°I love you, Zade,¡± He told me. ¡°You have a lot to live for. Please don¡¯t let the memory of me get in the way of that. ¡°Jade, take care of him. Gods know he needs it.¡± He chuckled softly, a tear rolling down his cheek. ¡°Goodbye.¡± The executioner¡¯s axe came down, and Eren¡¯s head rolled off. A scream rose in my throat and I let it escape. The grief and pain in my eyes was hurtful even to my da, who winced and looked away. Eren¡¯s head somehow came to a stop next to me. I grabbed it in my arms and cradled it. Eren and Sh¡¯Hani were not buried. In a last fit of unfairness, my da burned their bodies, which both Eren and Sh¡¯Hani had explicitly told him not to do. It was his last screw you. And to me, it was twisting the knife in the wound. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Two Months Ago For the next four months, my life grew dreary, depressing. I didn¡¯t want to think about what had happened. Jade kept telling me to face it, that moving on was important, but I couldn¡¯t do it. I just ignored that anything had happened and grew almost apathetic. I refused to talk to my parents at all. To me, they weren¡¯t family anymore, they just happened to live under the same roof. Tensions were rising between me and them and I was sure it would come to a head eventually. What I never imagined was how bad that confrontation would be. I remember the day vividly. It feels like yesterday to me. I¡¯ve replayed that day so many times, and it was even part of one of my visions. I was walking out of my house when they stopped me. My da and ma told me they needed to talk to me. I refused obviously, so my da grabbed me. I panicked. I didn¡¯t want to face them or talk to them. I would explode in rage or grief and it would only make things infinitely worse. They had already ruined their relationship with me. There was no need to make it worse. What I didn¡¯t realize was that by not letting my emotions explode, I made something else explode. See, when I panicked, I Awakened. I watched as my da¡¯s head exploded. It just popped, like a balloon. I was covered in the remains of the man I once loved who I now hated. I felt grief, yes, but more I hated myself for what I did. My mother didn¡¯t explode but she was magically stabbed in the heart. It was just as bad of an ending. For a month, I was paralyzed in fear. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I was grief-stricken. They¡¯d done many bad things to me, but I still missed my parents and I hadn¡¯t wanted to kill me. Jade did everything she could to help me. And to some degree, it did work. Once again, I learned to hide everything, to act like nothing had happened. She told me to face it, talk about it, but I refused. It¡¯s a bad habit of mine, I¡¯m sure you know that already. The village at first thought I¡¯d murdered my parents in cold blood. Soon, they realized that I was a mage. Magefell Guards were sent to collect me to get me to Zenyth Academy. I spent my last few days in Jade¡¯s house. Some in the village still hated me, thinking I¡¯d done it on purpose. Most were more forgiving, seeing the trauma I was going through. Jade, of course, was always there for me, no matter if what I did was strange. She wasn¡¯t afraid to tell me no, but she wouldn¡¯t do it without a good reason. When the day came to leave, I didn¡¯t feel as bad as I should. The only thing I¡¯ve missed from Erenfeld now is Jade. She is the only thing I have left from my old life. The only person from Erenfeld that I can trust. Hell, she¡¯s the person I would trust the most, even if I haven¡¯t talked to her in a while. I would do anything for her, and she¡¯s told me she would do anything for me. I broke my promise to Eren. He told me to stay with Jade forever. I was forced to break it, but I still hate that I did. It was his last wish, and I couldn¡¯t fulfill it. One day, I will return and find Jade. Either that or she will come to me. I don¡¯t want to marry her, but she is my best friend, and I do intend to keep my promise. Eren deserves that much. He didn¡¯t deserve what he got. All I have now is the memories. I think I¡¯m ready to let go now. Chapter Forty: The Winner Chapter Forty: The Winner I look up at my friends. All of them are sad, shocked. Clearly, they did not expect my story. I embrace Yue and whisper again. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to let go now.¡± I sob on her shoulder, my friends coming in for a hug too, Skai standing off to the side awkwardly. We kneel there for as long as we dare, but eventually we have to break off. ¡°Thank you for listening,¡± I tell them. ¡°Zade, I¡­¡± Yue trails off. ¡°That¡¯s horrible. I didn¡¯t know any of this!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell anyone,¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly my highest moment.¡± ¡°We understand your pain,¡± Xavier tells me. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t completely feel it ourselves.¡± I nod in gratitude and stand up, wiping my tears. ¡°Well, the tournament is almost over. We wouldn¡¯t want to miss it, right?¡± ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± Yue asks. Once again, I nod. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± And that¡¯s the truth. Telling them what has haunted me for months has been a relief, and I feel slightly refreshed now. I know that now I can deal with my demons, now that I have my friends. I¡¯ve finally truly done what Angela told me. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª There are just seven people left in the tournament. I only know Yue, Gunnar, Jabari, and Alyx. Yue tells me that one of her friends called Kol is still in too. Yue, Alyx, and Kol are the last Vanguard members left. Gunnar is the only Snjornin, and Jabari is the last Mremban, Kol eliminating the other. There is also one Seoman left, and one Arcadian. The tournament is coming to an end soon. As I watch Kol and Alyx heading off to fight, I take a moment to appreciate the time I had here. I¡¯ve really enjoyed it, and it¡¯s been a stressful yet a healing time. I feel happy I got that chance to come here. Of course, the worst is yet to come. I shouldn¡¯t think about that, though. Not yet. Kol and Alyx square off, and the Wolf announces the beginning of the fight. ¡°Who will win?¡± I ask Yue. ¡°Definitely Kol,¡± Yue responds. ¡°It¡¯s shocking that Alyx even got this far, but Kol deserves it. He¡¯s been going very strong, stronger than Alyx.¡± From a quick glance to the ring, I could see that she was right. Kol was already forcing Alyx on the defensive. He swung expertly at her, and, although an expert too, she just wasn¡¯t on the same level as him- The two forgotten facts of sparring are this: One, the game usually ends within the first thirty seconds. While some of the more expertly handled battles last longer, most end quickly. The second is that a strong start almost always leads to a win. Of course there are exceptions to the rule¡ªI¡¯ve seen Yue break it herself¡ªbut in general, that is how it works. And this match is no exception to either rule. The more Kol sees his advantage, the stronger he gets. And the more Alyx sees her loss, the more desperate she gets, and in her case, like so many others, that makes her worse. Kol forces her into a corner, and defeat enters Alyx¡¯s eyes. The quick scrape of Kol¡¯s sword on Alyx¡¯s leg ends it. Twenty-six seconds. Alyx has been eliminated, and there are just six contestants left. Because of how popular Yue is, she will still have to fight thrice. If she wins her next match, she will still have another match before the finals. The next match, though, is between Gunnar and the Arcadian. It¡¯s a quick match, a brutal one. The Arcadian ends with a broken arm and a tearful face. Yue is next. Her fight is against the Seoman. They square off in the ring, and I can tell yue is calm and collected, while the other is jittery, unfocused. ¡°THE MATCH BEGINS IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN!¡± This match doesn¡¯t break any of the rules either. Yue gets an early rush, throwing the Seoman off-balance, although he quickly recovers. He attempts to force her a little on the defensive, but she refuses to be goaded. She swings her sword around in a clumsy manner, and my eyes narrow. Why would she make such a big mistake? She was probably going to lose because of that. But, no. As the Seoman took advantage of her mistake, she smiled and just mildly scraped her sword over his hand. He yelled and dropped his sword. The thin well of blood erupting from his hand proclaimed the Sterkona the victor once again. And so the tournament goes. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª There are just four participants left. The mood is set for a wonderful battle. Yue had told me that she was supposed to have less matches today than the others, but I guess her fame as the Sterkona has changed that. People want to see her win. She could¡¯ve skipped her first two matches of the day, but they had kept the audience¡¯s attention, and that was important for the tournament. Captain Wolf announces the semi-final matches just before the break for lunch. First, Kol will fight Jabari. Then will be the rematch: Gunnar versus Yue. Yue had been surprised to hear she would be having to reface Gunnar, but she was nonetheless prepared for it. As we leave the stands to get some food from the eternally stocked bar, I strike up conversation with her. ¡°So, do you think you¡¯ll win the tournament?¡± Yue nodded. ¡°I think so. Everyone has already lost one game. I¡¯ve beat Gunnar before. If Kol beats Jabari¡ªI admit that¡¯s far-fetched¡ªthen I know how to fight him and I¡¯ll win. If I have to face Jabari, well, I¡¯ll just come up with a better strategy. The crowd still cheers for me, and that¡¯s always a mood booster.¡± ¡°I see,¡± I respond. ¡°I¡¯m excited to watch the last matches. They¡¯re sure to be incredible. Personally, I do think Jabari will win, though.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the worst person who could win,¡± Neena jumps in. ¡°Kol has always been nice and sweet, and so are Yue and Gunnar. How Gunnar can be sweet what with his size I¡¯ll never understand. But Jabari, he¡¯s just arrogant and self-centered, never caring about his opponent. I don¡¯t like him. I really hope he loses.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him either,¡± I shrug. ¡°But this tournament isn¡¯t about who is sweet. It¡¯s about who fights better, And currently, Jabari is the one fighting better.¡± ¡°The Mrembans were a surprisingly great team,¡± Yue says. ¡°I honestly thought they¡¯d have at least one more in the semi-finals.¡± ¡°Two Vanguard Warriors is incredible, though,¡± Aster breathes. ¡°The Wolf is positively beaming about it. Look at him.¡± Yue stared at where Aster was pointing and she held in a chuckle. The Wolf was downing a pint, his smile wide, and his laughter loud. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just the Vanguard making him like that,¡± She said. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be drinking like that, though. He still has to referee the next matches.¡± ¡°Ah, lay off,¡± Aster told her. ¡°Let him have his fun.¡± The break is over too quickly. Soon, we¡¯re sent back to the stands to watch the first of the semi-final matches. As the Wolf calls Jabari and Kol to the stage, I examine them. Jabari, as always, keeps a murderous glare about him and an arrogant posture. The way he walks tells me that he knows he¡¯ll win. Or at least, he thinks he knows. Kol, on the other hand, is clearly not arrogant. Although he doesn¡¯t look too nervous, he¡¯s assessing Jabari, trying to find a slight limp, or a preferred side. Kol is watchful, knowing he could lose, while Jabari is careless, confident in his win. Unfortunately, I know Jabari is the stronger of them. A lot of times, experts are arrogant for a reason. Most likely, Jabari is this way because he is the best, at least in his country. He has reason to be arrogant, as annoying as that is. Hopefully, Kol humbles him. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Jabari swings his massive sword at Kol. Bringing his sword up to deflect it, Kol grunts as the force of Jabari¡¯s sword impacts him. He takes a few steps back, but maintains his ground, pushing hard on his sword. Jabari forces harder, then lets go suddenly, and Kol trips forwards. With a smile, the Mremban thrust again, intending to cleave Kol¡¯s head from his shoulders. With a desperate parry, Kol screams in anger. The Mremban¡¯s sword breaks his. He falls to the ground in defeat as Jabari spits on the ground. Kol, understanding he cannot win, bows his head to allow the Mremban to scrape him. He doesn¡¯t surrender vocally, but his actions speak louder. Jabari has other plans. He swings down hard, harder than he should. Kol, staring death in the face, panics, backing away. ¡°I was down!¡± I hear him yell. ¡°You could¡¯ve just sliced me a little.¡± Jabari roars and swings at Kol again. It¡¯s become a fight for survival, one that Kol is losing. I look at Captain Wolf, pleading for him to do something. His face is impassive, stony. Kol has not officially surrendered, so Jabari hasn¡¯t broken any rules yet. Kol finally understands his position. ¡°I SURRENDER!¡± He screams. ¡°DO YOU HEAR THAT, JABARI? YOU WIN! I SURRENDER!¡± Jabari pauses for a second, then growls, and attacks with a new ferocity. Kol is on his feet now, doing anything he can to escape his opponent¡¯s wrath. The Wolf finally decides to step in. ¡°Jabari, stop! Unless you want to get eliminated, this ends here.¡± The Wolf grabs Jabari from behind, and the man struggles, but acquiesces. The crowd is in shock, terror as they see Jabari slump softly. Kol sighs in relief, thanks his captain, and leaves the ring. There is no defeat in his eyes, just relief that he is alive. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH TO BE¡­JABARI¡­¡± The string of boos erupting from the crowd drowns out Jabari¡¯s last name. The Mremban growls at the audience. ¡°I WILL KILL MY FiNAL OPPONENT!¡± He yells. ¡°THAT IS A PROMISE!¡± ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re in trouble, Yue,¡± Th¡¯ul chuckles wryly. ¡°Yup,¡± Yue gulps. ¡°I guess I am.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue has five minutes to prepare for her match with Gunnar. When hse comes out, her gaze is steely, ready for her opponent. Gunnar himself looks the same as Yue, although much taller, muscles bulging more. The Wolf calls them up to the ring. The crowd has recovered from the past fight, and they''re cheering for this rematch, one they¡¯ve wanted to see since the beginning. To me, this rematch will be better than the finals. I¡¯ll be invested in the finals because I don¡¯t want to see Yue or Gunnar die, but I¡¯ll be invested in this one because I genuinely wonder who¡¯ll win. I have my money on Yue, but it¡¯s not assured yet. The Wolf speaks softly with both of them, probably spooked because of Jabari. The two participants nod and move to their own corners. I notice that Gunnar isn¡¯t wearing a shield. I don¡¯t know if this is because he was forbidden from using one or because he¡¯s being more respectful to Yue, but whatever the reason, I¡¯m happy about it. His shield was very dangerous. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­TWO¡­ONE¡­BEGIN!¡± Gunnar and Jabari have the same strategy. It¡¯s just to attack. Attack as hard as they can. While Jabari incorporates more strategy to his attacks, both of them rush in blindly most of the time. This time is no exception. Yue, of course, is ready. She¡¯s been watching most, if not all, of his matches. She¡¯s faced him before, so she knows how he fights. Of course, that doesn¡¯t guarantee a win, seeing as Gunnar has been watching her too. But at least he is somewhat predictable for her now. She doesn¡¯t face his attack head-on. Yue knows that is a bad idea. He is stronger than her, bigger than her. What she has on him is speed. She is lither. She immediately takes advantage of that, spinning behind him as he rushes her, striking at him herself. Gunnar, in an impressive display of speed, moves around and in the last moment parries her thrust. She grunts as his parry forces her back. Gunnar advances once again on her, and, for the second time, she dodges. Out of all the matches, this one is the one most like a dance. Although Gunnar is a brute, and not too elegant, it¡¯s mesmerizing to watch their steps as Gunnar advances and Yue retreats or side-steps. The movements seem predictable until I try to predict them. Then I realize how careful both participants are. Gunnar¡¯s swings aren¡¯t random and blind: they¡¯re calculated and focused. Yue¡¯s steps aren¡¯t always the same: Gunnar¡¯s swings decide for her where and how she must turn. Thus far, Yue has barely used her sword. It might as well be sheathed. At this rate, the match will come down to who tires first, which is an issue if they enter the finals that way. Jabari won¡¯t tolerate a tired opponent. Yue and Gunnar do not look tired, tho, as the dance of the ring continues. Gunnar in particular seems like he could continue this for days. Eventually, things have to give. And in this one, it comes in the form of Yue¡¯s break. Instead of stepping, she turns to meet the lunge. It is a mistake, yes. Yue knows that if Gunnar keeps the strike up she could easily be disarmed. What she was counting on was her unpredictability. And thankfully, she was right. Gunnar¡¯s swing isn¡¯t as powerful as he could¡¯ve swung it, and so when Yue blocks it, she forces him back a step. Gunnar starts in shock, but Yue doesn¡¯t give him time to recover. And so, the tables are turned. Yue attacks with ferocity, and Gunnar only doesn¡¯t reciprocate because he¡¯s taken aback. Once he recovers, he evens the playing field. He doesn¡¯t have the time now to put all of his power in each of his lunges, but he can retaliate with his own strikes that are still powerful. For another minute, they fight nose-to-nose, close enough to touch. The audience is rapt and so am I. I¡¯ve lost track of time, of the Cult, of my own life and depression. Everything hangs on this moment. With a grunt, Yue swings hard at his torso. Gunna parries it and lunges. Yue sidesteps and points at Gunnar¡¯s arm. With a questioning look, Gunnat stares at his arm, and his eyes widen. Yue knew she wouldn¡¯t strike his torso, so she was counting on his parry. She had sliced a little skin on his arm. Gunnar is bleeding, and that could only mean one thing. Yue is in the finals. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER TO BE YUE ZHANG!¡± The Wolf declares. ¡°THE FINALS WILL OCCUR IN FIFTEEN MINUTES TO ALLOW THE PARTICIPANTS TO REST FOR A LITTLE!¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gunnar hangs his head in shame, but Yue goes over to comfort him. The tournament is almost over. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Jabari taunts Yue in the foyer, but Yue ignores him, instead spending her time with us. ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Yue,¡± Neena tells her. ¡°You¡¯re the best fighter.¡± Jabari yells something crude at her and Yue grits her teeth. ¡°Oh, I will win,¡± Yue responds. ¡°Even if just to humble him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Alyx laughs. ¡°He¡¯s insufferable.¡± ¡°That he is,¡± Yue agrees. ¡°But that¡¯s how it goes. Xander, any news?¡± Xander smiled at her. ¡°Nothing. They¡¯ve gone silent.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good thing,¡± Aster tells him. Xander shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to have a little rest now.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ve given up on you,¡± Yue says. ¡°Not a chance,¡± Xander replies. ¡°I¡¯m too valuable to them. I have connections to the only people working to stop them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget about High Mage Aegon.¡± ¡°Him too,¡± Xander replies. ¡°But he has ties to us as well. So technically, I¡¯m valuable for that too. I¡¯m guessing ties to a High Mage would be important for the Cult.¡± ¡°That they would,¡± Th¡¯ul tells him. I feel dread in my gut. This is really happening. Any moment soon, the Cult will bring about some sort of destruction. I¡¯m not ready for it, but who is? All I know is that I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect the ones I love. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª High Mage Aegon comes to meet me right before the match starts. ¡°May I sit next to you?¡± He asks nervously. ¡°We all know what is coming. We need to stick together.¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± I respond. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± He says. ¡°This is as much for advantage as it is for protection. We wouldn¡¯t want to lose each other in the chaos.¡± ¡°What if this is all a trick?¡± I ask the High Mage. ¡°What if they¡¯re just bluffing to worry us?¡± ¡°What would that do?¡± High Mahe Aegon asks. ¡°No, they have a purpose to everything they do. That wouldn¡¯t serve any special purpose. I do not think this is a ruse. We shall see.¡± We travel to the stands, where I turn to Skai. ¡°You were checking on Sia, right?¡± I ask. She nods. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like where she is,¡± I admit. ¡°We need someone watching over her, to remove her from there if need be.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Th¡¯ul volunteers. ¡°I have my magic, so I¡¯ll do better than any of you.¡± The High Mage smiles. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. You should go.¡± Th¡¯ul bows and walks away. ¡°I feel like we haven¡¯t done everything we could,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s just nervousness,¡± High Mage Aegon tells me. ¡°Just enjoy the last match.¡± ¡°I CALL TO THE RING YUE ZHANG, THE STERKONA, AND JABARI KOLO!¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± I tell Yue. She spins and smiles at me, then kisses Xander. When she reaches the ring, Jabari is already there. He roared at her and cracks his knuckles. The Wolf calls them over and begins to speak roughly with them. Clearly, he doesn¡¯t want anyone to get injured or dead, specifically Yue. If Jabari gets the chance, though, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll take it. ¡°THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue couldn¡¯t describe to anyone what she was feeling at that moment. It was nervousness, excitement, fear: an amalgamation of everything she¡¯d ever felt in her life. ¡°TWO¡­¡± Breath, Yue, she told herself. Let yourself breathe. Calm down. She closed her eyes and half-unsheathed her sword. ¡°ONE¡­¡± Opening her eyes, she unsheathed her sword completely and stanced herself. The dragon¡¯s kiss. One of the most difficult stances, but, if performed right, one of the most dangerous to the opponent. It was a deceptive stance, one that looked defensive, but could quickly turn offensive. Yue rarely used it, as it could be unpredictable, and she sometimes failed it, but she needed to take the risk. ¡°BEGIN!¡± The time had come. The final match had begun. As expected, the first thing Jabari did was try to decapitate her. Yue backflipped to the corner, and when Jabari moved in, she slid under his legs. Standing up, she brought her elbow down on his back. He grunted but otherwise didn¡¯t move, spinning around and coming for another swing. Yue had saved the best for last. It was time to take advantage of that. His next swing sent her moving out of the way, but before he could change his directory, she was already behind him, slicing him. The sword swept off his armor, not quite scraping past it, but it was enough to anger Jabari, who backhanded her roughly. She went flying, and with a sickening crunch, she landed a few feet away. Her sword was on the ground next to her. She just barely couldn¡¯t reach it. She needed to regroup but she couldn¡¯t breathe. Jabari, of course, showed no mercy. He came at her for the killing blow, and Yue was sure Jabari was playing to the death. Trying feebly to grab her sword, she finally got a hold of it. She just barely flashed her sword up in time to catch his. But Jabari brought his sword more down on hers, and Yue was forced to place her left hand on her sword, being careful not to cut herself. With a grunt, she let go of the pressure on her sword, and rolled out of the way, Jabari¡¯s sword landing where she had just been. For the next thirty seconds, the Mremban and her exchanged blows, none overpowering the other. Jabari was still stronger, but Yue had evened the playing field. She thrust at Jabari, and just when he began to parry, she flung her sword. Not at him, though. Catching her sword with her other hand, she thrust again, with a scream. It slid smoothly into the man¡¯s chest, not entering the heart but enough to injure him. Even though he¡¯d tried to kill her even when she was done¡ªjust like he did with Kol¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to do the same for him. She just wanted to hurt him. Just like she really wanted to hurt the murderers. Whoever they were. Jabari stumbled to the ground, then fainted. Yue, grimacing, slid her sword out of the big man¡¯s chest. A spurt of blood followed. The crowd applauded like never before. Not only was she the winner in their eyes, but also she was their favorite, and she had beaten the most unpopular man in the entire tournament. ¡°I DECLARE THE WINNER OF THE MAGEFELL TOURNAMENT TO BE YUE ZHANG!¡± The Wolf roared. ¡°AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE VANGUARD HAS WON! THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING! CONGRATULATIONS TO YUE ZHANG FOR DOING WHAT NO ONE ELSE COULD! WE WILL HOLD OUR AWARD CEREMONY IN TEN MINUTES.¡± Suddenly, the sky grew dark. Clouds rolled in, obscuring the sun. Lighting and thunder erupted from the heavens. Yue¡¯s heart sunk. This was it. ¡°DO YOU SEE?¡± An ominous voice rose from the sky. It was kind, yet demanding. A voice that must be heard, that needed all her attention. ¡°DO YOU SEE WHAT THE VANGUARD HAS DONE? ¡°WE COMMAND THE VANGUARD! THE VANGUARD IS OUR ARMY! AND THEY ARE THE GREATEST ARMY OF ALL TIME! ¡°SEE WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED! WITH OUR GOD ON OUR SIDE, WE HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE. WE ARE IN CONTROL. ¡°BUT YOU DO NOT SEEM To KNOW IT YET. YOU DO NOT WORSHIP OR GOD. THE GOD OF DEATH. ¡°DAUTHA!¡± The pronunciation of his name sent chills down Yue¡¯s spine. She heard a few gasps from the crowd and some mumbles of confusion. Catching eyes with Zade, she noticed how scared he looked. She didn¡¯t understand yet what was happening, but she knew she would soon. ¡°SOME OF YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD HIS NAME, I CAN TELL! THAT IS NOT GOOD! YOU SEE, ONE DAY SOON, HE WILL COME. HE WILL COME HERE TO RULE THE WORLD. ¡°THERE SHALL BE A HIERARCHY. OF COURSE, MOST OF YOU DO NOT KNOW THIS. ¡°I AM HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU A TASTE OF WHAT IS TO COME: TODAY, YOU SHALL LEARN DAUTHA¡¯S TRUE POWER. DO NOT RUN. YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DO.¡± Jabari¡¯s unconscious body started to float in the air. ¡°SEE WHAT WE CAN DO!¡± Jabaris¡¯ clothes fell off. Then his skin began to unravel. First from his head, then the rest of his body. Yue retched as she saw all the blood falling down on her, and Jabaris¡¯ mangled body floating in the air. Jabari had woken up as his torture was commencing and even in his death throes, he struggled. After his skin fell to the ground, his muscles and intestines were left. They fell off him like a waterfall, some landing only inches from Yue. What was left of him was a skeleton with pulis moving wildly in fear. Somehow, Jabari was still alive, even without a heart, and he screamed in pain. Finally, his skeleton burst apart into millions of pieces. The remains fell to the ground at Yue''s feet. Yue vomited, spilling her bile all over Jabari, or what was left of him. ¡°THIS IS BUT A TASTE OF OUR POWER!¡± The voice continued. ¡°JABARI DID NOT LIKE US, AND SO HE WAS PUNISHED. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO DO NOT LIKE US. FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STADIUM PLEASE.¡± The crowd watched in rapt horror as they prepared for another gruesome show of domination. ¡°SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW HIM.¡± About a fourth of the stands exploded, an entire section. They were then, and then there were the flames. About ten thousand dead, just like that. There was no blood, no gore, but still they had all died. People from many different nations, some participants in the tournament, maybe even a Vanguard member or two. They were just gone, probably never even feeling anything. Everyone panicked then. They began to run desperately to the exits, rushing each other, running over each other. Yue saw her friends standing by, more walking than rushing. Yue ran to them. ¡°We have to leave.¡± She said. ¡°We have to get as many innocents out as we can,¡± High Mage Aegon replied. ¡°I WOULDN¡¯T LEAVE IF I WERE YOU.¡± The person closest to the exit exploded. The crowd screamed in fear. ¡°WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING? YOU ARE NOT DEAD! IF YOU LISTEN, YOU SHALL NOT DIE TODAY. PROBABLY.¡± A man rushed to the foyer, but his torso popped before he could do anything. The closest people watched in horror as the blood spilled on them. ¡°ANYONE ELSE?¡± When no one moved, he continued. ¡°YOU ARE ALL LISTENING NOW, EH?¡± The voice chuckled. ¡°DO YOU NOW SEE THE POWER WE HAVE BECAUSE OF OUR GOD?¡± ¡°We need to see how the royals are,¡± High Mage Aegon told Yue. Yue nodded and rushed off. There, she found Kol, Yiro, and Captain Wolf. ¡°Need help?¡± She asked. ¡°Not for now,¡± the Wolf responded. ¡°Take care of the civilians. Be careful.¡± ¡°Always.¡± ¡°EVERYONE WILL BOW TO DAUTHA!¡± The voice said. Yue joined her friends again. ¡°What can we do?¡± She asked. ¡°Nothing, for now.¡± High Mage Aegon responded. ¡°For now, the Cult is in control.¡± ¡°BUT DAUTHA IS NOT CRUEL. HE GIVES EVERYONE A CHANCE TO SEE HIS MIGHT! AND BECAUSE HE IS SO NICE, HE WILL GIVE EVERYONE HERE A CHANCE TO LIVE!¡± Gasps erupted from the crowd. Yue didn¡¯t know exactly what he meant, but whatever it was, people would die. ¡°AFTER I FINISH SPEAKING, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO LEAVE THE ARENA! AFTER THAT, KABOOM!¡± Immediately, hundreds of people ran towards the exit. ¡°TSK!TSK!TSK!¡± The voice said. ¡°I WASN¡¯T FINISHED SPEAKING!¡± The people running fell to the ground, convulsing. Soon they were still. Even more people killed at the hands of the cult. Too many to count. ¡°NOW, ARE YOU READY? WELL, LET THE RUNNING BEGIN!¡± High Mage Aegon stared at them, ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot get all the civilians to safety. Thankfully, I can help you.¡± He disappeared and so did Zade. A few moments later Skai did too. After that was Xavier. Her friends disappeared one by one. The last one was Yue. The last thing she saw before she was gone was the royals exiting the foyer. She felt a strange creeping sensation through her skin, then it was gone and she was standing on the grass about a hundred feet from the arena. Many were rushing from the arena. To Yue¡¯s relief, the royals were past. Turning to her right, she found all her friends, including Th¡¯ul and Sia. Except for one, but her mind was too muddled to remember who was gone. ¡°What happens now?¡± Th¡¯ul asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± High Mage Aegon replied. ¡°We wait for the three minutes to be up.¡± Hundreds, thousands poured out of the arena wildly, screaming in fear and pain. Some were already heading to Magefell, others to the forest. The fear was palpable. Yue had it herself. The power the Cult had was unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen. How were they supposed to compare to it? ¡°TIME¡¯S UP!¡± The humans in the arena trying to exit were frozen in place then thrown back in. No one else came out. Even though many had escaped, yue guessed that there were still at least ten thousand spectators in there, maybe even fifteen. She was helpless as she watched what happened next. First the arena exploded. The howling wolf erupted in flames, and the shrieks of the people inside brought Yue to tears. The arena crumbled into itself, trapping many people and killing others. Those who had escaped but were too close to the arena were thrown down by the explosion. They did not get up. Yue assumed that most of the people in the arena had died. But there had to be some that were alive. Some could still be saved¡ª The remains of the arena started to descend. Somehow, the stadium seemed to be dipping underground. More screams came from the arena, covered up by dirt. A choked gasp came from next to Yue. Yue looked at Neena as she cried, and hugged her. ¡°We can¡¯t help them,¡± Neena wailed. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything!¡± The stadium continued to dip underground until finally it was gone. Yue and her friends tentatively got near it. All that was left now of the arena was a depression in the ground filled with dirt. There was no one alive. Either they had been killed in the explosion, or the collapse, or they were trapped, suffocating underground. The Cult had killed half or more of the men in the arena. At least twenty-five thousand killed just like that. The cruelty was astounding. How could someone do something like that? Those were innocent people killed. They didn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°AH, SO NOW YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY!¡± The voice said. Yue knew she could never find who the voice belonged to. Whoever it was was nowhere near. ¡°BUT I AM NOT DONE. THERE IS STILL ONE MAJOR PROOF OF OUR POWER. SOME OF YOU MAY DIE. SOME WILL LIVE. DO NOT MOVE.¡± Suddenly, everyone froze. Yue tried to move herself, but it didn¡¯t work. Someone had put magic on her. The only thing she could move was her eyes. She looked around at her friends. Neena was the most scared of all, but each looked fearful. Sia, still on her hospital bed, was crying, in fear or sadness, Yue couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°NOW, I WILL LET YOU ALL MOVE, BUT IF ANYONE LEAVES, THEN MAGEFELL¡¯S BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS.¡± What is he talking about? ¡°I AM ABOUT TO UNLEASH CREATURES ON YOU. THEY WILL TRY TO KILL YOU. YOU MAY TRY TO DEFEND YOURSELVES. YOU WILL NOT ALL DIE. THE CREATURES WILL STAY IN THIS FIELD ON ONE CONDITION: NOT ONE OF YOU MAY LEAVE IT! IF EVEN ONE OF YOU TRIES TO LEAVE, THE ER¡¯LHITAhN AND THE L¡¯LORIAN WILL ATTACK MAGEFELL, AND CONSEQUENTLY THE WORLD. IS THAT CLEAR?¡± Yue¡¯s head moved in an involuntary bobbing motion. ¡°GOOD! NOW YOU MAY MOVE.¡± The pressure on Yue was released. She looked around. The people were paralyzed in fear. No one dared move, not out of selfishness, but in hope of living. ¡°NOW! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!¡± A rumbling noise came from the depression on the ground where the Arena had been. Yue stumbles back, rushing away from the cavity. From the rustling noise next to her, she assumed her friends had done the same thing too. A scream split the earth and everything turned black. ¡°I CAN¡¯T SEE!¡± Yue heard. ¡°I CAN¡¯T SEE ANYTHING!¡± Light came back. Everything was the same, except for one tiny detail: the cavity was glowing blue. There was something ancient about that glow, something magical. Another ragged scream split the air, but this one came from the depression. Suddenly, bodies began to climb out of the hole. Not human bodies, monster ones. These must be the Er¡¯lhitahn and the L¡¯lorian. One of the monsters¡ªYue mentally named them the Er¡¯lhitahn, although she wasn¡¯t sure why¡ªwas reptilian, its head wide and shark teeth sticking out. It had two scaly, gangly arms and walked on its hind legs. It was thin, but still clearly powerful. It stood up to seven feet on its hind legs. It looked like something out of Yue¡¯s worst nightmare. It grabbed a man and ripped him in half growling, chomping down on the corpse. The second monster, somehow, was worse. The L¡¯lorian were not like the Er¡¯lhitahn at all. Firstly, they had fur on their bodies, more mammalian than reptilian. They still had sharp teeth and a long snout, but they were thicker than the Er¡¯lihtahn and their muscles bulged. They crawled on the ground on all fours instead of walking on it like the Er¡¯lihtahn. The scariest part of them, though, was its wings. Its wings were massive. At least six feet each in span, they had no fur, but the skin was thick. One of them flew high then crashed down into a group of five women, tearing them to shreds as quickly as a rabbit ran. The women screamed as they were torn apart and eaten. The L¡¯Lorian rose up, blood smeared on its snout and roared. The other L¡¯lorian joined in. So did the Er¡¯lihtahn. There were still more monsters rising from the pit. Excavating themselves from the cavity, they began to assemble themselves together like an army, preparing to rush. The first L¡¯Lorian and Er¡¯lihtahn joined the others. There had to be thousands of the monsters there. ¡°SEE WHAT DAUTHA CONTROLS! LOOK AT ALL HE CAN DO! WORSHIP DAUTHA AS YOU DIE AND HE JUST MIGHT SPARE YOU.¡± The monsters began to grow restless as if they couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t attack. Yue and her friends kept backing up, hoping to put as much distance as they could between the monsters and them. ¡°KINDRED¡­¡± The voice said, referring to the monsters. ¡°I RELEASE YOU. THE MATCH COMMENCES IN THREE¡­¡± Yue looked around at the terrified, paralyzed crowd. This was what the Cult had intended this whole time. No matter what yue had envisioned, this was worse. This was horrible. Thousands had died, and thousands more would die before the Cult was satisfied. ¡°TWO¡­¡± Yue moved her face to where the Wolf was with the royals. They were rapt in calm, but Yue could tell they were very nervous. The Cult would never kill the royals, right? ¡°ONE¡­¡± Yue stared in horror at the monsters. They roared at the people, their fangs glistening, their eyes red with rage. Neena gripped her more tightly. Suddenly, she looked around realizing something. She knew who was missing. Xander. She looked accusingly at Zade. ¡°Where is he?¡± Zade looked at her guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He left right when your match started. The Cult, they were messing with his head, and he just couldn¡¯t bear it. They were beginning to influence him. They were preparing to get him to kill you. Yue, he made the right decision.¡± ¡°How can you know that?¡± Yue screamed. ¡°How could you let him? We need him now!¡± ¡°He¡¯s protecting you!¡± ¡°How is this protection?¡± Yue asked. ¡°He¡¯s running away.¡± ¡°Yue,¡± Alyx whispered to her. ¡°You know he had too. He would be trying to kill us if he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What if he died?¡± Yue wondered. ¡°Alyx, what if he was killed when the stadium exploded?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t here. He was gone. Don¡¯t worry about him, he¡¯ll be okay. Right now, we need to worry about the L¡¯Lorian and the Er¡¯lhitahn.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just nervous.¡± She unsheathed her sword, and heard her friends do the same. She was ready to face them. After this was over, she¡¯d give Xander a talking to. Until then, she had a lot of work to do. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°BEGIN!¡± The monsters charged. The crowd panicked. Interlude Four: The Battle Interlude Four: The Battle ¡°We have a situation,¡± Torr says. Jade has barely had any time to think since Demien was killed. With all the information the captain of the Wolves freely gave them, and the subsequent murder attempts, Arcadia the kingdom has been in disarray. It¡¯s a relief to know they aren''t the target, but they are still in the wolves¡¯ way. Also, they can¡¯t just let the wolves reach Magefell, or else they could be fighting Magefell themselves. But they don¡¯t have the army to defeat the wolves. There are too many of them, and they¡¯re worth at least three humans each. But in the week since Jade reached out to them, there¡¯s been silence from the wolves. They haven¡¯t done or said anything. Clearly, they¡¯d been planning something the entire time. ¡°What happened?¡± Jade asked. ¡°The wolves are mobilizing,¡± Torr responds. ¡°Some of them, anyway. They''re going for ___.¡± Jade gasps at the news. Not because the beasts are moving¡ªno, that part is obvious¡ªbut the fact that the wolves are attacking ___. That was where Eren had once lived, ¡°We need to move,¡± Torr says. ¡°I¡¯ve already told the others. The Queen has announced that every soldier we can spare will be sent there. We will protect it at all costs. ¡°We cannot let them take our country.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The journey to Hurlet is boring and uneventful, thankfully. They didn¡¯t see any activity near the town, but there was a certain tension in the air that prickled Jade¡¯s senses. Now that they¡¯ve reached Hurlet, Jade sees how desperate the villagers are. Most are preparing to evacuate, and many more and getting makeshift weapons to defend their homes. Fear is on all of their faces. Of course, Jade is terrified too. Last time she¡¯d fought a wolf head-on, she¡¯d watched her friend die, and she herself had suffered a broken leg. Jade had learned that day that the wolves were nothing to play with. As soon as she arrived, Torr sent her and the rest of the Erenfeld Guards to start setting up a wall to stall the wolves at least for a little before they arrived. They should arrive at sundown, Torr¡¯d told her, and Jade wonders if they have enough time to prepare. Hurlet already has a fence ready in case of an attack, so Jade and her friends raised it and began to arm it, setting pikes on it, and crossbows set off by certain footsteps. It was something that would only delay the beasts for a little, but hopefully, it would be enough. Torr begins to set up a moat with Jin when she arrives. The town is small, but even so, it would take the whole day to set it up. Jade would probably not be able to talk to them for the rest of the day. After the wall is set up, Jade takes a break for lunch. Her friends do too, the only ones staying behind are Jin and Torr. Guilia is clearly distraught over Demien¡¯s death. Jade hasn¡¯t had time to talk to her, but she knows Guilia feels guilty for always poking fun of him. Jade herself feels a stab of guilt sometimes, though it isn¡¯t for teasing Demien, She knows deep down Demien liked that part. No, she feels guilty because it is her fault. By saving Robin, she killed Demien. She. Killed. Demien. That¡¯s what hurts the most. Demien would still be alive if it wasn¡¯t for her. She had to face it, but she just didn¡¯t have the time. She¡¯d lost three friends recently, and they were all weighing on her heart in different ways. Zade, of course, is the one that weighs on her the least. He is the only one who hasn''t died. She doesn¡¯t blame herself or feel guilty at all. For her, it is her feelings that weigh on her. Ever since she¡¯d talked to Jin about Zade, she keeps asking herself if she¡¯s in love with him. She¡¯s never thought about it really. Everyone in Erenfeld always talked about it, but Jade has just never bothered. But she is twenty now, and Zade is gone. She hated that she thought about it more after he was gone. Of course, she wasn¡¯t sure she did have feelings for him. She didn¡¯t know if admitting it¡ªif it even was true¡ªwould help. It wouldn¡¯t get Zade back anyways. She didn¡¯t have any way of returning to Magefell, and she knew Zade wouldn¡¯t return in a good few years. So what was the point of thinking about it? Shaking her head, she turns her thoughts to the second person in her mind. Chrome. She really misses her; she¡¯d been a good friend. Jade had known her for a really long time, and for the first week since she¡¯d died, Jade had been mostly okay. Her subconscious hadn¡¯t really noticed that Chrome was gone. To her subconscious, Chrome was on a trip and would return soon. Now, though, even her inner mind can¡¯t deny it. Chrome is gone, forever. And now, Jade is feeling her absence. Jade can hear her silence. She can see the hole left by her being gone. If only Jade had done something more. She knows it isn¡¯t her fault, but she just wishes she could¡¯ve done something more. She remembers seeing Chrome¡¯s head smashed to a pulp. It has scarred her, and it plays in her mind over and over every day. Sometimes, for a blissful few minutes, she is distracted from it. But it is getting to her now. And finally, there is Demien. Because she knew it was her fault, she felt the worst about him. She vividly remembered how he¡¯d looked at her as he died. He had been almost peaceful, not blaming her at all. It warmed her heart a little, knowing he wasn¡¯t troubled at the end. But he¡¯d been so young, and he hadn¡¯t deserved what he¡¯d got. Jade has seen her fair share of fights, blood, and death before, but it felt like night and day compared to this. She feels like she was innocent before Zade left, and now she isn¡¯t anymore. Ignorance was bliss. She closes her eyes, and begins to shake softly. In her mind, she knows this was exactly what she was trying to stop Zade from becoming when Eren and his parents died. But for some reason, the things she¡¯d helped Zade with didn¡¯t seem to be applying to her. She felt a little like a hypocrite. ¡°You okay?¡± Guilia asks her. Opening her eyes, Jade decides to be honest, and shakes her head. ¡°Not really,¡± She responds. ¡°I know how you feel, sort of,¡± Guilia says. ¡°And you probably blame yourself too. I can¡¯t really help you, I¡¯m feeling the same too. But hey, we¡¯re not all gone, right?¡± She forces a smile. ¡°We¡¯re still here, and Torr. As long as we¡¯re together and we remember them¡­¡± ¡°They live on,¡± Jade finishes, ¡°We can¡¯t let their memories die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m still here,¡± Guilia admits. ¡°If I didn¡¯t want to preserve them, then I would¡¯ve killed myself long ago. But I need to be here for them. My purpose in life is to protect those I love, and preserve those who¡¯ve passed on. Everything I do, Jade, is for them. All I want is to see them on the other side, and for them to be proud of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they are,¡± Jade tells her. Guilia smiles for real this time. ¡°I hope they are. Just think about it, Jade. One hundred years from now, Chrome and Demien will still be talked about. That thought is too sweet for me.¡± Jade side-hugs her friend, and presses her head to her chest. ¡°That¡¯s beautiful, Guilia. I didn¡¯t know you were so selfless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± her friend cringes. ¡°I¡¯m more selfish than any of you are. Every day, I have to fight myself to make sure I don¡¯t put myself first. Most days, I just want to be the one who¡¯s remembered.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem with that,¡± Jade tells her. ¡°Also, you act for others. If that¡¯s not selfless¡­¡± She trails off. ¡°I think you know what I mean. None of us are perfect, Guilia. We¡¯re all selfish somehow. But of us all, you¡¯re the least of us all. At least you can get over it.¡± A tear slides down the other Guard¡¯s cheek, and she wipes it away softly. ¡°Thank you, Jade. What if I fail, though? What if when I die, they¡¯re forgotten?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone forget them,¡± Jade responds. ¡°And failing isn¡¯t an option. The only possible way you can fail is by not trying. As long as you¡¯re still fighting for them, they will be alive with you. If you die, they will be happy, even if you haven¡¯t done much.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°I know so.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They stop leaning on each other when they must return to work. Guilia begins to teach some of the villagers how to wield weapons. It won¡¯t help much, but the villagers are all that matters. If they want to fight, who is she to stop them? She¡¯s sent to help rig explosives around the wall with Robin, who arrived recently. Robin is unfazed from Demien¡¯s death, but Jade is sure she¡¯s seen plenty of death, and she must keep cool on the outside. ¡°Heya, sister,¡± Robin tells her, shaking her hand roughly. ¡°I am pleased to see you. I am ready for this battle. Let the wolves come. I will show them a taste of my fury, if they¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Jade laughs. Robin grabs her in a rough hug. ¡°Sister, I will protect you should you need it. I am in your debt.¡± ¡°You did save my life, too,¡± Jade points out. ¡°It isn¡¯t the same,¡± Robin responds. ¡°You did the same, even at the cost of another friend. I know how hard that is. We are not even.¡± Jade smiles. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, sister.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! They begin to set up the explosives, and Robin¡¯s positive, violent attitude serves to calm Jade down, and Jade is sure Robin did that on purpose. She keeps shooting knowing glances in Jade¡¯s direction, and the Erenfeld Guard is thankful to her for it. They finish it just a couple hours before sunset. Torr and Jin finish their small moat as well. Once again it won¡¯t stop them for long, but each little delay is worth it. As long as the wolves are at least slightly injured from the moat, the wall, and the explosives, then it¡¯s a win in their mind. Nervousness settles around the villagers as it grows darker. Jade assumes the wolves see better in the dark, so a battle in the dark will be an advantage to the monsters. She wishes they could delay the battle until the next day, but sadly, the wolves were in control here. Some of the villagers desert and leave, panic in their eyes. Most stand strong, though. Jade has met only a few of them from back when Eren lived here. The others she didn¡¯t want to meet. It just wasn¡¯t worth it to meet people who would die. She wasn¡¯t really hopeful for the outcome of this battle. The wolves were just too strong for them. Of course, Jade would try anyway, but she was steadying herself, preparing herself for her possible death. It would be worth it, if she could save Magefell, and in turn Zade, in the process. A shout came from the wall, and dozens of soldiers scrambled down. ¡°THEY¡¯RE COMING!¡± One yelled. ¡°GET READY.¡± Torr looked at her and nodded. She returned the nod and unsheathed her sword. Breathe, Jade, breathe. A roar erupts from behind the fence. From her vantage point, Jade watches as hundreds of wolves emerge from the darkness. The torches Hurlet lit are enough for her to see that the wolves only sent a small portion of their army here. Only four or five hundred. Still, that will be enough to wipe them out. At the front, Jade sees the captain of the wolves. He¡¯s smirking, confident in his victory. Come for me, you bastard! I¡¯ll kill you! ¡°CHARGE!¡± The captain yells, and the wolves do just that, scrambling for the fence. The first wave crashes into the wall. Thankfully, the wall doesn¡¯t fail. Some wolves yell in pain, felled by the pikes inlaid in the wall. Most stumble back, preparing for another charge, ¡°READY, RELEASE!¡± Jin roars, sending her arm down, and the first volley of arrows strike the wolves. The screams of terror and pain light a fire in Jade¡¯s heart, and she smiles as the wolves fall. Then they get back up. A dozen stay down, but most of them are still alive, arrows sticking out of their chests or heads. What will it take to kill these bastards? The second charge causes the wall to tremble, but still it holds. ¡°RELEASE!¡± The second volley of arrows fells more wolves, but still they charge. The third charge finally knocks down a portion of the wall. The following explosion that Jade rigged earlier lights up the night, and sends a wave of warmth down Jade¡¯s body. She watches as wolves are sent in the air, spinning, screaming, bleeding. Then everything is sent into darkness as the smoke blinds her view. The night is silent. No one moves. The tension is palpable. Where are the wolves? Suddenly, there is a yell of rage, and the wolves are swarming through the hole in the wall. Jade stances herself. Game time. ¡°CHARGE!¡± Torr yells, and Jade runs, Robin by her side, straight into the wolves¡¯ midst. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see more wolves trying to knock down the rest of the wall. She must be careful, because once they do, it will explode. The first wolf who attacks her is using an axe. She ducks his first swing, and thrusts her sword into his leg. With a roar of pain, he slaps her and she¡¯s sent back. Jumping back, she lunges at him again. The wolf falls forward, and she dodges out of the way as it lands on the ground, sightless eyes staring at her. There is a sword embedded in its skull, blood and brains spilling on the ground. With a squelch, Robin kneels and tugs her sword from its head. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± She says, running at the fray again. Immediately, Jade is set on by two wolves. Desperately, she fights them, and as a sword slices her arm slightly, she winces. They are clearly stronger than her, and she needs to find a way to fight them easily. She scores a hit on one of the wolves¡¯¡ªa female¡ª left arm, severing it, and it groans in pain, but keeps fighting. Jade stumbles back as they advance on her rapidly, blocking their lunges. An explosion rocks her world and throws her backwards. Her vision blurs and she lays on the ground, dazed. The wolves must¡¯ve gone past another part of the wall. She was too close when the explosion happened. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t close enough to get killed. Still, she is in pain, and everything around her is in flames. Chest heaving, Jade tries to breathe, but breath is scarce. It feels like suffocation, and the smoke reaching her lungs isn¡¯t helping. She needs to stand up. Groaning, she tries to push herself to an upright position, but her mind swims, and her vision grows dark again. As her sight gets gradually better, and her ears stop ringing, the carnage reaches her. The explosion wasn¡¯t supposed to be this powerful. There are dozens of bodies on the ground, many screaming in pain or for help. Most of the bodies are humans. Thankfully, Jade doesn¡¯t recognize any of them. Turning to the side, Jade sees a severed arm on the ground, and she retches, scrambling back, where she bumps into something. Or someone. It¡¯s a man, his body charred black, and half of his head burned completely. The other half stares at her soul, his mouth open in horror. Jade gets up. The world is silent, peaceful in this part of the city, the flames the only moving things. But in the rest of the city, the battle rages on.She must keep fighting. And she must find Robin. Last she saw, Robin was fighting next to her. She had to be nearby when the explosion happened. Hopefully, she will still be nearby. A quick search of the site of the explosion turns up nothing. Jade finds an Arcadian Guard or two, but other than that, there is no one she recognizes. She doesn¡¯t have the time to check the carnage. She must return to fight with her friends. As she passes, men and women call out to her, pleading for her to help them or put them out of their misery. Jade can¡¯t help but cry as she sees it. Some of the men weren¡¯t killed by the explosion, but by the wolves, their body parts ripped to shreds, blood staining the ground. This is what a battle feels like. Jade has never really been in a serious battle before. This is unlike anything she could¡¯ve ever imagined. It is worse than anything she could¡¯ve ever imagined. A war was a thousand times worse. Hopefully, that would never happen in her lifetime. Finally, she reaches the battlefield, where the cries of the fighters fuel her need to live and fight. One wolf snarls and lunges at her, but she dodges slightly, her footing off, still reeling from the explosion. The wolf already has a wound in his side. If Jade can exploit it, then she can win this fight. Easier said than done. The wolf knocks her down, pinning her to the ground. It roars in her face and raises its hammer, intent on smashing in her face. With a fierce laugh, Jade catches his hammer with her sword, severing her sword, but turning the direction of the hammer. With the broken part of her sword, she stabs the wolf¡¯s side, causing it to scream, and stumble back. Then it falls down, fainting. Blood and pus pours from the wound. Recognizing the danger she¡¯s in, Jade locates a weapon, raises it, and smashes it down on the wolf¡¯s head. The head breaks like a pumpkin, smashing its juices over her, and splitting it in two. She looks down at her weapon. It¡¯s an axe, beautifully and intricately carved. She doesn¡¯t have time to look at it, though, as a shadow looms over her in the torch¡¯s glow. She turns to find Torr standing next to her, fighting another wolf. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive,¡± He tells her as he fights, sweat beading down his back. ¡°I was worried about you. How are you holding up?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± She responds, teeth gritted as she herself took on a much bigger animal. ¡°How¡¯s the battle faring?¡± ¡°Horribly,¡± He says. With a grunt, he removes the wolf¡¯s head from its shoulders. ¡°Damn. I was fighting that beast for five minutes. We¡¯re losing badly, Jade. The wolves are all mostly still alive, but we''re losing people rapidly. Have you seen the others?¡± Jade shakes her head, relief flooding through her as Torr helps her out with the wolf. ¡°I haven¡¯t. I was with Robin when the wall exploded, but I didn¡¯t see a corpse.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any corpses of them either,¡± Torr responds. ¡°I did see Guilia a few moments ago. She¡¯s fine, if a little scratched. We¡¯re all tired, though. I don¡¯t know how much longer we can hold up.¡± The final section of the wall explodes, and men and beast fly in the air to the west side of Jade. The next second, more animals pour through the city, tearing at scattered villagers, and torching the houses. Some women are screaming in pain in what Jade imagines is a horrible experience, and she refuses to look at that scene. She must focus on the battle. The wolf retreats from their attack and turns to a villager weilding a pair of tongs. He is clearly unskilled, and very young. Jade tries to reach the wolf, but it pounces on the man¡ªthe boy¡ªripping him to shreds, tearing into him like he would in a stick of meat. The boy screams in pain and helplessness as he watches his flesh and blood torn off his body. Jade¡¯s axe smashes into the wolf, killing it. I¡¯ve killed two of these things, and helped kill another. I¡¯m a powerful warrior, and killing three has been enough of a challenge. How much more is this going to take? She is knocked to the ground by a fierce blow, but recovering, she realizes it isn¡¯t an enemy. It is Torr. By pushing her down, he¡¯s saved her from being decapitated by a wolf wielding a hammer. The wolf roars and crashes his hammer into Torr, who smashes into a building and lies still. Unmoving. Jade gasps in horror and the wolf turns towards her. She wants to do anything she can, but this wolf took down Torr. Still, she advances on it, both rushing at each other head-on. It reaches her with its longer arms and swings. With a jump, she sails over the hammer and onto its chest. She feels a pull from behind, and suddenly she¡¯s in the air once more, landing on the ground a few moments later, winded. The wolf had grabbed her, thrown her off. The battle is in disarray. All she can see is bodies littering the ground, humans being massacred by the malevolent wolves. The wolves are pounding into the humans¡ªthe innocents¡ªpunishing, hurting them, raping them before killing them. It¡¯s a terrifying scene. And it scares Jade to death. She needs to run. She can¡¯t do this anymore. She must¡­ The wolf¡¯s body pounding into her knocks some sense into her. For now, Jade cannot run. She is surrounded by allies and enemies both. She has to keep going. The wolf lunges and thrusts, each of his swings more powerful than the last. He seems to be toying with her, enjoying her pain. There is a certain hunger in his eyes that chills Jade to the bone. He wants her for something else. But she¡¯ll be damned if she gives it to him. As the beast strikes at her body once more, she lets the hammer hit her, careful to position her body in a way to create the least amount of impact and pain as possible. Still, it hurts like her body is on fire, and she feels a crack in her ribcage, but the wolf hadn¡¯t expected her to do this. Grimacing, she swings her axe at the wolf, chopping into its head. It¡¯s dead before it hits the floor. Jade rushes at Torr as fast as she can, worry in her mind, yet hope in her heart. To her relief, he is still breathing, but he is unconscious. With a shake from Jade, he comes awake. ¡°What happened?¡± He asks. Jade quickly fills him in and he groans. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± He tells her. ¡°But the others¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± He responds gruffly. ¡°But we can¡¯t afford this. We need to warn the royals about what has happened here.¡± With a sad nod of her head, Jade nods and begins to lead him out of the city, careful to avoid the wolves'' eyes. They go deeper into the city, heading in the direction of Arcadia. The wolves don¡¯t see them, intent on killing those they are already fighting. Strangely, Jade doesn¡¯t see many humans. Sure, there are lots of bodies littering the ground, but except for those, most humans are just gone. Where did they all go? Jade stops as she sees something in front of her. It¡¯s the captain of the wolves. He smiles at her. ¡°This is what happens when you fight us. Leave us alone. If you stop, we will stop attacking you. This is your last chance. We will destroy Magefell. Do not get in our way. Or you shall be destroyed.¡± He turns away, and two wolves turn to face us. ¡°Quick, in here,¡± A voice whispers from the side. Jade and Torr turn to see Guilia waving at them. ¡°Come on, run!¡± Jade and Torr take after her, running as fast as they can, the wolves chasing them, snarling. Guilia leads them out of the city quickly, to the forest that connects Erenfeld and Hurlet. The wolves keep chasing them, but suddenly about a dozen arrows sprout on both animals. One of them falls, but the other keeps going. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Jade tells her friends, rushing the wolf. Because of its injuries, the wolf stumbles forward, unable to block her. She quickly stabs it in the gut, then splits its head open with her axe. ¡°Stay down, bastard,¡± She growls. ¡°This way!¡± Guilia yells. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Jade follows her and enters a clearing, and there she sees the army, or what¡¯s left of it. There are dozens of wounded men and women here, but maybe a hundred still alive and uninjured. Just a portion of those who had stayed to fight, but it was a relief to find anyone else. ¡°Sister, you are alive,¡± Robin grins, hugging Jade fiercely. ¡°I thought I had shamed myself in letting you die.¡± ¡°Just glad to be alive,¡± Jade responds numbly. Thankfully, Jin is here as well. She hasn¡¯t lost anyone special this time. Still, they have lost plenty of people and an entire town. She can see it burning from here. Now, she doesn¡¯t know what will happen. Will Arcadia try to attack the wolves, or will they leave Magefell to its defenses? She doesn¡¯t know, but the captain¡¯s words haunt her. We will destroy Magefell. Do not get in our way. Or you shall be destroyed. Chapter Forty-One: Protecting the Royals Chapter Forty-One: Protecting the Royals Yue¡¯s mom had always told her that crowd mentality was a son of a bastard. All it took was one person to change the entire mob. Yue had seen that in action before. She¡¯d taken a trip to Aluemdaum Seom once, and while she was there, one man revolted against what he thought were unfair prices. That one man changed a cheering audience into a frenzied one. Thankfully, nothing bad had happened that day. Contrary to this one. When the voice told the crowd that the monsters would attack them but not Magefell, the crowd was paralyzed in fear and shock. The silence of the mob washed over the rest of the mob. Mob mentality. But all it took was one man. That was just the way of the world. One man, one grizzled, hairy, skinny old man, saw the monster rushing toward him and instead of unsheathing the dagger he had on his belt, he took the coward¡¯s path. He ran. To be fair to the man, Yue probably would''ve done the same thing if she was in his position. But she wasn¡¯t, and what he did changed the rest of the day for the worst. As soon as the mob saw one man running away, they panicked. The ensuing rush of people yelling and rushing for Magefell triggered a reaction in the monsters, who, with a smile, dashed forwards faster. And thus began the massacre. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. And it¡¯s not just the monsters. Yes, they¡¯re completely unfamiliar, but the truly shocking, unfamiliar thing is the destruction, the death. I watch¡ªam forced to watch, really¡ªas dozens of innocent people fall to the shrieking monsters. I don¡¯t know what to do about it. I¡¯ve drawn my sword, but I don¡¯t want to rush into battle. I have my friends here, and not all of them are in the right condition to fight. That same person doesn¡¯t even know how to fight. I look over at my friends. Xavier, Th¡¯ul, Sia, Skai, Yue, Neena, Alyx, Aster, Poli, and Artemis. High Mage Aegon. All look scared, wondering how this could¡¯ve happened. I¡¯m wondering the same thing myself. Why? Why would the cult do this? I know it¡¯s a stupid question. They need to show their power over anyone else, or they wouldn¡¯t be able to rule their society¡ªthe strongest is better mentality. No, the real question is how. How could they do such a thing? ¡°What do we do?¡± I ask. ¡°We can¡¯t just stay here.¡± ¡°We need to split up,¡± High Mage Aegon says. ¡°The bigger of a group we are, the bigger the target. We should split up into two or three groups. It¡¯s better for all of us.¡± ¡°But Sia..:¡± ¡°I know she is incapacitated,¡± High Mage Aegon tells me. ¡°That is why she will be going with me. Zade, you take two or three others and stay here fighting the,. When they move to the forest¡ªand I¡¯m sure they will soon¡ªfollow them. I will be heading for Zenyth to drop off Sia, then the forest, then I will come back here. Poli, will you join me?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± She nods. ¡°Can Artemis come with?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± High Mage Aegon responds, then he leads them down the path. Immediately, they are assaulted by a L¡¯lorian, but a bolt of lightning shoots it down, and Poli stabs it in the head, killing it. ¡°Xavier, Aster, Skai, you should come with me,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of work to do.¡± ¡°What will I do?¡± Yue asks. ¡°And Th¡¯ul? And Alyx? Neena?¡± ¡°Actually, I was hoping you could come with me,¡± A voice calls out from behind her. Looking behind Yue, I see Captain Wolf, leading a group of unfamiliar people. My eyes widen then, when I realize why these people are unfamiliar. I¡¯m looking at the Royals. I bow to the ground, and next to me, I feel my friends doing the same. ¡°What do you need?¡± Yue asks. ¡°The Royals must be escorted back to Magefell in safety. Yiro and Kol are here to help you. You may take Th¡¯ul¡ªare you a mage?¡ªand Alyx¡ªgood to see you¡ªback with you for added protection.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Yue salutes. ¡°I must stay here and fight the beasts,¡± Captain Wolf growls, then roars and flings himself into the battle. ¡°Your commander is a little¡­¡± I say. ¡°Strange is the way to put it, yes,¡± Yue laughs. ¡°Well, I have to go. Stuff to do. People to protect. Monsters to kill.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you after this,¡± I promise. ¡°Same to you,¡± She says. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The path to Magefell was even more grisly than Yue thought. There were already bodies on the ground, all of them dead. The monsters didn¡¯t leave anyone wounded. All our swords were drawn as we walked on, even Th¡¯ul¡¯s. Briefly, she wondered where Xander was. Was he okay? Did he make it to Magefell safely? What was the Cult doing to him? Yue wished she could worry about her boyfriend more, but there were already L¡¯Lorian and Er¡¯lhitahn running at them. The first reptilian creature landed in front of them. The Er¡¯lhitahn crawled at Yue at a fast pace, and she chopped down, severing its arms. It screeched and clawed at her, but she deftly moved away, and stabbed its back, severing its spine. Its whimpers told Yue it was dying so she didn¡¯t bother with the killing blow. Let it suffer. As she turned away, she found several L¡¯lorian flying down towards them, faster than birds. Their descent was quick and ruthless. Some smashed in people next to them, tearing them to shreds. As they came down, a fireball¡ªprobably from Th¡¯ul¡ªtook one down, and Alyx cut another down. Yue took a third one in the stomach, but the final one barreled down on Th¡¯ul and knocked him to the ground. Yue rushed to help him, and decapitated its head. Th¡¯ul rushed to his feet. ¡°Thank you,¡± He said. ¡°Any time,¡± She responded. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Kol and Yiro flanked the Royals, and Yue and Th¡¯ul stayed at the fore, with Alyx and Neena on the sides, watching for any movement. Most of the monsters had already moved on to Magefell, but plenty had stayed. At this point, the remaining fighters were participants in the tournament. Yue could see Gunnar and Jabari both taking on Er¡¯litahn and L¡¯lorian. Yue was surprised at how easy they were to fight. Of course, they weren¡¯t normal, average people¡ªthey were monsters, after all¡ªbut they did go down pretty easily. She guessed that was why there were thousands of them. They also were not meant to destroy Magefell, that much was obvious. They were there only to show the glory of Dautha. So she guessed it made sense. She was brought out of her thoughts by a gang of three Er¡¯litahn rushing towards them, murder in their eyes. She and Th¡¯ul rushed at them, Th¡¯ul throwing his fireballs at them. These were bigger than the ones Yue had just fought, and smarter too. They dodged the fireballs, running at all four-legs, their tongues flicking out. They reached Yue and she swung her sword at one of them. His body split in half, green blood flowing out. Not daring to waste time, she turned to face the other one, but it was already dead. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Kol smiled at her. Yue grimaced. Fighting a couple of these was easy, but she could see hundreds of them just on the path to Magefell. Getting there alive would be harder than she thought. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª My first kill was surprisingly difficult. The L¡¯lorian are swift in the sky, and my sword does almost no damage while they are flying, easily dodging my attacks. I try to bait it down, but it refuses to do that, its fur raised in rage. Eventually, I realize I have another weapon and my fireball fells it. ¡°Tricky bastards,¡± Aster smiles. ¡°That¡¯s the fun of it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to take out dozens of these beasts,¡± I groan, ¡°This isn¡¯t fun.¡± I can¡¯t deny the thrill of adrenaline I feel, though, as I fight. A dozen monsters circle us both on the ground and in the air, snarling at us. We circle up. Aster and Xavier are next to me, while Skai is on the opposite side. ¡°Ready?¡± I ask. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± We charge at the monsters, and they rush at us. One of the Er¡¯litahn rushes at me, and scrapes my arm with its three-toed reptilian fingers, but I slice it from head to crotch in one deft motion. I¡¯m immediately set on by a L¡¯lorian. It takes me down, landing on top of me and straddling me. I fumble with my sword while also trying to hold its head up. Eventually, I rip my sword well and I hit the monster with the butt. It falls, unconscious and another strike is enough to kill it. Xavier is throwing his fireballs at a couple of Er¡¯litahn and Skai is fighting a few L¡¯lorian, and she¡¯s the one most in danger. The monsters in the air seem to sense that the more of them they use against her, the better. I need to help her out. As I run at her, a wounded Er¡¯litahn lands in front of me and jumps at me. I screech in shock and swing my sword up, closing my eyes. The next I see, it¡¯s on the ground, arm twitching in its death throes. I finally reach Skai. I throw a couple fireballs, not intending to score a hit. All it takes is a little distraction. With them busy dodging my blows, Skai takes them out one by one. We took them all down. None of us are dead. I¡¯m the only one with even a scratch, but we¡¯re already tired. This battle will last hours, and while I¡¯m sure eventually us and Magefell will win, I wonder how much it¡¯ll take. The screams of humans assaulted by the monsters saddens me. I turn my view to a particular couple. They are young, twenty-five at most, and the monsters rushing at them are wielding pikes. The first monsters I¡¯ll fight that have weapons. A lot of them have, but not all of them. A good portion prefer to use their teeth and claws, but many use swords and pikes. I need to save these people. Aster sees what I¡¯m seeing at the same time and runs with me. With a yell, I throw a fireball, catching a L¡¯lorian in the chest, sending it reeling to the ground. Two of the four monsters turn to us, the other two fixed on killing the couple. Aster takes on the L¡¯lorian while I fixate on the Er¡¯litahn. It is wielding two pikes, and it throws the first at me. I duck and keep running, throwing my own sword at it. While it dodges it, my fireball catches it off guard. By the time I grab my sword and reach the couple, Aster is with me again. The final two monsters¡ªboth Er¡¯litahn¡ªslither towards us, and we kill them easily, their pikes already gone. They are already stuck inside one of the people. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask. ¡°She isn¡¯t.¡± I look at the wounded woman. She looks pretty bad¡ªtwo pikes jutting out of her stomach¡ªbut it does look like she¡¯ll live. The pikes didn¡¯t hit anything critical. I don¡¯t know anything about healing, so I can¡¯t help her, though. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do, but I think she¡¯ll live,¡± I say. ¡°Thank you,¡± The other breathes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can thank you.¡± ¡°Stay alive,¡± I tell her. ¡°That¡¯s all we need to do now. Stay alive.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Two dozen L¡¯lorien and Er¡¯litahn, the biggest group Yue had faced until now. Most of her friends were sporting scratches by now, but no one was hurt, and the royals were safe. That was what mattered. King Aeson and King Umi fought with them, much to their chagrin, but Queen Ingrid just watched, counting on them to protect her, watching them all with her icy eyes. Yue didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing she was passive or not. She didn¡¯t seem to like them much. ¡°On your left!¡± Aeson screamed at her, giving her the time to swing around and strike a L¡¯lorien in the face. It went down, scratching at its wound. Kol and Yiro fought side-by-side, each taking each others¡¯ flanks. The Er¡¯litahn taking on them were wielding fearsome swords that Yue envied, but she still preferred her own. The farther they¡¯d gotten down the road to Magefell, the more monsters they¡¯d had to take on at a time. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like the monsters had reached Magefell, but they would soon. Yue needed to reach the city before they did, or else things would go south very quickly. She knew that many of the Magefell Guards were there, so as long as they were warned on time, the city would be safe. Mostly. But first, she needed to get there. And the monsters were overwhelming them. There must¡¯ve been almost thirty fighting them now. There were just too many. If they didn¡¯t find a way out soon, they would all be killed, including the Royals. They needed a mage, not just Th¡¯ul. He was doing good, but he was still just a mage-in-training. Thankfully, there were plenty of people around. Surely, one of them would be a mage. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Somebody, please!¡± She screamed, desperately beating down a L¡¯lorian. ¡°We need a mage!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mage,¡± One woman said. Yue looked at her and sighed in relief, although she looked strange. ¡°Please, can you help us?¡± She asked. The woman cocked her head and smirked, and then Yue realized what was strange about her. She wasn¡¯t being attacked. ¡°You!¡± Yue yelled. ¡°You¡¯re a Cultist!¡± The woman smiled and disappeared, but not before yelling for the Er¡¯litahn. Yue groaned. This was not going well. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª This is actually going pretty well. Most of the monsters are gone from the field by now, and the ones that are left are restless and generally weaponless. The people here are either on the ground or fighting desperately. The couple I¡¯d saved are still alive, thankfully. Aster has suffered a slight injury on her leg, and she¡¯s limping slightly, but otherwise, we¡¯re all still alive. I spot a mage performing some sort of magic, and I grin. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°G¨¢rcia,¡± He tells me. ¡°I saw you fighting the beasts.¡± ¡°Had to help my friends,¡± I tell him. ¡°Can¡¯t just let everyone die. They¡¯re innocent.¡± ¡°Innocent?¡± G¨¢rcia asked. ¡°You think they¡¯re innocent. What is so innocent of a man who refuses to obey the Hierarchy?¡± ¡°The Hierarchy?¡± G¨¢rcia narrowed his eyes. ¡°So you aren¡¯t¡­¡± My eyes widen. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t serve Dautha.¡± I scream as lightning soars through me, and I watch as it begins to fry me. Xavier tackles G¨¢rcia, breaking his concentration, setting me free. I tumble to the ground, breathing heavily, trying not to puke. I can¡¯t feel much. I know I¡¯m burned. With trembling fingers, wincing, I remove my shirt. It isn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was. I am burned in several places, but I think I¡¯ll recover. My face, though, is a slightly different matter. My left cheek is burned almost to a crisp and I can barely breathe. ¡°May I help?¡± Someone asks behind me. I turn to find Master Frin standing behind me. ¡°You can do healing?¡± I ask. ¡°I try not to make it public,¡± He responds. ¡°But yes, I can. Need help?¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± He gets to work on me and I feel cold for a second. Ice cold, like I¡¯m swimming in the ocean nude. Soon, though, the wave has passed and I feel better. ¡°Did you get it?¡± I ask. ¡°Mostly,¡± He responds. ¡°Though there is one small thing¡­¡± I raise my hand to my face and feel it immediately. There is a scar on my left cheek. ¡°It¡¯s permanent,¡± Master Frin says regretfully. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can take it off.¡± The scar runs from my mouth almost to my ear, like an unfinished grin. ¡°How obvious is it?¡± ¡°People will notice, but it doesn¡¯t distract from your looks,¡± Master Frin smiles. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about that,¡± I grimace. I stand up slowly, Master Frin holding me up. As I look for my friends, I see G¨¢rcia locked in a fight with Aster, both Xavier and Skai in the air, choking on the air. I rush towards G¨¢rcia, but suddenly the grass is like ice and I slip. ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Master Frin tells me and runs to G¨¢rcia, who sends spells at him. Deftly, Master Frin gets past all of them. As soon as he reached G¨¢rcia, he pushes him. It¡¯s only a slight touch, but it sends G¨¢rcia flying. He lands on the grass maybe ten twenty yards away and he stays still, unmoving, a small pool of blood already forming. ¡°I need to learn to do that!¡± Xavier exclaims. ¡°It¡¯ll take you a while,¡± Master Frin says. ¡°Boys, I need to leave. Magefell needs me. Shall you come with me?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± I tell Master Frin. ¡°We¡¯re doing a job for High Mage Aegon.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Master Frin nods, then he disappears. ¡°Who was that guy?¡± Skai asked. ¡°Swordmaster.¡± ¡°And he was doing magic instead of using his sword?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a confused man, I guess,¡± Xavier shrugs. ¡°We don¡¯t know him that well.¡± ¡°Seems like you should get to know him better,¡± Skai points out, ¡°Seeing as he saved you life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to thank him later.¡± We turn as more monsters rush at us. There¡¯s no rest for us. Not yet. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They were almost there. Yue could see the gates of Magefell. The guards of Magefell could probably see them, but, of course they wouldn¡¯t understand what was happening. There were now maybe fifty beasts surrounding them, L¡¯lorian and Er¡¯litahn both. They attacked the humans carefully now, almost strategically, using intelligence close to humans. Yue decapitated another Er¡¯litahn and sighed in exhaustion. Yiro fell to the ground as a L¡¯lorian fell on her and they struggled for a few seconds before Kol fished her out. She was hurt, though, badly. They had someone else to protect now. For every beast they killed, another seemed to take its place. Bodies lined the road to Magefell, and at this point, there were more monster bodies than human ones. Yue had seen many people fighting the beasts around the road. Some had been winning. Evern common villagers sometimes took on L¡¯lorian or two. But there were many dead, too. It saddened Yue to see the gore. It wasn¡¯t fair. As logical as the Cultist¡¯s arguments seemed to be sometimes, this just solidified how wrong they were. There was no way it was right to kill this many people for such a simple point as power. The ends couldn¡¯t justify the means, right? A spear from a L¡¯lorian almost took her in the shoulder. She growled in determination and attacked it, her sword swinging forwards, causing the Er¡¯litahn to defend itself, letting a L¡¯lorian help it out. Yue groaned. When would this end? She kept pushing forwards with her small group, towards the gates of Magefell where hopefully they would be safe, if just for a few minutes. They could do it, she was sure they could. Yue finally took down the Er¡¯litahn with a stab to its crotch, but immediately, two more appeared in its place. They finally began to overpower her, sending a flurry of attacks that she could barely parry. Knowing they had the advantage, they pushed even farther, their mouths wide in what she assumed was laughter. One of the pikes sent her to the ground. She hit the ground hard, and the Er¡¯litahn advanced, their pikes raised to strike. The L¡¯lorian watched in silence. Yue felt for her sword, but she¡¯d dropped it. She closed her eyes and welcomed death. A swish of a sword broke her out of her stupor. Opening her eyes, she found King Aeson standing over her, both Er¡¯litahn and the L¡¯lorian dead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to protect me?¡± He says, a teasing glint in his eyes. ¡°Much thanks,¡± Yue responded, letting him help her hand. ¡°Much obliged.¡± He responded. ¡°You¡¯ve done great so far, and we¡¯re almost there. Just a little while longer. Look.¡± Yue obeyed and noticed he was right. The gates were just one hundred yards away. They were close. With that look, Yue finally got the determination she needed. She attacked with a new ferocity, and seeing her anticipation, so did Th¡¯ul and Alyx. Yiro groaned in pain but Kol protected her and Queen Ingrid. King Aeson and King Umi stayed in the background but still fought, making sure they weren¡¯t too flanked. Fifty beasts turned to forty. Forty turned to thirty. And then thirty turned to twenty. The ones who were left began to grow desperate. They were savage yet unused to having their mob lose in a competition. Their instinct kept them going, but Yue could see fear in their eyes. Even those with the biggest armies can be the weakest. That¡¯s probably something the Cult says. Another L¡¯Lorian down, and one less beast to kill. There were just ten left. A thump sounded from her right, and she turned, her heart dropping. It was an Er¡¯litahn, but not like any she¡¯d seen. This was muscly, and huge, its head bigger than her torso. It ripped a nearby human¡¯s head off, and roared. It was at least three times as big as a normal Er¡¯litahn. It had to be enhanced with magic. The other monsters scattered as soon as they saw it, and Yue sighed. This would not be fun. It charged at them, and Yue, Th¡¯ul, and Alyx held together, bracing for impact. Still, its body threw them back, and Yue hit a nearby tree, collapsing in pain. The magically enhanced Er¡¯litahn rode towards the Royals, and Yue groaned, trying to stand up. The good news was that Kol got to the Er¡¯litahn first. The bad news was the Er¡¯litahn knocked him down like a toy. A fireball struck the Er¡¯litahn and evaporated. It hissed in mild irritation but advanced to Queen Ingrid. ¡°YAAAAHHHH!¡± Yue screamed as she stood up. The Er¡¯litahn ignored it and clawed at Queen Ingrid, who backed out of the way, ice fear in her eyes. Yue ran towards the Er¡¯litahn and stabbed it in the back. The Er¡¯litahn screamed in pain and reached for her. She backed out of the way and assessed her situation. The Er¡¯litahn was pissed, that much was obvious. It was not expecting as much resistance as it got, and therefore, it was confused as well. Obviously, it thought it would kill easily, but that hadn¡¯t been the case. Now, it wanted to take care of the person who had wounded it. It rushed towards her, and only another sword sticking out of its gut stopped it. It screeched and slapped Alyx across the face. Alyx crumpled to the ground again. Yue couldn¡¯t let Alyx die, not now. With another battle roar, she rushed at the Er¡¯litahn. At the same time, Th¡¯ul and Kol ran at it too. The Er¡¯litahn, confused, looked around, judging who would be the greatest threat, They attacked at the same time. Yue stabbed at its head, taking it in the eyes. Th¡¯ul cut off its tail, disrupting its balance. Kol chopped at its legs, and it crumpled over, blind. Alyx stood up and smiled. ¡°May I?¡± Without waiting for a response, she stabbed down. A squelching noise and then a screech erupted from the beast. Then silence. Yue looked around. They were all alive. Just barely, but still alive. ¡°Um¡­people,¡± King Aeson called. ¡°We must fly!¡± He was right. The rest of the Er¡¯litahn and L¡¯lorian were staring at them, realizing what they had done. Yue took off toward the gates, her friends and the royals not far behind, the beasts chasing them. ¡°OPEN THE GATES!¡± Yue shouted. ¡°I¡¯VE GOT THE ROYALS WITH ME! I''M FROM THE VANGUARD!¡± The guard on the wall nodded and the gate began to open. Slowly. The monsters were catching up. Yue sprinted, keeping an eye on the royals, making sure they didn¡¯t get too far behind. Thankfully, they ran quickly. The gates were fully open now. She was so close she could almost touch it¡­ She was through. A second later, Kol and Alyx passed through. Next was King Aeson and Queen Ingrid, followed by Neena. Then the gate began to close. ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T!¡± Yue screamed. ¡°I have to,¡± The guard responded. ¡°Can¡¯t let the monsters pass.¡± ¡°The bastards fly,¡± Yue responded. The guard shook his head, insistent. ¡°Come on, Th¡¯ul,¡± She whispered. ¡°Come on!¡± The gates were seconds away from closing completely. King Umi finally passed. Th¡¯ul glanced at her briefly, terror in his eyes, the first time Yue had seen the emotion in his face. He sprinted, and suddenly, he was running faster than Yue had ever seen him. Then he was past, and a second later, the gates shut, sealing the monsters. Th¡¯ul lay on the ground. ¡°I had help,¡± He whispered. ¡°Someone helped me, with magic.¡± ¡°That would be me,¡± An unfamiliar mage told him. ¡°Welcome back, Th¡¯ul. You must tell me what is happening.¡± Th¡¯ul stood up and smiled. ¡°It is good to see you. These are the royals. Everybody, meet my friend. High Mage Roshan, the former prince of Valacia.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I scream as I take down a L¡¯lorian. I can barely move now. The exhaustion is getting to me, and my muscles are cramped. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can take it. Plus, I need to piss. No one in the stories ever needs to, but I¡¯ve realized that even emergencies can¡¯t be distracted by a battle. I feel agitated, and I want to let it all out, but I have modesty to think about. There must be only a couple dozen animals left on the field now. It should be time to head to the woods soon. But first, we need to take care of the final ones. This should be quick. Then I can finally pee. I rush at a L¡¯lorian and shoot a fireball. It sails right past it, and when the animal looks at me, I take it between the eyes. Unfamiliar mages and soldiers are already taking care of the rest. There must be three hundred dead humans just on this part of the field, but there are also at least a thousand dead L¡¯lorian and Er¡¯litahn. It would be more of a success, if not for all the casualties. Of course, we haven¡¯t even killed ten percent of the monsters. There is still a lot of the battle left. Thankfully, I¡¯m not alone in this endeavor, and it¡¯s not just my friends. With all the others fighting against the monsters, hopefully, this threat can be neutralized as quickly as possible. No one else needs to die. Another L¡¯lorian dies. The rest are gone, either to Magefell or the forest. We¡¯ve done it. The plains are clean. I walk over to the pit where the arena once lay and remove my pants. No one is looking so far, and I let it shoot out. I sigh in relief as I piss, my anxiety washing out of me. ¡°What the hell?¡± Aster asks from behind me, and I turn red. ¡°I¡¯m not looking, I swear.¡± ¡°I hope not,¡± I respond, finishing my business, putting my pants back on and turning towards her. ¡°Why were you looking for me anyways?¡± ¡°This part of the battle is done,¡± She says. ¡°Of course I was looking for you.¡± ¡°We all were,¡± Xavier grins evilly. ¡°Some of us just chose to look.¡± ¡°Xavier!¡± Skai screams indignantly. I roll my eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Xavier smiles uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯ve known Skai for a long time.¡± ¡°What?¡± I question. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you kissed her as soon as you saw her.¡± ¡°Yup, we used to live in the same place. The day I left, I admitted my feelings for her. I was surprised she was here for the tournament, but I¡¯m glad she is. She¡¯s also moving here, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll last,¡± Skai finishes, kissing him. ¡°That was a terrible prank you pulled on them.¡± Xavier shrugged. ¡°It was fun.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± Aster scoffs. ¡°We need to find the High Mage.¡± The forest looks inviting the closer we get to it, the trees winding forwards, looking at us, begging us to unravel its mysteries. I don¡¯t want to unravel its mysteries right now, though, especially the scaly and furry ones. A crash sounds through the forest and the trees shake. I suck in a breath, and Alyx gasps in front of me. There¡¯s something in the forest and it''s coming. I draw my sword again and I feel my friends do the same next to me. ¡°You still want to go in the forest?¡± Xavier asks Alyx. ¡°Shut up!¡± The forest shakes again. I back up slowly, keeping my eyes on the trees, scanning them, trying to find any sign of what was in there. So far, nothing. Another crash. Then nearby trees begin to shake and the rumbling noises get closer. ¡°What is it?¡± I hear one woman yell. ¡°ARM YOURSELVES!¡± Another screams. People begin to dash out of the field in all directions. I ignore them all, instead staying next to Xavier, hoping against hope that whatever comes out of that forest is an ally. Another crash and a tree falls. I see a flying figure expelled from the forest. It could be a L¡¯lorian but I can¡¯t be sure. ¡°We need to back off,¡± Alyx says. ¡°Whatever is coming is on a rampage. They¡¯ll be charging and we¡¯re in their way.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± As we run, I get my first glimpse of the creatures, and I can confirm it¡¯s more than one. Then they all erupt from the forest. Maybe a couple of thousand beasts, both L¡¯lorian and Er¡¯litahn, who apparently decided they didn¡¯t like the forest. They have anger in their eyes, and some sort of fear, and they¡¯re charging at us, wielding blades. From the only about two hundred soldiers left on the field, this is an army bigger than we can fight. They look savage, and I can¡¯t help but feel fear in my bones. We can¡¯t take on all these. They¡¯re swarming around us, and won¡¯t stop until we¡¯re dead. But we can try. We have to try. It¡¯s time to stand my ground. Chapter Forty-Two: Erlitahn and Llorien Chapter Forty-Two: Er''litahn and L''lorien ¡°RUN!¡± The cry comes from all sides as humans decide the monsters are too many to fight. The monsters, though, are quicker. They overwhelm us and begin to hammer us, their swords and pikes stabbing, slicing.. Soon enough, I feel constricted. There are five monsters standing between me and my friends. I can¡¯t even see them anymore. A pike stabs into my shoulder, not cutting deep, but still wounding. I scream in pain and stab at the L¡¯lorian, and it screeches, falling to the ground in its death throes. The other four advance on me as one, and I¡¯m unable to defend myself as well as I could. From the noises around me, I can safely assume my friends are in the same predicament. I can see gushes of fire from where the forest was, but I¡¯m still not sure why they left it. Were they scared by something? Or did they just think they¡¯d find more meat here? Either way, they¡¯re here right now. An Er¡¯litahn bites into my sword, trying to wrench it from my grasp, but I hold on, and the force of the pull puts me on the ground. Thankfully, I¡¯ve held onto my sword and the Er¡¯litahn tumbles back in its momentum. I¡¯m up in time to face the barrage of attacks from the other two Er¡¯litahn, who hiss at me as they fight, not expertly, but strongly enough. ¡°ZADE!¡± I hear Aster¡¯s voice arise from my left. ¡°Where are you?¡± A plume of fire erupts from where her voice is, but I focus on my fight. ¡°I¡¯m in here, Aster,¡± I respond. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I see another plume of fire, and this time I hear the screeches of the beasts too. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± She responds. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re coming to save you.¡± We? I feel a glimmer of hope at what she said, even if I didn¡¯t understand it, so I maintain my ground. If they¡¯ll save me, I don¡¯t need to be on the defensive. The wound on my shoulder is bleeding. Clearly, it needs to be taken care of, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll be able to fix it. I don¡¯t know if there are any more mages in the field. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll die though. The pike didn¡¯t go deep enough. Another Er¡¯litahn screeches as I kill it, but three more beasts take its place. I¡¯m losing this battle, but I haven¡¯t lost. Just hold on, Zade. Help is coming. It¡¯s been a couple minutes since I last heard Aster¡¯s voice, and it¡¯s the only thing making me keep fighting as ferociously as I can. Because there¡¯s hope this fight ends my way. I duck under a sword, and parry another one, having to sidestep a third as soon as I do it. A bite forces me to duck, while another sword makes me move towards the right, where two Lorien are waiting. They roar and bite at me, but I manage to slice one, ending its terrible life. The others move the circle closer, and I can barely move. A plume of fire from the left takes out three beasts. I breathe a sigh of relief as two more are taken down a second later with more fire. I¡¯m glad for the help, but I do wonder who¡¯s doing this. It can¡¯t be Aster, right? More fire erupting, more beasts gone. And that¡¯s when the fire reminds me of something I¡¯ve been forgetting. I should¡¯ve been using it, but I was in the midst of the heat, blood, gore, and adrenaline, so I forgot to use it. My skill. Calling upon it, I stretch my hand out to a L¡¯lorien. A column of fire crashes upward from the earth and immediately chars the L¡¯lorien to a crisp. My fire is stronger than the other person¡¯s, but I don¡¯t think I can use it too much. I don¡¯t need to worry about it, though, as I¡¯m able to take down the last Er¡¯litahn fighting me, the others preferring to run and find easier prey. I finally notice who saved me, and I smile. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± I tell High Mage Aegon. ¡°I created an illusion and scared them out of the forest,¡± the High Mage explains. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to find all of them. We¡¯d be suffering from their terror for decades.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± I say. ¡°I didn¡¯t really want to fight them in the forest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard,¡± High Mage Aegon admitted. ¡°Have you heard anything from other mages?¡± ¡°We had to fight a Cultist,¡± I tell him. ¡°His name was G¨¢rcia. He tried to kill me because I didn¡¯t worship Dautha.¡± ¡°I was hoping this would not happen,¡± the mage responds. ¡°I thought they would stay more passive.¡± ¡°I think they are. This one just chose not to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool and all that you¡¯re having a conversation without me,¡± Xavier tells them, desperately fighting an Er¡¯litahn, ¡°But I can¡¯t do this on my own, you know.¡± His inexperience with any sort of weapon is showing. While he does have his fireball, even that is inexperienced. I know he can¡¯t take on more than one at once, and currently, he¡¯s fighting two. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± High Mage Aegon tells me, and we charge into the fray. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The city was warned quickly enough. Soon, it was panicking. That was the bad part. L¡¯lorien were already swarming the sky, and some were carrying Er¡¯litahn, dropping them on the streets of Magefell. Here, they were much more dangerous, because Yue never knew whatAlleyway she¡¯d find them in. Many villagers had locked their houses, hoping that it would shelter them. The others all came to fight, many to die. Zenyth was evacuating, too, but not to leave the city. No, they were here to aid in the fight. Most of them, anyway. There were still plenty of Cultists who refused to do anything about the threat, instead saying that it was their fault they were in this mess. Yue hated them. Yue had dropped the Royals off at Zenyth. Mages had been filing out of there, but she¡¯d been able to find a particular mage to help her and set them somewhere safe. King Aeson had vehemently disagreed with that decision, telling them he could be of use and he wanted to fight, but Yue was insistent. She didn¡¯t want to have his blood on her hands. King Umi and Queen Ingrid had gone more willingly, and King Umi and Aeson had personally thanked her. Queen Ingrid, though, was another story. ¡°You almost died and were saved by one of us,¡± She spat. ¡°Do better next time.¡± Yue didn¡¯t want to say how much that had crushed her. She was supposed to be the greatest warrior in the greatest elite team! If they had to be saved, then they weren¡¯t the greatest! She¡¯d had to remind herself that they were stronger together. She¡¯d also killed more beasts than anyone else. She hadn¡¯t been counting, but she¡¯d at least killed a hundred at this point, and she was proud of that. The more beasts she killed, the less people died. That was her motivation and a right good one for her. It was enough for her to keep going. Th¡¯ul¡¯s High Mage friend had been helpful to them so far. He was obviously skilled with magic, and she and him, together with Th¡¯ul and Alyx, had joined with a group of one hundred men¡ªpart of the Magefell Army¡ªto fight the beasts. The Magefell Army was the umbrella for every type of soldier in Magefell. Each country had its own army with its own subdivisions. The Magefell Army had three. The first was the Soldiers. They were mostly good fighters who did not need to be soldiers as a full.time job. Instead, their days were spent like any commoner¡¯s days, but they were always ready to pick up a sword, get on a horse, and fight. They were also mostly kept secret, so assassins from other countries wouldn¡¯t readily recognize them when they saw them. Most of the men and women in the Magefell Army were Soldiers. The second subdivision was the Guards. These were more common, and everyone knew who they were. They wore a silver uniform with a shining tower¡ªZenyth¡ªon the breast. They were the ones who guarded Magefell on a day-to-day basis, and they would also fight for Magefell if need be. They were in general more skilled than the soldiers, but even the soldiers were more skilled than an average fighter. Maybe twenty percent of the Magefell Army was dedicated to Guards. The third was the Warriors. Yue was a part of them, they were mostly known as the Vanguard. They were mostly young people, and the most skilled in the world. They fought for Magefell in general only if it was an emergency. They were supposed to be quicker, smarter, better. Of course, in a battle, the strongest wouldn¡¯t always win. And they had won the tournament. Most of the Vanguard had defeated the best from any country. That was very good. The Vanguard made up not even one percent of the Magefell army, but they didn¡¯t need to. Those two hundred fighting together could take down any small army. But the two hundred weren¡¯t together. They were spread out, all throughout Magefell, and so, they couldn¡¯t coordinate like they normally would. The battle, as far as battles went, was going well. They were winning. For every five beasts killed, there were only one or two casualties. Then again, there were thousands of these creatures. That meant there would be at least a thousand casualties still. She was fighting with a hundred more. So far, only three of theirs had fallen, and they had killed at least a couple dozen monsters. They were taking the alleyways carefully, knowing that the monsters could be anywhere. They were heading towards the market, where they assumed the Er¡¯litahn and L¡¯lorien would converge. There was also a group outside the gates, trying to stop Magefell from getting overwhelmed by these animals. One of the hundred turned the alleyway slowly, holding his sword expertly. He was immediately tackled by a L¡¯lorien. There was a sharp crunch, a yell, then silence. The beast was quickly taken care of, but they had still lost one more. Yue saw a few villagers fighting Er¡¯litahn. They didn¡¯t have the advantage, but they were putting up a good fight. Three of those in her group went to help them out and they were quickly free. An Er¡¯litahn fell on Yue. Falling, she shrieked and stabbed at her head, trying desperately to hit it. A satisfying quelch followed by a screech confirmed that she¡¯d hit it. It fell to the ground, and Yue shuddered. ¡°Watch out for falling beasts!¡± She called out. ¡°The L¡¯lorien are carrying them.¡± ¡°That was scary,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°They¡¯re on the rooftops, too.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Yue looked up, confirming what he¡¯d said. ¡°You think we¡¯re all gonna make it?¡± ¡°We have to, don¡¯t we?¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°You still have to find the murderers and I still have unfinished business with High Mage Eldor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll find the murderers. We were already totally lost in the search, and now they could die here. They could be impossible to find.¡± ¡°Look at it this way,¡± Th¡¯ul voiced. ¡°If they die, they served justice. If they don¡¯t, they¡¯ll live their entire life frightened of you.¡± Yue smiled. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Another Er¡¯litahn explodes in fire. I¡¯ve figured out the limitation in my skill. I can only use it a certain amount of times before it needs a break and doesn¡¯t work. Five times with a three minute break. That¡¯s not a lot, but according to High Mage Aegon, the better I get as a mage, the better with the skill I¡¯ll be. So I just need practice. I¡¯m tired of hearing that phrase by now. I haven¡¯t seen any more Cultists since G¨¢rcia, which is a good thing, but the bad news is that with how little fighters are still here, the monsters are starting to really overwhelm us. I wish we could lead them somewhere but that¡¯s impossible. We shouldn¡¯t lead them to the forest where we¡¯ll lose sight of them, and we shouldn¡¯t lead them to Magefell. There are already enough beasts there. ¡°Where are Poli and Artemis?¡± I ask High Mage Aegon. ¡°Oh, fighting somewhere,¡± He responds. ¡°They¡¯re still alive, if you¡¯re wondering.¡± ¡°And Sia?¡± ¡°Dropped her off at Zenyth, but she didn¡¯t seem to want to stay. Said she wanted to help you.¡± Stolen story; please report. I smile. ¡°I feel bad for her. She¡¯s just inexperienced. And she probably feels alone too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t envy her position, though,¡± High Mage Aegon responds. ¡°She isn¡¯t fighting like we are.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± I sweat as I kill another beast. At this point, I can ignore my exhaustion, filling it with adrenaline. The monsters are all still mostly evacuating, all flying towards Magefell. It¡¯s their main target, but as long as we can isolate many of them here, then we can wipe thousands out to save Magefell a little trouble. But even though we¡¯re killing them more than they are us, we are still losing. With the advantage of numbers they have, eventually, they will overrun us and we will either have to flee or die. I know which option I want to take. The earth rumbles again, and I¡¯m thrown to the ground. L¡¯lorien take the opportunity to fall on those on the ground. The only person I can see who stood his ground is High Mage Aegon. ¡°Mages,¡± He growls. ¡°Some are working against us.¡± I wince but send a pillar of fire erupting, destroying a Er¡¯litahn close to where Aster is. She nods in thankfulness and keeps up her assault on the monsters. High Mage Aegon motivates me. He seems to be a pool of infinite power, his eyes shining bright, radiating with glory. He sends lightning down on the enemy''s ranks, destroying them. He throws fire, draws the earth out from under them, and telepathically breaks their neck in two. The monsters don¡¯t have any shield against magic, and therefore all sorts of spells affect them. Occasionally, I throw fireballs at them or my dagger. My mana is running a little low. I have to be careful with how much magic I use. The earth rips out from under me and I go flying but a wave of air stops me before I hit the ground. ¡°You need to make your shield stronger,¡± High Mage Aegon tells me. ¡°Don¡¯t let them affect you.¡± I nod and while I do so, I take the moment to analyze the cores around the field that once held the arena. There seem to be about three hundred beasts left around here, and only one hundred men. There are dozens of wounded and plenty die every minute. I see hundreds, maybe thousands, of anti-cores. Human anti-cores. It¡¯s a sobering thought, especially knowing I could join them at any minute. But all we can do is keep fighting. That¡¯s all that can happen. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª They¡¯ve reached the market. And it¡¯s chaotic. Stalls ripped in shreds, Men trying to protect their wares and their lives while L¡¯lorien rain hell from above and Er¡¯litahn attack them from below. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stick together anymore,¡± High Mage Roshan told Yue. ¡°We¡¯ll only be taking up unneeded space. Pair up in groups of four or five. Be careful. Protect Zenyth at all costs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be with you,¡± Th¡¯ul tells her. ¡°Same here,¡± Alyx says. They began to protect the stalls, doing everything they could to protect the humans. At that point, attacking wasn¡¯t the best option. The monsters had the upper hand. They needed to eliminate it. The sky was dark with the amount of monsters crowding it. Every minute, another Er¡¯litahn would drop to the ground and immediately wreak havoc. More and more, soldiers joined the fray. Every soldier could fight at least two beasts at a time, because clearly they were supposed to win the battle. Still, yue wondered if the Cult had gone farther than even they¡¯d wanted to go. There was more killing than a show of glory should have. And the proof Yue saw of that was the amount of mages fighting for their side. Sure, they could all be non-cultists, but she doubted it. The magic was magnificent. It lit up the sky, drowning out the cries of the creatures in the explosions. Some of the mages were careless, and humans were lost to the magic too, but most hit true, especially in the air where the L¡¯lorien were. Yue decapitated an Er¡¯litahn and struck a L¡¯lorien. It rose in the air, and barreled down at her. She chopped with her sword, severing it in half. The two sides fell to the ground next to her. Looking to the side, she found Th¡¯ul desperately taking on two Er¡¯litahn at a time. She threw her sword, sticking it in the back while the other one screamed as a Fireball struck it. Yue looked at his face. It was dirty streaked with blood and she pointed it out to him. ¡°You¡¯re talking about me?¡± He laughed. ¡°Have you seen your face? Neither have I! All I can see is blood, dirt, and some sort of pulpy mixture that I don¡¯t want to know about.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Her sword stabbed an Er¡¯litahn¡¯s belly, and she moved away as soon as it fell, turning to another one. It stabbed at her but she moved, splitting it from ear to ear, a grim smile. The next two L¡¯lorien¡¯s came at her at the same time, and she jumped over one as it ran over her. She landed on its back, and it reared up and squealed, aware of the danger she posed. Then it flew up. At this point, Yue couldn¡¯t stab it anymore. She¡¯d hit the ground too hard, possibly even die. All she could do was hold on. She grabbed onto the L¡¯lorien¡¯s neck as it carried her away, her only thought of survival. The L¡¯lorien bucked and thrashed, doing everything to throw her off, but she stayed on, closing her eyes in fear. A claw in her back made her straighten up. Another L¡¯lorien was attacking her, its claws swiping at her, and its jaws open in hunger. She reached with her sword, keeping one hand on the neck of the other. Her first swing missed, and she lost balance. Breath heavy, she grabbed the L¡¯lorien again just as she fell off. She was hanging on by just one hand now. The other beast attacked again, and this time, she connected. It fell out of the sky, crashing into the cobblestone, killing it instantly. The splattering of gore told her she really did not want to fall. Neena seemed to be the only one who had noticed her until now.She was focused on her fight, but his frustration was showing. Whatever she wanted to help her with, it wouldn¡¯t work. One of the beasts attacked her more fiercely, and she was forced to fight, letting Yue out of her sight. She tried to call out to a mage, hoping anyone would listen. The L¡¯lorien rolled in the air. She screeched as she was thrown around, but this was the momentum she needed. She flew in the air for a second, and landed once again on its back, relatively safe compared to where she had just been. Two more L¡¯lorien came to attack her. Inwardly, she groaned, but on the outside she looked ready, assured in herself. When the first L¡¯lorien came for her, she hit it with the butt of her sword. It became disoriented and flew back a few feet, giving the next one an opening at her. It chomped on where her head had just been, but where her sword now was, cutting it from the inside of its mouth through its brain and out its head. The first L¡¯lorien recovered, and roared at her, its rage mighty but it didn¡¯t want to get too close. Apparently, it was wary now, seeing the danger she posed. The L¡¯lorien she was riding¡ªshe¡¯d taken to calling it Fluffy¡ªbucked again and she swayed for a bit, but she was getting used to it. ¡°Come at me, you bastard!¡± She roared. The L¡¯lorien growled and flew at her, straight and fast. She slashed with her sword, and it dodged, clawing at her arm. She winced as it scraped, and she almost dropped her sword, grabbing it by the pointy end with a desperate grab. Unfortunately, the pointy end was exactly that¡ªpointy¡ªand so she felt a slash of pain and blood welling from her palm. She threw the sword in the air, caught it and thrust. The unprepared L¡¯lorien screamed as the blade stabbed into its back, and soon it was falling to the ground, smashing a man down on the pavement. She winced, but she couldn¡¯t have done anything else. Fluffy growled at her and beat its wings, trying to reach her. ¡°Stop, Fluffy,¡± She told him. ¡°We both want to make it out alive here. Don¡¯t test me.¡± The L¡¯lorien snarled but stopped moving. ¡°Now, let me down.¡± The L¡¯lorien didn¡¯t obey her; it knew what would happen if it did. Yue examined the rooftops, trying to find a roof not too far down, one she could jump onto. They were too high, Fluffy dived. Yue squealed as the wind beat against her face, making her eyes water and her vision blurry. All she knew was that they were flying towards the ground at a high speed. At this rate they would crash and she would¡­ Fluffy pulled up, and Yue held on tight, crushing Fluffy¡¯s neck with her hug. The beast began to have trouble breathing as Yue held on tight, her butt in the air, her hug the only thing keeping her from falling. With one final push, Fluffy put itself upright in the air again, and Yue sighed in relief. I want to get off as much as you do, but I won¡¯t die for it. Other L¡¯lorien were starting to notice, and there were plenty glaring at her, assessing the risks of fighting her. Thankfully, humans were starting to notice too. Many were pointing at the sky, but most were too fixated on fighting. Yue didn¡¯t see any mages looking at her. She began to feel desperation in her heart: There was no way she¡¯d be able to get off safely. Both her and Fluffy were too stubborn and knew that if one had their way the other would be killed. Neither trusted the other, and there was no way around it. Plus, Fluffy was a massive monster. If only there was a way to get them both alive on the ground. Yue spied the top of Zenyth. They were somewhat close-by. If she could find a way on top of it, there would definitely be a way for her to get down. There would be the added pressure of Fluffy trying to kill her, but it should be worth the risk. She had to steer it there. Pointing at it didn¡¯t work. Not only did she not want it to know where she was trying to go, the only time she tried to pet it, it tried to rip her hand off. So she pulled on its neck, to the left, in the direction where Zenyth was. Fluffy, oblivious to her manipulation, growled in pain, but flew in the direction she¡¯d led him in. He did manage to fling himself onto his back, though, which only caused Yue to hold on for dear life again. A couple of rolls later, and Yue was once again holding on by one hand. Four fingers, Three. A spear passed through where Fluffy¡¯s head had just been, but it turned, and Yue, finally, was able to hang on. Had the person who threw the sphere tried to save her? A spear rose towards her and she ducked. Dread then relief washed over her. No, the person was not trying to save her, but at least she was still alive. Then Fluffy began to fall. Yue gasped as she looked at the pike sticking out of its head. Fluffy was dying, unable to fly, its movements erratic, heading for the ground. Yue gulped and steadied herself as Fluffy fell. She felt sorry for it; she was beginning to like the animal. Her survival now, though, was way more important than its¡ªshe was the only one alive anyways. With a heave, she tried to raise the L¡¯lorien¡¯s head, trying to guide it off the rooftops, but the animal was dead. The other L¡¯lorien¡¯s dived after her, and she swung her sword in front of them, trying to place some distance between them and her. The ground meanwhile was getting closer. A L¡¯lorien bit at her, and she killed it. The others roared and backed away, clearly waiting for her to die before they went after her. She hugged Fluffy, and closed her eyes. Hopefully, its dead body would cushion her. She would be happy if she escaped alive. A thump as Fluffy¡¯s body hit the ground. Pain. Then nothing. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª We¡¯re finally finishing. There are only a few beasts left, and they are all scattered, aware that their demise is coming. ¡°We did it,¡± I tell my friends. ¡°Should we head to Magefell?¡± ¡°I need to rest first,¡± Xavier says as he runs from Er¡¯litahn, shooting Fireballs at it. The Er¡¯litahn jumps on him and scrapes at him, but the shield High Mage Aegon puts on him stops it. My fireball hits it in the face and it backs off, falling to a dagger from Aster. ¡°No, Magefell is in too much danger,¡± the High Mage tells us. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to rest. We need to help those in the city. That is our main priority now.¡± I wipe the sweat from my brow and look around the grisly scene. All I see is death. The look of destruction, of gore, of sadness. The smell of insides, of decay, of magic, and fire. The sounds of screams, maniacal laughs, and crying. The feel of the blood on my face and the gore around the ground. The taste of dirt in the air, of the remains of the monsters I¡¯ve killed. It¡¯s something I¡¯m unused to, and it¡¯s all I can do to stop from crying in shame, pain, and sadness. This isn¡¯t my proudest day. I have no remorse for killing the monsters, and I know I needed to do it, but I still feel guilty for not saving all those on the ground. Plus, I should¡¯ve stopped the mages before they blew the arena. I knew they would do it. I had the time to do something. But the day isn¡¯t over yet. There is still plenty of time to save those still alive. They are more important. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I say, cleaning my sword. ¡°Why are you wiping it?¡± Aster asks. ¡°You¡¯ll just dirty it again.¡± ¡°Semblance of cleverness,¡± I tell her. ¡°If my sword is clean, so is my soul. If it looks like I didn¡¯t fight, then I was the one smart enough to escape without resorting to misery.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve still obviously been fighting.¡± She points at my face. I sigh. She¡¯s right. I¡¯ve obviously taken part in this. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°AW, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?¡± I frown. I know that voice, but I can¡¯t pin it¡­ The voice in the Arena. The one that brought destruction on us all. ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask. ¡°NO ONE IMPORTANT. I¡¯M JUST A VESSEL FOR DAUTHA AND HIS MESSAGE. AND I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU AND ALL OF MAGEFELL!¡± ¡°What is your message?¡± High Mage Aegon asks angrily. ¡°Whatever it is, we don¡¯t want to hear it. Go away.¡± ¡°OH, BUT THE PARTY JUST STARTED. WELCOME TO WAVE 2. THIS ONE IS WORST, BUT DON¡¯T WORRY, IT IS THE LAST ONE!¡± ¡°Second wave?¡± Skai asks. ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be good,¡± Poli responds. The earth rumbles familiarly again, and I know immediately what it means. ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± I yell. ¡°WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? THOUSANDS OF INNOCENTS ARE DYING!¡± ¡°MAYBE THAT WILL TEACH YOU WHO¡¯S IN CHARGE,¡± The voice responds. ¡°DON¡¯T TEST ME, ZADE. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I COULD KILL YOU ON THE SPOT.¡± I begin to talk back, but High Mage Aegon grabs my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± He whispers. ¡°Just ignore him.¡± ¡°AH, A SENSIBLE ONE. WE COULD USE YOU WITH US. WELL, I MUST LEAVE. HAVE FUN WITH THIS WAVE.¡± For the second time today, creatures erupt from the field where the Arena had once stood. And the creatures, they¡¯re all Er¡¯litahn and L¡¯lorian, but at the same time, they¡¯re not. These Er¡¯litahn are wider, more muscled, taller and greener. They look fierce and from a glance, it¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re also smarter. To my horror, they¡¯re also using stronger weapons, longer ones just for them. Some even carry shields. It¡¯s a chilling sight, until I notice some of them riding L¡¯lorian. That is so much worse. The L¡¯lorian are also much stronger and larger. Their teeth look like they''ve been filed to points, and they growl at us as they rise in the air. ¡°SEE THE ER¡¯LITAHNUS AND THE L¡¯LORIANNES. I HOPE YOU HAVE AS MUCH FUN WITH THEM AS YOU HAD WITH THE OTHERS.¡± Then the voice is gone, and I feel a presence leave the field. The monsters charge, and then I groan. They¡¯re fast. In human fast, yes, but also faster than the previous monsters that were already faster. An unlucky human close to the field is taken apart by a L¡¯lorianne. The L¡¯lorianne chomps on his head and swallows the whole thing, ripping off his legs and arms in the process. It then eats the rest of his body, just leaving the limbs, which it grabs in its mouth and throws at us. One arm lands next to me, limp, bloody, clothing still hanging from it. Then I feel real fear. And I run. My friends are right behind me. We run, faster than I thought we could, faster than I thought anyone could. But we¡¯re not as fast as the Er¡¯litahnus and the L¡¯loriannes. They overtake us quickly and surround us. ¡°Well, it was nice to meet you all,¡± Xavier says with a grim smile. ¡°Let¡¯s end on a good note, shall we?¡± Chapter Forty-Three: Erlitahnus and Lloriannes Chapter Forty-Three: Er''litahnus and L''loriannes ¡°ABANDON THE FIELDS! RETREAT TO MAGEFELL!¡± The screams of the living soldiers reverberates through the field, and I grimace, wanting to do what he said. Easier said than done. We¡¯re surrounded by seven of these new hellish creatures, twisted versions of the older ones. They snarl at us, holding their weapons expertly, their eyes shining with intelligence. Then they advance. I¡¯m forced to fight a L¡¯lorianne. Its wings beat at me as it jumps on me, and I fight with it, stabbing everywhere I can. It roars as I plunge into its wing, but it doesn¡¯t stop its attack, instead fighting harder. It chomps at me, and I groan as my left hand feels the teeth. I stab again, but it moves away in time, jumping. I nurse my left hand. It¡¯s bleeding badly, and I can see to the other side of it, but I think the L¡¯lorianne only broke one of my bones. ¡°Come at me, prick,¡± I growl at it, and it advances once more. It swiped one paw at me, and I duck, staring wildly at the extended claws, each as long as my hand, then I¡¯m under its lifted belly and I stab upwards. The sword travels through its stomach and through the other side. The beast roars in pain, and slashes around, chomping and clawing everything it sees. I¡¯m forced to move away, escaping it in its death throes. Eventually, it falls to the ground, dead. Looking around, I spot an Er¡¯litahnus dead, its insides expelled, its body deflated. Must¡¯ve been High Mage Aegon¡¯s work. He¡¯s taking on a L¡¯lorianne, Xavier behind him, not cowering, but protecting himself. He doesn¡¯t know swords like we do. Poli, Artemis, and Skai are each holding down a beast, but each have their own troubles. I can¡¯t help but feel a little lucky that I killed one. Raising my hand to where Poli is, I use my skill. The pillar of fire erupts on the Er¡¯litahnus, too close to Poli as she staggers back. The Er¡¯litahnus shrieks, clawing at itself. After a moment, the pillar disappears, and there it is, charred to a crisp, bones showing, blood melted. I think it¡¯s dead, until its one remaining eye moves and focuses on me. Oh, hell! It rushes at me, and extends its hand, grabbing me by the neck. Then, with an unexpected feat of strength, it raises me and slams me down into the earth. I lose my breath, can¡¯t breathe. My lungs constrict and my heart beats faster as I stare at the animal. Its fangs drip with something, and when that saliva falls, it kills the grass instantly. Poison. The Er¡¯litahnus claws at me, but its claw hangs in midair, and it turns its head around confusedly. And there he is, glorious High Mage Aegon, holding what seems to be an invisible rope. I slash at the creature, severing its head. The monster falls limp on the ground, deep green blood already filling the grass. ¡°My thanks,¡± I say. ¡°These beasts are tough,¡± He responds. ¡°We must get back to Magefell. I can take you there with magic, but even I myself am running a little low.¡± ¡°How many have you killed, High Mage?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Lost count after the first couple hundred.¡± I whistle. ¡°I think I¡¯ve killed maybe thirty or forty.¡± ¡°Still pretty good for a mage-in.training. Now, where do you want to be taken?¡± ¡°Take us to Zenyth,¡± I say. ¡°I want to check on Sia before we leave.¡± High Mage Aegon nods. ¡°Skai, Xavier, hold my hand.¡± They do so, and then they vanish. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this,¡± Artemis spits. ¡°We all are,¡± Aster says. ¡°It¡¯s just something we have to do.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Artemis replies, scowling. High Mage Aegn reappears and Poli and Artemis go with him. ¡°And then there were two.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aster asks. ¡°Sorry, just breaking the silence,¡± I reply. Aster laughs, surprisingly loudly, drowning the noise of the screams. ¡°You¡¯re strange, you know that?¡± She asks. ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± I say. ¡°But we¡¯re all strange in some way. Th¡¯ul is unemotional. Neena is both fragile and not fragile, it¡¯s a paradox. Alyx is arrogant but also sweet somehow. You¡¯re¡­you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s offensive.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know you too well,¡± I continue. ¡°But let¡¯s just say you¡¯re normal. Artemis destroyed his family¡¯s business and alienated himself from his brother. Poli has whatever mood she wants and no one really knows when she¡¯ll be happy. Xavier is¡­well, he¡¯s Xavier. At this point, we¡¯re not abnormal. If we¡¯re all abnormal, that means in reality, we¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Normal, I know,¡± She smiles. ¡°You really are proving my point. No normal person would say anything like this.¡± ¡°But I did,¡± I respond. ¡°I have nothing to say to that one.¡± High Mage Aegon appears in front of me and I squeal. I glare as Aster laughs. ¡°Shut up. You would¡¯ve done the same thing if he¡¯d appeared to you.¡± ¡°Still strange,¡± She says, sombering up. ¡°And Zade? Thank you. For cheering me up. Gods know I need it.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I reply, slightly confused. ¡°Are you done?¡± The High Mage asks. ¡°All of Magefell is waiting for you.¡± We hold his hands, and soon the field is empty of us, only the dead bodies and a couple dozen soldiers left. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Groggily, I wake up. My head aches, pounding on me, telling me I hit the ground too hard, but i already knew that already. I can¡¯t see anything. My eyes aren¡¯t closed, yet all I see is darkness. Did I die? No, I can still hear the sounds of battle. It brings me back to reality, and I can feel the fur under me. So I¡¯m on Fluffy? She also felt a sort of weight on top of her, and she pushed on it. It was fluffy¡¯s wing, and with a grunt of force, she lifted it and rose from her position. Looking at Fluffy, she felt a twinge of regret. She was really beginning to like the murderous monster. It was a shame it had to die. She didn¡¯t know who¡¯d killed it, but she doubted she ever would. She was just glad to be alive. She knelt and patted Fluffy¡¯s head. ¡°Rest well, friend,¡± She whispered. ¡°You were a good villain.¡± Then she stood up on Fluffy¡¯s body. It looked glorious to anyone watching, a woman standing over the monster she slayed, bloody sword in her hand, looking to the horizon with bloodlust. But it was none of those things. It was a woman, yes, but she was standing over the monster in sadness, the monster she did not slay, with her sword in hand¡ªbut not the monster¡¯s blood¡ª, looking to the horizon not with bloodlust but with dreadful anticipation. The stories are wrong. Most people don¡¯t like war. Yue, to all accounts, was a hero: of war and peace. But she didn¡¯t feel one. She¡¯d killed more monsters than anyone in the Vanguard. She¡¯d won the tournament. She¡¯d saved couples, saved innocent people, fought the Cult. She was no hero. She was just supporting the death of countless monsters. Yes, they were evil, but she was only perpetrating death. There were already people in the streets fighting each other over this. She didn¡¯t like war. It only spread violence and death. She was only making the Cult angrier, and she hadn¡¯t eve caught the murderers. She was no hero. She was a normal person, trying her best. That¡¯s all heroes are, she was beginning to realize. Heroes didn¡¯t choose to be heroes. They were forced. ¡°Are you going to stand there all day?¡± Someone asked from behind her. ¡°Neena!¡± Yue hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive, Yue,¡± Her friend said. ¡°I was worried when you went down that I should¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡°You did good,¡± Yue told her. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done anything.¡± ¡°Are you okay? No injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m totally fine,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Wrist hurts a little, but otherwise, I¡¯ve never been better.¡± ¡°Good, because things just got so much worse.¡± ¡°How do you mean?¡± ¡°Come and see.¡± Yue followed her back to the market, and what she saw shocked her. There were more beasts than before, but that was normal. The surprise was the big black cloud drawing in on Magefell. On closer inspection, Yue found that it wasn¡¯t a cloud. They were monsters. Thousands of them. And they seemed¡­bigger. And were the Er¡¯litahns riding the L¡¯loriens? ¡°They began to arrive just a couple minutes ago,¡± Neena explained. ¡°We¡¯re in really big trouble.¡± ¡°You can say that again.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in really big trouble.¡± Yue shook her head, but smiled nonetheless. She stanced herself offensively. ¡°Ready, Nee?¡± ¡°Nee? Really?¡± Yue glared at her and she smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡± They charged simultaneously at the incoming creatures, drawing some of them their way. It was time to be a hero, as much as she hated it. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I appear in the medic ward, and all the friends High Mage Aegon had brought before are already here. And there, on the bed, is Sia, smiling widely. ¡°Zade!¡± She shrieks. ¡°Thanks for visiting.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I reply, looking at the wounded girl. She still has holes in her hands and her wounds are severe, but she''s in the medic ward, so¡­ ¡°No, I don''t want them to heal me,¡± Sia said, reading my mind. ¡°They need their healers for the battle. I¡¯m not too badly wounded.¡± ¡°Not too badly wounded?¡± I ask incredulously. ¡°You have a damn hole in your hand. You look like you were crucified.¡± ¡°You should see the other girl,¡± Sia laughed. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Zade, I promise. I¡¯ll live and that¡¯s all I can wish for. How¡¯s the battle going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a battle,¡± I say bluntly. ¡°We¡¯re winning, I guess.¡± ¡°I really wish I could help,¡± Sia tells me apologetically. ¡°Even healed, though, I¡¯m no good with a sword. So others deserve the chance to be healed first, so they can go help others. That''s all I can do, you know?¡± ¡°We need more people like you in the world,¡± I sigh. ¡°No,¡± Sia says. ¡°I think the world is fine how it is.¡± Xavier gives her a hug before we leave to fight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened,¡± He tells her. ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°Better I was hurt than you guys,¡± She responds chipperly. ¡°This way you can fight.¡± Poli and Artemis don¡¯t even speak to her, but I can see them giving her glances of pity. As we leave the medic ward, High Mage Aegon shaked his head. ¡°What the hell happened to that girl when she got wounded?¡± He laughs. ¡°She¡¯s so¡­selfless.¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing the best she can,¡± Poli responds. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we all do the same in those circumstances?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± A figure crashes through the window of the hallway in Zenyth. A L¡¯lorianne. High Mage Aegon jumps on it, slamming it into the ground and punching it repeatedly with a speed and power I didn¡¯t know were possible. The L¡¯lorianne is left a mess of blood on the ground, its face broken and jumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t think leaving Sia here is safe,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s what we have to do,¡± the High Mage replies. ¡°It¡¯s the safest place in Magefell.¡± With a wave of his hand, the window repairs itself. ¡°Zade, how''s your mana?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t used magic in a while, but by my best guess, 67-ish percent.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Good,¡± He replies. ¡°I¡¯m at 60 as well, but I can last well into the twenties. Keep an eye on it. You too, Xavier.¡± ¡°Always,¡± He replies. ¡°I will have to be careful, though.¡± I agree with him. He uses only magic to fight the magic, and he¡¯s probably losing mana faster than any of us. We reach the gardens of Zenyth and walk down to the gates. Past it, I see the carnage the beasts have wrought on Magefell. Surprisingly, I don¡¯t see any flames, and not many buildings are down, but I can still see many dead and there are still buildings destroyed from this attack. Zenyth has been left untouched, and I¡¯m assuming the Cultists didn¡¯t want them destroying their home. The L¡¯lorianne that entered had probably just acted out of character. We are set on almost immediately by a Er¡¯litahn, one of the weaker ones. It is quickly dispatched of¡ªseven humans against one beast doesn¡¯t seem like a fair fight¡ª and we keep running quickly. High Mage Aegon provides a shield for us as we go, stopping any sort of debris from falling on us. ¡°Where are we heading?¡± I ask. ¡°The Market,¡± He tells me. ¡°There seems to be more concentration of monsters there.¡± It shouldn¡¯t take us too long to get there, but while I run, I relax myself and my core. I might need it for what¡¯s coming. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The first Er¡¯litahn¡ªif that¡¯s what they were called, considering how much larger they were than the normal ones¡ª riding the L¡¯lorien slammed into Yue like a brick wall. She stumbled backwards, but stood her ground, holding her sword to the ground like a spear to control herself. The L¡¯lorien swiped at her and she back-flipped out of the way, landing on the ground smoothly and squaring her hips. This was more fun than she expected. These animals were smarter, and knew strategy. They weren¡¯t impulsive and stuped like the previous ones, and that provided a challenge for her. She never thought she¡¯d call the other beasts stupid, but everything was relative. The L¡¯lorian dove for her again, its wings folded, reminding her of Fluffy. It was coming at her too quickly; she didn¡¯t have time to assess what she could do. So she dove forward. At the beasts. It seemed like a mistake, but as she kicked forward, she got an idea. A reckless, stupid idea, but it was the only thing she could do. Her jump was barely enough to go over the L¡¯lorien, but the Er¡¯litahn was another story. So instead of dodging it, she grabbed it, tugging at it, pushing it away from the lion-like creature. The Er¡¯litahn tumbled to the ground, held by Yue, while the L¡¯lorien land on the ground roughly. Yue stabbed down, breaking the Er¡¯litahn¡¯s cranium, then she was thrown to the ground as the L¡¯lorien¡¯s tail swat at her. It wasn¡¯t a super long tail, but it was still strong. Strong enough to take the air from her body. The beast was unaware of her, as it was just trying to regain its bearing, giving time for Yue to stand up and face it. It roared at her, its fangs glistening, clean of blood. So this monster hadn¡¯t killed anyone yet. Good. She slashed at it, and it pawed at her sword, knocking it from her hands. It fell to the ground a few steps away, and the L¡¯lorien pounced on it, keeping it from her grasp. She groaned, and backed off as it slowly advanced on her, dragging the sword with its hind legs. Then it jumped. She stumbled out of the way, its jaws closing next to her. She ran out of the way with it following her. She needed to reach her sword right now. Thankfully, it had given up on guarding it, instead choosing to run a cat and mouse game, so she had a sliver of a chance. She sprinted at the sword. It growled at her and swiped at her, but ducking, she grabbed the sword. With it in hand, she stood her ground and waited for it to attack her, but it didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to anymore. It hissed at her, recognizing the danger she posed to it now. Yue needed to take the advantage, so that¡¯s exactly what she did. Legs pumping, she ran at the L¡¯lorian and as she came up, the monster pawed at her and chomped its jaws. At the right moment, Yue raised her sword and lowered her head. The L¡¯lorian bit horizontally on the sword and it passed straight through the roof of its mouth, past the brains, and out the head. Yue fell to the ground in exhaustion. The massive beast roared and clawed at the sword, trying to rip it off. Nothing worked. Eventually, it fell to the ground like Yue with one difference. It was dead. Yue wanted to rest, needed to rest, but she could tell Neena was occupied. The smaller girl was holding her own, but the bigger animals were ferociously fighting her. ¡°I¡¯m coming, Neena,¡± She told the girl as she got up slowly, then began to limp at the animals. She wasn¡¯t hurt, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t feel cramps. She was feeling the stress and exhaustion of three days of sparring plus this. It was a lot for anyone, but Yue had done more than anyone. The L¡¯lorien and Er¡¯litahn finally noticed her, and they broke apart, giving Neena an easier and fairer fight. Meanwhile, the Er¡¯litahn ran for Yue. Yue positioned herself carefully, her eyes alert, glaring daggers at the Er¡¯litahn. It hissed a battle cry at her and she yelled back, raising her sword. They came at each other, both wielding dangerous weapons. The swords clashed. And thus started the only real sword-fight Yue had had with one of the beasts. This one clearly knew what it was doing. He deftly moved in time with his sword, dancing fluidly. Yue followed her movement, adding her own, striking here, defending there. It would¡¯ve been a wonderful display, if it wasn¡¯t so nerve-wracking. Yue stabbed at its stomach, and it batted her sword away, striking himself. With a smooth parry, she began to attack it, unwilling to let it breathe. It defended expertly, aware of the risks in every mistake. A roar sounded from Neena¡¯s fight, but yue ignored it, focusing on the Er¡¯litahn. A sword appeared through the Er¡¯litahn stomach and it gurgled, eyes wide and mouth open in horror. Then it fell to the ground, dying, hissing in pain. ¡°Hey, guys!¡± A familiar voice said from behind them. ¡°Look who I found.¡± Yue turned to find Th¡¯ul leading Zade, Skai, Xavier, Aster, and High Mage Aegon to them. Yue siled widely and hugged Zade. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive,¡± She said. ¡°How¡¯s the field?¡± ¡°Lost,¡± He replied. ¡°There are only monsters there now, and dead bodies. How¡¯s Magefell?¡± ¡°Better, I guess,¡± She responded. ¡°We¡¯re having trouble, though, with these new creatures.¡± ¡°L¡¯loriannes and Er¡¯litahnus,¡± Zade said. ¡°We had trouble with them too. They came out of the ground after you left. According to the voice, they¡¯re the final beasts we have to fight.¡± ¡°Piece of cake,¡± Xavier laughed. ¡°All we have to do is kill thousands of deadly monsters stronger and larger than us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the gist,¡± Zade said. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The market is in complete disarray. I remember what it looked like when it was mostly empty. It looked wonderful, inviting, and homely. Then it began to fill for the tournament, and it got crowded but still inviting. At night, it felt wonderful. And now it¡¯s ruined. At least, it looks a little broken. Nothing that can¡¯t be fixed, unless the Cult wins, of course, and we can¡¯t let them do that. We¡¯re all together now. I can¡¯t even count how many we are. It¡¯s my group, minus Anni, and Yue¡¯s group, plus High Mage Aegon and the other High Mage I haven¡¯t been introduced to yet, plus Skai. As long as we stick together, I¡¯m sure we can take on plenty of monsters. Thoughts of Anni remind me of Astil. I briefly wonder what would happen if he was here, if I needed to protect him. I miss him, but to some degree, I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t have to face this. And Anni, I don¡¯t know where she is, but I hope she¡¯s safe. I still feel sad and guilty each time I think of her, but she needs her space and I know it. I have to leave her alone, until she¡¯s ready. I just hope no monsters attack her at Zenyth. Our group attacks a pack of riding Er¡¯litahnus. They dive from the sky at us, but we protect each other, stabbing at them. Their skin is thick and resistant, and I see the Er¡¯litahnus¡¯ poison corrode the helmet High Mage Aegon is wearing, but we fight well. I stab into a L¡¯lorianne¡¯s neck and it screeches, falling to the ground, carrying an Er¡¯litahnus down with it. Xavier immediately sends a Fireball down at it, ending its misery. I send a pillar of fire upwards killing another L¡¯lorianne, but the Er¡¯litahnus on its back survives, jumping off to attack us. ¡°Has anyone ever told you your eyes light up with fire when you do that?¡± Alyx asks, grunting as she takes on an Er¡¯litahnus. I shake my head. ¡°It¡¯s really cool.¡± Smiling, I stab down, catching another Er¡¯litahnus¡¯ thrust. It parried my next strike and slams me down, but I react quickly, swiping up, disarming it. Neena¡¯s next slice decapitates it. ¡°HELP!¡± I hear a voice say. ¡°PLEASE SOMEBODY!¡± I find a woman carrying a baby down an alleyway, a L¡¯lorianne and Er¡¯litahnus chasing it. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I tell my friends, chasing the monsters. The alleyway is dark, and the only thing I can hear now are the screams of the woman. Following the screams, I see the monsters already feasting on the woman, and I throw Nightwielder, catching an Er¡¯litahnus on the back. When it turns around, a pillar of fir erupts and, already wounded as it was, the flames kill it. The L¡¯lorianne turns from gorging on the woman¡¯s flesh. She seems dead, and indentation in her head where the L¡¯lorianne had been feasting, but maybe I can still save the baby. The L¡¯lorianne slams into me, and I stumble into the wall, but, sliding underneath it, I come up and stab it in its shoulder. It screeches and paws at me, its claws scraping my chest. I scream in pain, but bear it as we keep fighting. I scratch its claws several times, but it keeps coming, scratching me as well. It¡¯s a race to see who tires first, and I¡¯m too tired for this. Clearly, it recognizes my exhaustion as well, as it increases its attacks. A dagger strikes it in the shoulder. ¡°Hey, bastard,¡± A woman calls out. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick on someone your own size?¡± As the beast turns to the voice, I strike it, and it falls, bleeding out on the ground. I check on the baby. It¡¯s dead as well, sadly. It¡¯s head is missing, and I can¡¯t find one of its feet. In sadness, I turn around and see my friend, and my face lightens. ¡°Anni!¡± I shriek happily. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you!¡± ¡°Me too,¡± She smiles sadly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave you alone with this. I felt I needed to help.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I say honestly. ¡°Just one question. Why did you say anything? You¡¯re not even remotely the L¡¯lorianne¡¯s size!¡± ¡°Bad humor always works on villains,¡± She responds. ¡°Especially the dumb ones.¡± ¡°When¡¯d you get so chipper?¡± ¡°When I decided the world was worth saving,¡± She says. ¡°You do know you won¡¯t save the world, right?¡± ¡°I do what I can,¡± She shrugs. ¡°I¡¯d never thrown a dagger before. I was scared I would hit you. As you can see, I¡¯m lucky. Gods are on my side.¡± ¡°Wait, you threw a dagger at me?¡± I ask. ¡°You could¡¯ve killed me! You don¡¯t do that with no experience. It takes time, effort, skill.¡± ¡°It all worked out, didn¡¯t it?¡± She asks. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go. They¡¯re waiting.¡± As we run, I realize the fa?ade Anni is putting up. I can tell she¡¯s not happy, and her eyes are too haunted for me to believe her jokes are genuine. I think she¡¯s doing this for me. As crazy as this sounds, I think she¡¯s trying to comfort and help me. Why else would she try to save me? I do believe one thing she said, though. I think she wanted to fight because she realized the world was worth saving. I understand the feeling. Whatever the reason, though, and whatever she¡¯s feeling, I¡¯m just happy she¡¯s here. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± I tell her. ¡°I understand how hard it is.¡± ¡°I have to,¡± She grits her teeth. ¡°This is just for the battle.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue thought the army was losing. She couldn¡¯t be sure, but it looked like the beasts were killing more humans now than the other way around. It was tough to watch. But there was still hope. Every minute, new soldiers would arrive, eager to destroy monsters. The battle was far from over, and all Yue could do was keep fighting. From her best estimate, they¡¯d been fighting for at least two hours now. So much had happened, but at the same time, it felt like nothing had happened. Out of the alleyway, Yue saw Zade bring out Anni. She hadn¡¯t seen the blonde girl in a while, and had heard she was feeling really bad after Astil¡¯s death, but she was glad the girl was up and running. Anni immediately began to send fireballs and some strange wave of water onto the beasts. Zade set upon the Er¡¯litahn fighting Xavier. Theirs was probably the biggest group in the market, so it was the biggest target and fear for the L¡¯loriannes and Er¡¯litahnnus. They seemed to dread fighting them, but at the same time, Yue¡¯s group was the one who proportionally had to fight the most monsters. Yue had seen a few Cultist mages recently. Yue saw them messing with some soldiers. From what she could gather, they didn¡¯t want the monsters to win, but they still wanted to wreak havoc. Yue hated their guts. If they wanted to do something, they should just stop being cowards and fight them, although she guessed that if she had to fight them, she would lose. She¡¯d seen members of the Vanguard recently, mostly the Wolf, Kol, and Yiro, but others as well. Theirs was mostly the job to protect others. Yue wanted to do the same, but felt the need to stay with her group. Until the Wolf gave her other orders, she would do just that. She stabbed down, ending another pitiful monster¡¯s life. Yue felt almost repetitive now. Each monster seemed to die the same way now. But the L¡¯loriannes were becoming increasingly hard to kill. Their size and strength were big advantages against everyone except two people Yue could see on the battlefield. Jabari and Kol, fighting like brothers now, each protecting each other as they demolished the monsters. It was breathtaking to watch as they handled some with their bare hands, others with their axes. They decimated the monsters, a force to be reckoned with. Yue was glad they were on the same side as her. Skai chopped at a Er¡¯litahn next to me. ¡°Focus on the battle,¡± She told her. Yue nodded and returned to the fight. There was a L¡¯lorianne on her left, trying to break a hole in their ranks. She stabbed at it and it groaned, stepping away. With a chomp of its jaws, it reached for her, but she stepped back and pierced it again. This only served to infuriate it as it rose in the air and dove at her. The force of its body on hers was great, but she was used to it at this point, and she stabbed up as it reached her. When it was on top, killing it was the easy part. The hard part was getting it off. Which was why she was surprised when she pushed it slightly and it blew away like a feather in the wind. ¡°What the hell?¡± She looked around, finally spotting High Mage Aegon, who winked. She bowed to him and turned to fight her next victim. Something exploded. The earth erupted around the market. Yue¡¯s vision turned black and she felt no more. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I feel the eruption. A mage must¡¯ve detonated something, must¡¯ve gotten tired of our group resisting, because our group was targeted. I¡¯m not hit by the explosion thankfully, and neither are the two High Mages, or Poli and Artemis, but the others are all on the ground. ¡°Protect yourself,¡± I hear Th¡¯ul¡¯s High Mage friend say, ¡°I¡¯ll see to the others.¡± I nod at him and turn, brandishing my sword. It¡¯s the last thing I feel before a L¡¯lorianne slams into me, knocking my head on the sharp cobblestone. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue came to, her head hurting more than it already was before. ¡°Urgh,¡± She said, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Cultists,¡± a High Mage said as he lifted her up. ¡°We¡¯re lucky no one died, but some are severely injured. I don¡¯t have time to find a healer now, but I¡¯ll do what I can. I think we¡¯ll all be okay.¡± Yue nodded as she looked around. Some of her friends were already awake: Neena, Alyx and Aster all looked unscathed, and Xavier and Anni were limping but okay. The others were all unconscious. Zade was lying next to a dead L¡¯lorianne, and there was a dark pool of blood lying next to him. It had to be the L¡¯loriannes, right? No, the blood was coming from Zade. She screamed and ran at him, checking for a pulse. He was alive, but just barely. His breathing was slow, but the blood coming from his head was not a good sign. ¡°Will he be okay?¡± She asked High Mage Aegon. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He answered genuinely. ¡°We¡¯ll see what ____ can do.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t die,¡± Yue told him. ¡°He can¡¯t.¡± She moved on to her other friends. Thankfully, none were sporting massive wounds like Zade was, but Poli¡¯s face was charred, and Artemis¡¯s body, wrapped protectively around Poli, was burned as well. They were both alive and breathing steadily. High Mage ____ was already done healing some of her friends. Th¡¯ul stood up, shaking himself and shaking his head nonchalantly. Poli was soon standing as well, her face horrified and still scarred, but uninjured now. Artemis was next, and when he stood up, his bare back caused Yue to flinch. He was very hurt, but he would also survive. Soon enough, all her friends were standing up. Except for one. Zade. ¡°Can you help him?¡± She asked the High Mage. ¡°No,¡± The High Mage responded, tears leaking from his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m out of mana. If I try, I¡¯ll burn. I¡¯ve done so much magic the last week and especially today that¡­I just can¡¯t do more healing, it¡¯s too taxing.¡± ¡°You have to try!¡± Yue couldn¡¯t understand¡ªwouldn¡¯t understand what he was saying! ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yue screamed and ran at Zade, but High age Aegon held her in his arms. ¡°We have to save him! He¡¯ll die!¡± She yelled. But no one could help. They couldn¡¯t do anything. Zade was dying. Chapter Forty-Four: Eva Chapter Forty-Four: Eva Yue screamed into the air, walking around, pacing around, searching for someone, anyone, who could help her, bring Zade back. But there was no one there. Everyone was too busy fighting the monsters, and the healing mages didn¡¯t have a second to spare. They had dozens, hundreds of people to heal, and Zade was just one of them. He wasn¡¯t special, at least, not when war started. Zade was starting to breathe less. High Mage Roshan was clearly distraught, and HIgh Mage Aegon was trying to comfort him, but there was nothing they could do. Yue didn¡¯t completely understand what High Mage Roshan meant when he said he was running low on mana. How could he not do magic? But it didn¡¯t matter. If he said he couldn¡¯t, she believed him. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t do anything?¡± She asked High Mage Aegon. ¡°I never learned how to heal,¡± He replied. ¡°The little I know isn¡¯t enough to make him better. It might just hurt him.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a high mage,¡± She accused. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be an expert.¡± ¡°Only in certain areas,¡± He replied. ¡°Are you an expert on hammers?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s the same with magic. Healing and necromance are two different things. If I¡¯d joined the general field I might know, but I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is there no way to give him mana?¡± She pointed at High Mage Roshan, who shook his head sadly. ¡°No,¡± He replied. ¡°It takes hours to do that. Zade doesn¡¯t have hours. He has minutes at most. Plus, we still have a battle to fight. The monsters won¡¯t ignore us for long.¡± Yue looked around, and found that he was right. The beasts were starting to notice them, and she protectively wrapped her arms around Zade. A weeping sound caused her to turn around. ¡°Xavier,¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°First Astil,¡± He whimpered. ¡°Then Zade. I¡­I can¡¯t.¡± He fell to the ground, distraught, suffering. ¡°I¡¯ve lost friends recently too,¡± She said. ¡°I lost Diamond, then Jos. They took Astil. I didn¡¯t know him well, but I still linked him. ¡°And they took Xander from me,¡± She growled. ¡°He¡¯s alive, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever see him again. I hate it, but there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°Because you¡¯re not alone,¡± Yue told him. ¡°We¡¯re all with you.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I swim in darkness. Normally, I¡¯d use a metaphor like that as a joke with Xavier, but it¡¯s real. I am swimming, but there¡¯s no water. I¡¯m floating in a sea of darkness. It¡¯s not black, it¡¯s¡­nothing. I don¡¯t know whether to feel awed or terrified. Am I dead? The last thing I remember is the monster stumbling into me, and me stumbling to the ground, my head hitting on the sharp cobble. I remember the sharp feeling of pain. I don¡¯t know where I am, but this can¡¯t be heaven or hell. They¡¯re supposed to be opposites, one good and one bad. Maybe I¡¯m in some sort of middle ground. Unless I¡¯m not dead yet. But I think I am. I don¡¯t feel anything. I¡¯ve got no senses. I can¡¯t feel, taste, or smell. I can¡¯t see, as all I see is nothing. I haven¡¯t heard anything, but maybe it¡¯s time I tried. Am I dead? I ask the air, and I can hear it, but not how I expected. It feels artificial, like it¡¯s not coming from my mouth, like I¡¯m speaking telepathically. At this point, I have no idea what¡¯s going on, and if I could feel, I would be feeling panic. No, Zade, you are not dead. I want it to stay that way. The voice shakes me from my stupor. It¡¯s sweet and kind. Making me feel warm inside, and happy. But I don¡¯t know where it¡¯s coming from. Who are you? Oh, Zade. Let me show you. The world lights up, and suddenly, in front of me, I see a woman. Much taller than me, she glows in radiant white light, and she isn¡¯t wearing anything, but I don¡¯t feel immodest. Although she looks very human, she clearly isn¡¯t. I feel an attachment for her immediately, like she completes my life. Her hair is golden, but not blonde. It looks like physical gold, it¡¯s the only way to explain it. And she¡¯s gorgeous, the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen. Her full lips and wide eyes, her smiling, comforting expression, and her hands held out to hold me. I grab hold of her hand and she lifts me. My name is Eva, but you may have heard me called Leah. I feel a faint familiarity when I hear the name, but I can¡¯t quite remember it. Embarrassment clouds me. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know who you are. She laughs, a beautiful tinkling noise that warms me up. Oh, the world forgot about me a while back. I¡¯m sure you know about Dautha and his Cult? I nod. I¡¯ve been trying to fight them, but they¡¯re so much stronger. I¡­I fail every time. The Cult is smarter. Yes, they are, Eva responds genuinely, a look of concern on her face. I¡¯m sorry you had to suffer that. I¡¯ve been watching you, Zade. Doing everything I can to help you. Why? Who are you? The right questions, Zade. Let¡¯s take a ride, shall we? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue had always wanted to protect her friends, but she never realized how hard it would be until she had to face an oncoming horde of beasts while protecting a friend on the verge of death. The Er¡¯litahnus and Er¡¯litahns fighting her didn¡¯t give a damn about Zade. But they could see he was alive, and it should¡¯ve been easy prey for them. Yue couldn¡¯t let that happen. And, apparently, neither could Xavier. Something had come out of him when he realized the monsters wanted to desecrate Zade. He exploded in lightning. One minute, he¡¯d been a normal human, the next he was enveloped in lightning and he was raining hell on the beasts. They scattered from him, but he pursued them, his face irate. She took down another Er¡¯litahn and charged at the next one. It stabbed at her, but she moved away from it, and smashed in its skull, dodging out of the way as another Er¡¯litahnus came up. It spat poison at her, and she ran, ducking his blow, slashing at his legs. As he fell, she turned to the next opponent. They were all gone. She and Xavier had just taken on over twenty beasts and come out without a scratch. Xavier smiled. ¡°I just got a skill,¡± He laughed. ¡°That was fun. It needs to recharge, though. It¡¯s telling me it¡¯ll be a while before it¡¯s ready. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Yue shrugged, ¡°But it was badass.¡± Zade groaned. They turned towards him. Alyx was standing over him, face horrified. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Look.¡± She ran towards Zade and held him, gasping. Blood and black liquid was coming out of his mouth, and his pulse was gone. No, not gone, but slow. Maybe three times a minute. ¡°No one could heal him now, lass,¡± Roshan told her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°Thank you for healing the others.¡± Xavier knelt next to her and put his palm on Zade¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, man,¡± He cried, tears spilling on Zade¡¯s cheek. Th¡¯ul appeared as well, crying too. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± He whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong this time.¡± Yue bowe her head. Why? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯m in a strange world now. My body had become midnight-black, dark like the night sky. Eva next to me is radiant, shining in all her glory. When I look at myself, I realize I¡¯m just as naked as her, but once again, I don¡¯t seem to mind. I feel an affection from Eva resembling a love a kid has for her parents. I don¡¯t understand it. The world I¡¯m in is empty. Empty of life. There¡¯s a beautiful shining city that I can¡¯t explain but there seems to be no one there. This is the best way I can describe what my home is. Where is it? It isn¡¯t real. You wouldn¡¯t understand. This is where I was born. I am the Goddess. The only one. Your people affectionately called me the Goddess of Life. But if you¡¯re the only Goddess, then who¡¯s Dautha. Dautha is my only enemy. I said I was the only Goddess. Dautha is the only God. So did you create us? I ask. The world shifts and suddenly we¡¯re standing in what I assume is my world, but it¡¯s¡­older. Well, younger, but it feels like a long time ago. There are people around, and I can see them doing magic spells, but the city here isn¡¯t as advanced. The houses are smaller, and there is no building like Zenyth. No, we did not create you. We found you. Don¡¯t ask how. We found you, and your people recognized us and worshiped us. We are gods, after all. All was well. Dautha, sadly, wanted more power. You know how the story goes. He tried to kill me and so started the first Mage War, But that one wasn''t about you! I¡¯m speaking of the first. Your people, when they speak of the Mage War, they speak of the second one. The outcome of the war was strange, to say the least. Nobody won. Duatha and I made a deal to leave the world alone until others recognized us. But Dautha broke the deal, something I only realized recently. What did he do? I¡¯m getting there. The world shifted again, turning into a massive cavern, filled with strange glyphs and signs. There¡¯s a lot more to this story, but I¡¯m not ready to speak on it yet. Her voice was soft, hurt, torn apart. I felt for her, even if I couldn¡¯t understand why. From what I¡¯ve been able to glean, Dautha left behind writing, something he shouldn''t have. Those writing left your mages to discover his existence, and so, the Cult was founded. Suddenly, mages appeared in the cavern, bowing and scraping to a shadow on the wall. Duatha could not join the world, because humans had not summoned him, but he could now influence and use his power on the world. I didn¡¯t know he''d broken the rule, and I was devastated. The world had chosen him. But I soon figured out what he¡¯d done. And so, I decided to work in the shadows to defy him. And that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. What are you talking about? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Zade had stopped breathing. Yue couldn¡¯t tell if he was dead now, but he didn¡¯t seem to be alive. The battle seemed to have stopped, the monsters realizing the pure sadness and rage in their eyes. Stolen novel; please report. Yue screamed into the air again. Yet another death to add to the cult. This was too many. All Zade wanted to do was help his friends, just like Jos, and Diamond. And Xander. They didn¡¯t deserve this. And where was Xander? She hoped he was safe, but she assumed he was in Magefell, which meant he could be having to fight the monsters. She hated not knowing. The Cult was always ahead, no matter what they did. The only good news was that the monsters¡¯ ranks were dwindling. There were only a couple hundred Er¡¯litahn and L¡¯lorian left. And as far as Yue knew, there only seemed to be four or five thousand Er¡¯litahnus and L¡¯loriannes on the field. The humans had turned the tide. But it was too late for Zade. Yue didn¡¯t want to fight anymore. She wasn¡¯t a hero; she wasn¡¯t Sterkona. She wanted to curl up into a bell and stay there until Death¡¯s cold grip came to get her. She didn¡¯t want to die, but she felt too sad to do anything. Everyone was dying. It wasn¡¯t fair for everyone. She needed motivation, and that came in the form of Alyx. ¡°I will kill you all,¡± She heard her whisper. ¡°I vow to hunt you, chase you, until you¡¯re all gone. The Cult shall be destroyed, and I will have a helping hand in that.¡± ¡°And I shall be with her,¡± Yue said, grimacing. Alyx stood up. ¡°We have time to mourn later. Let''s kill these bastards.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Are you saying you chose me for something? No, Eva laughs, don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯ve been helping those on my side. But you particularly, I wanted to help, because I have realized how normal you are. HEY! It¡¯s not normal. You¡¯re a good person, and a skilled one, just like everyone else. You aren¡¯t a prodigy, and so, you were the perfect mage-in-training for me to help. The world shifts again, and suddenly I¡¯m there, a version of me, smiling and laughing. When I chose to jump in and help the world, I didn¡¯t have many mages-in-training to help. You were the perfect option, and so, I did what I could. Your visions came from me, Zade. I showed you the way. You saw what was coming, and that gave you the strength to oppose the Cult because you saw the visions I gave you. That was you? I ask incredulously. Why did you stop? I needed those. You did not need any more, Eva says. But that does not mean I didn¡¯t affect you in any other ways. Can you think of how I did? No. What did you do? I say this accusingly, scared of what she¡¯ll say. Your dagger, Nightwielder, only came into your possession because of me. The inscription says: When the night reigns, then shall the blade be drawn and the Gods clash. It does not mean much to you now, but it will soon. It has magical properties, but I¡¯ll let you unlock that on your own. I also became an illusion to save you from the grave, I wrack my head, trying to think of what she¡¯s talking about. Angela? You sent Angela? Yes, I did. You would¡¯ve died if I hadn¡¯t done that. I have also done very subtle things, but those need not be said. Why would you operate in the shadows? Why not reveal yourself before and why now? Because I didn¡¯t want Dautha to know what I¡¯d figured out. And now, I¡¯m done. He¡¯s gone too far, and it¡¯s time to fight him. I think I¡¯m dreaming. I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing. It¡¯s so¡­crazy, impossible. Zade, you are my champion. Well, one of them. I need you. You are here to fight the darkness. What do you mean by one of the champions? Ah, now we come to the interesting part. Your mission, and your allies. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue and Alyx were a frenzy of anger and power. Her other friends soon joined in¡ªXavier, and the High Mages excluded¡ªand they attacked the beasts ferociously, with a strength before unseen. It is said that humans are stronger when under strong emotion. The proof was in that group. Yue hacked at an Er¡¯litahnus, slicing her blade in the direction of a passing L¡¯lorianne, who tumbled to the ground where Yue finished it off. The next Er¡¯litahnus-L¡¯lorianne duo that attacked her was more cautious, diving from the sky and quickly retreating up, trying to avoid her wrath. They couldn¡¯t do it, though. When they dived again, she threw her sword, piercing its neck. The L¡¯lorianne fell to the ground, and, retrieving her sword quickly, she stabbed down, ending the Er¡¯litahnus¡¯ life. She attacked the next few beasts, destroying them each with just one strike, ignoring the claw marks one L¡¯lorian gave her back. Some fighters stopped to gape, as she and her friends decimated the animals. Alyx stabbed at a L¡¯lorianne, sending it to the ground where Yue ended its life. ¡°I know you!¡± One man yelled. ¡°You¡¯re Zade¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked. ¡°One of Raakhshas¡¯ friends,¡± The man screamed, throwing his hands forwards. Suddenly, Yue was flying through the air. She crashed into a building, and gasped at the pain, but, ignoring it, she stood up. ¡°A mage,¡± She spat. ¡°What do you want with me?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Zade?¡± The man asked. ¡°He deserves his just penance.¡± Yue looked down, tears in her eyes. The man laughed. ¡°Dead, eh? Well, he deserved it.¡± With a yell of anger, Yue dived at the man, throwing him to the ground. Once again, she was thrown in the air, and he threw a fireball at her, and she dodged it. ¡°Is that all you can do?¡± She growled. ¡°You lack imagination.¡± The man sent another Fireball, and she ran forwards, escaping it, and sliced at the man. The man grabbed her sword with his hands, but somehow, he didn¡¯t bleed. He ripped the sword from her hands and head-butted her. Her nose bled but she held her ground and punched the man. He fell to the ground and she advanced on him, hitting him repeatedly. The man gasped and screamed in pain but she kept punching him, caving his head in, screaming with each punch. ¡°YOU. BASTARD. DON¡¯T. SPEAK. OF. ZADE. LIKE. THAT.¡± Eventually, the man stilled, and Yue looked at the bloody, mangled mess she left. Alyx whistled next to her. ¡°He got you pretty riled up.¡± ¡°Shut up, Alyx,¡± Yue said, trying not to smile. ¡°He deserved it.¡± ¡°That he did,¡± Neena told them, walking up. Another Er¡¯litahn attacked them, but this time Neena took care of it, slamming it in the head with the butt of her sword, then decapitating it. ¡°Is it just me or are these monsters getting easier to kill?¡± She asked. Yue watched as a woman was torn apart by a L¡¯lorianne, screaming for help. ¡°It¡¯s just you. It¡¯s tha anger ,¡± She provided. ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Neena admitted. ¡°It feels good. Won¡¯t bring Zade back, though.¡± Yue nodded. No matter what they did, how much they fought, how many times they avenged Zade¡¯s death, he wouldn¡¯t come back. She already missed him. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I have many I have chosen for my tasks, Eva tells me. You are not the only one. But you do not, and maybe will never know any of the others. Once again, the world shifts, changing to a massive group of people. Not all of them are human, but I¡¯m there, in the midst of them. There must be about fifty of them, maybe a little less. These are my champions. They are my hope for the world. Who are they? Where do they live? Arcadia? Aleumdaun Seom? Eva laughs. Oh, Zade, you think you''re alone. The world zooms out, and suddenly, I¡¯m looking at a map of the known world. There are all the countries I know. All the countries that had participants in the tournament. Then the world expands more, showing more continents. I gape. I don¡¯t even know half of the world. There are dozens of more countries. There must be millions, maybe billions of people here. This is your world, Zade. You may not realize it, but it is massive. And this is not the only world, but you shall learn soon, as a mage. This is¡­I don¡¯t know what to say. How can it be so big? Dautha has been infiltrating the whole world. It started with your continent: Horvafell, but he¡¯s been influencing the others as well. Because of this, I have my champions in every single continent. Some know of me, some don¡¯t. Some continents require several champions: yours only requires you for now. And you¡¯re doing this to stop Dautha? That¡¯s all I want. Then why don¡¯t you attack him yourself. Eva sighs, and she grows somber. I¡­don¡¯t like to talk about it. Let¡¯s just say me and Dautha don¡¯t like to directly hurt each other. And I don¡¯t want to kill Dautha. I just don¡¯t want him to kill you. So you want me to stop them. Eva nods softly. Kind of. I need you to figure out everything you can about the Cult. Get me information. Fight them, make allies, protect your own. It¡¯s a tough job, but you need to do whatever you can to protect your country. Don¡¯t worry, I shall be with you, helping you when you need it. I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re overwhelmed. I am. I don¡¯t know what to think. This is so much happening all at once, and it¡¯s hard to even believe it. I want to agree desperately but at the same time, I just don¡¯t know if I can deal with the danger. If I do, will I become stronger? Eva laughs again. A little. I can¡¯t make you a much stronger mage, but I can give you certain magic that you can pass on to some of your friends. Just like Dautha does to his cult, I shall do to my church. I don¡¯t know if I want to be part of a church. Oh, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a religious thing, just a fancy name. Can I have time to decide? Of course, take all the time you need. I¡¯ll be waiting. And Zade, thank you for listening. I nod and she disappears, along with the world, leaving me with the nothing. I¡¯m lost now, mentally and emotionally. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The monsters were really beginning to fight fiercely now, and they¡¯re amassing too. Many more monsters that had waited outside of Magefell were inside now and doing everything they could to fight the city, killing as many innocents as possible. But Yue was too focused on her fights to notice. She struck at every beast she could find, killing any that came within her grasp. Her friends joined in too, and together, they made a formidable group. Even Xavier fought well. He hadn¡¯t been able to use his skill again yet, but he was consistently sending stronger fireballs and other strange magics that Yue couldn¡¯t explain. Other soldiers were starting to notice them and they were starting to get motivated as well. It was turning the tide of battle efficiently and Yue was proud of it. ¡°We salute you, Sterkona!¡± Gunnar said as she passed him. She nodded at him, chopping of an Er¡¯litahn¡¯s hand. Many others joined in, chanting for the Sterkona and her friends. It was all exhilarating, and Yue tried not to let it get in her head. She failed. She smiled as she fought ferociously, helping the cheers invigorate her, letting it distract her from Zade¡¯s death. Yue needed that. She was trying not to think of all her worries now. Xander and Zade. They clouded her mind, but when everyone cheered she forgot for a second. She knew it was narcissistic but for now she used it to her advantage. Eventually, the cheering stopped as those soldiers still had a battle to fight, and so did Yue, although now she needed to focus on the noises of the fight to distract herself. There was a man on the ground, screaming as an Er¡¯litahn ran at him. Yue got there first, slamming into the Er¡¯litahn and stabbing it. It reacted instinctively, swiping at her, but she stabbed it again, ending its life. She turned around, ¡°You¡¯re safe now¡­¡± She paused, as the only thing she could see now was the bottom half of the man, bleeding profusely on the ground. Craning her head up, Yue saw a L¡¯lorianne with the remains of the man¡¯s torso, eating it. That was Xander. The thought hit her like a brick, and she knew it wasn¡¯t the truth, but she couldn¡¯t help thinking that. ¡°Help!¡± Another man cried. Turning to him, Yue found Zade staring at her, bleeding on the ground. She screamed. The man looked at her strangely, his left limb missing. It wasn¡¯t Zade. Yue needed to breathe, her chest was constricting, she felt like she was going crazy. Everywhere she turned, she saw Xander and Zade. Pleading with her for help. ¡°Yue, we need you.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the Sterkona now?¡± ¡°Help me. Why¡¯d you leave me alone?¡± Yue screamed and ran into a nearby alleyway. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She was hyperventilating. ¡°Yue, you need help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Neena,¡± Yue opened her eyes. ¡°I just can¡¯t stop seeing Xander and Zade everywhere.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Xander was suddenly where Neena had just been, smiling evilly at her, his sharp teeth glistening. She whimpered. ¡°Yue, you¡¯re not okay,¡± Neena said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think I¡¯m going crazy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Cultists,¡± High Mage Aegon appeared, grabbing her by the shoulders. ¡°They know how strong you are, and they¡¯re messing with your head. You need to push through it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°It¡¯s so real.¡± High Mage Aegon grabbed her head. ¡°May I?¡± She nodded and suddenly she was flooded with pain. Yue screamed and bucked, clawing at the High Mage, the pain drowning her. The world grew blurry and she didn¡¯t know if she could live through this. ¡°Stay still,¡± High Mage Aegon breathed. ¡°I have to take the Cultists out of your head. I know it hurts. Just be strong.¡± Yue screamed again, ignoring High Mage Aegon¡¯s voice. She could barely hear him, much less obey him. Then the world grew silent and color returned. Yue looked up to find HIgh Mage Aegon beaming at her. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± He told her. ¡°You¡¯re free.¡± She weeped on his shoulder. ¡°Thank you. So much. That was the worst experience I¡¯ve ever had.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± He said. ¡°But that took too much mana. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll recover from that. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re fine. Those Cultists shouldn¡¯t be messing with your mind; it¡¯s illegal.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s done now. Neena, thank you for being here.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do much,¡± Neena protested. ¡°You came to help me, even though you couldn''t do anything. You stuck by. That means a lot.¡± Neena smiled sadly. ¡°Well, I should be getting back to the fight.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Yue said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She narrowed her eyes and walked forwards, preparing for her next fights. With an angry mind, she was prepared to take on any mage now. She hated them, and they didn''t know that all they did only served to fuel her. Xander, Zade, and now her. They thought they could break her. She would prove them wrong. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I don¡¯t know if I want to accept Eva¡¯s mission. I just want to have a normal life, although I guess being a mage changes that. But I don¡¯t want to have to face the Cultists anymore. I just almost died from them, and they are so powerful. It¡¯s so stressful. Not to mention my friends. I¡¯d only be putting them in danger by doing this. They''ll be targets from now on. On the other hand, I do want to end the Cult. I can¡¯t help but love Eva, and after all I¡¯ve learned, it feels like the right thing to fight Dautha. Not only do I feel like I have the duty to do it¡ªseeing as Eva had already begun working with me before¡ªbut I also feel the need to do it. It sounds like fun. And this whole story, I want to believe it, I do believe it, but at the same time, it¡¯s so far-fetched. Two gods, more continents, champions to save the world? It¡¯s so unbelievable, but yet it has to be real. I did see Eva with my own eyes, and she did look like a Goddess. Unless this is all in my head, and if it is there¡¯s no problem in accepting, because I¡¯ll just wake up and nothing has changed, But if this is true, does that mean I¡¯ll spend my life fighting a God of Death, someone so much more powerful and smarter than me? Is that how I¡¯ll live my life? Does that mean I¡¯ll have to ignore my friends? And does it mean I¡¯ll never see Jade again? I can¡¯t stand that. I just want to graduate from Zenyth and move to Erenfeld. Jade is my best friend, how am I supposed to never see her again? Of course, maybe I still can while being Eva¡¯s champion, but there¡¯s always a chance. But I could be more powerful with this. I could finally have a slight edge on the Cultists. For once, I could be close to even ground with them. I can¡¯t help but feel a little excited about that. If I¡¯m being honest with myself¡ªI always am, I don''t know why anyone would use that phrase¡ªa part of me can¡¯t help but be excited about the chance to have more power. And Dautha killed Astil. He¡¯s killed my friends, my friends¡¯ friends. He needs to pay, and if I need to be the one to do it, then I guess I should. Eva? She appears next to me again, shining like the sun. Have you made your decision, Zade? I will not be your champion. Eva sputters in shock. What, I thought you would take the opportunity. I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ I¡¯m just kidding, I say. Of course I¡¯ll be your champion. Eva laughs uproariously, her shoulders shaking. Oh, you got me. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯ve chosen to be my champion. Together, with dozens of other champions, we shall end Dautha¡¯s rise. We shall stop him. Zade, are you with me? She grabs me by the shoulders, and presses me to her chest. I am, Goddess. None of that now, She chides softly. I will be with you at all times. You shall not be able to contact me, but I will contact you if need be. You have a large responsibility now, Zade, but I know you¡¯ll do well. May I go back now? Of course. Then she kisses me. It doesn¡¯t feel like anything, but I still react in a shocked way. But as she kisses me, the world begins to fuzz and disappear. Thank you, Eva says as she leaves. Thank you so much for choosing to do this. The world is blessed with your life. I open my eyes, and all I can see is clear skies. The first thing I notice is that my senses are back. I can see the battle, smell the death¡ªoof, that smells horrible¡ªtouch the cobblestones, taste the dirt, hear the clangs of swords. I¡¯m alive. I don¡¯t feel any different, but I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming. Eva was real. I stand up and begin to float in the air, my mind filling with memories of the encounter with the Goddess. My body fills itself with lightning, spiraling around, filling me. Then I catch fire, the lightning staying while the flames lick my skin. ¡°Zade?¡± Yue says, looking at me, awed. When I speak, the words burst forth like thunder, and I feel powerful. I¡¯m here. Let¡¯s burn this place to the ground. Chapter Forty-Five: Resurgence Chapter Forty-Five: Resurgence I feel alive. In a way I¡¯ve never sensed before. My body feels electrified, and my mind feels clear. I look around, lightning coursing through my veins. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I say, deepening my voice, the tone rich and loud. ¡°Let¡¯s burn this place down.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°No. Burn it down? Why would you do that?¡± I fall to the ground and embrace him. ¡°I just thought it sounded cool,¡± I admit. ¡°Like my new look.¡± ¡°What happened to you?¡± Xavier wonders. ¡°Too much. I can¡¯t explain right now but you have to trust me. We need to deal with this now.¡± ¡°You look super-powered,¡± Yue says, walking over to hug me as well. ¡°But I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stronger now,¡± I tell her. ¡°I have the strength to take on mages now, I think.¡± ¡°I wish I had your power,¡± Xavier says. ¡°Is there any way for you to¡­¡± Around us, the fighting resumes, with some of the beasts and humans throwing wary looks in my direction. I ignore them, instead looking at Xavier, smiling. ¡°Of course I can,¡± I tell him. Stretching my hand out, I grasp him by the shoulder, and reach inside me. My core is changed. While its fundamental shape is there, it feels like there is another coreattacked to it. No, not another core. A bridge, to what seems like pure energy. I can¡¯t comprehend what I¡¯m seeing. It¡¯s like the bridge starting from my core enters something invisible, tangible, but at the same time, something that I can feel, touch, sense. It¡¯s pure energy. Strangely, I can tell that most of it is locked to me, but with practice, I hope to unlock more. Now, I focus on the task at hand. Somehow, in a way I can¡¯t comprehend, I intuitively begin to channel the pure energy. My core pulsates as the energy begins to fluctuate. Then, it begins to enter my friend. ¡°This will be temporary,¡± I tell him as he bursts into flames. ¡°It won¡¯t last long, and I don¡¯t think it will be as strong as my newfound power.¡± ¡°Woah!¡± Xavier breathes. ¡°This is unbelievable.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too much to ask, but¡­¡± Yue falters, looking at me expectantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it works in non.mages,¡± I warn. ¡°But I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Surprisingly, as I grab Yue¡¯s arms, it seems like my energy doesn¡¯t seem to care who it attaches to. It zings into Yue, and her eyes widen as it fills her, showing her the powers of magic. Raising her palm, Yue creates lightning on it, and shaking her head in wonder, she thanks me. ¡°Can you do it to anyone else?¡± High Mage Aegon asks next to me. ¡°No,¡± I shake my head, intuitively knowing the truth. The High Mage nods in acceptance and turns to the monsters. ¡°Let¡¯s kill these bastards.¡± I roar, my voice powerful, and I charge at the creatures, my sword swinging, glowing, lightning-filled. As soon as I stop a L¡¯lorianne, the lightning arcs around the three closest beasts, stabbing through each of them, killing them instantly. The flames around my skin begin to circle around me and the monsters I fight, and I send it at the Er¡¯litahnus, engulfing them. Meanwhile, I use my skill to destroy a few L¡¯lorian. Stabbing at the nearest beast, we sword slices cleanly through its stomach, tearing it apart from the inside. In a few short seconds, I¡¯ve killed a dozen monsters. Yue and Xavier seem to have fared almost as good as me. There¡¯s a pile of burned, electrified bodies around Yue, and a few charred bodies around Xavier. I grin and breathe in the electricity. I finally have the power to fight. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue¡¯s dreaming. She knows it; this should be impossible. Mages have existed since the dawn of man, but so have non-mages. Those who couldn¡¯t do magic never did magic. It was a normal reality that everyone knew. Just like a species of lizard couldn¡¯t be another. And Yue was fine with it. She couldn¡¯t deny the exhilarating feeling she got channeling this magic anyways. And this was magic, she was sure of that too. From the descriptions she¡¯d gotten of magic and skills, this fit the bill. Yue could now feel something inside of her that she guessed was her core. As much as she didn¡¯t care about being a mage, she was still grateful to Zade for this opportunity of a lifetime. Plus, she was kicking serious monster ass. The monsters continued to pile around her, and her sword swung back and forth in time with the lightning, stabbing her, swinging there, thrusting. As beautiful as normal sword-fighting was, this was on a new level. But she wasn¡¯t immortal and omnipotent.As many as she was killing, she was suffering some minor scratches too. One L¡¯lorianne raked her back, and she winced in pain as she fell to the ground, the wound welling with blood. Lightning swirled around her, protecting her, but she still took a minute to recover as she felt the pain of it. The L¡¯lorianne rushed at her again, and Yue thrust her hands forward. The lightning arced through her and into the L¡¯lorianne, its body glowing, and suddenly, it exploded. Yue was drowned in its blood and insides, but she moved on immediately. There seemed to be only a few hundred beasts left, at least in Magefell. The battle was almost over. They just had to survive a little more. She¡¯s had her powers for a little over ten minutes now, maybe fifteen. Her body flickered, the electricity wavered, and then she couldn¡¯t feel her core anymore. Yue groaned as she fell to the ground. I guess this is the time limit for the magic, she thought. The beasts, realizing what was happening, crashed into her with renewed vigor. Heart hammering, she was put on the defensive, feeling weak after losing the magic. Concentrate. She swung her sword about, but was still overwhelmed. Yue needed help, urgently. Or else she would die. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I can feel my energy returning into me, when it leaves my friends. For a moment, I think they¡¯ve died, but one quick glance around the market and I know the truth. I wish I could give them the power back, but I can¡¯t without touching them. Plus, I¡¯m too concentrated now to be able to rest. The mix of flames and electricity radiating around me gives the creatures caution, but they refuse to stop their relentless attack. The L¡¯lorianne, Er¡¯litahnus, L¡¯lorian, and Er¡¯litahn circle around me, maybe fifty in total, and I don¡¯t know if I can fight them all, especially when they completely surround me. My powers are strong, but they only do so much. As they pile around me, I get a strange idea. One that I don¡¯t think will work, but at worst, I¡¯ll just have to keep fighting. Raising my sword, I fill it with lightning. Seeing an opportunity, the beasts rush at me. I bring the sword down. It stabs into the ground and the lightning rumbles through the ground, striking up into any beast near me. As the energy courses through the cobblestone, the monsters scream, their hairs standing on end, and their bodies frying. Slowly, they begin to fall to the ground, limp, dead. The smell of death and burn are all around me. I didn¡¯t kill all of the monsters attacking me. But I¡¯ve killed enough to fight. Then I realize the limitations of my new power. I begin to feel weaker, and checking my core, I realize that not only am I depleting mana by using the energy, but the energy itself seems to have a sort of percentage like mana. I need to stop using it for a little, or at least use it less. Rushing into battle again, I stab at an Er¡¯litahn. It screams as my sword erupts from its head. As it falls back, I turn to a Er¡¯ltahnus, who swings his axe in my direction. I catch it with my sword and slice down, slicing through its leg muscles. Crumpling, it strikes at my leg, but jumping over it, I stab down, ending its life. A L¡¯lorianne crashes into me from behind and I fly back, but I gain my feet quickly. The L¡¯lorianne dives at me from the sky, and I thrust at it. It dodges my sword and opens its jaws to swallow me. My sword, still in its momentum from the strike I¡¯d done, won¡¯t be able to stop it. I grab Nightwielder and stab up. The following explosion rocks me to my core. The dagger strikes through the L¡¯lorianne¡¯s mouth, and as that happens, there is an explosion from the dagger. It throws me back, but somehow, I am shielded from the flames. The humans and beasts nearby aren¡¯t so lucky. Eva was right, Nightwielder is powerful. Eva did say the dagger had powers, but I didn''t expect them to unlock this quickly. I feel horrible for killing all those men. There must have been five or six consumed by the flames, but it isn¡¯t properly my fault. I didn¡¯t know this would happen. Still, it hurts because I see their faces in my head now. A moment ago, they¡¯d been fighting the beasts, intent on protecting others. One of the people had been injured on the ground, praying for relief. And I ended all their lives. I close my eyes, grit my teeth and sink in the ground, my breath heaving. I killed innocent people. Something stabs my arm. I scream in pain, as I rise, my arm impaled on a L¡¯lorianne''s claws. The beast hasn¡¯t even noticed what it did. It¡¯s fighting Neena, and she grimaces as she sees what it did to me. Desperately, I stab with my sword, avoiding using Nightwielder. The monster finally notices me, and screeching, it throws me away. I crash into a building and everything goes black. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was desperate. She had no magic, felt weak, and the beasts surrounded her. Her sword had been dropped in the dirt somewhere. There was no one here to help her, and Xander wouldn¡¯t see her die. From the corner of her eye, she saw Xavier suffering the same fate. Groaning, she crawled to him a few feet away, and together they faced the wave of beasts. ¡°It was good to meet you,¡± Yue said Xavier, holder her back to his. The first L¡¯lorianne rushed at them, it''s mouth open in a vicious roar. ¡°Really? You give up that easily?¡± A teasing, disapproving voice said from behind them. A body ran past them and charged at the L¡¯lorianne. Alyx. A few moments later others joined her. Skai, Th¡¯ul, Aster. They began to fight the monsters. Th¡¯ul¡¯s fireballs scorched the beasts, and as he sent one into the air, Aster struck ip, killing it. Yue searched for her sword. After a few moments, she finally located it and breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive, and she was a little safe for now. Zade¡¯s body flew through the air and struck a building, and he fell limp. ¡°Oh, God, not again!¡± She groaned. Yue rushed at her friend, and she slapped his face. Immediately, he woke up. ¡°I¡¯m okay! I¡¯m okay! That hurt,¡± He said accusingly. ¡°You did get smashed into a wall,¡± Yue pointed out. ¡°No, the slap,¡± Zade told her. ¡°It hurt. What was that for?¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re okay. The battle is almost done.¡± ¡°Well, what are we waiting for then? I still don''t forgive you about the slap, just so you know.¡± He stood up and gestured at her. She followed him into the fray and they set on the monsters. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The next half-hour is one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. The pulse-pounding grit of the battle, the blood and lightning erupting from the beasts, the impressive swordplay from my friends, the cries of the beasts as they die, the victory cries of the humans still alive all feels amazing to me. I can¡¯t help but smile as I fight, because this truly feels amazing. The humans realized a while back that they were winning, and since then, they¡¯ve been fighting like never before, with a ferocity that makes me proud. The monsters grow desperate, some running, as their numbers dwindle. Two hundred. One hundred. Fifty. Soon there¡¯s only a couple dozen beasts left, and I attack one, gutting it. Most of the fighting men are now tending to the wounded, checking for pulses, making sure everyone is okay. We don¡¯t need all the soldiers to fight the monsters anymore, so those who aren¡¯t fighting help others. My faith in humanity rises then. We stand together, and we win together. The monsters keep dwindling. There seem to be around twenty now. Their bodies litter the ground, their blood pooling all around the market. I kill another L¡¯lorianne sending my first lightning bolt in minutes. I¡¯ve been conserving my newfound energy for moments when I truly need it. There¡¯s one Er¡¯litahnus left now.It rushes at me, and claws my stomach. I stumble back, but keep my footing and stab at it. Grabbing my sword, it pulls my weapon out of its grasp and scrapes at me again. It erupts in a pillar of flame, shrieking in confusion and pain. I¡¯d been forgetting my skill, mostly because if I use it too much it stops working, but I needed it now. I retrieve my sword. ¡°We did it!¡± I hear Yue say. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± OH, YOU POOR FOOLS! The voice at the arena is back, and this time it sounds disappointed, sad. YOU COULD¡¯VE JUST LET THE BEASTS KILL YOU AT THE FIELD. YOU COULD¡¯VE JUST FOUGHT THE BEASTS FAIRLY HERE. INSTEAD, YOU HAVE FORCED MY HAND. LOOK WHAT YOU¡¯VE DONE, ZADE. I look around wildly, and all my friends are staring at me confused. I shake my head. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I ask. EVA HAS BROKEN THE RULES, the voice continues. WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVE OURSELVES IN HUMAN AFFAIRS UNLESS HUMANS CALLED US THEMSELVES. YOU HAVE SINNED GRAVELY. Suddenly, a voice speaks in my wake from my mouth, but it isn¡¯t me speaking. ¡°THEN WHAT DO YOU CALL WHAT YOU DID, DAUTHA?¡± The voice¡ªwho I¡¯m guessing is Eva¡ªsays. ¡°I KNOW YOU BROKE THE RULES TOO!¡± I BROKE NO RULES, Dautha growled. HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT ME? ¡°WHAT ABOUT THE APOCRYPHAL PROPHECIES? YOU WROTE THEM AFTER WE MADE OUR DEAL!¡± HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT ABOUT THAT? YOU CAN?T PROVE I WROTE IT AFTER. ¡°CAN YOU PROVE I BROKE THE RULES?¡± Dautha growled. YOU HAVE NOT WON, EVA. IF YOU HAD JUST NOT MEDDLED WITH THIS, ZADE AND HIS FRIENDS WOULD LIVE. OH, EVA, YOU WERE ALWAYS NAIVE. A strange tingling sensation begins in my body and I feel myself getting transported to a different place. The world goes black and the last thing I hear is: Sorry, Zade. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue woke up in a strange dark place. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but she knew she didn¡¯t recognize this place. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw chains, torture tables, and her friends. All of the ones who¡¯d fought with her. They were all here. Except Xander. ¡°We¡¯re in Zenyth,¡± Th¡¯ul tells them. ¡°Welcome to the dungeons.¡± ¡°Welcome to the dungeons indeed,¡± A masked man steps from the shadows, turning to them. ¡°You have broken the rules, and you shall suffer the consequences.¡± ¡°What did we do?¡± Yue asked. ¡°We broke no rules.¡± ¡°Ask him,¡± The masked man pointed at Zade. Zade hung his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± He whispered. ¡°Eva broke no rules.¡± ¡°Zade, what are you talking about?¡± Alyx screeched. ¡°It¡¯s¡­complicated,¡± He said. ¡°I was recruited by a goddess to take on Dautha and protect the word, and there are other champions and other continents and Dautha cheated so that¡¯s why Eva could do all these things, and you definitely don¡¯t understand anything I¡¯m saying right now, because it¡¯s complicated and convoluted and even I don¡¯t understand it all but the point is that I¡¯m fighting a war beyond me that Eva apparently broke the rules on, but Dautha broke them first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t understand,¡± Yue accused. ¡°Explain yourself. That man is about to kill us for this, and I¡¯m not going to go without a fight, but I would like to know what I¡¯m fighting for.¡± Zade bit his lip. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Yue sighed. ¡°I hate that question. People only ask it when they¡¯re hiding something. But I do, Zade.¡± ¡°Then trust me. I¡¯ll explain later. Just know that I did nothing wrong. The blame goes to Dautha.¡± ¡°THAT IS NOT TRUE!¡± The masked man screamed. ¡°Dautha found a loophole. Eva cheated. For her sins, you shall pay. You, Zade, her champion, will watch all your friends die. Yue felt Th¡¯ul and Zade concentrating and Zade gasped. ¡°There¡¯s no magic here.¡± ¡°The dungeons here at Zenyth have a special property, you see,¡± The masked man grinned. ¡°In this place, the person in control of this thing,¡± He holds a diamond, ¡°Can control who has magic in here or not. I have blocked the magic from all of you, even you Vanguard folks, just in case. You cannot leave. You are done.¡± Yue groaned and reached for her sword. It was gone. Looking around, she saw that her friends were looking for their weapons too. ¡°There!¡± Zade said. On a table blacked by a strange field of light, were their weapons. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t touch that if I were you. You¡¯ll disintegrate.¡± The masked man laughed. ¡°Well, shall we start?¡± At that phrase, Yue and her friends attacked as one. After all, there was only one man, right? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª More mages step out of the shadows, all in the silver mask glorifying their precious anonymity, maybe five of them. I groan as I see it. We¡¯re weaponless, defenseless. There is no way we can win this. Leah, help us! I¡¯m sorry, but I can do nothing here. Both me and Dautha have no access here. I can barely even speak to you there. I wish you luck. Please stay alive. Her presence disappears and I hang my head. I¡¯ll still fight, but I don¡¯t have much hope now. What am I without my magic and my sword? I rush with my friends at the mages. I take on a female on with Xavier but she just whisks her hands and I¡¯m bound by air. I¡¯d forgotten that my shield would be disabled too. I fly back into the wall, where chains wrap around me. After only a few seconds, my friends are in the same predicament as me. ¡°Honestly, I thought you would put up more of a fight,¡± The leader shrugged. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to it then.¡± He raises his hands, and suddenly I feel a searing pain like fair coursing through my body. The other five mages do the same magic, and my friends scream with me as the man laughs. ¡°Who should I move to first?¡± He asks, his smile widening, his magic still doing its work on us. ¡°Maybe you?¡± He says to Neena, who is crying and the fear is obvious in her face. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll move to you, mage-in-training,¡± He turns to Th¡¯ul. ¡°Or maybe you, the most troublesome of you,¡± He points at Yue. ¡°Screw you,¡± Poli moans, and the mage glares at her. ¡°So, you wish to be the first?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°What a brave volunteer. Knife, please.¡± One of the female mages hands him a curved blade, one that I can see is magically enchanted. I struggle in my bindings, still feeling the pain the leader sends at me. ¡°What is your name?¡± The leader asks. Poli glares at him. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do a trade. My name is Mogui. And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that name,¡± Yue growls. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you anything,¡± Poli spits in his face. ¡°Oh, really? Then I guess you¡¯ll be fine without a finger.¡± ¡°LET HER GO, YOU BASTARD!¡± Artemis screams. ¡°Oh, y¡¯all are so pathetic. Please, stop.¡± The five mages wave their hands, and a metal gag covers my mouth. Artemis continues to struggle and scream, but the leader ignores him, raising his dagger and her hand. ¡°Three¡­two¡­oneeeee¡­¡± ¡°Poli,¡± She says, a single tear finally erupting from her. ¡°My name is Poli.¡± ¡°See how much better it is when you cooperate,¡± Mogui smiles. ¡°Unfortunately, you took too long to respond.¡± With that, he chopped down. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue screamed inwardly as she saw Poli¡¯s left pinky fall to the ground, severed. Poli shrieked as she saw the blood pool from where her finger had just been. Her friends watched on in horror and Artemis struggled to release himself as he watched the scene unfold. ¡°Now let me ask you a different question,¡± Mogui told Poli. ¡°If you answer correctly, you may yet live. Are you ready to swear fealty to Dautha?¡± ¡°Never,¡± Poli spat again. ¡°Pity,¡± Mogui replied. ¡°Mace, please.¡± Another of the mages handed him a mace, and without further ado, he smashed it on her foot, crushing it, leaving a smashed pulpy mess in its place. Poli shrieked and yelled and cried but there was nothing she could do. Mogui was in control. ¡°How about now?¡± Mogui asked again. ¡°Are you ready to change your answer?¡± Poli shook her head weakly, and Mogui stared at her sadly. ¡°Another wrong answer. You aren¡¯t very smart.¡± The mace came down again, crushing Poli¡¯s second foot. Yue closed her eyes to the scene, unable to watch the horror. Vomit came up her mouth, but she was forced to swallow it due to the gag in her mouth. ¡°We still have your fingers, hands, chest, other parts,¡± Mogui said slyly, ¡°Left to go. It will be a painful death for you, unless you change now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Poli cried. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Just get me out of here.¡± ¡°And a wise choice for Poli!¡± The leader said. ¡°I¡¯d like an applause for her.¡± The five mages clapped, showing their appreciation for Poli¡¯s ¡®wise choice.¡¯ The shackles and chains around Poli disappeared to the ground and she crumpled to the ground. ¡°Here, let her help you.¡± Mogui said, pointing to a female mage, who reached over to Poli and waved her hands. Immediately, a strange contraption grew under her legs. Soon, Yue realized what it was. Wooden feet. ¡°Now are you ready to swear fealty to Dautha?¡± Mogui asked, smiling at her. ¡°You have made the right choice. Now act on it.¡± Poli panicked and ran, tripping on her new wooden legs but stumbling away, crying. Artemis screamed through his gag, tears flowing through him. Just as Poli was reaching the door, an invisible force stopped her. ¡°Oh, Poli,¡± Mogui shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you could be so naive. Your friends must learn a lesson now on what it means to break a promise. No, Yue thought to herself. Please no. Mogui dragged Poli to the middle of the room, and Yue closed her eyes, seeing Mogui¡¯s hungry eyes. The next fifteen minutes passed as torture. Yue refused to look, but Poli¡¯s desperate, pained screams reached Yue¡¯s heart and soul, crushing her. Eventually, Poli¡¯s screams turned to whimpers, and satisfied, Mogui grunted. ¡°Open your eyes, everyone,¡± He said. When Yue did so, She found Mogui holding his mace over Poli¡¯s limp form. ¡°This is the punishment for disobedience. This is the punishment for breaking a promise. This is the punishment for not swearing fealty to Dautha.¡± Then, with a heave, Mogui brought his mace down. Poli¡¯s chest caved in, and immediately, blood exploded from her, her face frozen in one last scream. Unsatisfied, Mogui brough the axe down again and again and again until all that was left of Poli was a bloody pulpy mess. All Yue could see was blood, remains and pieces of skin. Poli was unrecognizable, and Yue cried uncontrollably. ¡°Dautha was merciful to you, but you didn¡¯t see it,¡± Mogui told them. ¡°Now you do. Now, does anyone here want to swear fealty?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª No one nods. I¡¯m in shock, my mind reeling. I barely knew Poli, but no one deserves the fate she got, except for Mogui himself. He seems to take pleasure in what he did to Poli, and it sickens me. My mind is muddled; I can barely think. Who would do something like this? ¡°Zade, you will be forced to watch as each of your friends die unless they swear fealty. Shall you convince them?¡± The gag leaves my mouth, and I stutter, my sobs tripping up my words. ¡°Go¡­to..h-h-h..hell!¡± I manage to say, my words dripping with venom and sadness. ¡°You are destined for death,¡± The leader of the cultists here says. ¡°You always were. But you just sentenced your friends to the death you just saw that whore get.¡± ¡°MMMMHHH!¡± Artemis screamed. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Mogui asks, removing Artemis¡¯ gag. ¡°She wasn¡¯t a whore!¡± Artemis screams, then sags in his chains. ¡°But I¡¯m ready. To swear fealty.¡± ¡°See, here¡¯s the thing,¡± Mogui tells him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can believe you. Not only did you contradict me before saying that, but I did just sentence you to death. Plus, Poli did just break her promise, and I¡¯m guessing she meant something to you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Mogui laughed. ¡°Do you want to join her in death?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll swear, I promise,¡± Artemis groans. ¡°Okay,¡± Mogui turns away. ¡°I believe you. Unfortunately, Sasha doesn¡¯t.¡± The mage next to him threw a dagger that impaled itself in Artemis¡¯ stomach. The Vanguard Warrior screamed in pain, his stomach heaving, his glare murderous yet defeated. I can¡¯t believe what¡¯s happening. A few minutes ago, I¡¯d thought we¡¯d won, and now I¡¯m forced to watch as this man¡ªthis monster¡ªwill kill all of my friends. A few minutes ago, I had hope. Now, I just want to feel death so I don¡¯t see all of my other friends die. ¡°Now, as we hear and see Artemis¡¯ death, why don¡¯t we move on to another one? Let¡¯s pick¡­¡± Mogui turns to Neena. ¡°You.¡± ¡°NOOO!¡± I scream. Neena is a lot like Astil to me, and I know how much Yue cares about her. Next to me, I feel Yue shaking in rage, and I grimace looking at her. She looks at me and closes her eyes. I can¡¯t help but feel she¡¯s going to do something crazy. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue couldn¡¯t let Neena die. Neena was her little sister, her friend. Yue said she¡¯d always protect her. The chains were weak. She knew that since the mage chaining her was chaining her other friends too, that just a tiny bit of disconcentration would be enough to release her. With her best effort, she spit out the gag. While the other mages were looking at Neena, she screamed. ¡°BASTARDS!¡± Mogui and one of the female mages jumped, and Yue felt the pressure on her chains disappear slightly. Perfect. Just as Mogui raised his dagger to stab Neena, Yue heaved and swung her arms forward. The chains fell off the wall, and she stumbled to the ground, regaining her footing, and running quickly. Thankfully, since Mogui and the other mages were all looking at Neena, they didn¡¯t notice her. Except for the female mage, who looked at her, but it was too late. Mogui stabbed down, and Yue ran in his way pushing him. The bite of the dagger in her leg pained her but she forced Mogui down. An invisible force pulled her up again. She bit her lip against the pain of her now-bleeding leg. ¡°So, you¡¯ve saved your friend, eh?¡± Mogui snarled. ¡°I should kill her quick then and make you watch.¡± He stood up, and Yue noticed he was limping. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± She growled. ¡°You¡¯re a dead man.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± Neena whispered. ¡°I love you, Yue.¡± Yue choked back a sob as Mogui stabbed at Neena again. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª An explosion rocks the dungeon, throwing the door open. Startled, Mogui turns to the entrance, his sword in his right hand immediately and his left hand flaring with magic. ¡°YOU HURT MY FRIENDS!¡± A voice screams. A familiar one. I can¡¯t place it, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard the voice before. A figure emerges from the smoke, radiant, body glowing, face livid with rage, yet filled with beauty. She looked like a cross between an angel and a demon, and I immediately recognized her. Sia. ¡°YOU DESERVE TO DIE!¡± She roars, and a black pulsating energy pulsates from her and swarms over the five cultists. An explosion to the left of the dungeon kills two of them, black flames overwhelming them. The other three are enveloped by the black energy, and they start to age quickly, their bodies decaying, wrinkling, the skin dissolving, and their skeletons left. Soon, even the skeletons were gone. The chains holding us disappear, and I fall to the ground Only Mogui is left. He throws magic at her. Some of it I recognize, some of it I don¡¯t. But none of it touches her. Instead, she raises a fist and Mogui rises in the air. ¡°Worm,¡± She says, and closes her fist. Two slabs of concrete rise next to Mogui, then slam into him. A squelching sound tells me he is dead. Sia crumples and I catch her. Smiling, she looks up at me. ¡°Did I just¡­¡± ¡°Awaken?¡± I ask. ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Sweet,¡± She smiles, then faints. I leave her on the ground and look at my friends. Artemis is crying next to the puddle of Poli, screaming. Yue and Alyx are trying to take care of the wound, but he refuses help, instead preferring to mourn. I look around. Most of my friends are here. Xavier, Th¡¯ul, Anni, Yue, Alyx, Aster, Neena, Artemis, Skai, and Sia. We¡¯re missing Xander, Astil, and Poli. And Diamond, although I never met her. I have no idea where Xander is now. But Astil, Poli, and Diamond were all killed by the Cult. I watch all my friends, staring at the horror, contemplating what the Cult has done. They¡¯ve killed my friends, tortured us. One day, I¡¯ll kill Dautha, when I can. But for now, we should be safe. A voice finds me in my thoughts. Be careful, Zade. This fight is not over. More is on its way. Prepare yourself. I groan. It¡¯s time to keep fighting. Chapter Forty-Six: In The Aftermath Chapter Forty-Six: In The Aftermath Another one gone. That was all Yue could think about. Zade was talking about leaving but Yue didn¡¯t have the soul to do it yet. First, Diamond. Then, Jos. Then, Rosalia. Then, Astil. Now Poli. And Xander, of course. Five people she knew, killed by the cult. So much death, and for what? What was the purpose in so much death? She held Artemis as he wept on her shoulder next to the puddle that was once Poli. She was unrecognizable, a blob of what was once a friend, a girlfriend, a daughter. ¡°Yue,¡± Zade said, bringing her out of her stupor. ¡°What?¡± She asked, irritated. ¡°We really need to go. I can already hear something outside. We can¡¯t just stay here. I understand how much you want to mourn Poli, but now is not the time.¡± Yue nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Is everyone okay?¡± She stood up, her leg complaining, but she ignored the pain. For now, she was alive, and that couldn¡¯t be said for all of them. ¡°Well, both you and Artemis are hurt,¡± Aster sniffled. ¡°Sia is still unconscious, and Poli¡­¡± ¡°Poli¡¯s gone,¡± Neena whimpered. ¡°We should wake up Sia,¡± Skai suggested, looking slightly awkward with the group. She and Poli had probably never even had a conversation together, and so she wasn¡¯t feeling the sadness like everyone else was. Only the horror and shock. ¡°Good idea,¡± Zade said, running a finger over Sia¡¯s hair. ¡°Sia! Wake up.¡± He gently prodded her face, and she came awake, eyes wide. ¡°Where am I?¡± Sia looked around, but, seeing Zade, she relaxed and smiled. ¡°How did you find us?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I needed to fight,¡± Sia explained. ¡°I felt that I was useless if I didn¡¯t do something, so I left the hospital wing. On my way out, I heard someone screaming, and somehow, I knew it was you. I wasn¡¯t sure what I could do, but I came here, and¡­¡± ¡°Awakened,¡± Th¡¯ul finished, eyes dry but still vastly sad. ¡°Well, you always wanted to be a mage.¡± Sia chuckled. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, we need to get going,¡± Yue told them. ¡°If Zade is right, and I think he is, then the battle isn¡¯t over.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Xavier stopped them. ¡°I want to know what we¡¯re fighting for. Zade, who is Eva? Why is she fighting Dautha? Why are we fighting?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I grimace at Xavier. ¡°I¡¯m still figuring it out, to be honest. But let me explain what I know. When I, you know, almost died, I ended up in this weird limbo space. It was black. Very black, like I''ve never seen anything so black. It felt like I was looking at nothing. It was a strange sensation, this blackness. It was a void¡ª¡± ¡°I think we understand,¡± Yue broke in. ¡°Anyway,¡± I glare at her. ¡°In the middle of this void, this blackness, a woman appeared. She was naked, which was weird, but I didn¡¯t even notice until I woke up. Strange, right?¡± Seeing the impatient glances of my friends, I keep going hurriedly. ¡°She told me she had two names: Eva and Leah. She says we might know her by the name Leah, but I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the name, either.¡± Yue tells me. ¡°So, who is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting there. She explained that she¡¯s been helping me for a long time. I was confused, so she told me her story, and this is the important part. ¡°She is the Goddess of Life. She¡¯s like the Anti-Dautha, if that makes sense. Her and Duatha are Gods, and they found us. Apparently, as the story goes, Dautha wanted all the power in this world, and so he and Eva had a fight. In the end, they agreed to never touch the world unless someone directly called on them.¡± ¡°And this is where the cheating comes in?¡± Th¡¯ul guessed. ¡°Exactly. According to Eva, Dautha left writings, something he wasn¡¯t allowed to do, and through his books, the Cult began and called on him. Eva figured out about this betrayal and decided to step in. First in the shadows, helping those she deemed her champions. She¡¯s been doing a lot in my life that I didn¡¯t know about.¡± I omit any mention of Angela. ¡°I am one of her champions, destined to fight Dautha on this continent.¡± ¡°I have a million questions.¡± Alyx said impatiently. ¡°Why you, no offense? Are any of us champions? And what do you mean, different continents?¡± ¡°Eva chose me because I was the best mage-in-training for her job, and no, none of you are champions, at least, as far as I know. As far the continents, this world is bigger than we thought. Much bigger. Eva showed me, and I still can¡¯t grasp it.¡± My friends don¡¯t seem to believe it. But they choose not to press the issue. ¡°So, what does this mean?¡± Yue asks. ¡°Well, nothing for you, but I need to fight Dautha all the days of my life, using my power to hinder the Cult. That¡¯s why I¡¯m more powerful now. All because of Eva.¡± ¡°I need time to process this,¡± Yue said. ¡°You should do that on the trip to the market.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The trip to the market was silent, and not an awkward silence. Before they¡¯d left, they¡¯d collected their weapons¡ªthe shield had disappeared when the mages died. Now, Yue and her friends were just trying to understand and accept. Understanding Zade¡¯s story was hard enough. Accepting Poli¡¯s death was even worse. Yue had four important thoughts warring in her mind. The one winning right now was about Zade¡¯s story. It was hard to believe there was a Goddess of Life. She¡¯d already had trouble believing tha Dautha existed, much less Eva, or Leah, or whatever her name was. Not to mention that the story itself was absurd, and if it was real, why hadn¡¯t she heard it before? Zade was a champion of Eva now, then. Yue didn¡¯t pretend to know what that meant, but she trusted Zade enough to make the right decision in that situation. If he chose to be Eva¡¯s champion, he had a reason for doing so. But this about more continents and a bigger world was just absurd. Yue had seen what Zade could do with his new powers, and so she found it in her to believe his story. But she didn¡¯t believe the world was bigger than the continent they lived in. It was impossible. How could the world hold that much weight? It was laughable: Everything would sink or fall down. Even Gods could be wrong, she guessed. As she thought about this, the second thought warring in her mind pushed itself to the forefront. Poli¡¯s death. As close as Poli and Yue were¡ªnot that close¡ªit still hurt a lot to have her die. She was a constant presence in Yue¡¯s life, always there even if she didn¡¯t say anything. She¡¯d wanted to leave the Vanguard, find a safe life, but she hadn¡¯t done that, and look how that had turned out. If she had just left with Artemis, if only Yue hadn¡¯t told them not to, then they would be fine. Was she guilty? Of course not. But she was used to the feelings of guilt. If something bad happened, someone always felt wrongfully guilty. That was just the way of the world. Looking at Artemis, she wondered what he was feeling. He was still sobbing, and he looked lost, like a baby looking for his mother. Yue always thought he¡¯d been a little too stuck on Poli, and still did, but it was heartbreaking to see Artemis like this. If she wasn¡¯t careful, she could find him one day dead, hung by himself. She would need to check on him, but not now. He looked miserable now. And Xander, thoughts of him were always in the back of her mind. She wondered how he was doing every second of every minute of every hour since he¡¯d been gone. She wasn¡¯t obsessed, just a worried girlfriend. The Cult was possessing his mind, of course she had every right to be worried about him. The Cult wanted him to kill her, and they said they¡¯d kill him if he didn¡¯t. Which meant he could be dead because he ran away. No. Until she saw his dead body, she wouldn¡¯t believe it. She couldn¡¯t believe it. There was still hope in the world, and she didn¡¯t believe the last would go away. The fourth thought finally took root in her. The murderers. She didn¡¯t know why she was thinking about them now, but she thought it was because of Poli. She still needed to find them. That was a must. She would do everything in her power to find them at this point. She would interrogate everyone, torture everyone until someone admitted to it. Someone in the Vanguard had done it, and she needed to know who. A little idea came into her mind but she couldn¡¯t focus on it. Maybe the killer was¡­the idea slipped from her mind. She was too tired to think normally, but she needed to try. She was sure the clues were there, she just needed to rationalize. Easier said than done. The murderers were crafty, that much was obvious. There was more than one of them anyway, which made them all the more harder to find. Unless there was only one. That should be impossible, but could they have missed someone in their rush to eliminate people. She had talked to everyone they¡¯d crossed off the list, but maybe someone had lied, and the eyewitnesses were just trying to protect them. It didn¡¯t do to sow distrust in the Vanguard, but someone there was a murderer. That much was true. But if it was one person, who would it be? It could be anyone in the two hundred. Two hundred were just too many suspects. Poli hadn¡¯t been the murderer. She¡¯d refused to swear to Dautha, and Yue was still sure that whoever the murderer was secretly vowed to Dautha. Could it be Eva or Joanne? Well, Eva it wasn¡¯t. Yue had seen how much Eva had loved Cali. That only left Joanne, but once again, Joanne just didn¡¯t seem like the murderer. She¡¯d already accused her and look how that had turned out. It just seemed like they never got any closer to solving it. They were finally arriving at the market, and they quickly realized how much everything was in disarray. All the books Yue had read loved to talk about the glory of battles. They refused to talk about the horror of it. They also refused to talk of the aftermath. The mages¡ªespecially the High one, no drugs involved, Yue thought¡ªwere using their magic to help people and fiz buildings, but the destruction and death was still everywhere. It was hard to watch, but Yue needed to help as much as she could. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª What is happening, Eva? I wonder, reaching out to the Goddess, trying to find her consciousness. She finds my mind and responds. I don¡¯t know if I can communicate with you this often, Zade. I cannot tell you what is coming because I myself do not even know. I only know that the Cultists have prepared the worst for last just for you and your friends. You¡¯re still in danger. You need to be ready. Hard to prepare for what I don¡¯t know. As I survey the battle scene, the scream of the dying strike my soul. Many are pleading for help, saying they don¡¯t want to die. But it¡¯s too late for them, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. I can try, though. Yue has already begun to help people, clearing rubble and carrying wounded to the mages to try to afford aid. I¡¯m supposed to get ready, but I need this moment to help those in need. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. It¡¯s very important. One woman calls out to us, pleading for help, crushed under some rubble. I rush over to aid her. My core feels deflated, tired. My mana is down to about 40%, I think, enough that if I exert myself a little, I will Burn. I need to be really careful. Reaching out to my core, I try to lift the piece of roof covering the woman. The rubble fights me but with a little bit of strength, I¡¯m able to lift it. I reach for the woman and pull her out, and once that¡¯s done, I let the rubble drop, and breathe a sigh of relief which turns to anguish looking at the woman. The woman¡ªthirty by the looks of it¡ª is clearly not alright. Her clothes are in tatters, and she¡¯s bleeding profusely from everywhere, but especially her legs, which I can see are bent at unnatural angles. Her arms reach out to me in a silent plea. ¡°Will I live?¡± She asks me softly. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know,¡± I lie. In fact, I am sure she will die, but I don¡¯t have the heart to tell her that. ¡°I¡¯m dying, aren¡¯t I?¡± She says. ¡°I¡¯m okay with that. I¡¯m just thirsty.¡± I haven¡¯t learned how to draw or make water with magic, and I don¡¯t have the time to learn. Looking around, I see that every mage is occupied, even Th¡¯ul. I have to try, then. It¡¯s this woman¡¯s dying wish. Closing my eyes, I focus on the ground. I¡¯ve heard that water is underground. If I can pull it from there, then I should be able to give it to her. But I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to do that. ¡°It¡¯s easier than you think,¡± High Mage Aegon screams at me from a few feet away. He¡¯s doing some sort of magic to a man nearby, so he can¡¯t help me, but I appreciate his pointers anyway. ¡°Drawing water is simple, but it will exert a lot of mana. Be careful. Imagine the world without land, but where land should be is nothing. The rest is up to you.¡± I scratch my head in confusion but do as he says. If I imagine where I am without land, I can see the water below. Is this magic or my imagination? I begin to draw the water, and I can feel it on my palm. High Mage Aegon is right. This is probably the easiest magic I¡¯ve done. I¡¯ll never go thirsty again. ¡°Just be careful you don¡¯t drain someone else¡¯s moisture,¡± High Mage Aegon says. I nod and keep drawing water. When I¡¯ve got enough on my palm, I give it to the woman. She begins to drink, and I replenish the water until I feel myself on the edge of fainting. ¡°Thank you,¡± The woman croaks. ¡°We need more people like you in the world. I¡¯m Thury.¡± ¡°Zade,¡± I tell her. She holds me close, and seconds later, she goes limp. My eyes water as I look at her. Another innocent, good, happy woman dead. This world is very unfair, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to it. The second person I try to help is even sadder. It¡¯s a boy, about sixteen, and his legs are gone. When I pull him from under a massive rock, he weeps as he looks down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± He cries. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything yet. I don¡¯t want to leave my girlfriend alone. Mister, please, save me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I tell him. ¡°You¡¯re too far gone.¡± He screams. ¡°No, no, no. You¡¯re a mage. Please fix me. I still have a lot to live!¡± ¡°Even a full mage would have a hard time fixing you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The boy¡¯s screams and cries became muffled as I hugged him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to¡­die. I don¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t.¡± He falls unconscious. I can feel his heart beating, but I know he won¡¯t ever wake up again. The tears in my eyes flow down my shirt. These people didn¡¯t deserve to die. Thury was sweet. This boy was desperate. He¡¯d lived a mere sixteen years. In a cruel twist of fate, he was taken from this world. I¡¯m just about losing all hope when I find a third person. Another woman, young, maybe early twenties. She smiles at me, clearly in pain, but still happy. ¡°Can you help me?¡± She asks, pointing to her stomach. I can see she¡¯s been impaled by a spear, but, from what it looks like, it missed anything vital. ¡°You need professional help,¡± I admit, ¡°But I¡¯ll do what I can. I¡¯m not sure you''ll live, though.¡± ¡°Ah, whatever kills me makes me stronger,¡± She laughs. I reach over to her and speak softly to her. ¡°This will hurt, just warning you. Prepare yourself.¡± I break the spear in half and pull it out the other side. The woman screams, her eyes going wide in pain. I rip a big piece of my robe and begin to bandage her. I can¡¯t do much but I used to live on a farm. I know a little about first aid. Although I think this is a little worse than first aid. ¡°Thank you,¡± The woman tells me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do much,¡± I admit. ¡°Get one of the mages to help you. They can heal you.¡± ¡°Are you a mage?¡± She asks, pointing at my robe. ¡°In-training, ma¡¯am,¡± I reply, bowing. ¡°But I¡¯m too tired to do any magic now.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m eternally grateful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Zade.¡± The woman chuckles, and stands up, wincing. ¡°I¡¯m Joy,¡± She says, limping off. ¡°Hopefully, we see each other again. I own a small shop down that way. Don¡¯t know if it still stands, but visit me sometime.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± As soon as she reaches another mage, he gets to work on her. I smile and sit down for a minute. I saved someone. It¡¯s possible some other mage could¡¯ve saved her, but if I hadn¡¯t taken the spear out of her body, she would¡¯ve died. I saved someone! The cries of the wounded and dying reach me as I rest, and I groan. My work isn¡¯t done. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue couldn¡¯t close her eyes anymore. If she did, she would fall asleep. She¡¯d never felt exhaustion like this before, and reality just did not seem like much anymore. There were just too many dead. Hundreds, maybe thousands, needed help. Sadly, many were not from Arcadia, instead being people who had arrived for the tournament. The tournament she¡¯d won but did not care about anymore. She¡¯d felt so happy when she won, but that already felt like a lifetime ago. She¡¯d already seen five brave men and women die in front of her eyes, and one cowardly one cursing her the entire way. She thought she¡¯d saved someone but she couldn¡¯t be sure. Those who were not seriously injured weren¡¯t given help, and they themselves walked away. The gravely wounded, though, were the ones the mages and warriors and nurses did everything they could to help, but most of them would die. There were only so many mages and only so much mana. Plus, a good portion of mages were Cultists, and they would never agree to help those who got their ¡®righteous judgment.¡¯ Yue wanted to gut every single one of them. There were still some beasts alive too, and she killed every one she saw. They didn¡¯t deserve to live, not after what they did, even if they were animals and reacting from instinct. They had been too smart to be common animals. She needed to find the other Vanguard Warriors. The Wolf would probably be trying to get them all together, and someone would probably be around soon to collect them. For now, she would just keep going. Just as she thought that, Alyx ran up to her, Kol behind her. ¡°Captain asking for us,¡± She breathed. ¡°Come on.¡± As they ran, Yue waved at Zade, who cocked his head at her. ¡°Vanguard duties!¡± She yelled and he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you alive,¡± Kol told her. ¡°Same to you. It was a hard-fought battle, but a good victory.¡± ¡°That it was,¡± Kol agreed. Kol led me, Alyx, Aster, Neena, Artemis (the last three who they met along the way) to an inn near the market. There¡¯s ample space there for all two hundred in the Vanguard. Not everyone was there, maybe about one hundred and fifty, but that¡¯s still plenty. Some were probably injured or wounded. As soon as they arrived, the Wolf smiled. ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for a few more people to arrive. Xander? Poli?¡± Yue shook her head. ¡°Xander is missing. Poli is¡­¡± The Wolf nodded sadly. ¡°We¡¯ve lost almost twenty Vanguard members today,¡± He said. ¡°Ten percent of our army. This is less than I thought we had lost, and for that I am thankful. Here, take a seat.¡± He waved at an empty table, and they sat there. The next few minutes passed tensely. Most of the Vanguard Warriors were accustomed to death, if not battle, so they weren¡¯t shocked by the blood but it was still sobering. Some were crying over loved ones. Artemis¡¯ tears were gone, but now he was just in shock. Eventually, after a few more warriors¡ªJoanne one of them¡ªentered, the Wolf stood himself up on a chair and spoke to them. ¡°Welcome, my Vanguard Warriors. Today we have suffered through the battle now known as the Battle of the Tournament. It was a tough and rigorous battle, but we¡ªand all of Magefell and its surrounding countries¡ªhave fought well. We have won a grand victory today, one that shall be sung for generations. ¡°But it was not without losses,¡± He continued in a somber tone. ¡°We lost many wonderful men and women today. About twenty warriors were lost, as you know, but that isn¡¯t even close to the number of humans lost in the battle. In the destruction of the Arena, we lost about thirty thousand people, a vast majority innocents, especially from foreign countries. In the ensuing battle, we lost one hundred Magefell Guards and fifty Magefell Soldiers. Thirty of the foreign tournament participants were lost. Finally, almost three thousand innocent Magefell citizens were lost. In total, we lost thirty thousand people. This is just an estimate, but I am sure it is close to the right amount. ¡°From the bodies spread through Magefell and the plain, we killed almost fifty thousand beasts. It was a costly battle, but we did win. Congratulations. ¡°Now comes the healing process.¡± ¡°What about the Cult?¡± Someone shouted. ¡°Yeah, shouldn¡¯t they pay?¡± ¡°No, they were right!¡± ¡°They killed innocents!¡± ¡°What even is the Cult?¡± ¡°They deserved it!¡± The shouts and murmurs from the Vanguard spoke to Yue. She looked up to her captain who stared straight back at her and nodded. She walked up to stand by him. ¡°I know nothing about a Cult,¡± The Wolf admitted. ¡°But I have someone here who does. Yue Zhang!¡± ¡°I have met many cultists,¡± Yue began. ¡°They are the lowest of the low, the most evil there is! They worship an evil god, one named Dautha. They wish to enslave us.¡± ¡°We do not!¡± A warrior retorted. ¡°We just want the righteous Hierarchy.¡± ¡°What is so righteous about this Hierarchy? They wish to make us the lowest!¡± The Wolf interrupted her by whispering in her ear. ¡°Be careful with what you say. Keep yourself neutral. There are Cultists in the Vanguard too.¡± ¡°No,¡± She returned. ¡°I¡¯m done being silent. VANGUARD WARRIORS! Listen, heed my call. One of us is a murderer. And that person is a Cultist. The Cult of Dautha has killed Diamond. They killed Jos. They killed Rosalia. They killed Cali.¡± She looked at Eva, who smiled at her, tears in her eyes. ¡°They killed Poli! THEY MURDERED ALL OF THEM IN COLD BLOOD! Just because they had different views. Jos knew nothing about the Cult, Rosalia knew nothing about the Cult, Cali knew nothing. They did not deserve to get killed by something they did not know. The Cult may not have murdered Rosalia themselves, but it was still their fault. ¡°And how do we respond to this? Do we stay silent, say they are right? They want us to be below, in a Hierarchy where we are worth nothing! Where we serve a god who doesn¡¯t give a single DAMN about us! Who will MURDER those who don¡¯t understand to get what he wants. Who will send DEMONS over us to do his dirty work. Now tell me. Is this a god who you want to serve? If so, you do not belong in the Vanguard.¡± The Wolf looked angry at her for disobeying her, but he couldn¡¯t stop her, not now. ¡°We must fight! We cannot let the Cult have Jurisdiction here. There are those of us here who belong to the Cult. I know some of you,¡± She looked at Joanne, who glared back at her, although her face softened when Yue looked at her. Please don¡¯t, Joanne mouthed. ¡°I know some of the Cultists here. And they are sweet people. I¡¯ve grown to love them. I value their friendship. They do not deserve to die the deaths we did. ¡°But you serve the wrong ideal. Look what has been done today. Look at all the innocent deaths. The gore. Look at your Vanguard friends, killed because a God who never controlled, and will never control, anything decided they needed to go only because they did not serve him. Is that really how it should go? ¡°A few months ago, I was just like any of you. A Vanguard Warrior, ignorant of any Cult, any God of Death, any murders. Now, I have learned a lot and I must pass it on to each of you. I¡¯m not special. I¡¯m not up here, because I was chosen. No, I am up here because I learned the truth too early, and I¡¯m here to pass it on to you. And you must pass it on. We must now be the people standing up to rise. ¡°We are the Vanguard Warriors, the Wolves. The greatest army to ever exist, protectors of Magefell. You know the deal. Magefell looks up to us. The world looks up to us. We must show them the truth. ¡°WE MUST STAND UP AND FIGHT! WE MUST DO EVERYTHING TO END THE CULT. Not the people, the Cult,¡± She chuckled nervously. ¡°WHO¡¯S WITH ME?¡± The Vanguard cheered. Not a mild applause, no, a roar, a battle cry, a visceral primal roar that inspired confidence struck fear. Yue joined in, pumping her fist in the air and roaring with them. She could see a few Vanguard Warriors sitting down, Joanne included, but the others stood as they roared in happiness and confidence. ¡°What now?¡± Yue asked, stepping down to meet the Wolf. ¡°You should not have done that,¡± The Wolf told her. ¡°The Vanguard has just made enemies in high places. You don¡¯t understand the repercussions of what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°We can face it.¡± The captain hugged her. ¡°I hope so. Oh, Yue, I hope so.¡± He stood up on the chair to speak again, and someone tapped Yue on the shoulder. Turning around, she found herself in another embrace, this one from Joanne. ¡°Just so you know, I still worship Dautha,¡± The girl told her. ¡°But I love and appreciate your speech. I¡¯m still a Vanguard warrior. That is who I am.¡± ¡°So what happens to you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Joanne admitted. ¡°Identity crisis. Existential crisis. Religious crisis. A lot of crises I¡¯m guessing. But I¡¯ll get through it. I have you guys.¡± ¡°The real battle is not over,¡± The Wolf told the army. ¡°The real struggle begins now. We must go out and exterminate any beasts left. We must save those in need. We must protect those who will now be victims in a vulnerable city. ¡°This has just started. Let the fun begin,¡± He grimaced. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I don¡¯t think I can do this anymore. I¡¯ve heard that the more one sees death, the more one feels numb to it. So far, that¡¯s a lie. I¡¯m seeing dozens of deaths now, and I feel more and more sick with each one. Every single person wants to tell me their story, talk to me before they die. I always end up feeling sympathetic and sad, and it¡¯s crushing me. Yue¡¯s been gone for a while now, and since then not much has changed. It will take a long time to repair the damage done here, even with all the mages working to help. There are so many bodies littering the ground that need a proper burial. That in itself will take weeks. The mages have been evaporating the beasts¡¯ bodies. It still feels like they don¡¯t disappear, though. There are so many monsters hanging over us like a looming presence reminding us of the destruction and death they caused. The more space that is cleared, the more I see the stained cobblestone. There¡¯s so much blood on it and remains. Every step I take squelches. Every time I walk, I feel like vomiting. My friends are each doing their own part, but I can see they¡¯re all struggling with all the death too. Xavier has already vomited a couple times. Th¡¯ul looks nonchalant as usual but I see hurt beneath his eyes. But Sia is the one hit the hardest. At first, she vomited. After a little, she spent her time crying. She needs comfort. I don¡¯t know if I can do it, but I can try. ¡°Sia, how are you holding up?¡± I don¡¯t ask if she¡¯s okay, I know she¡¯s not. She buries her head in my shoulder and sobs. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve never seen anyone die before,¡± She sputters. ¡°It¡¯s worse¡­than I could¡¯ve ever imagined. It¡¯s so¡­sad, depressing.¡± ¡°It is,¡± I agree. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to fight. Look what they want to do to us.¡± ¡°This is why I want to be a mage,¡± She tells me. ¡°To stop all this death.¡± I¡¯m about to answer when I see someone running from the corner of my eye. It was quick, but I¡¯m sure I recognized him. Dread and hope fill my heart simultaneously. Xander. Chapter Forty-Seven: Facing The Demons Chapter Forty-Seven: Facing The Demons I can¡¯t shake the thought from my head. Was that really Xander? Whoever it was was moving quickly, but I know I recognized him. What was he doing here? Sia stares at me quizzically. ¡°Are you okay, Zade? It looks like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s still alive,¡± I whisper, mouth dry. ¡°I think I need to follow him.¡± ¡°Who? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Xander,¡± I tell her. ¡°He ran by.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asks me. ¡°No,¡± I admit. ¡°But I¡¯m relatively confident it was him.¡± ¡°Then maybe we should go,¡± She says. ¡°You think we can catch up with him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I reply. ¡°But we can try. He went down this alleyway.¡± I sprint forwards, Sia paces behind. I hope my friends don¡¯t notice I¡¯m gone. I¡¯ll be right back, I think. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Vanguard was preparing itself to motivate Magefell, help it, protect it. The Wolf still seemed pissed and nervous about what she¡¯d said, and Yue narrowed her eyes at him. She understood that as Captain, the political implications of any decision were important, but he shouldn¡¯t be this jittery. ¡°Captain,¡± She saluted him. ¡°The Sterkona,¡± He smiled. ¡°You want something?¡± ¡°I was just wondering,¡± She asked him. ¡°Why are you so scared? The Cult is bad, but the Vanguard needed to know why they were fighting.¡± ¡°A valid point, but I don¡¯t know if you understand,¡± He said. ¡°The Cult has more power than you think. They have members in the parliament, some are High Mages. They know how to ascend and make others descend. If they want, they can disband the Vanguard. You are underestimating them. The Vanguard itself is in danger because of what you¡¯ve done. Our people may be strong, but the organization itself is weak, in the hands and whim of other powers.¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Yue told him. ¡°That is why I am Captain,¡± The Wolf smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to keep my children together. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He leaned his forehead on hers. ¡°Thank you,¡± She said. ¡°And sorry.¡± ¡°All is forgiven,¡± Captain Wolf replied. ¡°You, you coming?¡± Alyx asked. Yue looked behind her, and saw the Vanguard Warriors all heading outside, ready to march where they were needed. Moving to the front of the army, the Captain spoke to them. ¡°We will be separated today,¡± The Captain told them. ¡°Just like in the battle, we will need to split up to take care of more ground. As the Vanguard, I understand you can communicate well. We will head to the market, and from there, I shall let you each do your thing. At midnight, I expect to see you all in the green back at the grounds. Am I being clear?¡± ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± The Vanguard marched¡ªor formally walked, they were a little tired to march well¡ªto the market. The civilians who watched them gawked as they saw the hope of the Vanguard. Yue smiled and waved at them, and belted into song. Soon, all of the vanguard was joining in. And the lowliest will rejoice, Let everyone hear the sound, Truth shall reign. Let the free have their choice, Let all peace abound, Truth shall reign. The night has no power, When the light truly fights, Truth shall reign. So shall come the hour, And so prevails the light, Truth shall reign. The doctors and merchants, the homemakers and teachers, the scientists and monks, all stood by and joined in as the Vanguard sang the Song of Hope. Yue saw some faces brighten considerably when they heard the song and joined in. Soon, it felt like Magefell was already healing. The dead are dead no more, For in our memories they lie, Truth shall reign Let joy fill your core, And tears be wiped from the eye, Truth shall reign. It was a powerful song, one that gave not only hope, but confidence as well. The song did not sing of a perfect world, it spoke of a triumphant one. Because they had won the battle. As hard as it had been, they had survived. And that was the most important part. They shall not be forgotten, Those who gave themselves for us, Truth shall reign. As the song reached its final verse¡ªthe twenty-fourth¡ªThe citizens of Magefell¡ªcivilian and warriors alike¡ªsang as loud as they could to the air. The darkness shall never prevail, As long as we keep integrity alive, TRUTH SHALL REIGN! Tears were in the eyes of many who sang, Yue included. It was amazing to see the effect one woman¡¯s hope could cause in another. The civilians applauded, cheered, and whistled. Many thanked the Vanguard Warriors for their serve and hope. Yue spoke back. ¡°You give us hope,¡± She told them. ¡°You¡¯re the reason we fight.¡± The Wolf nodded approvingly as the crowd cheered harder. Yue wasn¡¯t sure if the WOlf was only looking at the political implications of what she¡¯d said, but she believed it. She was fighting for those who couldn¡¯t, for those who got their hope for her. They were the ones she needed to fight and protect. They were the ones she couldn¡¯t let down. Many in the crowd saluted them as they passed, screaming that truth shall reign. And hearing it, Yue believed it. Truth would reign. She would uncover the truth of the murderer, not because she needed to, but because sins could never be kept in the dark. Also, because she needed it, she admitted to herself. A whooshing noise from behind her startled Yue. She moved and stopped when she saw a piece of paper in front of her. With a cautious mind, she reached for the letter and flipped it. One short sentence that caused dread in her heart. Meet me at the Arena in two hours. As soon as she read it, the paper burst into flames, leaving nothing. ¡°What was that?¡± Alyx asked her. ¡°The endgame,¡± She replied. ¡°I think we¡¯ve reached the endgame.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª We¡¯ve lost Xander. Technically, we didn¡¯t know where he was to begin with, but now I¡¯m sure we¡¯re not going in the same direction as him. We¡¯re still in Magefell so I¡¯m not lost, but still, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll find Xander today. ¡°Should we go back?¡± Sia asks. ¡°I think so,¡± I reply. ¡°Let¡¯s go find our friends.¡± ¡°Why the hurry?¡± A familiar, dreadful voice says from the shadows. ¡°Stay a while, won¡¯t you.¡± My breath hitches as I hear the voice. It¡¯s too familiar, and I recognize it immediately. As the man steps out of the shadows, I narrow my eyes as tears well up. Raakhshas. ¡°How are you alive?¡± I ask. ¡°Oh, I never died,¡± He shrugs, unsheathing a night black sword. His eyes are pools of darkness and he smiles at me, teeth sharp. His complexion is that of a demon. Something is clearly wrong with him. ¡°Two against one?¡± I ask. ¡°You always preferred that the odds were in your favor.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s more equal than you think,¡± Another voice says, stepping out of the shadows, and this one causes me to cry immediately. Astil. ¡°Hey, big brother,¡± Astil tells me. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± ¡°No, no, it can¡¯t be,¡± I whimper. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sia asks me. ¡°Who are these.¡± ¡°That one is Raakhshas, and the other is¡­Astil.¡± ¡°Oh. How are they alive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I snap, staring at Astil¡¯s black eyes and his sharp teeth and pale complexion. ¡°I would advise you to stand down,¡± Raakhshas tells Sia. ¡°This will get ugly.¡± He charges me and I unsheathe my sword just in time to block it. ¡°You want to die a second time?¡± I growl. ¡°I can do that.¡± Astil stands off to the side as he watches us fight. Sia stands undecided, but eventually decides that she wants to help me as she rushes at Astil. ¡°Focus!¡± Raakhshas growls as he parries my careless thrust. He swings his word and I smoothly block it, returning his attack with one of my own, ferociously beating him. I¡¯ve always been the better sword fighter, but he was always stronger than me. I don¡¯t understand how, but he just doesn¡¯t feel as powerful now. I finally score a hit on his arm, but the sword just goes in and out with no damage, almost as if he¡¯s invincible. ¡°What¡­¡± I begin and my rival laughs. ¡°Oh, this is funny,¡± He chuckles. ¡°You should see your face.¡± With that, he kicks me into a wall. ¡°I guess I¡¯m getting the last laugh now.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± I say. ¡°What?¡± Raakhshas asks, narrowing his eyes and frowning. ¡°I just technically got the last laugh, you see,¡± I tell him. ¡°You didn¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Ha ha!¡± ¡°Tee hee.¡± Raakhshas chortles. I laugh. Raakhshas snickers. I chuckle. ¡°Enough!¡± Raakhshas roars. ¡°As funny as you think you are, you are still as weak and defenseless as anyone else.¡± He thrusts at me. Before he can do anything, I¡¯ve already chopped at him, thrusting right where his heart should be. He begins to scream, but doesn¡¯t bleed as my sword leaves his body. ¡°You always were gullible,¡± I tell him. ¡°Next time don¡¯t get baited.¡± Raakhshas begins to evaporate, screaming and cursing at me. Then he¡¯s gone. He wasn¡¯t real;it had to be some sort of magic. I breathe a sigh of relief; this Astil isn¡¯t real either. My breath stops as I turn to Astil. He¡¯s standing over Sia, and she¡¯s standing limp on the ground, unmoving, her chest¡­looks still. Her clothes ripped, seemingly by a sword, and I can see several scratches on her body. Why did I let her fight? She was unarmed! ¡°Get away from her!¡± I scream at the Not-Astil.He turns to me and smiles. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can kill your little brother.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue spent the first fifteen minutes after she got to the market gathering her friends. Mostly, it was successful. Of course, Xander wasn¡¯t there. But there were two other people who weren¡¯t there either, and it slightly worried Yue. Zade and Sia. No one had seen them leave, so they could be anywhere. They could be¡­ No, they could handle themselves. They would probably be back soon. As they waited for Zade and Sia, she told her friends about the paper. ¡°But that could be anything. Someone who secretly loves you, Xander, the cult, a fan, someone who wants to help you with something. How can you be sure that it¡¯ll be something important?¡± Xavier seems very skeptical. ¡°Well, the person clearly cared enough to use magic to send it. Either a mage sent it or someone used a mage. To me, that means it¡¯s pretty important.¡± Xavier conceded the point, but still contradicted a little. ¡°Could just be a rich man who wanted to meet you.¡± ¡°I doubt it, but I guess it could be true,¡± Yue conceded. ¡°We should still all go check it out, though.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Should one of us stay behind to watch Zade, or all of us?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°For now, I think we can wait. If he takes too long, then we can leave.¡± Conversation turned light, at least, as light as conversation could be on a field of battle. And, even though sadness still pricked Yue''s heart, especially over Poli, she felt happy and hopeful. The song had helped for sure, but just the presence of her friends pushing through it all was enough to help her. They were together, and although some were gone, they were still remembered. Five minutes passed, then ten, then fifteen. They couldn¡¯t wait much longer, not if they wanted to get to the field a little early. ¡°We need to go, Yue,¡± Aster told her. ¡°Just a little longer,¡± She pleaded. ¡°They¡¯ll come.¡± Her friends nodded, Please come soon, Zade. I can¡¯t help but feel we¡¯ll need you soon. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°If you hurt Sia,¡± I warn, leaving the threat unfinished. Not-Astil yawns, and on the ground I can see a strange black substance covering Sia. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to save her, Zade,¡± Not-Astil grins. ¡°Fight me.¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± I jump at Not-Astil, swinging my sword. Not-Astil deflects it, sliding back a few feet. Astil was never a good swordsman but this is not Astil. To prove my point, Not-Astil unsheathes another sword from his back, and wielding both blades, he attacks me. Both blades strike at me, and I¡¯m forced on the defensive. All I can do is desperately defend the blades. I want to use my magic, but I¡¯m too low on Mana. I can¡¯t do it without Burning. So, I turn to my skill. Not-Astil explodes in a pillar of fire, and I sigh in relief. That was easier than I thought. Then Not-Astil steps out of the flames, the fire dissipating around him. Shaking his head, Not-Astil tsks at me. ¡°So dumb, Zade. Did you really think that would work?¡± He rushes at me, and I begin to dodge him again, my sword swinging back and with no time to pause. I¡¯m having a hard time even defending, much less attacking. Meanwhile, I can see Sia is almost completely covered in the black substance now. She still doesn¡¯t seem to be breathing and it pains me to see. She can¡¯t be dead. I won¡¯t let that happen. I need to defeat Not-Astil, but he¡¯s just too strong. I last a minute under Not-Astil¡¯s merciless assaults before I lose all hope of winning. He isn¡¯t tiring out, and I am. Plus he¡¯s on the offensive and I¡¯m not. He¡¯s stronger than me, faster than me. I began to wonder how I even defeated Not-Raakhshas in the first place. Because of how exhausted I already am, this fight is taking a toll on me, so my mana isn¡¯t getting any better. It¡¯s still around the 35% mark, as far as I can tell. I need to do something, but it¡¯s just completely impossible. Death or Burning? Those seem to be the only choices I have. That is, if the magic even works. My skill didn¡¯t, so maybe magic won¡¯t either. Do I chance it? With a grunt, Not-Astil throws me to the ground. He holds his two swords to the ground. ¡°Do you give up so easily, Zade?¡± He growls. ¡°You always were weak. Face me like the man you wish you were.¡± I hang my head. I lost and he was just toying with me. I can¡¯t help but feel the embarrassment and guilt in my heart. He¡¯s right. I failed. I¡¯ve been going through a cycle lately, and I¡¯ve only realized it now. I feel bad then someone helps me, but I don¡¯t find a cure. I killed my parents and Jade saved me from that. But I wasn¡¯t cured. I lost Astil and Angela¡ªEva, I guess¡ª, Yue, and Xavier saved me. But I wasn¡¯t cured. I was tortured and my friends saved me. But I wasn¡¯t cured I finally accepted my parent¡¯s death and let go of it. And I was cured. But not completely. I haven¡¯t let go of Astil yet. He¡¯s only been gone for about a week after all. Mourning takes longer, but my depression over it is unhealthy. It¡¯s a cycle. Only when I truly told my story was I able to let go of a part of it. But some of it still lingers. A cycle of pain, of self-loathing, of guilt, of worthlessness. I need to let go of that. Because I have pain. But that¡¯s good, a reminder of the good times I had. I have self-loathing, but that¡¯s good. I can transform it into a change of character. I have guilt, but that¡¯s good. I need the guilt to learn from my mistakes. I am worthless, but that¡¯s good. My worth is not in who I am, or my worth. It¡¯s in what I do, and what I do to my friends. Standing up, I face Not-Astil, and I know the truth. This is therapy to me. Screaming in rage, I run at Not-Astil and pound him mercilessly. And this time, I have the upperhand. Quickly, the Not-Astil realizes his mistake. He shouldn¡¯t have been toying with me, because he just gave me the means to destroy him. I strike at his arms, his legs. Eac of my thrusts passes harmlessly through his body parts, but that¡¯s okay, because eventually, I¡¯ll get a good thrust on his heart; I know it. Even with two swords, Not-Astil is the desperate one now, my skill unmatched by his. I¡¯m better, and I¡¯m showing it. Not-Astil screams under my assault, but I pummel him, my mind filled with both rage and peace. This is who I¡¯m meant to be. Saving my friends. Saving Sia. As Not-Astil¡¯s left sword comes at me, I chop at it, sending it flying. Left with only one sword, Not-Astil grips with both hands and growls at me. Black blood begins to seep through his body falling to the ground. His face begins to turn jet black, and I stare at it as he takes a form only a demon would take. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done to all of us!¡± Not-Astil the Demon screams. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done to ME! You killed me, Zade.¡± ¡°I will,¡± I agree. ¡°Astil¡¯s death isn¡¯t my fault. You can¡¯t goad me any more.¡± Not-Astil the Demon strikes at me, and I¡¯m shocked now by the power behind the swing. Just before, he¡¯d had the strength of a normal young man. Now he has the strength of a bodybuilder. I don¡¯t have that strength. Strength doesn¡¯t equal victory. That¡¯s what the Cult fights for, and I won¡¯t let it happen. Sia is completely covered in the oily black substance now, and she¡¯s thrashing, which I think is a good sign, but I can¡¯t be sure. Not-Astil swings at me again, and I deflect and thrust. He parries, but before he can swing, I attack again. I feint left, turn right, and move my feet rapidly. Not-Astil the Demon keeps up with me most of the time, until I finally get an opening. But just when I swing, Not-Astil the Demon falls to a puddle in the ground. He appears behind me and pushes me. ¡°You can¡¯t win this, Zade.¡± ¡°And you can?¡± I laugh. ¡°You lost when you trapped Sia.¡± Something is happening that I don¡¯t understand. When I gave up my worries, I felt at peace. And when my peace came, my stress left. And with it, so did my exhaustion. Not all of it, but enough to fuel my mana. I still don¡¯t have a lot, but I have enough to defeat this creature. Lightning and fire begins to course through my veins. ¡°Go to hell,¡± I growl and unleash all my fury on him, fire and energy shooting my body and entering his. Not-Astil the Demon doesn¡¯t have time to dissipate and the elements trap him. I hear him scream as my magic destroys him. A few seconds later, the magic disappears and Not-Astil the Demon is gone. ¡°Witness my final form!¡± A face appears in front of me, then it¡¯s gone. Not-Astil the Demon is still ¡®alive,¡¯ but apparently now he¡¯s invisible. A punch sends me reeling back, my nose gushing with blood. Once again, Not-Astil the Invisible Demon appears in front of me. ¡°Well, look who has the upper hand now,¡± He smiles, and disappears again. Another fist smashes my face and my head snaps back. I grunt in pain. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you killing me?¡± I ask, tasting iron. ¡°Oh, but where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Not-Astil the Invisible Demon asks. ¡°It¡¯s more fun to watch you squeal.¡± Another punch knocks me to the ground, but despite that, I grin. The next time the demon appears in front of me, I shake my head knowingly at him. ¡°That was your third mistake.¡± I tell him. ¡°First was not fighting me with Not-Raakshas.¡± Once again, I feel the magic coursing through my veins. ¡°Your second mistake, oh pitiful excuse for my late friend, was toying with me and allowing me to heal. And your third excuse, well,¡± I laugh. ¡°Was the same as your second one.¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Not-Astil the Invisible Demon disappears and pushes me to the ground and punches me repeatedly before backing away. ¡°Your third mistake was toying with me now,¡± I laugh louder, manically. I think I¡¯m growing insane. ¡°You decided to torture me instead of killing me. But you see,¡± Lightning crackles off my body and the flames begin to engulf me. ¡°I¡¯m done with torture. I¡¯ve been tortured, and I¡¯ve seen my friends get tortured. No, I won¡¯t let it happen anymore. Good-bye, Not-Astil the Invisible Demon.¡± And with that, I explode. Or, a better description of that is that something explodes from my entire body and travels through the air like a force field. As the explosion expands, it passes through Not-Astil the Invisible Demona and he appears, screaming, falling to the ground. The explosion also passes through where Sia is, but I¡¯m hoping the black substance protects her. The surrounding buildings catch on fire and the lightning travels upward, circling around me. The ground is broken and charred beneath me, and my eyes crackle. I stare down at the personal physical representation of all my demons and faults. His face becomes Astil¡¯s, the demon completely gone from it. He¡¯s pleading with me ¡°Please, Zade, you know me. I¡¯m your little brother, your best friend,¡± Tears run down his face in a cry for help. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, Zade. PLEASE!¡± For a second, I look with pity and sadness at Not-Astil, then my face hardens. ¡°I know you not. Die, demon,¡± I say, and stab him¡ªit¡ªthrough the heart. With one final agonized scream, Not-Astil the Invisible Demon dies, its body dissolving, separating and I breathe in the smoke. I am cured. Smiling, I turn to Sia. The black substance is gone from her, but she¡¯s limp again. I run to her and hold her in my arms. Thankfully, she isn¡¯t burned, which means the substance did protect her, whatever it was. I can¡¯t feel her pulse, but she might still be alive. ¡°Sia! Wake up!¡± I beg her, my palm resting on her cheek. She stays still, eyes closed, mouth open slightly. I¡¯ve heard that kissing someone is good for giving the air back into their lungs. I¡¯d use it as a last resort, but¡­ it would be strange with Sia to say the least. I keep it as a thought in my head, though, as I gently slap her face. ¡°Please, come one, you¡¯re alive.¡± I remember something my dad taught me and I begin to compress her chest, trying to get her heart to beat better, to get her breathing right. Sia begins to convulse. Her body shakes and foam begins to erupt from her mouth. After the foam comes the black substance. It releases itself from her mouth, eyes, ears, nose. The substance keeps coming, creating a massive puddle under me and her. I didn¡¯t even know it was possible to have this much liquid in someone¡¯s body. Eventually, the substance is all gone, and one again Sia goes still. ¡°No,¡± I whisper. ¡°Not you too. Please.¡± Rejoice, Zade. Sia sputters and coughs, opening her eyes wide in shock. ¡°What happened?¡± She asks. ¡°You survived,¡± I tell her. ¡°We did it.¡± ¡°You did it,¡± She replies. ¡°You saved me.¡± ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°We did it, Sia.¡± Thank you, I think. I did nothing, Eva responds to me. She is a resilient soul with a lot of potential. Protect her well, Zade, and one day, she will return the favor. She already has. Gently, I help Sia to her feet. She regains her fitting very quickly, and soon, we¡¯re heading back to the market. ¡°So, what happened?¡± I tell my friend everything, from the outside struggles even to my internal ones. It¡¯s a step of trust I feel I need to take. When I talk of the different forms Not-Astil took, she gasps in shock. When I tell her how I beat it, she¡¯s in amazement, on the edge of her metaphorical seat. ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± She says. ¡°It¡¯s epic!¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± We laugh together. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d do anything like this.¡± ¡°Me neither. I guess we¡¯re all uncovering newfound power.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a very eventful day.¡± The market comes into view a few minutes later. There are still hundreds of men and women here but I can¡¯t see my friends. It¡¯s a big market, though, so it shouldn¡¯t take long to find them. ¡°Spread out, and meet me back here in fifteen minutes.¡± I tell Sia. She nods and runs off to the southern side of the market. I begin to search the rubble, the faces around me to find my friends. None of them look familiar, sadly. But I keep searching, faithfully, nervously. If they aren¡¯t here, then where could they be? After about ten minutes of searching, I give up. If they¡¯re here, they¡¯ll be on the south side. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll find them any other way. I go back to where I last was with Sia, and there I¡¯m surprised to find High Mage Aegon waiting for me. ¡°Zade, your friends gave me a message to repeat to you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I ask. ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± ¡°I do,¡± High Mage Aegon confirms. ¡°The message is: Come to the Arena as quickly as possible. The end is here. Unfortunately, although I wish to go with you, there is too much to do here. You will have to go there alone.¡± Sia chooses this moment to return from her search. ¡°He¡¯s not alone,¡± She says. ¡°What are we doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re ending this once and for all,¡± I reply. ¡°Whatever that means.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue hated that she¡¯d left Zade and Sia alone. Well, she guessed they were already alone before, but it didn¡¯t feel right to leave without them. At least they¡¯d been able to get the message passed on. Hopefully, it would reach Zade and Sia. Maybe they would even catch up to her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was this close to knowing who the murderers were. The pieces were there, she knew it, and now the facts were nagging at her. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but if she tried to say it, it was like the words didn¡¯t exist. The murderers were either: a) at Diamond and Yue¡¯s fight and/or b)not seen after Diamond¡¯s funeral. The murderers needed money to hire assassins and were cultists. There was also more than one, that was for sure. Oh, and they were Vanguard Warriors. These were the main facts she could remember and they narrowed the list of suspects so much, but somehow it wasn¡¯t enough. She replayed every day where the murderers had struck. She''d noticed nothing strange from anyone any of those days. Her thoughts began to stress and irritate her, so she turned to Skai. ¡°So, you¡¯ve known Xavier all along then?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± She laughs. ¡°He told me he was pulling a prank on you and that I should go along with it, but it was a little strange.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still trying to decide if it was good or downright stupid,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Oh definitely great,¡± Xavier said cheerfully from behind them, but Yue could see hurt in his eyes. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t taken seeing Poli¡¯s death very well. Poli¡¯s death sombered her once again, as did looking at Artemis. He looked so¡­empty. He refused to talk. Even his walking wasn¡¯t normal. It looked like he¡¯d died and only a husk was left. Of course, if she asked him, he would say he did die with Poli. And once again, thinking of Poli¡¯s deaths made her think of all the people the Cult had killed, which made her think of the murderers. The irritation in her brain hampered her thinking a bit. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in. Now breathe out. The irritation fled softly and her thoughts were opened. She analyzed all the facts once again. There was one fact nagging at her. One that did not want to let her go. One that ate at her, even though she was sure it had to be true. There was more than one murderer. They had confirmed it, and had eliminated every suspect. They had tried everything, including interviewing others, but to no avail. There couldn¡¯t have been only one person who did the murderers. It was a Cult thing, after all, so it only made sense that more than one person was involved. But there was something about it that didn¡¯t sit right with Yue. There had to be something she was missing. Someone she wasn¡¯t thinking about. Her friends? No, she¡¯d gone through all of them, as wrong as that had felt. Could it be someone not from the Vanguard? A mage, who¡¯d snuck in some way. It was possible, but very improbable. She doubted it. She felt like screaming in rage. One thing. If she could just figure out that one thing she was missing, she would know who he/she/they were. It couldn¡¯t be this hard. What the hell was she missing? ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alyx asked her, staring at her strangely. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She replied reassuringly. ¡°Just have a lot on my mind, you know. Too much to think about.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alyx said skeptically. ¡°You just looked crazy, like a wild animal or something. You were shaking your head back and forth and you were frowning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, I promise,¡± Yue responded. I am okay. Just have to get better at controlling my emotions on the outside, I guess. I don¡¯t want to end up looking like a¡ª Wait a second. Suddenly, something clicked in Yue¡¯s mind. The pieces began to fall into place slowly. Dread filled her heart as it sank into her stomach and she fought the tears. Yue had figured it out. And now she wished she hadn¡¯t. She collapsed on the ground. Her friends began to crowd around her, asking her if she was alright. Alyx looked disappointed in her for telling her she was fine. Everything began to make sense. With one name, she knew everything. It was hard to believe, but now the timeline came together. It hurt, but it was true. ¡°What happened?¡± Alyx asked, shaking her. ¡°Yue, don¡¯t keep this to yourself.¡± ¡°It was the Wolf,¡± She said. ¡°Captain Wolf killed Diamond, Jos, and Cali.¡± Chapter Forty-Eight: The Endgame Chapter Forty-Eight: The Endgame ¡°No, it isn¡¯t possible,¡± Alyx whispered. ¡°It can¡¯t be true.¡± ¡°It just works,¡± Yue told her. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be him either.¡± ¡°Our captain? A murderer?¡± Aster asked. ¡°He was always so loving and he cared about us.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s a Cultist then?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I think so,¡± Yue nodded. ¡°That explains why he hated it when I made that speech.¡± ¡°But that brings up so many questions,¡± Neena said. ¡°Why did he choose you to lead the investigation on the murderers? Why did he start killing us? Did he overhear us?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it all yet, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m right.¡± Her friends hung their heads with her and pondered the revelation. Yue desperately hoped she was wrong, but this just worked too well. They hadn¡¯t suspected him ever because he¡¯d been the captain, it was ridiculous to accuse him, but pisces fell into place when she put him in the murderers spot. No wonder the assassins had attacked her; Captain Wolf was gone at the time. No wonder the spies the Wolf had set on her tried to kill her twice. One of the times involved the Wolf but that was probably for show. No wonder that he ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt this wonderful experience,¡± Th¡¯ul told them. ¡°But if we want to get there on time, we should get moving. The two hours are moving quickly.¡± Yue took in a breath and stood up. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± They began to walk to the field again, burden in their hearts now. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Until you have evidence, I don¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± Yue told her. ¡°When we confront the Wolf, then the truth will be revealed.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re wrong. For all our sakes.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I think I¡¯m catching up to my friends. Sia and I are jogging at a fairly good pace, not exhausting¡ªalthough we¡¯re already exhausted¡ªbut not too slow we don¡¯t feel it. The view passes by as I run and I breathe in the air. I¡¯ve heard that humans are always thinking about something. That¡¯s a lie. I¡¯m not thinking about anything. My mind is blank, purposely. I wanted a little time to rest my mind, and it¡¯s working. I need to think clearer, and, although that will probably only truly come when I take a nap, I can still feel my mind thinking faster and better because I just mindlessly run. ¡°I think I see them!¡± Sia exclaims, and I stare ahead of us. She¡¯s right. There are silhouettes ahead of us, maybe a dozen, and I recognize Xavier¡¯s gait. It¡¯s slightly tilted, as if the person next to him is magnetizing him. It gets really annoying sometimes, having him bump into you when he¡¯s talking to you. ¡°Come on!¡± Sia says and runs ahead of me. I slow down a bit. If I can already see them, they probably won¡¯t get too far ahead. My eyelids tease me, trying to close permanently. It feels like every time I blink, I¡¯m in danger of falling asleep. My mana, once again, is at about 35% because of the massive wave of magic I used on Not-Astil the Invisible Demon. I slap myself to wake myself up and it works. For about two seconds. Sia has reached Yue, Xavier, and the others. They look behind at me, waiting for me. I groan, hating when this happens. If they think I¡¯ll speed up just because they¡¯re waiting impatiently, they¡¯re dead wrong. ¡°Come on!¡± Yue yells at me. ¡°Faster, Zade.¡± I groan but do not pick up the pace. I realize how awkward the situation is now, but I don¡¯t really care. My friends yell at me, but I just look forward and keep walking normally. Eventually, after about five minutes, I do reach them. They glare at me and I smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, too.¡± ¡°Where were you?¡± Yue asks. ¡°Fighting my demons. Literally.¡± I fill them in on what happened. ¡°So, who created them?¡± ¡°No idea¡± I shrug. ¡°But I have to thank whoever did it. What about you? What happened when you left?¡± ¡°The Wolf¡ªthat bastard¡ªasked for a meeting and we convinced the Vanguard to fight the Cult. Then I receive a message floating in the air that tells me to go to the plain. It burst into flames right after.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re assuming this is something very important? Okay, then,¡± I say, smiling wide. ¡°Oh, and we just figured out that the Wolf is the murderer.¡± ¡°Huh. Wait, didn¡¯t you just say you convinced the Vanguard to fight the Cult? Then where does your captain fit into this?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t best pleased about it, but there was nothing he could do,¡± Yue replies, shrugging, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot,¡± I admit. ¡°What do you think will happen at the Arena? And don¡¯t say the end, I already know.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re going to fight the Cult,¡± Yue says. ¡°The murderer, Xander. This will be an end, Zade. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°I certainly hope so,¡± Zade teases. ¡°I would hate for us to go there just to find a love-struck person talking about their infatuation over you.¡± ¡°And why would that happen to me?¡± Yue cocks one eyebrow. ¡°Because you¡¯re the Sterkona,¡± Alyx butts in matter-of-factly. ¡°You¡¯re one of the most famous people in Magefell now. Who wouldn¡¯t be infatuated with you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Xavier says. ¡°I would,¡± Aster replies. ¡°I can see myself being infatuated,¡± I step in. ¡°Me too,¡± Alyx admits. ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Neena says. ¡°Me neither,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop talking about who¡¯d have a crush on me or not,¡± Yue glares at us, causing us to burst into laughter. ¡°Just for the record tho, I¡¯d sm¡ª¡± Aster begins but Yue cuts her off. ¡°No, no, no! Just stop. Y''all are so weird. Ugh.¡± That only causes me to laugh harder, but a sob stops me. Artemis is crying, walking with us in body but clearly not in spirit. ¡°How can you be so happy?¡± He asks. ¡°Poli died an hour ago, and now you¡¯re acting like nothing happened. You¡¯re laughing and joking. How can you do that without Pol?¡± The smiles are wiped off our faces and I stare pitifully at Artemis. ¡°I didn¡¯t know her too well,¡± I admit. ¡°She didn¡¯t like me, clearly. I¡¯m sad she¡¯s gone, but I didn¡¯t know her well enough to give me more depression than the one I was healed from.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know her well either, and neither did they,¡± Xavier says, pointing at Sia and Skai. ¡°Poli didn¡¯t really like me much either,¡± Th¡¯ul replies. ¡°I understand you guys,¡± Artemis says, ¡°But you,¡± he looks at Yue, Alyx, Aster and Neena. ¡°You have no excuse.¡± ¡°Poli was a little reclusive, Artemis,¡± Yue tells him, patting his shoulder. ¡°She didn¡¯t really let us get close to her. She was unpredictable, and was often angry. But she was still our friend, and for that, we are sad. But we can laugh, because company, Artemis, is the best medicine. That and laughter.¡± ¡°I always thought medicine was the best medicine, honestly,¡± Xavier says. ¡°Not now,¡± Yue glares at him. ¡°That¡¯s how we stay afloat.¡± Yue continues. ¡°Because if we stop, then the problems will drown us. Artemis, you need to do the same.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been one hour! How am I supposed to be healed already?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll give you space. Just know we¡¯re here for you if and when you need it.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± He replies stiffly, turning away from her. The remains of the Arena comes into view. It¡¯s a depressing sight, and a bad one for the climate too. The arena is totally gone, but the charred dirty ground is still left. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone there yet, but I¡¯m sure whoever is there will appear soon. ¡°We¡¯re here early,¡± Yue says. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to spot whoever comes before they spot us.¡± ¡°Unless they come from the forest,¡± I point out. ¡°At which point they might just shoot at us before we know anything.¡± ¡°Ah, be optimistic for one,¡± Yue smiles. ¡°Optimism is for cowards and weaklings,¡± I tease. ¡°Pessimism is for realists.¡± ¡°You do know pessimo means horrible in the language of the Tribos, right? So, it¡¯s a horrible worldview.¡± The Tribos are a reclusive tribe from just above Galacia that refuses almost every contact with other nations. ¡°How would you know that?¡± I ask. ¡°Something my mom used to say,¡± She responds. ¡°Well, the horrible in pessimism only means we expect the horrible in this life. Which, if you¡¯ve noticed, is what happens ninety percent of the time.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Artemis chokes. ¡°Okay, now I might agree with you,¡± I whisper to Yue. ¡°Optimism is about living your best life,¡± She says. ¡°No, it¡¯s mostly about being delusional,¡± I respond. ¡°Pessimism is realism.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t even really a pessimist,¡± Yue retorts. ¡°I said what I said as a joke.¡± ¡°I got converted, what can I say?¡± I smile. ¡°It¡¯s the greatest religion.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s the god there?¡± Yue asks. ¡°The inevitable end of us all,¡± I laugh, and Yue rolls her eyes. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°I killed my best friend.¡± Yue chuckles, and I decide the conversation is over. ¡°Wake me up when they arrive, please,¡± I say, laying down on the ground. A minute later, I¡¯m already asleep. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª There was something strange about stress that Yue had never gotten accustomed to. Humans felt stress when a particular event had a legitimate reason for causing stress. Stress was a natural reaction for humans. And yet, stress didn¡¯t do anything. It only hampered and sometimes stopped Yue¡¯s progress in that particular event or work. It didn¡¯t make sense. On the outside, stress could even seem like a good thing. If someone was stressed, they realized the gravity of a situation, right? That meant they could work harder, right? But, no, in fact, they worked much worse. How could something so natural and on the surface so helpful be so harmful? Yue was feeling stressed. There was a knot in her stomach that just like any real knot¡ªshe¡¯d always had trouble with them¡ª, she couldn¡¯t unwind it. It gnawed at her, telling her how important this situation was and how crucial it was that she do her best. Shouldn¡¯t that help her? But no, it just made her nervous and anxious. That was stress. No one she knew had the same thoughts about stress. And now Yue was thinking about stress while she was stressed. She felt there had to be some sort of ironic joke but she couldn¡¯t place it. She was too stressed to figure it out. And how many times had she thought the word stress in the last minute? Too many, that was for sure. Yue knew what she was anxious about, but she wasn¡¯t even thinking about it. That was another weird part of stress. Stress was there even if one wasn''t thinking of the thing one was stressed about. Of course, if the reason one was stressed didn¡¯t exist, one wouldn¡¯t be stressed. But if the reason did exist, it didn¡¯t matter if one was thinking about it. The stress would linger. So what was stress even for? Natural human reactions shouldn¡¯t be so¡­useless. Harmful. Stressful, even. Of course, there was a legitimate reason for her to be so stressed. Seeing Xander again was anxiety-inducing enough, but seeing him wanting to murder her would be even worse. Plus, she knew she would have to face the Wolf now and she really did not want to do that, although at the same time it was the only thing she wanted to do. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Life was strangely, unnecessarily complicated. Yue didn¡¯t know if she0d ever understand it. Of course, she wasn¡¯t sure anyone did. The rivers of life just tugged you along until you gave up fighting and went along with it. Existential thoughts? What the hell was happening to her? She really was stressed. She didn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d thought something deep and existential like this, probably because she¡¯d never thought like this. Surprisingly, she found she liked it. It felt refreshing. Of course, there wasn¡¯t really any use in these thoughts. Everything would happen the way it did whether Yue thought if she was stressed or not. She was thinking just to pass the time, waiting for whoever was coming to arrive. The silence was pregnant. Yue didn¡¯t even know what the meant but she¡¯d heard it said once and she felt like it described the situation perfectly. Zade and Xavier were asleep. Artemis was crying in his corner. The others, including her, were just sitting, thinking, silent, looking at each other awkwardly not willing to start conversation, but hating the silence all the same, lost in their thoughts, trying to find their way out of that maze, the maze harder to escape than anything real. Had the two hours passed yet? Was the person going to arrive now? She couldn¡¯t see anything going down the hill yet, but they could be coming from the forest. Yue needed to be ready, but she did want to fall asleep a little. But at the same time, she didn¡¯t trust sleep. Sleep felt like missing a big chunk of your life. Yue would wake up with no memories of the last eight or nine hours and she was just supposed to accept it? It felt so strange. Anything could happen in that time. She could die and she¡¯d never know it. It was another strange phenomenon, but at least sleeping was helpful. She would sleep later, when this was all over. When she had Xander again. When she deserved it. ¡°Any signs?¡± She asked Th¡¯ul, who was sitting behind her, watching her back. From the rustling noise she heard, he¡¯d been falling asleep. ¡°Um¡­no, not yet,¡± He replied. ¡°They should be arriving anytime soon, though. Maybe we should wake up Zade.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yue stared forwards again. Maybe whoever the person was wasn¡¯t coming. Maybe they wanted Yue alone. From behind her, she heard voices and she covered her mouth to not laugh. ¡°You woke me up for what?¡± ¡°The time is here.¡± ¡°But the person isn¡¯t here yet.¡± Zade¡¯s voice was oozing with ire and sarcasm. ¡°No, but they¡¯re coming anytime now.¡± ¡°I told you to wake me up when they arrived.¡± ¡°Cry about it.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Zade shrieked. ¡°Ugh, I have not been sleeping anymore.¡± Next to him, Xavier woke up too, wiping his eyes and looking around. ¡°Where the hell am I? Oh, wait, I remember. I had a great dream. I was actually happy, and life was wonderful.¡± ¡°Yup, definitely a dream,¡± Zade laughed. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± Yue turned around and gaped as Th¡¯ul slapped Zade. ¡°Hey! Why¡¯d you do that?¡± ¡°We have no time to sleep now,¡± Th¡¯ul responded. ¡°And that definitely woke you up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to like you,¡± Yue smiled at him. Zade grumbled something about women and fake friends, but Yue didn¡¯t hear it. She was too busy dodging the arrow that narrowly missed her. It thunked into the ground where she had just been. She and her friends stood up and unsheathed their weapons. Xavier awkwardly stood off to the side, dagger in hand that he probably filched off a dead corpse, but clearly unskilled with it. Sia had a sword, too, but she also clearly didn¡¯t know how to use it. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment, you know,¡± A voice reached her from the direction of the forest. It was amplified with magic, clearly. Yue recognized the voice, but was too busy searching for the person to identify it. ¡°Show yourself,¡± She growled. ¡°Love is complicated, isn¡¯t it?¡± The voice responded. ¡°One day, you¡¯re kissing. The next you¡¯re killing.¡± Yue already knew who it was, and the stress in her body tripled. ¡°I have learned the truth. And I¡¯m thinking if you don¡¯t want to learn it, then you deserve the punishment. I hate to do it, but all in the name of love, right, love?¡± Xander then stepped out of the first shining with a purple glow. His eyes were purple orbs too. On top of his hands was a purple energy that pulsed rapidly. ¡°Xander, they¡¯re controlling you!¡± Yue said. ¡°You know that.¡± ¡°Control? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been brainwashed,¡± He said. ¡°I am not being controlled. You still have time to surrender.¡± ¡°You really think I¡¯ll take it,¡± Yue said, tears forming in her eyes. ¡°Xander, I don¡¯t want to fight you. You know me. You love me.¡± ¡°Aw, you want to bring me back with love,¡± Xander replied. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I do love you, Yue. That is why I must do this. One day, you¡¯ll understand. Or you¡¯ll be dead, in which case, rest assured it was necessary.¡± ¡°Please, Xander, no.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Xander raised his arms, and the purple energy raced towards them, and Yue was sure she couldn¡¯t block it. The purple energy stopped just before it reached her as a force field wrapped around them. ¡°I was afraid this would happen,¡± High Mage Aegon said, appearing next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him,¡± Yue warned. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we have a choice.¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s always a choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to protect you,¡± High Mage Aegon said, deliberately changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a shield on all of you at all times. With that effort, I will barely have any concentration for any other magic. Be careful when you attack him. Your shield will stop his magic from killing you, but they will still hurt.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get my boyfriend back, then,¡± Yue frowned. The end really was here. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I don¡¯t want to find Xander. None of us do. But we have to. To me, this fight will probably last two seconds. We¡¯re so many, and Xander is just one. Even with magic, he can¡¯t take all of us down. We have a High Mage on our side. As soon as the force field drops, we charge as one at Xander, and he snarls, and begins to hurtle purple energy at us. One of the blasts hits Th¡¯ul and he¡¯s sent flying through the air. The shield works on him¡ªthe energy didn¡¯t kill him¡ªbut it does look like it hurts a lot. Aster is the next to be struck, then Skai, and finally Neena. We keep rushing at Xavier and his fists become encased in purple energy armor. He runs at us, sword still sheathed. Yue reaches him first, and she swings at his leg, her intentions only to maim. He dodges the blow and strikes her face. Yue crashes against a tree and falls still, but breathing. Xavier is the next and he throws his dagger at Xander, who catches it with his armored hands, then rethrows it at Xavier. Xavier ducks the blow, then falls to a punch to his stomach. Alyx and I come at him simultaneously and we strike at the same time, locking eyes. Xavier catches the blows with his gauntlets then brings his fists down. I¡¯m sent spinning through the air as the purple energy strikes at me. It feels like a thousand needles pricking my skin. I cry out in pain as I strike the ground. Yue is already running at him again, and as I watch Xander rise in the air, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be the one doing it. He seems to be struggling against it. I look behind me to find High Mage Aegin and Th¡¯ul focusing on him with all their strength. Yue finally reaches Xander and she thrusts at his immobile form. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling,¡± She says. Xander kicks upward, somehow breaking the spell Th¡¯ul and the High Mage were putting on him. His kick lands on Yue¡¯s already bleeding face, causing her head to snap back with an ugly crack. ¡°He¡¯s using a shield too,¡±Th¡¯ul breathes. Xander falls to the ground, another dagger passing where his head had just been. He turns to a nervous but courageous Sia. Sending his purple energy at her, he thrusts his hands forward. Sia screams as she¡¯s thrown backwards. ¡°Pathetic,¡± Xander says. ¡°All of you fighting one of me, and you can¡¯t do anything. Now imagine what happens when more arrive.¡± ¡°What is coming, Xander?¡± Yue asked him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be alive to see it,¡± He says, and smashes down on Yue¡¯s face. The earth cracks around her head, and she falls limp. ¡°No,¡± I breathe. ¡°You have been judged and found guilty,¡± Xander whispers. Standing up along with my friends, I roar at Xander. ¡°You¡¯ll never win,¡± I tell him. ¡°Oh, but I already have,¡± He says. ¡°Yue is as good as dead, and I can take on all of you.¡± ¡°Then do it,¡± Alyx growls. ¡°You asked for it,¡± Xander smiles and charges at her. Alyx looks at me and nods. I understand what she means, but I don¡¯t want to do it. Shaking my head at her, I mouth the word no, but she smiles reassuringly, asking me to trust her. So I do. As Alyx and Xander meet, I rush forward and strike at Xander. His punch collides with Alyx¡¯s head but somehow, it doesn¡¯t do any damage. Alyx looks happily as my sword enters his stomach slightly, before I remove it. I don''t want to kill Xander. He snarls and staggers away, and I stare at Alyx. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But I think it was¡­¡± ¡°High Mage Aegon,¡± I finish. ¡°Imagine we didn¡¯t have him here.¡± Xander breathes in and his wound begins to close before my eyes. ¡°Where is he getting this magic?¡± ¡°Must me the mage controlling him giving him these powers,¡± High Mage Aegon says from behind me. ¡°Judging from how powerful he is, I¡¯m assuming he¡¯s being controlled by a High Mage.¡± ¡°Do you know which one?¡± ¡°No,¡± He shakes his head. ¡°But it could be Eldor.¡± Xander and Xavier are once again locked in combat, but this time it wasn¡¯t Xavier that went after Xander, it was the other way around. Xander is shooting beams of energy at my best friend, who runs in a zigzag away from him. Eventually, due to Xander¡¯s good aim, one of the bems of energy strikes Xavier in the back, who falls to the ground. ¡°How do we beat him?¡± I ask. ¡°I think we¡ª¡± he trails off as Xander jumps on him and they roll on the ground, fighting each other. I can feel the shield that High Mage Aegon put on me disappearing but at least I still have my own. They trade blows, Xander with his purple beams and High Mage Aegon with reinforced armor. When two people are fighting, the natural human reaction is to watch, not help. I have to remind myself that I¡¯m not a spectator to go help the High Mage Aegon, but as soon as I go to attack, Aster, Neena, a resilient Alyx, and Skai are there to help me. Xander sees us coming and he growls jumping off High mage Aegon, who grabs him mid-jump and slams him on the ground. With a scream of rage, Xander sends a beam of energy at High Mage Aegon, who spins through the air and crashes to the ground with a grunt. He begins to rise, and, groaning in pain, he falls back down. We all reach Xander simultaneously and unprepared, he doesn¡¯t react when we strike him. Our blows are enough to seriously injure him. That is, if they touched him. Instead, they rebound off him and create a small amount of energy wherever we touch him. We are flung back to the ground and I groan. From the small nap I took, my mana increased to about fifty percent now. It¡¯s still not a lot but I¡¯ve been waiting to use it. Should I use it on Xander? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The headache woke Yue up, but it was the shouts of battle that caused her to open her eyes. The sun shining on her face only caused her head to pound faster. ¡°Urgh,¡± She mumbled, sitting up. ¡°What happened?¡± Touching her face, she felt a sticky substance on it. Blood. There was so much blood on her face, and she was pretty sure it was hers. Yue remembered what happened. Xander had crushed her. Somehow she¡¯d not only survived, but was now conscious. From the sounds of fighting, Xander had not been defeated yet. That was not a good sign. She stood up carefully, grabbing her sword. Her mind reeled and her vision fuzzed, and she trembled, shifting back and forth. After a minute, her body adjusted and she stared at the one-sided fight. Technically, it should be a one-sided fight for her side, but somehow Xander was demolishing them. He was even beating High Mage Aegon, although that part made sense. He was so busy protecting them that he had virtually no way of attacking Xavier. He was stretching his concentration too much, and even for such a high-level mage, it should be really hard. Especially because the shields he¡¯d put on them seemed to be much stronger than the one she¡¯d felt before. Putting a defensive stance, Yue slowly marched towards Xander. Yue didn¡¯t want him to know she was coming. She still moved sluggishly, and her heart pounded harder than ever, plus her nose hurt now, but she needed to stop Xander. She wouldn¡¯t let him hurt anyone. Her friends reached him simultaneously and she wanted to tell them to be careful, but she could only watch as they¡¯re all sent back by his magic. He was intangible now, somehow. Did that mean she wouldn¡¯t be able to win? Her only thought now was to get him back from his mind-control. She would do anything to save him, but now she was scared she wouldn¡¯t be able to. ¡°Yue,¡± High Mage Aegon whispered to her. ¡°You can¡¯t do it. We can only get him back by stopping the one who is controlling him. Unless you kill him, he will not stop.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± Yue said. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Ignoring High Mage Aegon¡¯s next phrase, she kept moving towards Xander, who was now focusing on Neena. ¡°So, the little sister is here,¡± Xander smiles. ¡°Maybe Yue will learn this way.¡± Yue sprinted as he stabbed down. For the second time that day, Yue stood in the place of Neena. For the second time that day, Yue saved Neena¡¯s life. And for the second time that day, Yue was stabbed. It bit down on her thigh and she groaned, falling to the ground. This one hurt much more than the last one. The last one had barely scraped her leg, so much so that pain was ignorable and wasn¡¯t even limping. This one would definitely leave her limping. Xander¡¯s head snapped up and smiled. ¡°My friends are here.¡± He turned and went back to the start of the forest. Yue stood up slowly, checking on Neena. ¡°You saved my life again,¡± Neena said. ¡°How can I repay you?¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d never let you die,¡± Yue replied. ¡°I promised I would protect you, and I will not break that promise. But we still have a job to do. This isn¡¯t over.¡± ¡°We¡¯re with you,¡± Zade said, standing next to her with Xavier, Th¡¯ul, Skai, and Anni. ¡°So am I,¡± Neena exclaimed. ¡°As are we,¡± Alyx and Aster told her. ¡°I¡¯m with you too,¡± Artemis said. ¡°We all are,¡± High Mage Aegon said, bringing Sia. ¡°Who is that?¡± He pointed at the forest, where figures were beginning to arrive. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Yue replied. When there were five figures, including Xander, they began to walk forward. ¡°High Mage Eldor,¡± Zade breathed. ¡°Yes, and two other experienced mages as well,¡± High Mage Aegon said. ¡°That one is Xander, and¡­¡± ¡°The Wolf,¡± Yue finished. The four men and one woman stopped about five paces from them. ¡°So, I take it you already know,¡± Yue¡¯s captain told her. ¡°You¡¯re a murderer.¡± ¡°I did what I had to.¡± ¡°Why do you Cultists keep saying that? You never had to do it, you chose to out of your own free will. And now you¡¯re controlling my boyfriend to kill me! One of your best soldiers. You need me in your army.¡± ¡°You¡¯re delusional,¡± The Wolf growled. ¡°I don¡¯t need you in my army. You¡¯re lucky to even be standing here. I overheard you speaking of the Cult and so I killed Diamond as a warning. The others were all against me, so I had to get rid of them too. The only reason you¡¯re alive is because I didn¡¯t have any way of getting rid of you without me myself doing it, and if I did that, everyone would know I did it. Plus, I like you, Yue. You are a good soldier. I wanted to spare you.¡± ¡°Well, spare me that load of lies, captain,¡± Yue spat. ¡°But why did you recruit me to figure out who the killer was?¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t figure that out yet,¡± The Wolf laughed. ¡°What was the best way to remove all suspicion? By looking like I cared a lot about who the murderer was. And it worked. You all thought I was working so hard, and so I escaped.¡± ¡°Your time¡¯s up now,¡± Yue said. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± The Wolf turned to the Mages and Xander and they unsheathed their sword and prepared their magic. ¡°Ready to charge?¡± Zade asked. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. FOR DIAMOND!¡± Yue yelled. Her friends roared in unison. ¡°FOR JOS!¡± Alyx said. Yue yelled with her friends then, letting her rage fill her. ¡°FOR ROSALIA!¡± Aster screamed, and another round of roars came and went. ¡°FOR ASTIL!¡± Zade choked out tearfully, and the response was great. ¡°FOR CALI!¡± Yue yelled again, and her friends screamed half-heartedly for the girl they never met. ¡°FOR POLI!¡± Artemis screamed, anguished. ¡°FOR THOSE WHO THE CULT HAS KILLED. WE FIGHT FOR THEM!¡± Zade ended, and everyone did one final roar. It was time to fight. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª This is for you, Diamond and Jos and Rosalia and Cali and Poli. But mostly, Astil, this is for you, my brother, I think. May you look down on us with a smile. I miss you. Time to make them pay. In unison, the Band¡ªas I¡¯ve taken to calling us now¡ªcharged at the enemy, and in unison, the enemy responded. Yue was right. The endgame has begun. Chapter Forty-Nine: The Wolf And The High Mage Chapter Forty-Nine: The Wolf And The High Mage As I charge, my body lights up with the ever more familiar lightning-fire combo. The fire is growing in me, a raging inferno. I push myself up above the ground with that fire and watch as High Mage Aegon meets me in the sky. ¡°Dive,¡± He tells me, and I do so. I crash into a mage, who throws me off and sends a bolt of lightning at me. I dodge it easily, the rage and sadness I own fueling me. I can¡¯t lose this. Xavier and Skai help me out with the mage, who quickly becomes overwhelmed. But, like High Mage Aegon said, he¡¯s an experienced mage. And they always have tricks up their sleeves. Before my eyes, the mage becomes two, then three, then four. Soon enough, he¡¯s taking on all three of us. I fight with my sword against one of them, my sword in flames. Xavier takes on another with magically-enhanced fists that I¡¯m guessing High Mage Aegon is helping him with. Skai, meanwhile, is just fighting with a sword. The first clone I fight shoots a burst of flames at me, but they cascade off of me. Seems like High Mage Aegon is still helping me, which means he still won¡¯t be able to fight with us, at least, not with magic. As we fight, I tilt my sword and feint to the left. When he takes the bait, I stab him in the stomach. The mage screams and falls and he¡¯s engulfed in flames by my burning pillar. Seems like his clones aren¡¯t impervious to magic. A dagger catches me in the shoulder. I scream against the pain. Another of the mage¡¯s clones¡ªor maybe the mage himself¡ªhas thrown it magically and now he disappears, then appears before me. Caught off guard, I can only watch as his punch sends me flying. Experienced mage, indeed. I cough as I stand up, and I can feel my wounds healing me. Thank you, High Mage Aegon. The mage rushes at me and our blades connect. Mine bounces off and leaves my grasp. How did that happen? I¡¯m sure I had a great grip¡­ Oh, of course. Magic. I love magic and all, but I¡¯m getting tired of fighting mages. He stabs at me, and I dodge, sliding and kicking his legs out from under him. It feels like I¡¯ve hit concrete. My foot cracks as I hit his leg, but I recover against the pain and grab his hair. He stabs at me once again and I¡¯m forced to let go, jumping back and finding my sword in the ground. An explosion knocks the mage down to the ground, and I react quickly, chopping into the mage, ending his life. ¡°You haven¡¯t said thank you,¡± Th¡¯ul says next to me. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I respond. ¡°You know, he wasn¡¯t as experienced as I thought.¡± ¡°Neither is the other,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°I think they¡¯re relying on Xander here.¡± I look at Xander, who¡¯s taking on Sia, Neena, and Alyx all by himself, and he¡¯s winning. As soon as I killed the mage, his clones disappeared so Xavier is free. Skai is on the ground and unconscious, but alive for now. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Wolf was an experienced fighter, but Yue already knew that. He rarely got involved in the Vanguard¡¯s fights, but he was Captain for a reason. If there was one person who Yue thought could defeat her, it was the Wolf. So when she and Aster started to fight him, she was immediately cautious. The Wolf knew what he was doing, and if she wasn¡¯t careful, she would die here. Their swords clashed, and the Wolf turned to parry a thrust from Aster. ¡°You people don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re doing;¡± He said as he swung at Yue, who stepped back lithely. ¡°You killed our friends!¡± Yue protested. ¡°We¡¯re doing what we must.¡± ¡°I tried to warn you,¡± The Wolf responded. ¡°So many times, I tried to caution you. But you wouldn¡¯t listen. When I killed Diamond, you could¡¯ve turned. When I killed Jos, you could¡¯ve turned. When the assassins and spies failed, you could¡¯ve turned.¡± ¡°So you failed,¡± Aster grinned. ¡°No matter what you do, we always survive. We¡¯re always there to confront you.¡± ¡°I killed Diamond, and wasn¡¯t she the wise one in your group?¡± The Wolf smirked. ¡°And I can¡¯t help but not see Poli here. Isn¡¯t she¡­¡± ¡°DON¡¯T SPEAK HER NAME, YOU BASTARD!¡± Artemis screamed, rushing¡ªwhile limping¡ªat the Wolf, who shook his head at artemis, and swung up. Artemis parried and struck but was too late to block the flat of the Wolf¡¯s sword striking his face. He fell to the floor, unconscious. ¡°You will all be examples to the Vanguard,¡± The Wolf continued. ¡°Your final mistake, Yue, was the speech you gave them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve turned them against you, they¡¯ll never follow you now,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°WHat does failure feel like?¡± The Wolf frowned and he changed tactics, brows furrowing as he began to defend himself, not in a desperate bid to survive, but in a sort of strategy. Aster and Yue together were enough to keep him busy as he defended himself against them, but still he found the time to speak. ¡°You still have time to change.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing that today,¡± Aster replied. ¡°We won¡¯t change, and I think you know that.¡± ¡°Then I guess the answer is goodbye,¡± Their former captain said. ¡°Goodbye, Yue.¡± Something pulled Yue off her feet and carried her swiftly. No, it wasn¡¯t carrying, more like roughly dragging through the air. She looked up to find Xander flying through the air, and he yelled and then threw her. Straight into a tree. Yue screamed as the force of the impact ran through her whole body, the pain flaring. ¡°Xander, you¡­don¡¯t¡­¡± She coughed, spitting out blood. ¡°You don''t have to do this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Xander replied, gaze softening. ¡°I don¡¯t have to do this. But I want to.¡± He sent a purple beam at her and it ricocheted off her. High Mage Aegon was a few paces away, concentrating on her, sweat beading down his brow. Xander doubled his efforts, persevering, hoping to find a crack in the shield. Yue crawled away from the beams, and then the shield disappeared. When the beams hit the tree, it was incinerated, leaving nothing except the charred ground to indicate it had ever existed. ¡°Xander! Listen to me!¡± ¡°ENOUGH TALK!¡± He roared. ¡°You¡¯ve made your choice, and I¡¯ve made mine.¡± He drew his sword, filming with purple and charged at her. She blocked his first lunge, and grunted at the force of the impact. He was abnormally strong. His magical enhancements felt like a cheat. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t alone in this battle. Both Neena and ALyx were there to help her, but Xander just used his magic to keep them busy. They fought through a barrage of Fireballs, energy blasts, anything Xander¡¯s imagination could come up with. Yue tried to find a way to disarm him, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Maybe she did need to kill him. It didn¡¯t seem like there was any other alternative. Don¡¯t give up all hope, a voice told her in her head. High Mage Aegon. If we kill Eldor¡ªthe man controlling him¡ªthen Xander won¡¯t be controlled anymore. It¡¯s a slim chance, and I can¡¯t guarantee it will happen, but keep it in mind. Listening to the High Mage, she was unprepared for the sword coming in her direction, and only felt the bite when it stabbed her stomach. Grunting, Xander removed his sword from her body and let her slump to the ground. Yue¡¯s wound began to close. I thought you couldn¡¯t do healing. I can heal small cuts, High Mage Aegon responded. Yours wasn¡¯t very deep. She stood up and jumped on Xander as he made his way to the other two girls. He shook himself, but she held on, raising her sword. ¡°Forgive me, Xander.¡± A beam of purple energy erupted from his back, and she flew through the air. The ground met her welcomingly, and the last thing she saw was High Mage Eldor standing over Zade, knife to her friend¡¯s neck. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I¡¯ve never truly fought a High Mage before. The last timeI High Mage Eldor fought me, I was just running. He had the upper hand. Now, he has to control Xander while he fights me, and I¡¯m stronger than I was. Oh, he¡¯s still more powerful than me, but it¡¯s not such an unfair matchup. Plus, I have Xavier, Th¡¯ul, Skai¡ªwho already woke up¡ª, and Anni to help me. Anni seems lost in the battlefield, but every time she gets an opening, she tries to stab the High Mage. Xavier, too, seems uncomfortable, but he does what he can. The rest of us do all we can to defeat him. I wish High Mage Aegon could attack him with us, but he¡¯s keeping us all alive, so I can¡¯t complain too much. High Mage Eldor sends a Fireball and I dodge it, finding another Fireball already waiting for me. It hits me, but is deflected by my shield, and I stumble away. I¡¯ve stopped using my own magic now. I don¡¯t have a high risk of burning yet, but I¡¯m waiting for the right opportunity. Th¡¯ul trades blows with the High Mage, keeping his mind occupied and distracted. Xavier came in from the back, punishing down. High Mage Eldor fell to the ground, and we all rush in to strike at him. We begin to sink into the ground. I scream and move as I feel the pull of the earth, dragging me down. Soon I¡¯m knee deep in the ground, and sinking lower. ¡°Let them go!¡± High Mage Aegon screams from far behind us. ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that,¡± High Mage Eldor responds as he raises his hand towards Th¡¯ul. The fireball flies straight. When it disappears, Th¡¯ul is gone. Did the High Mage just kill Th¡¯ul? I look around wildly. ¡°Watch this,¡± I hear from a voice behind me. Then, I shift, disappearing and reappearing somewhere else. ¡°Th¡¯ul! I didn¡¯t know you could do this,¡± I say happily. ¡°High Mage Aegon taught me during the tournament,¡± Th¡¯ul responds proudly. ¡°I¡¯m low on mana, though.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± I reply. ¡°You should go get the others.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± He disappears again, and I begin to run towards the High Mage again. The man has seen us but he¡¯s focusing on those still trapped. Anni disappears, then Xavier. High Mage Eldor growls and moves to Skai. ¡°Try to save her and she dies.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll kill her anyway,¡± I growl. ¡°True,¡± High Aegon and chops down with his hand, sharp as blades. Just in time, Skai disappears, but when she reappears, I can see she¡¯s cut, bleeding from her neck. Xavier moves to help her, and Th¡¯ul and I move on the High Mage again. ¡°You are weak, pathetic,¡± He says. ¡°You took forever to kill an apparition.¡± Smirking, he throws a flying boulder at Th¡¯ul. ¡°You sent Not-Astil the Invisible Demon?¡± I ask. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I need to thank you then,¡± I smile. ¡°You gave me what I needed.¡± ¡°I gave you NOTHING!¡± High Mage Eldor jumps and coming down, he sends a fist at my face. It connects, and I crash into the ground, falling straight down. The breath leaves my lungs and my vision goes blurry. Th¡¯ul was hit by the boulder High Mage Eldor sent him, so he can¡¯t help me, but there¡¯s a shadow behind Eldor. The Cultist Mage draws a dagger and holds it to my neck. ¡°Will you thank me for this too?¡± He asks. ¡°You¡¯re still worthless.¡± Xavier crashes into him from behind, tackling him from behind, hitting him repeatedly, his magically-enhanced fists dealing a lot of damage. I see High Mage eldor¡¯s fist shaking, beginning to glow. ¡°Xavier, run!¡± I scream but it¡¯s too late. High Mage Elder punches, and Xavier rises in the air, his face already bleeding. He goes up maybe ten feet before he falls back down, and blood streams from his mouth. ¡°What have you done?¡± I ask. ¡°No, Xavier.¡± I run to my best friend as Th¡¯ul defends himself against the High Mage¡¯s attacks. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Xavier is breathing but just barely. His chest heaves up and down slowly, and he¡¯s bleeding from several wounds. ¡°I¡¯m taking him to Magefell,¡± High Mage Aegon says. ¡°They can help him there. But if I go, I¡¯m not sure I can return. The other High Mages will need me.¡± ¡°We need you.¡± I bite my lip. SHould I save Xavier? Even at the possible cost of all our lives. ¡°Do it. Take him.¡± High Mage Aegon nods. ¡°He¡¯ll live, Zade.¡± With that, he picks up my best friend, and a second later, they¡¯re gone.¡± I collapse on the ground, recovering my breath. I feel used up, my energy spent. I don¡¯t know how long this fight will last, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to stay alive that long. My body screams for rest, but there isn¡¯t any. Looking around, I see many of my friends unconscious, incapacitated for now. Skai, her neck still bleeding, but she¡¯s still alive. Artemis is on the ground as well, and so is Aster now. Xavier, of course, is gone. I look at them all sadly. We haven¡¯t lost any yet, but we¡¯re still losing. We need to take the upper hand. Even if it means I burn. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue woke up to a body falling on her. She opened her eyes to find Neena grimacing at her. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± She said. ¡°Xander threw me.¡± ¡°How long have I been out?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Five minutes, I think,¡± The blonde responded, ¡°Xavier almost died, so High Mage Aegon had to take him away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Yue sighed. ¡°Are they still winning?¡± ¡°They¡¯re wearing us down,¡± Neena admitted. ¡°But it isn¡¯t over. All it takes is one mistake¡­¡± ¡°To change the outcome,¡± Yue replied. ¡°Let¡¯s change the outcome then.¡± The Wolf was fixated on fighting Alyx, so didn¡¯t notice as Yue came up to him. She raised her sword. The Wolf¡¯s head turned, a complete one hundred eighty degrees. She gaped as from his mouth poured a black sludge that began to crawl over her. She screamed. ¡°You¡¯re a¡­¡± ¡°Mage?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He raised his hands, and something began to erupt from the ground. A skeleton, its head looking around wildly. ¡°It¡¯s good to be free, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m glad you can see me for who I am now.¡± The black sludge almost covered Yue completely now, and she thrashes, trying to get it off. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Th¡¯ul yelled from where he was fighting High Mage Eldor. ¡°It won¡¯t kill you.¡± She narrowed her eyes, but trusted him. The black sludge covered her head, and she was thrust in pitch blackness. All she could hear were the sounds of battle, the cries of her friends. Yue didn¡¯t know what was happening, and the nervousness beat at her. A shadow passed above her, raising a weapon. ¡°No, no , no!¡± She screamed, then the sword came down, and the black sludge scattered. She stared gratefully at Th¡¯ul. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± He said. ¡°Just focus on your captain.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my captain.¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± He moved again, throwing himself at the High Mage, and Yue turned to fight the Wolf. He was circled by skeletons guarding him. Alyx was fighting them, and they seemed easy enough to kill, but there were plenty of them. The Wolf must¡¯ve been a necromancer. Yue struck down a skeleton, and turned to a second shattering its skull. They were disarmed and used only their fists, granting an easy fight to her. Except some of the skeletons stood up again, even with wounds in their bodies. The only ones who died were missing their heads. Neena came to help them as they set on the skeletons. Yue decapitated several, moving from one to another, as fast as she could. The Wolf was clearly trying to slow them down, and¡­ A Fireball¡ªsent by the Wolf¡ª hit her in the chest and her clothes caught fire. Panicking, she fell to the ground, rolling. The fire slowly began to disappear from her clothes and she lay on the ground, panting. So much was happening. This was too chaotic, and she needed to finish this. The Wolf turned to her and Xaner dropped from the sky next to the Wolf. Alyx, Neena, and Yue, stood together. ¡°This is it,¡± Yue whispered. ¡°Either we win now, or die trying.¡± The villains charged at them. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª My body flares with lightning and flames, and I feel myself getting stronger while my core complains at me. But I can¡¯t stop now. With inhuman speed, I run at High Mage Eldor and strike at him. He dodgers the blow and punches me. I catch his blow with my face, and while it hurts, it doesn¡¯t do too much damage. I send my lightning at him, and it hits him in the face and he groans. Th¡¯ul comes in from behind, Sia behind him. They strike at the High Mage, who reacts by sending himself up to the sky then crashing down. The earth rumbles and Th¡¯ul and Sia fall to the ground. I send my lightning again at the High Mage who meets it with his own, ricocheting backwards into us. As my lightning hits me, my flames absorb it. My mind is flaring with the possibilities of what I can do, but I can see High Mage Eldor feels the same. And he has more magic. He flies at me, and I meet him in the air, crashing into each other. He punches at me, and my face bursts into flames, my magic protecting me. His fist catches on fire, and I open my mouth, shooting lightning from it. The High Mage screams as he begins to smoke, the electricity crackling off him. When it disappears, his face is scarred, mangled. He¡¯s burned, but he begins to heal before my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± He growls, and pushes me down. I fall from the sky, an invisible force pulling me. As I crash into the ground, like Xavier did a few minutes ago, I see HIgh Mage Aegon diving at me. I don¡¯t react in time. The mage¡¯s fist crashes into me, and I spit blood. A blade is thrust through High Mage Aegon¡¯s stomach. He growls and turns to Sia, who glares at him. Raising himself, he backhands her, and she falls to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± I say, using my skill. Obviously, it doesn¡¯t work, but it grabs his attention. ¡°Still alive?¡± He asks me, He raises his hand, and it sharpens turning into a blade, and he stabs it down. Grabbing it, I let it enter my shoulder a little. Grunting against the pain, I lay my hand on his shoulder. ¡°May the devil take you,¡± I say and fire pours out of my hand, engulfing him. The High Mage screamsas the flame consumes him. While he¡¯s distracted, I try to use my skill again. This time, it works. The pillar of fire consumes everything that was left of High Mage Eldor. The flames dissipate, leaving only charred ground in their wake. ¡°That wasn¡¯t enough, bastard,¡± A voice says behind me, and I feel a stab in my chest. Looking down, I find a blade sticking out of my chest. The pain hits me next, and the magic disappears from my body. WIth a growl, the High Mage removes his blade-hand from my body and I collapse on the ground. ¡°Hail Dautha,¡± Eldor says as he turns to fight Th¡¯ul next. I begin to lose consciousness and I stare at my friends, trying to see who¡¯s still up. Yue, Alyx, Th¡¯ul, and Neena seem to be the only ones who can still fight. The others are injured or unconscious, even Sia. Her leg is bleeding and she¡¯s trying to stop it. The wound seems pretty bad. I wish I had the High Mage here. I wonder if I¡¯m dying. The numbness tells me I might be. But I can¡¯t go yet. Not until I do one last thing. My sword is next to me and I wrap my hands around its cold hilt. My eyes burn, and my arm begins to crackle. I can¡¯t stand, but I crawl, making sure I don¡¯t make any noise. High Mage Eldor is busy fighting Th¡¯ul, his magic overpowering my friend¡¯s. The High Mage¡¯s clothes are charred, and even he is burned, but still he fights with an incomparable ferocity. I need to stand. Stabbing my sword into the ground, I push on it, rising slowly. My body complains against me. Somehow, I didn¡¯t Burn, but I¡¯m dying now. I¡¯m just a few steps away from the High Mage. From the man responsible for the deaths of so many. He may not have done the killing but I¡¯m sure he orchestrated it. I hate the man, and I only feel the need to kill him. I raise my sword, and my mouth opens. ¡°Dautha can¡¯t save you,¡± I say, and chop down. The sword smashes into the High Mage¡¯s head, splitting it, crushing it. What I said was enough to distract Eldor for just a second. I couldn¡¯t have used magic against him, but my sword did the job. The mage collapses on the ground, dead immediately, blood, brain, and pieces of his skull oozing off his skull. I smile as I watch him. The bastard is finally dead. I actually did it! Then I collapse too. The pain is overwhelming me. The magic leaves my body, and slowly I begin to lose my senses. Th¡¯ul kneels down next to me. ¡°Zade, are you okay? Zade, stay with me!¡± Th¡¯ul slaps my face, but it isn¡¯t enough to bring me out. ¡°I did what I needed to,¡± I whisper, barely hearing my own words. ¡°You can¡¯t leave us, you know that!¡± Th¡¯ul whispers, and I see a tear falling down his cheek. ¡°Tell Jade that I¡­love her,¡± I say. ¡°And tell Xavier I¡¯m¡­going to see¡­Astil.¡± I see his face smiling at me as my body becomes weightless. Everything goes black, and I fall into unconsciousness. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Wolf and Xander crashed into them, throwing their magic at them. Neena was thrown back as purple energy crashed into her. Alyx took on the Wolf, her sword swinging in time with the Wolf¡¯s, although his was magically enhanced, faster, stronger. Xander crashed into Yue, and she reacted instinctively, stabbing. Her sword scraped Xander¡¯s shoulder, cutting it. It was the first wound she¡¯d given her boyfriend, and she regretted it immediately. The guilt hit her like a brick wall. She knew he was being controlled, but it just didn¡¯t feel right to hurt him. Xander punched her, and her already broken nose bled more. Pain flared in her head, and she punched back. Xander dodged it and hit her again. As she stumbled back, he threw his purple energy at her again. She brought up her sword and closed her eyes, knowing she couldn¡¯t block it. Nothing happened. Opening her eyes, she found that her sword was parting the purple energy around her. It converged again behind her, but she wasn''t touched by it. She pushed forwards. The purple energy split around her as she moved forwards. She couldn¡¯t see anything in front of her, but she knew that Xander was somewhere in front of her. She was getting closer. Then the energy dissipated, and Xander was standing in front of her, the magic all gone from his hands, staring at her angrily. ¡°How did you survive that?¡± He asked. Yue swung at him, and he smiled, letting her do it. Yue stopped her sword an inch away from his heart. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t do it,¡± He growled. ¡°You¡¯re a coward.¡± Grabbing her neck, he began to squeeze. Yue¡¯s breath left her. Immediately, panic set in and she thrashed, but her body reacted instinctively, droppin her sword, using both of her hands to try to pry his from her. His grip was iron, though, and he only squeezed harder. ¡°Xander, please¡­stop,¡± She managed to say. ¡°Save your breath,¡± Xander responded. ¡°It¡¯s your last.¡± Yue¡¯s sight went fuzzy. She opened her mouth, not to scream but to breathe, but there was just no more air. Xander¡¯s grip was too strong. Her hands went limp, and she lost the feeling in her body. She was sure her face was purple. ¡°I love you, Xander,¡± She whispered, but he ignored it, instead squeezing even harder. Yue was surprised that her windpipe hadn¡¯t been crushed yet. She couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore. There was no more pain, and she didn¡¯t have long. Yue went limp. Xander dropped her, collapsing to the ground. Yue still couldn¡¯t breathe. She was dying she was¡­ She gasped, the air finally entering her lungs. She stood up, breathing heavily, feeling her raw, red throat, hervision slowly returning to her. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked. ¡°Zade did it,¡± Xander whispered from beside her. Yue glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s me, yue. I promise. I¡¯m back.¡± She laughed and kissed him. ¡°So you aren¡¯t being controlled anymore?¡± ¡°Not for now. High Mage Eldor is dead,¡± He told her. She laid her head on his chest, tears of joy running down her face. When she stood up, she smiled at him. ¡°I have something to do, but I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Kill the Wolf for me,¡± Xander winked. ¡°Thank you, Yue. I love you.¡± ¡°Not as much as I do.¡± Finally happy, she grabbed her sword, ready to fight. From the corner of ehr eye, she could see Th¡¯ul standing over a limp Zade, and a knot grew in her stomach but she ignored it for now. The Wolf was her first priority now. She needed to kill him before he did any more damage. The Wolf was still fighting both Alyx and Neena. His magic swirled around them, cutting them while his sword slashed. Yue didn¡¯t understand what magic he was using, but it was effective, always a painful distraction to her friends. She was arriving just in time. People always only came just in time to save others. That was just the way of the world. ¡°Wolf!¡± She screamed. ¡°Your friends are dead. You¡¯re alone. Give it up.¡± The Wolf smirked. ¡°What do you expect? Honestly, Yue. Only four of you are still standing. Some of you are dying. Of the four of you, only one is a mage, and he¡¯s still training. I¡¯m the strongest swordsman here, and I¡¯m the most powerful with magic. You don¡¯t honestly think you can defeat me.¡± ¡°We killed the High Mage!¡± A flicker of doubt crossed the Wolf¡¯s face before it became impassive again. ¡°That was not you. That was Zade, and he¡¯s on his deathbed, if he¡¯s not dead already.¡± The Wolf dove at her, leaving his magic to fight Neena and Alyx, who desperately tried to relieve themselves of the torture. ¡°When you¡¯re all on the ground, I¡¯ll kill each of you,¡± The Wolf growled. ¡°One by one. You won¡¯t even be awake to feel it.¡± ¡°Neither will you be alive to do it,¡± Yue responded, swinging at him. He waved his hand, and her sword was pulled to the right, Yue barely holding on to it. The Wolf thrust at her and she jumped backwards. Once again, the Wolf waved his hand, and she was pulled forwards, heading straight for his outstretched sword. She fought against it, but his magic was strong. She fought against it. Magic was just like any other force. If she pushed hard enough against it, then his force wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to push her. She dug her feet into the ground, pushing back, but he was obviously powerful. He wasn¡¯t the most experienced mage she¡¯d met, but he was a damn fine one. What a shame.. The sword was inches from her skin now and getting closer. He thrust it forward. She finally pushed through. Collapsing to the ground, she crawled backwards, her breath still heaving from almost being suffocated. Yue touched her chest where the sword had almost stabbed her. She was on the verge of death the entire day. She¡¯d been stabbed, choked, forced to watch a friend die. Enough horror to traumatize anyone She couldn¡¯t count how many times she¡¯d almost died that day. It was weighing on her, but she was done with it all. The Wolf swung at her again, putting inhuman speed and strength behind it. She caught his sword with hers and stumbled back, but stayed standing, frowning at him. He frowned back at her, his mind concentrating. The Captain¡¯s doing magic, She realized. Whatever he was doing, she needed to escape it. Jumping to the side, she barely dodged the dagger flying from behind her. ¡°Why won¡¯t you die?¡± The Wolf roared. ¡°Because unlike you, I¡¯m still needed here on earth,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Meanwhile, your time is up.¡± The Wolf¡¯s eyes widened then narrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He raised his sword. ¡°I am winning¡­¡± He sputtered and coughed up blood as a sword swung at his neck. Another swing and his head was split from his shoulders. ¡°We did it,¡± Xander smiled at her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± She embraced him. ¡°We¡¯re all alive. Somehow, we survived.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Poli?¡± Xander asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her anywhere.¡± Yue hung her head. ¡°She was killed by the Cult.¡± Xander¡¯s face became somber. ¡°That¡¯s horrible. I¡¯m so sorry I wasn¡¯t here for it.¡± ¡°I forgive you,¡± Yue began to cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for blaming you for running away. You did the right thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad I get to be with you again,¡± He replied. ¡°Someone, please! Zade needs help!¡± Th¡¯ul was screaming at them, his face anguished. Yue rushed to Th¡¯ul¡¯s side. Feeling for his pulse, she gasped. It was beating, but only once every ten seconds or so. ¡°He¡¯s dying. We need to get him to Magefell.¡± ¡°How will we do that?¡± Xander asked. ¡°High mage Aegon left to get Xavier to a hospital.¡± ¡°I can get him there,¡± Th¡¯ul said. ¡°I¡¯ve only teleported over short distances, but I can try. If I fail, he dies, but if I don¡¯t try, he dies too.¡± ¡°Zade, stay with us,¡± Yue begged. ¡°Just for a little. We¡¯ll get help. Do it, Th¡¯ul.¡± Th¡¯ul nodded and closed his eyes, grabbing Zade. He frowned as he concentrated, shivering. A minute passed with nothing happening. Then, Th¡¯ul and Zade began to tremble and disappear. Th¡¯ul groaned in pain but didn¡¯t stop as they continued to disappear. Soon, they were totally gone. Yue fell to the ground next to Xander. ¡°We should head back to Magefell,¡± Xander told her. ¡°Just let me rest for five minutes,¡± She asked, and Xander nodded. Yue relaxed, closing her eyes. They¡¯d won. It was a hard-fought battle, but they¡¯d won and were all still alive for now. Yue was tired, exhausted. But now she felt more excited than she ever had. They¡¯d won a battle against the Cult. Chapter Fifty: The Monolith Chapter Fifty: The Monolith The walk to Magefell was slow, painful, more a plodding than anything. Most of them were limping, stabbed or wounded in several places. Yue saw dozens, hundreds of dead bodies on the road, belonging to both man and beast. She stared at what the Cult had done and smiled lightly. She¡¯d avenged them, at least a little. This was just the first step in beating the Cult. TheCult would return, probably stronger, but for now, they¡¯d dealt a blow to them. Finally. And now she had her boyfriend. He was still holding her as they both walked. He was often looking at her with gratification, but she could see guilt in his eyes too. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked. ¡°Yue, I¡­¡± Xander paused, his breath heaving. ¡°I choked you. I can still feel my hands gripping your throat, of me squeezing, of your face when I¡ª¡± He trailed off, unable to finish the statement. ¡°I forgive you, Xander,¡± Yue replied, her eyes tearing up. In truth, she didn¡¯t know if she could ever rid herself of that vision either, but it wasn¡¯t Xander¡¯s fault, and she told him that. ¡°I know,¡± He said. ¡°But it was still me doing it.¡± ¡°It was not you,¡± Yue chided. ¡°It was High Mage Eldor. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± Alyx and Aster held each other up next to her and Alyx comforted Xander. ¡°We all don¡¯t care,¡± She said. ¡°We don¡¯t blame you. So you shouldn¡¯t either.¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Yue held him close. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Swimming in darkness. I know I¡¯m asleep, dreaming maybe, but this feels so real. A face appears before me. Th¡¯ul¡¯s. He¡¯s crying, tears of blood running down his face. When he looks at me, he screams, an inhuman beastly scream that causes me to yell. Th¡¯ul moves towards me, sliding on the ground at a fast pace. I ack away screaming, and Th¡¯ul¡¯s mouth opens impossibly wide to swallow me up. I wake up, sweating, my breath coming in gasps, my body still in pain. Level 5, the now-familiar woman¡¯s voice says in my head, and I would celebrate the milestone, except it just doesn¡¯t feel like the right time. ¡°Hey, hey, calm down,¡± A soothing voice commands me. High Mage Aegon smiles and pats me on the shoulder. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Th¡¯ul here rushed you to the hospital as quickly as he could. The mages here were afraid you would die, but they were able to heal you.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Xavier? How long was I out? Where are my friends?¡± I have endless questions in my head, and questions to those questions. My mind swirls with possibilities. ¡°Xavier is over there,¡± Th¡¯ul points to the bed behind mine, where a prone form is sleeping. ¡°You were out for only about four hours.¡± ¡°Four hours!¡± I sputter. ¡°That¡¯s too much. There¡¯s so much I could¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°You needed to heal, and your body needs rest now,¡± High Mage Aegon chides. ¡°You asked where your friends were, they are at the Magefell grounds, or at least most of them. They have to break the news of what happened to their fellow Warriors, and that isn¡¯t easy. Anni, Sia, and Skai, though, are waiting outside for you, but Skai is probably just waiting for Xavier.¡± I chuckle softly. ¡°That checks out. And the Cult? Did we beat them?¡± ¡°No, the battle is far from over. But you¡¯ve done a good thing. Because of you, The Vanguard has lost their evil captain, and a Cultist High Mage is dead. I have explained what happened to the High Mages, but they aren¡¯t happy. You might have to tell them yourself.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s over? For now, I mean.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± High Mage Aegon smiles. ¡°We won. You can celebrate now. The Cuktists are on the rise, but so are you.¡± ¡°I got to level 5 today,¡± I say. ¡°That''s great. I will warn you. The levels are harder to pass past this level. But I¡¯m sure you can do it. Alright, I¡¯ll call your friends now. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re dying to see you.¡± He opens the door to the hospital and leaves, directing a few words to the silhouettes i see beyond the door, Sia rushes in, and seeing me, she hugs me. Anni and Skai come in soon after. ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± Sia breathes. ¡°Are you all okay?¡± I ask. ¡°Minor scratches,¡± Anni says. ¡°The other wounds, the healing mages were able to fix. They¡¯re all exhausted now.¡± ¡°Xavier isn¡¯t awake yet?¡± Skai asks, concerned. ¡°No, but he¡¯s fine as well,¡± I reply. ¡°I¡¯m just glad no one else had to die.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Sia says. As I lay on the bed, my friends above and beside me, I think back to everything that has happened since I awakened. I miss Jade, and I¡¯d do anything to see her again, but I¡¯m glad she wasn¡¯t here for this. I don¡¯t want her to die. Moving here was worth it. As hard as life has been, I¡¯ve never truly felt happy like this. The only thing missing to make this perfect would be Jade, but I¡¯ll wait to see her. And as hard as it has been to lose friends, I¡¯m just glad I got to meet them. I¡¯ve grown stronger this past month or so. It¡¯s been a trying one, and that¡¯s how I¡¯ve grown. Everything is part of the process. And I¡¯ve made many new friends, and lost some of them. Except for Jade, I haven¡¯t had any friends I¡¯d consider close. Now, I have plenty. Life is hard. But Life is good. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°We have some bad news,¡± Yue told the Vanguard as they all stood on the ground. Kol was to her left and Yiro to her right. They were the only people Yue had told about the Wolf¡¯s death, and they both looked on the verge of tears, heartbroken, sad. ¡°Where¡¯s the captain?¡± One warrior asked. ¡°That''s what we need to talk about,¡± Yue said. ¡°Today, something terrible has happened. Our captain, the Wolf, he¡­¡± She trailed off and looked at Kol. They¡¯d been debating whether she should lie about what happened, but decided otherwise. The Vanguard needed to be transparent. ¡°The Wolf today, admitted to being part of the Cult of Dautha,¡± Yue exclaimed, and the Vanguard collectively gasped, beginning to murmur. Some of the Warriors clearly didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°He tried to kill me, Alyx, Aster, Neena, Artemis, and Xander; he was very close. In the end, we defeated him, but just barely. Vanguard, the Wolf, our captain, is dead. He committed horrible crimes, and he¡¯s gone now.¡± ¡°Why should we believe you?¡± A man screamed from somewhere. ¡°Because the proof is there,¡± Kol said, standing next to her. ¡°He was the murderer and we can prove it.¡± Kol began to talk, and Yue¡¯s mind was captivated as he explained everything. ¡°The murderer had to be someone who watched the match between Yue and Diamond, because Diamond was murdered during that fight. I have a list here of all the people who were there, but suffice it to say that there aren¡¯t many names. Now we can cross out many names because there were people who could not have done the other murders.¡± He explained what some of the men and women had been doing at the time of Jos¡¯ death and continued. ¡°And isn¡¯t it strange that just when the Wolf leaves, he sends assassins after Yue. And when he puts Spies protecting Yue, isn¡¯t it such a large coincidence that they try to kill her twice? ¡°Of course not. The Wolf planned everything out. He is the only one who could¡¯ve done these killings. When Cali died, who could¡¯ve done the killing? The Vanguard members were all celebrating the first round and talking with each other. That is, except Cali herself, Eva, and the Wolf. Eva has been exempt from all charges. The Wolf, meanwhile, has not.¡± ¡°Then why did he let Yue make the speech?¡± ¡°Because he didn¡¯t know what she would say. As soon as he knew, it was too late, and he couldn¡¯t stop it. The evidence is there, my friends. The Wolf did the killing and he worshiped Dautha.¡± The crowd murmured again, but this time Yue knew they believed him. ¡°Plus, you know, he did admit it in writing and we have his note we found in his cabin, blah blah.¡± The crowd gasped as he said this, and he smiled at Yue. ¡°Now is the time for healing,¡± He said. The Vanguard wasn¡¯t broken, but it was wounded. The next few hours proved this. They acted almost disorganized, like they couldn¡¯t function without a leader. But at least they stuck together, and helped to let each other cope. Because of the twenty Vanguard Warriors who¡¯d been killed in the battle, many in the Vanguard were mourning. And so was Yue and her friends. Artemis was not himself: he didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone, and his eyes were completely numb, empty, nothing behind them. He seemed like he didn¡¯t want to live, but was too lazy to do anything about it. Her other friends all seemed sad over what happened, as it had only just hit some of them tha Poli was truly dead. Yue herself was feeling it too. As much as she didn¡¯t know Poli, she was still a friend, and she¡¯d still done her part in the Vanguard. It would be hard for Yue to never see her again, but that was what happened with Diamond too. She and her friends stayed at a table, not talking, just mourning together silently, no tears, just emotions. It was a somber moment, but a sweet one as well, as they basked in each other¡¯s companies and found comfort. For once, since Diamond¡¯s death, Yue felt like things could be okay, given time. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Xavier finally wakes up about an hour after me. He doesn¡¯t want to talk much, instead choosing to rest a little. I want to do something, and I might forget about it if I don¡¯t do it now, so I head down the stairs of Zenyth until I arrive at a room I¡¯ve only been in once before. Inside, I see the black outline of a man in the middle of the room. I offer the payment, and let the blackness surround me. ¡°Jade, my best friend,¡± I say anticipating the question. ¡°Hi, Jade. It¡¯s me, Zade, again, but you probably know that. How are you doing? Is everyone holding up okay? I fought in a battle today! I¡¯m not joking, I swear.¡± I chuckle, then turn a little more serious. ¡°It was horrible. There were these monsters like lizards and these others that I can¡¯t explain. There was so much death. ¡°Anyway, we did win the battle. After that, I had to fight a mage who wanted to kill me. He was a High Mage, Jay! And now there¡¯s a God who wants to use me to fight another God and this Cult and I¡¯m just letting the current take me. ¡°As you can tell, so much has happened since you left, but one thing is the same. I still miss you. Every day. The only time I was glad you were gone was during the battle, because at least then you would live. I promise, I¡¯ll come visit you if I ever can. ¡°You should see the friends I¡¯ve made here. There are so many! A few of them died, killed by that one Cult I was talking about. There was one boy named Astil. You would¡¯ve really liked him. ¡°Everything¡¯s calm now, but it¡¯s fake. The city isn¡¯t broken, but it is bleeding. Now we have to fix it, and who knows how long that will take. ¡°I have a lot to tell you, but I feel like I can¡¯t tell you it all now. Just remember that I still think about you every day, and one day I will return. That is all.¡± The blackness separated itself from me and I kneeled down on the ground. Eva? I think, but I receive no answer. My guess is that she can¡¯t reach me right now. I stay in that room as long as I dare, just thinking about Jade. What is she doing now? How is it being a guard? She hadn¡¯t been one for long before I left. And also I wonder how Chrome, Guilia, Torr, and Demien are doing. Chrome is amazing, and I miss her too. Hopefully, when I return I can see her too. I feel very different than when I arrived here in Magefell. Because of everything that has happened recently, it¡¯s not just my life that¡¯s changed. I¡¯ve changed. As far as I know, I¡¯m still the purposefully annoying yet slightly funny person I was when I arrived, but I¡¯ve lost all the innocence I had. Even though I¡¯d killed my parents, I was still mostly ignorant and innocent, maybe even a little arrogant. Not anymore. Well, maybe a little arrogant, but not the other two, for sure. Eventually, I decide to head to my room. I want to talk to Master Thul, the man with almost the same name as my friend. It can¡¯t be a coincidence, but I don¡¯t want to prod, especially during this time. My room looks exactly how it did when I left it in the morning, but somehow, it feels small for me, from a different lifetime. I¡¯ve only gone through a battle, for Eva¡¯s sake! Nothing should be this different. And yet, I almost died and was recruited by a God. I wasn¡¯t even sure I believed in a God before this. Now, I have magic I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have for years, and I have an immortal being on my side. Everything is different. Everything has changed in the last twenty-four hours. It¡¯s a strange thing to accept, but it is the truth. Grabbing the book, I find that there are a few more chapters already in it. I flip through them in a hurry, and they seem interesting but I don¡¯t have the time right now. When I summon master Thul, he appears in front of me, his face concerned. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you called me. What has happened?¡± I tell him everything, sparing no detail. Master Thul listens impassively, but I can tell he¡¯s thinking hard. At the end, he shakes his head. ¡°That is a lot,¡± He admits. ¡°Gods? Greater magic? I can feel it in you, but it¡¯s so hard to comprehend. You lead a strange life, my student. But you did the right thing. Killing a High Mage might have repercussions, though.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You think everyone will be okay if one of the most powerful and well-respected mages is killed by a bunch of rowdy kids?¡± Master Thul asks. ¡°You¡¯ll be in a horrible political position. Plu, there will be many out to kill you. You must be aware of the risk. Although it seems like the worst has passed, there is still a lot to come. For now, though, we are all alive and well, and that is what is important.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I guess,¡± I reply. What he has said shocked me. I never thought about it, but it makes so much sense. What have we done? I know the answer: what was necessary, but now it feels flimsy. Could we have spared his life? Not at the cost of Xander¡¯s life. Not at the cost of our own lives. ¡°Another thing, Zade.¡± Master Thul looks at me apologetically. ¡°There is something us mages and teachers do not tell our students, but now that you have reached Level 5, it is time to tell you. When a mage-in-training reaches this level, it is unanimously decided that he should learn to do magic mostly on his own.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± I ask. ¡°I will not teach you anymore. You can still summon me if you need help with something, or even if you want me to teach you something in particular, but now is your time to learn. If you flip to the half-way point of your book, you will see that it will guide you through the intricacies of necromancy. You haven¡¯t done much of it, but you will start focusing on it now. ¡°I¡­¡± I¡¯m bewildered. Truthfully, I don¡¯t know if I can or want to do it like this. ¡°But you¡¯ll always be here, right? For a chat?¡± ¡°Of course, Zade,¡± Master Thul smiles. ¡°I¡¯m still your teacher, just a secondary one. I¡¯m still Master Thul.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± I grimace, knowing I¡¯ll adjust to this just like I adjusted to everything else. ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad we got that out of the way. Is there anything else you wanted to say?¡± ¡°Yes, actually. I haven¡¯t used my EXP at all. I¡¯m still not exactly sure what it¡¯s for.¡± ¡°Let me show you,¡± Master Thul smiles. ¡°Like your book said, they¡¯re used for two main purposes. The first is to help improve and stretch your core, but you''ll learn that as you go along. It is very important. The second way is more fun. Picture your skill in your head.¡± I close my eyes and see my core. Thinking about my skill, I¡¯m surprised to find a small tree next to my core now, with the name Burning Pillar below it, with several locks on them. They all have numbers on them, and the numbers vary from 25 all the way to 2500. ¡°That is your skill tree. Every skill you have will have a tree of its own. Now click on any one of the locks that has a number less than 50.¡± I choose one that has the number 35 and click it. The lock twists and a small box appears there with the words: Burning Pillar available for 8 times before recharge. ¡°So it¡¯s like an upgrade?¡± I ask. ¡°Exactly,¡± Master Thul responds. ¡°Do not use all your EXP on that. Like I said, you will need it to flex your core. Now, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else I need to say. If you need me, you know where to find me. After Master Thul disappears, I gaze around the room I¡¯ve only had for a month and lay on my bed. I have to get some much needed rest and¡ª Knock-knock. I groan and walk towards the door. I open it to find Anni looking at me. ¡°Yue and I had agreed to meet us all up at Ember On The Waters. Come on, we don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t that place get destroyed?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still standing,¡± Anni replies, grabbing my hands. ¡°The others are waiting. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It was a testament to the Vanguard¡¯s resourcefulness that they seem to adjust to the Wolf being gone fairly quickly. Although the shock was still there, and the anger, most of the Warriors went about their Vanguard duties normally. It was almost midnight and most of the Warriors were asleep now. Yue¡¯s day wasn¡¯t over yet, though. She and her friends were gathered at the edge of the Vanguard grounds. They were heading for Ember On The Waters where they would see Zade and the others. Last she¡¯d checked, he was alive and breathing, but hopefully he wasn¡¯t too wounded. Xavier, too. Artemis went with them reluctantly, only because they¡¯d begged him to. ¡°What happens to the Vanguard now, Yue?¡± Neena asked. ¡°Parliament chooses a new leader from among our ranks, I reckon.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be you,¡± Neena said hopefully. ¡°I hope not,¡± Yue responded. ¡°I¡¯m not cut out to be captain of the Vanguard.¡± Neena wanted to protest, but seeing Yue¡¯s face, she stayed silent. They set off past the Vanguard grounds and into Magefell. As soon as they entered the city, Yue truly realized how great the destruction was. The closer they got to the market, the more broken windows and roofs there were. There were still many dead bodies on the ground, although the Magefell Guards and mages had been hard at work cleaning up the dead bodies to bury them after being identified. There was one man whimpering at her, trying to get her attention, but she could see he didn¡¯t have long to live. As far as she could tell, the monsters¡¯ dead bodies were gone. ¡°This is horrible,¡± Neena breathed. ¡°How can anyone stand creating this?¡± Yue agreed with her. Even if she aligned with the Cult, she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d have the strength to do something this evil. The Cult had some logical points to their arguments but it was moments like these that proved in Yue¡¯s mind that they were the villains. No hero would do this. How could Joanne agree to something like this? Yue hadn¡¯t wanted to ask her, instead preserving their friendship and unity in the Vanguard, but she hoped to one day ask her. Yue found destroyed houses about half a mile from the market. Only a few of them, but she felt bad for whoever was made homeless by it. Hopefully, the mages would be able to fix it, but she knew how hard they were working. They would be so exhausted and Yue doubted they would be able to keep it all up for too long. The market finally came into view and Yue grimaced. The best word to describe what it looked like was alien. It just looked unfamiliar, like a country Yue had never been to. The inner ring, the stalls, had mostly been wiped out, the contents spread throughout the streets. The outside ring of stores and inns were half-destroyed, a select few untouched. Here, the dead bodies were mostly gone, with only a dozen or so Yue could see. The green glow to the city felt more ghostly to Yue than anything now, like this city was haunted by what happened. The last time Magefell had been attacked was during the Mage Wars, and there Magefell had only been attacked by those already inside. This was an unprecedented attack, and Yue shuddered to think of the political struggles this could cause. Other countries could see this as Magefell being weak, or it could prove that everyone was weaker than they thought. Either way, the repercussions would be great. Ember On The Waters stood almost as a pillar of hope in the middle of the city¡¯s gore. The ember shone brightly, showing the citizens that yes, Magefell was alive, and yes, Magefell had won the battle. Yue smiled softly as she looked at it. Normally, when Yue needed to look at a part of Magefell to comfort her, she would look at the palaces. The black one representing the darkness¡ªnot something evil, just the substance¡ª, and the white one representing light. They were a mystery to her¡ªYue didn¡¯t know what was inside them¡ªbut they always stood there, on both sides of Magefell, almost like they were enveloping her in the world¡¯s largest hug. That day, though, she found no comfort looking at the palaces. Not when there was the marble slab pitched right in the center of the marble. It was dark as midnight, almost fifteen feet high, and on it were inscribed glowing, golden names. Each one from a citizen who had died. There were so many names. Every time someone went there looking for a relative, the name would disappear, its job done, to spread the message of those who had been lost. The men and women who went there did not leave without shedding tears. Without waiting for her friends, she strode to the marble slab. There she scanned the names, not to find someone she knew, but to know those who had fallen. So that maybe they could be remembered. Wes Terric. S¡¯amanta Nells. Helz Gilio. Jordil Kar¡¯thun. Magian Relthan. Every name bit into Yue¡¯s soul bittersweetly. Like everyone else around her, tears began to flow from her eyes and she let them flow. These people deserved the tears. Yue didn¡¯t know any of these people, but she was still deeply affected by every single death. And if she was honest with herself, she preferred it like this. She loved being able to feel for those she¡¯d never met. A woman next to Yue touched a name on the slab and began sobbing. ¡°My son, my son! Why him? He was so young! Why couldn¡¯t it be me?¡± The woman collapsed, beginning to scream. Yue¡¯s small cries turned to sobs as she stared at the woman. She began to cry not just for those on this slab but for everyone who¡¯d died. Diamond, Jos, Astil, Poli. Everyone she knew who had died. She cried for each of them. Because they deserved it. Her friends finally came over to comfort her, and they stood in a pile ,just hugging each other. ¡°There¡¯s a name there,¡± Alyx whispered. ¡°Jyll, She was one of me and Diamond¡¯s best friends, and she didn¡¯t deserve this.¡± ¡°None of them did,¡± Yue whimpered. ¡°And thor families don¡¯t deserve it either.¡± ¡°Or their friends.¡± Eventually, the woman who¡¯d been screaming for her son came over to her. ¡°Can I have a hug too? I need it.¡± Yue nodded and she joined them. Slowly, others began to see and asked if they could embrace them. More and more people joined in and eventually Yue could count almost fifty people, strangers who didn¡¯t know each other but who were united in loss and so comforted each other. As hard as this was to deal with, it was also one of the sweetest moments of Yue¡¯s life. The Magefell citizens cried unashamedly, uncaring that others saw their sorrow. There was no need to hide it here. Everyone was heartbroken. Yue closed her eyes as the ears flowed, as she felt all the sorrow. This was life. It was pain, but it was healing. It was broken, but it was also fixed. It was sad, but it was also sweet. This was what life was about. The small moments where one could share their own sorrows and vice versa, and where they comforted each other. What was life without the friends who helped you get through it? What was life without the strangers who saved you from the pits of despair? ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª There is one empty table at the inn, and it will fit all of us. Yue is already there, as are all her Vanguard friends. Both me and Xavier limped here, but we¡¯re here now. Even in the aftermath of the battle, I¡¯m still in love with the night. I still find it beautiful and relaxing, and the air still makes me feel wonderful. I feel it on my face, and the night, ocean air makes me smile, It will all be okay, even if it all seems messed up now. Yue looks like she just spent the last hour crying, so I pose the question any sane person would. ¡°What¡¯s with the sword on the table?¡± I ask, my eyebrows furrowed. Normally, one would put the sword under the table or next to a chair. The sword being placed on top confounds me. ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you say?¡± She laughs. ¡°You¡¯re clearly unfazed by all this, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say unfazed,¡± I shrug. ¡°Just fazed in the right way.¡± Yue rolls her eyes. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Why are we here?¡± Xavier asks, sitting down next to me, Skai next to her, and Sia and Anni on the other side. ¡°I think we deserve a little time just to talk and relax. The world is messed up, so we need to alleviate the problem somehow.¡± ¡°I bet I can drink a pint faster than any of you,¡± Alyx bets. ¡°Deal,¡± I respond. We all¡ªexcept for Sia and Anni¡ª order a drink from the familiar waitress whose name I¡¯ve forgotten. She winks at Th¡¯ul and walks away. ¡°You still with her?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°No. Mistress Anan caught us,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the right fit anyway.¡± ¡°You need help,¡± Aster tells him. ¡°I know,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°But that¡¯s what''s fun.¡± The waitress returns, bearing drinks. ¡°Nobody drink,¡± Alyx says. ¡°Let me see if we all have the same amount.¡± She inspects the cups carefully. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do this. Three, two, one, drink!¡± I chug the beer down. I¡¯ve always been good at this. I beat Jade every single time I wanted to. Obviously, the times she won, I let her. I¡¯m just nice that way. Done with my drink in fifteen seconds, I slam the mug on the table triumphantly. Alyx shakes her head at me, hands off an already empty cup. ¡°Ooh, I guess you lost, Zade,¡± She teases. ¡°Maybe next time you can actually give me competition.¡± Xavier is the next to finish his drink, and after that comes Yue. The others all finish in their own time, Artemis already ordering two more for him. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much,¡± Yue warns. ¡°Best way to forget my problems,¡± Artemis responds, already at the end of his second. Conversation turns light very quickly. We all want to relax and have fun and so we ignore the world¡¯s problems. I don¡¯t remember the last time I didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. Maybe it was when I had just arrived here or maybe it was before that. Either way, I like the peace. It really helps. ¡°So, Xavier told me you have a girlfriend, Zade,¡± Sia tells me. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend,¡± I groan, glaring at Xavier, who laughs out loud. ¡°Close enough. You like her and you know that.¡± I scowl. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. You haven¡¯t even met her.¡± ¡°I approve anyway,¡± He grins, making me roll my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Sia asks. ¡°Jay,¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°So, a he?¡± Skai asks bewildered. ¡°No, he¡¯s trying to hide the fact that her name is Jade, because it rhymes,¡± Xavier grins evilly. ¡°Zade and Jade?¡± Sia smiles. ¡°That¡¯s gorgeous.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± I whisper. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡± I glare at her anyways. ¡°What about you, Alyx? You got anyone?¡± Alyx looks uncomfortably at the table and Aster puts her arm around her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to talk if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyx responds gratefully. ¡°Oh, Xavier, did you see S¡¯Sammi during the battle?¡± Th¡¯ul asks. ¡°She was there?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s S¡¯Sammi?¡± Skai asks. ¡°Oh, just Xavier¡¯s crush!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Yue was truly happy talking with her friends. They¡¯d been talking for a couple hours now, and they were probably way past drunk, but that was okay because they were together and for now that was all that mattered. ¡°Who do you think they¡¯ll pick for captain of the Vanguard, Yue?¡± Zade asked her. ¡°Honestly, I think Kol will be the new Captain,¡± She responded. ¡°He knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°I still think you should be Captain.¡± Neena replied. ¡°Imagine having to call her Captain Sterkona,¡± Alyx laughed and Yue shivered. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s already basically the leader of the Band,¡± Zade begins but Xavier interrupts him. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°The Band. It¡¯s what I call us.¡± ¡°No,¡± Aster says. ¡°Never say that again. That is a horrible name and now I hate being associated with you.¡± ¡°Hey! That stings!¡± Zade said in mock hurt, although he did seem disappointed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have come up with that stupid name, then,¡± Aster replied. ¡°Why would you even do that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m getting tired of having to name you all in my head if I see you!¡± Zade exclaimed. ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with my name?¡± Aster and Alyx asked at the same time. ¡°Nothing. Well, your name is kinda weird, Aster, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m done with this kid,¡± Aster groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not that young!¡± ¡°Are you eighteen yet?¡± Aster asked. ¡°No,¡± Zade admitted. ¡°Then you¡¯re a kid,¡± Aster finished. ¡°You have no jurisdiction here. Basically everyone is older than you.¡± Zade clearly wanted to retort but had nothing to say. ¡°I¡¯m still pissed about this S¡¯Sammi thing, just so you know,¡± Skai changed the subject. ¡°I blame you, Xavier!¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later,¡± Skai replied, and Xavie grimaced. ¡°Zade, we need to talk,¡± Yue said, letting out what she¡¯d been waiting to say. ¡°About Eva. And you being the champion.¡± ¡°What is there to talk about?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s pretty straightforward. My mission is to stop the Cult however I can.¡± ¡°How are you going to do that? How will the Goddess help you?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep practicing my magic and spreading the truth about the Cult. I¡¯ll do everything I can to uncover those who belong to the Cult and kill them all.¡± ¡°That seems cruel,¡± Sia commented. ¡°They all deserve to die,¡± Zade said, face stony. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all of them. I¡¯m on their radar now so they¡¯ll be coming for me too. I¡¯ll get them first.¡± ¡°And this Goddess. How does she fit in?¡± Aster asks. ¡°She¡¯ll be helping me. She gave me better magic and she¡¯ll communicate with me. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯ll also send things to help me. Of course, I¡¯ll need your help too. I won¡¯t be able to do it all alone.¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help you,¡± Yue reassured him. ¡°But I would like to meet this Goddess, if I¡¯ll be doing what she wants me to do.¡± Zade cocked his head and listened to something. ¡°Eva says that one day she¡¯ll show herself to all of us, but now is not the time. There are six Cultists currently here.¡± Yue shivered. ¡°They¡¯re everywhere, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°And the Cult is growing,¡± Zade agreed. ¡°We need to keep an eye out at all times.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to keep them both, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Sia said nervously. Yue wondered what it meant until Zade laughed. ¡°That was good, Sia,¡± Zade laughed and Yue finally understood it. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I liked that one,¡± Yue said. ¡°Who¡¯s the pessimist now?¡± Zade asked. ¡°That literally made no sense.¡± ¡°But it sounded cool.¡± ¡°Zade, don¡¯t even try,¡± Alyx interrupted him. Zade huffed and crossed his arms. ¡°This is why I¡¯m a pessimist,¡± He groaned. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°Just shut up, will you?¡± Alyx chuckled but did, in fact, shut up. With the stupid but entertaining conversations they were having, the customers in the inn began to notice. Most of them were sad, teary-eyed, some hardened from the battle. But looking at Yue, Zade and their friends laughing, having fun, enjoying themselves in the midst of the tragedy, the customers slowly began to smile. To talk to each other. The inn began to feel like a proper inn again. Somewhere that was fun to be in. Soon, the noises turned from sobs to conversations and the Ember On The Waters felt normal again. This was the lesson Yue had needed to learn, and now she knew it. No, everything was not okay. No, everything was not going to be okay. But if she let her problems drown her, then nothing would ever be okay. Laughter truly was the best medicine when she was feeling down, because if she didn¡¯t laugh, she would cry, and if she started crying once, she wouldn¡¯t stop. It was good to laugh and talk when something bad happened, as long as it didn¡¯t get in the way of mourning something in a healthy way, at least that was how she saw it. Life was about getting over obstacles, laughing when life wanted you to cry. That was just the way of the world. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It¡¯s getting late and we need to sleep. We¡¯re all tired but satisfied, even artemis. He seems like he¡¯s ready to smile a little, even though his eyes still look very haunted. I look around at all my friends. Xavier, my best friend. Yue, the girl who¡¯s there for me. Anni, my little brother¡¯s girlfriend. Sia, my newfound friend and companion in everything fun. Skai, my best friend¡¯s girlfriend. Alyx and Aster, basically twins and basically insane. Xander, the man who¡¯d do anything to protect us. Artemis, the broken man who only wants peace. And Neena, the most fragile yet the strongest here. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± I ask them, grinning. ¡°Anything we want,¡± Yue replies. ¡°We have plenty of time now. Soon, we have to return to our lives. But for now, let¡¯s just take this time and appreciate what we have. That''s all that matters.¡± Interlude Five: The Horde Interlude Five: The Horde Arcadia is scared. That is the simple truth that Jade has to deal with. All the Arcadian Guards are forced to do double-shifts as they try to stop the growing dissent and fear. But the Guards are scared, too. And Jade is no exception. She barely escaped the battle alive, and she¡¯s sure that if this happened again, she would be killed. The horde¡ªas their captain called them, according to someone who¡¯d overheard them¡ªwas just too strong. She could take on one, maybe two in a battle, but after that, she was exhausted and they would overwhelm her. Jade was a great swordsman; but even she couldn¡¯t do it. It seemed like the Royals and Guards did not know what to do anymore. Torr and Jin were both trying to lead their respective Guards as best as they could, but with the unrest of the citizens and the feeling reciprocated even in the guards, they were stressed. And the Magefell Royals, especially the Queen, was just as lost as Jade, Firstly, she had to deal with all the refugees from the destroyed city. There were about five hundred of them, and trying to fit them all in Arcadia was tough. Some of them were forced to homelessness. Next, and most importantly, Queen Maeve had to decide what to do about the Horde. They hadn¡¯t moved since they¡¯d destroyed the city, and, according to their leader, they wouldn¡¯t try to destroy any more cities on the way to Magefell, but was he trustworthy? And should they try to intercept them anyway to help Magefell? The political implications if they refused could cause a war, but if they accepted, they could be wiped out. Tense was the word to describe Arcadia, and Jade was in the middle of it. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Two out of five Guards dead in a few weeks is a bad track record,¡± Guilia says. ¡°I miss them, but we¡¯re dwindling rapidly. We can¡¯t guard Erenfeld with only three guards. What will we do?¡± ¡°For now, there is nothing we can do,¡± Torr responds. ¡°Until this problem with the Horde is taken care of, we can¡¯t ask for anything from the Queen and no one will want to be recruited to the guard at this stage.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s just us,¡± Jade says. ¡°The Headquarters feel so¡­¡± ¡°Empty,¡± Guilia finishes. ¡°Where is Chrome¡¯s laughter and brightness? Where is Demien¡¯s arrogant personality that annoyed us?¡± Jade walks to the wall of the Headquarters where the names of every Guard who had worked for Erenfeld, deceased or retired, was located. There are twenty-five names¡ªthe Erenfeld Guard had only been created about a hundred years ago¡ªand at the bottom, theirs is already there. Chrome and Demien¡¯s. Next to them are three words: killed in battle. While Demien hadn¡¯t truly been killed in battle, it is a formality to put it there.. Jade envied those who were able to retire. Most likely, she would be killed in battle too. It was just the most common for a Guard, and , in these times, it only grew more and more likely. ¡°We must go to Arcadia,¡± Torr tells us. ¡°The Queen has called us for a meeting.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t leave Erenfeld! They¡¯ll be undefended,¡± Jade protests. ¡°The Horde will not attack for now,¡± Torr says. ¡°They¡¯re far enough away that even if they wanted to attack, we have time to go to Arcadia and back. Don¡¯t worry, Jade. It¡¯ll all be fine.¡± She bites her lip. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Are we going to decide about the Horde?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°Well, I assume that Queen Maeve has already decided something, but we¡¯ll be taking her orders, yes-¡± ¡°Well, then what are we waiting for?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Jade has never felt so creeped out as when she rode to Arcadia. She is constantly aware of the shadows and the movements and crackles in the forest. Each snap makes her twist her head, and she isn''t in the forest, she is on the path. Every bush seems like it wants to jump out at her. Subconsciously, she urges the horse to go faster. Guilia is clearly nervous too and she also prods her house to go faster. Torr, meanwhile, keeps a constant watch but at least he keeps a semblance of calm. We¡¯re met in the city by Jin, who had bags under her eyes, and as soon as she sees us, she yawns. Jade feels pity for her. ¡°Hey,¡± She says, hugging each of them, before leading them to the Arcadian guard Headquarters. ¡°How¡¯s Erenfeld?¡± ¡°Strange, but resilient,¡± Torr responds. ¡°I¡¯ve heard things here are pretty bad.¡± ¡°See for yourself,¡± Jin points down an alleyway, where a man in a wolf mask is speaking to about fifty people. ¡°We must bow down to them,¡± The man screams. ¡°They are here to lead us to the truth, and we must serve them.¡± The fifty people cheered and waved torches. ¡°We must show this city who they truly are.¡± ¡°There are people like this all over the city taking advantage of the stress,¡± Jin explains. ¡°Every day, more people join their cause. They torch houses, kill others, rob them, sometimes even rape them.¡± ¡°So should we break these apart here?¡± Torr asks. Jin nods. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°HEY!¡± Torr screams at the preacher and his followers. ¡°Spreading blasphemy?¡± ¡°See the unbelievers,¡± The man told the people listening to him, eyes wide in madness. ¡°We must show them what it means to follow the Horde!¡± ¡°YEAH!¡± The followers yelled, drawing knives or daggers. They rushed at the Guards. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them,¡± Jin warns. Jade nods as she turns to the first citizen and disarms him quickly. She hits him in his head with the butt of her sword, knocking him out, and she immediately moves to a second follower, who swings at her. Ducking, Yue lands a blow on his stomach, making him double over in pain. The third follower is just as easy as the other two, as is the fourth and fifth and six. They are very inexperienced and Jade has no hard time beating them all. In the end, when she finally punches the last one in the face, causing him to fall over, she breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°I hate this,¡± Guilia says. ¡°We¡¯re hurting the citizens we¡¯re sworn to protect.¡± ¡°We must,¡± Jin responds. ¡°It is for their own good.¡± ¡°Why is this happening in Arcadia and not Erenfeld?¡± Jade wonders. ¡°Mob mentality,¡± Jin says. ¡°Because your village is so small, it is normal that an idea won¡¯t spread so quickly. In a big city, a small idea quickly grows into a mob, and mobs easily influence those outside of it, causing them to think like the mob.¡± ¡°We need to get rid of the horde,¡± Guilia groans, sheathing her sword. ¡°We just need to figure out how.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°The meeting is in two hours,¡± Jin says at the headquarters. ¡°Until then, we have time to relax. We might not have time to after what Queen Maeve says. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If she decides to fight them, we won¡¯t relax until we die, and if she decides to let them pass, we¡¯ll be faced into a political struggle with Magefell that will affect Arcadia internally.¡± ¡°What do you think we should do then, Jin?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jin admits. ¡°We can¡¯t fight them, because we¡¯ll all die, but if we let them pass and magefell wins, they¡¯ll want to fight us, and we can¡¯t beat the Vanguard and Mages. If the horde beats Magefell, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll stop there. Whatever happens, we will be targeted by something. We need to do something that protects us but doesn¡¯t cause anger in Magefell.¡± ¡°What if we go help Magefell?¡± Jade says. ¡°We could send our Soldiers to Magefell and maybe that would help them.¡± ¡°Then how would we be protected? If we send our Soldiers, we¡¯re only left with us guards, and we can¡¯t protect all of Arcadia alone, not in these times. I¡¯ve been forced to use soldiers to stop the followers. But you might be onto something. We¡¯ll just have to trust Queen Maeve to make the right decision.¡± Torr grunts in acknowledgement. ¡°Have you lost any guards to these followers?¡± ¡°One,¡± Jin nods. ¡°They beat him to death while he was undefended, screaming about how they were doing the Horde¡¯s will!¡± ¡°I bet they don¡¯t even know about the human leader,¡± Guilia says. ¡°Most of them don¡¯t,¡± Jin agrees. ¡°But even if they knew, it wouldn¡¯t stop them. In their mind, this destruction is for a reason other than they deserve to rule.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about Erenfeld,¡± Jade admits. ¡°We¡¯re a small town, and if the Horde decides to attack there¡­¡± ¡°I doubt they will.¡± Jin responds. ¡°They only attacked to show us their power, and if they truly wanted to destroy, I think they¡¯d go for Arcadia the city immediately.¡± Jade bit her lip, thinking of her parents and brother. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jay,¡± Guilia reassures her. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡± She nods and the conversation draws to a close. Jade closes her eyes to rest, and falls asleep. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Wake up! It¡¯s time,¡± Jin says, shaking her. Jade sits up, her mind focused from the power nap. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± She replies. Jade stands up and buckles her sword. Stepping outside with Jin, she finds Guilia and Torr waiting for her. ¡°What a nap you took!¡± Torr laughs. ¡°An hour is more than enough.¡± ¡°I was having a great dream,¡± Jade teases. ¡°And then I woke up and saw your face.¡± ¡°And it reminded you how good life is,¡± Torr says. ¡°Pity you couldn¡¯t see Zade¡¯s face, though, right, Jay?¡± Jade blushes and Torr barks a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We all miss him. But at least he doesn¡¯t have to face the horde.¡± ¡°Yes, at least that,¡± Jade agrees. Something appears in front of them. Zade, shining in blue light. Jade gasps as she stares at him. He must¡¯ve sent another message to her. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Jay, what¡¯re you looking at?¡± Torr asks. ¡°You can¡¯t see that?¡± Jade responds. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Never mind. Just leave me alone for a minute.¡± Zade looks straight at her, and Jade gapes as she sees him. He looks older, harder, more mature. It hasn¡¯t been that long since she last saw him, but he looks like he¡¯s seen everything. Jade wonders if she would look the same to him. Plus, she had to admit that he did look cute. ¡°Hi, Jade. It¡¯s me, Zade again,¡± her best friend says, smiling at her. ¡°But you probably know that. How are you doing? Is everyone holding up okay? I fought in a battle today! I¡¯m not joking, I swear.¡± He chuckles and Jade gasps. He fought a battle? In Magefell? How was that even possible? Magefell was impenetrable! ¡°It was horrible. There were these monsters like lizards and these others that I can¡¯t explain. There was so much death.¡± Jade sees the hurt in his eyes and wants to comfort him, but she can¡¯t help the feeling of confusion in her. Lizard monsters? She¡¯s never heard of anything like that before! ¡°Anyway, we did win the battle. After that, I had to fight a mage who wanted to kill me. He was a High Mage, Jay!¡± At that, Jade almost feels like he¡¯s lying, except she can see he truly believes it. It is hard to take it at face value. Monster and HIgh Mages? What was happening there? ¡°And now there¡¯s a God who wants to use me to fight another God and this Cult and I¡¯m just letting the current take me.¡± This was the final straw, Zade had to be going crazy. A Cult made sense, Cults always stirred up trouble. But a God recruiting Zade? That was fantasy, pure fantasy. It couldn¡¯t be happening. ¡°As you can tell, so much has happened since you left, but one thing is the same. I still miss you. Every day. The only time I was glad you were gone was during the battle, because at least then you would live. I promise, I¡¯ll come visit you if I ever can.¡± Jade smiles, wanting to hold him, to be there for him. ¡°I miss you too,¡± She whispers. ¡°You should see the friends I¡¯ve made here.¡± Zade continues ¡°There are so many! A few of them died, killed by that one Cult I was talking about. There was one boy named Astil. You would¡¯ve really liked him.¡± Jade watches as a tear falls down Zade¡¯s cheek and she wonders who Astil was. ¡°Everything¡¯s calm now, but it¡¯s fake. The city isn¡¯t broken, but it is bleeding. Now we have to fix it, and who knows how long that will take.¡± ¡°I have a lot to tell you, but I feel like I can¡¯t tell you it all now. Just remember that I still think about you every day, and one day I will return.¡± Then Zade disappears, and Jade is left wondering what he was talking about. There is so much that Jade does not understand from what Zade was talking about, and she desperately wants answers. But she doesn¡¯t know if she¡¯ll have them. Her best bet is asking Jin and Torr. So, when she rejoins her fellow guards, she tells them what happened, everything Zade said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any battle,¡± Torr admits. ¡°Me neither,¡± Jin says. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any Cult or Gods in Magefell, and definitely no lizard monsters. I could look into it and we can also ask Queen Maeve. Are you sure that was what Zade said?¡± ¡°No, he was telling me how he didn¡¯t fight a battle,¡± Jade replies sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jin replies. ¡°Is the entire world at war?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°I feel bad for Magefell. They¡¯re going from lizard monsters and a cult to the Horde.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll still be recovering when the wolves attack them,¡± Jin says. ¡°That isn¡¯t good.¡± They reach the Royal¡¯s house, where a guard leads them into a sitting room. Queen Maeve is already there, along with several Guards and Soldiers. ¡°Sit,¡± Queen Maeve gestures towards them. ¡°This will be a quick meeting.¡± Once they¡¯ve sat down, she begins. ¡°As you all must know, I have decided what to do about the Horde. ¡°It was a tough political decision. I was not sure what I should do, and I¡¯ll spare you all the details, but in the end, everything grew more complicated when I heard what magefell was going through.¡± Jade cocks her head, interested. ¡°Apparently, there was a Cult who brought monsters to Magefell and they almost destroyed the city. My husband, thankfully, is alive, and the city seems to have survived the worst of the onslaught, although there are plenty dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± One of the Soldiers breathes. ¡°I have a mage friend. Is he alive? His name is Fenrou.¡± ¡°I do not know,¡± Queen Maeve says. ¡°But you might have a chance to know.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I and the King have decided to stay on the middle ground of the political decision. We will let the Horde pass¡­¡± Murmurs begin immediately but she silences them. ¡°BUT I will also send aid to Magefell. Not enough that we suffer, but enough to show our goodwill. Whoever leaves will leave today . I want one hundred soldiers and twenty of the Guard from all over Magefell. You will go by ship, obviously, so you should arrive in a little over a week. Does anyone here want to volunteer?¡± For a second, there is silence, then the man who has a mage friend raises his hand. ¡°I will go.¡± Robin, who Jade didn¡¯t notice was here until now raises her hand now. ¡°It would be an honor to join this group.¡± ¡°Thank you both,¡± Queen Maeve says. ¡°Anyone else? We will need plenty of volunteers. I would hate to coerce you.¡± A woman volunteers, then another, and another, and soon ten soldiers are already chosen. No other guard here seems to want to go, but there are only about twenty here. ¡°Hey, Jade,¡± Guilia whispers. ¡°If you go, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t even thought of that,¡± Jade lies. She had thought of going, but she hadn¡¯t taken her thoughts seriously. Now, though, she felt the urge to leave and find Zade. He wouldn¡¯t be expecting it, and she would finally get to see him again. ¡°We¡¯ll go,¡± Jade says, raising her hand with Guilia. ¡°What?¡± Torr asks. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me here alone to guard Erenfeld.¡± ¡°We will provide you with temporary guards in their absence,¡± Queen Maeve reassures him. ¡°Thank you, both of you, for taking this opportunity. Anyone else?¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re doing this,¡± Torr protests. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to Magefell. I understand Zade is there, but this is your home!¡± ¡°It is,¡± Jade reassures him. ¡°But I feel like I need to do this. It¡¯s important to me.¡± ¡°You might not return! You¡¯ll have to fight the Horde there!¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯m ready for that possibility. If I die, at least I died for a good cause.¡± ¡°JADE! GUILIA!¡± Jin says, walking up to them. ¡°You have six hours to say goodbye to everyone and return here, so I would advise you to go to Erenfeld quickly.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Jade replies. ¡°Shall we go?¡± During the trip to Erenfeld, Torr was sullen, clearly distraught. ¡°Torr, why are you so sad?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to protect you!¡± He explodes. ¡°And now you¡¯re going to a place where I can¡¯t go, and I won¡¯t be able to protect you and you¡¯ll probably all die there and I hate it, because I vowed to protect you with my very own life.¡± ¡°You could go too!¡± ¡°I have a duty to Erenfeld.¡± ¡°Torr,¡± Jade says, laying a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I understand you. I know what you have promised. But we¡¯re all adults. We take care of ourselves. We can protect ourselves.¡± ¡°Chrome and Demien couldn¡¯t,¡± He chokes out, a single tear falling down his cheek and Jade sighs. ¡°You feel guilty for that? There is no reason to. Both Chrome and Demien died under my watch, because of me. If anything, it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve been there for both of them,¡± Torr grumbles. ¡°I watched as the monster killed Chrome!¡± Jade exclaims. ¡°I saved someone at the cost of Demien¡¯s life. How can you possibly say this is your fault?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault either, Jay,¡± Guilia reassures me. ¡°This is all the horde¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Jade says. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself over this, Torr.¡± Torr furrows his eyebrows but nods. ¡°I just wish that I could¡¯ve done something. I would¡¯ve rather been the one to die.¡± Jade doesn¡¯t know how to respond to that, but she doesn¡¯t think Torr is looking for a reply, so she stays silent. Guilia gives Jade a sad glance and then stares ahead at the open road. Eventually, Erenfeld comes into view. Jade needs to find her parents and brother. Hopefully, they won¡¯t be too shocked. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Oh, my baby!¡± Her ma grabs her, tears already forming. ¡°You¡¯re leaving us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Jade reassures her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few months at most. This is not goodbye.¡± ¡°I always knew you were strong,¡± Her da says, hugging her. ¡°Don¡¯t die out there. And give Zade a kiss for me, after you¡¯ve given him your own.¡± He winks and she rolls her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going there for Zade, da.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± he grins. The final person she says goodbye to is her brother. He tries to look nonchalant and calm, but fails as he hugs her. ¡°Have fun with Zade,¡± He tells her, face broken in sadness. ¡°I¡¯m not going there to find Zade!¡± ¡°Sure, you¡¯re going there to fight monsters,¡± He winks. ¡°Your secret is safe with me.¡± ¡°What secret?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Jade stands up and looks at her family. She hasn¡¯t been away from them for longer than ten days, which was when she took the trip to Magefell with Zade. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± She says, hefting her bag, carrying only her necessities. ¡°You better come back.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°That was a sad goodbye,¡± Guilia tells her. ¡°My family was not happy to see me go. My boyfriend is positive I¡¯ll die there.¡± ¡°Optimist, huh?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± She smiles. ¡°We all are.¡± Torr leads them to Arcadia for the second time that day, and his usually calm and rocky face looks ready to burst into tears at any moment now. ¡°Thank you for taking us there, Torr,¡± Jade says. ¡°It means a lot.¡± Torr nods but doesn¡¯t look her way or respond. They are carrying four horses, one for each of them, and one for the two packs: Jade and Guilia¡¯s. They will probably take more than one ship to Magefell, considering there will be one hundred twenty soldiers and guards, plus packs. Three ships at most. At Arcadia, they are met by Jin, who leads them to the edge of the city where they will head out. Seventy of the one hundred twenty are already there. Jin is not going, but she¡¯s there to say goodbye. Robin is already there and she meets Jade with a warm hug and a firm handshake. ¡°It is good to see you sister. My blood boils to be longside you in the coming battles.¡± ¡°My blood boils too,¡± Jade responds. She''s starting to understand the traditions of the Snjornins. Robin looks pleased with what she said and smiles. ¡°We will destroy the Horde and use their skin as our boiling pots.¡± ¡°Does that even work?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°Of course it does,¡± Robin frowns. ¡°What do you use your enemies¡¯ skin for?¡± ¡°Usually, we leave it on the body.¡± ¡°What a waste,¡± Robin scoffs. ¡°Let me guess, you don¡¯t use their hair either?¡± She laughs. ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± Robin gapes. ¡°I thought you were civilized!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Guilia protests. ¡°I mean no offense, I assure you,¡± Robin says. ¡°I just thought you would use their blood to spice your drinks.¡± Guilia¡¯s eyes widen and Robin laughs. ¡°I am kidding. We do not use the blood. That is sacred, but we do use the hair and skin.¡± ¡°Snjornins are wild,¡± Guilia whispers to me as Robin turns away. ¡°I heard that,¡± Robin says, and Guilia turns white. ¡°I take offense, and shall be forced to duel you to the death.¡± She laughs again. ¡°That was another joke. So funny, right?¡± Guilia forces out a laugh, clearly terrified. ¡°Yeah, so funny. Ha ha.¡± There are about one hundred soldiers now. They will walk to the pier in the city close to Arcadia and there they will load the boats and leave. But they need to have everyone here first. More and more people arrive until finally, it seems like everyone is here. Jade sees the man whose friend is a mage in the crowd, looking excited to leave. Most others just look apprehensive, like they would rather be somewhere else. Jade doesn¡¯t know what to think. Happiness and guilt are warring in her mind. A man walks to the front of them and begins to speak. ¡°Say your goodbyes now, if you must. My name is Captain Kanad, and I will lead you to Magefell. We leave in five minutes.¡± Jin wraps Jade and Guilia in a hug at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you so much. Come back safe, please,¡± She says. ¡°We will,¡± Jade reassures her. ¡°We¡¯ll be back before you know it, with plenty of stories to tell.¡± ¡°And tell Zade what you feel. I¡¯m sure he needs to hear it,¡± She smiles. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I felt that way.¡± ¡°Oh, but I know.¡± Torr was last and after hugging Guilia, he hugged Jade fiercely. For a second, he couldn¡¯t breathe, then he let her go. ¡°If you die, I will chase you into the afterlife and kill you. I promise.¡± He says. ¡°Come back safe. I don¡¯t want to see you injured. Please don¡¯t make me fail in protecting you.¡± ¡°This is not a permanent goodbye,¡± Guilia tells him. ¡°We will be back. We¡¯re only going to fight cannibalistic massive wolf monsters who love to kill humans. We¡¯ll get you something from Magefell, something nice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anything nice. I just need you back.¡± ¡°Thank you, Torr. You¡¯re the best Guard Captain we could have.¡± Torr finally let the tears run down his cheek. ¡°Have a safe trip and a safe battle.¡± ¡°Safe battle? We¡¯ll try,¡± Jade laughs. Torr smiles. The man returns to the front of the small army. ¡°OKAY,¡± Captain Kanad screams. ¡°We will be leaving now. No more goodbyes. Now we will march.¡± Jade and Guilia stay at the back of the army as it begins to march. Robin joins them and Jade looks back at Torr and Jin. They wave at her and she waves back, smiling to reassure them, Torr doesn¡¯t look reassured, though, just scared. Jade looks forward and sideways, at her friends who are coming with her. ¡°Ready, Guilia?¡± She asks. ¡°I¡¯m ready. I just don¡¯t know if my body is,¡± Guilia laughs. ¡°Girls trip, right? That¡¯s all this is?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Robin says. ¡°As they march, Jade thinks about what will happen. She will have to face monsters stronger than her that only want to kill her. She will be forced to fight for a country that she has never lived in, that she feels no patriotism for. She¡¯s nervous, a little scared. Fighting those monsters is the hardest thing she¡¯s ever done, and she doesn¡¯t really want to do it again. But Zade is at Magefell, and she can¡¯t wait to see his face when she appears in front of him. She misses him, just like he misses her, and now she finally gets to see him again. And for that reason, she¡¯s also excited and happy to go. She¡¯s also sad to leave Torr and Jin and her family. She needs to come back for them. She can¡¯t leave them here without her. She doesn¡¯t know how that will fit in with Zade yet, but whatever comes will come. Jade is nervous and scared, and sad, but she¡¯s also excited and happy. All those emotions war in her head, but there¡¯s one thing she can¡¯t stop thinking about: Jade is going to Magefell. She is going to see Zade. Chapter Fifty-One: The Politician Chapter Fifty-One: The Politician T¡¯tam was a politician. He had always wanted to help the world. Too late, he had realized politicians many times did the opposite. Ever since the battle with the beasts the Cult had sent, political tensions in Magefell had gotten so much larger, so much tenser. The Cult had finally gone public in Magefell, at least as much as they were willing to, and the response had been worse than he had expected. While most citizens hated the Cult for what they¡¯d done¡ªthat was the most rational decision, T¡¯tam himself had lost an aunt in the battle¡ªthere was a surprising, concerning amount of citizens who had taken the Cult¡¯s side, causing it to grow rapidly. While the market was still being rebuilt¡ªalmost completely done now, the mages having been worked almost to death¡ªthe riots in Magefell had grown like never before. Cultist citizens were growing bold and impatient, calling for a revolution, and an end to the social statuses that existed. The Cultist High Mages and Parliament members, of course, told the citizens to calm down, but T¡¯tam knew that on the inside they loved this, the fear and nervousness this caused in their enemies. Which was why the Parliament had called for a meeting. The riots were growing, tensions were high, and some countries were still sour over their Royals being at Magefell during the attack. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I call into meeting the first issue, the return of the royals,¡± the parliament organizer told them. The Parliament was made of fifteen members, five of which were High Mages. The organizer was the man who had all the issues of meeting organized, and who kept the meetings civilized. The PArliament was supposed to be calm and without conflict, but one one introduced a death cult that had no regard for any non-mages, ignoring conflict was a little hard. T¡¯tam always tried to keep a level-head, but it was difficult sometimes. Queen Rhin was pissed at Magefell, but she recognized that it wasn¡¯t completely their fault. Still, tensions were high with her. Thankfully, both Aleudaum Seom and Mremba seemed to be on good terms with them. The only country they hadn¡¯t heard back from was Arcadia. ¡°I have gotten word back from King Aegon of Arcadia,¡± Member Thurri said. He had been in charge of any messages back and forth with Arcadia, alleviating any sort of problem due to the battle. ¡°King Aegon bears no ill will towards us, and he hopes¡ª¡± ¡°Read us the message,¡± A drawling voice interrupted. Member Killia, one of the oldest members of Parliament, and a recently converted but very vocal Cultist. She didn¡¯t trust anything a Member said, unless what he was saying was confirmed by message. One of Member Thurri¡¯s pages stepped forwards. ¡°I am Aegon, king of Arcadia, blah blah, you know the rest,¡± the page started, then blushed. ¡°It¡¯s what it says.¡± Member Killia coughed, and the page started. ¡°Of course, sorry. I bear no ill will towards you. The battle was fun, and Yue Zhang protected me. I have loved my conversations with her. Thank you for the lovely time you have given me with the tournament. I just regret what has happened. I hope your city recovers. But we do not blame you for what happened, and hold no accountability over you. ¡°Now, I must turn to an important matter. There are one hundred soldiers and twenty Arcadian guards on their way to you.¡± Murmurs began in the parliament, and the page cleared his throat and raised his voice. ¡°Do not be alarmed. They are there to help you, but it is not a show of good will. You may need them. I will let them explain when they arrive¡ªeither the day you read this or the day after¡ªbut suffice it to say Magefell is in danger and you should prepare for it. Here ends the message from King Aegon of Arcadia.¡± The parliament exploded, metaphorically of course. T¡¯tam looked at the woman across from him, Member Lysandra. She was usually on his side with every major issue, and this letter seemed to have scared her. ¡°What do you think it means?¡± T¡¯tam asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lysandra admitted. ¡°But it does not bode well. If we truly are in danger, I do not know if we shall be able to recuperate in time. Of course, we do not know what the danger we face is. I hope we shall not have to fight inside Magefell again.¡± ¡°I already told you need not keep such formal language in here,¡± T¡¯tam chided. ¡°But you¡¯re right. Magefell is in a precarious position as it is.¡± ¡°Everyone, quiet!¡± The organizer screamed. ¡°Attention. If one of you wants to speak, you may. But one at a time, please.¡± ¡°We need not worry about this,¡± Member Killia stated. ¡°King Aegon must not know everything. Magefell is not in danger. At any road¡ª¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°How do you know?¡± Lysandra retorted. ¡°Is this another Cult plot you have concocted to throw us away?¡± ¡°How dare you insinuate something like that?¡± Member Wesron, a Cultist High Mage, stated. ¡°We only participate for the good of Magefell. Sending another army to attack would be unwise.¡± ¡°Not to mention foolish!¡± Someone¡ªT¡¯tam didn¡¯t see who¡ªinterrupted. ¡°It¡¯s the same thing,¡± Member Weston groaned. ¡°So you know nothing of this?¡± T¡¯tam asked. ¡°Any information at this stage would be imperative.¡± ¡°We should wait for the hundred and twenty,¡± Member Guyros, the oldest and wisest¡ªat least from T''tam''s perspective¡ªof the Members, said. ¡°It is reckless to argue and decide before we even know what we¡¯re facing.¡± ¡°He is right,¡±¡± T¡¯tam agreed. ¡°We can reconvene when we see the small army.¡± ¡°I third that,¡± Lysandra said. ¡°Are we in agreement then?¡± The organizer asked. ¡°Those who wish to accept this proposal, say I.¡± A chorus of I¡¯s followed. ¡°Any opposed, say nay.¡± Surprisingly, no one answered that. The vote was unanimous. ¡°Then we shall pass on to the second issue,¡± The organizer said. ¡°With the increase in riots, all in the name of Dautha, the Parliament must consider what it shall do about it.¡± ¡°We must control them,¡± Member Wesron stated, to T¡¯tam¡¯s surprise. ¡°But, they do have the truth in mind. We do not support their riots, but we support what they stand for. We must introduce Cultist views into our own Magefell laws.¡± T¡¯tam gaped at what he said. Just a few weeks ago, no one in the parliament would have dared to say anything so controversial, something so close to treasonous. ¡°Accepting what they believe in will only tell them they did the right thing,¡± Member Guyros said. ¡°And who knows? Maybe they are?¡± Member Killia asked. ¡°Are you oh-so-holy to think that maybe they are right and you are wrong?¡± Standing up, hot-headed Member Firrden shouted. ¡°So you admit to conspiring with them? You and your Cult are here as anarchists! Your hierarchy means nothing. You must be exiled, or killed!¡± Member Wesron smiled as Firrden rose to the bait. ¡°And this is why we must be here! You do not accept those with a different worldview!¡± ¡°Oh, we do,¡± T¡¯tam jumped in. ¡°We just do not accept those who use violence to promote their own methods. You sent monsters after us to attack Magefell. It is treason.¡± ¡°We did not send them against Magefell,¡± Member Killia said. ¡°We put them on the outskirts of Magefell, outside of their jurisdiction, but still on the island. It was the citizen¡¯s choice that made them leave towards Magefell.¡± ¡°That wasn''t a choice,¡± Lysandra retorted. ¡°You let them choose between death and possible life. Anyone would choose the former.¡± ¡°Not if their God said otherwise,¡± Killia breathed. ¡°You¡¯re sick,¡± Member Firrden told them. ¡°All of you. Thank Gods you¡¯re still a minority.¡± That was too far, T¡¯tam thought. As much as he appreciated Firrden for being on the same side as him, he did have many problems with the man. He would often say things he shouldn¡¯t, and they would only end up putting them in a bad light, giving way for the Cultists to convert others to their cause. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± Member Wesron said with unbridled hatred. ¡°You have no right to say anything that egregious.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Member Firrden began, but Guyros interrupted him. ¡°Shut up,¡± He said calmly. Thankfully, Firrden did just that. Member Tyrian, one of the few neutral members, saved the parliament from escalating. ¡°Whatever you believe, these riots are going too far. People are dying, and others are critically injured. Even some mages have been joining. This must stop.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Master Guyros said. ¡°Member Tyrian, any advice for what we should do?¡± ¡°Send the Vanguard on more patrols,¡± She answered. ¡°The more, the better. With their fame, I feel most will listen to them.¡± ¡°That is a terrible idea,¡± Killia said. ¡°If we do this, the Vanguard will lose all its weight within the Cultists. Are you sure you want to do this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that will happen. Rioters will not want to fight the Sterkona,¡± T¡¯tam continued. ¡°Plus, she is well-loved after the incident with the Pillar of the Departed.¡± T¡¯tam remembered it well, after all, he was there. He hadn¡¯t been crying with the others, but he appreciated Yue for what she had done to a broken Magefell. ¡°The Sterkona isn¡¯t in charge of the Vanguard,¡± Killia pointed out. ¡°She might be.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Killia replied. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± The Parliament would be deciding who the captain of the Vanguard would be today. In the afternoon, they would break the news to the three Vanguard candidates. ¡°We must send in the Vanguard,¡± Thurri said. ¡°It is the best way to deal with all of this.¡± Wesron clearly didn¡¯t like this, but maybe it wasn¡¯t up to him. ¡°Shall we put it up to vote?¡± The organizer asked. ¡°All in favor of sending the Vanguard on more patrols, raise your hand.¡± As this issue was much more polarizing than the last one, he did not ask the members to say I. T¡¯tam raised his hand, as did Lysander, Thurri, Guyros, and five others. ¡°All opposed, raise your hand.¡± Six hands went up. Ance again, T¡¯tam¡¯s side had won, although that had been rarer and rarer those days. More and more, the Cultists had been more persuasive. That day, though, they hadn¡¯t cared too much about the issues brought up. They weren¡¯t as important. The next issue, though, would be much more important. ¡°The third issue we must deal with is deciding the new Captain in the Vanguard. We have three candidates: Yue Zhang, Kol Guyhian, and Yiro Gongsun. You may speak.¡± Immediately, the members of Parliament began to argue. This would be a very important and polarizing issue, and T¡¯tam hoped it would be resolved soon. He smiled, thinking about his own decision. If it was up to him, then the Vanguard would have a great captain. But maybe it wasn¡¯t up to him. Chapter Fifty-Two: The Politician, Part 2 Chapter Fifty-Two: The Politician, Part 2 Three hours later, T¡¯tam walked out of the Parliament Hall, already exhausted by the day¡¯s events, and it wasn¡¯t even midday. Thankfully, he had the next five hours to himself, before he had to reconvene with the Parliament. So, of course, he did the one thing he could. He traveled home. T¡¯tam¡¯s home was in the Antiquated Section. If it was up to him, he wouldn¡¯t live there, but it was tradition for Members of parliament to live there, so he did. Plus, he did need ample space for his two kids, and a third on the way, so a large house was always good. As he traveled from the Hall near Zenyth towards his house, he looked at the black castle, the one representing darkness. He had always been of the view that what was in there should be revealed to the public, but he understood why it was not. At the same time, he thought that the Parliament should have more transparency with the citizens of Magefell, and thereby the world. Most others disagreed, especially the cultists. But even Lysander disagreed with him on that issue, so he let it go. As soon as he reached his door, he began to relax. Every time the door creaked, his kids came running, and this time was no exception. Both Mathilda and Hazel ran at him, faces joyful. ¡°DADDY!¡± They screamed. Rosia stood behind them, a smile on her face. ¡°Free from work?¡± ¡°For now,¡± He nodded faintly. ¡°You look tired.¡± ¡°I wonder why.¡± ¡°You want to talk about it?¡± She asked, and he nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Rosia was the one person who helped him rationalize his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll just stay with the kids for a second,¡± He told her, and she nodded. For the next hour, he unwinded¡ªor at least he tried to¡ªand afterwards, he went to his room. His wife was already there, waiting for him. ¡°The Cult is going too far,¡± He told her. ¡°Tell me everything.¡± He did, and afterwards, Rosia sighed. ¡°Of course,¡± She said. ¡°This isn¡¯t looking good for you. They¡¯re playing you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. They softened us up, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They did,¡± His wife agreed. ¡°That¡¯s how they won the third time. But do you really think the candidate is so bad?¡± ¡°For the Vanguard?¡± T¡¯tam asked. At Rosia¡¯s nod, he shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s good, really good. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad one, I just think the other one was better. And the fact that the Cult chose¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± She replied. ¡°I have the same worries, but you¡¯ll handle it when it comes. The Vanguard has become very anti-cult. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let their Captain change them.¡± ¡°I know, but as far as I¡¯ve heard, this one is the Sterkona¡¯s friend. Is he secretly a Cultist? If so, this does not bode well.¡± ¡°When has it boded well since the tournament?¡± Rosia asked. ¡°I understand your concern. You¡¯ll have to watch him now. Especially with the riots. If he ever patrols the city, we¡¯ll be able to tell what he truly wants. Don¡¯t worry about it too much now. The Sterkona has more of a hold on the Vanguard than you think.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, of course.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± She kissed him. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°What about King Aegon¡¯s message? What can we do about it?¡± ¡°I have no idea,¡± Rosia responded. ¡°I¡¯m just as stumped as you are. But if I were you, I¡¯d warn the Vanguard that they might be needed. What with their new recruits and trying to relax after the battle, we don¡¯t want anything to catch them unawares.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t want to worry them,¡± T¡¯tam said. ¡°That¡¯s important as well, but if we need to fight and they aren¡¯t ready, we could be wiped out. You know that. The Vanguard may be trying to recover, but so are we, and we¡¯re in no condition to fight. I said from the start that giving the Vanguard a break was wrong¡­¡± ¡°And I agreed with you. The Cult won that vote too.¡± ¡°You must gain control of the parliament.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Talk to the members. Your friends, those who are neutral. All of them. Reason with them, be friendly and helpful. That will go a long way if you want their support.¡± ¡°That sounds wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so different from you and Lysander¡¯s dynamic. You both are good friends, and even though you disagree, you support each other.¡± ¡°But we don''t disagree over the major topics!¡± T¡¯tam protested. ¡°But if you did, what would you do?¡± ¡°Then I would reassess my view,¡± he admitted. ¡°I would try to see if she was right, if there was any way I was looking at it wrong.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what you must do. You must befriend others, see if they reassess things¡ªas you put it¡ªbut through your lens.¡± ¡°That still sounds wrong,¡± T¡¯tam said. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t sound easy.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± His wife replied. ¡°But when Magefell is at stake, you must do what you can. I agree that befriending others for the sole purpose of changing them isn¡¯t right, but you must. It¡¯s not all black and white now.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I know,¡± He bit his lip. ¡°I hate not being able to look at things like that anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a politician,¡± She smiled. ¡°Since when have you seen things as black and white?¡± He mirrored her grin as she snuggled up next to him. T¡¯tam didn¡¯t get much sleep. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Two hours until they told the Vanguard who the new captain was, and T¡¯tam was already dreading it. He hoped to find Lysander or one of the neutral members of the parliament there, to begin his and Rosia¡¯s plan. He still felt a small twinge of guilt and regret for what he would do, but he understood its importance. Lysander was in her office, thankfully. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She asked. ¡°Rosia gave me an idea, but I want to run it through you before I start it.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Rosia thinks we should befriend the other members of parliament to convince them of the truth.¡± Lysander got it immediately and smiled. ¡°Oh, that sounds fun. Brainwashing others through the power of friendship.¡± ¡°Don''t say it like that,¡± T¡¯tam replied. ¡°Sometimes, I don¡¯t understand how you¡¯re twenty-five.¡± ¡°Being around you will do that to a gal,¡± She replied. ¡°Just look at Rosia.¡± T¡¯tam didn¡¯t rise to the bait, instead sitting down and glaring at Lysander. ¡°What we are doing, it isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Who cares what¡¯s right? The Cult sent murderous monsters after us just because we didn¡¯t agree with them! The only way to fight fire is with fire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it goes.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t care,¡± She responded. ¡°It¡¯s how it goes to me, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Sobering, she sighed. ¡°I understand, really, I do. But if we only do what¡¯s right, then we¡¯ll never win. Helstrom killed a High Mage and the Captain of the Vanguard! The Sterkona helped!¡± ¡°But they were attacked!¡± ¡°The High Mage was down when they killed him. You know that. They did what they needed to, because those in the Cult don¡¯t deserve to live.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± T¡¯tam shook his head. ¡°Everyone deserves to die.¡± ¡°And if they discriminate and kill? They still deserve to die? No, a life for a life. Anyone who has murdered purposefully, for evil, deserves to die?¡± ¡°And who decides who is evil?¡± ¡°The Parliament does,¡± Lysander said. ¡°And I am part of the Parliament.¡± ¡°But the Parliament also says that killing is wrong, in any circumstance except self-defense and war.¡± ¡°All of us have our own view of good and evil,¡± Lysander admitted. ¡°If we asked the Cult, I know they would say we were evil. But no one in the Cult has asked if they were good or not. If they did, they were having second thoughts. Those who are evil in general do not wonder if they are good, they don¡¯t worry about it. I do, and that¡¯s a good first step.¡± ¡°For a politician, you are surprisingly illogical.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of fighting the issues over court, T¡¯tam,¡± Lysander said. ¡°If we do this, you know eventually they¡¯ll get the upper hand and that cannot happen.¡± ¡°We can prevent it.¡± ¡°Can we? We¡¯ve been trying for years, and they¡¯re only growing, and now it¡¯s getting much worse. Think of your children. What will happen if the Cult takes over? You must do this for them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring my children into the mix!¡± ¡°Why not? The Cult may well target them. You know them, they don¡¯t care who they attack as long as their point gets across, and I¡¯m certain that they would get their point across by killing them or your wife.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to befriend others as a ruse to change their perspective?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as wrong as you think. It¡¯s a real friendship¡­¡± ¡°Is it? A friendship isn¡¯t real if one side doesn¡¯t know the other''s intentions.¡± ¡°It is for one party,¡± Lysander replied. ¡°And sometimes, it still is for both parties. I will do it. Whether you will or not is up to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± T¡¯tam said. ¡°But if this goes wrong¡­¡± ¡°The consequences would be horrible? The political implications would rattle me? My trust would be forever shaken? I know. But where¡¯s the fun without risk?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like lying to others.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a politician for?¡± ¡°Not all are like that,¡± T¡¯tam glared at her, and Lysander winked. ¡°Just us.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª T¡¯tam entered his office and jumped as he saw a silhouette there. ¡°I need your help,¡± Member Tyrian said, stepping out of the shadows. ¡°I¡¯m in danger.¡± ¡°What happened? And why are you coming to me?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t trust anyone else!¡± Tyrian said. ¡°My friends would kill me, and I can¡¯t see anyone who could be a Cultist.¡± ¡°Sit.¡± Tyrian sat down on a couch, and T¡¯tam sat next to him. ¡°I¡¯m being blackmailed by the Cult. If this is happening to me, it could be happening to anyone else.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want to talk to my friends,¡± Member Tyrian said. ¡°I cheated on my wife. I have a second family, and I¡¯m secretly a mage.¡± T¡¯tam whistled. ¡°That¡¯s a lot. Got any excuses?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just a bad person, and now that I¡¯m addicted to secrecy and double life, I can¡¯t get out.¡± Member Tyrian smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a horrible ordeal. I can¡¯t let my wife or friends know I¡¯m cheating and have three other kids.¡± ¡°Three? How do you even afford that?¡± ¡°With difficulty. I have hidden that I''m a mage for almost a decade now, basically ever since I Awakened, somehow, and I thought I would take the secret to my grave. I always wanted to be a Member, and not a High Mage one, so I couldn¡¯t show myself. I¡¯ve been training myself for a decade but I¡¯m still not a smart mage.¡± ¡°And the Cult figured all this out how?¡± T¡¯tam scratched his head. He hated having more secrets to keep, and these were big. They were enough to get him kicked out of the parliament. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tyrian cried in desperation. ¡°But somehow they did, and they''re threatening to not only leak the information but kill the second family.¡± Knowing the answer already, T¡¯tam asked: ¡°And you don¡¯t go public with this, why?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t let others know!¡± Member Tyrian said. ¡°Say they¡¯re threatening your family and keep the rest a secret.¡± ¡°You know I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± The Member said. ¡°But now I don¡¯t know what to do. I have to agree with them on every topic and convince others too, but I don¡¯t want to. It makes me look abd and makes Magefell so much worse.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± T¡¯tam said. ¡°I think I need to talk with my wife¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Tyrian said. ¡°Not a word to anyone. Please.¡± ¡°Fine. But you need to give me time to think on this. I will help you to the best of my ability, just give me time.¡± Tyrian nodded. ¡°Thank you, T¡¯tam. I¡¯m sorry for throwing all this on you.¡± He left in a hurry, warily, afraid anyone would see him. T¡¯tam didn¡¯t know what he¡¯s gotten himself into. He had no idea what he could do to alleviate his co-worker and he didn¡¯t know if he wanted to. While Tyrian was neutral, he¡¯d mostly sided against T¡¯tam and often been rude about it. At this point, T¡¯tam didn¡¯t know if most of it had been blackmail or not, but he couldn¡¯t ignore how much Tyrian¡¯s attitude had sickened him sometimes. At the same time, the Cult sickened him more, and he felt it was his duty to relieve a fellow member from blackmail. T¡¯tam had already decided to do it, as much as he didn¡¯t want to. It was just the right thing to do, as much as Lysander said that didn¡¯t exist anymore. T¡¯tam had to believe in morals. And for now, he would stick by them, as much as he could. Chapter Fifty-Three: The Mage Returns Chapter Fifty-Three: The Mage Returns I am a Mage. I¡¯m still trying to process the way life¡¯s changed since I Awakened, but I¡¯m adjusting. For now, life is good. Magefell is still recovering from the Cult¡¯s attack, no surprise there. It¡¯s been almost two weeks, and all I can think about is the way the market has healed since then. Most of the buildings have been fixed, the Mages are doing a wonderful job, and the stalls are still getting set up, but a day or two from now, the market will look good as new. Some of the shops have already opened again, signs outside the doors, pronouncing discounts for all potential customers. I pull my cloak up against my head, and look down as I walk through the market. I don¡¯t want others to notice me, which is also why I¡¯m alone. While my friends aren¡¯t as famous as me, except Yue, they¡¯re still recognizable. I didn¡¯t expect my fame, and I like to think it isn¡¯t getting to my head, but I can¡¯t deny the happiness I feel when anyone notices me and congratulates me. Then again, I never would¡¯ve been famous if it wasn¡¯t for one person: Eva. The citizens of Magefell know me because they saw the rush of magic I used on the final few hundred monsters. They heard the stories of how we took on the ¡®evil mage and captain,¡¯ and, of course, me and Yue, Helstrom and the Sterkona, are now instantly recognizable faces. For now, I just want to walk through the market in peace. As soon as one person notices me, I know a dozen others will flock around. I pass by Wil¡¯s shop, and it¡¯s open, but I stroll past it. I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m grateful to him for giving me Nightwielder or not. On the one hand, it is a worthy blade, and can cut through mostly anything. On the other hand, it does explode with power in the most unexpected moments. Now, I have to be extremely careful whenever I use the dagger, so much that I¡¯ve taken to using my sword more than it. I also pass by the perfume shop¡ªI forgot the owner¡¯s name¡ªand it brings back memories, ones that are still raw and painful. While I have mostly been coping well with Astil¡¯s death, it only makes sense that I would still feel depressed at times. Anni still needs comfort most days, but we¡¯re always there for her. Zenyth Academy really is not the same since the battle. Firstly, of course, Astil is gone, and that puts a hole in life inside the academy. Next, I¡¯ve become famous, and in Zenyth, I¡¯m a little alienated by some people due to that. Thankfully, most people still treat me like they would anyone else. Then there¡¯s the fact that I¡¯ve publicly become the Cult¡¯s enemy, which is another reason I move incognito when I¡¯m alone. And, now that I¡¯m public enemy number one, I have to avoid any confrontation with them. The first time I met Th¡¯ul, Zenyth was at war, it seemed like, and that¡¯s already happened twice more since the end of the battle. Often, Cultists and Rationalists¡ªthat¡¯s what we call ourselves, because we¡¯re the ones with common sense¡ªare in an all out war somewhere in the Academy or its surrounding grounds. The plethora of inns and shops I pass by call to me with their signs and people, inviting me to check them out, but I ignore them all. Today, I¡¯m just here to look, and to enter one shop. That¡¯s all. The shop finally comes into view. While it was mostly destroyed by the battle, it¡¯s standing now, and I couldn''t help but pay it a visit. Strangely, I¡¯ve also forgotten the shop''s name, but they haven¡¯t added a sign to the recently redesigned shop, so I can¡¯t be expected to know it, right? I¡¯m only looking for one person anyway. ¡°Sir, I mean Sir Helstrom, I mean Zade!¡± A man¡ªboy? teenager?¡ªexclaims as soon as I come in. Reg. I bought a suit from him when I arrived, and I never got the suit but I doubt I ever will. ¡°Hey, Reg! How¡¯s the store?¡± ¡°Everythin¡¯ be fine for us,¡± Reg responds, lighting up. ¡°We do not have many customers now, but it be fun to reopen.¡± I can see he¡¯s struggling with adapting his language to be more formal. even so, hints¡ªand maybe more than just hints¡ªshine through his vocabulary anyway. ¡°Well, it be, I mean, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± I say. ¡°What happened to all your customers who needed something that the battle interrupted?¡± The question isn¡¯t phrased well, but Reg seems to understand. ¡°We be, are spending most of our time finishing that. Some of them have gone back to their own countries, but some of them be staying here, so we finish that as soon as possible. Speaking of, we finished your suit, personali¡ªpersolini¡ªpersonalized just for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I ask. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°If you be following me.¡± Reg leads me into the back, where several hangars hold suits and dresses and clothes of all kinds. I¡¯ve never had an eye for fashion, but I¡¯m sure if anyone did, this place would be wonderful. ¡°Here it be¡ªare¡ªis, you know,¡± He says, blushing. ¡°You can speak naturally to me,¡± I tell him. ¡°Mistress don¡¯t want me to,¡± He responds. I turn to my suit and smile as I look at the elegant black clothing. I can already imagine using it, though for what reason I have no idea. The suit does remind me that I might still stand trial for the killing of the High Mage and Captain Wolf. Hopefully, High Mage Aegon can convince them it¡¯s not necessary, and my popularity certainly helps my chances, but the Cult fights hard. I take my suit and thank Reg. It¡¯s already paid for, so I leave hurriedly, heading back to Zenyth. I¡¯m staring at the cobbles, wondering how they¡¯re so spotless after such a bloody battle when a man runs into me¡ªor, more probable, I ran into him¡ªand we tumble to the floor, my cloak falling off my head. With a scowl, I try to retrieve it. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°You¡¯re Helstrom!¡± The man exclaims. ¡°Can you do the thing for me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I respond, smiling, concentrating. I wanted to travel incognito, but I still like the attention. My body burst into flames, lightning crisscrossing throughout my body. Opening my mouth, I let the lightning pour out of it, adding to the layer of power. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± The guy says. I know most expert mages would be able to do a simple parlor trick like this, but it¡¯s still fun to watch everyone¡¯s reactions. Other people have started to flock, and I hear some interesting conversations between them. One in particular jumps out at me. ¡°I saw him in that clothes shop just a moment ago!¡± ¡°And he came out with something!¡± ¡°Should we shop there?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± I say, catching their attention. ¡°You should definitely shop there for all your fashion needs. It¡¯s wonderful, and, um, yeah, do that.¡± That wasn''t a very good advertisement but it¡¯ll work. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± I say, ¡°I must get back to training.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of all this attention, honestly,¡± I declare, furrowing my brows. ¡°I just can¡¯t with everyone in my face.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a liar, Zade,¡± Xavier responds, mock-glaring at me. ¡°You love it, and you know it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because I¡¯m more popular than you.¡± Xavier shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t really care. I prefer a life of simplicity.¡± ¡°Simplicity?¡± Sia jumps in. ¡°Yes, simplicity. It¡¯s the cornerstone I sit on.¡± ¡°Mhm, and that¡¯s why the magic you¡¯re learning is oh-so-simple.¡± ¡°I learn that magic to make my life simple,¡± He responds irritatedly. I yawn, eyes closing. ¡°I¡¯m tired today. I think I need to go read.¡± ¡°Aw, stay here a bit,¡± Sia tells me. ¡°We want your company.¡± ¡°That way, we have someone to remind us it could be worse off,¡± Xavier grins. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go talk to Skai, huh? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s dying to see you.¡± Xavier grins. ¡°Whatever you say.¡± He leaves, chuckling, and I sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t like him too much,¡± Sia admits. ¡°He¡¯s just teasing,¡± I respond. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make him any less annoying,¡± Sia says, crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be saying that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re entitled to your opinion. You¡¯re just wrong.¡± Sia laughs. ¡°I¡¯m tired too, by the way. Magic is harder than I thought!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± I say. ¡°Eventually, I think. I haven¡¯t gotten used to it either.¡± ¡°But you have powers none of us have,¡± She points out. ¡°Oh, and Charlli was asking about you.¡± ¡°Not good,¡± I grimace. Whenever anyone in Zenyth asks about me, it¡¯s for one reason: they want to talk, and usually, that doesn¡¯t go well for one or both of us. The Cult isn¡¯t very bold in their attempts to punish me, but they¡¯ve tried several times. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her later, maybe,¡± I tell Sia. ¡°For now, I really need to relax a little. I have a couple chapters I need to get through.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I read the chapters I need to, except for the second one. I¡¯m not sure why, but I¡¯ve been saving the chapter on the Mage War. I feel like I¡¯ll learn something important from it, but I don¡¯t think reading it now will give me that information. In the last week, Zenyth has grown much more welcoming, as long as both parties are on the same side, I know most Rationalists here at Zenyth and I¡¯d even consider some of them my friends. There¡¯s a rumor floating around now that the High Mages are going to test us soon. I need to be ready for that. And to be ready, I need to keep training. Without Master Thul, it¡¯s been hard to learn new magic. Thankfully, my book always has tips on what I should learn. For now, I¡¯m focusing mostly on two things: improving my shield and beginning the art of necromancy. On the side, I sometimes learn other bits of magic, but I don¡¯t practice those as much because they are not my field. I begin with an exercise I¡¯ve learned recently: stretching my core. It¡¯s a good exercise to relax and prepare me and my core, and it also gradually increases my core¡¯s strength. I probably should¡¯ve started doing this when I started but it wasn¡¯t as necessary as it is now. Grabbing onto my core, I slowly pull it from both sides and it stretches like goo. I must do this at a slow pace or I could injure myself. It doesn¡¯t require much concentration and is very satisfying, so it brings a smile to my face as I work. I do this for about five minutes, my Mana increasing just a little as I do this. At level 5, my mana depletes much slower than it did at previous levels, and I can Burn only at a lower percentage, but doing magic is still dangerous, especially when I¡¯m always learning something new. Today, the book wants me to learn how to identify anti-cores from far away. I¡¯m on my way to learning how to create zombies and control dead animals and humans, but, for that, I¡¯ll need to learn how to find anti-cores from a long distance. In general, I already know how to find an anti-core, but it¡¯s much harder from a greater distance, because my mind doesn¡¯t expect to find any in the infinite space. I have to really look. With my eyes shut, I examine the blackness around my core. Somewhere around here I should be able to find other cores. My skill in doing that has increased greatly in the last week, all in anticipation of this particular part. Stretching my vision over the blackness, I can finally recognize some cores. Most of them are from mages-in-training around Zenyth. That¡¯s a good start. Next, I try to find the anti-core of the bird on my desk. It¡¯s already almost disappeared but I¡¯m able to get a glimpse of it before it disappears, hopefully giving me access to a plethora of anti-cores around Zenyth. I will not find any human anti-cores, but any animal that died recently I should be able to get. I stare around the void lit only by the pulsating cores I cannot touch. I search for something eagerly taking light from the cores. There must be something here: a frog or a lizard or a bird¡­ There¡¯s one. It¡¯s small, maybe a fly, and it clearly died recently. There¡¯s a core right next to it that I assume belongs to a spider who killed it. As soon as I see one anti-core, the others follow. Two, then four, then eventually a dozen anti-cores. I feel a sense of fulfillment. Sometimes, I love magic. Chapter Fifty-Four: The Mage Returns, Part 2 Chapter Fifty-Four: The Mage Returns, Part 2 ¡°Who do you think will be elected as Captain?¡± I ask Sia. ¡°Definitely Yue,¡± She responds. ¡°She¡¯s too popular to not be chosen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why she won¡¯t be chosen,¡± Skai responds. I¡¯m at Ember On The Waters with Sia, Skai, Xavier, Th¡¯ul, and Anni. We¡¯re all on a break. Skai has gotten a job as a weaponsmith, and it''s been grueling, but she''s enjoying it. Her and Xavier¡¯s relationship keeps on trucking. Meanwhile, Th¡¯ul has been getting better at magic; High Mage Aegon told me he¡¯s a prodigy, and, honestly, nothing surprises me about him. He could be a serial killer and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. His unemotional face reveals nothing about who he is, and sometimes I still don¡¯t think I understand him. ¡°Skai¡¯s right,¡± He says. ¡°The Cultists would never let someone so popular and anti-Dautha lead their precious Vanguard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really their Vanguard anymore,¡± Sia points out. ¡°And isn¡¯t the Parliament led by non-cultists?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± Th¡¯ul admits. ¡°But they have enough people to make sure the Sterkona doesn¡¯t become the next Captain. And yes, I know the Vanguard has dropped all ties with the Cult, but do you really think there are no Cultists there anymore?¡± ¡°There¡¯s Joanne, at least,¡± I say, remembering Yue¡¯s Cultist friend. ¡°She should be kicked out of the Vanguard,¡± Xavier scowls. ¡°Anyone like that is a danger to the rest of the army.¡± ¡°Are all Cultists bad, though?¡± Sia asks, always positive. ¡°Yes,¡± I mirror Xavier¡¯s scowl. ¡°We can¡¯t let any Cultists have any leeway in our society. The more they become normal in our society, the more rotted we become.¡± ¡°That seems extreme,¡± Skai interrupts. ¡°They can¡¯t all be evil. According to Yue, Joanne¡­¡± ¡°Forget about Joanne,¡± I say. ¡°Joanne is just as much an accomplice to the battle as High Mage Eldor. Most likely, she didn¡¯t fight in the battle, and was cheering Magefell¡¯s downfall, and ours as well. She¡¯s not a real friend, not as long as she believes what she does.¡± ¡°That¡¯s extreme, Zade,¡± Sia tells me. ¡°Maybe you need to rethink everything?¡± ¡°ME?¡± I ask. ¡°Me? Rethink what? I used to think like you. Maybe I¡¯m not the one who needs to rethink, Sia. You¡¯re still immature, though, so I don¡¯t blame you. Come back in a year when the Cult kills us all and tell me what you think!¡± Sia cowers under my barrage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just trying¡­¡± ¡°To be helpful?¡± I shriek. ¡°I bet if we asked the Cult what they were doing, they would say we were being helpful! Helpful doesn¡¯t cut it, Sia. The world isn¡¯t just sunshine and roses. Get used to it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget how the mages injured me!¡± Sia exclaims, standing up. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be hurt by the villains?¡± ¡°Do you?¡± I wonder. ¡°You didn¡¯t really have to see anyone die! Maybe you didn¡¯t suffer enough.¡± Sia whimpers and runs out the door, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Zade, that was¡ª¡± Th¡¯ul begins but I interrupt him. ¡°Too much, I know,¡± I hang my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I said that..¡± Ever since I killed HIgh Mage Eldor, something changed in me. After killing someone in cold blood like that, I realized that I didn¡¯t care about death and loss as much as I thought I had. Slowly, I¡¯ve been feeling less about killing, about wiping out the Cultists. I¡¯m a little worried about myself, but I don¡¯t mind it. If this mentality helps me beat the Cult, then so be it. I do feel guilty about exploding on Sia, though. She doesn¡¯t deserve this; she¡¯s been nothing but sweet to all of us, and I know I need to apologize. ¡°Be careful with her,¡± Skai warns me as I leave. ¡°You¡¯ve really hurt her. You don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going through.¡± I nod and exit Ember On The Waters, customers gaping at me, recognizing me. Rumors will be circulating over me screaming at Sia, but I don¡¯t worry about it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Sia!¡± I call outside, not seeing her. A man outside the inn smirks at me. ¡°Looking for your girl?¡± He asks. ¡°A man led her down that way.¡± A scream splits the night. Unsheathing my sword, I run where the man pointed, because, sadly, I recognized that scream. It was Sia, I¡¯m sure of it. I follow the sound of the scream. Please don¡¯t let me be too late. I follow an alleyway to a dead end, and that¡¯s when I see them. Three men, taking turns kicking and punching, and even slashing at Sia with daggers. ¡°Hey!¡± I yell, throwing Nightwielder. It strikes one of the men in the back and falls with a gurgle. The other two glare at me. ¡°It¡¯s Helstrom,¡± One of them says, eyes widening. ¡°Kill him.¡± They both rush at me, and I swing at one of them, who ducks and punches me. The punch sends me flying, and I realize it¡¯s magically-enhanced. ¡°So that¡¯s how you want to play it?¡± I say, wiping blood off my nose, my body already erupting in a lightning-fire haze. Screaming in rage, I throw lightning at one of the people, who simultaneously bursts into flames. Evidently, he isn¡¯t a mage, and he dies like any Cultist should. Pitifully. The other one disappears, and I let the flames surround me, unwilling to let him anywhere near me. The man reappears next to me, and I slash, but the sword doesn¡¯t cut. Instead, it goes straight through him and he disappears. ¡°I was wondering when I¡¯d get to meet you, Helstrom,¡± The man appears again, and once again, he¡¯s intangible. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to see how I fare against the man who killed a High Mage.¡± The next time he disappears, I send a lightning bolt at him, and he shudders as it passes through him. Groaning, he tumbles to the ground. ¡°I have some bad news for me,¡± I growl, diving at him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have baited me.¡± I smash into him and stab him. The man gurgles as I stab him again, smashing his head in. The blood pours over me and I let it flow through me. I stab him again. This time his arm comes off and I pierce it again and again until it¡¯s unrecognizable. Then I do the same for his other arm, then his legs. Once that¡¯s done, I stab him over and over until every part of him is gone. Until no one will recognize him again. ¡°Never attack my friends again,¡± I say to what remains of the man. Licking the blood off the blade, I turn to Sia. She¡¯s just barely conscious and I run towards her. ¡°Zade, you¡¯re going too far,¡± She tells me. ¡°You can¡¯t live like this.¡± Then she falls unconscious. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I tell Sia when she wakes up in the hospital. ¡°I never should¡¯ve said what I said. I was wrong, and I am so, so sorry. I don¡¯t want to minimize what you went through, and I didn¡¯t mean to be so mean.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± She smiles. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean it.¡± I think she¡¯s lying, but I don¡¯t want to press the issue. ¡°But thank you for saving me. How did you even know where I was?¡± ¡°I went after you to apologize,¡± I explain. ¡°And I heard you scream. Truthfully, I¡¯m just glad I arrived on time.¡± ¡°Do you really believe what you told me?¡± She asks. ¡°That all Cultists deserve too?¡± ¡°What happened to you just proves it,¡± I tell her. ¡°They would all do that if they were asked too. We all need our own morals. They have none.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. They have morals, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯d go past them.¡± ¡°But what are their morals? They¡¯d cross them if Dautha told them too!¡± ¡°Dautha wouldn¡¯t tell them too. He¡¯s an evil god, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d kill for the sake of killing. Everything they do has a point, a goal, and whether the end justifies the means is up to us.¡± ¡°But the end is wrong, and that¡¯s why they can¡¯t do what they do.¡± ¡°Exactly! But does having the wrong ends really deserve death?¡± ¡°They way they do it,¡± I say. ¡°Yes, they deserve death. Joanne would kill Yue if Dautha told her too.¡± Sia sighs. ¡°But she hasn¡¯t done it.¡± ¡°But imagine everything else she¡¯s done! She¡¯s probably murdered dozens¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t, but I don¡¯t want to take the risk of that happening.¡± I close my eyes.¡± I won¡¯t let what happened to Astil happen to anyone else.¡± ¡°That was a personal vendetta, Zade.¡± She embraces me. ¡°I know how much it hurts, but you can¡¯t take it out on every Cultist.¡± ¡°I have no choice,¡± I respond. ¡°All of them would¡¯ve done it in Raakhshas¡¯ place, and I can¡¯t take the chance of it happening.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking just like them!¡± ¡°But I have the right end.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Sia asks. ¡°Because according to them, you have the wrong end. The end doesn¡¯t justify the means.¡± ¡°It must,¡± I respond. ¡°You¡¯re becoming the villain here,¡± Sia warns me. ¡°If you keep acting like this, you¡¯ll just be a Cultist with a different name.¡± ¡°There are no villains here anymore,¡± I tell her. ¡°Just bad people and worse people. There is no good side, not if we want to survive.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that,¡± Sia shakes her head. ¡°Then we won¡¯t win,¡± I say sadly. We fall silent as we embrace, and we stay like that for as long as we can. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª For the first time in a week, Eva¡¯s voice appears to me. You¡¯re doing great, Zade, she tells me. Your friends may not understand the sacrifices you must make, but you¡¯re on the right track. Every Cultist is on the wrong path. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say. ¡°I needed to hear that.¡± Don¡¯t forget your mission. Things are about to get tough. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Cult is recovering. On other continents, they¡¯ve already begun to amass. They¡¯re getting ready for something over there, and I think it has to do with your friend Jade. ¡°What about her?¡± Something happened in Arcadia. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out soon. Magefell is in grave danger again. ¡°So soon?¡± You still have plenty of time, but you should get prepared. Fight the Cult, practice your magic, I¡¯ll be with you as much as I can. Meet me in your dreams, if you can. I¡¯ll be waiting. Good luck, Zade, and remember: don¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I say as she disappears from my conscience. Eva is right: I can¡¯t afford to question what I¡¯m doing. If I let the Cult live, then they will spread the virus. What I¡¯m doing is right, just, and, no matter what my friends say, this is the right thing to do. A knock comes at my door. ¡°Zade?¡± A voice asks, and my jaw drops as my heart leaps in joy. I know that voice, but it¡¯s impossible. Chapter Fifty-Five: The Captain Chapter Fifty-Five: The Captain Yue was a Warrior. She belonged to the most elite army in the world. And now she didn¡¯t have a Captain. What happened when a young, strong army was left without its leader? Surprisingly, not much. In general, the Vanguard just continued how it always did: training and patrols. There was a lot more leniency and appreciation for the Vanguard in Magefell now, but patrols were tougher now, what with the riots becoming worse. And now that the Vanguard had lost over twenty people in the battle, it needed new recruits. Usually, it would have been the captain¡¯s job to bring in recruits. He would duel them, then they would have an interview. If they passed, they were inducted into the Vanguard. But now that the Captain was gone, all that was left were the three candidates for captain: Yue, Kol, and Yiro. So they devised their own plan. Yiro would go through all the recruits, eliminating anyone that didn¡¯t pass her scrutiny. Yiro was good at finding swordfighting talents in others, and if she passed by someone, they were probably not Vanguard worthy. Then, the recruits would go through an interview with Kol, who grueled them over morals and army tactics. If, and only if, they passed both tests, they moved on to phase three. Dueling Yue. None of the recruits would win, that much was obvious. She was the Sterkona, and she had won the tournament, proving she was one of the greatest swordswomen alive. No, the point wasn¡¯t to beat Yue. It was to show a recruit fought well, fair, and with a level head. None of which this guy understands, Yue thought, irritation plain on her face. The man standing across from her had already attempted to cheat his way through the duel twice, and that''s reason enough for Yue to disqualify him, but if that was his only problem, he should be fine. Except he didn¡¯t even fight well. Yiro had let him through, but sometimes her judgment was wrong. The Vanguard¡¯s job wasn¡¯t to show correct footing, how to handle a sword, or how to move. The Vanguard¡¯s job was only to hone an expert¡¯s skills and show them how to move as an army. Evidently, this man knew none of that. And finally, he was pissed. Not level-headed at all. True, many in the Vanguard weren¡¯t level-headed, but they all learned humility and calmness eventually. This man¡ªfor a man he already was¡ªhad none of that hope. He was too arrogant for his own good. Yue needed to teach him a lesson. So as he charged at her, she deftly moved away and swung the butt of her sword, catching him on the back. Once he fell, she poised her sword over his neck and yawned. ¡°I thought you would give me an easy challenge, Ryken,¡± She smiled. ¡°You failed. Alyx, please escort him out.¡± ¡°NO!¡± The man screamed, getting up. ¡°I deserve to be here. You know this. I knew it, they are right.¡± ¡°Who is?¡± Yue asked. The man, instead of answering, jumped at her, but was held back by Alyx as she led him away. ¡°You can¡¯t win this, Sterkona,¡± The man yelled as he was pushed away. ¡°One day you¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming for you.¡± Yue sighed and yawned again, this time involuntarily. This wasn¡¯t the first threat she¡¯d had today. The Cult was trying to scare her, that much was obvious, but if they thought it would work, they were dead wrong. ¡°Next!¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª A skinny, eighteen year old woman walked into the sparring ground. As soon as Yue saw her, she scowled a little. ¡°Name?¡± She asked. ¡°Rhu¡¯dia,¡± The black-skinned woman said, unsheathing her blade. ¡°I am here to claim my place in the Vanguard.¡± Surprisingly, although the words sounded arrogant,the tone of her voice was not. ¡°What makes you think you belong?¡± yue asked, a little harsher than she intended. She was tired of everyone¡¯s antics. ¡°We¡¯ve only let four people in here of dozens, maybe hundreds. How are you different from the others?¡± ¡°Show, don¡¯t tell,¡± Rhu¡¯dia smiled slightly, and Yue mirrored it. ¡°You¡¯re on.¡± They charged at each other simultaneously, and Yue slashed down on Rhu¡¯dia¡¯s leg. Deftly, the other girl blocked it and returned with her own slash. Yue stepped back, and turned on the offensive, dealing a barrage of attacks on Rhu¡¯dia. Normally, many candidates would fail this test. Instead of keeping cool, they would quickly grow angry and irritated when Yue did this, and they let their anger control them. Rhu¡¯dia was one of the few exceptions. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. She breathed in and out slowly as she defended, clearly trying to rein in her anger, but doing it successfully. That was something the Vanguard could help with. First test, passed. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean anything if the other two failed. So far, she fought well and fairly. But Yue wanted to see if she would find a way out of her barrages and into the offense. She kept pummeling Rhu¡¯dia with blows, doing everything she could to catch the girl off-balance, nick her in the arm, or anything else that would end the match. Rhu¡¯dis caught Yue¡¯s blade with her own and twisted it. Yue struggled against her attack, but was sent stumbling to the side instead of letting herself be disarmed. And thus, the woman passed the second test. She was already doing better than the vast majority of the other candidates. Yue hadn¡¯t expected that of such a skinny, young woman, but was pleasantly surprised by it. The duel wasn¡¯t over yet, and now Yue needed to see what would happen if Rhu¡¯dia lost. Currently, Rhu¡¯dia was on the offensive, but cautious. Taking advantage of that, Yue feinted to the left, and the girl followed, giving Yue time to move her sword down to decapitating Rhu¡¯dia. The sword stopped an inch from her neck. Rhu¡¯dia bowed. ¡°You have bested me, and I have failed. I will leave now.¡± Yue smirked at Alyx, who tried to hold in her laughter. Rhu¡¯dia walked to the exit, and Yue let her. But just before she passed the exit, Yue stopped her. Rhu¡¯dia had passed the third test. She had been able to show humility in loss. ¡°Why are you leaving?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I have lost. Only those who win belong in the Vanguard, right?¡± She asked, confusion plain on her face. ¡°You know how many people beat me today?¡± Rhu¡¯dia shook her head. ¡°Zero. You know how many got inducted?¡± ¡°You said four.¡± ¡°Wrong, five.¡± ¡°But you said¡ª¡± ¡°Things have changed since then,¡± Yue smiled. ¡°Welcome to the Vanguard, Rhu¡¯dia.¡± The young woman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°That is enough for one day,¡± Yue collapsed on her bed. ¡°Never again do I want to force someone out of the grounds,¡± Alyx responded from below her. ¡°Almost got killed three times today. Not to mention all the death threats.¡± ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Just pissed.¡± ¡°Then you failed the first test.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Yue said. Aster banged the door to the barracks and walked in. hugging Alyx. ¡°How¡¯d it go, sister?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t have gone better, sister. Everyone was so civilized and wonderful. We inducted one hundred people!¡± ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Aster replied. ¡°Yeah,¡± Alyx sagged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Yue interrupted. ¡°Some of the people were pretty sweet.¡± ¡°I didn''t have to deal with those people,¡± Alyx said.¡±I had to deal with all the arrogant, angry ones who threatened to kill me as soon as I returned to Magefell.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Yue replied. ¡°IF you¡¯re going to talk, please just leave the barracks. I need to sleep.¡± In the afternoon, the captain of the Vanguard would be chosen, and it was already stressing Yue out. On the one hand, she didn¡¯t mind the idea of becoming Captain. She knew she probably wasn¡¯t the best fit in terms of leadership skills. But she was the most popular, and therefore, she would probably be picked. If so, she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d do a bad job. On the other hand, she knew Kol was a perfect captain. Yiro wasn¡¯t fit to be captain, as much as she argued otherwise. Yue suspected she was in the Cult, but, due to that, the Vanguard would probably not allow her as Captain. They were still sour from the Wolf. That was why on the surface Kol was the best pick. Yiro was a Cultist, and just unfit to lead, Yue didn¡¯t know how to lead an army of two hundred; therefore, the answer was Kol. But it went much deeper than that. Yue had heard some of the interviews he¡¯d done with the recruits. He knew how to befriend them, but poke them to share their views. Kol was nice but firm, and she had seen him counseling and lading members of the Vanguard, But it wasn¡¯t her choice, and whatever came would come Yue would have to wait. A few minutes later, she fell asleep, her mind still in the afternoon. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°So, which one of us will it be?¡± Kol asked. ¡°I think they¡¯re going to the Sterkona. And frankly, you deserve it.¡± ¡°I hope they pick you,¡± Yue admitted. ¡°You deserve it more than me.¡± ¡°It will be me,¡± Yiro shrugged. ¡°I would do a better job than you.¡± She talked as if she already knew who it would be, and it scared Yue slightly. She knew that the Cult had members in the parliament, and hopefully they didn¡¯t find a way to elect her as Captain. If so, it could cause dissension in the Vanguard. They were on their way to the Parliament House, passing through the market now. Zenyth stood up before them, calling out to them. The Parliament House was next to it, and so was dwarfed by the glory of Zenyth. The Parliament liked it that way, as it kept them in the shadows. They decided all the laws of Magefell, but most citizens attributed it to the mages, and she was sure the Cult liked it that way. ¡°I¡¯ll accept it if you¡¯re captain,¡± Kol responded. ¡°Are you so sure they¡¯ll pick you?¡± Yue asked. ¡°No offense, but you seem to be the most unknown of us.¡± ¡°Even more reason for me to be picked,¡± Yiro told them. ¡°I could build a legacy from the ground up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the parliament would go for you, but I could be wrong,¡± Kol said. Yue ignored all the cries of the Sterkona coming from the citizens, a knot of unease in her stomach. She didn¡¯t know why she was nervous¡ªshe would accept whoever they picked¡ªbut she was nonetheless. Sometimes, the body responded to situations in weird ways. ¡°The Parliament will be biased towards you, Yue, because you won the tournament,¡± Kol said. ¡°It makes sense, too. You¡¯re so well loved.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see about that,¡± Kol said. ¡°Nervous?¡± ¡°Who, me?¡± Yue asked. ¡°No¡­yes, actually.¡± ¡°I feel the same. Can¡¯t explain it, though.¡± ¡°I feel confident,¡± Yiro said. ¡°Maybe because I already know the result.¡± Yue raised her eyebrows, but didn¡¯t rise to the bait. The parliament building was in view now. The pale marble building stood drab next to Zenyth, but that was the point. It looked like a fly next to a man, but it was still twenty feet tall. ¡°Shall we?¡± Kol asked, holding the door open. ¡°We shall,¡± Yue responded, walking into the hallway. The hallway was furnished with many paintings, each odder than the last. Most meanings were unclear to Yue, but she couldn¡¯t deny they looked stylish. Down the hallway was a desk, and on that desk was a woman, who smiled as she saw them. ¡°Yue, Kol, and Yiro? Your meeting is down the hall to the right,¡± The woman said. ¡°The members of Parliament are already there, waiting for you.¡± Although they weren¡¯t late, the way the woman phrased the sentence made it look that way. There were three courtrooms, but the one that the woman had pointed at was the third one. Yue took a deep breath and followed her friend and acquaintance. Chapter Fifty-Six: The Captain, Part 2 Chapter Fifty-Six: The Captain, Part 2 As Yue opened the door to the courtroom, she immediately felt the stare of dozens of eyes alighting on her and her fellow warriors. The courtroom was created to look condescending, like the defendant was guilty no matter what. It felt like judgment just to enter. Maybe ten feet above where the defendant had to stand was a circular balcony with three rings of chairs placed each above and behind each other. In the highest row of chairs were the fifteen members of the council, below that were their pages, and beneath that were the organizer, recorder, and any and every administration job. Usually, the judge would be there too, except this wasn¡¯t a trial. Yue observed the fifteen members. She didn¡¯t recognize any of them, but some of them looked slightly familiar, and she guessed she¡¯d seen them around during patrols. One thing she did notice, though, was the clothing. All of them were wearing suits, but there seemed to be three different colors. Seven of the members were wearing black suits, elegant looking but serious and demanding respect. Three of the members were wearing white suits, standing for neutrality and pureness. The other five were wearing blood-red suits, and they looked sinister and no-nonsense, ready to judge at a moment¡¯s notice. Yue assumed the three colors were split by some issue, but if it had something to do with the Cult she didn¡¯t know. The organizer wore a purple suit to not match any of the others. Each of the pages wore a specifically colored suit for their member. The pages that worked for the black-suited members wore varying shades of black and gray, depending on their members. Likewise, the pages working for the white-suited and red-suited members wore varying shades of white and red colors, respectively. ¡°May the potential future vanguard leaders be brought to attention, please,¡± The organizer told them, staring at them without any expression. Yue, Kol, and Yiro straightened themselves and met the organizer¡¯s stare. Satisfied, he turned to his papers. ¡°The Vanguard has a new captain. That person has already been chosen. But, as is tradition, the members of parliament still have a chance to change their mind. So they shall now state who they have picked as their captain. One by one, starting with you, Member Thurri.¡± Member Thurri gulped uncomfortably but recovered quickly. ¡°My vote goes to Kol Guyhian.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± The organizer said, staring at his paper. ¡°MemberT¡¯tam?¡± ¡°I have decided to vote for Yue Zhang.¡± The man¡ªmaybe twenty-eight¡ªsmiled down approvingly at Yue, winking. Yue Zhang closed her eyes as she got her first vote. She didn¡¯t know what she thought about it. On the one hand, it felt good to know that some people had confidence. But then again, she didn¡¯t know if they should have. ¡°Member Killia?¡± ¡°I vote for Kol.¡± Member Killia smiled and smoothed her red robes, smiling at Kol. Sharply, her gaze turned to Yue and she narrowed her eyes, her lips raised in scorn. A shiver passed through Yue, but she met her glare unblinking. ¡°Member Sonorah?¡± ¡°Yiro Gongsun.¡± Yiro breathed a sigh of relief next to Yue, who shook her head. Yiro wouldn¡¯t be picked and by now, she was almost sure of it. ¡°Member Lysandra?¡± Member Lysandra started like she hadn¡¯t been listening, her long lashes flashing up and down. ¡°I vote for Yue Zhang.¡± She smiled at Member T¡¯tam who nodded to her in appreciation. Five votes had been cast, and so far Kol and Yue were equal. Looking at the two warriors next to her, she found a mix of emotions. Kol was filled with anticipation, excitement, and nervousness, unable to conceal it. Yiro¡¯s disappointment was also clear on her face, but arrogance told her to hide it. Her gritted teeth told Yue all she needed to know, though. ¡°Member Jul?¡± ¡°I vote for,¡± The member let the anticipation hang, but eventually he noticed that the organizer was glaring at him. ¡°Kol Guyhian.¡± The recorder scratched on his paper, writing furiously. Yue guessed this Member had changed his mind over the vote. Frowning slightly, the organizer explored his papers, searching for something. Eventually, he found what he was looking for. ¡°Member Guyros, who shall you vote for?¡± The member who the organizer was referring to was old, maybe in his eighties, and he looked wise. ¡°I vote for Yue Zhang to be the next Captain of the Vanguard.¡± ¡°Member Lyrris?¡± ¡°Kol Guyhian.¡± ¡°And you, Member Tyrian? Who shall you vote for?¡± ¡°I vote for Kol Guyhian.¡± The organizer nodded and looked at the warriors again, his face still impassive as he looked at each one. ¡°Member Drago?¡± He asked. ¡°I vote for Kol as well. He is the perfect fit.¡± Ten votes down, five to go. Yiro was fighting tears, and Yue couldn¡¯t help but fight down a little disappointment. She¡¯d always said she wanted to lose, but now facing it, it seemed crushing, embarrassing to only have three out of the ten votes. Kol had six! That was double what she had. Next to her, Kol was trying to rein in his excitement. All of them seemed to be assured of his victory, and Yue knew he deserved it. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Member Firrden?¡± A pause as the member seemed to think about what he would say. Kol nudged Yue next to him, and smiled in nervous happiness. Yue couldn¡¯t help but mirror his smile and shake her head in disappointment. ¡°You still have a shot,¡± Kol whispered. ¡°Be quiet while in session,¡± The organizer interrupted. ¡°Member Firrden?¡± ¡°I vote for Yue Zhang.¡± ¡°Member Ravienne.¡± ¡°My vote is cast. Yiro Gongsun owns it.¡± Yiro didn¡¯t have any visible reaction to the announcement, but it didn¡¯t matter. Yiro couldn¡¯t be the Captain anymore, and for that, yue was happy. She could be satisfied with either her or Kol being captain. There were three votes left; Kol had six and Yue had four. Unless yue got all three of the last votes, she wouldn¡¯t win. ¡°Member Wesron?¡± Member Wesron stared down in hate towards Yue, his red robes flaring. Immediately, yue knew who he would pick. The way he stared at her meant he wouldn¡¯t vote for her. Bowing her head, she waited for his judgment in the form of his vote. ¡°I vote for the only fit captain, the only one who could complete the tasks well, one unbiased by their poisonous thoughts. One who does not serve the darkness.¡± Yue winced a little at the start of his pronouncements, but the more he talked, the more hate she felt. She glared up at him. ¡°Yes, we understand, Member Wesron. Who is your vote for?¡± Triumphantly, Member Wesron cast his vote. ¡°Kol Guyhian.¡± Kol sagged in his seat in relief and ecstasy. Yue kept her composure, glaring at Member Wesron but showing no frustration or sadness. And, now that Kol had won, she felt no sadness, frustration, or anger. She felt only peace and a little happiness. She would be able to keep her hobbies, to do what she wanted without the duty of Captain. Plus, Kol clearly deserved it more than her. There were tears on Yiro¡¯s cheek, but Yue felt no pity for her. ¡°The Captain has been chosen. But there are still two votes left. Member Th¡¯olian?¡± The member smiled down at all of them before casting her vote. ¡°Yue Zhang.¡± And you, Member Tanar?¡± ¡°Kol Guyhian.¡± ¡°And thus is the Captain chosen,¡± The organizer drawled. ¡°Yiro Gongsun was cast with two votes. Yue Zhang was cast with five votes. Kol Guyhian was cast with eight votes.¡± ¡°Kol Guyhian, you are now the Captain of the Vanguard. In one day¡¯s time, all of the Vanguard will be congregated with us so we can formally induct you as captain. That is all. This meeting is adjourned.¡± The organizer, recorder, members, and pages all began to file out hurriedly. ¡°Congratulations, Captain Kol, sir,¡± Yue smiled, shaking his hand. ¡°It¡¯ll be a long time before I¡¯m used to that,¡± He cringed. ¡°But I''m happy for the privilege, Warrior Yue.¡± ¡°Aw, come here, you bastard,¡± She smiled, embracing him. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± ¡°No hard feelings?¡± ¡°Why would I have hard feelings? I had my vote placed on you.¡± ¡°Thank you for the confidence,¡± Kol responded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually captain.¡± ¡°Well, you better believe it,¡± Yue teased. ¡°Or else you¡¯ll do a pretty pitiful job.¡± ¡°I have you to help me,¡± Kol said wickedly. ¡°You¡¯ll be my errand¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Yue responded. ¡°Don¡¯t even dare.¡± Kol laughed, then turned, frowning. ¡°Have you seen Yiro?¡± ¡°I think she already left?¡± Yue guessed, phasing it as a question. ¡°I feel a little bad for her.¡± ¡°Not me. She needed to be brought down a peg.¡± ¡°True. Well, I have to return. Will you stay here in Magefell or will you return with me?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay a little,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But thanks for the invitation. And congratulations, Captain.¡± She saluted, then winked. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª At the foot of the parliamentary hall, Yue breathed in the air of the city. Now, she was under the head of a new captain. She hoped he would be a good one, but she knew it would be hard for him to be better than the Wolf in his prime. The last month the wolf had been captain, he had done a poor job, but the rest of the time Yue couldn¡¯t deny how great he¡¯d been. She knew it would be tough for Kol to fill those shoes, but if anyone could do it, it was probably Kol. Walking down the steps to the hall, Yue smiled. Whatever happened next, she was ready. Then she ran into someone. The man fell backwards, and Yue stumbled to the ground. Standing up quickly, the man¡ªshe recognized him as Member T¡¯tam¡ªgave her his hand, and she used it to get up. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I wasn¡¯t looking,¡± The man responded. He was brown-haired, almost bald, with a nice beard and mustache that Yue would be envious of if she had been a boy. ¡°You are Yue Zhang, the Sterkona. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°The pleasure is all mine,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you give me your vote, Member T¡¯tam?¡± Eyes twinkling, Member T¡¯tam responded, *Just T¡¯tam, please. And yes, I did. I thought you were the right fit. Sadly,¡± He continued, frowning. ¡°The other members of Parliament did not feel the same. I am sorry about how it turned out.¡± ¡°I bear no ill will,¡± Yue said. ¡°I think Kol was the right fit anyway. But thank you, Member T¡¯tam. I appreciate it very much.¡± ¡°The only one who must be thankful is me. You probably didn¡¯t see me, but I was there when the whole incident with the pillar¡­¡± ¡°I remember that,¡± Yue responded. ¡°That¡¯s why you looked so familiar. I just did what I thought was right.¡± ¡°You helped the city when it was in a critical state. You did more than us members could do, and for that, you have my eternal gratitude. You did also take care of Captain Wolf, and for that I¡¯m sure the Vanguard is grateful.¡± ¡°It was a team effort,¡± Yue admitted, blushing. ¡°Ah yes, Alyx, Aster, Xander, Poli¡ªwho I was sorry to hear had passed¡ªArtemis, and Neena.¡± ¡°How do you know all that?¡± ¡°I know all about the city,¡± The man responded. ¡°But I¡¯ve taken special interest in you. Your stories have inspired me. Plus, I have to fight the Cult myself, if only politically.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡± She paused. ¡°About the inspiration, I mean. And I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fighting the Cult. They went too far at this battle, and with the riots, and I can¡¯t do much for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where us members come in,¡± Member T¡¯tam said. ¡°Let us take care of it. They hold a lot of influence, but we still outnumber them. We do everything we can to stop them. ¡°We always will.¡± Chapter Fifty-Seven: Ajutoare Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Ajutoare Jade is a Guard. Stepping off a ship, she wonders if she¡¯ll return to her home as a Guard. The job she has to do is harder than anything she¡¯s done before. But there¡¯s a silver lining, somewhere up there at Zenyth. ¡°I am so glad to be done with that,¡± Guilia sighs, hobbling around. Grabbing Jade, she steadies herself and catches her breath. ¡°That was hell on earth.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate,¡± Jade responds, ¡°You¡¯re acting like Zade.¡± ¡°Well, he was right!¡± ¡°Who was?¡± Mothe asks, stepping on dry land. He is a lean man, a guard from Arcadia, and he¡¯s come here because one of his friends is a Mage. Jade doesn¡¯t blame him, after all, she did the same thing herself. ¡°My Mage friend,¡± Jade tells him. ¡°More than friend,¡± Guilia whispers to Mothe, although the sound is perfectly audible. ¡°She tries to hide it, but we know the truth.¡± Mothe nods wisely. ¡°I totally understand. Your secret is safe with me, Jay.¡± ¡°There is no secret,¡± Jade says, gritting her teeth. ¡°Of course not,¡± Mothe winks. ¡°No secret at all.¡± ¡°Y¡¯all are so childish,¡± Jade tells them. ¡°You¡¯re both in your twenties. Act like it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a yungen compared to us,¡± Mothe replies. ¡°You don¡¯t know how mature I should be.¡± ¡°Alright, everyone, listen up!¡± The Captain of the new Army, the Ajutoare, tells them. ¡°I have talked with the dockmaster. We will have to lodge in different places. After we talk with the Parliament, we might be able to all stay in the same place, but it¡¯s better for us all to drop all our stuff somewhere and return. There are many inns in the Market. We will journey there, and we can decide where we¡¯ll stay.¡± A chorus of Aye, sirs runs through the Ajutoare, who salute and begin to march behind the Captain. Yue recognizes the way to the Market, and decides she wouldn¡¯t need help reaching there. She was here just recently with Zade. ¡°Where is Zade staying?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°Somewhere there,¡± Jade points to Zenyth. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where, but he¡¯s in there.¡± Guilia¡¯s mouth drops. ¡°I thought that was just a monolith.¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s mage central.¡± ¡°Did you go inside?¡± ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t allowed to, as I was not a Mage. I think they¡¯ll let me in, though, once they realize I need to speak with those in charge.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget why we¡¯re here,¡± Mothe says. ¡°To fight the Horde.¡± ¡°Is that really why you¡¯re here?¡± Mothe sighs. ¡°Of course Why else would I be here?¡± ¡°When was the last time you saw your friend?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°A few years ago,¡± He replies. ¡°I assume he¡¯s an expert mage by now?¡± ¡°In two years!¡± A man says, apparently eavesdropping. ¡°Good luck with that! The only Mage I ever knew took ten years to be considered an experienced mage, and he was one of the best.¡± ¡°And who invited you?¡± Guilia asks, frowning. The man shrugs. ¡°Just putting things into perspective,¡± He says. As he moves away, Jade turns to Mothe. ¡°He is right, though. I don¡¯t think two years will be enough.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Mothe shrugs. ¡°Has he never sent you any message?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Actually, yes, but I¡¯m tired of receiving those one way calls,¡± He says. ¡°I can¡¯t tell him anything!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Guilia wonders. Jade tells her about the messages Zade sent her, and Guilia frowns. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about that?¡± ¡°It just never felt like the right time,¡± Jade responds. ¡°We always had something on our minds¡ªthe Horde, Demien and Chrome, this trip¡ªit just felt wrong to talk about it.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°So there was a battle here recently?¡± Guilia says. ¡°Well,¡± Mothe says, his eyes widening. ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty obvious!¡± Looking at the Market, Jade gasps. While most of the Market looks the same, some houses are destroyed, burned down almost. There¡¯s a black pillar standing in the middle of the market with names on it. The streets are littered with what looks like dried blood and the whole market just feels wrong. ¡°What the hell were they fighting here?¡± Mothe asks. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that bad,¡± Guilia says. ¡°They have mages here,¡± Jade reminds her. ¡°They¡¯d have fixed everything quickly, if it wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± ¡°The Mages did such a great job,¡± Mithe gushes. ¡°I can¡¯t even see all the blood and intestines.¡± ¡°Intestines?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a heart over there,¡± He points. ¡°Must¡¯ve been a big man, or animal, I guess. Imagine fighting something big like that.¡± Unsheathing his sword, Mothe holds it in front of him. ¡°And you did that, why?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°You never know who¡¯s ready to attack,¡± Mothe warns. ¡°They¡¯re always watching.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Mothe growls. ¡°Keep your eyes out.¡± They have arrived at the center of the market. Many citizens are staring at them, murmuring about the strange army in the heart of their city. Some are terrified, screaming that a second battle is starting. Others only wonder curiously what we are here for. ¡°I want each of you to find an inn,¡± Captain Kanad says. ¡°There you will get a room for yourself. You can share it with someone else. Spread a message of peace. We do not want to worry Magefell, especially when their situation is as delicate as it is now. Meet back here in an hour without armor. That way, we stress the citizens less. Thank you.¡± ¡°Where should we go?¡± Mothe asks. ¡°I know a place,¡± Jade smiles. ¡°If it¡¯s still standing.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It is still standing. Opening the door to her sizable and well-furnished room in the Ember On The Waters, she thinks of the last time she was here, bringing Zaden to become a mage-in-training. Mistress Anan remembered her from last time, and wanted to give her the same room she¡¯d stayed in last time, but Chrome was with her, and her old room was too small. Mothe was next-door to them, but wasn¡¯t sharing it with anyone, at least, not as far as she knew, and she pointed that out to him. ¡°Why are you staying in a double room if you¡¯re staying alone.¡± ¡°You never know who I¡¯m bringing late at night,¡± the man grins. ¡°Gods bless those poor souls,¡± Chrome rolls her eyes. ¡°Gods bless them,¡± Mothe replies. ¡°They¡¯ll have to work hard to keep up with me.¡± ¡°You better not make any noise while we¡¯re trying to sleep,¡± Jade warns. ¡°I¡¯m sure you two will be making just as much noise in the night.¡± Jade throws a pillow at him, and he ducks into his room, laughing all the way. ¡°Asshole,¡± Guilia groans. ¡°Lovable asshole,¡± Jade says. ¡°Still an asshole,¡± Guilia collapses on her bed. ¡°Reminds me of Demien a bit.¡± ¡°Demien was meaner,¡± Jade replies. ¡°Intentionally, of course. Mothe, at least, shows that he likes us.¡± ¡°I miss them all,¡± Guilia tells her. ¡°Torr, Chrome, Demien. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d miss them more now that I¡¯ve left Arcadia, but I do.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Jade admits. ¡°I want to see them again so bad, but only Torr¡­¡± ¡°Not Chrome and Demien.¡± A knock comes at their door. Outside, Robin smiles and frowns at Jade, something she¡¯s never seen and now wishes she never sees again. ¡°Forgetting about me, sister?¡± ¡°Actually, yes,¡± Jade says. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have space in our room anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll stay with Mo,¡± Robin grins evilly, knocking on Mothe¡¯s door. ¡°Mo?¡± Guilia wonders. ¡°No one calls him Mo!¡± Mothe screams as he opens the door. ¡°No, not you! Get out right now!¡± Robin and Mothe had a love-hate relationship¡ªthat is, Robin loved Mothe and Mothe hated her. ¡°Stand aside, brother. Let me enter. We will share these premises.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Mothe blocks the door. ¡°You will not get in.¡± Groaning, Robin pushes Mothe, who flops to the ground. Entering the room, Robin stretches. ¡°This is nice. Just me and you, Mo.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± The man stands up, scowling. ¡°You¡¯re not staying here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your opinion, and I take it into consideration, but I refuse.¡± ¡°This is my room!¡± ¡°Our room,¡± Robin corrects. ¡°Of course, if you want to leave.¡± Mothe turns a pleading look to Jade and Guilia, who are doing their best not to laugh, and failing miserably. ¡°Thanks so much, girls,¡± Mothe growls at them, in a whispering voice. ¡°It¡¯s hard to take you seriously when you let Robin throw you around like that,¡± Guilia says, wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s not throwing me around,¡± Mothe replied indignantly, brushing himself off. ¡°I¡¯m letting her throw me around. So, I¡¯m throwing her around first.¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± Jade raises her hands innocently. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not sure she does. She¡¯s standing behind you, and she isn¡¯t happy.¡± Mothe jumped backwards and looked behind him to find nothing. ¡°I hate you, Jay,¡± He groans. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Zade all you¡¯re doing, and he won¡¯t date you after that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to date him,¡± Jade mutters. ¡°We need to get settled,¡± Robin says from behind Mothe, pulling him. ¡°Come on, brother.¡± Mothe turns one last pleading look at them before the door closes. ¡°Poor guy,¡± Guilia laughs. ¡°He¡¯ll suffer under her.¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Jade says. ¡°So, should we head down to the Market?¡± ¡°We have time to rest,¡± Guilia replies. ¡°I need a nap.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Welcome to Magefell,¡± Captain Kanad tells them. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun here, but we¡¯re not here for fun. We need to get word to the parliament as quickly as possible. For that, we need someone to send a message to the High Mages. One or more of you must go to tell them what is happening. Once you tell the High Mages, we should get a Parliamentary session. We shall tell them what is happening, and I assume they¡¯ll give us better lodgings until the inevitable battle. ¡°I need volunteers to go to Zenyth. I need someone, preferably with connections, who can reach Zenyth without any problems with guards. Does anyone feel they can do this job?¡± Jade raises her hand immediately. She wants to get to Zenyth as quickly as possible, and the way in seems to be getting the message of the Horde inside. Mothe sees her and decides not to raise his own hand. None of the others do, thankfully. ¡°Jade, step forward,¡± Captain Kanad tells her. Doing so, Jade realizes how short Captain Kanad is. He stands at least a head shorter than her, and Zade is a head taller than her. ¡°You know what to tell them,¡± the Captain tells her. ¡°Yes, sir. I will tell them the Horde is coming and we are here to help.¡± ¡°Exactly. Now, I know you want to see your friend, so I¡¯m giving you twenty-four hours to talk to the High Mage and return to me. Is that good?¡± Jade tries to conceal her excitement. ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s perfect, sir. I¡¯ll be back with news.¡± ¡°Good. Now, go,¡± He says, grabbing her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say we¡¯re counting on you, but¡­¡± ¡°You''re counting on me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter Fifty-Eight: Ajutoare, Part 2 Chapter Fifty-Eight: Ajutoare, Part 2 Zenyth looms over Jade, a growing darkness shadowing her. Staring up at the monstrous building, she wonders where Zade is staying. At the gate, a Guard looks at her, his helmet refusing to show her his expression. Through the eyeholes, Jade can almost see his eyes, but they¡¯re shadowed, and the rest of his face is blocked. ¡°Business?¡± The man asked. ¡°I must speak to the High Mages,¡± Jade responds. ¡°Also, I must see a friend of mine.¡± The man nods. ¡°Who do you wish to see?¡± ¡°Zade Helstrom. He¡¯s a mage-in-training here.¡± ¡°Purpose of visit?¡± ¡°Just to catch up. I¡¯m his best friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a lot recently,¡± The man tells her, stiffening. ¡°How can I know you truly know him?¡± What is going on? Jade wonders. ¡°I don¡¯t know what there is I need to prove,¡± Jade admits. ¡°As you can see from my armor, I am an Arcadian Guard. Zade himself is from Arcadia. He Awakened in Erenfeld, where I am from.¡± ¡°And why must you see the High Mages?¡± ¡°Arcadian business. It¡¯s confidential for now,¡± Jade says. ¡°But Magefell is in danger.¡± The man nods again. ¡°Mage Luc here will lead you to Zade¡¯s room. If he is not there, he will lead you to speak with the High Mages. If Zade is there, you are allowed to be with him, and he will lead you to the High Mages. If he doesn¡¯t recognize you, you will be arrested. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± A blonde thirty year old man¡ªLuc, Jade guesses¡ªopens the gate and smiles at her. ¡°Follow me.¡± She obeys him as they enter Zenyth. The blade-looking building is just as dark on the inside, and the light is coming from nowhere, apparently. ¡°You say you know Helstrom?¡± Luc asks, raising one of his eyebrows. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been best friends basically since we were born.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Luc winks. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Luc sighs. ¡°You can cut it out now, you know. I understand seeing Zade seems like such a privilege, but you will be arrested for this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Jade says. ¡°I arrived in Magefell today. Why is wanting to see Zade so strange?¡± ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± the mage asks, interest seeping into his voice now. ¡°Yes,¡± Jade responds, exasperated. ¡°Well, then I should let him explain. Suffice it to say, there was a battle and your best friend is a hero. The consequences of that are obvious.¡± Jade whistles. ¡°Interesting. So Zade¡¯s a hero now. I did not expect that.¡± ¡°You are serious,¡± Luc breathes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I was sure you were another fan! So, by best friend, do you mean¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Jade exclaims. ¡°No, never.¡± ¡°Good, because what with the Sterkona and all¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± the mage says. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡± Jade frowns as she keeps walking; what Luc has said is too much for her to process for now. She¡¯s sure Zade will explain everything in due time. Finally, after what seems like an eternal walk up flights of stairs and down them, twisting and turning through different hallways, they enter a big seating room that leads to another hallway where Mage Luc stops. ¡°Time to see if you¡¯re telling me the truth,¡± He smiles. ¡°Go ahead, try it.¡± He points at a door, and Jade knocks immediately. ¡°Zade?¡± She asks. For a second, there is nothing. Then the door swings open, and there he is! Zade stands, looking at her, trying to hide a smile. ¡°Do you know this woman?¡± Luc asks. Zade shakes his head. ¡°No, not at all. Must be another crazy obsessed girl.¡± ¡°Zade, no!¡± Jade exclaims indignantly. ¡°Don¡¯t lie!¡± ¡°Oh, I had such high hopes for you,¡± Luc grimaces. ¡°Well, come with me.¡± He begins to drag her away, and she turns a pleading look at Zade. ¡°Yes, take her away,¡± Zade groans. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this.¡± With a grunt, he closes the door to his room, and Jade hangs her head. Why would he do that? Mage Luc drags her down the hallway, shaking his head in disappointment. As they turn into the seating room again, a noise comes from Zade¡¯s room. ¡°Aw, hell, I can¡¯t pretend anymore,¡± he says, running at her and embracing her. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Jay.¡± Pushing away from him, she frowns. ¡°Why did you do that to me?¡± She asks. ¡°Stupid! If I had a potato here¡­¡± Then she embraced him hard, lifting him. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you, too.¡± ¡°So you do know her?¡± Luc asks, scratching his head. ¡°Of course I do. Thank you for bringing her here, Luc.¡± ¡°My pleasure,¡± he responds, shaking his head and walking away. ¡°We have a lot to talk about,¡± Jade says. ¡°That we do,¡± Zade agrees. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°So, you don¡¯t think people will talk about us being in the same room?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll talk,¡± Zade smiles. ¡°But they already talk anyway, so this won¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°What do you mean, they talk?¡± ¡°They know you exist, so of course, they assume we love each other,¡± Zade blushes. ¡°Do you?¡± Zade stares at her, eyes widening. Jade mirrors his blush and looks down. ¡°Sorry,¡± She says. ¡°No problem,¡± He replies. ¡°So¡­¡± Jade continues, trying to override some of the embarrassment of the situation. ¡°What¡¯s been going on with you?¡± ¡°You first. I have a lot to say.¡± Over the next two hours, Jade and Zade tell their stories to each other. Both of them process the information as best they can, but with so much happening in the short time they¡¯ve been apart, they are both having a hard time understanding everything. ¡°So Demien and Chrome are both dead?¡± Zade asks. ¡°And Guilia is here?¡± Jade nods. ¡°You¡¯ll see her eventually. And yes, both of them are dead, killed by the Horde.¡± ¡°Who are coming here now.¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s a lot, and I need to get the information to the High Mages as fast as I can.¡± ¡°Soon,¡± Zade replies, sorrow in his face. ¡°Chrome¡­¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s horrible,¡± Jade replies. ¡°And you lost Astil?¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve loved him,¡± Zade tells her. ¡°He was the greatest. We all loved him like a little brother. I miss him every day. I fight for him.¡± Jade nods. ¡°I¡¯m sure I would¡¯ve loved him, and I do wish I¡¯d met him. And he was killed by this Cult, right?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Zade says. ¡°I¡¯ve had to fight them ever since I got here. Their God wants to change this world, and we won¡¯t let him.¡± ¡°So you have your own God? I¡¯m sorry, just a little confused here.¡± ¡°Apparently, Dautha and Eva are intrinsically related, from the same place. Dautha cheated on their deal, and so Eva decided to choose people to become her champions in this war. I am one of those champions.¡± ¡°So you have power others don¡¯t have?¡± Jade asks. ¡°And you said the world was bigger than just this continent?¡± ¡°Yes. I can do things others can¡¯t, and I can pass it on to others for a little time. And yeah, the world is bigger than we thought. Way bigger. The world we know is only a tiny portion of the size of the actual world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe.¡± ¡°I know. But it is the truth. I¡¯ve seen it. We live in a big world, Jay, and the possibilities are endless.¡± ¡°Well, now that I¡¯m here, I can help you out.¡± ¡°How long will you be here?¡± ¡°As long as you all need us. We¡¯re here to fight the Horde with you. They¡¯ll arrive in a month or so.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Zade smiles. ¡°The more time you¡¯re here, the better. We should go tell the High Mages.¡± Jade nods and lets him lead her out of the room. Outside, they are met by a jet-black haired boy who raises his eyebrows at Zade. ¡°New fangirl?¡± ¡°Ew, no,¡± Zade replies. ¡°This is Jade.¡± The boy¡¯s eyebrows widen. ¡°Really? Hi, I¡¯m Xavier. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s told you a lot about me.¡± ¡°No,¡± Jade shakes her head. ¡°He didn¡¯t mention you. Are you like a friend or something?¡± Xavier groans and looks at Zade. ¡°I don¡¯t think I like her, mate. You made a bad decision here.¡± ¡°You really did,¡± Jade smiles. ¡°Befriending Xavier was the worst thing you could do.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s uncalled for!¡± Xavier crosses his arms playfully. ¡°Come on,¡± Zade says, pulling Jade along. ¡°We need to reach the High Mages.¡± ¡°What are you going to see the High Mages for?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s an army of man-eating nine-foot wolves coming to attack here, no biggie,¡± Jade smiles. Xavier¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Jade nods her head. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. To give you all the good news.¡± Xavier leans into Zade. ¡°Is your girl here delusional? She seems a little¡­¡± He twirls a finger next to his head and whistles, indicating her craziness. ¡°I can hear you,¡± Jade replies. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how you can call me delusional, considering Zade over here says he¡¯s met a Goddess and inherited great power here.¡± ¡°Hey, I think it¡¯s cute,¡± Xavier laughs. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him,¡± Jade says. ¡°You¡¯ll just make him more confident.¡± Zade breathes in and out, trying not to show his annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re right, he doesn¡¯t need the confidence,¡± Xavier replies. ¡°Any more and I¡¯m sure his head will pop. Fame getting to him and all. He¡¯s with a new fangirl every day.¡± ¡°Not true!¡± Zade exclaims. ¡°You¡¯re lying and you know it. I¡¯m not famous!¡± ¡°See, delusional!¡± His friend exclaims. ¡°He needs help, but we can¡¯t give it to him, because¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re delusional too,¡± Jade finishes. ¡°But mostly it¡¯s Zade.¡± ¡°Yup, mostly it¡¯s Zade. You know, I was wrong. I am glad you made her your friend. I¡¯m starting to like her.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m starting to really hate this,¡± Zade grits his teeth. ¡°You two are incurable.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking!¡± Jade replies. ¡°You¡¯re the one who says he likes to be annoying. How are we incurable?¡± ¡°At least I accept who I am!¡± ¡°So you admit to being stupid?¡± Xavier guessed. ¡°Cut it out, here we are,¡± Zade says, shushing him as he enters the room. There, he calls for a name, one Jade doesn¡¯t understand, but she knows it started with High Mage. A man appears next to her and she jumps away, startled. He appears nice, fatherly, wise yet young enough to have the need to experience new things, although Jade can¡¯t place his age. He could be anywhere from twenty to one hundred. ¡°Hello, Zade. What do you want today? And who is this?¡± He smiles at Jade. ¡°She¡¯s the reason I¡¯m here, High Mage Aegon. This is Zade.¡± ¡°Ah, the girlfriend.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± The mage-in-training responds. ¡°Just friend.¡± ¡°For now.¡± ¡°For-ever.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, won¡¯t we?¡± High Mage Aegon¡¯s eyes twinkle, and he whispers in Jade¡¯s ear. ¡°He¡¯s cute when he¡¯s in denial, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Jade replies. ¡°Of course he is,¡± High Mage Aegon says wisely. ¡°And I¡¯m a pigeon. Now, what is your business?¡± ¡°I need a Parliamentary hearing.¡± High Mage Aegon laughs, then stops as he looks at her. ¡°What for? Did you commit a crime or something?¡± Seeing her armor, realization dawns on him. ¡°You¡¯re with that army that came over. What has happened in Arcadia? Is King Aeson mad at us?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jade responds. ¡°Worse.¡± ¡°Worse than Aeson¡¯s wrath? I didn¡¯t think it was possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him mad.¡± ¡°Exactly. Makes it all the more scarier, right?¡± Jade grins. ¡°But yes, this is worse. I¡¯ll explain more, or Captain will, during the hearing, but I can say the basics now. There is an army of massive humanoid, cannibalistic wolves with armor and weapons heading in this direction intent on destroying Magefell, led by a human who will stop at nothing and is ready to destroy anything to wipe out Magefell, and he¡¯s wiped out a village, so we¡¯re here to warn and help you.¡± High Mage Aegon starts. ¡°That¡¯s¡­impossible.¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes and I had friends die by them. They are on their way and you need to be ready.¡± The High Mage looks shaken. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. Killian¡­¡± ¡°Who?¡± High Mage Aegon shakes his head. ¡°No one. I¡¯m glad you came to me about this. I will talk to the Parliament and I will get back to your Captain¡­¡± ¡°Kanad,¡± She says. ¡°He¡¯ll be around. You can find him in one of the inns around the Market.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it covered, don¡¯t worry,¡± He finishes. ¡°Thank you. Gods rest us. Giant wolves¡­¡± He walks away, and Zade turns to his friends. ¡°Well, that was strange. Did anyone else notice how scared High Mage Aegon looked?¡± ¡°This is bigger than we thought,¡± Xavier says. ¡°Whatever is happening, I think we¡¯re in bigger danger than even you though Jade. Maybe this is the Cult¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Then Aegon is right,¡± Zade declares. ¡°Gods rest us all.¡± Chapter Fifty-Nine: Meeting Jade Chapter Fifty-Nine: Meeting Jade I still can¡¯t believe my eyes. Jade is here in Magefell. Usually, that would be wonderful news¡ªand it is!¡ªbut the news of the Horde scares me. Whatever High Mage Aegon saw in Jade¡¯s warning is enough to put me on edge. According to Jade, though, they won¡¯t be here for at least a month. For me, that¡¯s enough to practice my magic skills. And to talk to Eva. After High Mage Aegon leaves, Jade and Xavier are left dumbfounded, and I¡¯m sure I look that way on the outside, but inside, I am pensive. Eventually, though, someone has to break the silence. ¡°So¡­that was awkward,¡± Xavier says. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I introduce her to the Vanguard?¡± I ask. ¡°You would do that?¡± Jade gushes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d love to meet them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go there with you,¡± Xavier declares. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to Neena anyway.¡± ¡°What about?¡± ¡°Stuff,¡± Xavier replies defensively. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Shall we head out?¡± Jade asks, beginning to walk away down the hallway. I turn to Xavier and smile, and he cocks his head. ¡°Where¡¯s she going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± A minute later, Jade comes back, red in the face and clearly annoyed. ¡°You lead the way,¡± She says. ¡°Clearly, I don¡¯t know the way around here.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The sun shines brightly on me and my cloak. As soon as I leave Zenyth, I start to sweat. The humidity doesn¡¯t help, of course. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re wearing armor,¡± Xavier says to jade. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± I can see Jade stifle a joke, and she responds seriously. ¡°A little. We can pass by the Ember to drop it off.¡± ¡°Does that mean I can see Guilia?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Guilia?¡± Xavier asks. ¡°Friend from Erenfeld.¡± ¡°Competition?¡± Xavier nudges Jade, who glares and turns away from him. ¡°Guilia could be your mother,¡± She answers finally, and Xavier shrugs. ¡°Some people like those things. I don¡¯t judge.¡± The market looms into view, and I hurry the rest of the way, eager to see Guilia. I was never very close to her, but any remembrance of Erenfeld is welcome, especially such a nice one. When we reach the Ember, Mistress Anan smiles at us and chuckles. ¡°I see you two have found each other already.¡± ¡°We have,¡± I respond, somewhat stiffly. ¡°Is there anything wrong with that?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Mistress Anan shrugs. ¡°Guili is still in her room, but both Robin and the other one have left.¡± ¡°Mothe?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Jade finishes, walking up the stairs, inviting Xavier and me to follow her. We do so, and I have a sense of deja vu, remembering the last time I was here, also with Jade. It seems like so long ago, but it wasn¡¯t even a month yet. Jade knocks on the door to her room, and a recognizable voice comes from inside. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Jade, and an old friend.¡± Guilia opens the door, wiping her eyes, clearly just woken up from a nap. ¡°This better be goo¡ª¡± She pauses. ¡°Zade!¡± With a squeal, she embraces me, and I grunt as the air leaves my lungs like an impatient nomad. ¡°Hey, Guilia,¡± I say. ¡°How¡¯s life?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Fine, everything considered,¡± She responds. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, but I¡¯m alive. How about you?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m alive, but after this hug, I¡¯m not sure,¡± I wheeze. Flushing, she drops me on the ground. ¡°Thank you. Yes, I¡¯m good. Life is very different here in Magefell, but it¡¯s fun all the same, and there¡¯s always the added sense of danger to everything.¡± ¡°Well, get ready for more danger. I assume Jade has told you what¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°I have,¡± Jade tells her. ¡°Zade acted nonchalantly about it.¡± ¡°Not true,¡± I respond. ¡°But I have had to fight a death cult, their God of death, and thousands of monsters, plus a few mages including a High Mage and the Captain of the most elite army in the world, although I wasn¡¯t the one to kill him.¡± Guilia¡¯s mouth drops. ¡°Tell me everything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we have the time for that,¡± I respond. ¡°But I can tell you the condensed version. There are two factions of Mages, and I belong to one, the most known and populated one. The other is made of a Cult, led by their God of death, who believes the world is messed up and needs to fix it. ¡°The Cult killed one of my friends, so I killed some of them in revenge. You must''ve heard of the Magefell Tournament, right? Well, in the end, the Cult destroyed the arena and brought thousands of monsters to this world. We lost many lives, but with help from my friends, we beat the army. In the process, I was recruited by a Goddess to be her champion in this continent, one of many, to bring down the Cult. ¡°Now, it is my mission to delay or stop anything the Cult does, and I have magical power that most don¡¯t have, due to being the champion of the Goddess. Did you get that all?¡± Guilia laughs, ¡°Imagine if that was true. That would be so crazy.¡± ¡°It is,¡± I reply. Gaping, Guilia replies, stepping back a couple steps. ¡°Prove it.¡± I grit my teeth, and look around. I¡¯m not sure exactly how to prove a Goddess chose me as a champion, not to mention how to prove the Cult exists. ¡°Well, you know how long it takes to learn magic, right?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes, I do. I¡¯ve heard it takes at least a decade.¡± ¡°More, usually,¡± I respond. ¡°Xavier, show her what you can do.¡± Groaning, Xavier smirks. ¡°Always me, isn¡¯t it?¡± He brings three Fireballs to his hands and begins to juggle them. Guilia¡¯s eyes widen as she stares at the Fireballs. ¡°That is the extent of Xavier¡¯s magic,¡± I say. ¡°He can do a little more, but not much more, and he¡¯s been here for a little longer than me.¡± ¡°What can you do?¡± She asks. I grin, my body already flowing with flames and lightning. Crackling, the lightning zooms around me, enveloping me like an old friend. The flames lift me up and tickle my skin, eager to release and devour. ¡°This is who I can become,¡± I say, my voice louder than usual. ¡°Do you believe now that I have a Goddess inside me?¡± Guilia is speechless. When I come down, the power evaporating, I let her catch her breath, trying not to smirk. ¡°I think I believe you,¡± She finally responds, still trying to catch her breath. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if that is so special. I¡¯ll just take your word for it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Xavier and Jade say at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the voice of the God and I¡¯ve felt the power of the Goddess,¡± Xavier continues, raising his hands to his head, and shaking it incredulously. ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯d never experienced before. We had to fight mages who wanted to kill us because we disagreed with them. We lost friends to this. One of them was the person we wanted to protect the most. It¡¯s the worst mistake we ever made, and it will haunt us forever. So, no offense, but don¡¯t you dare say you don¡¯t believe us. The story might seem unbelievable, but the dead speak for themselves. Astil is a testimony to this.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Astil?¡± Guilia asks then looks at our forlorn faces. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry. I believe you, it¡¯s just such an incredible story.¡± ¡°Yeah, imagine what it¡¯s like to live it,¡± I tell her. ¡°What¡¯s the Goddess like?¡± ¡°Beautiful, perfect,¡± I respond. ¡°Honestly, I don''t know her too well, but from the little time I¡¯ve known her, I haven¡¯t regretted being her champion. Anything that can be used against Dautha is welcome, especially someone this powerful and friendly.¡± ¡°A Goddess¡­¡± Guilia shakes her head. ¡°You¡¯re talking about a divine being that created and rules us?¡± ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s close,¡± I say. ¡°They are divine, but they didn¡¯t create us. Eva told me she comes from elsewhere and they also don¡¯t rule us. Technically, they aren¡¯t even supposed to interact with us, but they do. They both want our worship but Eva doesn¡¯t want to rule us.¡± ¡°But Dautha does?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you think it¡¯s okay for Eva to ask for worship? She hasn¡¯t done anything to us!¡± ¡°Well, she did help us defeat Dautha¡¯s monsters. She is divine, though, so I think asking for worship isn¡¯t wrong. Worship and servitude are two different things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Guilia admits. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I trust your Goddess completely.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± I respond. ¡°I¡¯m her champion, and that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°And what do you do as this champion?¡± ¡°I do all I can with my new power to stop the Cult?¡± ¡°And what have you done since the battle?¡± I bite my lip. ¡°Not much. The Cult is hiding again in plain sight, and all I can do now is find them.¡± ¡°Well, I wish you good luck with that, but I¡¯ll stay away from that for now. I¡¯ve got a lot on my mind.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to see the Vanguard. You want to come?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Vanguard grounds are now familiar to me. I¡¯ve been able to visit sometimes. Usually, it¡¯s illegal for any non-Vanguard member to enter, but the rules have changed since the Wolf was killed. Now, warriors may bring visitors, but any sort of illegal activity will immediately cause the firing of that warrior. As per usual, there is a guard standing at the entrance to the ground, glaring at us and sweating buckets. The man straightens when we arrive and begins to talk in the most boring way possible. ¡°Purpose of visit?¡± He drawls. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Yue Zhang,¡± I tell him. It¡¯s mid-afternoon, so the Captain of the Vanguard has probably already been announced. The man nods and walks away, and there we stand, waiting patiently for him. Eventually, the man came back with Yue in tow. ¡°Zade, good to see you,¡± She smiles. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°This,¡± I say, ¡°Is my best friend, Jade.¡± Yue¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Yue Zhang,¡± She says, shaking Jade¡¯s hand. ¡°Wait, why are you here? No offense, but I thought you lived in Arcadia.¡± Jade laughs. ¡°None taken. Yes, I do live in Arcadia. I came here with others to warn Magefell.¡± She looked at the guard. ¡°It¡¯s better I don''t say this here. It¡¯s confidential for now.¡± ¡°Come with me. I want you to meet my friends.¡± Chapter Sixty: Meeting Jade, Part 2 Chapter Sixty: Meeting Jade, Part 2 After Jade gets acquainted with all of Yue¡¯s friends¡ªa longer time than I expected¡ªwe all sit down in the Vanguard¡¯s open cafeteria. We¡¯re crowded on one table, but it¡¯s important that we¡¯re here. I¡¯m getting tired of Jade repeating everything. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡± Yue asks. ¡°No, no,¡± I interject. ¡°First, I want to know who the new captain is. You can¡¯t keep that from us.¡± ¡°It was Kol,¡± Yue responds, perfectly happy with the result. ¡°He¡¯s a great fit, and I¡¯m really happy for him. And I¡¯m glad I wasn¡¯t chosen.¡± ¡°She has the loser mentality,¡± Alyx grumbles. ¡°No wonder she never wins anything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t gloat, Sterkona,¡± Yue whispers. ¡°Don¡¯t push your tournament win in her face.¡± The whisper is loud enough to reach Alyx¡¯s ears, and the other girl laughs. ¡°Anyway, I too, am curious about why you are here,¡± Xander says. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, any friend of Zade¡¯s is a friend of mine, and I¡¯m sure we all mirror that sentiment. But you can¡¯t possibly be here for a good reason, not if you¡¯re keeping things confidential.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jade replies. ¡°The news is grave, and you will all be needed soon. You may have survived the battle with the beasts, but now you must face something worse.¡± ¡°TAXES!¡± Xavier screamed, then, seeing our raised eyebrows, he laughed. ¡°I had to. Can any of you imagine anything scarier than taxes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even pay taxes!¡± ¡°Which means I¡¯ll pay them in the future. That¡¯s even scarier.¡± With an amused glare, Jade shuts him up. ¡°When I was in Arcadia, my friend and I found a strange beast in the woods. It was a nine-goot wolf, humanoid in shape and armor-clad, with a massive sword that dwarfed me. In the ensuing fight, my friend was killed and I was barely able to slaughter the beast before I fainted. ¡°After that, us guards went to check on the situation, and what we found shocked us. An army of these wolves at Arcadia¡¯s doorstep, ready to kill. Arcadia entered in a panic soon after.¡± ¡°And now these monsters are coming here?¡± Aster asks, eyes narrowed. ¡°Did you fail to stop them?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Jade responds. ¡°Originally, we wanted to make peace, see why they were invading our country. Sadly, even though we tried to make peace, they attacked us instead, killing another of my friends. But, in making peace with them, we found what they wanted. ¡°They have a leader, who I think is a mage, and he wants one thing: to destroy Magefell. That is the Horde¡¯s only mission, and they¡¯ll do anything to bring your city¡¯s destruction. He has hundreds of thousands of wolves at the ready. ¡°Because I killed a wolf, they slaughtered one of our own villages as retribution. We tried to stop it., but we lost many lives and the battle. ¡°Arcadia itself can¡¯t stop this. And we don¡¯t think Magefell can either, but the royals have sent an army of two hundred¡ªincluding me¡ªto warn and aid you. This is a dangerous situation, and when they attack, rest assured your city will feel no mercy. ¡°I just hope we¡¯re in time to stop it.¡± ¡°That''s terrible,¡± Neena exclaims. ¡°Is this a Cult thing?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± I respond. ¡°Hopefully no, but High MageAegon acted strange when he heard about it, so we can¡¯t be sure of anything.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re keeping this confidential so Magefell doesn¡¯t enter in a panic like Arcadia,¡± Yue nods approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s good. But we do need to prepare the Guards and Soldiers. Massive humanoid wolves, you said. How strong are they?¡± ¡°More than you think,¡± Jade responds. ¡°They¡¯re stronger than me, and most likely stronger than you. And they¡¯re expert sword wielders. And ax wielders, and mace wielders, and other weapons wielders. Basically, they¡¯re experts at everything. I would consider myself an expert swordswoman, but I have a difficult time facing any of them.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re a guard?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m one of the best in Arcadia,¡± Jade says proudly. ¡°So that¡¯s why the best in Arcadia weren''t at the tournament!¡± Yue exclaims. ¡°Just so,¡± Jade nods. ¡°I heard about the tournament only a week before it started, but I never had any chance of going, sadly. I really wish I had. It sounded like a lot of fun.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± Alyx says. ¡°Well, the tournament mostly was. It was the aftermath¡­¡± She trails off, eyes on the horizon, reliving her experience, and I can¡¯t help but relive it too, seeing the monster attacking, the screams as people bled to death on the streets, the tears of those who had lost loved ones, the clash of steel on claw, the blood pooling on the ground and on me, the power I wielded, my near-death, the death of Poli, the final fight with High Mage Eldor, the pain as he beat me, the anger I felt, the satisfaction as I killed him, my second near-death. It was all so much that still stays with me, like a previous lifetime I lived. ¡°Zade? Are you okay?¡± Jade asks. I shake my head, feeling the tears in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jay,¡± I respond. ¡°Just memories.¡± ¡°I understand perfectly,¡± Alyx replies. ¡°I still fight nightmares of Diamond every day.¡± ¡°I fight nightmares of Jos, Diamond and Poli,¡± Yue admits. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I have nightmares and daymares of Poli,¡± Artemis whispers, almost too low to be overheard. He still looks tortured from everything that happened, and he refuses to look us in the eye. ¡°I have nightmares of Astil,¡± Xavier says. ¡°Me too, and so does Anni, and so does Th¡¯ul,¡± I tell them. ¡°And I have nightmares of Chrome and Demien,¡± Jade finishes. ¡°It was my fault they died. Both of them, I could¡¯ve stopped their deaths, but I just didn¡¯t act in time.¡± ¡°We all feel that way,¡± Yue says. ¡°You¡¯re never alone, Jade. No matter how little I know you, Zade knows you and he trusts you, so I trust you. If you ever need anything¡­¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Jade responds, a genuine smile entering her gorgeous face. ¡°But I¡¯m here to help all of you, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Only when it comes to military action,¡± Yue says. ¡°I promise we¡¯ll take care of you.¡± ¡°You have my deepest gratitude.¡± ¡°And you can always come here whenever you feel like it. Come spar with us, I want to test your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± Jade says. ¡°I should probably get back to my Captain, though. He gave me twenty-four hours, but the faster I do this, the better.¡± ¡°It was nice to meet you,¡± Yue says, shaking her hand. ¡°I hope you enjoy your stay here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I will.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª After dropping off Jade¡ªoh Gods, she¡¯s actually here in Magefell!¡ªback at the Ember, Xavier and I head back to Zenyth, where we each head to our separate rooms. On the way there, though, I see a familiar face. ¡°Th¡¯ul, what are you doing outside my room?¡± ¡°Anni isn¡¯t okay,¡± The boy replies, eyes wide. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is now, Zade, but I think she¡¯s in danger.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask. ¡°You have to know something.¡± Th¡¯ul shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t. I just feel it. Anni is suffering. We have to do something about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check up on her later,¡± I promise. ¡°For now, I need to get back to practice.¡± Th¡¯ul nods and walks off. I bite my lip in concern as he leaves. As much as I don¡¯t want to believe him, I¡¯ve felt the same. Anni is clearly still feeling depressed and lonely after Astil¡¯s death, and it¡¯s affecting her very negatively. I only hope she can escape it, because I don¡¯t think she wants my help. The last time I tried, she told me this was a journey she needed to do alone. But I can¡¯t worry about that now. I have a meeting with someone. I was lying to Th¡¯ul. My magic can wait. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª I fall asleep fairly quickly, my mind eager to get rest. But I''m not here for rest, and I doubt this meeting will be very restful. I am seeing a Goddess, after all. I open my eyes to find the sea of blackness I recognize from the time I almost died. I¡¯m swimming in this nothing, sure I¡¯m still asleep. Welcome back, Zade! Eva appears in front of me, her beautiful radiant, naked form crouching itself next to me. You have done well so far. But we still must talk. ¡°What about?¡± Come with me. The nothing disappears. Instead, now I¡¯m met with a luscious field, and my five senses are overloaded, where before they basically didn¡¯t exist. My eyes stare at the green grass and the nice, warm, yellow sky contrasting, painting a portrait of beauty. My nose smells the fresh air, and my fingers and toes reach for the grass, and long more for its touch as it tickles me. I can hear the rustle of the wind on the grass, and my tongue feels the air as I open my mouth, the small taste enveloping me. I am naked, too, but, once again, I don¡¯t feel any modesty. I know that Eva already knows everything about me, and so, showing my prest form seems appropriate in front of this Goddess. I feel like I should bow, but I don¡¯t worship. Not yet. ¡°What is this place?¡± I ask. ¡°My imagination?¡± Yes, Eva confirms, smiling down as she touches me. But it is also real. ¡°So why are we here?¡± Straight to the point, are you? No pleasantries. How is your life? ¡°I thought you knew all about it,¡± I say in confusion. I do, but I want to hear it from your own words. ¡°It¡¯s good. Jade came from Arcadia, and that was bittersweet, because now my best friend is back, but now I¡¯m in danger.¡± Ah, yes. The Horde is going for Magefell. Eva¡¯s eyes narrow in concern. I was worried it would be this soon. ¡°And how¡¯s your life?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯m curious about what you do everyday.¡± I have plenty to entertain myself with, she laughs. After all, I am a Goddess. My power is almost infinite. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill Dautha then? Or at least change the Cult¡¯s mind? And for that matter, why doesn¡¯t Dautha just change everyone¡¯s mind to serve him?¡± We could never control you. Control is something out of our hands. My magic is not like your magic. The powers I have come from me being a Goddess, and, as a Goddess, I cannot control what I did not create, at least, not your mind. And I can¡¯t kill Dautha. We would never touch each other. We promised each other that. ¡°Why?¡± I ask. ¡°And why don¡¯t you just create another God to take down Dautha or the Cult?¡± I cannot disclose why I do not fight Dautha, Eva cringes. I am still sensitive about that part of my past. And Gods cannot create other Gods. The only thing we can do is create a demi-god, and I assume you know how that''s done. ¡°Sex?¡± Exactly. And since I cannot interact with humans directly, I cannot have a relationship with one. ¡°But I thought¡­¡± Both me and Dautha are still only touching the world indirectly. IHe may have cheated but he didn¡¯t cheat the full way. He will only directly affect the world when he is brought to you, and when that happens, I will come down as well. And if you are wondering why I don¡¯t create other life or catastrophes to kill the Cult, that is the reason. I am still not directly affecting the world. Until Dautha is brought to earth, or you bring me down, I will not do so. I do have morals, you know. I blush. ¡°I know you do. How do I bring you to earth?¡± I can¡¯t tell you that. It would violate my agreement with Dautha. ¡°I thought that was broken.¡± Only one part. The rest is still intact. ¡°Why? He will probably cheat his way out of that too!¡± I want to give him a chance. Don¡¯t ask why, just believe. ¡°Okay,¡± I mumble. Now, to the reason I am here. Other forces have come into play. ¡°Cultist forces?¡± Eva shrugs. Possibly. But I think they are independent. They could join either side, or they may stay their own. I do not know. ¡°Who are they?¡± They refer to themselves as the Infinite. I do not know who they really are or where they came from, but be prepared. They have big plans, and you¡¯ll be right in the middle of them. ¡°Am I in danger?¡± Of course, but remember your mission. Do not worry about the Infinite too much. Focus on the Cult. They are the true danger. ¡°I will, thank you,¡± I say. If I get more information, I will tell you. Tensions are escalating in other continents. I expect it to do the same here. ¡°It¡¯s already started.¡± Expect it to get so much worse. The war has just started, and no one is ready. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I say, steeling my mind. ¡°Let them come. With you on my side, I can do anything.¡± Again Eva laughs. That¡¯s the spirit. Now, go. You have a lot of work to do, my Champion. I have faith in you. Good luck. Chapter Sixty-One: The Bounty Hunter Chapter Sixty-One: The Bounty Hunter Reza Ateu was a bounty hunter. But she didn¡¯t like to call herself that. She preferred Beast Hunter. Currently, she was in the forests of Escurid?o, searching for her next prey, as she thought of it. Her clothes hung loose off of her to avoid scratching her skin and making noise. Some would describe the way she walked as goofy, but those didn¡¯t know how to sneak around a forest. There were always leaves and sticks in one¡¯s way. Reza would have to avoid all of that if she was to catch her prey. A mutant. According to the Ancient she¡¯d asked, the mutant had been terrorizing villages and stealing ancient artifacts. And so, to protect the artifacts¡ªand the people, of course¡ªthe Ancient had recruited Reza to find this mutant. And now, after three days, she was close. She wasn¡¯t a mutant herself, but she had developed her senses more than most humans. Especially her senses of smell, but also her sight and hearing. She sniffed the air, searching for his scent. The mutant smelled horrible, like spoiled milk. Snap. A twig crackled in the forest, and Reza smiled, turning to the east. She would never break a stick like that, so there was only one option: the mutant was here, and it knew she was chasing it. Silent as a hunting leopard, Reza unsheathed her knives, designed to cut into skin and kill quickly. Due to how the sheathes were made, she could sheath and unsheath the knives at will without making any noise. She didn¡¯t think it was necessary, considering how the mutant was watching her, but she did so anyway. The mutant could think he was the predator, but he was deadly mistaken. In the end, he would be begging her for release. Reza creeped forwards, eyes swinging wildly around, scanning for the monster that waited for her. The wind was going downwind for her, leading her to smell the forest and not the scent of the mutant. A shadow slinked through her left field of vision. Reza didn¡¯t react, instead leading him to believe she was oblivious of his advances. Then she ran forwards, away from the mutant. By now, the monster was sure it was hunting her. If she ran away in a panic, chances were it would follow her. All she had to do now was hide. Some would consider running and hiding a cowardly move. They didn¡¯t know how easy and fun it was to do it. Her feet pushed her forwards, making more noise in one second than she had made in the last hour. But it didn¡¯t matter anymore; all that mattered now was that she ran as fast as she could, acting as terrified as she could. A shadow passed behind her and she shrieked in mock terror, her eyes widening, and her mouth turning up slightly in a smirk. Zigzagging through the next twists in the forest, she began to lose the mutant, which she realized when it growled in annoyance from fifty paces away. Finding the most average tree in the forest, she began to climb, knives in her mouth now. At a moment''s notice, she could drop the knives onto her hands and throw them. She was used to jobs like this; they were the most fun. Once she climbed about twenty feet up, she hid herself on a branch, supple and strong enough to hold her. Once, her old master had taught her that people didn¡¯t see what they didn¡¯t want to see. Practically, that meant one could hide, and, as long as they weren¡¯t in plain sight and one wasn¡¯t searching for them, then they wouldn¡¯t be spotted. It was a shock how much it worked, and Reza had taken two lessons from that. One: Always check your surroundings. If one wasn¡¯t careful, they wouldn¡¯t spot the person hiding right next to them. Reza trained herself so her eyes didn¡¯t just slide off the shadows in a corner of any building, or on the small nook. If there was any place a man could hide, a man was probably hiding there. Paranoid was good, especially for a Beast Hunter. Two: Being great at hiding is not necessary. As long as Reza hid somewhere that wasn¡¯t immediately obvious, she could hide anywhere she wanted, and she wouldn¡¯t be spotted. This time was no exception. As soon as the mutant entered her vision, scanning the forest, she knew she¡¯d won. He wasn¡¯t expecting to find her in this specific spot, so his eyes flew right past her and didn¡¯t see anything. The beast was ugly, that much was obvious. She¡¯d heard it was a bear mutant, but she hadn¡¯t seen one before. At first glance, it looked like a hairy man, but once her eyes fixed on it, it became revolting. It looked exactly like a human who had hair everywhere. And everywhere did mean everywhere. Its eyes were hidden by the mound of fur covering it, it wore no clothes as the fur didn¡¯t leave anything exposed; only its hand was devoid of some fur. Its nose was a mix between a human¡¯s and a bear¡¯s snout. Its legs were small but fat, ready to pounce even as it stood on its hind legs, and its barreling chest gave her the feeling it could toss her around with ease. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The mutant growled and sniffed the air, walking around, two paces now from her tree. Reza held the knives and rose to a crouch. Not yet. The mutant sniffed the ground and took a step forward. Come on, bastard. Not yet. The beast took another step forward. NOW! Reza jumped and fell, positioning her body perfectly to land on the mutant like¡ª Whoomph! The feeling of the beast¡¯s back took the air from her lungs but she was used to this. As soon as she landed, she stabbed down, biting deep into the beast¡¯s shoulder. Shrieking, the beast flailed around, slapping at its back. Reza groaned as she was thrown backwards. The ground took away any breath she¡¯d recovered, and she threw her hands up to recover it quicker. The mutant turned to face her, knife still embedded in its shoulder. It¡ªhe?¡ªscreamed at her, and spread its arms and claws as a sign of aggression. Reza did the same, shouting the best war cry she had. The beast snarled. Come here, darling. The beast swung its claws at her, and Reza waited for them to be close enough for the mutant to feel his victory. Then, at the last second, she flung her torso backwards, her feet still planted in the ground. As she did this, she stabbed with her other dagger, digging into the beast¡¯s arms and staying there. The beast screeched. The momentum of Reza¡¯s fling threw her to the ground, but she caught herself with one arm, her muscles bulging, and she pushed herself up. The monster grabbed the knife in its arm and pulled, shooting more blood from its arm and tearing more skin. That was the part that Reza liked about her knives: it took more pain to remove them than to stick them in, Snarling, the best threw the knife to the ground and glared at her¡ªat least, Reza assumed it was glaring at her, as its eyes were still covered by the fur. Once again, it ran at her, and Reza shook her head. This one was stupid. As it clawed at her, she slid under its arm and ran for her knife, grabbing it and throwing it backwards. Her aim was impeccable, that much she knew, but she still felt satisfaction from the grunt as the knife thunked into the mutant¡¯s back. Reza liked the hunt, but she loved the fight even more. There, she could toy with the beasts and mutants and whatever else she had to chase, keep injuring it until it died from its injuries. The beast ripped the knife from its shoulder and roared again, a torrent of blood following the weapon. It threw the knife at her, but being no expert, it flew harmlessly to land a few feet away from Reza. This mutant really is stupid. She reached for the knife, and felt only the beast¡¯s body as it barreled into her and she was thrown back, her hands grabbing the knife at the last moment. For the third time, something took away her air, a tree this time. Without wasting a second, the beast charged at her, extending its claws as far as it could. Reza hugged the tree on her back, the tree small enough for her to wrap her arms around it, and she jumped up, kicking the mutant in the face, which swung back with a nasty crack, Still, the mutant survived. It moved around, disoriented, its head certainly paining it. Reza gripped her knives in her hands, holding them out threateningly. The mutant had finally realized it couldn¡¯t win, and so, in a panic, it turned to run. Oh, no, you don¡¯t! Come back, darling! Reza flung her knife with a grunt, aiming just right for the knife to thunk into a tree just a foot from the mutant, whose eflexes threw it back and it hit another tree, stumbling to the ground, where it lay still. You¡¯re mine, baby. With the calmness of an angel and the ferocity of a demon, Reza walked forwards, cracking her neck and smiling. Now for the best part. When she reached the knife stuck in the tree, she removed it, and raised both of them. Quick as a snake, the supposedly unconscious best rose up and jumped on her. Now that was unexpected. For the fourth time that day, Reza lost her air. She was getting tired of that, because she liked the air. It just seemed to hate her. She could feel her body crumbling under the weight of the monstrous bear, but it refused to let her go, growling in happiness as it lay on her, crushing her. Gasping for air, Reza stabbed upwards with all the strength she had, biting into its neck and stomach, stabbing over and over. The bear-man screamed¡ªa very human scream¡ªas she stabbed it over and over and it got up off her, stumbling to the ground. Shouldn¡¯t have done that, dearest. Reza stabbed down on the bear¡¯s eyes, plunging both knives deep in it, blinding it and dealing it pain it couldn¡¯t handle. The bear thrashed and roared, but began to lose consciousness and blood. With a shink of metal, Reza removed the weapons and moved on to its stomach, carving her symbol on it. An R without curves, the symbol painted with the blood and intestines of the victim. The beast finally grew still, its final breath coming and going quick like the night. So Reza did her final habitual activity. With precision that a bounty hunter should not have, she carved into its rib cage, removing the most important part of the mutant. The heart. Reza drew it out and threw it into her little bag. One more to add to her collection. Was it psychopathic? Yes. Did she care? Absolutely not. It was cool to have the hearts of all the beasts you slayed, and it didn¡¯t matter if they were real monsters or mutants. But the heart was also proof he was dead. Because of how big and human-looking the heart was, the Ancient would immediately recognize it as the mutant¡¯s, and so she had proof he was dead. Speaking of the Ancient, it was time she went to speak with him again. She sheathed her knives and got up. The morning had just started and she was sure it would be a good day. Chapter Sixty-Two: The Bounty Hunter, Part Two Chapter Sixty-Two: The Bounty Hunter, Part Two The pub was mostly empty, the patrons still asleep, but Reza walked in nonchalantly, carrying the heart in her hands. She always hung out in this inn when she was in this part of the country, and, even though bounty hunters weren¡¯t good for business, the owners tolerated and even liked her. ¡°Senhora Reza, what a delight!¡± Senhora Renata told her, arms flung wide to embrace her. Reza let the owner hug her, but didn¡¯t return the hug. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you too, honey,¡± She said. ¡°Do you have food ready?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Renata admitted. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait thirty minutes. You got the money?¡± ¡°Soon enough,¡± Reza showed her the heart. ¡°Once I talk to the Ancient, I¡¯ll get it.¡± Senhora Renata nodded, knowing her long enough to believe her. ¡°And how will he know you¡¯re here?¡± Reza shrugged. ¡°Ancient powers, I guess. He said he¡¯d know when I was here.¡± ¡°Sim, I assume he¡¯ll use something like that,¡± the busty, overweight, cheery owner responded. ¡°Come, sit at any table you like, you can wait, we don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course not, darling,¡± the beast hunter smiled thinly, sitting down at her favorite table in the corner where she could see anything else that would happen. Senhora Renata went to the back where the already growing smells of food were coming from, making Reza¡¯s mouth water. Soon after she left, another woman came out, this one looking like a slightly less fat version of Renata. Senhora Marta. Reza knew they weren¡¯t siblings, but they looked close enough. ¡°Senhora Reza! What a surprise. I thought you wouldn¡¯t be back for days!¡± ¡°It was a quick hunt, baby,¡± Reza said. ¡°But a good one, and it pays well.¡± ¡°That it does, but only for you,¡± Marta laughed. ¡°Next time, take your business somewhere else. You scare away customers.¡± She said this jokingly, but it was the truth. Bounty hunters did tend to scare away any potential customers for pubs and shops, not that Reza particularly cared. They were right to be scared of her, because if she was sent to hunt them, they would be dead within the day. When Senhora Marta left for the kitchen, Reza closed her eyes and leaned back, bringing her chair to touch the wall, fingering her knife, just in case anyone tried to attack her. She always slept lightly, and the slightest touch was always enough to wake her. So when the creak of the floorboard sounded in her ears, she flung her knife immediately. Once again, her aim was impeccable, the knife thudding into the wall an inch from the man¡¯s face. ¡°Impressive,¡± the Ancient told her, removing the dagger. ¡°I was sure I made no noise.¡± ¡°Not to me,¡± Reza responded. The Ancient, strangely, did not look Ancient at all. Most Ancients Reza had met were at least sixty, but this one was thirty at most. He had a scraggly beard¡ªor, at least, what would one day be a beard¡ªand long, tousled hair that flowed freely, with spectacles that almost shined in the dark- He was wearing a formal Ancient suit, complete with cape and the blood-red Ancients symbol, a fire-breathing salamander. ¡°Is the job done?¡± He asked. Reza nodded. ¡°The mutant is dead.¡± Plopping the heart on the table, she grinned, showing her teeth wickedly. ¡°Now, I believe you have something of mine, darling.¡± ¡°Sim, I believe I do, in fact,¡± The Ancient said, letting his bag of coin clink on the table. Reza grabbed it, trying not to look eager, and scanned its contents. It was all there. ¡°Pleasure doing business, baby,¡± She said. ¡°Now you should leave.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked, eyebrows furrowing. ¡°Because I don¡¯t enjoy the company of those who will not give me a job or be hunted by me.¡± ¡°I have information for you.¡± ¡°Of what kind?¡± Reza asked skeptically. ¡°The Revanchist is rising in the east. He¡¯s taken over Quintal.¡± ¡°Fogo,¡± Reza breathed, ¡°That¡¯s horrible. Guess beast hunting there is out of the question.¡± The Revanchist was a rebel, one who wanted to change how the country was run. His regime was very dictatorial, and beast hunting was extremely illegal there. Reza had tried bounty hunting there once, and she would never do it again. ¡°And they¡¯re moving north now,¡± The Ancient said. ¡°I would be careful.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this free?¡± ¡°Because, frankly, I like you, and bounty hunters in general, but mostly you,¡± The Ancient admitted. ¡°If you want my services, I don''t give any,¡± Reza glared. The Ancient laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for that. Just looking to keep in contact. I might need another service some day.¡± ¡°You probably have a way of finding me with your Ancienty-ness,¡± Reza said. ¡°True, but I don¡¯t do that on principle. So I¡¯m asking for your name and permission. I am Roberto.¡± ¡°I really couldn¡¯t care less what your name is,¡± Reza told him. ¡°Diminishes who you are as an ancient. As for my name, Sangue de Monstro is good enough, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°And your permission?¡± Roberto asked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°No. I don¡¯t talk to those who employ me. It tends to get me in tough situations.¡± ¡°Fair enough, but I must say, I¡¯m disappointed.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Reza told him. ¡°I was hoping food would be ready by this time.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t want me here, do you?¡± Roberto asked. ¡°What gave you that impression?¡± Reza responded sarcastically. Standing up and raising his hands, Roberto turned his back to her and walked to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll leave. If I want to find you again¡­¡± ¡°Ask around,¡± Reza responded. ¡°Find me the way you found me the first time. But only find me if you need a job.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Roberto said, opening the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The morning went exactly as Reza expected. After the pleasant¡ªyes, it had been pleasant, although Roberto hadn¡¯t been¡ªconversation with the Ancient, Reza ate and spent the next hours around the city, indulging with her new coin. She didn¡¯t waste all of it, or even most of it, but enough to have fun. And fun didn¡¯t come cheap anymore. Lunch was back at the same pub, sitting at her table. And it was her table. She¡¯d never seen it occupied by anyone else, and if it had been, she would¡¯ve been pissed. And surprised. Which was why that day when she found someone at her table¡ªand her chair¡ª she was surprised, irate, and very, very confused. ¡°Do you believe in God, Reza?¡± The hooded voice asked, a woman. ¡°What are you doing in my chair, darling? You want to lose a finger?¡± The woman stood up. ¡°You couldn¡¯t hurt me. But I¡¯ll do what you wish.¡± ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Reza asked, sitting on her chair, across from the woman. ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer my question first?¡± ¡°No, I do not believe in God,¡± Reza responded, drawing her knife. ¡°I refuse to. Now, it''s your turn.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you have your confusion. I have a job for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t take jobs from shady folks. Show me your coin and reveal yourself.¡± ¡°That is fair,¡± The hooded woman said, showing her a bag full of gold coins, causing Reza¡¯s eyes to pop. ¡°Never seen that much coin in your life, huh? Well, then with that amount of coin, then I don¡¯t need to show myself.¡± ¡°Half up front.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± The woman slid one bag over to her, and Reza took it greedily. ¡°What do you want, darling?¡± ¡°Why, I want to introduce you to a god!¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Reza looked up fiercely, eyes blazing. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°Now I have your attention, huh. Your job is killing a god¡¯s minion!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe in God.¡± ¡°Not for long,¡± The woman replied, sliding a piece of paper to her. ¡°This is Irm?o S¨¦rgio. He works for the Revanchist.¡± ¡°You think the Revanchist is a god?¡± Reza scoffed. ¡°Of course not. But the Revanchist works for a god,¡± The woman responded, causing Reza to laugh out loud. ¡°You must be joking!¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead serious. He lives in Oriente, and he should be easy to find, as he does not hide, but be wary. He will be hard to kill.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to do this,¡± Reza said. This job was shady at best, life-threatening at worst. Just the talk of a God was strange. ¡°You¡¯re clearly lying to me, unless you truly believe the Revanchist works for a god.¡± ¡°And I do,¡± the woman responded genuinely. ¡°The god is real, and by the end of this, you will agree with me.¡± Reza narrowed her eyes. ¡°And why should I believe you?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± the woman said. ¡°But there¡¯s a lot of coin involved.¡± ¡°You must think me stupid and greedy,¡± the bounty hunter responded. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb. I know a bad and concerning deal when I see one, and this is a textbook one.¡± ¡°Not so, I¡¯m recruiting you for a reason,¡± The hooded figure responded. ¡°Isn¡¯t Sangue de Monstro the best bounty hunter? Why would I scam the greatest bounty hunter? That would only cause you to kill me!¡± ¡°True enough,¡± Reza admitted. ¡°Can you give me five minutes, at least?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± When the man left, Reza put her cognitive skills to work. That is, she tried to. She already knew what her answer was going to be. She¡¯d let her curiosity get the best of her again. Plus, it was a lot of money. The answer had to be yes. The whole God business was strange, Reza had to admit that, but the person sounded genuine enough, and she was giving her enough count to last years, enough maybe even for Reza to retire, although she¡¯d never do that. But how did the woman know her name? That was the true mystery, and Reza didn¡¯t know if she could trust the woman for that one reason. She wanted to hide herself, and that was never a good reason. But Reza was nothing if not risky. And a little crazy. And so, when she called the woman back, she had just one thing to say. ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± She growled. ¡°But you better not be messing with me, or I swear, I will track you down and kill you, whether you show yourself to me or not.¡± The woman laughed. ¡°A good choice, huh. And I¡¯m not scared. After all, I¡¯m telling God¡¯s honest truth. I¡¯ll see you soon, and when I do, you won¡¯t be an atheist anymore.¡± ¡°I highly doubt it, baby. Now leave me alone. I must prepare myself.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± The woman stood up. ¡°Thank you for making the right choice. Don¡¯t fail.¡± When she was gone, Reza cursed herself and banged on the table. She couldn¡¯t help but feel this would go horribly wrong, but it was too late now. Whoever the woman was, Reza was sure she wouldn''t leave something undone. Well, no reason worrying about it now. Standing up, Reza sheathed her knives and stood up, glaring at anyone who so much as glanced at her fleetingly. ¡°Is my horse out back?¡± She asked Senhora Marta. ¡°Yes, you should find it there.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be back eventually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡± Reza did, in fact, find her horse outside. She saddled the horse and nuzzled her. ¡°I missed you, darling. Ready for a ride?¡± Her horse, Cavala, snorted, as if to agree with her, ¡°Great, let¡¯s do this.¡± Jumping onto the saddle with surprising agility, she rode forwards, away from her town and towards Oriente, where she would face the last person she needed to. A worker of the Revanchist. She¡¯d hated the first time she¡¯d met the Revanchist and had vowed to herself she¡¯d never get close to him again. This was a risk, trying to kill one of his minions, but she had to do it. Something in her was telling her to. Usually, she wasn¡¯t one to trust her gut and heart. It usually led her in the wrong way. This time, she felt the need to follow her gut. It felt like her destiny, something she didn¡¯t even believe in. But, if the woman was right, Reza was about to believe in something else. Reza was about to meet a God. Chapter Sixty-Three: Member Tyrians Daughter Chapter Sixty-Three: Member Tyrian''s Daughter T¡¯tam was at a crossroads with himself, and he tried to ignore his thoughts, but they flooded him. On this day alone, so much had happened. First, Kol had been voted the leader of the Vanguard, and, afterwards, he had gotten to meet the Sterkona, Yue Zhang herself! Next, he and Lysander had agreed to brainwash¡ªthe only word that really fit in T¡¯tam¡¯s head¡ªthe other members of the Parliament. Finally, Member Tyrian had come to him with astounding and terrifying news. Not to mention he still had to deal with the verbal abuse of any Cultist protesters outside in the streets. The day didn¡¯t pass quickly enough, and the night, too quickly. The morning, at least, went about as well as a normal morning. He was greeted by the shouts of his beautiful kids. His wife was, he assumed, in the kitchen. Breakfast was a mild affair, but it was enough for his worries to overwhelm him again. ¡°What¡¯s your plan today, honey?¡± Rosia kissed him. ¡°I¡¯ll do my normal work, and coincidentally run into some of the Members.¡± His wife nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t go for all of them at once.¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not that stupid.¡± His wife glared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself.¡± T¡¯tam couldn¡¯t help but quip back. ¡°So I am that stupid?¡± Pursing her lips, Rosia raised the spoon she was using. ¡°You¡¯re happy today.¡± T¡¯tam sighed. ¡°Yeah, definitely.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± For a second, T¡¯tam started to speak on Member Tyrian, but he caught himself. ¡°I can¡¯t say. I¡¯m fine, I promise.¡± ¡°What are you hiding from me, T¡¯tam Ward?¡± ¡°Nothing I want to, love,¡± He replied. ¡°Just¡­give me time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not putting us in any danger, are you?¡± ¡°I hope not.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª His favorite page was already waiting for him when he arrived. Maddy smiled at him and handed him a letter. ¡°This just came in for you, sir.¡± The envelope contained no words, it was just blank and empty. ¡°Who brought this?¡± He asked his page. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize him,¡± Maddy admitted, ¡°but I think he was a page.¡± ¡°I thought you knew all of them,¡± T¡¯tam told her, ripping it. ¡°So did I,¡± she responded. After T¡¯tam expertly tore the envelope open, bits of it still falling to the ground, he grabbed the letter and opened it. I need you now, Member T¡¯tam. Meet me at roof 3-b as quickly as you can. Come alone, if you can. Danger awaits. ¡°Tyrian?¡± T¡¯tam whispered to himself. ¡°What was that?¡± Maddy asked, reaching her head to read the letter. Hurriedly, T¡¯tam pressed it to his breast. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is private.¡± Maddy glared at him and narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but T¡¯tam shrugged. ¡°Can I not have private letters?¡± ¡°Strange in the Parliamentary halls!¡± T¡¯tam cringed. ¡°Listen, I have to go. You know what to do.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, T¡¯tam.¡± Seeing he was about to respond, Maddy cut in. ¡°And don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s nothing. I may not know you like Rosia does, but I know you well enough to understand when you¡¯re worried. Does this have to do with Rosia?¡± She asked, the implication evident. ¡°No, no! I would never do that!¡± T¡¯tam interjected. ¡°You know how I love my wife!¡± ¡°That may be true, but we¡¯re all susceptible to our own¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯re very wrong.¡± ¡°Then what the hell is going on?¡± T¡¯tam hated to play this card, but it was time. ¡°You are merely my page, Madeleine. Do not make me use my own power against you.¡± Madeleine huffed in outrage. ¡°So that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to play it? This won¡¯t end great for you, T¡¯tam.¡± Opening the door, T¡¯tam cringed. ¡°I know. Be glad I¡¯m not taking you down with you.¡± ¡°Yes, you are!¡± Maddy screamed, but T¡¯tam was already gone. He felt guilty for having to keep secrets from Maddy, but this was important. If she couldn¡¯t see how guilty he felt, it wasn¡¯t his fault. Maybe it was his guilt that tipped her off. Stealthily¡ªat least, as stealthily as a man in a formal suit could walk¡ªT¡¯tam sneaked through the corridors, avoiding any familiar eyes. Many pages would be spying on him and he only hoped he would lose them through the labyrinthine twists he was taking to the room.He himself had a page posted on basically every Member, it was normal in these politics. He was almost sure he knew who some of the spies were, but right now that was unimportant. He needed to avoid all eyes that could recognize him. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t see anyone who would notice him, so he got to room 3-b without any problems. Opening the door without caution, t¡¯tam walked in and scanned his surroundings. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Immediately, a knife was pressed to his throat. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± A voice hissed. Member Tyrian. Grabbing his arm, T¡¯tam threw Member Tyrian to the ground. ¡°What was that for?¡± He asked, locking the door in case anyone heard the noise. Member Tyrian growled, raising his knife. ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t trust you, you bastard!¡± The man screamed as he charged T¡¯tam again, who dodged out of the way. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb,¡± Tyrian said, swiping at him, a swing that T¡¯tam barely ducked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± Tyrian paused in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡± ¡°YES!¡± T¡¯tam said, exasperated. ¡°Now, will you please tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± The other member threw a letter in his face. ¡°Read it, and tell me yourself what you¡¯ve done.¡± Extremely confused, T¡¯tam read the letter, breath leaving his throat and an invisible hand constricting him. You fool, Tyrian! You have done what we told you not to! We warned you not to share what was going on with anyone. Now, it¡¯s too late. You have disobeyed and deserve punishment. Do not ask how we know what you did. You already know the answer, we assume. May this be a lesson to you. Don¡¯t disobey us again! You¡¯re getting off light this time. It¡¯s only a flower. Next, it will be the information. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone anything, I swear,¡± T¡¯tam told a skeptical Tyrian. ¡°What¡¯s this about getting off light with a flower?¡± ¡°I was hoping you could clarify,¡± Tyrian told him. ¡°As it seems you ratted me out.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± T¡¯tam threw the letter, ¡°I don¡¯t understand how they figured it out, but I think you made it all the more dangerous that we¡¯re talking.¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± Tyrian replied. ¡°If they know you know, then they won¡¯t mind if we talk about it. After all, you are the reason they sent this. But now I need to know what they mean by flower?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t think of anything that it could be?¡± T¡¯tam asked. ¡°It could be a million things, each worse than the last,¡± Tyrian admitted. ¡°But I can¡¯t find anything reasonable.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s obviously not going to be a real flower.¡± ¡°Good job, detective.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done. But it¡¯s going to be a mirror of a flower. Something you would call your flower. Something important to you. Ring any bells?¡± ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Tyrian told him. ¡°I call all my kids from both families different flowers.¡± Both men blanched at the same time. ¡°We need to leave.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The sprint to Tyrian¡¯s house felt like fifteen miles instead of the two miles it was, and T¡¯tam gut roiled. Tyrian was clearly pained, but he kept moving, determination fighting with the desperation in his face. Onlookers stared as the formally clothed men ran through the streets, screaming for others to get out of the way. Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only half an hour, they finally arrived at Tyrian¡¯s illustrious home, but there was no time to admire the beauty. They were here for one reason and one reason only. The house was deathly quiet, no light emitted from it. ¡°Is this normal?¡± T¡¯tam asked. ¡°Not at all,¡± Tyrian shook his head, worry crossing his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He opened the door to the house and walked in. T¡¯tam followed him but ran into the other Member who had stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°No,¡± He breathed, and T¡¯tam looked over his shoulder. There was a woman on the ground, alive but unconscious, her blonde hair cascading over her face. T¡¯tam assumed it was his wife. ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± T¡¯tam said. ¡°There are no visible wounds, but she looks fine. We need to check on your kids. Three, right?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s my other family,¡± Tyrian whispered. ¡°I have two in this family. Rose and Chrissie. Lights of my life, five and six.¡± Rose and Chrysanthemum. Flowers, indeed. ¡°Lights of your life indeed,¡± T¡¯tam snorted. ¡°That¡¯s why you went and made another family.¡± ¡°Shut it, Member,¡±Tyrian spat. ¡°My life choices are mine, even if they are bad.¡± ¡°Horrible,¡± T¡¯tam agreed. ¡°Absolutely, astonishingly, horrifyingly bad.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Tyrian growled. ¡°Can you stop?¡± ¡°Yes, sorry,¡± T¡¯tam said, slightly embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m just a little disgusted by the idea of cheating on my wife.¡± ¡°Think about what I¡¯m feeling,¡± His acquaintance told him as he climbed the stairs to the second floor. ¡°Come with me. Their room is this way.¡± Over Tyrian¡¯s hands, balls of flame appeared, making T¡¯tam jump. ¡°I forgot you were a mage.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to forget to,¡± the Member said. The door to the room was closed, and the silence was foreboding. Trying the lock, Tyrian cursed to find it locked. ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± He said, swinging the knife, and cracking the door open. ¡°Please be okay, please¡­¡± Only one person was in the room, a young child, six or seven years old. Chrissie. Kneeling next to her and dropping his knife, Tyrian breathed a sigh of relief too. ¡°She seems just asleep as well. Oh, thank god, you¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°Tyrian,¡± T¡¯tam asked, horror entering his voice. ¡°Is that Rose?¡± Tyrian¡¯s eyes widened, looking at where the man was pointing. And there she was, a picture of childhood cuteness, a little five year old girl, head cocked as she looked at them. ¡°Daddy?¡± She asked, curiosity entering her voice. ¡°Hey, Rosie,¡± Tyrian said, walking towards where his daughter was in the entryway, hands held out for a hug. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT!¡± Rosie screamed, and suddenly, she changed. Her teeth grew along with her mouth, elongating to where her mouth was unclosable. Her fingers stretched to claws, and her torso expanded. With a growl, the creature that was once Rosie bit into her father¡¯s shoulders, tearing skin and muscle. Tyrian screamed. The creature fell backwards as T¡¯tam stabbed it once, then twice. ¡°Stop! That¡¯s my daughter!¡± Tyrian screamed at T¡¯tam. ¡°Not anymore,¡± T¡¯tam growled as he pummeled the creature, who clawed and bit at him, tearing his skin but not injuring him severely. ¡°Your Rose is long gone. I¡¯m sorry, Tyrian.¡± Finally, the creature fell quiet, and Tyrian groaned, whether from the pain or sadness, T¡¯tam didn¡¯t know. ¡°My daughter,¡± he whimpered. ¡°My precious daughter. Rose.¡± ¡°We need to get you to the hospital,¡± T¡¯tam said, grabbing the man over one shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°My Rosie, my Rosie¡­¡± As they began to move towards the stairs, movement caught T¡¯tam¡¯s eye, and he moved just in time to punch the creature as it came at him, and once again, he reached for the knife and stabbed, but this time he sliced again and again, until the monster-child was decapitated. ¡°The Cult isn¡¯t playing around anymore,¡± He said. ¡°We need to do what they tell us,¡± Tyrian said. ¡°We can¡¯t let them kill anyone else.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can,¡± T¡¯tam told him, as he limped with him. ¡°But we can¡¯t let the Cult do what it wants. This is a horrible crime, and it shall not go unpunished. ¡°I promise you, Tyrian. One day, we will pay the bastards back. We¡¯ll make them beg.¡± The thought brought a twinge of guilt as he thought about the violence, but he forced it down this time. The Cult deserved it. Chapter Sixty-Four: Member Tyrians Daughter, Part 2 Chapter Sixty-Four: Member Tyrian''s Daughter, Part 2 ¡°He¡¯ll live, but his shoulder is in bad shape,¡± The doctor told T¡¯tam as she examined a now-unconscious Tyrian. ¡°He¡¯ll have to stay here a while. What happened?¡± T¡¯tam cursed. ¡°His daughter was murdered, turned into a monster, and bit him, and then I had to kill her. In that order.¡± The doctor gaped. ¡°You¡¯re the Members, right? Are you going to report this to the Guard?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Member nodded. ¡°Although I doubt they can do anything?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± The doctor pursed his lips. ¡°Fair enough. So his daughter, who you say turned into a monster, did this to him.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± T¡¯tam said. ¡°It was a very traumatic experience.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look so traumatized,¡± ¡°I¡¯m still processing it. Don¡¯t be surprised if he starts screaming when he comes to.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Member, we¡¯re used to that kind of thing around here. You can leave us to it. We¡¯ll summon you if he wakes up.¡± ¡°You know where my office is?¡± ¡°The parliamentary hall is hard to miss,¡± The doctor said drily. ¡°Yes, I think we can find you easily.¡± ¡°Take good care of him.¡± ¡°Is he a close friend of yours?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± T¡¯tam said as he left the hospital, the doctor looking stupefacted. Only when he left the hospital did the shock of all that happened hit T¡¯tam. Rose had been murdered, at only five years old! Then she had been transformed into that¡­monster, and he had had to kill it. He¡¯d never killed anyone in his life. He hadn¡¯t even had to kill any of the beasts in the battle, but now¡­ A girl was dead because of him. He knew that wasn¡¯t completely true, but it definitely felt like it. Sadness haunted him as he returned to his office, ambling this time. The creature jumped him in his mind, scaring him every time. Sometimes, he was sure he saw it watching him, reaching for him, trying to kill him in the street. He was never one to get hallucinations, but he assumed this was one. Eventually, finally, thankfully, he reached the Parliament Hall and breathed a sigh of relief as he smelled the familiar wooden fumes of the hall. The walk to his office was much better, and he hoped the day could at least continue in a somewhat normal way. That was when he got the second surprise of the day, and it wouldn¡¯t be the last. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Walking inside his office, he closed the door and relaxed, removing his jacket and setting it on the hangar. Maddy was nowhere but he assumes she was in one of the mini-offices inside his office. She wasn¡¯t in the reception area, but maybe she was dropping something in his mini-office¡ªhis office inside his office. Reaching his mini-office, a strangled cry went through him. There was blood on the stained glass plating on the upper half of the door. No, it can¡¯t be! Faster than he thought possible, T¡¯tam opened the door and rushed in, scanning the floor until he found the reason for his distress. At least Maddy was conscious, but she looked to be in worse shape than tyrian. Her right arm was twisted in a horrible angle, and blood pooled off a stab in her stomach. She stared at him and breathed raggedly, holding a bloody piece of paper in her hand. ¡°What the hell have you gotten yourself into?¡± She sputtered, blood erupting from her mouth, holding out the paper to him. He grabbed it silently and read its contents, the third of the day. You know the deal. No telling anyone about Tyrian¡¯s deal, or else your family and friends go bye-bye. You¡¯re lucky we spared Madeleine, but next time you won¡¯t be so lucky. Leave us alone. You know we¡¯re not bluffing. The bloody letter was signed at the end, and the signature made T¡¯tam want to vomit. Your loving family. At that moment, T¡¯tam hated himself for involving himself in Tyrian¡¯s problems. He should¡¯ve just said no! Why the hell would Tyrian come to him? But now, more than ever, he knew he could not tell anyone about this: not Maddy, not Lysander, not Rosie. They would die if he told them, he was sure of that. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me,¡± T¡¯tam told Mady, raising her and preparing to lug her to the hospital. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I can walk fine,¡± Maddy whined, blood splattering on T¡¯tam¡¯s face. ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± T¡¯tam affirmed, carrying her out of the office. ¡°You owe me an explanation. What¡¯s Tyrian¡¯s condition? I almost died for this,¡± Maddy hissed. ¡°I can¡¯t, but at least you believe this isn¡¯t about cheating, right?¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± Maddy said glaring at him. ¡°But I still deserve answers.¡± ¡°You do, but I can¡¯t give them,¡± T¡¯tam replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lysander asked as she left her office, gasping as she saw Maddy¡¯s condition. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Someone tried to kill me and gave me this letter to give T¡¯tam, but T¡¯tam won¡¯t explain anything about what happened, and what he¡¯s involved in, but it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Lysander walked with them and crossed her arms. ¡°Explain yourself,¡± She told him. ¡°No one tried to kill Maddy, or else she would be dead,¡± T¡¯tam began. ¡°What a relief!¡± Maddy said sarcastically. ¡°And I can¡¯t explain because that would put you in danger. I¡¯m sorry, but this is the burden I must bear. You cannot be involved, for the sake of your lives.¡± ¡°Try me,¡± Lysander said. ¡°No.¡± Lysander huffed. ¡°Can you at least tell me where you were this morning?¡± T¡¯tam bit his lip, unsure of what he was allowed to say. In the end, he didn¡¯t lie, but said only the basics. ¡°Tyrian¡¯s kid is dead, and I had to kill her as a monster.¡± Lysander and Maddy gaped at him. ¡°And how did this come about?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain,¡± T¡¯tam responded. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to know.¡± ¡°Trust me, I do,¡± Lysander glared at him. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll just have to keep your curiosity, because I won¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m so sorry, Maddy, for what happened to you.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The second trip to the hospital¡ªthis time by carriage¡ªconsisted of two annoying women¡ªone injured¡ªbadgering T¡¯tam about what had happened that day. T¡¯tam did not cave in, but they were giving him a headache and he didn¡¯t know how long he could last. The same doctor that took in Tyrian met him at the entrance. ¡°He¡¯s not awake, if you¡¯re wondering.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here,¡± T¡¯tam told him. ¡°Then why¡­oh!¡± The doctor turned white. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°Someone stabbed her and ran away.¡± The doctor looked at him in suspicion. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t help but feel¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t him,¡± Maddy reassured him. ¡°He just found me like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s twice today!¡± The doctor said, ¡°Another time, and I¡¯ll have no choice but to have you arrested!¡± ¡°Not if I¡¯m the one hurt,¡± T¡¯tam joked. The doctor just glared. ¡°Well, I can take it from here. You are¡­¡± ¡°Madeleine Navens.¡± The man began to look through his files and finally emerged with a grunt of satisfaction. ¡°Here you are. Not many visits to the hospital previously, that is good, although I see you suffered a slight head injury during the battle.¡± T¡¯tam stared at Maddy, who shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to tell you that. You don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m your boss.¡± ¡°So?¡± T¡¯tam let her win the argument. After all, he was keeping secrets from her, and they were bigger than hers. Eventually, the doctor led Maddy away, and T¡¯tam waved at her, but she ignored him. Lysander was waiting for him in the carriage, When they left, she turned on him. ¡°When Maddy was here, you had your excuse, but now you don¡¯t. What the hell is going on here? Either you tell me, or I swear to you, I will not let you out!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stop me,¡± T¡¯tam darkened. ¡°You know I trust you completely, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and now you¡¯re scaring me,¡± Lysander admitted. ¡°You should be scared, but I can¡¯t tell you. If you knew, you would be killed, and I¡¯m saying too much already.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you say a little more too much?¡± Lysander grinned. ¡°This is not a time for jokes! Tyrian¡¯s daughter is dead because of this, and Maddy almost died. I won¡¯t have you being a casualty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet, but I can handle myself,¡± Lysander said. ¡°I know you can, but I should be able to handle myself too, and I can¡¯t with this. I¡¯m lucky they haven¡¯t tried to kill me.¡± ¡°They?¡± T¡¯tam cringed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± He crossed his arms and refused to say anymore the rest of the way to the parliament hall. When they arrived, Lysander blocked the door. ¡°You¡¯re not getting out,¡± She said. ¡°Not until you tell me.¡± ¡°Stop doing this,¡± T¡¯tam told her. ¡°I could wait all day here.¡± ¡°So could I.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand this situation!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. So help me understand!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Lysander looked betrayed and tears came into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, and I don¡¯t think you trust me anymore.¡± She sniffled then exited the carriage. ¡°Lysander, I¡¯m sorry!¡± T¡¯tam screamed, but it was too late. Lysander was already gone, inside the Parliamentary hall. I hate you, Dautha! ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª T¡¯tam felt tired as he walked into his clean office, having spent the last couple of hours cleaning it. That was when he got his last surprise of the day. There was a bald, middle-aged man looking at him and smiling, sitting in his chair. ¡°Welcome T¡¯tam!¡± ¡°Are you welcoming me to my own office?¡± T¡¯tam asked. ¡°Seems a little strange.¡± ¡°Sit down, man.¡± ¡°Why are you here¡±? T¡¯tam asked, not budging. ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°Who I am does not matter. We are all insignificant in the eyes of Dautha.¡± T¡¯tam growled. ¡°Cultist.¡± ¡°Just so. As for why I am here, by now, you know what happened to Rose and Maddy.¡± ¡°You monsters,¡± T¡¯tam growled. ¡°We aren¡¯t the monsters, Rose was,¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Did you have a fun time with her?¡± T¡¯tam barely controlled himself. ¡°You still have not answered me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± The man said. ¡°Then let me explain. I am here to warn you.¡± ¡°You already did that with Maddy and the letter.¡± ¡°True,¡± The man admitted, ¡°But we wanted to show you why you should be afraid.¡± The man snapped his fingers, and then T¡¯tam¡¯s body became rigid, his hand hanging down. His eyes swung wildly around, but he couldn¡¯t move. He tried to talk, and thankfully, it worked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Showing you just a taste of our power,¡± The man smiled and suddenly pain erupted through T¡¯tam¡¯s body, a thousand knives stabbing him. He screamed, unashamed of showing his pain, and, as he stumbled to the ground, the man laughed. ¡°Do you understand now? We are in control!¡± T¡¯tam nodded, the pain blinding him to anything else. By now, his nose and mouth were already bleeding, staining his office once again. ¡°May this be a lesson to you,¡± The man continued. ¡°Never, NEVER! Try to come after us again. Do you hear me?¡± T¡¯tam didn¡¯t move. ¡°DO YOU HEAR ME?¡± The man said as he kicked T¡¯tam, eliciting a grunt and spattered blood, but, finally, T¡¯tam nodded. ¡°Ugh,¡± The man finished. ¡°You got blood on my shoes. Disgusting.¡± The cultist left the room, the sound of the clicking door telling T¡¯tam he was gone. Tears spread through T¡¯tam¡¯s cheek, and he cried to himself. He¡¯d caved in after barely any pain. He hadn¡¯t even been tortured for too long, and he¡¯d just agreed with what the Cultist had said. Still, the pain tormented him and he still felt it even now. He could feel himself slipping, his awareness getting drained every passing second. What irony, T¡¯tam thought before he lost consciousness, I really am returning to the hospital. The doctor will love this. Chapter Sixty-Five: Jade In Magefell Chapter Sixty-Five: Jade In Magefell ¡°How are your parents?¡± Zade asks, staring at Jade fixedly, causing her chest to constrict in a strange yet nice way. The Ember is already full in the morning, and Jade eats her breakfast with relish, enjoying real food again after that sea slop. ¡°Oh, you know them, always loving and protective of me,¡± Jade shrugs. ¡°And they talk about you all the time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Jade says. ¡°The pig is scrounging again. He entered our farm and ate our carrots!¡± Zade mock glared at her as she laughed. ¡°That¡¯s evil, Jay! At least I only look like a pig!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Zade points at her as she shovels food into her mouth and she blushes. ¡°Who¡¯s evil now, Zade. Critiquing someone who hasn¡¯t eaten food in almost two weeks!¡± ¡°What, are you going to cry?¡± Zade grins. ¡°Sea food isn¡¯t that bad!¡± ¡°Then why were you throwing it all up?¡± Jade quips, and Zade scowls. ¡°I¡¯ve missed this,¡± he admits. ¡°Me and Xavier tease each other all the time, but it just feels more normal to me.¡± Jade nods wisely. ¡°Like throwing up on a boat?¡± ¡°No, like throwing a potato.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never let that one go, will you?¡± ¡°Never, that potato hurt!¡± Zade complains. ¡°I still feel it, deep in my heart.¡± ¡°Get a doctor,¡± Jade smiles. ¡°You need help.¡± ¡°Oh, I need help? I¡¯m not the one who uses vegetables as weapons!¡± ¡°It was just the one time,¡± Jade warns. ¡°But you¡¯re asking for the second.¡± ¡°And this is why everyone assumes you¡¯re dating,¡± Guilia says, walking up to them, looking as if she just woke up, and chances were she had. ¡°You eat together, laugh together, and you¡¯re so close your lips are almost touching!¡± Jade and Zade blush at the same time and pull themselves away from each other, but Jade is sure she catches her best friend smiling. ¡°Who¡¯ll take the first step?¡± Guilia asks. ¡°Should be you, right, Zade?¡± Zade pointedly does not look at either of the girls, instead finding something interesting in the window. ¡°You do it, sister!¡± Robin exclaims walking up to them and dragging Mothe, who looks like he¡¯d rather be anywhere else. ¡°In my culture, women always take the first step.¡± Now it is Jade¡¯s turn to find the interesting speck of dirt by the window. The other two girls laugh, and Mothe chuckles nervously. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Guilia exclaims, raising her hand to her mouth in shock. ¡°We disrupted your romantic breakfast, I can¡¯t believe it. Let¡¯s go, Robin. We should leave them to it.¡± The girls talk and laugh as they leave, Mothe shooting one last desperate look at Jade, pleading for help. Jade, unforgiving of his laughter, offers no such assistance. ¡°Let¡¯s agree to ignore everything that happened," Zade tells her, and she wholeheartedly agrees. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Are they two always like this? Guilia wasn¡¯t always this¡­¡± ¡°Evil? No, whenever they¡¯re together, they¡¯ll probably find a way to tease me or you or us.¡± ¡°What about the guy?¡± ¡°Mothe? Robin seems to have taken a liking to her, but Mothe can¡¯t with her.¡± ¡°Reminds me of Astil,¡± Zade says, turning serious. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± He returns. ¡°Astil was initially scared of his girlfriend too.¡± ¡°Oh, they aren¡¯t dating. But they will soon!¡± ¡°Like us?¡± Zade teases, then flushes again as he realizes what he¡¯s said. ¡°I thought we¡¯d forget about it!¡± ¡°And we will, I¡¯m sorry, I was just¡­¡± ¡°Just what, Zade Helstrom?¡± Jade asked, crossing her arms. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, now leave it.¡± ¡°Yes, mom!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Call me that again and I¡¯ll paddle you,¡± Jade glares at him, and he grins. ¡°What if I said that wasn¡¯t so bad?¡± ¡°You son of a¡ª¡± She trails off as he laughs, expecting her reaction. ¡°I can go back to Erenfeld, you know. I can just leave and not come back!¡± ¡°And get arrested for desertion,¡± Zade returns. ¡°You¡¯re stuck with me now.¡± Jade winced. ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± They burst out laughing at the same time, their food momentarily forgotten. ¡°I really missed you, Jade,¡± Zade finally says, catching his breath. ¡°Me too,¡± She returns. ¡°It¡¯s so good to talk to you again.¡± ¡°I wish we could do this forever, Jay!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare get sweet on me,¡± Jade says, pointing her knife at him. ¡°I just arrived, and we still have a month. I¡¯m not ready for it yet.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Zade laughs. They keep their conversation light as they keep eating. Breakfast feels too quick, and eventually, Jade has to leave for the field, where the Ajutoare have been allotted to practice that morning. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Form up,¡± Captain Kanad tells them as they separate into two groups of one hundred and form a semblance of an army. Jade is shoulder to shoulder with two people she doesn¡¯t recognize, all of them with leather over their swords to absorb any impact. Robin is on the other side, but both Mothe and Guilia are on her team. ¡°Attack,¡± Captain Kanad commands, and thus the battle starts. ¡°WALL!¡± Jade hears the commander of the other team scream, and, in a blink of an eye, that army begins to form themselves into a shield wall, protecting themselves. Jade¡¯s team takes on the offense ¡°PUSH FORWARDS!¡± Her commander, Fuyr, yells. In the second row, Jade prepares to push on the shield wall, to break it. Her army pummels into the next one. Any sort of strike from another sword to a man or woman¡¯s vital parts and the soldier is dead, so she must be careful to attack but ferocious in them. As her team begins to attempt to find holes in the wall, the other side shoves their swords through, striking at the less defended. Mock screams arise from men and women who have died, but instead of falling to the ground, they leave the battle zone, making sure to avoid any other contact. It¡¯s the world¡¯s greatest game of make-believe, but it¡¯s a hell of a lot of fun! And it¡¯s a great bit of training, which is a plus. Jade pushes on the woman in front of her, who in turn is forcing on the shield wall, attacking with everything she has. A sword peeks through the shields, striking at the woman in front of her, who curses and leaves the zone, a smile on her face. Greedily, Jade takes her place and assembles herself well next to her new shoulder-mates, none whom she recognizes. Finally, after five minutes and too many casualties¡ªJade is wiping a tear in her head¡ªthe shield wall breaks. Of course, breaking the shield wall is only the first step of any battle. The second is the real one-on-one combat, or most likely two-on-one for whichever side is winning. And Jade¡¯s isn¡¯t. As the first man runs at Jade, she ducks under his blow, thrusting her own at him, and he buckles under her well-positioned strike. Wheezing for breath, the man leaves the battle, dead as a nail but alive as, well, anyone else who¡¯d died in the battle. Cheers erupt from the dead¡ªa strange occurrence! Jade thinks. The dead, speaking!¡ªas they root for the side they¡¯d sacrificed themselves oh so valiantly for. Two women run at Jade and she strikes at one, who dodges it as the second thrusts herself close to Jade to provide discomfort. And so the fight continues, with cries of war and despair on both sides and many one-sided fights ending with a victory for the one side. So far, the battle seems equal, although Jade¡¯s side is still losing. Both commanders are alive, and the battle ends when one of them dies or everyone else dies. Jade continuously fights one or two soldiers. She, as a guard, is a better swordswomen than most, but she isn''t the best and she does realize that. Twice, she needs the assistance of one of those on her team. Mothe dies relatively early, a strike to his heart ending his life, but he¡¯ll fight again¡ªin our hearts! Jade thinks¡ªbut Guilia is still standing, although she is having a hard time. There are about seventy-five fighters left, which means more than half have already died. Poor bastards! Of Robin Jade has seen no sign of the entire battle. Maybe she¡¯s already dead, but Jade doubts it. She¡¯s too good and smart to die so early. Not too long after, Jade finally gets a glimpse of her, but not in the way she wants. She has just a second to move as Robin barrels at her, and only her quick reflexes save her life. Robin passes her but turns quickly to face her. ¡°I am afraid I must kill you sister,¡± Robin smiles. ¡°Save your breath, sister,¡± Jade responds. ¡°No sister of mine would do this.¡± Robin laughs and attacks her and Jade quickly realizes how much she underestimated her. She¡¯d thought Robin was good. She just hadn¡¯t understood how good. Robin strikes quickly, expertly, stepping here, positioning her hips there. The Snjornin relies on her speed and maneuverability to attack, and Jade often feels inadequate as she fights her, only barely escaping her clutches. She steps back as Robin lands a kick to her leg. Righting herself, Jade growls at strikes at Robin, who blocks and steps back herself. ¡°You asked for it,¡± Jade tells her as she stomps on the ground, kicking dirt up in Robin¡¯s face, and the other girl squeals and wipes at her eyes. Jade steps in as soon as the girl is blinded, taking advantage of the opportunity, but the other girl has already blocked her. ¡°How?¡± ¡°There are many times you can¡¯t see a battle in Snjornin,¡± Robin explains, blocking her every strike. ¡°You rely on just your ears. You are very loud.¡± ¡°Oh, I will be loud. When I win.¡± ¡°I thought you would say when you see Zade again.¡± Robin grins wickedly as she takes on the offensive again, her eyes focused on Jade, the dirt clearly gone. ¡°There''s. Nothing. Going. On. Between. Me. And. Zade.¡± Jade tells Robin, each word emphasized with a strike. ¡°Keep. Telling. Yourself. That.¡± And so the fight goes, exhausting both Jade and Robin¡ªJade assumes Robin is tired, but she fights fiercely anyways¡ªand Jade knows soon one of them will cave. She does everything she can so it isn¡¯t her, but unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t work. As the Snjornin strikes, Jade blocks her, but this time, she misjudges the other girl¡¯s strike,, and she only realizes what she¡¯s done when the sword has left her hands, and Robin¡¯s is at her throat. ¡°You¡¯re dead, sister.¡± Jade laughs, in disappointment and adrenaline, reaching for her sword. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Just leave already,¡± Robin winks. ¡°You¡¯re disrupting the battle.¡± Jade glares at her but does as she says, noticing that there only seem to be about ten soldiers from each side on the field. With elation, Jade thinks about what that means. I might be in the top ten percent here! Joining her dead teammates, she begins to cheer for her team, who are now fighting desperately as the other side pummels them mercilessly. Robin is a force to be reckoned with as she moves from one player to another, crippling them. And so, she is the one to reach Jade¡¯s commander and stab her in the back¡ªliterally and metaphorically, Jade smirks. ¡°White Team wins,¡± Captain Kanad exclaims. ¡°Black Team, you fought well, but next time, protect your commander. I will give you each feedback and then we will start again.¡± Jade grins. There¡¯s more of this coming and she can¡¯t wait for it. ¡°When¡¯d you lose?¡± Guilia asks her from behind. ¡°Towards the end, Robin killed me,¡± Jade responds. ¡°I died a little after halfway,¡± Guilia scowls. ¡°Some big guy got me from behind.¡± ¡°I win, then.¡± ¡°We both lost, really,¡± Guilia responds. ¡°Let¡¯s vow to do better this time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jade tells her. ¡°We¡¯ll win this time.¡± But, to their extreme disappointment, they did not. Chapter Sixty-Six: Jade In Magefell, Part 2 Chapter Sixty-Six: Jade In Magefell, Part 2 Four battles later, and Jade is disappointed. They¡¯d fought five battles¡ªfive!¡ªand lost every single one. Their first had been their best, and even that one was a little one-sided. In the third battle, they¡¯d even tried the shield wall, but the others had broken through their defenses so easily. Robin had killed her once more, and another soldier had murdered her another, but the other two she¡¯d survived, the battle only ending when her commander was dead. When Captain Kanad calls for the end, Robin comes to talk to her. ¡°You fight well, sister,¡± She says. ¡°As do you. I¡¯ll win next time.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Robin laughs. ¡°Yes, I am sure you will.¡± ¡°ATTENTION!¡± At once, every soldier and guard stands up and salutes Captain Kanad, who smiles. ¡°At ease. You have done well. Jade, come up please. I want you to explain what happened yesterday.¡± Jade cocks her head in confusion but obeys him. ¡°Sir?¡± She asks. ¡°How did yesterday go with the High Mages?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Jade says. ¡°Well, I talked to one called High Mage Aegon. I told him that Magefell was in danger, but I didn¡¯t tell him any specific details.¡± ¡°Good job. And?¡± ¡°And he promised to get us a parliamentary hearing.¡± ¡°Thank you, soldier. You may return to your spot.¡± Once she had returned to her spot, Captain Kanad continued. ¡°Today, in the morning, this High Mage Aegon talked to me, and he told me our Parliamentary hearing is tomorrow, which is great. Only I will go, along with Jade and two others, who I will pick. I picked Jade because she was the one to reach the High Mages. Now, at this time, we must practice every day. Hopefully, I can get the Vanguard to practice with us for a few days. We will need to know how they fight in order to fight ourselves. ¡°We have a little over a month to prepare ourselves for the worst fight of our lives. Every day, we must get a little better. I expect you all to improve. I know you can. You are two hundred of the best soldiers in Arcadia. You are dismissed. You shall return at four.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking a nap,¡± Guilia says. ¡°I¡¯m tired, and if I don¡¯t sleep now, I¡¯ll sleep at four.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to explore Magefell,¡± Jade says, pointing at Mothe and Robin. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to come.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll see you all after, though.¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Yue shrugs as she leaves. ¡°I think I¡¯m leaving, too,¡± Mothe says, starting to follow Guilia until Robin pulls him back. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± She says. ¡°You stay with me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a soldier,¡± Jade tells him. ¡°Act like it.¡± ¡°I may be a soldier,¡± He says. ¡°But so is she. And she¡¯s a Snjornin. Not my type, I might add.¡± ¡°Does that matter?¡± Robin asks. ¡°YES!¡± Mothe shrieks. ¡°You can¡¯t do whatever you want to me!¡± ¡°Actually, I can,¡± Robin told him. ¡°This is just the first step.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more, ¡°Mothe groans. ¡°Of course there is. Jade, is there any chance I can see my mage friend today?¡± ¡°Sure, I can take you there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Not so fast,¡± Robin interjects. ¡°I still want to explore Magefell.¡± ¡°Well, you go do that,¡± Mothe tells her, patting her shoulder. ¡°Meanwhile, me and Jade¡ª¡± ¡°Will be with me,¡± Robin growls. ¡°And then you can see your friend.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª For the next two hours, Jade, Robin, and a very unwilling Mothe go around magefell, following every alleway they find. More than once, they lose themselves¡ªMothe losing himself on purpose plenty of times, although Robin catches him every single time¡ªbut that¡¯s the joy of it. After what feels like forever to Mother, Robin finally relents and allows them to go to Magefell¡ªall three together¡ªto find Mothe¡¯s friend. Zenyth once again stands as a monument to Magefell¡¯s strength, and this time Jade has no problem entering, as apparently the news of Helstrom¡¯s girlfriend has spread through Zenyth like wildfire. Mothe and Robin both snigger as they hear the guard talk about it, although Mothe¡¯s sounds a bit forced. ¡°Who do you want to see, Mothe?¡± ¡°Ali Bann,¡± Mothe says. ¡°So it¡¯s a girl,¡± Robin crosses her arms. ¡°You can¡¯t be friends with girls.¡± ¡°Why not? Jade is a girl!¡± Mothe groans. ¡°Jade is my sister, it¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Well, in this, you have no say in the matter, and I don¡¯t care what you say.¡± For once, Robin lets it go, although she seems extremely annoyed, and the guard tells them where to find Ali. She lives only a few hallways away from Zade. ¡°Have fun with Helstrom,¡± The guard sniggers. ¡°Oh, she will!¡± Robin grins. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Jade ignores her as they follow the stairs and hallways of Zenyth. Fighting the urge to ditch them¡ªthe only reason she doesn¡¯t is Mothe¡ªJade arrives at Zade¡¯s door, but she passes it, and Robin and Mothe don¡¯t notice, thankfully. After a few more minutes, they finally arrive at Ali¡¯s door, and Mothe knocks. ¡°I hope she isn¡¯t at a library or anything,¡± Mothe says. ¡°But, then again, she always stayed in her room.¡± Robin glared at him. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because we were often there together.¡± The door opens and a tall girl with long black locks opens it, her wide eyes opening wider. ¡°Mothe?¡± She asks, then reaches to hug him. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you.¡± Then in front of Robin, she kisses Mothe. Both Jade and Robin gape. Mothe¡¯s eyes are wide too, but he seems to be enjoying it. When they separate, though, he looks down in embarrassment. ¡°Hey, Ali. You know we¡¯re not dating anymore.¡± ¡°I know, but I had to, one last time,¡± She replies amicably. ¡°We did only break up because I left.¡± ¡°Oh, you better not be dating,¡± Robin growled, glaring at Ali. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ali asks, ignoring Robin, which irks her. ¡°And who are these?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here on a job,¡± Mothe replies, clearly unsure of what to do. ¡°And these are my friends, Jade and Robin.¡± ¡°Soon to be girlfriend,¡± Robin says, but Mothe interrupts. ¡°Friend.¡± Robin kicks him and he yelps. Ali raises an eyebrow at the both of them. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re not,¡± Jade laughs. ¡°They¡¯re a little crazy.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± Ali says drily. ¡°But it¡¯s clear I¡¯m not invited here, so I might as well just leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you aren¡¯t,¡± Robin smirks. ¡°No, you are,¡± Mothe pleads. ¡°Please. I can¡¯t with this monster of a woman anymore.¡± ¡°Excuse me!¡± Robin interjected. ¡°Help,¡± pleaded Mothe, and he rushed in Ali¡¯s room and closed it, a lick announcing that he locked it. ¡°THAT MAN!¡± Robin growled. ¡°Robin,¡± Jade says. ¡°Give him a break. He doesn¡¯t like you, and that¡¯s fine.¡± Robin sags in her arms. ¡°No, he does. He just doesn¡¯t want to admit it.¡± And what if he doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll respect it,¡± Robin says sadly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡± ¡°I get it. You¡¯re jealous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± ¡°You are, and you know that!¡± Jade tells her. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. Just respect his wishes. You¡¯re pushing him too much. Your culture is different from ours. You have to remember that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Robin replies. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to stop until he truly tells me what he wants.¡± ¡°He has¡ª¡± ¡°Wait a few days. My culture dictates what I must do, and then he can decide.¡± ¡°Does that involve¡ª¡± ¡°You need not know, sister,¡± Robin told her. ¡°But no worries, I¡¯m sure it will go well.¡± That sentence made Jade think it for sure would not go well. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°I want to meet your other friends,¡± Jade declares, staring at Zade expectantly. ¡°Fine,¡± He says. ¡°They¡¯ll love you anyway.¡± ¡°As long as they don¡¯t love you as much as Zade does,¡± Robin barks, and Jade glares at her. As soon as they exit the room, Xavier gapes from the common room. ¡°Zade, calm down,¡± He says. ¡°One was enough. Two¡­¡± ¡°Xavier, shut up, or I will force that pillow down your throat,¡± Jade warns. ¡°I bet you¡¯d know a lot about forcing something down a¡ª¡± He gurgles as Jade hits him with the pillow at lightning speed then proceeds to hit him again and again. ¡°AH! STOP! I¡¯M SORRY!¡± Jade continues her assault for a good minute or two before she lets him go. ¡°Mention me and Zade again in even a mildly dirty manner and I swear I will stab you,¡± She says, only half-joking. ¡°Wow, touchy much?¡± Xavier replies, earning another pillow to the head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Turning to Zade, he mouths something that looks like women, am I right? And Zade stifles a laugh, but this time Jade lets it go. ¡°Come one,¡± He says. ¡°I need to introduce you to Th¡¯ul, Anni and Sia.¡± ¡°Ooh, Sia,¡± Xavier grimaces. ¡°She¡¯s your competition, Jade.¡± His groan as another pillow hit his stomach wasn¡¯t enough revenge, but Jade didn¡¯t bother to do anymore. Xavier wasn¡¯t serious, right? She didn¡¯t care either way, obviously, but she certainly hoped it wasn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t sure why exactly, but she just didn¡¯t want Sia and Zade to be together. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything with Sia,¡± Zade tells Xavier. ¡°Okay,¡± Xavier wheezed. ¡°Just go.¡± Jade shoots one more glare at Xavier, who glares back at her. ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t actually fighting,¡± Zade says. ¡°Oh, we were, but we still like each other,¡± Jade resplies. ¡°At least, I hope so. I wasn¡¯t too harsh, was I?¡± ¡°Not harsh enough, to me,¡± Zade tells her, eliciting a giggle from her. ¡°As much as I agree with douchebag over there, I must say you were pretty savage,¡± Robin admits. ¡°And your hitting skills are nothing to be trifled with.¡± ¡°Ah, here we are, Th¡¯ul¡¯s room.¡± Zade says, knocking at the door, which is promptly answered by a man¡ªboy?¡ªcovered totally in black with an inexpressive face. ¡°Oh, hi, Zade. Is that Jade?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zade responds. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°She¡¯s totally your type,¡± Th¡¯ul responds, then seeing the two glares, he throws his hands up. ¡°Just a deduction. I am right, about her being Jade, after all. Come in.¡± Zade grumbles under his breath as he enters the completely black room, and as Jade enters, she feels an overwhelming sense of darkness surround her, but the room isn¡¯t dark. It¡¯s totally black but it¡¯s well lit, although from where she can¡¯t tell. There¡¯s a blonde girl sitting on a chair in the room, fourteen years old at best. ¡°This is Anni,¡± Th¡¯ul explains. ¡°Anni, Jade, Jade, Anni.¡± ¡°Call me Jay,¡± Jade thrusts her hand out.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Anni tells her. ¡°Were you talking about¡­¡± Zade begins but falters off at a glance from Th¡¯ul. ¡°Yeah,¡± He responds. ¡°I think she might be getting better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Well, I hope you get better soon,¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Anni replied. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Their second, and last, stop is at Sia¡¯s room. When Jade knocks, the door is opened by a beautiful brunette in a flowing pink dress with a neckline too low for Jade¡¯s taste. ¡°I¡¯m Sia,¡± She introduces herself. ¡°Jade. I hear Zade is your beau.¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Sia blushes along with Zade. ¡°Nothing of the sort. We¡¯re nothing if not friends, but that¡¯s all. Him and the Sterkona are like idols to me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, Yue mostly,¡± Sia admits. ¡°Because she won the tournament. I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m her friend sometimes. But Zade, too, because he saved my life.¡± ¡°Oh, he did,¡± Jade grins as Zade blushes. ¡°Well, I take it you have dirt on Zade?¡± ¡°Only a little,¡± Sia responds. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to say anything.¡± ¡°Oh, honey, we¡¯ll have so much fun,¡± Jade says, entering the pink room. ¡°I have a lot of dirt on the man too.¡± Robin follows her in, and Zade tries to as well, but Jade stops him, smirking. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± he pleads, but she just grins and closes the door. Eventually, she feels guilty and opens it back up, but, in the end, it only causes more embarrassment for Zade as they trade stories about him. Chapter Sixty-Seven: The First Mission Chapter Sixty-Seven: The First Mission ¡°I¡¯m glad you came to me with this,¡± Kol told Yue. ¡°Decorum would dictate the Parliament tell me, but I can¡¯t help but be grateful you told me this now.¡± ¡°I had to, Captain,¡± Yue winked. ¡°I¡¯m still not used to that,¡± Kol groaned. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day,¡± Yue responded. ¡°Give it time, sir.¡± ¡°Well, anyhow, we need to figure out what to do about both armies, the one inside and the one outside.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just leave all the Ajutoare in separate inns. We need a place for them to stay.¡± ¡°With all due respect, sir, we do not have enough barracks for them all.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Kol furrowed his brow. ¡°But we should be able to place them in the warehouse.¡± ¡°The place is empty and dusty.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Kol replied. ¡°But we¡¯ll make do. I will send some warriors to clean it, and the Ajutoare might have to sleep on the floor with only blankets.¡± ¡°Once again, with all due respect, I think the Ajutoare will prefer inns to floor, but that¡¯s just my opinion,¡± Yue grinned. Kol sighed. ¡°Then we get workers to carry beds in there. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard, like you¡¯re trying to make my job.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± ¡°No need to apologize,¡± Kol said. ¡°You¡¯re doing your best, as are we all. I¡¯ll get the warriors on it immediately and we¡¯ll need to check on training for the Horde. Plus, we need to send patrols in Magefell. Yue, I am assigning you to go first. Take three others with you, but tell me who you choose.¡± ¡°Oh, I can tell you that now. Xander, Alyx, and Neena.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll mark them down,¡± her new captain told her. ¡°You can return at lunch.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª At first, patrol went well, most citizens staring at Sterkona like she was a god, but except for that, nothing was out of the ordinary. Not that her fame was out of the ordinary now, but still, she did wish she was invisible again, at least sometimes. The patrol got ugly, though, when two Cultists threw a brick at a window, a publicly non-cultist shop window, at that. Due to that violence, five more rioters joined in, beating on the shop owners. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Yue asked, running to stop the fighting. ¡°Oh, damn, it¡¯s the Vanguard,¡± One of the men cursed, throwing a brick at her. She dodged it and glared at him, unsheathing her sword. Three of the rioters ran immediately, and Alyx went after them, her sword swishing. The other four turned to Yue. ¡°Come at me, Sterkona,¡± A woman grinned. ¡°See how far you abuse your power.¡± Yue, ignoring her jibe, attacked the woman, and, sliding her feet from under the ground, threw the woman to the ground, where she lay unconscious. The other three went as easily, all knocked down by either Xander or Yue. They wanted to arrest all seven, but unfortunately there were too many, so they settled for a warning. ¡°Do that again,¡± Yue said, ¡°And I swear by your own God that I will murder all of you.¡± The rioters took it seriously as they ran away, screaming that the Sterkona was crazy. ¡°Are you okay,¡± Yue said, kneeling down to help the woman shopkeeper. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± She coughed. ¡°I saw your fights in the battle. Thank you for what you did to Magefell.¡± ¡°It was my honor,¡± Yue replied. ¡°Honor doesn¡¯t save everyone,¡± The woman told her. ¡°Only someone completely selfless would risk their lives like that.¡± ¡°Many Magefell soldiers did exactly what I did and died for it. I wasn¡¯t the selfless one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself,¡± The woman told her. ¡°They may have been selfless in their sacrifice, but you are just as selfless for putting yourself in harm''s way so someone like me could live.¡± Yue blushed. ¡°People like you are the reason I do fight. You deserve a chance to live.¡± ¡°So do you,¡± The woman said. ¡°I hope you get a long, fulfilled life with whoever you choose, just like mine.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be sad if I die for Magefell.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Xander teased. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± The woman asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, good luck to both of you. You deserve the best in life for what you did.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. We wish the best of life for you too.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡°The rioters are going too far,¡± Xamder growled for the seventh time. ¡°This is too much. Did you know that two people died yesterday!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve said,¡± Yue replies, head on his shoulders, ¡°Just enjoy the moment with me, will you?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± He huffed. ¡°But I¡¯m seriously getting tired of these cultists.¡± He lay his head on hers and sighed in contentment. ¡°At least you¡¯re here.¡± Yue smiled as they held hands, looking at the view of Magefell from the roof of the inn. ¡°The sky is nice today,¡± Yue said, and Xander frowned. ¡°Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡± ¡°Too busy?¡± Yue wondered. ¡°Staring at something more pretty.¡± Yue gagged. ¡°That was horrible. Never say that again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said things like this before! And so have you!¡± He protested. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I appreciate it, and thank you, but ew!¡± She smiled. ¡°But you are cute too.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Xander said. ¡°And the rioters are going too far.¡± ¡°Will you stop with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just can¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡± ¡°Evidently,¡± Yue replied. ¡°If the riots keep going, Magefell is going to tear itself apart from the inside.¡± ¡°I agree, but what can we do except what we¡¯ve been doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xander growled in irritation. ¡°Nothing, I guess. I just hate to have to see it.¡± ¡°Me too. But I guess that¡¯s why we have each other. For something nice to look at.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Xander screamed. ¡°You just told me not to say anything like that.¡± ¡°This one wasn¡¯t half as bad!¡± ¡°It was the same. How about we mutually agree that¡ª¡± Xander screamed and fell to the ground. The scars on his chest began to glow through his shirt and his eyes rolled back. ¡°XANDER!¡± Yue grabbed him. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°They¡¯re back,¡± He said, then he grew limp. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª When Yue finally shook Xander awake, he was shaking. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her,¡± He whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her, she¡¯s all I have. I¡¯ll do anything, please. NO! NO! NO! Please, just don¡¯t kill her. Kill me instead, no.¡± ¡°Xander,¡± Yue said, slapping her, and he shook his head, seemingly waking up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked. ¡°They¡¯ve got me again,¡± He groaned. ¡°And this time, they know I¡¯m not a Cultist. All they want to do is control my mind, now, and Hi, Yue.¡± Xander¡¯s voice changed, becoming lower and more menacing. His eyes grew purple, and he grinned wide, showing his teeth. ¡°Oh no,¡± Yue groaned. ¡°Oh yes,¡± Xander said. ¡°Your boy here is in a bit of a predicament. You see, we control him, and we can kill him at a whim.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You,¡± Xander continued. ¡°All we want is you. You must obey everything we say.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t do that,¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°I would never help any of you.¡± ¡°What a pity. Then I guess Xander has to die!¡± ¡°Wait! No! I¡¯ll do it,¡± Yue siad, hanging her head. ¡°Does he know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± the cultist said from Xander. ¡°He¡¯s unaware.¡± ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll do whatever you want. Just leave him alone. What do you want? For me to kill myself?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not there yet, although that is in the cards,¡± Xander admitted. ¡°No, for now, we want you to do something simple.¡± ¡°Simple? Like sending an army of monsters to attack us and wait for us to die like chicks in a cage with a hawk?¡± ¡°Aw, come on, Yue, don¡¯t be so melodramatic. You¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t you. That¡¯s what matters, although I doubt you¡¯ll be alive for much longer after what we do. ¡°We¡¯re about to ruin your reputation and have you thrown in jail.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Yue told them. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything evil like you. I¡¯m nothing like you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re about to be,¡± Xander grinned again. ¡°Unless you want poor Xander here to die, knowing his precious girlfriend was the reason he died.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Yue cried, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Why don¡¯t you just use someone else?¡± ¡°We could and probably will use Xander to help you, but we prefer to use you because you¡¯re so famous. Imagine what people will think when they realize the Sterkona is nothing more than a bastard who deserves to die. Everyone would flock to Dautha.¡± ¡°You really are monsters!¡± Yue breathed. Xander laughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that already? Well, you¡¯ll learn it soon enough.¡± Yue sighed in resignation and sat on the ground. ¡°I guess I have to listen, don¡¯t I? What would you have me do?¡± ¡°Like we said, this first job is very simple. In fact, you should be done with it by the end of the day. Our mission for you this time is this: find a riot and kill all the instigators.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yue exclaimed. ¡°No! I can¡¯t kill anyone! And why would you want me to kill your own people!¡± ¡°You¡¯re learning this wrong, Yue,¡± Xander groaned. ¡°Xander will now wake up with an incredible headache. Don¡¯t question us. You must learn to obey with no issue. Do you understand now?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Yue responded. ¡°But, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Today.¡± ¡°Yes, today.¡± Xander collapsed on the ground and Yue caught him, her mind reeling, and her guilt already fighting with her, although she hadn¡¯t done anything yet. But she had already agreed to do it, which wasn¡¯t good. In fact, to her, she¡¯d already committed the crime by agreeing to do it. Now she was forced under the Cult, forced to serve them. She knew what Xander felt like when they controlled him. She felt like a puppet on a string now, and she didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d be able to stop it. The only way would be to find a way to break Xander from his Cult ties. But she didn¡¯t know how to do that or if it was even possible. Tears began to run down her cheek softly as she stared at her boyfriend, the man who inadvertently was forcing her to do some bad things. Today, her life would really change when she took this first step and she wasn¡¯t ready for it, but it wasn¡¯t her choice.She would have to kill citizens, abusing her power to end their lives, simply because a Cult wished it so. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Xander,¡± She cried on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m so scared.¡± Xander raised his head and sat up, groaning and rubbing his forehead. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± Yue could only look on in horror as her boyfriend cocked his head at her crying face.. Chapter Sixty-Eight: The First Mission, Part 2 Chapter Sixty-Eight: The First Mission, Part 2 ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the Cult is using Xander to get to you?¡± Alyx frowned. ¡°That sounds like them. Scummy as usual.¡± ¡°What do I do, Alyx?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill the rioters, but¡­¡± ¡°You have to,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°I don¡¯t see your problem, Yue. They¡¯re criminals, murderers, all of them. They serve Dautha and they would kill if asked.¡± ¡°But they haven¡¯t, have they?¡± Yue asked, crossing her arms. She knew this was a delicate issue, one that Alyx disagreed with her on, but she didn¡¯t know who else she trusted enough to tell and had the time to. Alyx was theVanguard Warrior she trusted most, so she¡¯d gone to her immediately. ¡°But they will!¡± Alyx told her. ¡°Innocent citizens have died during these riots, Yue, DIED!¡± This isn¡¯t a simple harmless riot. This is dangerous. If we want to fight the Cult, we have to understand that we will kill. I don¡¯t see the problem with killing someone who will kill innocents.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know they¡¯ll do that!¡± Alyx scowled. ¡°If they keep doing what they¡¯re doing, then they will. In fact, I¡¯m betting that the same rioters who you will kill have already maimed several people, if not killed one.¡± ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance,¡± Yue whispered. ¡°They can change, and they deserve to as well.¡± ¡°Does a serial murderer deserve it? What about a rapist, or even Dautha himself? Does he deserve a second chance? Maybe Dautha will turn good!¡± Alyx sneered. ¡°You know the truth, Yue. You give Dautha and the Cult a chance, and they¡¯ll wipe you out. You¡¯re not giving the Cult a second chance, you''re giving them their hundredth, and it isn¡¯t even a chance for change, either, it¡¯s a chance for more death! You¡¯re saving citizens by killing others. Get that in your head, Yue. You¡¯ll be doing the right thing.¡± Yue bit her lip. ¡°I want to believe you, I do, but these aren¡¯t normal Cultists.¡± ¡°Exactly! These are the citizens who will convince or kill other citizens. In a way, it¡¯s even worse than the normal Cultists.¡± ¡°And Joanne then?¡± ¡°Joanne is a difficult issue,¡± Alyx admitted. ¡°But I can tell, and so can you, that she has problems with the Cult, but even she would kill if she was asked to, I think. I do think she¡¯s having troubles with the Cult.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s proof they can change!¡± ¡°No, Yue, she¡¯s proof they can¡¯t,¡± Alyx responded. ¡°Think about it. The person who¡¯s seen the horrors the most, who¡¯s been traumatized by it, and had friends almost die for it, has kept her Cult religion, and even while having troubles with it, has decided she wants to stay! The person who has the most reason that I know of stays in her blasted path.¡± Yue cringed. There was definitely something wrong with what Alyx was saying, but it was convincing. ¡°So you agree with Zade, then?¡± She asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that already,¡± Alyx responded darkly. ¡°I was conflicted about it, at first, I¡¯ll admit. But I¡¯ve seen the truth. The Cult stops at nothing, and so neither should we. We need to fight fire with fire, Yue, no matter if we burn down the whole blasted forest or not!¡± Alyx was so heated she was using the recent and common Magefell expletive. Of course, Yue herself had no problem with using it, she just recognized the fire in Alyx¡¯s eyes as she spoke on this. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Yue said. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yue admitted, ¡°But I¡¯m telling it to myself so that when I do this job, I don¡¯t feel as¡ªblasted guilty.¡± ¡°One day you¡¯ll see the truth,¡± Alyx told her. ¡°Whenever the Cult does something unforgivable, then you¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°They already have,¡± the other warrior responded. ¡°And I still want to be able to forgive them.¡± ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Alyx stood up. ¡°I have to go now. Aster and I are going to see my parents. Think on what I said, Yue.¡± ¡°I will, thank you.¡± Yue put her head in her hands and kept her mind blank, erasing any thought. She needed to be alone with herself now. She was nervous, scared, and a little sad. Was Alyx truly right? The wind blew through her hair softly as she stared down numbly, ignoring the world. She just wanted to stay here like this, until¡­ A hand fell over and around her, but no voice followed it. For a second, Yue let it stay, but then she looked up. There was Xander, smiling down at her, his arm wrapped around her protectively. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yue asked. ¡°I figured you¡¯d tell me when you were ready,¡± Xander shrugged. ¡°I trust my girlfriend to ask me for help if she needs it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not at all curious about what I¡¯m going through or what happened to you when you collapsed?¡± ¡°OF course I am,¡± Xander admitted. ¡°But I understand that if you aren¡¯t telling me, it¡¯s because you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Xander, I¡¯m going to do a terrible thing!¡± Yue blurted out. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what, when, how, or why¡ªI just can¡¯t, trust me¡ªbut I¡¯m going to do something horrible, and maybe more than one thing. I don¡¯t want to do it, but I have to.¡± Xander frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, Yue. I want to help, but¡ª¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Then how do I help? What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°Just stay with me. Please.¡± Xander nodded, and wrapped his other arm around her too, and she leaned on his chest. ¡°If you ever need me,¡± Her boyfriend whispered. ¡°I am here for you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yue responded. ¡°And I am here for you. I¡¯m protecting you, Xan, even if you don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are. And Xan? Why would you¡ª¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Yue put her finger on his lips to shush him. And there they stood, in the Vanguard grounds, holding each other as the day passed. She melted in his embrace, just wanting to stay, to never leave, for this to stay how it was. All she wanted was to protect Xander. She opened her eyes. This was why she had to do this, for Xander¡¯s sake. She needed him, and Alyx had to be right. Closing off all doubts in her mind, Yue looked at Xander. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± She glared. ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Xander gurgled, then his eyes shifted to purple. ¡°Good. I shall start a riot now.¡± Yue cracked her knuckles. It was time to do the unforgivable. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª It didn¡¯t take long for a riot to start, and this one was bigger than any other, a real spectacle. Dozens of cultist citizens riling up to defend what they believed in, and Yue was ready to wipe them all out. The riot was happening in the market, positioned perfectly for any spectators to see what the famous Sterkona would do. And what she would do would change their view of her forever. As she walked to the market with Xander, many screamed at her, telling her to help them, that the Cult was destroying everything. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± She scowled at everyone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Unsheathing her sword, she smiled as the market came into view. This is wrong. The thought slammed into her like a brick wall. She growled and fought against it. No, I must do this, Think of the Cultist citizens. They deserve this! Do you really believe it? Yue hesitated. Did she really believe what Alyx said? No, I don¡¯t. But today, I must. The riot came into sight. Rioters threw torches in the air, pelted rocks at innocent bystanders, and just harassed anyone they could find. Some were even beating up shopkeepers. ¡°Some citizens might be dead,¡± Cult-Xander told her. ¡°Don¡¯t the rioters deserve it?¡± He smiles at her. ¡°We all deserve to die, don¡¯t we? What happened to your moral code?¡± ¡°It agreed with me,¡± Yue growled. ¡°This is necessary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± He responded. ¡°Let¡¯s kill these flaming bastards.¡± Cries of STERKONA rang through the rioters as they noticed her, but many began to laugh. ¡°Even the Sterkona can''t take on all of us,¡± One man hooted. ¡°But we¡¯d like to see you try,¡± A woman yelled, to more laughter. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Another asked. ¡°Arrest all fifty of us?¡± Fifty, Yue whispered to herself softly. There are fifty of them. ¡°No,¡± She sneered at them. ¡°I¡¯m not going to arrest you.¡± Grabbing the nearest rioter, she stabbed down on its head, blood and brain-matter gushing from the top of his head. And thus the Magefell Market Massacre began. Yue spun, dodging a torch thrown at her, and instinctively stabbed up, catching another rioter through the bottom of his head and up to the top. With a gurgle, the woman fell to the ground, trying to stop the flow of blood. Yue meanwhile, had already ended the lives of two more, one decapitated, the other with a stab through the heart. Gasps arose from the citizens as they watched the Sterkona kill those who couldn¡¯t defend themselves adequately. Inside, Yue knew that it must feel like a betrayal to them, but her mind was filled with thoughts of death. Another Cultist killed, a stab through his heart. Cultist-Xander was fighting too, but he wasn¡¯t killing, leaving the victims all to Yue. Ten were already down, and some were stumbling away, but others looked even more invigorated. One threw a punch at Yue, but she caught it with her left hand and twisted, a nasty crunch following. As the Cultist stumbled to the ground screaming, Yue thrust forwards, taking another through the eyes. Then she turned back to the Cultist with the broken arm and ended her life, slashing down without mercy. The others stood no chance. Each tried to end the fabled Sterkona¡¯s life, and each failed spectacularly, earning a death for themselves. The citizens all looked on in horror and fascination. What was this new version of Yue Zhang and was this permanent? Another Cultist down, and two more took his place. She stabbed, cutting through a torch, then stabbed once, twice, cutting through both of their heads. Then she kicked the torch up off the ground, picked it up and threw it, catching another Cultist in the head. ¡°You thought this would be easy?¡± Yue growled. ¡°I¡¯m in the flaming Vanguard! I¡¯m the greatest swordswoman in the world.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not invincible,¡± A Cultist jumped on her from behind, but she threw him off her and stabbed down. ¡°Against you,¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m basically invincible.¡± The screams of the damned and dying fueled her as she swung from man to woman, killing them each, one by one, the reaper visiting each rioter that day. On the positive side, she thought, the riots should stop after today. The next man to come at her, tripped on the ground, and she didn¡¯t bother doing anything except stomping on his face, but his gurgled screams as he put his hands over his mangled face told her he was not long for this world. More and more rioters died, and she scanned the remainder. There seemed to be less than ten now. The blood of the dead stained her, marking her as the cruel mistress of death, and she advanced on the last few, and, seeing their end, they did the only thing they could think of doing. They ganged up on her. Their mistake. Yue pushed through them all, giving them all grave injuries. One got a sword through his brain, another through the stomach, yet another stabbed into her chest. Each fell. Each died. When the massacre was over, Yue looked around in horror, realizing what she¡¯d done. The citizens reacted just like her, staring at the gore and death around her. For a moment, time stood still as all stared at what had once been fifty alive people, not turned to bloody messes and corpses. It was a stunning visual. Then one cheer broke the silence, crashing into Yue. Strangely, the other citizens followed suit. Soon, a full-on applause began as the innocent civilians cheered and screamed for Yue. She began to breathe rapidly, her mind spinning with horrible thoughts. ¡°Hear them, Yue,¡± Cultist-Xander whispered in her ear. ¡°Thay may like you now, but I will hsatter your reputation. I will shatter you. Let me start. This is just the beginning.¡± Xander collapsed and rose a minute later, his eyes clearing. Looking around in confusion, he turned to a very bloody Yue. ¡°What happened here, Yue?¡± He asked. ¡°What have you done?¡± Yue stumbled back as the crowd cheered her on. ¡°I¡­I had to!¡± ¡°WHat have you done, Yue?¡± Xander asked again, his voice more like a screech now. The citizens continued to applaud her and the mess she¡¯d done, but Yue felt horrible. Crumpling to the ground, Yue sat down and wept. As the crowd screamed for her, and Xander stared at her horrified, she tried to stop the feelings of guilt passing through her. She had killed fifty rioters! Yue just sat down and wept. Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Revanchists Disciple Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Revanchist''s Disciple Reza waited in the shadows, jumping off her horse as she finally arrived. It had taken three days to reach Oriente, but here she was. It looked like any normal city, but the best part was the river next to it, adding a sense of being a port city to the overall atmosphere. Leading her horse through the streets, Reza made herself known. Her face would be known throughout the criminals and outlaws of the city, and rumor would soon fly that she was here. That was good. Hopefully, it sent her target against her. She stabled her horse at a stable of an inn, and stopped to drink a beer. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± She asked the innkeeper, tossing him a silver piece. ¡°Not much,¡± the innkeeper said. ¡°Rumor is we¡¯ve got a Revanchist disciple here, but you didn¡¯t hear it from me, got it?¡± ¡°Sim,¡±Reza replied. ¡°Where can I find this disciple, amor?¡± The innkeeper shrugged and Reza tossed him another gold piece. ¡°He lives over in the castle.¡± ¡°I thought that was illegal.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really mess with the Revanchist.¡± Reza frowned. ¡°Does he ever come out?¡± ¡°Rarely. He¡¯s been spotted only three times since he arrived a month ago.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t look for him,¡± the innkeeper told her. ¡°Not if you want to live.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about me wanting to live,¡± Reza told him, paying him for the beer. ¡°It¡¯s death that doesn¡¯t want me yet. Or else it would have caught me, darling.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The Mouros Castle stood above all else, right where the land touched the river. It was a drab beige color, but the towers and span of the whole edifice truly stood out. It had once been a true castle, meant for defense and fortitude. Then, it had mostly changed to a tourist attraction. Now, it was mostly just an abandoned relic from an older time. Reza rode up to it, wondering how she would get in. Supposedly, it was illegal to even enter it now, after the robbers had desecrated the place. She didn¡¯t mind the rules¡ªshe would break them if she must¡ªbut she knew they were watching her, and that she did not want. There did not seem to be any entrances except for the broken former gate on the north side, facing away from the river. The desecrators had irreparably broken the gate, leaving it wide open, and the Oriente Minister hadn¡¯t bothered to fix it. Usually, that was a pity, but not that day. That day, it was a godsend. The next hour found Reza searching every nook and cranny around the castle, looking for any sort of entrance she could use to avoid prying eyes. Sadly, that did not seem possible. After a very fruitless search, Reza decided the only option was to show herself and hope for the best. And so, there she walked, straight through the first and only entrance to the Mouros Castle. Surely they knew she was here by now, but the courtyard was empty. She didn¡¯t dare believe that her target was the only one living in the castle. It was a foolish thing for the Oriente Minister to let the Revanchist disciple stay there, only letting the Revanchist take over the city more easily. But it wasn¡¯t Reza¡¯s place to mess with politics. So why was she sent here to kill a disciple? To meet a God. Reza didn¡¯t understand what that meant, and right now, she really did not want to. The entrance to the castle proper called to her, and, with caution, she entered the building. Immediately, she shrunk in the shadows, keeping out of sight. People don¡¯t see what they don¡¯t want to see. Her mantra ran through her over and over as she slunk through the castle, on the hunt once again. Her knives were already in her hands, her mind already focused on finding the disciple. That was the imperative here, just find him and go. The first voices that she heard were coming from a room not far away. She leaned on the wall softly and tuned in to what they were saying. They were speaking in a rough accent of her language, something that was common among the disciples. ¡°I do not like this,¡± The first voice growled. ¡°The Revanchist¡­¡± ¡°The Revanchist chose me over you,¡± The second, a woman, interrupted. ¡°And he wants us here, waiting for her. He told her to never bother him again.¡± Reza drew in a breath. She was sure they were talking about her. ¡°Is she here?¡± ¡°Sim, in fact she should be¡­Reza!¡± The woman gasped as Reza spun into the room, throwing her knives. Both of them plunked into the disciples through the heart, and they fell to the ground gurgling. ¡°Don¡¯t speak of my name,¡± Reza growled. She hated that the Revanchist knew her name, and thus all of his disciples did too. She was quickly gone from the room and into the next one. None of the people she killed were her target, and now, she was too invested in killing them all than just her target. A woman passed by her and Reza hid. As soon as the woman passed, she earned a knife in the back. It was done quickly, but not quietly. The woman had time to scream quickly beforeReza shut her up. Fogo, That was unprofessional. And so Reza went, room by room, killing anyone she found. After a few minutes, she realized they knew she was in. It was obvious that they would notice the dead bodies, but she¡¯d hoped to find her target first. Now, though, with everything truly going silent in the castle, she knew they were waiting for her. But she wouldn¡¯t give them time to see her. Room by room, hallway by hallway, floor by floor. Reza checked everything but it seemed like the disciples had abandoned the place. That didn¡¯t seem right, though. They wouldn¡¯t leave such an important place, would they? She entered another room, knives drawn and eyes narrowed as she scanned it. The door closed. Fogo. She¡¯d fallen right into the trap, and spinning around, she cursed as she saw them. Five of them. All disciples, presumably, and, although they were masked with the same tiger mask that the Revanchist used, she was sure one of them was her target. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I¡¯m flattered you deem to use five to kill me, amor,¡± Reza smiled. ¡°But I would prefer to fight you one at a time.¡± ¡°I thought the Revanchist told you to never bother him again,¡± the leader¡ªTiger One¡ª growled at her. ¡°I would really have loved to do that, darling,¡± Reza said. ¡°But the money was there. And to be fair, I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d find all of you¡­¡± ¡°You remember what the Revanchist told you he would do to you if he saw you again?¡± ¡°Probably kill me.¡± ¡°Stop with the games, Reza Ateu,¡± Tiger One said. ¡°He said you would be killed, yes. He said you would realize the power of our God.¡± ¡°You do know what my name means, right?¡± Reza asked, smirking. ¡°I do not care,¡± Tiger One spat. ¡°It is time to make good on the promise.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, I don¡¯t believe in your god.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t feel him. Or that he can¡¯t feel you.¡± ¡°Ew, that was a poor choice of words,¡± Reza cringed. ¡°No, don¡¯t say it like that, amor.¡± Tiger One took a step towards her, and she stepped back, her eyes on him the entire time. There was no one behind her, she was sure of it, but the paranoia stayed in her head. Focus. ¡°Do you have any last wishes?¡± He sneered. ¡°Honestly,¡± Reza replied, trying to move around him, ¡°I have the will at my house, I can go get¡ª¡± Tiger One blocked her. ¡°What happened to you, Reza? You used to be so strong, so arrogant. Now, you¡¯re playing around as you wait to die. This isn¡¯t normal for you. What has the world done?¡± Reza sighed. ¡°I thought it would be fun to make a joke just as I die. After all, it is the best medicine.¡± She paused, then smiled. ¡°Plus, it was a distraction. Two of your men are dead.¡± Tiger One swung to his left, where the Tiger there was already gurgling, covering his bleeding stomach, a knife sticking out of it. Snarling, Tiger One turned to the right, where Reza had already removed her knife from the other man¡¯s throat, and had moved on to the first Tiger that she had killed. ¡°You¡¯re quick, Reza,¡± He said. ¡°But you¡¯re not quick enough. There¡¯s still three of us, and even your speed won¡¯t be able to kill all of us and escape.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Irm?o S¨¦rgio, right, duckling?¡± She asked, cocking her head at him. ¡°Stop saying my name. It gets annoying after a little. Imagine I called you Irm?o S¨¦rgio every sentence¡ª¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Irm?o S¨¦rgio said, unsheathing a sword and swinging it at her. Deftly, she ducked under it, moving past him to the other two tigers. The first one aimed a punch at her that she dodged, stabbing at him. Gurgling, the Tiger fell to the ground, but Reza was already on the next one, punching her knife into the woman¡¯s gut, felling her. ¡°You¡¯re alone now, S¨¦rgio,¡± Reza commented. ¡°What will you do now?¡± ¡°The Revanchist will get you,¡± was the petty response Reza had not expected. ¡°You know he chases those who confront his disciples like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that.¡± ¡°You should be. You were sent here to kill me, weren¡¯t you. Then you can¡¯t run away. Your job isn¡¯t done yet, is it?¡± Smirking, the disciple swung his sword in the air, inviting her to attack him. There¡¯s something about him, Reza thought. He shouldn¡¯t be wanting to attack me if I just killed the other disciples so quickly. Is this where I meet a God? With reluctance and caution, an increasingly more paranoid Reza attacked the Revanchist¡¯s disciple, who faced her head on. Usually, a swordsman against a knife-wielder would be a fairly one sided fight, the longer reach and strength of the swordsman lending it a victory over the normal knife-wielder, but Reza was not a normal knife-wielder. She was a beast hunter. More than that, she was Sangue de Monstro. Still, it¡¯s not easy to hit Irm?o S¨¦rgio when his sword waved at her. She moved around to the left and right, ducking her and jumping there, avoiding all confrontation with the prickly part of the sword. The disciple had the better weapon, but she had the more throwable ones. All she had to do was fall behind enough to throw them. That part was also more difficult than it should be. The disciple moved rapidly, ready to strike her as soon as she moved back. S¨¦rgio grew more and more confident the more he attacked her, seeing her on the defensive. But then she finally had an opening. Squeezing past him, she ran for a few feet, then turned and threw her knife as his unprotected back. It should¡¯ve been enough to fell him. Instead, in what seemed like a superhuman feat, Irm?o S¨¦rgio turned back and hacked down with his sword, knocking the knife out of the air. Reza groaned, realizing what he was. All of a sudden, this fight had gotten so much harder. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Irm?o S¨¦rgio smirked at her. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Reza asked. ¡°Or are you talking to yourself again?¡± The disciple shook his head in amusement and rushed at her at an inhuman speed once again. Reza dodged at the last moment, stabbing at him. Somehow, she was just too late, and the disciple sprinted past her, turning back with his chest heaving. ¡°It¡¯s time to finish this,¡± The man said. ¡°I wholeheartedly agree,¡± Reza grinned, brandishing her knives. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to die, amor.¡± Running at the man, she jumped, ready to hack down and end his life. And that¡¯s how she found herself paralyzed in the air, Irm?o S¨¦rgio looking at her disappointedly. I was right. He is an Ancient! ¡°Oh, Reza Ateu,¡± The man sighed. ¡°I really thought you were doing well, but this, this was lazy. Why did you do this?¡± She found her mouth able to move and spat at him. Laughing, the man wiped it off his face. ¡°Now, that was uncalled for, darling,¡± Irm?o S¨¦rgio said, spitting out the last word. ¡°I am going to kill you. It will be quick but it will also be painful. I want you to see how much fun I have as you die. And then you will meet God.¡± Is that what the woman meant? If so, she was wrong. ¡°Let¡¯s start with your feet now, shall we? The revanchist did promise you would die if you crossed him again!¡± The disciple raised his hand, and Reza heard a crack at her feet just before the pain began. It ripped through her and she fought not to scream, knowing her foot was broken. A second later, it happened again, this time to her other foot. She couldn¡¯t help but scream this time, the pain unbearable as her feet hung limp where she was in the air. ¡°Should we move to your hands next?¡± Reza thrashed, knowing she could do nothing against this horrible fate. The disciple steadied her, then grabbed her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do this one with my hands,¡± He said, then twisted. Reza¡¯s hands snapped, and she screamed again, sure the pain couldn¡¯t get any worse. She was wrong. When the next hand was broken, she threw up. Normally, she would¡¯ve been pleased she¡¯d thrown up on Irm?o S¨¦rgio¡¯s head, but this time she couldn¡¯t think right. The pain was too much for her, and she cried, ashamed of what became of her. ¡°Kill me,¡± She begged. ¡°Just get it over with.¡± ¡°I intend to,¡± Irm?o S¨¦rgio smiled. ¡°But I have a couple more things I want to try.¡± Waving his hands in the air, Reza felt her broken limbs move towards him even while the rest of her body stood still. With a squelch, they came off, and Reza¡¯s eyes popped, her mouth reaching for a scream she didn¡¯t have. She was already losing consciousness, and even while she was starting to grow numb, she could only stare in horror at where her hands and feet used to be. The blood poured down onto the disciple who swayed, enamored, as it fell on his head, and he drank it. ¡°Beautiful,¡± He said. ¡°Now, it truly is time to kill you. You are mortally wounded, after all.¡± Reza felt something inside her begin to move, then pain exploded inside her as she grew blisteringly hot. ¡°Your blood is boiling right now,¡± Irm?o S¨¦rgio explained. ¡°Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± This time, Reza did find the voice to scream as the pain transcended anything humanly possible. ButIrm?o S¨¦rgio wasn¡¯t done. With an evil laugh, the man waved his hands up, and Reza vomited. Strangely, what came out wasn¡¯t vomit. It took Reza a moment to realize what it was. Her insides. There they were, her intestines, her kidneys, her lungs. Her heart was missing, but Reza knew she was dying anyway. She felt hollow, which was true, but now she knew her death was here. She couldn¡¯t feel the pain anymore, but she still felt agitated. I CAN¡¯T DIE! I can¡¯t die! i can¡¯t die¡­ i¡­ Reza Ateu died. Chapter Seventy: The Revanchists Disciple, Part 2 Chapter Seventy: The Revanchist''s Disciple, Part 2 Swimming in blackness, Reza knew she was dead. This was the afterlife, and overall, she thought it was pretty boring. I guess there is no God, she thought proudly. Not in this nothing. I was right. Where she was looked like the night sky without stars, or any light, for that matter. It was like floating in the ocean, only without water, and without any mobility. This was nothing. The pride she¡¯d felt knowing there was no God evaporated quickly when she entered a panic. I can¡¯t stay here forever! This is boring! Not like she had a choice. She couldn¡¯t move her limbs, so she made sure she had them. That was when she realized she was naked, not that she mattered. Many a mission had been completed with her naked, most of them without her wanting it that way. She¡¯d gotten used to being nude. Still, it was weird to be in an infinite blackness without any clothes. After what felt like an eternity¡ªand possibly was, this being the afterlife and all¡ªReza found the landscape changing. She silently thanked, well, she didn¡¯t know what she thanked because God didn¡¯t exist, but she thanked someone. When the landscape around her solidified, she gasped. It was her childhood home. The village was gone now, burned by the Revanchist, but it looked now like it had looked when she lived there. That was strange. What was even stranger was when six-year old Reza Ateu left the building, followed by her mom. ¡°How¡­¡± Reza wondered. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± The building they had left was a small wood hut, not large but enough to hold her and her mom. Reza remembered it as being much bigger, but she guessed it was just her childish point of view influencing her. ¡°Marky told me God sends us all to heaven when we die,¡± Little Reza told her mom. ¡°Is this true? Did daddy go to heaven?¡± ¡°No,¡± Her mom responded, her expression hardening. ¡°No one goes to heaven. Your daddy was a bad person. If God existed, he wouldn¡¯t have let it happen. No, God isn¡¯t real. Keep that in your head, little one.¡± ¡°God isn¡¯t real,¡± full-grown Reza repeated, staring at her mom. With that pronouncement, the landscape changed again. This time, she was in Oriente, and there he was, her first boyfriend. Marcos¡ªnot Marky from her childhood, although the two names were the same¡ªstared at her lovingly. ¡°You¡¯re a godsend, amor. An angel.¡± ¡°That would be nice,¡± Reza said. ¡°But they don¡¯t exist. Neither God or the angels.¡± ¡°Well, then, you¡¯re the closest we get,¡± The man said, kissing her. ¡°But I believe God exists. How else would we be here?¡± ¡°If God exists, he is one sick bastard. And if he is, he wouldn¡¯t have created us.¡± Marcos shrugged. ¡°Well, you found me. Is that not enough?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Reza smiled. ¡°It¡¯s enough for me.¡± A few streets later, Marcos would be killed by a robber, only proving what Reza had said. ¡°God isn¡¯t real,¡± dead Reza said. For the third time, the landscape changed. This time, she was in the inn she always stayed at, and she remembered this memory vividly. It had only happened a year ago, after all. She was with one of her clients, and she was giving her a purse. ¡°Thank you for killing that beast. And thank God for bringing you to me.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Reza smiled. ¡°Thank God.¡± ¡°Are you not religious?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Proudly atheist,¡± Reza responded. ¡°God doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°God doesn¡¯t exist,¡± dead Reza said, and the words echoed, over and over again. God doesn¡¯t exist. God doesn¡¯t exist. God doesn¡¯t exist. The landscape changed again, but now it was a blur of images, all of Reza saying that God didn¡¯t exist. She watched as hundreds and hundreds of circumstances passed, all with her affirming her atheism. Then everything shifted to just a few days prior, when she had been hired on the mission to kill Irm?o S¨¦rgio. ¡°What do you want, darling?¡± Reza asked, eyes narrowed. ¡°Why, I want to introduce you to a god!¡± The woman smiled. Reza¡¯s head turned up sharply. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± ¡°Now I have your attention, huh. Your job is killing a god¡¯s minion,¡± the woman said, chuckling. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in God.¡± The scene rewinded in front of her, and the real Reza¡¯s face scrunched in confusion. What the hell was happening. ¡°What do you want, darling?¡± Reza asked, eyes narrowed. ¡°Why, I want to introduce you to a god!¡± The woman smiled. Reza¡¯s head turned up sharply. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± ¡°Now I have your attention, huh. Your job is killing a god¡¯s minion,¡± the woman said, chuckling. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in God.¡± Once again, the scene rewinded in front of her, images blurring backwards. ¡°What do you want, darling?¡± Reza asked, eyes narrowed. ¡°Why, I want to introduce you to a god!¡± The woman smiled. Reza¡¯s head turned up sharply. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± ¡°Now I have your attention, huh. Your job is killing a god¡¯s minion,¡± the woman said, chuckling. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in God.¡± That last sentence echoed throughout Reza¡¯s mind, and outside it too. I don¡¯t believe in God. I don¡¯t believe in God. I don¡¯t believe in God. God doesn¡¯t exist. God doesn¡¯t exist. God doesn¡¯t exist. I don¡¯t believe in God. God doesn¡¯t exist. I don¡¯t believe in God. God doesn¡¯t exist. I don¡¯t believe in God. God doesn¡¯t exist. Does God exist? The womanly voice ran through the winds, and Reza jumped in shock, twisting to see who had spoken, but there was no one there. ¡°Who said that?¡± She asked. ¡°Show yourself!¡± The voice chuckled. Oh, Reza. I am what you never knew existed. For the last time, the landscape shifted, showing nothing again, but this time, the nothing was white. And, standing in front of her, was a woman. As soon as she saw her, Reza knew the woman was a Goddess. ¡°Who are you?¡± Reza asked, bowing before the woman. She was blonde, beautiful, and nude as well. There was an ethereal mood about her that made Reza look upwards in awe. The goddess smiled and helped her up. Stand, my child. I am Eva, or Leah as I am known by some. As you have guessed, I am a Goddess. ¡°Did I die?¡± Well, you did a little. ¡°What do you mean?¡± You technically did, but I saved you in the moment between life and death. ¡°Why?¡± I need you, Reza. I want you to become my champion. ¡°What for? Why me? And what is my payment, amor?¡± Reza was confused, but somehow knew everything the Goddess said would be true. Coin is always on your mind, Eva chuckled. You¡¯ll find that your mission will be payment enough. You see, I want you, Reza Ateu, to oppose a villainous God whose only purpose is to rule the world you live in. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not the villainous one?¡± The other God, Dautha, rules over the Revanchist. The Revanchist is his minion. It made sense. Dautha was a somewhat familiar name to her, and it felt like a piece in the puzzle of the Revanchist. Reza kept believing her. Maybe it was delusion, maybe it was because she still thought she was dead, but Eva just seemed¡­right. That is why he is trying to reform your country. He is trying to do more than just change things, Reza. Now I want you to kill him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. He¡¯s the only job I would never take. And I don''t want to take your offer. I won¡¯t be your champion. Sorry, darling, but that life just isn¡¯t for me.¡± Reza, can you really keep a quiet and relaxed life after what I told you? Can you really ignore it? You can¡¯t be an atheist any longer. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Reza scowled. ¡°But I don¡¯t want this.¡± You can get revenge on everyone who did you wrong. I can give you power you didn¡¯t even imagine you had and¡ª ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Reza smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I want this power.¡± She wouldn¡¯t actually join her, but she would take the power. Eva groaned. I may have chosen the wrong champion. But I believe in you, Reza. I have chosen you. ¡°What happens now?¡± Now I shall endeavor to explain to you what I can about Dautha and me, about the other continents, and the other champions. Welcome to the club, Reza. It only gets better from here. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Three hours later, a body rose, one perceived dead, now very much alive. Reza stretched and smiled, then brandished her knives and growled. She was a firm believer now. ¡°Pray, atheist,¡± She spat. ¡°God is coming for all of you.¡± Interlude Five: The Other Warrior Interlude Five: The Other Warrior Alyx was a warrior. The best one there was, according to her. Too bad no one ever decided to ask her. The Vanguard was a nice place, the only place she felt like she was really home, with friends that truly made her feel special. Not that she hated her old home, but it had never felt like home, at least, not for Alyx. Diamond had loved the place, though, and for that one reason, Alyx remembered it fondly. What she didn¡¯t remember as fondly was her parents. She loved them¡ªwhat daughter didn¡¯t?¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t be rankled by them. Her problem with them was their support, or lack thereof. They had never wanted Diamond or Alyx to be warriors, instead wanting them to be politicians. Like they said: ¡°We need someone to end the tyranny of the mages.¡± And that was the other thing. They didn¡¯t like mages. Most people assumed that was mostly a Valacian thing, but there it was, a couple in Magefell who hated the mages in the name with every bone in their body. Because of this, Alyx had never really associated with mages, and in fact assumed they were right when she had figured out about the Cult and Diamond¡¯s murder, but she had never truly had the prejudice against them; she had always been open minded, so, when she met Zade, they became quick friends. Her parents were wrong, always talking about the wrong the mages did, never talking about the good. Why was she thinking about this? Shaking her head out of a stupor, she looked down at the letter. Dearest daughters, We haven¡¯t seen or heard from you in a long time. Our house is open on Second Day at 19. Please come visit. We miss you. Your loving parents, Meli and Adler Reinhart ¡°Whatchu holding there, Al?¡± Aster asked her from her own bed in the barracks. Crumpling the paper up, Alyx sighed. ¡°Nothing of import, dear,¡± She said, forcing a smile, noting how Aster frowned at the use of the nickname. ¡°What are you hiding? You know you can trust me,¡± The black-skinned girl told her, sitting down next to her and reaching for the paper- Alyx tried to take it from her grasp but eventually relented. Alyx scanned the paper and cocked her head at her. ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem with this,¡± She admitted. ¡°Your parents want to see you! That¡¯s incredible, right?¡± ¡°Should be,¡± A?yx grumbled. ¡°But I haven¡¯t talked to my parents in maybe a year now. They practically disowned me when I joined the Vanguard. Diamond visited them often, though. And now, since Diamond died, they¡¯ve been trying to reach out to me, with one of these letters every week.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s a good thing, right? Trying to rekindle a relationship?¡± ¡°No, for two reasons. For one, it¡¯s a little douchey to do that right after their other daughter stopped seeing them. Two, no one told them Diamond is dead.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Aster shrieked. ¡°Yeah, I was supposed to tell them,¡± Alyx admitted. ¡°And I told the Wolf I had. There was supposed to be a family funeral for them, but I told him it wasn¡¯t necessary. In truth, I never talked to my parents.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re worried about Diamond, and for good reason! Alyx, do you realize what you¡¯ve done?¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes blazed. ¡°What I¡¯ve done? Well, pardon me for not wanting to talk to the people who never support me and only reach out when their first choice goes missing! That sounded harsh., but it¡¯s true. I hold no resentment for Diamond, but I do for my parents, and that will not change!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give them a try?¡± Aster said, holding Alyx¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°They¡¯re clearly preoccupied and maybe they changed and do want to apologize. You never know until you try.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it. What if they¡¯re mad I¡¯ve been ignoring them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Aster reassured. ¡°We can do it together.¡± ¡°What will I introduce you as?¡± Alyx teased. ¡°My girlfriend?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with friend,¡± Aster laughed. ¡°Thank you, Aster. I still don¡¯t know if I want to do it, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have a friend.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Alyx¡¯s parents lived in one of the most infamous sections of the city, and walking through it, Alyx shook her head. Prostitutes and cutpurses lay in every corner and street, waiting for the right person to rob, so the two girls proudly showed they were part of the Vanguard to avoid any trouble. Still, she could see greedy eyes from both the villains and the whores. This section really needed to be eradicated, but the common consensus was that if this place were destroyed, the cutpurses would start invading the other sections of Magefell. So for now, it stayed. ¡°Which one¡¯s your house?¡± Aster asked, looking critically at the dilapidated and half-built houses. ¡°I promise they look better on the inside,¡± Alyx told her. ¡°Mine is that one!¡± ¡°That one does look like the best one,¡± Aster admitted. ¡°As little as that means.¡± Aster was right. The house wouldn¡¯t have fit in any of the normal houses in Magefell, but, as far as Cutthroat District went, it was a mansion. None of the wood was falling off, and only a little paint was scratched. The house itself was two stories, with windows that were only slightly boarded up and a door that only looked mildly worn out. ¡°How long did you live here?¡± Aster asked. ¡°My whole life.¡± ¡°And nothing happened to you?¡± ¡°My parents fit in this place, which you¡¯ll soon see.¡± It was another reason she was apprehensive and repulsed by them. ¡°So much so that I can¡¯t even be sure my father is my father. And I was under their protection, so no one would try to do anything to me.¡± ¡°Sounds like a tough life.¡± ¡°It was more normal than you think. I spent most of my time outside this place, especially while my parents were¡­working.¡± ¡°Oof,¡± Aster groaned. ¡°Want me to knock?¡± ¡°I can do that;¡± Alyx scoffed, walking up to the door and pausing. There it stood, her childhood home, with her childhood¡ªand adulthood, she added wryly¡ªparents, and it was just a knock away. Breathing in and out, she closed her eyes. She could do it. Knock-knock. ¡°Thank you,¡± She whispered to Aster. ¡°You¡¯re a life-saver.¡± ¡°What are friends for?¡± The door opened softly, and Alyx scowled immediately. There they were, her parents, in their usual outfits that pissed Alyx off. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I expected, Al,¡± Aster whispered. ¡°But this was not it.¡± Adler Reinhart looked like a generic cutpurse, knife between his teeth and beefier than a whale. He was at least three heads taller than either Alyx and Aster, who themselves were tall enough. His face was a picture of ruthlessness and he was full of tattoos, from his bare chest to his neck, arms, and legs. He scowled a little less when he saw Alyx, which was his usual form of smiling. As far as Adler went, it was downright welcoming. Meli Reinhart also looked like she always did, and it only made Alyx sadder and more pissed. The best word to describe Meli was her occupation: whore. As much as she¡¯d always told Alyx she¡¯d quit that lifestyle when she married her father, it just wasn¡¯t true and Alyx knew it. Meli didn¡¯t want her daughter to know, but whenever she was out or asleep, Meli was doing her disgusting job. Currently, her mother was wearing what could barely be described as clothing. In fact, Alyx didn¡¯t even know if what she was wearing had ever been a shirt and shorts, it was just pieces of string now. Her clothing¡ªor what was left of it anyway¡ªaccentuated all of her attributes, and Alyx tried not to scowl harder each moment she looked at her pitiful mother, who smiled widely when she saw her, her cigarette hanging lightly from her mouth. ¡°ALYX!¡± Her mother screeched, embracing her, and Alyx felt a lot of skin touching her, too much to be decent. ¡°Our daughter has come home! Finally!¡± Every sentence was an exclamation for Meli. ¡°And who is she?¡± She asked, pointing at Aster. ¡°That¡¯s not Diamond, Diamond was less¡­¡±She waved around, ¡°Black.¡± Alyx frowned harder, but Aster shrugged it off. ¡°Hello, Miss. Melisandre. My name is Aster, and I am a friend of Alyx¡¯s.¡± ¡°Warrior too, I bet,¡± Adler growled as he saw her. ¡°But it¡¯s good she has friends.¡± ¡°Come in, come in!¡± Meli exclaimed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so good to have you! Where¡¯s Diamond?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Alyx shared a scared glance with Aster. ¡°A bit excitable, huh?¡± ¡°Especially in the bedroom,¡± Alyx replied scathingly, and Aster rolled her eyes. ¡°Sure, they have horrible jobs, but they¡¯re still your parents.¡± ¡°Just watch, Aster. You won¡¯t be saying the same in an hour.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± The two girls entered the house, and Aster gasped as what Alyx had said before was confirmed: the house really was better on the inside. It looked beautiful and stately compared to the ugliness of the outside, like a painter had loved the details of his portrait that he¡¯d just forgotten that others would look at it afar. There were almost no decorations, lending an almost unhomely quality to the house, but it was still comfortable with the whitewashed walls that looked like marble and the tiled blue floors. ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± ¡°Welcome to the Cutthroat District,¡± Alyx smiled. ¡°Full of wonders, eh?¡± ¡°Magefell never ceases to amaze me.¡± ¡°Come, sit!¡± Meli said, bringing a tray of cups. ¡°I have water and orange juice. Take, drink, I¡¯ll bring the food right out!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Alyx admitted, sitting on a luxurious couch too good to stay in the Cutthroat District. ¡°I have some distressing news.¡± ¡°Is it about Diamond? Did she get hurt?¡± ¡°I think you should sit down for this,¡± Alyx replied, and soon both her parents were sitting next to her. As Aster squeezed her arm and smiled at her encouragingly, Alyx prepared to tell her parents what would shock and sadden them so much, and she was a little afraid they would hate her for it. ¡°Mother, father, Diamond is dead.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve said it a little lighter,¡± Aster groaned softly as her parents gasped and their eyes widened. Chapter Seventy-One: The Practice Arena Chapter Seventy-One: The Practice Arena ¡°Usually, I wake up, practice, talk with my friends, practice, and repeat. Ever since the battle, my mind has been focusing on getting better, doing everything I can to be prepared for whatever the Cult has planned next. ¡°But now, I realize I need to understand more. Whoever this Infinite is, I¡¯m definitely not ready for them. This is getting complicated, and I bet it would be even more if I knew who they were, especially because High Mage Aegon seems to know them. I asked him again a few days ago, and he made an excuse! High Mage Aegon, an excuse! ¡°I checked the library and there¡¯s just no mention of any Infinite unless it¡¯s the search for infinite life, which has too many books on the topic, considering it doesn¡¯t work. ¡°What else is happening in my life? Well, I¡¯ve been talking with Jay a lot, and it¡¯s been a lot of fun. I love her, but not in that way, and she¡¯s only staying for a little, so I must talk with her as much as I can. When I talk to her, I remember Astil sometimes, and I can¡¯t stomach it, it still makes me sad. ¡°For some reason, Jade and Xavier have seemed to develop a strange mock rivalry, and all they seem to do is try to one-up each other by teasing. I don¡¯t get it, but, then again, when have I ever? ¡°I understand you, though,¡± I finish, staring at Geoffree, who squeaks then goes back to eating his cheese. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should be getting practice.¡± I¡¯ve been seeing this mouse the past week, and it¡¯s been my friend since: I feed it, and it talks to me. Or, I guess, I pretend it talks to me. In the long run, it¡¯s the same thing. And once again, it¡¯s right. I do need to get back to practice. But today, I¡¯ve got a date. With Xavier, Jade, and Th¡¯ul. There¡¯s always something new to find at Zenyth, and we intend to do just that. It starts in one hour, but I should have time to go over what I know. I start with a nice breathing exercise, relaxing and stretching my core. I move on the basics and fundamentals, like the Flame Finger or the Levitation. I¡¯m beginning to learn more than I can remember, but that¡¯s always good. I identify cores and anti-cores around me¡ªGeofree¡¯s core seems like it¡¯s winking at me for some reason¡ªand then I move on to any miscellaneous magic I know like the Core shield. By the time an hour has gone, I feel ready. Three days ago, Zenyth had a test, and I aced it. In fact, High Mage Jeuel was shocked by what I learned, but, then again, she hadn¡¯t seen me at the battle. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Jade is already waiting at the entrance of Zenyth for me, Xavier, and Th¡¯ul when we get there. ¡°Anything new?¡± I hug her, my mind once again warming when I see her. ¡°Not much,¡± She shrugs. ¡°The hearing went well, of course. Captain Kanad went there and so today we moved to the Vanguard Grounds, which are very nice. Yue is nice to me, and the others are great, too. Now, we¡¯re all getting ready for the coming battle, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible. Oh, and Alyx is hiding something.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure, I mean, I don¡¯t really know her that well, but Yue tells me, and I agree, that she¡¯s occupied by something, or someone. We¡¯re not sure what, but Aster seems to be having the same issue.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°I think I know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we think, too,¡± Jade agrees. ¡°But we can¡¯t prove anything.¡± ¡°Well, shall we go inside, then?¡± I ask, and my friends follow me in. ¡°I would be careful,¡± Th¡¯ul tells us as we walk in. ¡°I passed the cafeteria on the way here, and it seems another row is starting.¡± ¡°Dammit,¡± I curse. ¡°What started it this time?¡± ¡°The normal,¡± Th¡¯ul shrugs. ¡°One person got mad at another, threw a spell, the other got mad, blah blah, eventually, there¡¯s a full on start, a little immature if you ask me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little fun,¡± Xavier admits. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°No one ever dies,¡± I say. ¡°But it could happen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are you talking about?¡± Jade asks, staring at me with a very confused and curious face, that I can¡¯t help but smile at. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± We enter the cafeteria, and she does, indeed, see. Just like the first time I saw it¡ªand met Th¡¯ul in the process¡ªthe cafeteria is a wreck. The mages could fix it in a minute, but it isn¡¯t worth it as the fight rages on. I¡¯ve realized that these fights are more about dominance than actual death. Raakhshas was a little bit of an exception. Most of the mages-in-training will only try to beat the other mage of opposing belief. Rarely does anyone get hurt, and if a mage dies, the one who killed him is jailed. Still, these fights are dangerous, and I can see many of my friends and acquaintances fighting there. S¡¯sammi¡ªwho still laughs every time she sees Xavier¡ª, Poire, Res¡¯thom, and Qun are all involved in their fights, but today, I¡¯m not here to have fun. ¡°This is the perfect time to explore Zenyth,¡± I whisper to a wide-eyed Jade, walking with my friends away from the cafeteria. ¡°That way, we¡¯re completely alone.¡± She nods, her eyes still on the scene. ¡°I want to join in,¡± Xavier says in jealousy. ¡°It¡¯s not your time yet,¡± Jade grins at him, finally breaking her stupor. ¡°It¡¯s about to be yours if you don¡¯t shut up,¡± Xavier warns. ¡°What are you going to do, levitate me?¡± Jade grins. ¡°Seeing as that¡¯s all you can do, maybe you should get stronger before you threaten a guard.¡± ¡°What, are you going to call the Vanguard on me?¡± ¡°Do you care?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Do you?¡± They burst into laughter, and Jade smiles. ¡°Cheer up, Zade,¡± She says. Shaking my head, I respond. ¡°Honestly, I feel you¡¯ve matured backwards at this point, Jade.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making sure he¡¯s entertained,¡± She whispers, just loud enough for Xavier to hear, pointing at him as she would at a toddler. ¡°Hey! You insulted me? He¡¯s the one who insulted you!¡± Jade shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Vi. Maybe next time, I¡¯ll go easy on you. That is the only way you could ever win.¡± ¡°Vi? VI?¡± Xavier shrieks. ¡°What the hell kind of nickname is that? You could¡¯ve called me Xavi or Vier or something, but you chose the worst of it.¡± ¡°I kind of like it.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± Xavier whips his head around, searching for the culprit. His eyes find an innocent-looking Th¡¯ul. ¡°Et tu?¡± ¡°No, not et me,¡± Th¡¯ul responds. ¡°Actually, et him!¡± Xavier looks to where Th¡¯ul is pointing, finding¡­nobody, This time, even I join in the laughter as Xavier gets red in the face. ¡°This is bullying,¡± He mutters. ¡°You should¡¯ve met Demien then,¡± Jade says. ¡°You¡¯ll live, Vi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that again!¡± ¡°I think I hear someone!¡± The strange voice comes from a hallway to our right. ¡°Who is it?¡± I whisper to Th¡¯ul, who shrugs. ¡°Stragglers, I guess,¡± He says. ¡°Should we avoid a confrontation?¡± ¡°Hell, no,¡± Xavier says, standing up and unsheathing the dagger he has practiced with since the battle ended. ¡°We¡¯ve got this. FOR EVA OR LEAH OR WHATEVER THE HELL HER NAME IS, BUT YOU KNOW WHO I¡¯M TALKING ABOUT, IT¡¯S THE GODDESS I DON¡¯T KNOW OR CARE ABOUT!¡± He rushed into the hallway with a scream. ¡°What?¡± Jade looks at us in astonishment. ¡°He¡¯s strange,¡± I provide as an explanation. ¡°But we should probably join him before he gets his ass kicked.¡± ¡°Skai¡¯s stupid influence,¡± I hear Th¡¯ul mutter under his breath as we rush to Xavier¡¯s aid. To his credit, he is keeping the fifteen mages-in-training at bay. Then again, they are fifteen people, I don¡¯t know if all of us can take all of them. Never know until you try. And thus, I find myself locked in mental combat with another man. His shield is strong, but I can tell it only reacts to direct magic. And so, I throw a Fireball at the mage-in-training while levitating and shooting my sword at him, something I¡¯ve been practicing a lot. Deftly, the man dodges both attacks, and once I call the sword back to me with levitation, I have to dodge as the ground begins to rise above me. None of the other people around seem to be affected, which means he¡¯s affecting my mind. So I focus on my shield, expanding it so that¡­ The stone pummels into me, and I tumble to the ground. The man advances on me, flames already growing on his hand. Stumbling back, I understand that his magic is stronger than mine, and he is clearly more experienced. I could use my special magic, but that would feel like cheating. Can¡¯t go through life without cutting a few corners. When the man reaches me, I stand up and grab his arm. The mage-in-training snaps his head to my arm, wondering what I¡¯m doing. Then he¡¯s flung back as the lightning strikes him. Thankfully, the lightning I used this time isn¡¯t enough to kill him, but it¡¯s still really strong, and the man crashes to the ground, unconscious. Looking around, I see all my friends are on the defensive, especially Jade, who is basically fighting fire with dust. Still, we¡¯re all holding our own. Another mage-in-training advances on me, and, this time, I take out Nightwielder. Before she can attack me, I''ve flung it, propelling it with my magic. Somehow, relying on magic for her speed, the woman is able to dodge it and the dagger flies past her, striking a wall almost fifty feet away. The explosion knocks us all to the ground. I can¡¯t see, my mind is foggy, and my ears are ringing. Praise be to Eva as the dagger landed so far away as to not kill me, but I need to check on the others. Slowly, my eyes clear, but not my vision, as all I can see is smoke from the explosion. Nothing seems to be on fire for now. Through the ringing, my ears make out a faint sound, like someone screaming from across a canyon. ¡°Zade?¡± The voice asks, and I can see her silhouette. Jay has already stood up and she¡¯s walking towards me and helping me up. ¡°Jay?¡± I whimper. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± She responds. ¡°I think we¡¯re all alive.¡± She¡¯s right. As the fog clears, I can see Xavier standing up groggily, along with some of the mages-in-training. Concentrating on the dagger, I levitate it back to me, and, when it¡¯s in my hand, I carefully return it to its right place. This weapon is just as much a blessing as it is a curse. Somehow, I still love it. Dragging a prone form that I take to be Th¡¯ul, Xavier waves at us to follow him. ¡°They¡¯re going to be pissed when they all wake up,¡± He yells. ¡°We need to go.¡± Sure enough, some of them seem to be glaring at us and getting ready to attack us. That is our cue to leave. And so, the three of us lift our mage friend, we walk¡ªas quickly as we can (we do have an unconscious friend to carry, after all¡ªpast the hallway, and quickly lose sight of them, although we can hear their angry screams now. ¡°I know where we are,¡± I tell Xavier as we run. ¡°Obviously, I do, too,¡± Xavier returns. ¡°This is my house, remember? Did the explosion take you out that much?¡± ¡°No, I mean, I know where we can hide!¡± ¡°Like cowards?¡± ¡°No.¡± I pause. ¡°A little, yes, but it¡¯s our only option, at least until Th¡¯ul wakes up.¡± ¡°Good point. What are you thinking?¡± With a smile, I turn to the wall and point at it. ¡°Behold, our hiding spot.¡± ¡°Zavier was right,¡± Jade groans. ¡°He has gone crazy.¡± ¡°Just watch this.¡± Xavier says, realizing what I¡¯m doing. I touch the wall in a specific spot and wait. Immediately, the wall comes open revealing a small unlit chamber. ¡°No way,¡± Jade breathes. ¡°And what¡¯s in the thing?¡± ¡°Absolutely nothing,¡± I respond. ¡°We just have to wait for them to pass then we can leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cool. What is this place?¡± ¡°Zenyth really is insane.¡± We drag Th¡¯ul into the hole in the wall with all of us, and then the wall closes, but somehow we can still see through it. Just a quirk of Zenyth. Before long, the cultist mages-in-training who were fighting us pass through the hallway angrily, and I breathe a sigh of relief. We¡¯re safe. I turn around, expecting to find my friends. ¡°Okay, we can leave¡­¡± I trail off as I see only Th¡¯ul, who seems to be waking up. ¡°Guys? Where are you?¡± ¡°You need to see this!¡± I hear Xavier¡¯s voice coming from my left. ¡°You won''t believe what I found. Zenyth really is always changing.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°You have to crawl through the small hole in the bottom.¡± Unconvinced, I scan the floor, expecting to find absolutely nothing, then my jaw drops as I do see, in fact, a small hole, able to fit a man but not much else. I need to see what¡¯s in there. So, not bothering to bring Th¡¯ul, I jump in. Chapter Seventy-Two: The Practice Arena, Part 2 Chapter Seventy-Two: The Practice Arena, Part 2 ¡°Woah! I didn¡¯t know Zenyth had anything like this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re in Zenyth anymore.¡± Xavier responds, gaping along with me. Jade just has her jaw dropped. When I jumped in the hole, I just magically ended up next to Xavier in a black space. In the middle of the space is a small stadium. It has stands, but only enough to fit around a thousand people, and a ring on the outside, which is circled by a drop that, twenty feet down, ends as a small moat around it. The ring itself is simple, with half of it being black and the other half purple. ¡°What is this place?¡± ¡°The Zenyth Stadiums!¡± A voice screams next to me, making me and my friends jump, but it¡¯s only Th¡¯ul, who shakes his head and laughs, his face still straight, ¡°While they aren¡¯t exactly located in Zenyth, more in the nothing, these stadiums belong to Zenyth.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s only one,¡± Jade points out. ¡°Yes, most mages-in-training find one throughout their studies, and are able to train here. I guess this is ours.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± ¡°Well, practice, obviously,¡± Th¡¯ul responds drily. ¡°While you can fight a strange hologram, most choose to fight a partner. Here, we can spar with each other and grow in our magic abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing! We need to try it out now!¡± Xavier¡¯s excitement is contagious, and I find myself wanting to try it out as well. ¡°I call first,¡± I say, and I run to the ring. Soon, I am on the far left, the black side, and Xavier is at the purple side. Zade War Mage versus Xavier DefenseMage. The fighting commences in one minute. My body is suddenly encased in protective armor which I can¡¯t see but I can feel. I assume it¡¯s so I don¡¯t get hurt. Looking at Xavier, who is staring at his body in shock and awe, I assume the same has happened to him. Around the stadium, the stands are being filled by cheering hologram men and women, except for the two seats taken by Th¡¯ul and Jade. I look at Xavier, who already has magic on his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± He mouths at me, but I return it with a glare. The game commences in three, two, one. Fight! Immediately, I run at my friend, and I realize the first mistake I made, my sword clinking on my leg painfully. I really should¡¯ve taken it off, but now it¡¯s too late. This is about my magical skills, not my swordsmanship. Xavier swings at me with a magically-enhanced fist, but I dodge it. Ever since he saw that magic done at the battle, he¡¯s been training it, eager to be able to do it perfectly. And, to my great surprise, he learned it very easily. And so I must defeat by means other than close combat. Clearly, he would win at that. Slinging my sword away from me, I throw a fireball at Xavier, who tries to dodge, but fails, and the flames pass through his side, singing him but not much else. Xavier Defense mage health: 81% ¡°Damn,¡± Xavier curses, then swings with his fist, and to my great surprise, I find a boulder coming my way. I duck under it, and stand back up to find Xavier just as shocked as I am. ¡°I guess I can imagine the magic I do too,¡± He grins. I need to know what he did. This feels like cheating, doing more than possible. But, reaching within myself, I do find the truth. He didn¡¯t conjure the rock out of nothing. The stadium provided that. All he did was the levitation spell. My theory is confirmed when another boulder appears next to me,and I¡¯m quick to use it, but Xavier easily blocks it and runs at me. I can¡¯t let him into close combat, so I throw fireballs, and try to levitate him, forcing him to rely on his shield. I also throw tiny lightning bolts¡ªnot my special magic, just something I¡¯ve been learning recently¡ªbut none of this fazes him. Within seconds, he catches up with me, and lands a punch straight on my face. While the shield the arena provided me protects me, I still feel the pain of the punch as it flings me back. It feels like I was curb stomped. Zade War Mage heath: 46% ¡°Yes!¡± Xavier whoops. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± I groan, standing up. ¡°I¡¯m still going to win.¡± Accepting his challenge, I fling Fireballs as bait, and he falls for it, dodging to the left, where a rock meets his path. By now, the stadium is filled with all sorts of rocks, sticks, dust, and plenty of other things that could be found in a real fight. As the rock hits Xavier, his ankle catches another one, twisting it. Xavier Defense Mage health: 62% The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh, come one,¡± I groan. ¡°That is unfair.¡± Xavier grins. ¡°Guess I¡¯m just stronger.¡± Quickly, he gets up, although I can tell he¡¯s limping. And so, I decide I must take my advantage now. It is time to get close to him. Dodging the assortment of magic he sends at me, I hop past rocks and grab a stick long enough to do damage. As I get closer to Xavier, he brings his fists up, ready to punch me. I don¡¯t give him the chance. I move to the right, and as he does so, his ankle gives way, and, squealing, he falls to the rock. With the stick, I beat him in the stomach, and his hands reach over to protect himself. And thus I defeat him. He never realized I was levitating the stick. And so it¡¯s easy to grab his neck and twist it, ending his life. Xavier Defense Mage: Dead Zade War Mage is the winner. ¡°I did it!¡± I scream as I feel the armor evaporating off me. ¡°Too bad, Xavier.¡± ¡°That was not fair,¡± He groans. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they would keep my injury!¡± ¡°What, you thought it would magically go away?¡± ¡°YES! I call for a rematch!¡± ¡°Not until I go,¡± Th¡¯ul interjects. ¡°I need a go.¡± ¡°Winner stays,¡± I smile. ¡°Fine,¡± my friend huffs. ¡°I will beat you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª The next hours pass quickly. We all spar¡ªeven Jade, when we realize the stadium also works for non-magic battles¡ªand I quickly lose track of time, spending it all on strategy and magic and fighting. I begin to identify my weaknesses and my friends¡¯ too. By the end, I¡¯ve won many and lost many as well. I think Th¡¯ul has won the most, but I¡¯m not sure. Jade was the one who fought least, but she seems perfectly satisfied with that. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m done,¡± Xavier exclaims. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do any more if you paid me.¡± ¡°You¡¯d do anything for ten dollars.¡± ¡°Not talk to S¡¯sammi.¡± Th¡¯ul points out, grinning. ¡°Who¡¯s S¡¯sammi?¡± Jade asks. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know yet?¡± I grin. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time you did.¡± ¡°Please, no,¡± Xavier moans. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Let me keep my dignity.¡± ¡°What dignity?¡± Jade wonders. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it.¡± ¡°You remember the love potion I bought?¡± I ask her. She nods in response, so I continue. ¡°I made him fall in love with a girl named S¡¯sammi and he was trying to get in¡ª¡± ¡°Nothing happened!¡± Xavier shrieks. ¡°I just made a few stupid advances is all.¡± ¡°He went after her hard,¡± Th¡¯ul says. ¡°You weren¡¯t even there most of the time!¡± ¡°I heard the commotion.¡± ¡°Basically,¡± I explain, ¡°He asked her out several songs, sang to her, moaned about her, the whole deal.¡± Jade shakes her head. ¡°That¡¯s low.¡± ¡°See? Someone agrees with me!¡± Xavier exclaims, crossing his arms. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t say I agreed with you,¡± Jade returns. ¡°I was going to say it isn¡¯t low enough for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Xavier huffs. ¡°You¡¯re the one acting like you just drank a love potion every time you¡¯re with Zade.¡± ¡°Oh, you want to start that up again?¡± Jade raises an eyebrow. ¡°Just saying,¡± He responds, backing away. ¡°Shall we go back then?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I look around, not finding an exit. ¡°How exactly are we supposed to do that?¡± ¡°Oh, I assume it¡¯s something like¡ª¡± Th¡¯ul disappears and Xavier screams after him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help!¡± A second later, he reappears. ¡°All you have to do,¡± He says. ¡°Is ask to leave in your head. The stadium will do the rest.¡± I want to leave. I want to leave. I want to leave. I find myself in the hallway I¡¯d left with my friends appearing there next to me. ¡°Well, that was fun. We should do this more often.¡± Xavier sounds excited, like he wants to do it again. ¡°We really should,¡± I agree. ¡°But we¡¯ll have plenty of time later. I need to rest now.¡± ¡°Same,¡± Xavier responds. We walk back to our rooms, tired yet happy. I am self-conscious about how worn out I look until I remember that there was a row happening here in Zenyth just a few hours ago, so everyone will look like this. Still, that does remind me of the mages-in-training we pissed off. They¡¯ve probably forgotten our faces but I don¡¯t want to push my luck. Thankfully, the short walk back to my room is uneventful, and once we arrive at the hallway with all the rooms, I breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°I think you can go now, Jay,¡± I say. ¡°Now that¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this?¡± Th¡¯ul asks, brandishing a piece of paper. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that?¡± ¡°It was on every door.¡± To my surprise, he¡¯s right. I go to my door, and tear out the paper. Zenyth is proud to present¡­ The 77,864th ball. All mages and mages-in-training are invited to attend and to bring a partner (partners need not be mages). Any non-mage is also welcome to appear. It will happen on Sixth Day, Yuneall 18th, 167 PW at 1800. Be there with a formal suit or dress. ¡°Well, that sounds like fun,¡± I mutter under my breath. Jade, who was reading above my shoulder shrugs. ¡°I think it sounds fun,¡± She says. ¡°Of course you do,¡± Xavier teases. ¡°I already know who¡¯s taking you.¡± I flush and look down. Meanwhile, Jade shoots a death glare at Xavier, who laughs and enters his room. ¡°Can¡¯t get me in here, bastards,¡± He says, shutting the door. ¡°Who¡¯s the coward now?¡± Jade screams as he leaves. ¡°Zade, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I tell her, still blushing. Opening the door and refusing to look at her, I place the invitation on my bed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± I close the door.