Alder

Prologue

“Bravery, compassion, courage, knowledge, and strength are just some of the ingredients needed for the use of magic. Magic is said to be the basis of life. Life is the gift given to us by our parents and their parents before them. So if you cherish the life you are given and grateful for how you came to be, then you can truly master magic. Remember this, Alder, if you are to truly learn.” This was the first real lesson Alder’s teacher ever taught him. He believed it to be the only thing he would never forget.

As he stood before the task that he had taken on, these were the only words that ran through his mind. Well, that and the smell of manure burning its way into his brain.

“Oi, Older. Would ya hurry up already? This shit ain’t gonna move itself now, is it?”

“Oh uh, sorry, sir! I’ll have this finished as soon as possible, sir!” responded the young man with black midlength hair. His features more sharp than hard, he had a stubble beard that looked more or less like a five-o-clock shadow. He wore a tan jacket over a charcoal T-shirt and ashen pants that had seen better days.

“Good. It’s about time ya finished up. At this rate, I’ll have to hire someone else to plant the seeds!” Alder shoved his shovel deep into the muck that had become his task at hand. While doing so, he constantly reminded himself, “This is for my future! This is a learning experience! This will make me better with my magic!”

The kind gentleman who kept giving Alder manly words of encouragement was a local farmer who asked for help every year. Even though he called Alder as Older, Alder respected him as he was an elder. He was a tall man but round enough to make him appear shorter than he really was, with short curly brown hair and weathered features. One could tell he spent most of his time outside.

“By the way, Older, why don’t you just use yer magic to move that shit? Everyone else that comes by does it. I understand yer doin’ this for free, but you’d be done a lot faster if ya used yer magic.”

“I agree, sir, but my teacher says that I shouldn’t rely on my magic for things that can be done by hand. If I’m not strong enough to do it by hand, then I’m not worthy to use my magic on it.”

“Oh, I see. That’s some teacher ya have. Can’t say I fully agree with it. I like my work done fast and easy,” he finished his statement, and Alder looked up to see his grin as he sat back to watch Alder work some more.

Yeah, he mused to himself. I can see that.

Karma struck immediately for his well-placed thought. Some of the manure splattered as they hit the ground, making contact with his face just below the nose but just right above his upper lip. The nose hairs that had been there before were now singed.

Alder could feel his eye twitch as the muck moved slowly down his face.

The air around him had grown quiet. The hairs on his arms and head stood on end. Blue lights started flickering around his body as if jumping from one spot to the other. A crackling sound like that of a fire started around him.

I am pissed—pissed for doing stupid work that I didn’t have to do, pissed that I was still doing it, and pissed because there was shit on my face, Alder thought, getting fed up.

“Oi, ya all right there, Older? Ya want me to get ya a tow—” he moved too fast to hear the rest of his words, ripping through the wind with the shovel in hand. Moving as fast as he could, Alder spread the rest of the manure.

In an instant, the field was done, and Alder had returned to where the farmer stood. As he stopped, the air that followed him pushed the farmer a couple steps back, but Alder didn’t notice or care. He raised his arm and slammed the shovel into the ground so it would stand on its own. Releasing the handle from his grasp, he also released the breath that he had been holding.

“IT’S FINISHED!” Alder barked with a wild look in his eye and an almost psychotic grin on his mouth.

The awestruck farmer looked around with his hand rubbing the back of his head. He brought his gaze back to Alder, jaw slightly slack.

“Well . . . uhh . . . okay. Thank you, I guess?”

Alder replied with an ecstatic “You’re welcome!” while he rubbed his arm across his face to get the manure that had gotten there.

Chapter 1

Windows were closed to leave the chill of the wind outside. It was a two-story house, old and made of oak. The walls were lightly decorated with tapestries that depicted people picking apples from a tree or a lone man trudging his way through a forest. The outside gave it a modest look. A porch crept its way around the front but no further. Three wooden rocking chairs and a stool gave the porch its life.

In the dimly lit room, three adults consulted each other over the future of the young man named Alder. They sat around a small wooden table with faces deeply locked in thought. The smell of coffee and spice hung around the room. Each member of this crew took turns sipping their beverages.

A man with a gruff voice spoke. “I think it’s about time we told him . . . ” The other two looked up from their drinks and nodded.

The man wasn’t very big, but his arms were that of a hard worker. He had black smooth hair pulled back into a ponytail. His facial features were hard, and his neatly trimmed beard complemented that. With his arms folded, he let out a deep sigh waiting for a reply.

Upon hearing the troubled sigh, the lady closest to him spoke. “But, dear, we can’t force so much responsibility on him all at once. He is still so young and doesn’t know the way the world works yet.” The lady who had her hands clasped around her cup not only had a soft voice but also soft features. Her deep brunet hair wrapped its way over her shoulder.

Finally, the last of the table’s inhabitants spoke. “If I’ve taught Aldy anything, it’s how to survive on his own! I understand your worries as parents, but I believe he’s ready for this,” she said with a vibrant smile. She had stormy gray eyes that saw everything. They went perfectly with her sandy blond hair that even when in a ponytail cascaded down her shoulders and back. Her face beamed with energy as she nodded in agreement to her own statement.

“If you really believe so, then we have no reason to hold back,” the man said with an eager smile.

“Elea, if you would, could you stay and help us tell Alder?” said the mother of the boy in question.

“Of course! I was going to ask to stay anyway,” Elea said after downing what was left in her cup. Then she raised it and asked for more.

*

Alder was slowly walking home when the chill ran up his spine.

The wind caressed the trees ever so lightly as Alder skimmed the area. The thick forest that connected his house to the farm had a very thin trail, almost overgrown in many places. The trunks of the trees seemed to act as a fence between the trail and the darkness that the forest concealed.

Using his peripherals, Alder watched his sides, and he continued forward with caution.

“Man, I bet she’s at the house again, the mooch.” Alder started his usual chats with himself on the way home. “Maybe she’ll finally show me something new today—if she’s learned anything else.” Alder chuckled to himself while thinking of his partly incompetent teacher.

“The way things are now, she’s more of a tutor than a teacher.” A sly grin grew on his face as he put that thought in his arsenal for later.

The grass rustled to the side of him, and immediately, the air turned dry as a crackling sound surrounded him. He moved toward the grass deliberately and tranquilly. His eyes scanned the area for more movement.

The grass parted as a rabbit making a mad dash passed Alder.

Alder smirked and said, “Dinner!”

The rabbit was almost to the other side of the path when it was cut off by the figure it was trying to elude.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Rabbit, I’ll cook you up with lots of vegetables.”

The rabbit had nowhere to go.

Back on its haunches, it prepared to bolt in any direction, but the pursuer anticipated this. Right as the rabbit’s muscles spurred into action, sending it forward with a jolt, it was met with a wall that immediately wrapped its way around its neck.

Alder stood from a crouch, with his hand gripped around the rabbit’s throat.

“Just you wait, little buddy. My family is gonna be happy to see you!”

Alder looked at the pouch he carried on his waist.

“I think I’ll just skin you at home. For now, wait in here.” Alder then proceeded to stuff his prisoner into the pouch.

After securing his treat for the night, Alder continued on his way. The path started to widen as he neared his destination—a house in the middle of the woods.

The trees huddled around the house, acting as a natural barrier, even though its smoking chimney poised as a beacon for anyone to see while also complimenting the romantic nature of the house. Wood piles were lined on one side and a clothesline with clothes fluttering in the breeze on the other.

Alder stopped for a second to take in the sight of his abode.

After all these years, he still couldn’t shake the feeling of content he got when seeing it. Letting out a nice long sigh and taking in a new breath filled with tree sap and burning wood, Alder pressed forward to the front steps of the porch.

Knocking his boots off over the edge, he reached out for a stool on the porch. Sitting on the stool, Alder took off his crap-covered boots and tossed them to the side with a disgusted look on his face.

“You know, when you make a face like that, you come off as a tad bit more attractive.”

Alder sat up quick and gave the owner of the voice a mean glare.

“Though there really isn’t much that can be done for a face like that, anyway.”

Turning his glare into a smug grin, Alder replied, “I thought you would be here when I got home. It’s not like you’re ever at your own home anyway.”

Alder watched for a reaction out of the corner of his eye. He was disappointed when all he found was the sandy blond-haired woman just smiling at him.

She was wearing her usual clothes—an ashen gray jacket that went over a white long-sleeve shirt, with olive green pants meant for a man and black leather boots to top it all off.

She noticed him looking her over and decided it was time to interrogate him.

“So, Alder, you’re back pretty early. You didn’t use magic to do that miniscule job, did you?”

Her eyes peering into him, Alder felt his pulse heighten. Looking over to where his boots were, he searched drastically to find any means to use as an excuse.

Nothing.

The sweat started as his right hand went instinctively to the back of his head, trying to rub an idea into it.

“Well, you see, by the time I had arrived at the farm, the farmer had already started without me. So with what was left, it barely took me anytime at all to finish.” Alder looked over to Elea with his most convincing smile, hoping she would believe his pathetic attempt at a lie.

She looked at Alder with the same smile as before and said, “Impressive! I’m surprised that after spreading all that manure around, there was still enough to bring home to spout here.” She looked him in the eyes. “If you didn’t catch that, I’m calling you on your shit excuse.”

The sweat became profuse at this point.

“But seeming as I’m in a good mood today, I’ll punish you another time.” With this, she moved to head back inside.

Alder felt the blood drain from his body. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she came at him with a verbal or physical attack, both were equally painful and always unexpected.

Looking up at the sandy hair and seeing it cascading down her back, it reminded Alder that she may be known as his teacher, but she was only about a year and a half older than him.

The reason she had come to be known as Alder’s teacher was simple—she was a child prodigy, better than anyone in the surrounding villages. She was put into a self-study at a very young age.

Not too long after Alder heard about her, he sought her out, not to learn but to beat this so-called prodigy.

Alder got his ass handed to him mainly because she had already mastered all kinds of elemental magic. Alder, on the other hand, had only learned how to use beginner lightning magic.

In the end, he only had the balls to face her once. After losing so bad, he went home hoping to never see her again. Sadly for Alder, the next day, she found him, asking if he wanted to play again. Still looking at her now, all he can think is, The nerve of this girl.

As if sensing Alder’s reminiscing, Elea smiled softly to herself as she rested her hand on the doorknob, listening for Alder to stand up and follow.

On cue, she heard the boards creak under each step as he approached. The smile faded as she remembered the task at hand. Eyes peering through the door, she turned the doorknob and stepped in.

*

Following the smell of coffee and spice that wafted to his nose, he moved inside behind Elea, carefully watching her back, with his senses on high alert. After being warned about being punished, he wanted to be ready for anything.

With all his focus on her, he had yet to notice the other two occupants in the room.

“Welcome home, Alder.” The voice came from the table in the center of the room. Alder had nearly gotten whiplash from looking so fast.

“Hey, Mom, good to be home. You wouldn’t believe what I had to go through today,” Alder said with a quick sigh of relief, only to have his tensions raised again when Elea gave him a look. She could be mean, but she wouldn’t tell his parents he was slacking off on anything.

“Getting a real job would make days like that seem easy.” The gruff voice came from the kitchen doorway. Alder looked to see his Dad coming into the room with a new pot of coffee. Alder forced a smile and agreed with his Dad because anything else would end in conflict.

Alder moved along the edge of the room, trying to make himself as small as possible on his way to the hallway. Past the hallway were the stairs. If he made it to his room, he could be spared from a lecture from his parents or Elea.

Just as he was about to turn the corner. Elea’s voice rang out. “Hey, Aldy, why don’t you join us for coffee?” Not only had she called him some ridiculous name but also playfully invited him to what he was trying to avoid. He looked back over his shoulder. She was smiling at him while his parents were staring at him with looks of concern.

Alder sighed and turned around.

“I would love nothing else.” Alder forced the comment and half-assed the smile.

Alder sat down at the table, and his mother gave him a cup. He looked around the table, and everyone just looked at their cup. Well, everyone except for Elea, who calmly sipped her spiced tea.

Bringing his attention to his own cup, he realized it was black coffee.

Great, he thought as he looked in the middle of the table for sugar. Wonderful. There was none. A chuckle escaped his mouth as he took his first sip of the bitter drink.

“Say, Alder, there’s something we need to talk to you about.” Alder’s mom was the first to speak up. Alder looked up and thought, Here we go. She tightened her grip on her cup and looked at his father.

Alder’s dad acknowledged the look with a nod and continued for her.

As Alder’s eyes met his dad’s, he immediately broke away from them and looked at his father’s chest. He was wearing a gray T-shirt that showed off his masculine structure.

Alder’s dad sighed for a moment when Alder looked away but still pushed forward to say what he needed to.

“Actually, this is something we should have told you years ago. I mean, you’re already twenty years old.”

Alder’s attention was grabbed at this moment.

He looked back and forth between his parents, wondering what they could have possibly kept from him for years. All the while, Elea just sipped her drink with the ever so slightest smile on her lips.

“Son, it’s time you got a real job and moved out.” A heavy silence filled the room.

All emotion had left Alder’s face. He looked at his parents, and they both had grave expressions. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elea trying to mask her giddiness behind her cup.

His expression calm, Alder assessed the situation and proceeded to ask questions.

“All right. I understand that you want me out of the house. When do you want me gone? Will you help me get a house? And do you want me to get a job before or after I leave the house?”

His dad was the first to respond. “Well, let’s start off with finding a job first. You’re proficient with your levitation magic, right? That would be a big help moving lots of material for construction.”

Alder nodded, considering the fact that with a lot of the magic he knew, things like construction would be a breeze for him.

Seeing Alder already mulling over the first option, his mother decided to jump in with an idea of her own.

“Also, Alder, if you wouldn’t want to do that, you could always follow suit with Elea and become a teacher.” Alder looked over to Elea to confirm, and she nodded while saying, “You have already mastered all elemental magic and many others. That is more than where most teachers start. I could even give you a good recommendation.”

Again, nodding to himself, he thought, That wouldn’t be a bad idea—just teaching some snot-nosed brats magic. He put his head back and looked at the ceiling as if the change in scenery would help his thinking.

It did.

I don’t want to have to worry about a bunch of little kids. With my luck in attempts to control their magic, I’ll end up getting toasted a lot. With that thought getting pushed to the back of his head, Alder shook his head in a dissatisfactory fashion.

His dad, noticing the discord in his son’s thoughts, offered another idea. “Why not join a guild? I hear that they make tons of money and do all kinds of jobs.”

This time Elea voiced her displeasure.

“I wouldn’t go for a guild. They do just about anything for money.” She looked up and looked at Alder with her deep, stormy eyes. “If anything, I think you should stay away from them, Alder.”

With that point taken, Alder’s dad looked back down at his cup of coffee.

Everyone let out a light sigh as they tried to think of ideas for jobs to do. Alder noticed Elea gulp down the last of her drink. She followed it with a loud exhale that let everyone know she wanted their attention.

“I didn’t want it to come to this, but you could always join the military or the Mage Knights.” She set her cup down and looked at Alder to see his response. His parents were already looking at each other and nodding to show that they approved.

“It is a very noble job, Alder. Not many could do it, and they are always looking for good magic users,” said his mom in a soft tone that said this was what she wanted him to choose.

Alder looked over to his Dad, and he too shook his head up and down while looking at Alder.

Before he could voice his own opinion, Elea started again. “If you were to join the military, I could personally take you to Capital City and have them give you a Mage Knights test on the spot.”

Alder’s parents were already all for it, his mom especially saying, “Could you please set it up, Elea? We would really appreciate it.”

“Of course, I can! I was going to head to Capital City at the end of this week anyway.” Elea smiled and nodded, already making the plans without Alder’s consent. His dad looked over to him and asked, “Is this okay with you? It will be your future.” Alder’s face relaxed as his father showed some concern for his actual well-being.

With that, he was able to nod and say, “Yeah. I think I’ll be fine.” He forced a smile and looked back to the two girls who were already foretelling his future, making up stories on how the name Alder would be known throughout the land.

*

After everything settled down, Alder, though not the happiest of campers, was finally able to make it to his room. He thought that he could make do with whatever happens.

Lying on his bed for a bit, he started to look around the room. Letting out a deep sigh, he thought of the memories he had made here.

Alder’s room wasn’t much. From the doorway, the corner of the room opened up to show one bed covered in thick, itchy cotton sheets, and a small nightstand that held a lamp and some books. On the other wall, there was a window that let him see anyone approaching during the day, and at night, it let him peer at the stars till he fell asleep. Next to the window was a full bookcase lined with all kinds of stories and secrets behind the art that is magic.

Rolling over to face the wall, Alder felt something wet on his side. Starting to get up and see what it was, a thought occurred. “Oh shit! The rabbit!”

On his feet and off the bed, Alder drastically patted himself down. With his hands landing on his pouch, he found it empty.

The smell of urine was hanging around the bag, and Alder lifted it to his face for a closer look.

“That dirty bastard.” The rabbit had chewed its way through Alder’s only pouch, well, not before it left him a couple of presents. With a wet spot on his bed and a pouch with a hole in his hands, curse words filled the air.

“Looks like you’re having fun,” said a voice from the doorway.

Alder flinched and turned slowly to the doorway, seeing the last person he wanted to see. First, the rabbit escaped, and now, Elea came to further the damage from earlier today.

“So to what do I owe the pleasure?” asked Alder in a condescending tone.

Her eyes peered through him. She turned her thunderous gaze to his bookshelf brimming with life. Arms crossed, she leaned on the doorway, trimming. She only offered him silence.

Alder bit the inside of his lip.

“Look, if it’s about the military thing, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Alder gave a weak smile. “If anything, I’ll be promoted right away once they find out how great I am. I mean, look at who my teacher is.”

Elea, still looking at the bookshelf, let out a bleak sigh. “As true as that is, it won’t save you from getting killed by someone trying to make a name for themselves. The greater you are, the bigger target you have on your back.” She brought her eyes to meet Alder’s.

“I’ve told you the stories, haven’t I? Of the people who have tried to get famous by killing the so-called prodigy.” Her cloudy eyes close to rain, she entered the room to hug Alder.

Wrapping her arms around him, she said in a soft voice, “All I’m saying is don’t try to stand out. That’s how you end up either dead or a monster.”

She tightened her grip around him. Alder’s hands became clammy, and he panicked.

The girl he knew as bubbly and stoic felt fragile before him. Alder wanted to hug her back. He doesn’t, out of fear that she could break.

The air had left his body when she first made contact with him and had yet to come back. Although pushing himself to muster any words he could create out of his mouth, he was left with nothing.

She raised her eyes and said, “We leave on Friday. I’ll meet you here.” She smiled, and Alder felt the air temperature drop as his legs started to lose feeling. Knees weak, he realized she was holding him up.

“Also, I let your rabbit go as part of your punishment. This is the other part.”

With that, Alder heard her snap her fingers behind him. Electricity surged through and pain was shooting out of every single cell in his body. Every muscle tightened to its maximum capacity. His jaw was clenched while slowly and painfully, he watched her walk away until he faded out of consciousness.

Chapter 2

A ghastly haze snuggled itself among the trees on the morning of their departure. The house looked as if it swayed to and fro in between the beams of light that pierced through the morning’s blanket.

Odes to the morning were sung by the birds hidden in the trees, signaling the beginning of the day.

Two figures emerged from the house in the woods. Clasped in fog, only their silhouettes were visible. One who had what appeared to be one very large pack on the back was slightly taller than the other. The shorter one, slender in shape, seemed to be holding on to one shoulder pack, with the other hand on their hip.

Alder took snail-paced steps down the stairs. He looked back to Elea with half-open eyes and a yawn escaping his voice. “Why am I carrying your backpack too? I thought I was punished enough the other day.”

Elea looked down at him with her famous jubilantly eccentric smile. “Why, my young Aldy, this is part of your physical training. The fact that you used your magic on that job means your lacking in this department.” Pointing her finger at him, she continued, “As my only student right now, I can’t possibly have you start to look bad. If you do, that will reflect badly on me. And I can’t have that.”

With this, she hopped from step to step. On the ground, she acted as if she floated above it. Spinning around, she stopped to point at the narrow path they would be traveling and exclaimed, “The reason I was going to the capital was to show those other High Mages I have what it takes to be given the title of Archmage!” Alder gazed upon her with lame eyes. He readjusted the backpacks, yawned, and started moving forward.

“Well, that’s nice. This means we’re going to have to deal with a lot of nobles, right? I can’t wait!” Alder stretched his neck, keeping his words laced in a condescending tone.

“Listen here, Mr. Mage. When you take the test, you know they’ll automatically give you title of High Mage like me. You’re going to be one of these nobles that you hate so much.”

Alder looked over to Elea with disdain in his eyes.

Oh yeah, he thought. She’s considered a noble too.

He didn’t know where he ever got the dislike for nobles. Maybe it was just the fact that he hated anyone who had it better than him. Not that Alder had any reason to complain. Both of his parents were considered mages and had good jobs. He never had to fight to survive or anything like that. The roughest part of Alder’s childhood was getting taught by Elea.

He shuddered at the thought of her coming over every day just to beat him up when they were kids. She called it playtime, and Alder thought he was getting bullied.

Alder changed his gaze to the path. Elea and he started their journey. With the haze, they could see just a few feet down the narrow path. Elea’s pace was slightly faster than Alder’s. She moved in front of him, becoming the sole focus in his line of sight, her sandlike hair swaying back and forth with each brisk-paced step. Watching her hair sway enticed him as it moved.

Alder’s feet dragged with the weight of the bags on his back getting to him. His breathing becoming slightly heavier, he recollected how he came to follow this crazy girl in the first place.

Elea was not allowed to come to the schoolhouse that taught the village kids the strengths of magic. She was already advanced enough to know them herself.

Being a student, Alder was known as the strongest magic user in the schoolhouse. But that in itself wasn’t enough for him after tracking her down and getting beat up.

Alder was then the one who was then terrorized day after day. She would find him on his way home, at the schoolhouse, and even in the nearest villages. Little did Alder know, this stalker girl was just lonely. She came to him because at the time, no one around her age would go to her. Yet, amid her solitary training, he had sought her out if only to fight. That was enough for her to become enthused with him.

Day after day, she showed up. After a while, Alder had asked his dad what to do about the situation. He remembered his dad letting out a guttural laugh when Alder told him that a girl showed up everywhere he went.

Hand on Alder’s shoulder and eyes locked on his, at that time, he had told him, “Son, when a woman follows you around and gives you trouble every time you meet, you give them a flower or something that you think will lighten their mood.” He paused for a moment, looking at the ceiling before saying, “At least, that’s what I do whenever your mother’s bothering me.”

With the new information Alder had attained, he decided to put his dad’s teaching into practice the next time he ran into the girl he thought of as his stalker. At the time, Alder didn’t know it would come to further his headaches.

Eyes still glued to the slender figure in front of him, his lips curled, thinking of the ignorance that is everyone’s childhood. Elea, feeling Alder’s eyes on her back, turned her head toward him, a slight smile on her lips. It wasn’t much, but the smile seemed to push the haze away.

They continued in silence.

*

Elea’s eyes moved to the path before her. She left the smile on her face, taking in the morning air passing in and out of her lungs with each breath.

Time moving on, the haze got thinner. The trees in the distance became more detailed with each step as if an artist was painting them in while they approached.

Elea thought to herself that it was a morning like this that she had followed Alder to the schoolhouse. Her house was about an hour down the path, not that different from Alder’s house when it came to looks.

On that morning, she had noticed him walking on the path and followed. She recognized the short boy with black hair. He was the one who challenged her to a fight, saying that she was no prodigy. She finished him quickly, but the boy did not cry. He just shook his head in defeat and left without a word.

She found this interesting and trailed after the boy whenever she saw him, even to his home to ask if he wanted to play. Every time, the boy refused and left Elea alone to wander after him because she wasn’t the type to take “no” for an answer. Not having to go to the schoolhouse and being on her own self-study left her with a lot of free time.

Moving with the grass and staying close to the tree line, she moved silently while practicing a buff spell on her that improved stealth. With the stealth spell on full effect, Elea was the gust of wind that parted the long grass on a windy day. Every now and then, her sandy hair would melt in with the grass, making it look like there was some stray strands of wheat among them.

The boy casually walked his normal route to the schoolhouse, no wiser to the stormy gaze that followed his morning commute.

Almost to the schoolhouse, he practiced his lightning magic. There was crackling with a continuous hum while he walked, all focused on his hand. Little sparks of electricity danced from fingertip to fingertip, some escaping to his forearm just to dissipate in the air or singe his clothing.

Moving his fingertips in a circular fashion, he concentrated the sparks to a single point. The light in his hand grew brighter while a small bolt arching with power began to take form. The boy then took hold of the bolt and threw it straight into the ground.

She watched, with amusement dancing across her face.

It wasn’t much, but the boy’s lightning magic had improved since he had challenged her. She kept her eyes on him while he bent over to pick up something on the ground from which he had just struck with lightning.

After the boy dug around the ground for a bit, he put something in a bag he carried and then proceeded on his way.

When he was out of sight, Elea walked up to the spot the boy had been digging at. All that was there was loose dirt with a slight black coating. The ground had been liquified where the bolt had struck. Elea was enthralled by the proficiency at which the boy had done this.

She thought to herself, Kid’s got talent, that’s for sure.

Knowing he would be at the schoolhouse for a few hours, she decided she would sit outside and practice some more buff spells. She wanted to talk to this boy when he got out.

Elea was suddenly pulled out of her memories with the sound of Alder letting out an overbearingly loud yawn while stretching his legs by stomping them on the ground. Letting out an irritated sigh, she thought, Hmph, he never changes, does he?

*

Alder, finally waking up, began to stand straighter. Readjusting the two backpacks, he bounced his shoulders a couple of times to let the straps settle back.

Letting out more of a yell than a yawn, he stretched his legs. Not that he needed to but because he knew doing these things would rub Elea the wrong way.

The path widened for the two travelers near the edge of the forest. The forest opened up to reveal grasslands that was kept tame by a short fence. The fence went as far as the eye could see. It continued on two dirt paths that cut in between the grassland. Trees sprouted every so often in the fields.

Along the fence were breaks so people could walk in and out of it, a perfect place for a picnic.

Alder looked at Elea who was just then taking in the scene. He tapped her shoulder, and with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, “Lady Elea, would you like to stop for a rest and some food?” following with a bow and his hand outstretched in the direction of the closest entry to the field.

Looking up to see what she would say, Alder’s eyes were met with disdain.

“When did you become such a pansy?” Turning to walk the path toward the capital, she continued, “We have a long way to go. There is no time for frolicking in the field.”

Alder, still standing with his hand outstretched, waited while Elea kept walking. With a sigh, he relaxed and readjusted the shoulder straps for the bags and continued after her.

Staying just out of Elea’s swinging range, Alder let his guard down and looked out over the field. Thinking, he sighed. “This whole trip is gonna be a pain, isn’t it?”

Elea, her back faced toward him, gave a nod without turning around.

Regretting his decision to travel with Elea, he remembered his biggest regret that involved the devil-tongued girl.

It was only the day after his dad had given him advice about how to handle his stalker situation. Alder had just gotten out of school and was about to head home. Instead, fate (or the devil) had other plans for him.

Almost to the path that led home, he felt the stormy’ gaze of Elea. Stopping, Alder did a complete rotation, trying to find the owner of the gaze but sadly, to no avail. Scratching the back of his head, he shrugged and did one last scan of the area just to be safe.

Upon turning around, he was caught off guard by the upbeat voice of a girl. “Hey, kid. It’s been a while!”

Alder nearly flew out of his pants when he laid his eyes on her. She appeared directly in front of him almost out of thin air.

After taking several steps back and letting his heart rate settle, he barely put out a response. “ . . . Hi . . . ”

The instant the word left his mouth, an exuberant smile revealed itself from the girl’s delicate thin lips.

She moved closer, and Alder felt his face heating up. His body slightly shaking, he wasn’t sure how to handle this situation. He went to take a step back but remembered his father’s words and held firm.

Raising his hand, he stopped the ever-closing-in girl.

“I have something for you. I-If you want it.” The words hung in the air. The girl was standing at an arm’s length away with a quizzical expression. Her brows furrowed, and she brought a hand to her chin while putting the other on her hip. Her gaze narrowing, she looked Alder up and down.

Finally, a smile made way across her face.

“Sure, sounds interesting!”

Giving a nod, Alder reached into his bag and pulled forth his creation from the morning. Extending his hand, there it sat in his palm—what looked to be a giant raindrop in midsplash that was frozen in time. It was crystal clear and sparkled in the afternoon sunlight.

“The other day, I found out that if I condensed my lightning magic and threw it at the sand, this would happen.”

The crystallized sand still in his outstretched hand, Elea just stood there and took in the art before her.

“I thought it was pretty neat. So . . . here.” Thrusting his hand even farther forward, sweat started to form on Alder’s forehead. Unable to make eye contact, he looked to the side, tracing the blades of grass that rustled gently with the breeze and feeling the rest of his body heat up as the seconds passed. His arm was nearing its limit and was starting to tremble. Each second a little longer than the last. His stomach started to churn with anxiety setting in. Thoughts racing, Alder blamed his dad because he never said anything about a situation like this.

All hopes lost, Alder’s mind trailed off while his arm was on the verge of collapse. He looked back to the girl, and he saw an even deeper shade of red on her than there was on him!

She wore a soft and earnest smile. Her hands were fidgeting at her side, but her eyes never left the crystallized sand.

If she didn’t look like a tomato right now, Alder thought, I’d say she looked cute.

Finally, she reached out and cautiously picked up the piece. She held it with both hands so it ran no risk of falling.

Alder couldn’t tell which was more delicate, his creation or the hands that held it.

“Would you like to learn magic from me after school from now on?” Her eyes never left the crystalized raindrop while she spoke.

Taken aback by her question, Alder’s mind fractured for a second, but then his gaze fell on the girl’s sparkling eyes and ever-growing smile.

His mouth moved on its own. Even so, he knew deep down the words were his own. “I would love to!” A smile grew on Alder’s face. He thought about it for a second and wondered if he had even introduced himself to her yet. “Also, my name’s Alder.”

*

Looking back on it, all Alder could do now was take a deep breath.

On some days, he cursed his dad for giving him that advice, while on other days, he’s thankful for the opportunity he had to learn advanced magic so early, and from a pretty girl no less.

Alder picked up his pace to match Elea’s. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw his pleased expression. Letting her own face relax, Alder spoke, “So I meant to ask you the other day, but . . . ” Alder let the words trail off before asking. “Have you learned any new magic recently?”

Without changing her pace, Elea looked over at Alder.

“Actually, you could say I’ve been working on something.” Elea’s eyes narrowed while a sinister grin grew on her face. Elea’s eyes were filled with joy, but her malicious smile said otherwise. Trying to find the silver lining in her face was impossible. Her face only held those two emotions and nothing else.

Confusion dancing across his own facial features, Alder decided the time to ask was now. “What do you mean you’ve been working on something?”

Her lips curled up even more than they had been before, clearly pleased with his quizzical expression. Knowing that she held knowledge over Alder was something she loved to dangle in front of him, treating Alder as if he were a dog begging for a bone.

Usually, Alder would back off and not give her the gratification of holding something over him. Yet as the years passed and the gap of knowledge closed between them, he found the need to know more spells from her, that more overwhelming. He couldn’t ask around to learn the advanced magic that always fell into her lap.

Alder was at a disadvantage, and she knew it. The only way to get the answer from her was to do something for her.

Letting his head droop in defeat, Alder felt Elea’s smile soften.

“The information you would like to know is sadly in the need to know, Aldy, and you don’t need to know.” Looking forward with a soft smile on her lips, she said, “If you’re able to become a Mage Knight, you’ll be in the need to know.”

Alder looked at the girl who spoke gently to him. Clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, he raised one fist to his chest. Eyes filled with determination and a grin beaming with confidence, he let out the retort, “For me, this will be a piece of cake!”

“Are you an idiot or something?” She giggled.

Chapter 3

The path the two had followed until now widened as they neared Capital City, the capital of Gyges. More travelers appeared on the road, followed by carriages being pulled by horse teams of four at the most. Many looked like merchants; some travelers, while others were armed with weapons and armor probably from a guild on their way to fight a monster or another guild.

Very few let their gaze fall on the boy and the girl who kept an idle pace walking toward Capital City.

*

Known as the “greatest country in the west,” Gyges was relatively small compared to the other nations that surrounded it. What made the nation so great was the military power that it held.

In other words, the country was intimidating to its peers, although the current king never made an attempt to spread the territory even when others in the past had.

For some reason, the country of Gyges had an abundance of powerful mages that the others did not.

The Mage Knights, led by the Archmages, were filled with these mages. Though, not only did the country have the knights to rely on but also the guilds that were spread throughout the territory. Doing anything for a pretty coin, his majesty didn’t hesitate to use them instead of sullying the Mage Knights good name.

Two of this country’s abundant mages made way for Capital City, unbeknown to the trials the land had in store for them.

*

Alder’s eyes danced in the sunlight as he studied each passerby, seeing many people, armor, and weapons alike.

In the mage community, there were weapons and armor that had conductive properties. These conductive properties allowed one to transfer their magic through the weapons for a better offense and through the armor for a better defense. Of the many names they had, this equipment was mainly known as “conductive gear,” but as of late, it came to be known as another name. It would be a while before Alder learned this, though.

Alder had read about them before, but seeing them was a different matter. They were quite expensive because they were hard to make, something about needing the bones of certain animals with high magic properties.

From Alder’s perspective, only people who didn’t have great control of their magic needed something like that. Even so, he was intrigued by the intricate details that filled the weapons and armor that a certain group of warriors carried. The men in the armor looked just as flashy as their equipment. No man looked the same, showing that they were groups of people from all walks of life. Some were black, some were tan, and the rest were white. But the color of the skin wasn’t the only thing that displayed their differences. Each person had their own unique energy about them.

Alder could only wonder what types of things these people had went through to be entirely diverse and yet still seem to perfectly fit together.

Elea caught hold of Alder’s awestruck gaze. Following it, she saw the group Alder studied. Elea clenched her teeth and let her hands ball into fists at her side. She recognized them immediately as guild members. She wasn’t sure what guild they belonged to since there were a lot in the area surrounding Capital City. Thinking quickly, she nudged Alder to get his attention.

“W-what’s up?” Alder slowly turned his head away from the approaching group.

He was met with a serious-looking Elea. Her body was tensed to the point where she looked ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice.

Alder frequently searched her face for an answer before asking, “What’s wrong?”

That’s when he felt it—an overwhelming presence that made his knees weak. Somebody strong nearby was letting their magical presence be known.

It was considered common knowledge to always keep your magical energy contained because having it run freely around you put a strain on people with less magical energy. Alder remembered, not too long before their journey, Elea had shown him her magical energy. Like this, it had almost put him on the floor.

Knowing that someone else had this same amount of power as Elea terrified Alder. His limbs trembled as more and more magical energy washed over him. It came in waves, making him feel weaker as each wave came to pass.

Alder gritted his teeth and put all his focus on standing. Composing himself, he tried to ask Elea again what was happening. Instead, he noticed that they had stopped walking, along with the other travelers on the road. Majority of them had collapsed.

Alder blinked slowly. His breathing shallowed, and he felt like he was trying to swallow stones. Then all his worry washed away. He began to breathe easy again. He looked at Elea, whose hand was now in his. Even with her face still tensed, it eased his nerves.

Everyone on the road seemed to have collapsed now. All except the group that Alder had been admiring before. They were close enough to make out facial features. A man with a deep golden tan, short coal-colored hair, and a scar above his left eyebrow seemed to lead the group. Wearing red armor with intricate designs, his emerald eyes were cold and calculating. His hand rested on top of a sword at his side. Alder couldn’t make out the details, but he had no doubt it was also conductive gear.

The man looked at Elea and Alder. He said something to the men behind him. As the men dispersed and went to the travelers that had passed out on the road, he and a man with skin as dark as the night sky started to walk toward Alder and Elea.

The dark man was unnervingly tall. The spear on his back was no less intimidating with its intricate details etched into the tip. His head, shaven clean, reflected the sun the same as a mirror would, while his eyes looked like amber with green flecks. His muscles bulged forth in between the cracks of the light armor he wore, which also showed the same intricate detail as the other gear.

Elea let her hand tighten around Alder’s. He squeezed back, letting her know he wasn’t going anywhere.

The two men stopped about ten paces ahead of them. The man with the scar was about Alder’s height. He wore a schemer’s smile, while the other man’s face was devoid of all emotion. After a moment of silence, the man with the scar spoke. “Well, my friends, you happen to be two decent mages.”

He waited a second for either of them to do anything, but they stood still, watching the man.

He continued, “As it so happens, we’re on a search for some strong mages. We belong to the guild called Dromaeos. We’re fairly well known in these parts if you’re new to the area.” He paused again, waiting for a response. Giving him nothing, he sighed and clapped his hand on his sword handle as he started again. “My name is Friedrich. Friedrich Don Selanto, and I would like to offer you two a spot in our guild. Not just anyone can handle our master’s presence, after all.”

With his last comment, his eyes narrowed, and his voice lost its welcoming air.

Alder checked where they had walked from.

There stood a carriage that no horses pulled. That must have been where their master was because he could feel the eyes of someone hidden on him, a skill Alder had picked up after years of Elea trying to sneak up on him.

While his eyes were scanning the carriage for movement, he noticed that the other guild members were looting all the travelers that had fallen unconscious.

Alder’s blood raised to a boil real quick. He may have been lazy and jobless, always asking his parents or Elea for some money, but Alder had never felt the need to steal. Just the thought of stealing anything from someone made him feel no less than a murderer.

These travelers passed out on the road probably busted their asses for what they had, Alder thought. This was something I can’t let slide. This has to be dealt with.

Reading his thoughts, Elea squeezed Alder’s hand to try and bring him back, but he didn’t want to—he was ready to fight. Alder’s magic was building to set up a lightning enhancement spell in his head.

It was Alder’s go-to magic. He used lightning magic to shock his muscles in intervals to turn them into fast-twitch muscles. This in turn doubled his reaction time and speed while pushing the strength in his muscles to their limit. It was a spell he had created himself after getting shocked so many times by Elea. Alder was ready to let these guys experience it firsthand.

The big man was reading Alder’s body language and went to step forward, but Friedrich stopped him with a glance. Then Elea stepped forward. “Neither of us plan to join a guild that relies on petty thefts to buy their gear!” she said this with gusto so that even the men doing the theft could hear.

Friedrich clicked his tongue. His face was in a scowl, but his eyes smiled with delight.

“If that’s the case, then we can’t really let you leave here after witnessing a crime. After all, we’re on an errand for His Majesty, and this would look bad on our good lord’s part.”

Looking at him, Alder’s blood calmed to a simmer.

“Why would you tell us that? I could honestly give a rat’s ass if you were working for God. Either way, we’re not letting you get away with this idiotic theft.” He shot Elea a glance to make sure she was with him.

She just rolled her eyes.

His face stuck in a scowl, Friedrich retorted with a sterner tone and bloodlust in his eyes.

“Kid, I’m just giving myself a reason to kill you two. I’m not one to murder bystanders. Now, since both of you happen to have knowledge of something you shouldn’t, I can’t quite call you bystanders anymore.”

While he talked, his fingers tapped on the hilt of his sword. He finished with a malicious smile, showing them his pearly white teeth.

Alder’s body tensed. This guy probably killed mouthy people like me on the daily, he thought.

The weight of the two backpacks on his back started to weigh on him again. If this guy made a move right now, he probably wouldn’t be able to respond in kind. Reality started to set in. Alder also wasn’t sure what would happen if he let go of Elea’s hand.

With doubt making way into his mind, Alder’s thoughts ran rampant. Would I pass out like the others? Would I just become dead weight and leave Elea to protect my unconscious body by herself?

Elea looked at Alder. His eyes were darting all over the place. This isn’t the time to panic, she thought. Gripping his hand tighter, she wanted to let him know she was still there. She wanted to let him know that he wasn’t alone.

It wasn’t enough.

Worry was written all over Alder’s face. Elea was trying to think of what she could do, wondering if she could take care of the two men in front of them before the others came to help.

She noticed she hadn’t felt the immense pressure that she had earlier, so she wasn’t going to fret whether or not Alder would pass out. Before Elea could find a clear path to take, Alder released his grip and pointed at Friedrich.

“You and me! Let’s have a duel! If I win, you guys leave here and order your men to return everything. If you win, you can do whatever you please,” Alder shouted his demands. The panic that had befallen him moments ago was nowhere to be seen. His words filled with conviction. His eyes stood firm, staring down the man in front of him.

“Or we could just kill you and be on our merry way.” Even with Alder’s attempt at a one-on-one fight, Friedrich wasn’t swayed. In fact, he looked rather bored with the idea.

“I thought you might say that. Actually, this girl here is on her way to the capital to become an Archmage. As it would seem, to become an Archmage, you must first get permission from His Majesty before you even come to the capital. That being said, the king is expecting her, and if she doesn’t show up, the Mage Knights will come looking for her. Do you really want to deal with them?” Alder laid down what he had remembered reading about in a book called How to Become an Archmage, hoping it would be enough to intimidate Friedrich and his guild.

Friedrich’s eyes narrowed as he studied Elea, sizing up whether she had the potential or not. Seeing him do so, Alder’s immediate reaction was to step in front of her. Blocking his view, Friedrich chuckled and then stifled a quaint smile.

“You’re telling me that the girl is a potential Archmage that needs to be protected by someone else? I’ve had enough of this. Do either of you have any last words, you know, since I’m feeling rather generous today?” Friedrich gripped the hilt up his sword and started to pull it from its sheath.

He pulled slowly, letting the metal drag against each other. The sound produced was somewhere in between stones being dragged across one another and metal being ground on a grinding stone.

“Are you sure you want to do this? If she has the potential, we could use her later on,” the dark-skinned man spoke for the first time, directed at Friedrich but loud enough for Alder and Elea to hear him.

Alder looked back at Elea to see if she knew what he meant. Her guess was as good as his, and she shrugged. Even so, her eyes never left the two men before them. Alder’s attention was pulled back to Friedrich when he spoke. “Eh, who cares? We could still use them as they are now.” The tall man nodded, seeking to pursue the matter no longer.

He turned to Alder and Elea, reaching for his spear. Pulling it out in a single motion, he widened his stance. Both hands on the spear, he pointed the tip right at them.

Alder felt Elea’s hand on his back as his stance widened. Alder knew he couldn’t do much, but he would at least be able to buy her enough time to hit them with a powerful spell. It was time to go. Alder let lose the spell he had been building up. Blue lights started to jump around his body, followed by a crackling sound. Adrenaline and magic pulsed through his veins. On top of that, Alder could feel Elea enhancing his defense with her magic.

Friedrich studied him with curiosity, but Alder wasn’t going to give him the chance to ponder what type of spell he had used.

With his foot, Alder pushed off the ground. In one stride, he had entered Friedrich’s personal space. Alder’s left foot was in between Friedrich’s feet, his left arm wrapping around Friedrich’s arm and just missing the blade of his sword. With Alder’s free hand balled into a fist, he used the momentum from suddenly stopping to hit Friedrich as hard as he could.

Alder’s fist made contact but not with Friedrich's face. His free hand had caught Alder’s fist right before landing. Up close, Friedrich’s eyes were bloodshot, and his smile was sinister. The scar above his eyebrow seemed to pulse as blood flowed beneath it.

“You’re faster than I expected. Too bad it’s not enough.” Friedrich’s fingers clenched onto Alder’s fist with the force of a clamp. Alder tried to pull away but to no avail.

With no other way out, Alder pushed his fist as far as he could. Opening up Friedrich’s face, Alder forced his head at Friedrich and headbutted him. Creating a little distance between them, he brought his knee up and pushed off Friedrich’s chest with his foot.

Friedrich was caught off guard by the headbutt and loosened his grip. Alder was now free, and the two were separated by about three paces. Friedrich had the advantage of his sword to fill one of the paces, but Alder wasn’t going to let that slow him down as he prepared for another attempt.

Friedrich’s scar had split. Blood flowed from it, forming a line to his eyebrow where the blood dripped from his face. He no longer seemed to be in the mood to chat as he raised his sword. It started to glow as he filled it with magic of his own.

The lights dancing along Alder’s body increased their movements. The crackling in the air grew to a low hum.

“Mandla! Are you done yet? This brat has earned the honor of getting toasted, and if you’re still in the way, I won’t hold back!” Friedrich yelled at his subordinate who Alder had lost sight of. Panic tried to race into his mind again, but Alder reassured himself that Elea was no pushover.

The man with the spear, Mandla appeared beside Friedrich. With a gash on his leg and breathing heavily, he nodded to Friedrich.

Alder could feel the magic building in front of him. He hoped it was the two of them combined, but he knew it wasn’t.

Alder could tell by how the sword glowed brighter. he magic pressure in the air rose. It was all Friedrich. Elea stood next to Alder, unharmed.

Good, Alder thought, we can do this. He figured that no matter what attack Friedrich was going to launch from his sword, Elea could easily block it with a barrier. Alder and Elea could go on the offensive before the smoke cleared.

Alder readied himself, hoping Elea saw it the same way he did. Friedrich raised his sword glowing in bright orange, and the intricate details etched into it glowed even more so. His eyes shook with rage as he smiled maniacally. Mandla’s face was still, but his eyes were just as fierce.

Proud, Alder thought. I didn’t think my lucky hit had pissed him off that much.

Just as Friedrich was about to bring his arm down, an overwhelming presence washed over all of them. Elea grabbed Alder’s arm so neither of them would collapse.

It was the same as what had knocked out all the travelers, but this time, it carried more intent on showing its owner’s strength. Friedrich’s eyes were wide, his smile no longer maniacal, more so the face of a child being reprimanded for a wrongdoing.

Then a low voice spoke, magic hanging in the voice, making it travel to all who could listen. “That is enough. Leave what you have taken, and let the mages go. We have spent far too long here for this silly squabble.” The voice paused, but the magic in the air came more focused on the group of four. “We will see these two soon enough. You can finish this at a later date. We’re leaving.”

Poof.

The magic that had been surrounding them practically vanished. Friedrich and Mandla exchanged glances. Both sheathed their weapons and turned to leave. None said a word as the guild members formed a perimeter around the carriage, each giving them looks of irritation. The carriage pulled away quietly, with magic acting as its energy source making the wheels turn.

Alder and Elea were baffled as to what had just happened. Though Alder knew that the presence he felt shook him to the core, never before had he experienced something so overwhelming. Something that he knew he was completely powerless against, that much was sure. He clenched his teeth, cursing his own weakness.

Elea was also in shock of the power but not in the same fashion as Alder. She viewed it as a new goal to surpass. She saw it as a challenge—something worth getting stronger. A faint smile crossed her lips as they watched the men and their carriage pull away.

Alder and Elea stood in silence as they watched the guild known as Dromaeos disappear into the horizon.

They seemed to return what was stolen, but Alder wanted to stay around until the travelers regained consciousness and to ask them himself if they still had everything they were traveling with. Elea allowed it even though they had lost a lot of time dealing with the guild.

Time passed, and soon, everyone who fainted was now up and about. Alder and Elea went around, checking if everyone was all right and if anything was stolen. Finding that nothing was, they left it at that.

When it was done, the two continued on their path.

A crime had been avoided, but the guild would lay heavily on Alder’s mind.

*

Twilight was almost upon them, moving eagerly after dealing with the final remnants of what the guild Dromaeos had done.

Elea moved in silence not seeming to want to talk about the events that had transpired earlier in the day, unlike Alder, who chose to glance at Elea every three seconds, hoping for her to say something. At this point, it was starting to drive her mad. Sighing and irritated, Elea finally looked at Alder while he was in midglance. His eyes widened as he realized she was now ready to talk. Though, in respect to her, he held his tongue and waited for her to speak first.

“All right. What’s on your mind?”

Alder smiled at the opportunity to finally converse.

“What do you think that guy Mandla meant when he said something about being able to use you?”

Letting his question fill the air, he could feel the silent tension they had been walking with dissipate. Elea’s thin brows furrowed.

Alder held back a chuckle at her face. The way her forehead scrunched up in thought was cute to him. The squint of her stormy eyes searching for answers helped him hold back. This wasn’t the time to admire Elea. They needed to think about what Dromaeos’s real intention was.

Elea’s face softened as she spoke. “I can’t really say for certain, but I do know that whoever was sitting in the carriage gave off an ominous vibe. Either way, I think we should keep our wits about us while we travel. I would hate to have to deal with that again,” she finished in an upbeat tone, but Alder knew her too well. He could tell she held back that not knowing really bothered her, though that weakness was something she never wanted to show him.

“That’s true, but what do you think that voice meant when he said we would see them again?” Alder knew she didn’t have the answers, but he still wanted to ask.

He wanted to hear it be asked so that he wasn’t the only one thinking about it.

Elea looked up at the quickly darkening sky. Stars lit up like fireflies where the sky had already succumbed to the dark of night.

“I guess we won’t know until it happens, will we?” She let the words sit with Alder for a moment then moved on, exhausted. “Let’s go make camp over in this field. We can arrive at Capital City in the morning.”

Alder surprised by her giving a nod of agreement.

The two walked to the field in the growing darkness, setting up camp as fast as they can, setting a barrier around their camp for protection from the wild and possible bandits.

Soon, the area is filled with soft breathing, signs that the two were sleeping.

*

Morning came quick for the two campers. The sun spread its wings on the field of grass, illuminating the ragtag campsite that had been set up the previous night.

Soft snores filled the air as Alder got up and started to dismantle part of the camp. When finished, he looked over to where the snores had been coming from.

Two storm-gray eyes stared at him. Elea was lying down with her head resting on her folded arms. Her sandy hair pulled off her shoulders, exposing the nape of her neck. Alder felt his face flush as the girl smiled at him.

“I’m surprised you agreed to come so easily.” She started to sit up as she spoke. “Usually, you don’t take anything me or your parents say so quickly.”

Stretching upward, she raised her arms over her head. Her hair covered half her face and both her shoulders. She now sat cross-legged, and Alder couldn’t help but take in every little detail about her.

Composing himself, he shrugged and started putting everything in the backpacks.

“I didn’t really think it was that big of a deal. At some point, it was going to happen anyway. Why not now?” Alder put it as honest as he could.

In his head, it was common sense that it would happen eventually. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life under his parents’ roof, making things harder for them.

His dad had always told him that there was only so much that he could learn at home. He figured it was time to go learn something new in a different place and in a different way, with as little hand holding as possible.

While Alder thought on the current situation a little more, Elea started packing up her half of the camp. She looked over her shoulder and told him.

“Make sure you brush your teeth. I won’t introduce you to my contacts today with crusty teeth and bad breath.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Alder set up a spot to brush his teeth. After rinsing out his mouth, he looked back at Elea and asked her if they would be arriving at Capital City that day.

“Yeah, we aren’t too far off. In a couple of hours, we should be able to see the wall surrounding Capital City,” she answered without turning around, neatly packing her things into her backpack.

“We would have made it last night if we wouldn’t have waited for everyone to wake up.” She stood and set her backpack in front of Alder. “But if you hadn’t asked to wait for everyone to wake up, I would have probably punished you at some point for not caring for your fellow man.” Elea smiled and went to brush her teeth.

Alder silently thanked himself for making sure no one had anything stolen from them the night before. He stood and put on his own backpack after he put on Elea’s, deciding that was why she put it in front of him.

*

The sun was well into the sky by the time Elea was ready, the barrier was taken down, and the two made it back to the trail. Being around midday, traffic was bustling heading to and fro the Capital City.

Sounds of merchants singing to themselves atop their carriages filled the air, along with the bouncing of all their goods, keeping a steady beat, while the wooden wheels turned creaking in every motion to make up for when the merchants would stop singing.

Dust hung around the walkers who didn’t have a carriage, like Alder and Elea who walked silently in a cloud of never-ending dust because opening their mouths to converse would quickly deplete their water resources.

Alder kept his eyes peeled, looking for the slightest hint of anyone wearing conductive gear. He thought to himself that he wouldn’t be fascinated by it another time around, not after running into the guild that wore those intricate details.

As much as Alder thought this, his intent wasn’t up to par with the dust forcing his eyes into a squint. Sweat ran down his face, making streaks in the coat of dirt that had enveloped all of his exposed skin.

“Tsk,” he snapped his tongue only to get more dirt in his mouth.

Now irritated, Alder relaxed his nerves and looked up to the sky. If he wasn’t conserving his energy for showing off his skills to the Mage Knights, he would use wind magic to keep the dust off him and Elea.

Then again, Alder knew that she wouldn’t approve of using magic that way. She had always made a point that magic was only used for things that couldn’t be physically handled by yourself. Alder chuckled, knowing that this wasn’t one of those times.

Bringing his gaze back to the trail and its travelers, he noticed that all the grassland had turned into rows. Where there were once occasional trees in grass was now filled with all kinds of delectable fruits and vegetables.

Excitement started to well up in Alder’s chest. He had read before that Capital City was surrounded by farmland for the most part.

Alder let the giddiness show on his face as he looked farther out, trying to get a glimpse of Capital City’s famous wall.

Chapter 4

Capital City had a circular wall that kept the city safe from intruders, standing at an immense height that gave the giants a run for their money. On the wall was a guard post made up of stone blocks. On the pinnacle arch of the guard post sat the emblem of Gyges,

the triangle that held the country together, created by the third king of Gyges who used it as a sign of his reign. The third king of Gyges used his power to expand the small country’s land to what it was today. Even though Gyges wasn’t as big as the countries that surround it, it was him who brought Gyges to power. In doing so, his emblem stayed through generations of kings.

As for the guard post, it was held by the country’s finest guards who sat atop the wall, keeping watch over all who approached the capital. However, these guards did not belong to the Mage Knights. They are the military’s best line of defense before the specialized Mage Knights.

Stretching far and wide, the wall looked like a mere fence compared to the inner wall that stood higher in the distance. Inside the inner wall was where the king stayed.

Where the king’s castle sat was just above the crossing of two rivers.

The river that flowed from the right was named the White River. Where the river began, the water was always covered in white foam and bubbles from a waterfall crashing down from some few hundred feet above. The river to the left was called the Black River. Even though this river started the same way on the opposite side of a plateau, the water was always in a still motion. The waterfall pours itself into the river, making only the slightest of ripples while continuing that way until the two rivers meet under the king’s castle.

*

Elea had told Alder that they would be entering the city from the southeast entrance. Alder couldn’t believe his eyes.

The southeast entrance was a secondary entrance, where the western entrance to the city was said to be the fancier of the two.

The gates they approached looked nothing like a side entrance would. The size of the wall was far from Alder’s thoughts. His main focus was on the gates themselves.

Shimmering in a violet color, the gate was see-through. Every time people were given access to the city, the gate would send ripples as far as the top where guards stood at the ready.

Elea smiled at Alder’s inquisitive expression. Although she was here on business, she was happy that she could come with Alder, even if she thought of him as a pain most of the time.

Of course, this was not Elea’s first trip to Capital City. She had come here a couple of times before. Once when she was first labeled a prodigy and again to get her higher title so she could teach at an official level.

Even so, it was a given that this trip would be nothing like the others. That feeling made itself at home as a stone in her gut that seemed to get heavier with every step closer to the wall.

They shuffled along with the line that grew more organized the closer they moved to the wall. It was now clear to see the traffic being split evenly.

The ones coming were filed to the right and the ones going on the left.

The bulked-up guards standing on both sides of the gate made sure that everything ran smoothly.

*

Just two more people in front of them and Alder could barely hold in his excitement. Turning feverishly toward Elea, he said, “I can’t believe it! We’re finally here. I mean, it only took ten years and a fight with some bandits to do it, but we’re really here!” His hands tightly clenched the bag straps while he spoke, like a kid on vacation.

“Yeah, calm down there, Alder. We may be here, but we still have yet to get into the town or find a place to stay. We still have a lot to do before we can relax.” She paused for a moment, thinking of the actual reason he had come. “Plus, you still need to get set up for the exam. There is a very high possibility they’ll have you do it today. Those old guys hate putting things off.”

Alder chewed on the thought just for a moment. “Eh. It’ll be fine.” Alder stopped and looked at Elea. “Wait, you called them old, but isn’t the youngest Archmage like twenty-eight or something like that.”

Elea smiled at the fact that Alder noticed.

“Yes, Alder, that is true, but you know, the longer I call everyone older than me old, the longer I’ll consider myself young,” she finished with a beaming smile that showed her self-confidence knew no bounds.

“Huh. So I guess the same applies for me when I call you old, right?”

Elea lost her smile in an instant. The temperature started to drop around them. A new icy smile crept its way across Elea’s face as she hooked her arm around Alder’s. “That’s funny, Alder, but you would never call me old now, would you?” she pulled on his arm a little, trying to force him to look at her.

Alder was trying to pull himself away from her, but growing up with her had taught him that she had ungodly natural strength.

Seeing others in the line eyeing the odd pair, Alder decided to speak up. “Hey, knock it off, would ya? People are giving us looks, and hey, would you look at that—we’re next in line.”

Elea gave up and moved her cold, stormy gaze to the guard approaching them. Their eyes locked. It was visible on the guard’s face that Elea’s look had shaken him.

He was younger than most of the guards around, probably to please the travelers. A nice young face upon arrival was more welcoming than fully grown armed guards with battle scars. He was dressed in the typical guard uniform, a blue-tinted light armor that seemed to pad the chest and legs. The center of the chest held the emblem of Gyges in a golden outline. A sword hung at his waist for protection.

The young guard seemed to steel his nerves and stopped in front of Alder and Elea. Determined to do his job, he nodded as he introduced himself to the two travelers.

“Hello. I’m Vincent. As an honorary guard of the Capital City, I welcome you and hope your time in our capital is as splendid as the city.” Vincent paused as Alder chuckled at the word “splendid,” and Elea gave him an elbow to the ribs.

All the air of confidence had been thrown off by the two’s comedic act. Vincent seemed to deflate as he let out a sigh, so he started again in a more informal tone. “Now, then, I assume both of you have your documentation to enter the city.”

At the request of the documentation, Elea moved forward to show him the documents.

Vincent seemed to tense up at Elea’s quick movements to get the documents out of her shoulder bag.

Alder’s eyes focused on the young guard. The guard looked like a poster child, but Alder noticed Vincent’s eyes. They were nice, inviting, but underneath were the eyes of a well-trained guard, someone who had earned his place at the front wall.

“Hey, man, you don’t have to worry about this scary old lady here. She’s actually kinda nice.”

With a smile and a pat on the shoulder, Alder told Vincent to relax in his own way.

Shocked, Vincent nodded at Alder and stifled a chuckle.

Elea, who had now found the documents, was staring daggers at Alder while handing the documents to the now straight-faced Vincent.

Taking the documentation from Elea, Vincent looked it over, his eyes checking every inch of the paper for faults. The longer he looked, the bigger his eyes grew. The young guards posture straightened up. He took a step back and gave a short courtesy bow.

“It is an honor to welcome you into Capital City, Lord Elea. Would you like an escort into the city, ma’am?” Vincent went into full-on formal mode, addressing Elea with titles and such. It made Alder cringe, and he made it a point to make it known that it rubbed him the wrong way.

“Yes, ma’am, would you like an escort, your lordship?” Alder said with a short bow and a smile.

“Knock it off, Alder,” she turned to the now standing at attention Vincent, “and no, thank you, Vincent. Alder here is all the escort I need.”

“Of course, ma’am. Would you like me to make arrangements for a place to stay while you’re in the capital?”

Again declining the kind offer, Elea added, “Finding a place to stay is part of the adventure when traveling.” With a smile, she held out her hand for the documents at Vincent’s side.

“Of course. Have a wonderful time in Capital City, and I wish you the best of luck on your path to becoming an Archmage, Lord Elea.” Handing back the documents with both hands, Vincent gave Elea and Alder permission to enter the city.

The two walked toward the gate. Elea crossed through first. Alder stood back for a moment to watch the gate fluctuate up close. It moved in different shades of purple all the way to the edges. Up close, Alder was left breathless by the beauty of the magic at work.

Alder stuck in his thoughts, trying to think of what type of magic could be used to create a wall that was permeable and yet as solid as steel. Only the caster of the magic could allow people through. Suddenly, Alder’s train of thought was cut short by a hand grasping his. Elea pulled him through and looked him in the eyes.

“Alder, it’s magic. Don’t think too hard about it.” With a soft smile, she turned away and started walking into the city.

They had finally arrived.

*

The line dispersed the further they walked away from the gate. Calls could be heard from stands, restaurants, and shops on the side of the street, trying to bring in the newcomers’ new money. Because of this, most traffic was in the middle of the street to stay away from the catcalls of the local capitalism.

The carts stayed towards the center, leaving the side to the walkers, which made for less personal space than Alder was used to.

It seemed like every third person Alder passed bumped into him then proceeded to give him dirty looks like it was his fault for existing. He was starting to enjoy the city even less at this point. Even so, Alder wouldn’t let the little things ruin his first experience of Capital City.

Moving along after Elea, Alder’s senses were in full force. His vision was focused on her back, while in his peripherals, he was taking in the faces, buildings, and everything he could catch a glimpse of. Smells from the bakeries and restaurants in the surrounding area enchantedly melded together inside Alder’s nostrils.

Each step meant a further view, a new face, and a new smell that wasn’t always as pleasant as the one before, making it difficult to keep his emotions hidden from his face.

Elea stopped in front of him and grabbed his collar while pointing at a large building on the corner.

“I want to stay there! The last time I was here, they made the best chicken dumplings.” Her face beamed with joy, contrary to her violent gesture to get his attention.

Alder nodded in agreement, mostly due to his fear of what she would do if he disagreed, but he himself was quite the fan of chicken dumplings too.

Letting himself be pulled along, they made their way to the three-story building that appeared to be a restaurant and an inn all in one.

The entrance to the building was around the corner. Hanging over a terrace was a sign that read “Ray’s Summer Sunset.” A faded golden setting sun was on the corner of the sign, showing the inn was well seasoned.

Elea hopped with excitement toward the inn. Alder struggled to find the same excitement she had for the old building.

He was too focused on the smell of horse manure coming from the stable next door. Thoughts of a certain farm filled his mind. Shaking his head to get away from the foul memory, he wondered if he’ll even be able to sleep with the smell lingering around.

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the door, with Elea waiting for him to open it.

“You’re a gentleman, right? Open the door for me.”

Despite the cute tone that came from her, Alder was not amused this time around, not with the smell of manure hanging in his nostrils.

He still opened the door for her.

Following her inside and shutting the door closing out the outside stench, he was met with the savory scent of homestyle cooking. The first floor was open with a bar to the back, an entrance to a kitchen next to the bar, and tables spread out around the floor. Stairs made their way along the edge of the left wall to where the rooms seemed to be.

Studying his surroundings like he was taught to do, Alder noticed the crowd of people gathered by the bar.

He was curious to find out what the fuss was all about, though inside, he knew that getting rooms and going to see the Mage Knights was top priority on the list. Elea, however, thought otherwise.

While Alder was remembering their goal, Elea had already wandered over to the crowd to join in on the fun.

Oh my gods, I could kill this girl! thought Alder. He quickly followed suit and joined the crowd, making his way to the front where Elea was.

Both of them, curious by nature, stood before the bar. Standing on the other side of the bar was a young woman with long brunet hair parted down the middle and pushed behind her ears. Her bright brown eyes shone like amber in the candlelight. She wore a white blouse with a brown apron going to her knees where the black pants she wore were hidden underneath.

Her elbows rested on the counter while she spoke to the people gathered around her. Alder only caught the end of what she was saying. “And they’ll be here any minute to collect the rest, but we just don’t have the money they want, even with the help of all the regulars and travelers.”

Next to Elea, a man in a dark faded robe and a hat spoke. “How much more is needed, Summer?”

At the mention of her name, the woman behind the bar turned her head toward the man and replied, “We’re still short twelve thousand korums.” At the mention of the large amount of money, many people lowered their heads and looked away from the woman, almost as if they feared the debt would spread.

“Ha, only twelve thousand?” At that moment, Elea spoke, arms crossed over her ample chest. She now had the crowd’s undivided attention.

“You see, Ms. Summer, my pack mule and I are looking for a place to stay for a while. I am willing to pay twelve thousand korums for our stay as long as our meals are included.”

Everyone looked at Elea in shock, including Alder who was still reeling at the pack mule comment.

Elea then jutted her chin in his direction. “This is my pack mule.”

Alder could hear chuckles throughout the room. He shot menacing glares around to silence the noise.

The young woman Summer was completely unfazed by anything said after the price Elea would pay. “Of course, that will be perfect. You and your mule can stay as long as you like.” There were more chuckles, and Alder’s ears burned red.

“I’m glad we could come to an agreement. The name’s Elea. Nice to meet you.”

Extending her arm to shake hands, Summer reached out and grasped Elea’s hand with both of hers. Summer continuously thanked her while vigorously shaking her hand.

Moments after getting her hand back, Elea paid Summer and was waiting for her to show them to their room.

“Are you sure you’re okay with doing this?” Alder whispered in Elea’s ear, her smug look of accomplishment not deterring.

“Of course. We were looking for a place to stay, and she had a problem. Two birds with one stone, Alder. I thought I told you helping out your fellow countryman was a mage’s duty.”

She’s not thinking of how we’re going to pay for everything else while we’re here, Alder thought. Well, at least, she makes around twenty thousand korums a month with her teaching job.

Alder slowly came to terms with her financial situation, noting that he was hoping she would cover all his expenses while they were together.

The door to the building slammed open, pulling Alder from his thoughts. A man in a suede robe and pearl white pants strode in like he owned the place. Two others in similar attire followed him to the bar. Sitting away from the small crowd that hastily dispersed, the man slapped his hand down and called for the woman behind the bar.

“OH, BARMAID, I have come for this month’s rent!”

Everyone in the room watched with bated breath. Summer, who went to get a key for Alder and Elea’s room, emerged from the kitchen with money and a key. She handed off the key to Elea then walked toward the man.

“I see you’re as rude as ever, serving the commoners before serving noble blood. Not to mention the fact that I am here on official business.” The man at the bar looked down on everything in the room before settling his cold eyes on Summer.

Summer seemed to shake in her shoes as she bowed and apologized to him.

“I am very sorry, Mr. Eldroth, sir. They were here before you, so I thought it would be all right to finish helping them first.”

“Enough with your pathetic excuses, woman. Hurry and give me what I am here for so I can leave this poor hellhole part of the capital that grievances His Majesty to no end.”

Alder clenched his fists, already tired of hearing the man speak so ignorantly. Elea immediately put her hand out to stop him. Staring daggers at the man, she said silently, “I want to see how this plays out.”

Summer apologized again and handed Eldroth the money.

“That is the twenty thousand korums we owe for this month.”

At the mention of the money, Eldroth seemed surprised but hid it right away. He began laughing and slapping the table like the money was the funniest thing in the world.

“Only twenty thousand! I guess even the postal service won’t deliver to the slums!” Eldroth wiped fake tears from his eyes and then turned to a cold demeanor. “This month, you should have received notice that the rent was raised to thirty thousand korum, and if the amount of thirty thousand korum cannot be met, I have been given authority to shut this place down as effective as immediately.”

“Under whose authority? I see you and your friends are wearing Mage Knight emblems. I wasn’t aware that Mage Knights were so out for work that they had been assigned to tax collection.”

Alder looked over. Elea had finally spoken, making him proud to be a student of someone who wouldn’t sit by as injustices were happening before her. However, the fact that she had said this man “Eldroth” was a Mage Knight bothered him.

“Ahh . . . I see you must be a fan, but yes, my dear, we are Mage Knights serving under the great Archmage Albor. I’m sure you have heard of him and his grand accomplishments for this country.”

Elea stared at the man straight-faced. “You seem to be missing the point, but I’ll play along. No, I have no idea who the Archmage Albor is, and I could really care less.”

Eldroth’s jaw slacked. “I see the commoners nowadays are even ruder than poor barmaids. How about I learn you to show respect when in the presence of a Mage Knight.” He raised his hand, gathering magic in his palm.

His hand seemed to grow in size as his magic manifested around it. This is magic that not many normal mages or citizens could use. The skill was rare even among those who studied magic and those who used it in military. Creation magic is different in magic manipulation. The amount of control it took to manifest magic without the use of elements put these mages on a pedestal.

“As a commoner, you’ve probably never been blessed to see creation magic that doesn’t require the use of elemental magic. Since I hold to my generous ways, I’ll show you a level you could only dream to achieve!” He clenched his hand, and the magic followed, solidifying into an armored glove that glowed faint yellow.

Elea whistled at the power the mage displayed. “Indeed, I am impressed. But is your only skill in making clothes?”

Oh boy, thought Alder as he took a step back. He felt it in his bones. Elea was fed up and ready to put this mage in his place, and as a good student, Alder knew not to get in the way of his teacher when she was about to teach.

“Why, you little—” Eldroth was cut short by the new holes that decorated his clothes. Looking down in shock, he realized that his armored glove was shattered, and pieces were starting to fall away with the dissipation of his gathered magic.

Alder too was lost for words. He didn’t even see what Elea had done. Still, she stood there with one finger pointed at Eldroth.

“Alder! Earlier, you had asked me what I had been working on. This is light magic. This is the reason I have come to the capital—to get permission to further my studies on the subject as an Archmage.”

All eyes in the bar were on Elea. Everyone knew that light magic was one of the most powerful magic to master. The fastest magic in the world and was the building steps for mages who wanted to learn spirit magic, and the amount of people that could use spirit magic could probably be counted on one hand. But light magic is a requirement to become an Archmage.

Alder cursed to himself for not being smart enough to put the dots together when she had said she was going for the Archmage test.

Eldroth still couldn’t speak. Shaking on the barstool, he looked like he had seen the error of his ways, mainly the error of misjudging commoners.

“So, Eldroth, you were talking about raising this nice lady’s taxes, were you not?” He nodded, and Elea continued, “Okay, then under whose authority?”

Eldroth immediately kicked the stool out beneath him and got on his knees. “Ms. Mage, I swear to you that I have authority given to me by my superior, and he said his orders came straight from His Majesty.”

Elea’s eyes narrowed. “Hmm . . . if that seems to be the case, then leave here now. I will be meeting with His Majesty later today. I will talk to him about this little matter.”

“But . . . but . . . I was told not to return until I had completed my mission.” Elea looked at him with emotionless eyes.

“Then never return.” Eldroth didn’t need to be told twice that it was his cue to leave. He bowed to Elea before leaving and then hurried toward the door, and the others that had come with him followed suit.

“Alder, we’re going to our rooms and then to the palace.”

Out of fear and respect, he responded right away, “Yes, ma’am!”

She looked at him with cold eyes. “Are you trying to get smart with me?”

“No, ma’am!” said Alder, not realizing his mistake.

“Do I look like a MA’AM to you?” Alder didn’t know how to take the question. He was just trying to address her with respect, and she was getting furious with him. Maybe she wants to be called sir? Alder threw that thought out immediately.

Elea saw his confusion in how to address her. Glaring daggers at him, she said, “We’ll come back to this later. For now, let’s take our bags to the room and then head to the palace. I’d like to resolve this as quickly as possible.”

She didn’t have to tell Alder twice. He saw the number on the key and started walking up the stairs, looking for room 12, and there it was, beside the wall at the edge of the building. Turning around, Alder could see over the whole restaurant up to the pub where the ledge was right above.

Alder unlocked the door and moved forward. The room was slightly larger than his old one. The two beds were close enough together to be one bed. Alder let the thought of rolling over onto Elea’s bed at night cross his mind. Heh, that would be nice, but then again, I don’t want to die tonight, a thought that was quickly dispelled by reality.

“Geez! How long are you gonna stand in the doorway? I’m already in a bad mood! Are you trying to make it worse?”

She pushed her way passed him, checking out the room for herself. “Not bad, but it will have to do. Alder, close the door. I would like to get changed, and I suggest you do the same.”

“You mean with me in the room . . . like, at the same time?”

“Well, yeah, that’s the idea. It’ll save us time, unless you’re not grown up enough to do it. Either way, hurry up and close the door. I want to get going.” Not really giving Alder the time he needed to decide if this is a test or not, Elea started taking off her jacket. Alder quickly slammed the door and started taking the bags off his back before starting on his clothes.

Trying to face the other way while taking off his clothes, he realized just how small the room was with the door closed.

Elea smiled as she watched him struggle to move quickly in the cramped room. The only thought she could think about when looking at him was that he was still a child no matter how you looked at it. Then she considered if she really had done enough to train him to come all the way to the capital. She started to question whether she should have brought him into her world.

Just when she had gotten the last of yesterday’s clothes off, she realized that her new clothes were on Alder’s bed in the bag she had made him carry. Immediately, she knew that this was a result of her own laziness.

Even though she was talking about being a grown-up and everything, she still didn’t want Alder to see her naked. She’d hate to have to kill him, so she warned him, “Hey, don’t turn around.”

Alder froze midleg in pants. Her tone said it all, “Turn around, and you die.” His balance was on the other leg. Fear kept him from moving. With all his past experiences, he knew anything else would end up with him receiving divine retribution from Elea. He didn’t want to go down that route.

Elea inched forward in the small room, keeping her eyes on Alder, making sure he had no intentions of peeping. She grabbed her clothes quickly and backed to her side of the room, not leaving Alder’s backside out of her sight for a second.

As she started to put her clothes on, she realized that he had still not moved, which was impressive, considering that he was balancing on one leg the entire time.

She made a mental note to commend him on that later.

“You know,” Alder started, “you don’t want me looking at you naked, which is understandable, but you’ve been staring at my ass for a while now. It’s kinda embarrassing.”

Elea’s cheeks flushed red immediately. She hadn’t thought about it, but she had kind of zeroed in on his behind while she was watching him, but there was no way in hell she was going to admit that.

She raised her arm, and Alder could feel the magic running through the air. He knew the spell. It was one of the last spells that Elea had taught him. It took control of the air particles and forced them together, making the air particularly hard wherever the user wanted it to be. It was most commonly used in place of a levitation spell.

Elea did not use it for that purpose.

Making the air particles condense into an invisible boardlike wood, she slammed it into the back of Alder’s head. Diving face-first, he slammed his head into the door, partly taking the blow and partly moving with it so it wouldn’t hurt as bad.

As Alder was sprawled out on the floor, Elea could now see herself. The door Alder had been standing by had a unique trait. It was an over-the-top large, with an overly shiny brass doorknob.

He had been watching her the whole time.

At least, that’s how Elea saw it, while in reality, Alder had only noticed the reflection when she was grabbing her bag off his bed, but Alder’s male instincts told him not to look away or to say anything.

Alder finally decided to pick himself up off the ground, hoping that he had waited long enough for her rage to cool down.

It wasn’t long enough.

She was sitting on her bed fully clothed and ready to go, eyes fierce with hate, watching Alder get up.

“Hurry up already. It’s time to go settle this matter at the castle and get you a test.” Her words were monotone to show she wasn’t ready to put what happened in the room behind them. “We’ll deal with what just happened later.”

With an exasperated sigh, Alder finished getting ready. First, I can’t address her with respect, and now I’ve got this to look forward to. Great. Alder was already regretting some of his decisions, like coming on the trip with Elea.

Still, he couldn’t help but think that he was glad he was getting out in the world, even if it had guys like Eldroth and guilds like Dromaeos in it. This led Alder to think more on how both the guild Dromaeos and Eldroth said they were working under direct orders from His Majesty. Alder just couldn’t help but ask himself, “Who does this guy think he is?”

“Who?”

The question rang out from behind him. Elea was looking at him, waiting for an answer, so Alder complied and told her what he had meant.

“That, Alder, is what we are going to find out.” With determination in her eyes, where rage had been moments before, she headed out the door.

Alder smiled. “You never change, huh?” This time, he made sure he was the only one to hear his words.

*

Before they left, Alder had locked their door and slipped the key into his pocket. Afterward, he had to chase down Elea who was already heading out the door.

Just before he made it to the door, the barmaid stopped him.

“I have no right to address someone as important as your friend, but I would like to tell you that she has my utmost respect. If she needs anything, just tell her to ask.” With a bow, she walked back to the bar.

Alder sat there for a moment, bewildered by the fact that the girl who abused him for petty reasons could be held at such a high regard from someone she just met.

Alder went to the door where Elea was waiting with her arms crossed.

“Making friends quick, eh, there, oh lover boy,” she said with a sly grin, turning to open the door.

Alder gave a chuckle and followed her outside. “I guess so, ha-ha. You know, now that I think about it, she had no problem addressing me or, for that fact, saying anything about respect for me.”

“Well, it is easy to converse with a pack mule than it is to with a potential Archmage.”

Alder was tired of that nickname and decided not to give her the satisfaction of angering him. He knew he was safer letting it go and followed behind.

“Now, Alder, when we get in here, I don’t want you to embarrass me in any way. I’m doing you a huge favor getting you this little interview-type deal here.”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand. Don’t do anything you would, and I should be fine, right?”

She stifled a laugh. “If it works out for you that way, then go ahead.” Slowing down to walk next to Alder as the street widened, she said, “You know, after today, you will no longer be my student. I hope you understand what that means.”

Alder looked up over the chimneys, following the smoke clouds that seeped out. Wind took hold of the smoke, giving itself a form as it twisted and turned until it dissipated, becoming invisible again.

Alder knew exactly what Elea had meant. As a student, he was always under her care and protection. Now, he had to make a name for himself if he ever wanted to step out of her shadow. He also knew that with this came more challenges that he didn’t really think he was ready to face. Thinking, he said under his breath, “No longer a student, eh.”

“Huh? What was that?” Elea was still waiting for him to say something.

“Hey! This means we could go on a date!”

Throwing an elbow in his gut, Elea said, “What the hell does that have to do with anything? Are you even focused for today?”

Alder grinned while rubbing his now burning side.

“About that. Did you even send a letter ahead of time to let them know you were bringing me, or are we just going in there, hoping they’ll listen to you?”

“Of course, I did. Come on, have some faith in your teacher,” she said this while running her fingers through her ponytail.

Alder shrugged it off. Yeah, we should be fine either way.

It wasn’t much, but Alder thought he knew his fair share about Elea. One thing he had noticed over the years, every time she told a little white lie, she would play with her hair. He was sure of this.

So as the two headed toward the inner wall of the capital that divided the nobles from the general population, he was sure he was prepared for the chaos that would follow as it usually did when he was with her.

Passing through the inner wall was similar to passing through the main gate. The differences came in the material of the wall, being solid marble. There was no magic barrier, but instead, more guards were in the surrounding area.

Alder was already getting displeased with the air of nobility that was starting to surround them. The streets were wider, no longer dirt, and paved with stone magic. Stores and homes were built out of stone instead of wood.

“You may not like it right now, but the barracks for the Mage Knights are just as nice as this area.”

Alder took another look around. He could get used to it, he thought. But could he also get used to the fact that no more than a stone’s throw away, people were living a half-life compared to the area he was in now. It just didn’t seem fair to him.

“Yeah, I can’t say I’m too impressed with the sudden change of scenery,” Alder said this while slightly rolling his eyes. He wasn’t trying too hard to cover his feelings.

“Ahh . . . so you noticed. I’m surprised you have the ability to see.” Elea was messing with him, but she continued, “Maybe you’ll have the ability to change that too.”

“Well, I am your student after all!”

“Former student, and try not to make that a catchphrase. It’s kinda creepy.”

Alder was thrown back by this comment.

“Really? I’m actually pretty proud of being your student. How many other students have you actually taken on? I mean, I’ve gotta be pretty special, right?”

“Honestly, if anyone else had asked, I probably would have said yes to training them.”

That was a lie. Many people had traveled to meet Elea and asked to be trained by “the prodigy,” but she always refused them, making up any excuse she could.

At one point, there was a rumor among the nobility that Elea had gotten a disease from the vast amount of magic running through her veins. The idea was ludicrous. Nonetheless, people seemed to believe what they heard.

Alder was busy mulling over what she had said, not noticing her walk next to him, laughing and twirling a strand of hair that came out of her ponytail.

*

While they bantered back and forth continuing toward the castle, two people were in a meeting.

“Sir, this woman could really use light magic. Even with my abilities, I could barely escape with my life. She said she was coming here to the palace. She must be after the king’s life. We must do something, Sir Albor.”

“You’ve done well to bring me this news, young Eldroth. I thank you. I shall take up meeting this threat right away.”

Archmage Albor wasn’t tall or short. His looks were average. If seen on the street, he would be another forgotten face. To counteract this fact, he had a blindingly golden cape that followed him everywhere. This was what led to most knights under him having capes of their own.

His knights were known for their flamboyance, for example, the suede robe and pearl-colored pants that Eldroth wore.

For a lot of people, light-colored clothing was hard to come by. With most Mage Knights being nobility, this wasn’t a problem for them. Money can work wonders, but in the hands of the rich, it buys flashy clothes.

Albor himself came up from the lower ring of Capital City. He wasn’t always nobility, but the life he lived now was much better than the one he had before. His parents had owned a small business on the southeast part of the city.

By the time he was twenty-two, he realized just how good he was with his magic. He decided that he would make a better place for his family to live and joined the Mage Knights.

After joining the ranks of the Mage Knights, he quickly made a name for himself, outclassing veteran mages in the training grounds.

Years passed and with some questionable achievements, he was the youngest Archmage at the age of twenty-eight. While he was busy clawing his way to the top, he didn’t have time to keep up with the news of a possible prodigy who lived outside the capital.

Originally, the news that someone was coming to meet the king about qualifying to earn the rank of an Archmage would be spread among current Archmages. Albor thought himself above such news, so when it came his way, it was ignored.

Thus, Albor could only think of the other Archmages who weren’t a part of the kingdom’s ranks. There were only four that he knew of. All of them were male. Eldroth’s words troubled him. An unknown in the capital was dangerous. One that could use light magic was even more so. He decided he would wait in front of the castle to be safe.

Though he did so by himself, he believed he could raise his standing with the king even more if he took care of such a threat by himself.

*

Elea had taken the lead from Alder. Walking a few paces ahead, their final approach to the castle began.

The sidewalk was nowhere as crowded as when he first entered the kingdom, but the street was full of luxurious-looking carriages.

“Must be nice to afford not to walk.” Rolling his eyes, Alder put his hands in his pocket.

“Must be nice finding something to complain about every two seconds,” Elea said with a smug grin.

Alder just shrugged it off and kept walking.

The entrance to the castle was now looming above them. Grandiose designs covered the stone. Decorative flags hung on poles, while others were draped over the side.

The guards standing on the top seemed to be more of an intimidation factor. They wore full battle armor, no skin exposed. A large lance in one hand and a giant claymore rested at their hips.

Alder was starting to think that those guys would be terrifying to fight. Then Elea butted into his thoughts.

“Those are a type of golem, reserved only for protecting the main palace. Like, say, even if the rest of the kingdom was to be attacked, as long as nothing makes it inside the palace wall, they won’t move,” she said, glad she could throw some more of her random knowledge at him.

“Huh, well, that’s interesting.” He didn’t really hear everything she said; he was still studying the golems.

“You know, I could be wrong, but don’t their weapons seem just like the ones that guild we saw had?”

Elea’s hawklike eyes zeroed in on the weapons.

Sure enough, they had the same intricate details carved into them, though she wasn’t surprised. The golems here where probably as old as the kingdom itself. Weapons such as the conductive gear would be set aside for them after what she could only imagine was years of budgeting.

Even for a kingdom, mass producing conductive gear would be near impossible, although the thought of golems having the conductive gear was a little unnerving to Elea.

Golems aren’t supposed to be able to use magic. Conductive gear was only special because it enhanced the user’s magic.

“It’s probably to keep their command spells from deteriorating over time. That’s the only reason I think those golems have those weapons.” Elea sighed, talking to herself more than Alder. She was tired of thinking on the subject.

“If you say so,” said Alder, still awestruck at the sight of the magnificent creations.

*

Under the gate, waiting in the shadow of the wall that held the golems, stood Archmage Albor. He was aware that his cape stood out and didn’t want to be recognized by the intruders that would be coming. That and standing in the sun really bothered him.

He was starting to get restless by the time two figures started walking toward the main gate.

He wanted these to be the ones Eldroth was talking about. Sitting in the shadow of the wall was not how he intended to spend his day.

Not that he really had plans for the day to begin with. Since becoming an Archmage, there were few things that he was requested to do. Most of the time, it was just ordering his own Mage Knights to go on missions.

A girl and a boy—he could clearly make them out now. A young couple, a girl with sandy blond hair and a scruffy-looking boy with midlength black hair, just as Eldroth had described them. They were a lot shorter than Albor had imagined, but that didn’t matter. His only job was to capture them, simply just another way to prove himself to His Majesty, something Albor had recently made his goal. He was just trying to be the best in His Majesty’s eyes, so if he ever messed up, it wouldn’t look as bad.

Not that he intended to do so.

*

Alder was just under the gate when a man stepped out of the shadows.

The man looked ridiculous in a shining yellow cape that seemed to glitter even in the shadows.

He couldn’t help but whisper to Elea, “Couldn’t you see me rocking a cape like that?” She almost slapped Alder but was interrupted by the man speaking to them.

“Under suspicion of treason against the kingdom, I am placing both of you under arrest.”

To which Elea replied, “No, you’re not.”

Alder then stepped to the side. This situation was one he really didn’t want to be a part of.

“I am Archmage Albor, a top member of His Majesty’s forces and head of over hundreds of Mage Knights. To go against my words is to go against the kingdom. That in itself is treason.”

Alder’s eyes widened as he stepped back even further and just looked back and forth between the Archmage and Elea.

He was waiting for her to go and use crazy light magic on this guy. Getting caught in the crossfire was not an ideal situation.

“This is perfect, Alder. I found your way in.” Elea shot him a smile.

Both the Archmage and Alder’s faces twisted in a curious fashion.

“Now, look here!” Albor pointed forcefully at her. “Are you peasants too stupid to realize the position you’re in? Not to mention the fact that I’m a major figure in this country’s military!” His lips curled the longer he spoke, his voice becoming more of a yelling whisper.

Alder could feel himself sinking into the wall behind him. No longer able to back away from the situation, panic soon became his friend.

Not once but twice in one day someone had talked down to Elea. Alder couldn’t believe it. Even with his natural distaste for the nobles, he had to admit—they had some balls.

Elea just looked at the bright yellow Archmage and smiled. It wasn’t every day she could test herself against a true Archmage.

“I’ll tell you what. If you beat me in a game of your choice, we will come with you willingly. If not, I will go and have a conversation with His Majesty, and you will take in my friend here and put him through the Mage Knight exam!”

Albor considered this for a brief moment. Taking in what Eldroth had said, this girl was capable of using light magic. She could not be taken lightly.

That being said, Albor hadn’t had much going on, and his ego wasn’t about to let him lose to a lowly peasant.

“Fine! Let’s have a good ole fashion ten-pace duel. Even as a peasant, you know the rules, right?” said Albor, keeping up his snobby attitude.

“Of course, I do! Projectile magics only, three shots max, and whoever doesn’t get hit wins, right?” Elea shrugged off the explanation like it was common knowledge.

Alder was confident in Elea’s abilities, but even she should know better than to challenge an Archmage.

Archmage Albor nodded in approval and turned toward the inner yard. He informed the guards of the situation so no one would interrupt their duel in the palace yard.

The palace yard opened up to three main paths. The paths were separated by four patches of gardens. Each patch was then separated by a small path that snaked through the scenic route of the gardens.

Albor took lead, showing them to the center of the palace yard.

From the center of the palace yard, eight paths fractured out.

Alder found himself feeling like he was in the center of a smashed plate. Then he started to notice vibrant colors surrounding him. The flowers in each patch of the garden were arranged like a color wheel with white and black on opposite sides. It was like standing in the middle of a magical vortex, each color feeling like a different type of magic.

Albor took notice of this and decided to explain. “Yes, you peasants may not know, but this is called the Sage’s Garden. Each color you see represents a different type of magic. Not that I expect country bumpkins like yourselves to truly understand the meaning of such a sacred place.”

Rude as it was, Alder was still thankful for the slight explanation behind the beauty that surrounded them.

He was trying to think of something smart to say when Elea brought the conversation back to the main point.

“Albor,” she said, getting his attention on her. “After I beat you in this duel, I hope even a noble like you can get along with a country bumpkin like Alder here. He may not seem like much, but there is a good chance he could beat you.”

Albor scoffed at the thought of being beaten by the either of them.

“I do admire that confidence of yours, but you should know I was the youngest to reach rank of Archmage.”

“Oh really?” Elea’s eyes lit up like a light. The thought of an actual challenge sent excitement and adrenaline throughout her body.

Albor must have felt the change in the air around her because he took a step back almost on instinct.

“Well, then, let us begin the duel, Mr. Youngest Archmage.” Elea was smiling ear to ear, staring down the Archmage.

Alder knew all too well that Elea was getting pumped for the duel. Seeing her like this gave him flashbacks to when he had told her about the lightning spell he had developed.

At the time, she was more psyched to see him use it in combat than he was.

He moved toward the edge of one of the gardens. Blue flowers hugged the edge of landscaping where the concrete met the soil.

Hydrangeas, he thought, remembering one of the many books he had read. It had said it represented constancy while expressing sincerity.

“Loyalty, huh . . . ” Alder let the words slip out, only to be caught in the magical pressure that was building before him.

He watched Elea standing before the Archmage. Thoughts spiraled through his head as they started their duel.

How loyal am I to her?

First pace.

Do I truly see myself leaving her side?

Third pace.

Would military like the Mage Knights be right for me?

Fifth pace.

Can I really let her go off by herself?

Seventh pace.

The magical pressure seeped through him like warm syrup enveloping his insides.

Ninth pace.

She doesn’t need me . . .

Tenth pace.

But I need her.

The two high-class mages turned toward each other at breakneck speed.

Before Alder was blinded by the bright flashes of magic blasting off, he could see three beams of concentrated light leaving the tips of Elea’s fingers.

On her face, he could make out just the slightest smile.

Chapter 5

The shutters rattled from the intense collision of magic.

Three audience members watched from inside the castle. Though the castle shook, the audience wasn’t fazed by the match happening in the inner yard.

Two were in the same room sharing their reports of the past couple of months when a guard came in and told them that Sir Albor had requested no interference on a personal duel he was having.

Otto and Eranthis stood by the window to see the events unfold. They were currently the two oldest members of Archmages that presided over military squads for the kingdom. Otto was at fifty-three, and Eranthis followed closely behind him at fifty. Despite their age, considering either of them old or feeble could end in a fatal mistake.

Neither cared for Archmage Albor. To them, he was no more than a talented pup and an imbecile who had nothing better to do than brownnose the king.

Otto crossed his arms, leaning against the side of the windowsill, his deep, ocean blue eyes tracing the details of the inner yard. He had short black hair with silver streaks, and this emphasized the cold look he always carried on him.

Eranthis was always weary of Otto. He considered himself one of the most powerful Archmages, and he wouldn’t think to provoke Otto.

Moving closer to the other side of the bay window, Eranthis looked out too. Given that he was younger than Otto, all his hair and beard were white. His hair was long and braided in the back. His beard was almost as long but rounded out like he was afraid of it reaching a certain length.

Other than their report, they didn’t converse much, so when waiting for the smoke to clear, they did so in silence.

*

On the other corner of the castle sat the third audience member.

She’s an eighteen-year-old beauty having a light caramel complexion and light brown hair with a deep orange tint. Her lips pink, like the flower foxglove because that’s the way she wanted it. When she wanted something, she usually got it. That was how she was raised.

In between her daily activities, she would rest by, watching the flowers in the garden along with tea and cookies.

“Princess Azuri, we have been informed of a duel happening in the inner yard. I suggest that you move away from the window for your safety, my lady,” said a guard kneeling just inside the room’s doorway.

Still watching the window, after taking a sip of tea, she responded, “I know. It already seems to be over. I’m interested in seeing the victor, so I think I’ll watch to the end.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” The guard put his head down and went back to his original position.

While the guard left, Azuri’s hazel eyes stayed fixated on the young man standing closest to the duel.

*

Standing close to the duel, Alder was not only blinded by the flashes of magic. A dust cloud had been kicked up by the magic colliding and causing a slight explosion.

Dust settling, he could see their figures breaking through.

Both were standing in the same position as when they turned.

Elea looked like nothing had fazed her. You could even say she seemed bored with the results.

Albor, on the other hand was sweating bullets, a fresh coat of dust sticking to his matted hair and skin. His lavish cape had been blasted off.

If Elea had shot her light magic just a little lower, he would be severely injured. And Albor knew it—he had lost completely, and she had gone easy on him.

This enraged him to no end, and he was going to let both Alder and Elea know it.

“I’ll honor this agreement we made,” he spat out in disgust. Then he turned his attention to Alder. “But—if you by some chance happen to pass the exam, I will personally make your life a living hell!”

Elea’s face festered in rage. Just as she was about to let Albor know her mind, she felt a new presence and stopped.

“You will do no such thing!” stated a man who appeared out of thin air. Everyone turned in surprise to the new voice.

Alder was the most surprised. The man had appeared right next to him, practically scaring the shit out of him.

The man was tall and very muscular. This was easily distinguishable because he just so happened to be shirtless. He had a scar across the center of his chest and short black hair in a military haircut.

He exuded power, making Alder feel very small. Here was another person Alder thought he needed to stay away from.

“Maximus! You have no right to interfere in my personal affairs.” Albor knew the man and wasn’t put off by his attire like the rest of them.

“Given that’s true, I could care less. Both of these kids show lots of potential. Especially ‘the prodigy’ here. She seems to have already gotten a grasp of light magic.”

Alder stepped back in shock that someone knew who Elea was.

“You know this peasant?” asked Albor just as surprised.

“Yes. This noble is known as the prodigy. Did you not hear the news of a potential Archmage coming to ask permission from the king to learn the magic required for spirit magic?”

Albor immediately knew it was from his own negligence in staying up-to-date with reports that came across his desk. He had judged them by their clothes and knew that was the reason for his loss against the girl. But he wasn’t going to admit that.

“I see you are aware of who I am. May I ask how?” asked Elea, approaching Maximus and Alder.

“Yes. Besides, most Archmages were already informed of your arrival into the kingdom.”

Alder took hint of this quick. He wasn’t surprised to hear that they knew Elea was here, but that meant that they had been watching them the whole time, even during the incident at the pub, yet no one had stopped Eldroth from using high-class magic in a local place.

This angered Alder more than he’d like to admit, though he thought this would be a good distraction from what he had been thinking about during the duel.

“I take it you’re an Archmage, then?” asked Elea, hands on her hips, staring up at Maximus’s imposing figure.

He stood almost two heads above her, but Elea stood like she was just as tall.

“Yes. I am known as Maximus the Jester. I think I was a High Mage last time you were here in the capital, around ten years ago.”

Albor was pissed that he was being ignored. He knew it was Maximus’s plan to make himself seem trustworthy. Albor told himself he’d take today’s loss to save himself from any more humiliation.

“Since you’re here, Maximus, why don’t you take care of them while I go change?” he said as he turned around to leave. “You probably planned to do so, anyway!” he shouted as he walked through the castle gates.

Maximus chuckled and gave a nod that Albor couldn’t see.

“Well, Ms. Prodigy, you are welcome to head into the castle. I’m sure you’ll be fine finding your way.” His words were full of life, but his look was serious. Alder and Elea exchanged glances.

Alder had been lost since the first Archmage showed up. He already wasn’t huge on doing things on his own. Taking Elea from him was even worse than being in a new environment.

He was hoping Elea would say, “No! The boy comes with me!” Her eyes said otherwise. “This works out!” Her signature smile plastered on her face.

“Ahh, shit!” Alder whispered to himself.

Elea shot him a glance that said, “Don’t even start!”

Maximus let out a hearty laugh and slapped Alder on the back. “Oh, you’ll be fine.” He smiled, and then in a deeper tone, he said, “You’ve already shown that you can handle the magical pressure of almost three Archmages.” At the end of the sentence, his look hardened.

After Alder’s breath returned from getting smacked out of him, he reminded himself that he’d have to work on not talking to himself.

Elea noticed how Maximus was sizing up Alder. She decided to let it go. Alder was going to be on his own, and she couldn’t keep babying him, no matter how bad she wanted to.

“I’ll leave him in your care, then.”

Maximus gave her a nod. She turned around and took a path toward the castle.

Alder watched her walk away. The flowers seemed to be graciously pulled toward her as she walked.

Maximus let him have this moment to watch her before they split ways.

“I’m sure you’ll see her again soon enough. Now let’s go.”

Alder grudgingly followed him. They headed toward the castle gate.

Now that it had come to it, he felt like he should have gone with Elea, though his main concern now was how Maximus already knew the situation.

“So I take it you know the agreement Elea and that Archmage had, right?”

Maximus glanced over his shoulder.

“Yeah. I’ve been watching you guys since you entered the inner wall, or as the locals call it, ‘Nobles Paradise.’”

What a horrible name, thought Alder, smirking and putting his hands in his pockets.

He felt the key to the room in his pocket. The thought that Elea would have to find him later at some point to get into the room gave him a little comfort moving forward.

But his suspicions had been debunked. They were being watched, but not when they met Eldroth at Ray’s Summer Sunset.

“To be honest, I’m kinda surprised you’re being honest and not dodging the question.” Alder chewed on the words before saying them, not quite sure how an Archmage would react to him being weary of him.

Maximus chuckled. “There’s nothing to gain from lying to you right now. In fact, it was kinda for your own protection. Have you heard rumors of ‘the coroner’?”

Alder’s ears perked up. “No, I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“You’ve heard of conductive gear, right?”

Alder nodded, and Maximus continued. “Well, lately, people have been calling them cadaver gear. They say this coroner takes mages with high magical pressure and rips out all their bones, leaving all the muscles, tissues, and organs behind. Then using dark magic, he makes the conductive gear.”

Immediately, Alder pictured the guild Dromaeos and their gear. “On our way to the capital, we ran into a guild that used gear like that. They called themselves Dromaeos and knocked everyone out to steal their stuff. Do you think me and Elea already met him?”

Maximus stopped after hearing Alder’s response. Then with a serious look and tone, he asked, “Are you sure they were called Dromaeos?”

Alder was shocked by Maximus’s sudden change but responded anyway. “Yeah. I would never forget scum like them.” Alder started to sweat with the sudden change in the atmosphere.

Maximus looked like he was thinking a million different things at once, until he told Alder, “I need to go report this information right away. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find your way to the training grounds.”

As Maximus was about to turn away, he saw someone on the other side of the street and shouted out, “Perfect! You there . . . um . . . Albor’s boy! Take this young man to the training grounds to get set up for a test.” Maximus pointed at the unfortunate soul who just happened to be in the area. Alder recognized him right away.

Eldroth was still midstride, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open. “You are on Albor’s squad, right?”

His voice didn’t seem to be working. His mouth moved while he nodded yes, but no sound came from it.

Maximus, pleased he recognized the boy, left them with a farewell. “Well, hop to it, then!”

He gave a wave and then headed back to the castle.

The two stared at each other for a minute before Alder spoke. “Hi, I . . . uh . . . guess I’m in your care?” He said it more as a question than a statement.

Eldroth looked both ways before crossing the street to Alder.

When he was an arm’s length away, Eldroth finally spoke. “That was Maximus, right?”

“Yeah. I think?” Alder still wasn’t one hundred percent sure on everything that was happening around him.

“Why was he shirtless?” Eldroth stared at the direction Maximus had gone.

The sight of him walking shirtless with a peasant was probably too much to process.

The only thing Alder could do was shrug. He was just as clueless.

*

Eldroth didn’t regain his bearings until they reached the training grounds. “This is it, peasant!” He stopped and waved his arms in the direction of a coliseum-type structure, his teal cape flapping with his movements.

Alder was irritated by the manner in which he was being spoken to. Though Eldroth seemed so excited, he couldn’t say anything.

“Now then,” he began, “from what I’ve collected… You are here to join the Mage Knights. So from here on, I will introduce you to the keeper of the hall. He will be the one to test you and see if you are worthy.” While he finished up, he motioned for Alder to follow him into the coliseum.

Alder couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the architecture almost everywhere he went.

This was no exception.

There was no separation between cement blocks like other buildings. The whole building looked like it was chiseled out of the bedrock that had been there before.

Magic was the only possible answer. Someone’s spell had made this whole place in one go.

For as huge as the place seemed on the outside, it intimidated Alder to know someone was capable of such a feat.

Eldroth was eating up Alder’s every reaction. He wasn’t a huge fan of the poor, but showing off areas you frequent was enjoyable to anyone.

“This place gets destroyed often by mages testing out new spells. So Archmage Eranthis remakes this building whenever it gets damaged.”

“Does he do it in one go or piece by piece?” Alder was genuinely curious.

Eldroth smugly answered like he was the one who did it. “One go!”

Just as Alder thought. Not someone to be taken lightly.

The building had hallways that followed the circular layout of the building.

Alder and Eldroth walked right past them. They headed straight to the center. An arena spread out in front of them.

A few people stood around in different areas, testing out their own magic.

Near the hall they walked from stood an older, dark-skinned man, the same skin tone as Mandla, the member of Dromaeos. Alder assumed they were from the same land.

Lots of people from the western countries had a darker complexion. With his tan complexion, Alder was sure that his ancestors had originated from there as well.

The man noticed them immediately and approached them.

“You bring me a new one today, Eldroth?” the man asked with a smile.

His pearly white teeth surprised Alder. Not many men of that age kept up with their hygiene.

His face had wrinkle lines that showed he was an avid smiler. His hair, not yet completely white, had black peppered throughout.

Alder was lost with just one look from the man. He knew this man’s light brown eyes had years of experience on reading the emotions and souls of everyone he came into contact with.

Eldroth brought him back to reality by speaking. “This one would like to try out for the Mage Knights. He has permission from Archmage Maximus for a walk in.”

“Ahh . . . I see.” The man seemed like he was skeptical at the mention of the Archmage’s name.

Then he spoke directly to Alder. “I’ve asked this young man, but what about you? What brings you here, lad?”

Alder’s face was downtrodden. He knew that he couldn’t lie to this man.

“Well, my parents wanted me to get a job, move on with my life, and this was the only option, I guess.” Alder looked at the ground, rubbing the back of his head, almost trailing off while he spoke.

Seeing Alder’s expression, the older man couldn’t help but share some observations he had made over time. “You know, there’s never only just one option. We live in a world where you can choose the life you want to live. Given that, some choices are more difficult than others.”

He paused and saw that he had Alder’s attention. “It may be cheesy, kid, but follow your heart and your gut. Then you’ll be able to find out where you’re meant to be in this life.” He reached forward and gave Alder a pat on the shoulder before heading back to his spot by the wall.

Alder was no longer in the arena. He was back to the moments before the duel. Every thought he had then was running through his head again, but one new thought kept overlapping every old thought.

What do I want to do?

His head began to burn with questions flying around his mind like a tornado. Soon, his vision began to blur.

Eldroth’s voice sounded like it went through water to try and fall short before reaching Alder. He couldn’t make it out.

He started to blink rapidly, and before he knew it, he had lost consciousness.

*

The castle was just as Elea had remembered it—big, pretty, and boring as all hell. She had been there years prior for her noble title of High Mage, although the last time, she didn’t have an audience with the king. Just a random noble who had climbed the hierarchy of the king’s lackeys. She remembered that he had the title of ambassador or something like that.

She would never show certain feelings in front of Alder. One of those feelings being her dislike of nobility, which Alder shared. As a teacher, Elea felt it best to show respect to anyone while with her student.

The only group she didn’t do this with was guilds. They had a special place in her heart for hate.

It began just after she received her title of High Mage. A few nobles disliked the news of a kid from the country being made a noble, along with getting a title of High Mage, so they hired guilds to track down the little girl. Their only order was to “make her disappear.”

Elea knew all this because she had interrogated one of the men who had come for her.

Elea was so deep in thought about this she didn’t notice she was about to run into a girl coming from the other direction.

The girl, on the other hand, was looking for Elea. She carried a collapsible fan in her hand. The girl’s outstretched arm pointed at Elea with her fan.

“You there!” said the girl wanting to talk to Elea.

“Wha—”

Elea noticed the girl just in time to run into her fan. It wasn’t enough to hurt Elea but just enough to get her flustered. The guards walking with the girl noticed this and got in between the two girls. “Princess Azuri, I suggest you step back, please.”

The girl did as she was instructed quickly. Elea was close to cursing at the girl for being dumb enough to poke her, that is, until she heard the guards speak.

One of the guards stood behind the other, with his hand resting on his sword. The other bowed in apology to Elea.

“I am sorry for any trouble caused.” He then looked up and shot a glance back to the girl. She gave him a nod, and he continued, “It appears Her Majesty would like to have a word with you, if you would come with us.” The guard gave a slight bow as he ushered Elea to walk with them.

It didn’t look like Elea really had a choice in the matter. She accepted her fate, giving a slight bow in respect to Her Majesty.

The guards acknowledged her. The one who spoke to Elea began walking ahead of them. The more cautious guard kept his hand on the hilt of his sword but almost reluctantly let the Princess walk before him.

Now Elea was walking through the castle with the princess and a guard escort. She wasn’t sure how to feel about being shoulder to shoulder with someone so important.

Out of the corner of her eye, she studied the princess. Even as another girl, Elea could only describe this girl with one word—beautiful. Her skin looked smoother than the finest silk. Her light yellow dress was open in the front and on the shoulders, and it barely hugged her plump chest and billowed loosely down the length of her body. The fan Azuri used to cover her slightly flushed cheeks had bright sky blue markings overtop the thin white paper.

The more Elea thought of how stunning the girl was, the more she began to hate her. Elea told herself she could never pull off such an extravagant dress. She hoped her jealousy wasn’t showing through to her face. This was a girl she didn’t want Alder to meet.

After walking in silence for a while, the princess began to speak. “As you may know, I am Princess Azuri.” She began with a soft but official tone. “E-even so . . . I would like you to address me as Lady Azuri!” she stumbled through the second half.

Elea was contemplating what the princess’s motives were, so she decided to go along with it. “Okay, then, Lady Azuri, you can call me Elea. What can I do for you?” Elea knew she wasn’t the most polite person on the planet, but she did want to make an attempt for the princess.

Thinking back, Elea wondered if she was dating the Archmage she scuffled with earlier. For multiple reasons, she certainly hoped not. She didn’t want to face a royalty’s wrath for a petty reason. Also, the princess was far too pretty to be with such an average-looking guy.

Elea was too lost in thought to realize that the princess had been shuffling around nervously since she spoke.

It wasn’t everyday Azuri got to talk to people who lived outside the castle, let alone talk to them in a casual way. She knew exactly what she wanted to ask Elea; she was just not sure on how.

“I was just wondering if you had come to the castle today by yourself, Ms. Elea,” Azuri turned her head slightly upon asking the question so Elea wouldn’t see her nervous smile underneath the open fan.

Since Elea could only see Azuri’s eyes, it looked like she was giving Elea a sinister glare. On caution, Elea took the defensive and answered slowly. “Yes. Today, I am inside the castle by myself as you can see, Lady Azuri.” Elea wanted to avoid bringing up Alder to the beautiful girl at all costs.

Azuri sighed, obviously frustrated with her response.

Elea thought it was weird for a princess to do something so rude in front of someone she just met. Then again, Elea realized she was kind of wearing guys’ clothes. She made a note to herself that next time she came to the castle, she’d wear something more formal.

Azuri took a deep breath, carefully composing her next set of words.

“I understand that you had an altercation with an Archmage before coming into the building. Care to explain how that came to be?”

Elea reeled back for a moment. She wondered if her assumptions had been on point.

“You know, I’m not really sure. He was angry for some reason. Something about assuming us being under suspicion for something.”

Fwap.

Azuri snapped her fan shut. A smile spread wide on her face. “‘Us.’ Did you walk to the castle with someone?” she asked.

Elea knew what the princess was getting to. She wanted to know about Alder, and Elea had cornered herself. She really didn’t like it. “Yes, I came with my student to the castle, but he’s not with me now.” Elea tried to dismiss Alder from the conversation.

Azuri wasn’t going to let her chance slide by that easily.

“Your student, you say. I would be interested in meeting a student of the famous ‘prodigy.’ I’m sure he’s just as interesting as you are.” Her excitement was clearly visible.

Elea was almost in shock at how Azuri wasn’t really trying hard to hide what her true intentions were. In fact, it made Elea hate the girl a little less.

Elea stifled a smile. “He’s actually headed home, so I’m not sure if he’ll come back to the castle anytime soon.” Elea hated lying. It was something she often punished Alder for.

Her instincts told her to keep Azuri away from Alder, and a lie was a necessary evil in the current situation, especially if Azuri already knew who Elea was.

She wanted to keep attention away from Alder as long as she could. Nobles and the like couldn’t be trusted.

Princess Azuri made a face at the news. Then she opened her fan back up to cover her dissatisfaction.

“That’s very unfortunate. I would have liked to meet him.” Her eyes darted to the side like she was already thinking of ways to find him.

Before Elea could begin to think of ways to avoid that, someone came running up behind them.

“Elea! Alder told me about your encounter with the guild Dromaeos. I think it would be wise for me to go with you when visiting the king.” Maximus rounded the corner and called out to Elea, not seeing who she was talking to.

Elea was relieved by the sudden interruption. She had been looking for ways to get out of talking to the princess. Luckily, Maximus showed up out of nowhere.

Princess Azuri was beat red behind her fan. Her guards moved in front of her to address Archmage Maximus.

“Sir Maximus, you have been informed time and time again to wear a shirt inside the castle, and this time, you do so in Her Majesty’s presence. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Maximus reeled back at Elea’s unexpected company.

“Oh hey. Didn’t see you there, Lady Azuri.” He gave a curt bow then continued, “My apologies, but I have urgent matters to discuss with Ms. Elea. Also, Ms. Elea I left Alder in good hands. He should have arrived at the training grounds by now.”

Elea cursed under her breath, no longer glad Maximus showed up. Elea knew it was useless to cry over spilt milk, but now, she had to think about whether or not Azuri caught on to her lie.

Elea tried to steal a quick peek at Azuri out of the corner of her eye.

Azuri was no longer red and embarrassed. Her fan was closed, resting on her lips and showing how perfectly symmetrical her face was. She seemed to be lost in deep thought, eyes glued to the ground.

The guards looked from Maximus, to Elea, to Azuri, and then back to Elea, waiting for one of them to speak up.

Elea looked to the ground, trying to avoid eye contact. The guards knew she had lied. The question was if the princess had noticed.

Maximus shot glances back and forth, aware of the fact that he said something he shouldn’t have.

“That’s quite fine, Sir Maximus. Elea and I were just wrapping up our little chat.” Azuri smiled just enough for everyone to see before she opened up her fan again. “We can talk another time, Elea. I’ll take my leave now.”

Everyone, including the guards, were shocked that Azuri had spoken first and completely dodged the topic they had waited for.

Azuri gave a wave and departed. Her guards followed after their initial shock faded away.

Elea watched the princess graciously walk away. It was faint, but Elea thought she could feel Azuri’s magical pressure rise before she left, like something had really bothered her. Elea hoped it wasn’t her finding out about her lie.

Elea was no longer sure what to think of the girl.

“The princess is something else, isn’t she,” said Maximus, gently trying to lighten the mood that surrounded them.

“Yeah,” Elea said. “Something else.”

*

The hallway seemed to continue on forever for Azuri.

As soon as she turned the corner, out of sight from Elea and Maximus, Azuri almost broke into a jog. Her heels kept her from moving as fast as she wanted. Her heels clicked with the smooth stone floor of the castle. She clutched her fan at her side while she continued forward.

Azuri had in fact caught Elea’s little lie, though Elea’s lie was not the cause for her sudden sense of urgency.

“What does my father have planned for this week?” she almost barked out the question at her guards.

They followed her with worried expressions.

“We’re not sure, Your Highness. We only have orders to maintain your schedule along with any requests.”

“I hereby request you to get sure. My father’s activities take priority, but I would also like you two to look into Alder that Maximus mentioned.” Her words resounded off the walls.

The guards looked at each other, and then they responded in unison, “As you wish, Your Majesty.” The guards stopped following her and went to carry out their assigned tasks.

Azuri never looked back once, her hazel eyes fixated on the future she feared for.

*

Bubbles of white light floated around the darkness in Alder’s mind. They encompassed everything he had wanted to be in his youth. Before he met Elea, Alder wanted to be an astounding knight like the ones his mother told him about as a child, someone who protected everyone and never lost because no matter the situation, they stuck to their chivalrous code.

It was aspirations like this that led Alder to practice magic on a regular basis even before he started schooling. His mother would praise him for his hard work. His father, on the other hand, would tell him there was more to childhood than pipe dreams, and that he should get out more and explore the woods a little. Alder took it as a cue to practice when his dad wasn’t home. He then continued working hard, day in and day out, up until he met Elea, the enigma he could never fully wrap his brain around.

After he began to train with her and see just how amazing other people could be, he lost interest in being the best he could. Alder figured there’s someone out there living his dream and doing it better than he ever could. But he knew this thinking was wrong. He would never fathom to mention such ideals to Elea. She’d never forgive him for taking life easy under the pretense that someone else could do it better. That was the type of person Elea was.

Alder didn’t want to leave her side because of it. Deep down in the pit of his consciousness, he knew that was why he never left her. She had the ability to make his childish dream come true.

Alder woke up, coughing and sputtering like he had swallowed too much water.

“In all my years, this is the first time I’ve seen someone drown on dry land,” the older man from the training grounds was chuckling next to Alder.

Alder sat up fast, checking his surroundings. He was still in the coliseum by the wall where the man had been standing when they walked in.

Eldroth was off to the other side of the old man.

“I know you’re probably confused and disoriented right now, but you’ve just fallen prey to my soothsayer magic. It lets me gauge your mental fortitude along with poking around your mind a little bit.” The man smiled gently as he spoke, watching over the other mages in the room.

Alder followed his eyes and watched the others training. Something about them working on themselves made Alder feel at peace.

“You know, kid, not many like you come through here nowadays. Most of them are here for money, possible fame, and power over others. For a young man like yourself to dream of something so childish and pure.” He turned to Alder with an almost sad smile and said, “You’re too good for this place, lad. For the love of all things good in the world, go to the girl I saw in your head. I’m sure she’s waiting for your return.”

Alder ran through a range of emotions as the man spoke. He felt anger toward the people who wanted to get stronger for the wrong reasons, embarrassment to be told about his childish side, shock because he never considered himself to be better than anyone since losing to Elea so many years before, and finally, happiness. He couldn’t help but smile back at him. But Alder couldn’t let the opportunity to train under someone else go so easily either.

“I appreciate the sentiment very much, but would it be all right if I still came to train here occasionally?”

The man contemplated it for a moment and then decided, “That’s fine by me. I’ll only require a small fee whenever you come. Other than that, you can call me Reggie.”

“A small fee?” Alder asked, wondering how much he could get out of Elea after telling her that he failed the test.

“Yes, a fee. All I want when you come is a story about that girl on your mind. I’m sure my wife would love to hear some stories that don’t involve trainees getting hurt.”

Alder smiled. “I think I can cover that fee very easily. Thank you, Sir Reggie.”

Alder decided to stay and train a little because after what he had seen over the past couple days, there was no telling what to expect when he was with Elea.

*

Meanwhile, Eldroth had stayed at the side the whole time, seething with rage.

His rage wasn’t instantaneous to what Reggie said. No, for Eldroth, it had started long before. He was originally from a prestigious noble family. His father even made the king’s council. It was what Eldroth had been most proud of as a child.

Around the time, he graduated from a private school in the capital, things had changed. A commoner rose in the ranks and replaced his father. With his father dropped from the king’s circle, his family lost most of their social standing among other nobles.

Determined to change his family’s standing for the better, he joined the Mage Knights, only to be ridiculed by the other nobles for coming from a family that was outdone by a lowly commoner. It became even worse when he was put in Archmage Albor’s squad. He hated Albor’s common blood but respected the power he had.

Listening to Reggie, a man who was known for training the best of the best, tell someone without royal or noble blood that he was “too good for this place,” Eldroth couldn’t believe his ears. He expected the legendary trainer to tell the country trash to leave and never show his face again.

After a while of seeing Alder’s magic, Eldroth had even more reason to hate him. Alder was younger than him, yet he already developed his own variant of lightning enhancement magic.

Nobody had tried to use lightning magic in such a fashion. Lightning magic was dangerous and took a lot of concentration to use effectively, yet a commoner could use it like it was second nature.

Eldroth’s mind twisted back and forth, making Alder seem more malicious than himself to the point he started whispering to aloud. He didn’t want to accept another commoner being better than him or his family.

“He thinks he’s better than me just because he can use some special magic. He must have used some spell to fool the keeper of the hall.”

Eldroth had enough. He watched Alder one last time before he stormed out of the building. He wasn’t going to let Alder have the upper hand. The next time he met him, Eldroth was determined to crush Alder and save Reggie from his magic.

*

Maximus was walking with his fingers interlaced on the top of his head. He enjoyed walking that way because it showed off his upper body muscles while bringing more air into his lungs, so he could move at a moment’s notice.

Elea, on the other hand, was walking a little more than an arm’s length away from him. She was curious about his skills and the types of magic he used, but that didn’t stop her from thinking he was a little on the creepy side. He was still shirtless and kept flexing as they walked.

Elea was also skeptical about why Archmage Maximus felt it was necessary to come with her. Maximus said he would explain what he knew about the guild Dromaeos when they were with the king.

She didn’t like it, but she would have to wait.

They were both headed to the king’s greeting chambers. It was a part of the castle designated for meeting and discussing matters with the king, a part that Elea had not seen before. Huge, smooth granite columns peered out halfway from the heavily decorated wall. Canvases of past rulers ran across the center, the kind where their eyes seemed to follow you as you walked past. They almost creeped Elea out more than Maximus did.

An immaculate double door stood out on the far wall.

Elea figured up close it was a couple of Alders tall. She giggled to herself at the thought of two Alders standing on top of each other.

One side of the door was midnight black with pearl white etched throughout the door, like ivy snaking its way around an abandoned building. The other door was pearl white with midnight black etched through the door just like the other.

Elea thought it was beautiful how the color schemes flipped, and Maximus noticed it. “These doors represent the two rivers that cross beneath the castle. I’m sure you’ve heard of the White and Black rivers. There is a legend that states this is the point where peace and chaos meet, the birthplace of reality, if you believe in that sort of thing.”

“Oh boy.” Elea breathed in.

The door opened by itself toward them. They stepped to the side in case someone exited the room.

Two men strolled out of the chamber. Both moved with magical energy swirling around them. It was natural; the magic that leaked from them was pure strength.

She couldn’t help but smile. There were more interesting people she could test her talent against.

Both of them noticed Elea and Maximus by the wall. The older-looking man with a long beard kept walking. The other with a cold glare spoke to Maximus.

“Put a shirt on before you go in there, fool.”

“Otto! I would love to comply with your request, but I seem to have misplaced my shirt.” Maximus gave a weak smile.

Elea picked up on it.

Maximus was scared. She could feel it in the air.

The man called Otto sighed and reached into the open space. His hand disappeared into a purplish black hole. When he pulled his hand out, it held on to a black shirt. Otto threw it at Maximus.

“Have some respect for those around you. Next time, I won’t be so kind.” He shot a glance at Elea as he spoke then walked away as if nothing ever happened.

Two guards held the door open, and they stared at the two waiting for them to come in.

Maximus avoided eye contact and continued into the room. Elea had no choice but to follow.

The king’s greeting chamber had architecture that followed the hallway. Elea was expecting more from the extravagant door but was let down by the lack of creativity the room had.

To the far side of the room was a throne. Nothing to massive, but it sat higher than the rest of the room by a slim margin. It looked like it was made out of fine, sturdy wood. It reminded Elea of some chairs Alder’s parents had around their house with very detailed woodwork.

Behind the throne stood two men. One, a palace soldier, the other was a very handsome man with a deep caramel complexion and light brown hair.

Maximus was on a knee with his head bowed before the throne. Elea quickly followed suit. She would hate to disrespect the king on their first meeting.

The palace soldier finished his business with the man and left the room.

After that, the other man came to greet Elea and Maximus.

“Please stand, both of you. There is no need for formalities in here!” His voice was close enough to wrap Elea in its warmth.

She stood up to see him patting Maximus on the shoulder.

He quickly turned to Elea and held out his hand, waiting for Elea to grasp it. She responded in kind, shaking his hand.

“It’s an honor to meet the renowned prodigy. I’ve been following your exploits as a High Mage for a while now.” His voice was deep and soothing, every word seemed to caress her eardrums as they passed through.

Elea wasn’t one to get caught up in the way others looked, yet she found herself speechless before him. He had a youthful look in his bright hazel eyes. His face made her think of pictures she had seen that depicted the gods and how beautiful they were compared to humans. He had a clean beard trimmed close to his face, followed by a smile that paralyzed her.

“Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am the current king of Gyges, Cadien.”

Elea’s hand still in his, he then suggested that the three of them move to a smaller room where they could enjoy tea and snacks while they talk.

The words go in one ear and out the other for Elea. She nodded her head anyway and followed him. Maximus then followed after her.

*

The room was much smaller than the chamber from before. The three of them were seated at a beautiful hand-carved table. King Cadien noticed Elea’s slight fascination with the table.

“This table and the throne was made by one of our very own Archmages. You know Vana, don’t you, Maximus?” said King Cadien while pouring everyone a cup of tea.

“Ah, yes, Your Highness. I hear he’s tending to his domain’s crops around this time of the year.”

“Maximus, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Cadien? You know I hate all the formalities and such.”

“You’re right. Sorry, sir . . . uhh . . . I mean, Cadien.”

The king gave a hearty laugh while slapping Maximus’s shoulder.

“See, that’s much better!”

Maximus was stiff as a board. He seemed to be in distress over the king’s overwhelming friendliness.

Elea stared at her fancy cup. A few days had passed since she sat around a table like this. She wondered how Alder’s parents were doing and whether or not they were sitting at home, worrying about their little boy. Elea smiled on the inside knowing that his mother most likely was. She was sweet like that.

“Your Majesty.” Elea forced herself to look him in the eyes. No matter how charming he was, she wouldn’t let herself forget there were other reasons why she was here today.

“Yes, Ms. Elea.” He smiled, turning toward her and giving his full attention.

“Before we discuss my training to be an Archmage that will then my begin spirit magic training, there are a few issues that came to my attention after arriving here in Capital City.” She held firm, trying to see if she could detect any changes in his attitude.

“Of course, Elea. As your king, I am here for the people. If you have seen any issues in my kingdom, then I’d like to address them as soon as possible because any citizen’s problem may as well be my own.” King Cadien’s eyes bore into Elea.

He showed grave concern for his fellow man. It was making Elea almost doubt all the people she and Alder ran into thus far. Maybe they were all in the wrong, throwing false pretense at the king just because they could.

“I ran into a Mage Knight at my favorite inn, who claimed he was under orders from the majesty. He was raising the taxes saying that if they couldn’t pay it, he had the authority to shut the place down immediately.” While she was talking, she couldn’t help but notice the king holding back a smile.

Maximus just sipped his tea, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“Is the inn named Ray’s Summer Sunset, by any chance?” He raised an eyebrow with the question.

“Yes, it is.” She knew it. The king did have something to do with it.

“Actually, that is a misunderstanding. It sounds like they’ve taken things too far, but I am responsible. I did give them permission to close that building down.” Regret was written all over his face.

Elea couldn’t understand why he would give such an order or how he would be so humble about it.

“I understand you must be confused. Actually, the inn is owned by Archmage Albor’s family. Ever since Albor joined the Mage Knights, he’s been saving to build a better inn for them in the noble quarters. He finally has a building set up for them. He was just having a hard time getting his family to move locations, so after he became Archmage, he asked if he could use his position to move them. I agreed.” The king finished his explanation so he could grab a cookie from a plate on the table.

Elea just watched as the king nibbled at it. She was at a loss for words yet again. That was when Maximus chimed in, his mouth full of half cookies.

“Why’d he go such a roundabout way of doing things?”

King Cadien chuckled.

“I’m not really sure. I thought it was nice of him to think of his family, so I didn’t give it to much thought.”

Elea’s wasn’t sure how to take either of their reactions. She decided that if it was a family matter, she’d leave it be unless it troubled her again.

“Will you tell Archmage Albor to use a different method? I am currently staying at the inn and would rather not be disturbed.”

The king gave her a firm nod. “I will take care of it at once.” He snapped his fingers, and a maid appeared by his side.

“You called, my lord?”

“Yes. Could you tell the palace guard to inform Archmage Albor I’d like to talk to him?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” The maid vanished with the last of her words.

Elea looked around the room. “Water refraction magic, I take it. At first, I thought maybe she used teleportation magic, but she was just invisible to the eye.”

“Very astute. As to be expected of you, though.” King Cadien stirred his tea, holding Elea’s eyes in his.

She didn’t like it. That meant there could be multiple people in this room, watching over Elea’s every move, or more importantly, they could have eyes on Alder. Then again, she thought, it was only natural the king had people hidden to protect him at all times. Maybe she was thinking too hard about it. Either way, she took note that even the maids were not average maids to use such high-class spells.

Her worry aside, she moved on to address her other concern—the guild Dromaeos. She reached for a cookie as she brought up the topic. “Also, me and my student ran into a guild on our way to Capital City. They said they were under orders from you also. The guild was trying to steal from travelers rendered unconscious by their overwhelming magical pressure. My student and I stopped them, but they withdrew without a fight. They announced themselves as Dromaeos.” She broke off the cookie with a satisfying crunch.

The king looked worried and let out a slight unsettling breath. “It is just as I feared.” He stood up and bowed apologetically to Elea. “I am terribly sorry you had to go through an ordeal like that on your way here. I have been investigating that certain guild for a while now for various reasons. I thought I could catch them slip up if I hired them myself and kept a close eye on them. It seems as a king, I was too naive to the fact that they would do something like this so close to home.” He said all this with his face almost pressed to the table.

Maximus also got up and bowed in the same manner toward Elea. “Please don’t blame His Majesty for this. My men are in charge of watching over the guild right now, but I fear there are traitors among the men because all the reports we’ve received said nothing of any unusual activity.”

Elea couldn’t get angry no matter how hard she tried. She knew well the meaning of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. The route they took to deal with them was logical, and if there were traitor variables, then misinformation would also be a crutch for them.

The king sat down again, followed by Maximus. The king then folded his hands on the table. After looking them over a moment, he leaned forward to talk. “Elea, I know you are here for completing your Archmage training. I also know it is unbecoming of a king, but while you’re here training,” he paused and shifted between her and Maximus, maybe trying to see if Maximus would be okay with his proposal, “will you help us catch this guild? If you agree, we can fill you in on all the details, along with immediately assigning Maximus as your protector if you have not yet chosen one. If not, I understand and won’t hold you back in furthering your magic education.”

Elea could only take in all the information given before her. She didn’t know what to do. King Cadien was being genuine while asking Elea for help.

The king of a country was personally asking her. How could she say no?

She gripped the teacup.

Elea told herself to calm down and think rationally for a moment.

She brought the cup to her lips and drank.

What could she stand to gain from helping them? She could crush a guild. That was a happy thought. If she failed, they could go after Alder and his family. Gut-wrenching images flashed across her closed eyelids. That was a horrible thought. There were too many unknown variables. She didn’t like that King Cadien and Maximus were withholding details unless she agreed. What were the consequences of not helping them?

She set down the cup. King Cadien and Maximus stared intently at Elea. Desperation masked their faces.

The king spoke again. “Elea, if this is too much to think about right now, we understand. I apologize again for the lack of information I can provide. We have reason to believe there are traitors even among the Archmages, so if you don’t want to help, the less you know, the safer you will be.”

Maximus silently nodded in agreement.

Elea couldn’t help where the direction of thought her mind was headed toward now. She loved the thought of tough opponents. Archmages added to the already high prospect of the guild members.

She’d be in paradise. Alder was the only one who ever came close to challenging her, anyone else was a bonus.

The thought of Alder pulled her more toward reality. Then she had an idea.

“Actually, I have an idea. If things are as serious as I’m assuming, then I would want my student with me at all times. For protection and because I know he’s not a traitor.” Elea also saw this as a way to keep Princess Azuri away from Alder.

King Cadien and Maximus exchanged glances. They seemed to have a quick conversation with their eyes. It looked a little awkward from Elea’s perspective. Maybe it was because every simple action King Cadien made seemed enchanting. His natural magnetism still made her second guess thoughts she normally wouldn’t.

The thought crossed her mind a few times throughout the meeting, but she ignored it every time.

Maximus spoke. “Are you saying you want Alder to be your protector? You know that’s a job meant for other Archmages.”

To which Elea responded, “Yes, I would like that. I doubt he knows what the job entails, but that could work to my benefit. Plus, I’ve always taught myself magic, so having someone else help me through these final steps would put a damper on my studying style.”

Maximus looked like he wanted to speak. King Cadien stopped him with a raised hand.

“Elea, I understand your wants, but for your own safety, I want you to reconsider this. Light and dark magic are very different than the others. It requires more of a spiritual aspect that other magic do not. But if you are insistent on having Alder, then we can pick up this meeting tomorrow. Either way, I think we should pick this up tomorrow and think it out.” His words were soft even with the weight they held.

Elea understood that. She heard rumors of half-assed Archmages being consumed by spirits they couldn’t control. Even so, she knew what she wanted. She wanted Alder by her side.

She knew it was dumb, but she wanted things that way.

*

Alder left the training center just a bit before dusk. The sky was in the transition phase. Sky blue became a deeper hue, brimming on the cusp of purple. Light clouds hung in the air like puffs of smoke rolling by. The tops glowed white, the bottom already darker than the sky.

He had a little skip to his step after his training session. Reggie was amazed about Alder’s ability to control magic. After seeing Alder’s lightning enhancement magic, all Reggie could do was compare it to Archmages he trained. No one else could control something at such a delicate level, though Alder had laughed it off because the fear of being electrocuted was what kept him good at it.

Alder was a little concerned that Eldroth disappeared during his training. He felt a little guilty ignoring the guy after he helped Alder get into the training grounds and everything. He told himself next time he saw Eldroth, he’d thank him.

Noble houses lined the street Alder walked. They were massive in size but didn't have much of a yard. That made Alder miss home a little. He knew he’d eventually get over it, though. He decided to shift his attention to the streetlights that seemed to run on a holding magic spell. Someone was running around throwing fire magic into the bowl at the top. Carvings glowed yellow-orange through the bowl. Alder remembered learning in school that certain objects could hold magic for a varied amount of time.

“They must be able to last until dawn,” he whispered aloud.

“That they are!” came a voice just short of a few steps behind him.

He knew that voice. It froze him where he stood.

“I’m glad I ran into you. We have a lot to talk about.”

A cold, delicate hand rested on his shoulder.

“What a coincidence to run into you here, Elea.”

Elea made a face. “Really? Were you looking for me?” She smiled.

“Well . . . um . . . yeah! I happen to be lost right now,” Alder casually lied.

“You really are the worst.” She shrugged it off with puffed cheeks.

Elea started walking. Alder tried his best to stay at her shoulder, but her shorter legs moved a lot quicker than his.

Matching her pace was always a pain—a pain he wouldn’t trade for the world. He knew exactly what Reggie had been talking about when he told him to run back to her. He really wanted to be by her side.

Alder shifted his attention to the darkening sky.

Reggie had told him that he was too good for the Mage Knights. He truly enjoyed hearing it, though doubt made its way into his mind. Even if he was too good for the Mage Knights, that didn’t mean anything about whether or not he was worthy of someone so much better than everyone else. Feeling Elea’s warmth close to his shoulder, his doubt faded into the back of his mind. He’d leave it to be something to plague his mind in the future.

“How’d the test, or whatever they had you do, go?”

They were just passing back through the inner wall when she asked.

Alder tried to think quick. He was split between two different responses. One being the events that transpired. The other was to try and push the conversation in another direction, so they could talk about it later in privacy. Then he remembered. It was probably a better option to tell her what happened while they walked on the crowded street. That way, if she got mad and attacked him, there would be witnesses.

He took a deep breath, preparing to explain almost everything to Elea. He left out his thoughts about her and Reggie’s comments.

The whole time Alder spoke, Elea’s eyes were practically rolled into the back of her head, like she thought he was spouting complete nonsense about everything that happened after she left. He tried to ignore it while telling the story. He finished, but Elea seemed to be thinking about how she would respond to him.

They walked quietly for a bit.

More people filed onto the street. Nightlife was just beginning around the shops they walked past before. Everything, including the atmosphere, livened up alongside the darkening sky.

Alder breathed it all in. Not every smell was pleasant, and not every sight was either. But those small things didn’t take away from the sigh of relief he felt the city exhale. Many people were on their way home to see their loved ones. That made Alder feel contempt like the rest of them. A long day was finally coming to an end.

“I have to talk with you when we go back to the room. It might work out that you didn’t become a Mage Knight.” Elea broke her silence with a tug of the arm and a whisper in his ear.

Alder slightly worried. The way she said it made him think he may have helped their situation, although it arose more questions, like just how her meeting with the king went. All he could do was think about it for now. He knew Elea would tell him about it when she was ready to. He’d just have to be patient.

After a while of walking, he noticed the sign for Ray’s Summer Sunset. He didn’t think they were that close. Wondering about the conversation him and Elea would have later must have distracted him, not that he really had any clue on where he was in the first place.

They got closer to the door of the inn when they heard yelling. Alder and Elea exchanged glances and rushed in, fearing Eldroth had come back for revenge.

The door held no resistance to the air behind it as it slammed into the wall. Alder and Elea jumped into the room ready for a fight.

Still, no one inside paid them any mind. They were focused on what was taking place before the bar.

Summer, from earlier in the day, had her hands held firm to keep two men apart by their hair.

“There will be no punches thrown today, gentlemen,” she said this with power, veracity, and a genuine motherly voice not to be ignored. It even made Alder shrink back like he was a little kid.

Elea rushed to Summer’s aid, asking if she needed help. Summer was shocked by Elea’s presence. She immediately dropped the two men. They fell to the ground clutching their heads like if they let go, their hair would fly away. Summer bowed apologetically to Elea.

“I’m very sorry for showing such crude behavior in front of someone such as yourself. If there is anything I can do to make up for this, please don’t hold back in requesting anything at all.” Every word was more sincere than anything Alder had ever heard before. It reminded him yet again just how important Elea was.

“Please stop that, and tell me if you need any help with whatever is going on here.” Elea put her hand on Summer’s shoulder, trying to lighten the mood that now surrounded them.

Summer straightened to point at the men now sitting on the floor, ready to be scolded. They must have known they were in deep crap the way Summer was acting toward Elea.

It made Alder wonder if nobles mistreated the commoners if they acted a certain way in their presence.

“It’s all right, Ms. Elea. These men are regulars here and often drink more than they should. They don’t mean any harm, but their arguing got out of hand today, and I stepped in to stop them.” The men sitting on the floor looked in awe at Summer standing up for them when they had clearly done wrong.

Elea understood the situation. She smiled, relieved that that was all that happened. She didn’t have all the info, but she was gonna be weary of all Mage Knights until she knew what was going on, the instance with Eldroth included. She wasn’t sure just how much she trusted Archmage Albor and his little “operation” to move the inn. She let the thought go for now.

“I see. When you’re done with this, I would like to order supper. No need to rush, I’m sure my pack mule can wait a little longer to eat.”

Alder squinted to glare at the back of Elea’s head.

“I should be ready in just a moment, Ms. Elea.” Summer bowed again, stealing glances at Alder. She seemed to dislike him turning cold eyes to someone so important.

He shrugged it off until Elea turned around.

“So, Alder, where do you want to sit while we wait?” Her eyes said she knew that he was glaring at her.

He quickly looked around the room, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

“I’m not really sure. How about over there.” He noticed an open table a distance away from everybody else. He was sure Elea would yell at him since she was suspicious that he did something. Alder wasn’t a big fan of getting scolded in front of others.

Elea liked the spot.

“Perfect!” she said, because she too wasn’t a fan of reprimanding Alder in front of others. Well, only if it was a good opportunity because she believed embarrassment taught some lessons better than she ever could.

The table was round, and the chairs were haphazardly put together; not that either of them cared. They were content with a place to sit and eat.

They sat down, only to be followed by the sound of their chairs creaking obnoxiously loud. They shared a look and giggled.

Alder had tried his hand at making chairs when they were younger. Of course, it was heavily encouraged by his father.

They laughed because Alder’s finished product creaked just as bad as the chairs they used now.

“I’m sorry for the wait. What can I get for you two tonight?” Summer was standing next to the table.

Neither of them noticed her approach. Alder wasn’t sure what the place had to offer, so he looked at Elea for help.

“We would both like some chicken dumplings and water, please, and thank you, Summer.” Elea was prepared to order the moment they decided to stay at the inn.

Summer smiled, bowed, and excused herself.

The two were alone again. From where they sat, everyone else felt far away. Elea decided it was as good a place as any to start telling Alder about what she discussed with King Cadien.

Elea left out everything to do with Princess Azuri and their little exchange. In the back of her mind, she wondered if it was okay to leave meeting her out completely or to warn Alder saying she might be dangerous. She decided it was. She didn’t want Alder getting curious about her.

The food arrived just as Elea got to the end of the meeting she had with the king, the part where King Cadien told her to think on it overnight.

Silently, Summer set the food down on the table; she didn’t want to interrupt the conversation.

“Thank you very much, Summer. It looks marvelous.” Elea smiled at Summer, speaking nothing but the truth. The food laid out before them not only looked delicious but also smelled divine.

“I hope it is to your liking, Ms. Elea. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.” Summer looked like she was trying her best to be polite to Elea.

It made Alder cringe.

“You’re fine, Summer. Also, you don’t have to be so polite to me. Please treat me like your regular customers or like you would treat Alder here.” She pointed to Alder who was starting to get impatient with the food before him.

“There is no way I could treat you with such disrespect. But I will do my best to meet your wishes.” Summer bowed and excused herself again.

Alder thought that acting like that all the time must get tiring.

“Wait, did she just imply that she would be disrespectful when talking to me?” Alder turned to Elea.

“You should be happy. Good friends can talk disrespectfully to each other, just like us.” She giggled. Then she plunged her fork into one of the dumplings and shoved the whole thing into her mouth.

“You know, for someone who is treated with reverence, you sure do eat like a slob.” Alder smiled at the way she ate the dumplings one after the other.

Elea ignored him. It had been years since she had the chicken dumplings when she had come to Capital City before. Though then, she had eaten them with her father. It made Elea happy to share with Alder, what her father had once shared with her.

When they finished eating, Alder had nothing but praises for the chicken dumplings and Elea’s choice to stay there. They made their way back to the room, which wasn’t hard, considering they could see the door from where they were sitting.

Alder began getting ready for bed along with Elea. This time, she changed in the bathroom they hadn’t noticed before, on the other side of a dresser the inn provided.

By the time she was done, Alder was relaxing on his bed.

“So?” she asked him, leaping onto her bed like a kid.

“So what?” Alder responded, holding back a laugh at her childish ways.

“What are your thoughts on being my protector and such? Also, what do you think about what the king said?”

“Hmm . . . what the king said?” he stated quietly, really asking himself so he could mull it over.

Alder wasn’t really sure how he felt about it. The possibility of multiple Archmage level traitors was a lot to handle, not to mention Elea was asking him to do a job meant for other Archmages. He wasn’t even positive he knew just what all it entailed. The way she told him he would be acting like a bodyguard while she trained, that idea he did like. It meant he had a means of staying by her side.

“I mean, it’s not like you have many other options at the moment,” she said, casually disrupting his flow of thoughts.

She was right. She knew it, Alder knew it, and that really pushed all his worries to the side.

“I can’t disagree with you there. I don’t really know what to think about all the traitors and Dromaeos, but I do know that keeping you safe is important to me. So yeah, why not? Let’s see if the king will really let me be your protector.”

Alder looked over to see if Elea was even listening. At some point, she had rolled so he couldn’t see her.

“Hey, did you even hear what I said?”

“Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on. We’ll tell the king tomorrow,” Elea said it like it wasn’t a big deal, though she had to roll over because her face was flushed and a smile had grown on her face. She tried hard, but it wouldn’t go away.

Both of them knew Elea was stronger. Still, she loved to hear Alder say he wanted to stay by her and protect her.

Shortly after, both of them drifted off to sleep, exhausted from a day of random yet taxing events.

*

The two woke early to the smells of breakfast inviting them out of bed.

They headed down the stairs where Summer had already prepared a country style breakfast for them, eggs scrambled in local cheese, bacon with just the right amount of crisp, and toast next to fried potatoes on the side.

Alder told Elea, “I could get fat here, and I’d be happy about it.”

She only gave him a groggy look. She wasn’t quite awake yet. Alder left it at that.

After chowing down on the well-prepared meal, they went back upstairs to clean up.

A clean Alder and Elea made their way to the palace.

The walk was silent for the most part. They pointed out little things for small talk, but they were both still tired.

The few days it took for them to get to Capital City was finally catching up to them. Sleeping in a bed instead of on the ground is a drastic change. Beds were harder to get out of.

The sun neared the middle of the sky by the time they neared the palace wall. To Alder, it felt like the walk to the palace took twice as long as it did the day before. Him and Elea must have been walking at a snail’s pace.

They crossed through the Sage’s Garden. It didn’t even feel like the same place as before. Alder walked past the spot he stood during Elea’s duel. He tried not to look at it. It reminded him how helpless he had felt then.

Elea stretched out her arms just before the palace doors. “I get the feeling we should limber up. Who knows what is going to happen today.”

Alder blew it off and headed toward the doors. They were decorated with all the colors in the garden. Alder couldn’t help but smile at the magical-looking door. He was amazed by all the things in the castle, architecture, paintings, and even the floors they walked on.

Elea just walked slightly ahead of him, ignoring all the small details the palace had to offer. She still thought it was boring as all hell. The windows they passed held Elea’s attention for the most part, up until she heard a voice she hadn’t given a thought about all morning.

“Oh my! Elea, how grand it is to see you again, and so soon too.” Princess Azuri held a fan over her face so Elea could only see her beautiful fluttering eyes.

The fan was slightly different. It had the same design as the day before, but the color schemes were flipped. Where white had been was now blue, and where blue had been was now white.

Elea tried to plan out her words before she said them. Regretfully, the words stayed stuck in her throat. Azuri’s dress held Elea’s attention, it was light blue with floral designs embroidered into the dress. Nothing too flashy, but a deeper tint of blue to let you know it was there.

It wasn’t as formal as the day before, which pissed off Elea. She hated the fact that Azuri could look just as good, if not better, dressed casually. The dress stopped just above her knees. Elea knew why she focused on the dress. She despised how much she loved it.

“It’s good to see you again, Your Highness. I’m glad we could meet in such a large castle like this again,” Elea said this toward the window, trying to hide her scowling face. She cursed herself for not dressing up a little.

One of the guards hiding behind Azuri went to yell at Elea for being so rude in the princess’s presence, but Azuri stopped him with a wave of her free hand.

Ignoring Elea, Azuri addressed Alder who looked like a lost pup, not sure on what to say or do in the presence of royalty.

“I heard Elea had a student here but that he was headed home after arriving to the kingdom. Would you happen to be Alder?” She closed her fan, bringing her hands together near her waist so Alder could see her dazzling smile.

Alder didn’t know how to respond to such a statement. He glanced over at Elea to ask what the princess was talking about, but she looked like she was mentally trying to shove her head through the window. He passed on asking. “Yes, I am Alder. It is a pleasure to meet you.” His smile was probably as awkward as he felt.

Princess Azuri was definitely no help to that. Her smile almost put Alder out of commission. She was a stunner. Alder fought himself trying not to stare at her, mainly for two reasons. One, it’s rude to stare at a lady, let alone a princess. Two, who knows what Elea would do to him if she found him ogling over another girl. The idea that Elea would do something kinda made him happy, just about as much as it terrified him.

Azuri, on the other hand, was staring at Alder, hard. She had set her sights on him from the first time he entered the Sage’s Garden. She couldn’t see him clearly then, but she could feel it in her soul.

She wanted to know him.

“Yes, this is Alder. My student of over ten years. I’m glad you could meet him for the first time today. I would also love to stay and chat about all the stories we have together, but unfortunately, we are going to meet the king.” She grabbed Alder’s hand. “Aldy, it is time to go.” Elea was just short of dragging Alder down the hallway.

Alder waved to Princess Azuri so they didn’t seem as rude as Elea made them out to be.

Azuri kept her smile, waving back to Alder.

When they were far enough away, she told her guards in a quiet but powerful tone, “I want them watched at all times, including their sleep. If they so much as snore, I want to hear about it.”

The guards traded worried glances with each other. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

*

Maximus got out of bed hours before his usual time. He expected Elea to bring Alder to the castle as soon as the doors opened. He was gravely mistaken. His eyes burned while he waited by the window.

“Would you like another cup of coffee, Sir Maximus?” A maid resembling the one from the day before appeared behind him.

Maximus rotated a rather large empty cup he held in his hands. “Sure thing, I might go for the record today. How many will this make?” he asked over his shoulder.

The cup floated over to the maid. She filled it as graciously as one can when pouring coffee.

“This will make fifteen, Sir Maximus.” She let the cup go, and it floated its way back into Maximus’s hands without spilling a drop.

“Also, the prodigy and the boy have entered the palace. They ran into Miss Azuri upon the way, but they should be entering the king’s greeting chamber shortly. Would you like them escorted here?”

“No, thank you. I’ll head there now,” he said, handing her the now empty cup.

He didn’t want to miss a moment. There was no telling how the meeting could go today.

*

Alder’s arm was screaming in pain by the time they reached the king’s greeting chamber. He even worried whether or not she had pulled it out of socket. Luckily, the pain in his arm made him forget about being called “Aldy” in front of a beautiful princess.

He wanted to ask Elea why she had acted so weird. He looked back over at her. She didn’t look to be in the mood to talk, and he wasn’t really in the mood to argue. He wondered if they would even be able to hold a conversation with the king with the way she acted.

Maximus came running up behind them. “Glad you guys could make it today.”

Alder flinched when Maximus spoke. A thick stench of coffee oozed from his every pore. It even seemed to bring Elea back to her senses.

“Maximus, good to see you again. I take it you’ll be joining our meeting again.” She stepped out of the stench’s radius to speak.

“Of course! I am in charge of all Dromaeos-related events, and your decision may affect what new measures I could take to handle them.” His smile said that he was in high hopes for Elea’s decision.

Alder decided to follow Elea’s lead and ignore the smell emanating from him. “Hopefully, the king agrees to me being Elea’s protector,” Alder said, appreciating the double door to the king’s greeting chamber.

Alder couldn’t see the grimace on Maximus’s face.

“That’s a job that comes with more responsibility than you can imagine.” Maximus moved to open the door.

Alder didn’t really hear him. He thought if it was something important, it would be brought up in the meeting.

Elea, on the other hand, wanted to throw something at Maximus. She mentioned yesterday that Alder not knowing all the details behind being a protector was beneficial to her. She wanted to keep it that way.

*

Princess Azuri gripped her pillow to the point it wanted to burst. She did this when she was frustrated and when she needed time to think on things. Today was a mix of both for her.

“That Elea thinks she can hold the time she spent with Alder over me. On our first meeting, no less!” She squeezed harder.

“My lady, I’ve told you before it is unbecoming of a princess, let alone an eighteen-year-old, to sulk in such a fashion.” An older woman with curly red hair, long nails, and emerald green eyes walked into the room with her arms folded into her forest green robes.

“Shona! You’re back!” Princess Azuri shouted and ran to her good friend and Archmage known as Shona the Wise.

“Oh, child, please do refrain from stepping on my robes. It has been a long time, though. How about a hug?”

The two embraced for a small eternity. Azuri may have been a princess, but she was taught magic by Shona. A motherlike figure over the years, she taught her everything she could.

Azuri backed away. It was time for business. She made sure her face said so.

“I see. Let me put up a barrier while you make us some tea, dear.”

Both set to work, preparing to discuss the plans Azuri had for the kingdom, along with telling Shona about a boy she had recently met.

*

“Elea, Maximus, and I assume you must be the famous student! Please, let’s move to a more comfortable room with chairs and snacks.” King Cadien ushered them to follow.

Elea and Maximus went without word.

Alder was perplexed. The kings he read about in books were quiet, dignified, and protruded an aura of obedience. That was not the first impression he had of the king. He seemed almost too carefree.

After a little walk, they arrived into a room meeting King Cadien’s standards.

“Perfect! Now that we’re all here, I take it you have decided to make Alder your protector then, Elea?”

“Yes, I would very much so like to make that happen. Now more than ever.” She thought back to Azuri meeting them in the hallway. She highly doubted it was a coincidence.

Elea had already assumed that Azuri was watching them. Today just shoved the point home. She wanted to keep Alder no further than an arm’s length now.

“Okay, then, I will allow Alder to be the protector of Elea on one condition—Maximus must approve of his ability. I’ll leave it to Maximus to decide how he wants to test his ability.” King Cadien smiled, patting Maximus on the shoulder.

Maximus nodded, his face serious. It may not have sounded like it, but he had received orders from the king himself. Maximus knew whatever he did had to meet his ever gracious majesty’s requirements as well.

Since King Cadien chose Maximus for the task, he didn’t really have any other options. Maximus was a fighter, always had been, and always would be.

“I’ll tell you what, Alder, let us head to the training grounds. I’ll test your strength there.” The air around Maximus pulsed with magic gathering around him.

Alder felt cold sweat forming on his skin.

“Let’s do it then, Maximus.” Alder wanted to be terrified, but not with Elea there. He didn’t have a choice but to man up and face whatever was coming head on.

“Remarkable idea, Maximus. Elea and I will watch from here. Please do try your best.” King Cadien settled the atmosphere building in the room.

It almost took the wind out of Alder’s sails when the king said they would stay behind, but knowing that Elea would still be watching helped him out.

“Have you learned how to use flight magic yet, Alder?” asked King Cadien.

“Yes, sir, but Elea doesn’t like me using it because most places can be walked to just as easily.”

Elea nodded with her eyes closed, resting a cup of tea in her hand.

“Hmm, I see. I like the way you teach, Elea. Nothing better than a constant reminder that magic is not everything we are capable of.” King Cadien smiled with a warmth that made Alder concerned, maybe even a little jealous. He had noticed that His Majesty was an over-the-top handsome man. He just didn’t think it mattered because he was much older than either of them. Thinking about it made him wonder what the queen looked like. Maybe the whole royal family was full of beautiful people.

Maximus patted him on the shoulder.

“Let’s go ahead and fly over there now, Alder. No need to keep the king waiting.”

The window on the far side of the room opened.

Alder could see the top of the training grounds from there.

Huh, he thought, what a coincidence. It’s a straight shot from here.

*

King Cadien and Elea waved farewell as Alder and Maximus disappeared into the training grounds with a coliseum-like architecture.

King Cadien kept watch on the distant skyline and spoke. “Are you still positive you want Alder doing this? He doesn’t seem like the type I’d choose to be another’s protector. That being said, I do see the potential he has. It’s his resolve that seems lacking to me.”

Elea couldn’t help but agree with him. “Alder lacks a few more things than just resolve, but I’m willing to bet my life on his potential to grow. Like you saw in him, I too believe he has potential. I would even take it a step further to say that he has the potential to be better than me.” Elea couldn’t contain the smile in her heart when she gushed about the part of Alder that he himself did not know about.

King Cadien closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

“Love is a beautiful thing, Elea. It can also be blinding. I hope what you believe is the truth. I’m sure he could make a big difference in this kingdom. I just wouldn’t get my hopes up too much.” His voice was cold, and his tone was borderline harsh.

Elea was surprised she was still speaking to the same person. She took the change as something to be remembered. Only people who had made the same mistakes in the past would change their personality when discussing the subject.

He turned toward her with a smile. “Now let us enjoy the show comfortably.” He motioned her back to the table.

When they both sat down, King Cadien waved his hand over the table. The table shimmered until three figures inside the training grounds could be seen—Alder, Maximus, and an older dark-skinned man that Elea didn’t recognize.

The two sat in wait to see what Maximus had in store for Alder.

*

“Forgive me, but someone has entered the field, my lady. They seem to be headed this way in quite the hurry,” Shona interrupted Azuri so their talk wouldn’t be overheard by unwanted ears.

Azuri nodded, and then they both waited to see what their guest would do.

Finally, a banging came at the door.

“Lady Azuri! Lady Azuri! Lady Azuri! I have urgent news concerning both the prodigy and her student!” shouted a familiar voice from the other side of the door.

“Come in!”

One of her personal guards rushed in. He apologized for intruding, then proceeded to fill them in on the deal Elea and the king were making.

“Well, my dear, shall we too watch and see if the boy is capable of what you have in store.” Shona smiled, waving her hand over the table, not waiting for an answer.

Azuri told the guard he was free to go before grabbing her pillow to watch.

The image appeared on the table. Alder and Maximus were both stretching and getting ready in their own ways.

“Looks like Maximus decided to fight him.”

“Alder should be fine against Sir Maximus, right?” Azuri asked, gripping her small pillow.

Shona giggled at the girl before responding, “Let’s watch and see for ourselves, my dear.”

*

Alder couldn’t tell if he was anxious or nervous. He felt multiple people watching him, and stretching was already embarrassing enough without an audience.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Reggie giving him the thumbs up. Trying to be kind, Alder did it back.

Reggie burst into laughter.

He’s making fun of me, Alder thought, but being distracted for a moment made his stomach relax a little.

When they arrived, Alder heard Maximus telling Reggie that the two of them would be having something similar to a practice match, except it ended either after a set amount of time, if either of them are knocked out, or if someone admits defeat.

Running through the rules again in his head made him wonder if a bathroom was nearby.

Reggie raised his arm in the air.

“Guess that’ll have to wait,” Alder said under his breath.

Reggie’s arm motioned downward.

The word couldn’t reach Alder, but he was sure he heard him say, “Fight!” The sound was caught up in the wind Maximus whipped up charging Alder.

Maximus opened with a roundhouse kick, and Alder moved to guard against it. That did next to nothing for him.

He crashed into the far wall away from Maximus.

Alder picked himself up off the ground while trying to regain the air the wall knocked from him. His arms were in agony from trying to guard the kick. At least, that was what he thought before he noticed Maximus’s legs glowing like burning embers. Alder looked at his sleeves. They were singed from touching Maximus’s legs.

“Alder, you’re going to have to step it up a notch. So far, that won’t cut it.”

Alder knew Maximus was right. He didn’t even bother responding.

Alder gathered what magic he could muster and concentrated it into his three fingertips. He pointed at where Maximus had been standing, but he was gone.

Alder heard Maximus’s foot touch the ground beside him. He tried to get out of the way, but he felt his elbow being burnt. The force that followed was enough to send Alder spinning.

Still, Alder held onto the magic building in his fingertips. He dug his fingers into the soft dirt. They started to burn, and patches on his hand started to open up. The magic contained was beginning to burn its way out through his flesh.

Alder didn’t plan on losing any fingers today. It was now or never.

Alder was on his hands and knees, trying to push himself up. He heard Maximus’s foot plant beside him again.

Maximus aimed to punt Alder by his ribs.

Contact. A cloud of dust erupted between them.

Maximus brought Alder into the air above the cloud. His leg was fully extended for more lift. He was sure he would hear Alder’s ribs cracking. He was disappointed when he didn’t.

Instead, he saw three fingers pointed at him. He brought his arms over his chest but was too late, so Maximus tried to push Alder to the side.

Alder wrapped his free arm around Maximus’s leg still planted in his gut. Ignoring his burning body, he discharged three bolts of lightning at Maximus at point-blank range.

Alder released his grasp on his leg, and the momentum sent him flying into the air.

Maximus slammed into the ground, held down by the powerful lightning magic.

He felt himself getting weaker each time the magic shocked him; he was pinned, and he couldn’t move.

Alder limped over to Maximus holding his gut.

“That’s actually a lightning binding spell I created. Each time it shocks you, it slows down your motor functions more and more. I hate to say this, Maximus, but I think I won.” Alder spit some pooled-up blood out of his mouth.

Maximus struggled for a moment before noticing that almost all his strength was already gone. His mouth was getting dryer by the shock. He started coughing and then broke out into a laugh.

“Very well, Alder. I gotta agree. I don’t think I can get out.” He finished right before getting shocked again.

Reggie nodded at Alder, and Alder dispelled the magic.

Alder let his body flop to the ground.

“Sorry, Maximus. I couldn’t lose to you, knowing that Elea was watching. A man should never show weakness in front of a girl, you know?” Alder coughed some more.

He was sure something snapped. He didn’t care, though. Incidentally, he didn’t have a care in the world. It was unheard of. He, not even ranked as a High Mage, beat an Archmage. Beating an Archmage proved to him he was capable of staying by Elea’s side. He’d have to thank Elea later.

“Congratulations, Alder. You’re Elea’s protector now. I wish you luck in keeping her and this kingdom safe.” Maximus sounded sympathetic to him.

Alder didn’t know why it bothered him, but he rested on the ground opposite of Maximus.

From the wall, Reggie watched over them both.

“Looks like I have a new story for you, dear. One that will rock the kingdom to its core.”

Chapter 6

“So that's the boy you took interest in. He is very talented, but I wonder if it is because of the prodigy’s teachings. I think it would be wise to request both of them for help. Neither of them seem to have ties to the higher-ups of the kingdom.” Shona put her thoughts on the table for Azuri to consider.

Azuri, still riled up by the short match, was biting the corner of her pillow. She set the pillow delicately on her lap after a stern look from Shona.

“I agree, but I also believe Father has far more eyes on Elea than he has on Alder. I also believe he is the key to getting Elea on our side. I don’t feel I could ask her for assistance—she seems weary of me. So going through Alder would build more trust while also keeping Father off my back,” Azuri finished by pouring Shona more tea.

Shona smiled as she took a sip. “I see you are putting my teachings to good use, my dear. Soon, they shall call you ‘Queen Azuri the Wise.’”

“That is only if things go according to plan, which we both know usually doesn’t pan out as well as we’d hope.” Azuri let out a disappointed sigh.

“That, my dear, is why we discuss and plan like we do. To ensure total victory.” Shona’s grin was sly.

Shona was a model lady, but before that, she was a trained Archmage who had seen many battles throughout her life.

*

King Cadien dispelled the magic that allowed them to view the fight.

“Did you teach him that?” The king gazed into Elea’s eyes, searching for the answer before she could say it.

“No. He uses magic spells that I can barely grasp the concept of. Like I said before, I would bet my life on his potential. I may be able to learn things quickly, but he is innovative with his magic.” That was why Elea loved forcing Alder to challenge her as part of being her student. She loved the challenge that came with unknown magic.

King Cadien sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin deep in thought.

“I understand you must have your reasons, though I must ask—why haven’t you brought him to Capital City before to receive the title of High Mage? He could have easily done so by what I’ve seen.” He rested his arms on his chest, seeming upset by the fact a talented mage stayed hidden for so long.

Elea wasn’t a fan of interrogations. It almost seemed like the conversation was headed in that direction. Her only option was to tell the truth. It wasn’t something she enjoyed talking about, but it was the only way to settle King Cadien’s encroaching curiosity. She leaned forward to speak.

“In all respect, Your Majesty, my first visit to this city was decently pleasant. I became a High Mage, later to be targeted by some nobles jealous of my age and commoner status. I won't go into detail, but both my parents’ lives were lost to a raid by a guild the nobles paid. Luckily, I was away with my student at the time” She paused, making sure King Cadien was listening. “You asked why I never brought him. It is because I love him and his family like my own. I won’t face loss like that again. That’s why I have kept him away.” Elea finished by looking up at the ceiling. She shared one of her greatest concerns, and it almost brought her to tears.

King Cadien’s knuckles were painfully white. If the chair was made by Alder, it would have creaked in agony. His facial expression spoke more than the words he would choose to use. “I see. It seems my own people are worse than I thought. I know I can offer no apology worthy of your rage or suffering. For that, I’m terribly sorry.” King Cadien rose from his chair and moved to the window. “Let’s head over to the training grounds. I’m sure the royal guard won’t mind if you’re accompanying me.”

His voice was very remorseful. Elea’s words seem to have dug deep into him. She knew it made him realize Elea had a strong distrust for anyone in power, including him.

King Cadien understood just how confident Elea was coming to Capital City. She was confident enough to bring someone she cared deeply about, not a question of doubt in her mind that she couldn’t protect him if it became necessary.

He faced the window, waiting for Elea to join him. He could feel that if anything happened to the boy or his family, the kingdom of Gyges would have a powerful foe. It troubled him just how little control he had over his new partner.

“Right behind you, Your Majesty,” Elea said ready to take off.

*

Reggie took his time on checking if either of them were all right. He watched the fight closely, making sure neither of them went so far as to mortally wound each other. The two were far from it. From Reggie’s perspective, they both went easy on one degree or another.

Maximus was fine, just light burns. The same could be said for Alder. Alder’s arms and chest got the worst of it, and even then, he got off with light burns. Reggie guessed he built up a small resistance to burns because of his lightning enhancement magic. Reggie knew that Maximus’s legs were capable of melting stone on contact. Alder was luckier than he knew.

As the keeper of the hall, Reggie’s main duties involved teaching, observing, and healing unlucky souls that couldn’t handle their own training. Being so well versed in healing magic, he set to work on getting Alder and Maximus back up to tip-top shape.

Alder stayed silent after the match. He was taking cues from the books he read on knights. They were humble in victory and never boasted their win over the opponent. Though Alder could barely contain himself, he’s been sparring with Elea since he became her student. He hadn’t tasted victory for a long time. Today, he indulged on the fact it was indeed sweet. It was like turning over a new leaf for him. This was something he could get used to.

As much as he tried to conceal his excitement, Maximus picked up on it. “I wouldn’t get a big head, lad. I had my guard down, and I am nowhere near being the strongest Archmage.” Maximus stood, dusted himself off, and then proceeded to remove his shirt.

At first, Alder was irritated hearing Maximus say this but quickly lost his will to argue. Something about yelling at a guy with no shirt left him with the impression he wouldn’t walk away feeling victorious.

Reggie, beside him, whispered, “Don’t let it bother you. I think you’ve proven you’re no pushover yourself.” He patted Alder on the shoulder and then walked back to his spot by the wall.

Evidently, Alder didn’t have to sit on the thought too much. Elea and King Cadien walked in.

Unlike before, Alder could feel that he was in the presence of a king. Mages that just happened to be there and watched the match kneeled when he walked in. Alder felt compelled to do so too and followed suit.

King Cadien waved his hand and spoke in a booming voice fit for a king. “Everyone, resume your activities. I am merely here for a visit.” The whole building seemed tense as everyone rose and resumed their activities.

It was more impressive to Alder that everyone recognized him as the king. Of course, he was a handsome guy who would catch anyone’s attention on the street, but other than that, Alder wouldn’t have seen him as a king. King Cadien wore robes befitting of a noble. A royal, on the other hand, was out of the question. Alder chucked it up with thoughts like perhaps the king was really involved with the Mage Knights or he was trying to blend in with the noble class. Then again, maybe Alder had the wrong idea about royalty fashion from the stories he read.

Lost in his head, Alder realized King Cadien held out an outstretched hand for him. Alder graciously accepted King Cadien’s hand, remembering his father’s words, “If a man offers you his hand, you shake it like the man you see yourself becoming, not the man you are.” He put it into practice, giving King Cadien a firm handshake.

“Just as I’d expect from the man who bested an Archmage. You have a handshake worthy of being a protector. I look forward to your exploits in the near future, Alder.”

Alder was taken aback for a moment.

Expectations—more were being stacked on top of him. His parents and Elea were bad enough. Now he had the King of Gyges added to the list, and he practically came with the whole nation. It was a lot to take in. Not to mention he still wasn’t sure what his job description was.

Elea stepped out from behind King Cadien.

Alder’s building blocks of anxiety began to crumble away. Now he would be with her even longer, and he had no doubt in his mind that with her, he could meet any expectation that came his way, even hers.

“You did good, Aldy! You seem to create a new spell every time I turn around. How’d you do it?”

“Well, you remember your duel with that one Archmage?”

“Yeah. It was yesterday.”

“During your duel, I saw how you shot all three beams of light magic at one time and thought about how it would do as a binding spell. Then I applied how I enhance myself with lightning magic, just this time, as a debuff. With the possibility of tough opponents, I’ll need to even the playing field somehow.” Alder smiled after his explanation. He knew as soon as she could, Elea would be trying out the magic for herself. He lost the smile when he remembered he was usually the test dummy.

Maximus walked over to the group stretching out his now tightened muscles. His shirt seemed to disappear, along with his worry of disrespecting King Cadien.

“I think I’m gonna be cramping for the next day or so with all the shocks that little spell gave me.” Maximus laughed it off by slapping Alder on his back.

Alder chuckled dryly, ignoring his shirtless body like the rest of them. He hoped this wouldn’t become a natural occurrence. He wasn’t sure his back could take it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alder noticed Eldroth off to the side training. He wondered if he had been there the whole time or if he just arrived. Alder wanted to run over and thank him for the previous day, but he thought it would be rude to run off while in the king’s presence. He’d get to it before everyone left.

“Well, then, everyone, we have a lot to discuss. Shall we head back to the palace to do so?” King Cadien put a hand on Alder’s shoulder as he spoke.

He agreed with the king. Thanking Eldroth would definitely have to wait now. King’s orders. Though Alder was sure King Cadien would let him, he felt it wouldn’t be quite right, intruding his personal training and such.

With few words spared by much of anyone, they headed back to the palace to catch Alder and Elea up to speed.

*

Of course, he saw them. How could he not? They held the attention of every Mage Knight that had been inside or had recently entered the room. Eldroth had been training since Alder left the day before.

Alder and Maximus were nothing but small dots in Eldroth’s eyes. He studied the match closer than anyone but looked at them both as if they were already dead. His mind twisted further into the depths of his own darkness, blaming everything on the ability he believed Alder had—mind control. It was a stupid thought. Eldroth knew as much; he just couldn’t chalk it up as pure skill on Alder’s part. He wouldn’t allow that idea to lay any false eggs in his head. With every fiber of his being, he believed what he told himself.

After seeing Alder’s win and assuming his magic spells, Eldroth set immediately to work on a type of magic that would counter that accursed lightning magic.

He bowed for King Cadien when he arrived. It was only fuel for his fire. It showed him just how deep Alder’s corruption affected the kingdom—all the way to the top.

Eldroth thought it was time to heighten his training even further than before. He wasn’t going to let Alder take control of his mind. He would focus on this first.

The magical pressure built around him along with the rage in his soul. Reggie watched from afar as Alder and the rest headed to the palace. Then he felt the pressure around Eldroth.

Reggie smiled. He walked over to Eldroth. “It does make you want to get stronger, doesn’t it?”

Eldroth ignored him. He didn’t know the parameters behind Alder’s mind control. Speaking to someone already under his spell could transfer it. He wasn’t going to take any risks. He might as well consider himself the only one in the kingdom with any sense left.

Reggie continued, “Seeing someone so young doing better than you. I myself have felt it time and time again with many of the Mage Knights. You’re like me when I was younger. I enjoyed the challenge of strengthening myself to new limits. Rivals are the building blocks to greatness. Pushing each other to be better than the other raises the overall quality of people everywhere.” Reggie watched the sky roll over them while he spoke, reminiscing on the past and enjoying the potential for the future of the country he would leave someday.

“I wish you luck on your training, lad.” Reggie never expected him to respond. He just enjoyed spreading his wisdom with those who would eventually inherit the world. He moved slowly back to his spot by the wall after speaking his peace.

“I’ll be damned before I lose!” Eldroth shouted out to the heavens.

Reggie turned around and gave him a smile worthy of his drive.

As mad as his thinking was, Eldroth’s resolve was set to protect the kingdom. Even from itself.

*

They returned to the palace as quickly as they left. Before soon, they were in the room they left. Cookies among other delectable treats spread out over the table.

“Don’t hold back, everyone! There is more than enough as you can see, and I can have them bring more if need be. So please.” King Cadien pushed everyone to their seats. He seemed more excited about the sweets than anything else.

It was hard to believe they would be discussing the apprehension of the guild Dromaeos. Elea’s concerns of the atmosphere in the room didn’t stop her from filling a small plate with as much as she could.

Alder was confused as to where the king who presented himself at the training grounds went. King Cadien acted just as he had when they first met; the intimidating presence was gone without a trace. Alder didn’t know how seriously he could take a king with crumbs in his beard.

Maximus joined the group last after finding a shirt. The king took that moment to bring the meeting into order.

“Now, as Alder has been appointed your protector, Elea, I take it this means you will work with us on putting down Dromaeos.” Though King Cadien asked a question, it came out as a statement to clear the air.

Elea nodded, agreeing to King Cadien’s terms like she said she would.

“Very well, then, I’ll let Maximus fill you in about why we’re after them and our courses of action already taken.”

Maximus cleared his throat with the last of his tea.

“I believe I began informing Alder on our walk yesterday when I mentioned the Coroner. He is the believed leader of Dromaeos. He was originally an Archmage serving the previous king of Gyges. He, like Elea, was on the path to learn spirit magic to strengthen the kingdom, though he took it upon himself to take a different route and started with dark magic instead of light.” Maximus looked to make sure Alder was still following.

Alder nodded, thinking dark magic sounded dangerous just in its name.

Elea spoke because she knew of Alder’s ignorance. “Dark is easily vanquished by light magic, but the wind blows both ways. Light magic can also be beaten out just the same by dark magic. Like how light shines brightest in the dark, the same can be said for a shadow in a bright room.”

Alder nodded after each explanation. He got it and wasn’t sure why Elea felt the need to explain the same thing multiple times, but he knew better than to question her teaching style.

“The reason this knowledge is important is because spirit magic is a mixture of the two, which summons powerful spirits that will help you in battle and everyday life. Though if you are not balanced out in light and dark magic, the spirit summoned will devour you whole.” With her explanation out of the way, she gave the floor back to Maximus to speak.

Picking up right where he left off, Maximus started, “After he mastered dark magic, he decided he would try for a spirit summon on just that. It was a success, and then a dark spirit came and consumed his soul. Now, it uses him as a walking vessel. As far as we know, the spirit’s only goal is to create the ultimate weapon worthy of being wielded by a spirit. He spent years hunting the strongest monsters around these parts to make conductive gear with dark magic, but nothing was good enough. Then the spirit decided to use the bones of strong mages. It must have been more promising for him because soon after, we had reports of Dromaeos and missing High Mages left and right.”

King Cadien cleared his throat to speak. “In records, not made public, the first set of conductive gear was created using war prisoners as the main source. They discovered that humans have a higher concentration of magic in their bones than monsters or other mythical beasts have. It was definitely something I never wanted to be discovered again.”

“So the whole reason they are killing all these people is for a weapon?” said Elea, upset over the absurd thought.

“Well, to sum it up, that’s what it boils down to.” Maximus nonchalantly shrugged, reaching for a cookie.

“If that’s the case, then why are there traitors among the Archmages and Mage Knights? I mean, how does this benefit them?” Alder couldn’t wrap his mind around people helping a spirit just to make a weapon, especially when the cost was other people’s lives.

King Cadien looked around the table, hoping someone else would speak for him. No luck, he knew it was his place to explain. “Politics, my boy.”

“Politics?”

“Yes, as you are aware, many of the strongest members of my nation are of noble birth. Those of weaker bloodlines see it as a way to open up room for them to become a noble, while other nobles see it as a way to get closer to me. Members of my council have changed dramatically since Dromaeos appeared. They all hire them to kill the nobles that disagree with them, and then they’ll claim their land for themselves, giving them a grander status. The Archmages themselves probably get the leftover conductive gear that the corner sees no need for.” King Cadien moved to fill up another plate to eat away his sorrows.

“Can’t you just take these people out of their positions and charge them for the crimes?” Alder wanted to ask the names so he could deal out the punishment himself. Forsaking another’s life just to get ahead made his blood boil.

King Cadien looked exhausted by the thought. “I have tried that, my boy. After that, everyone involved in the case seemed to disappear. As a person rather than a king, I am tired of losing the people around me that I had put my trust in. That is why I am banking on both of you to be just what this kingdom needs to turn our situation around.”

Elea put her hand on Alder’s shoulder and looked at King Cadien. “We will do whatever is within our power. Just give us the order.”

King Cadien was grateful to have their help, and he let the emotion show on his face. It made Alder think that he really wasn’t hiding anything from them.

Maximus spoke in the king’s stead. “Just the same as His Majesty, I am honored to have the help of two astounding mages. That being said, I would like some time to think on our next course of action. Of course, I will let you know of any and all details, along with deciding some things. I will call on you both when a plan of action has been sorted out. But for now, Alder, you will be receiving the title of protector and High Mage. With these titles, you will also receive a monthly wage befitting your status.”

Alder was speechless for a few reasons. He was surprised that Maximus the Shirtless could use such an official tone. Also, he had done it. Apart from all the chaos ensuing the kingdom, he had accomplished his goal. He had a job. His trip really wasn’t for nothing.

“How much will the monthly wage be?”

“The same as an Archmage, like Elea, forty thousand korum.” Maximus pointed at Elea while he spoke.

Alder’s jaw almost hit the floor. He didn’t really have a use for money as it was now. It made him nervous thinking about the large amount of money. He’d probably send most of it home to his parents since they’d have an idea of what to do with it.

“I would love to stay and chat with everyone, but if we have concluded today’s talk, I have more meetings today. So if you’ll excuse me.” King Cadien got up to leave.

Maximus shot up and bowed quickly. “Forgive my selfishness, Your Majesty. I forgot you had the busiest schedule in the kingdom.”

King Cadien smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s Cadien, Maximus, and I would never miss a meeting that would make our glorious kingdom safer.”

The meeting was adjourned.

Maximus left to gather information from his knights.

That left Elea and Alder to wonder around. Before long, they made it to the edge of the castle.

“Well, Aldy, would you like to supervise my training for a bit outside the castle walls?”

Alder glared at Elea with the faintest of smiles on his lips. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, E.” It wasn’t much. Alder thought it was good enough to call Elea on the spot. He also didn’t want to go too far and get himself killed outside the castle walls.

She chuckled and punched his arm. The two hurriedly made their way to the woods a ways away from the palace. Neither of them wanted to waste a moment they could spend getting stronger.

*

“I see. So father has them wrapped around his finger. Thank you for keeping me updated. You may take your leave now.” Azuri slumped into her chair as soon as the door shut.

Her guard had informed her of every word discussed in the meeting held by Maximus and King Cadien.

“Your bad habits seem to get worse when things get a little tough. You’ll have to work on that for when you’re the queen. Queens show no weakness, even to their confidants.” Shona was putting on a new pot of tea. She wasn’t even watching Azuri, but she could feel her acting like less of a lady behind her.

“Would you like some advice moving forward, my dear?” Shona sat down before pouring them both a new cup.

“No, thank you, Shona. I have an inkling that I’ll need to move up getting to know Alder. Mainly before Maximus goes on the move again. His planning should take him no longer than a week. If I make my move before then, I will have put a stud in the door that can never be removed.” Thanking Shona for her cup, she took a sip.

“Wonderful! I see I had nothing to worry about. You’re putting your teachings to practice better than I could have ever imagined. I’m very proud of you, dear. I’m sure your mother would be more so than me.” Shona smiled wholeheartedly at the girl she loved as her own.

“With a great teacher like you and Mother, I wouldn’t let down anyone who put their faith in me.” Her jubilant pink lips spread wide on her face showed her beauty more than she could fathom.

“I wish that was true for your manners, my dear.” Shona’s words stabbed into Azuri just enough to tickle her pride.

As a result, they both laughed on through the day and well into the night about Azuri’s incurable habits.

*

Alder and Elea arrived back to Capital City’s wall a little after sundown. Before they left, Elea informed the guards that they would be training and weren’t sure when they would be back, along with the fact that they didn’t have their papers with them. They only allowed it when they were recognized by the guard who let them into the city. Vincent gave them the go-ahead and spread the word among the wall guards.

Evidently enough when they arrived back, it was Vincent who was waiting for them.

“You guys sure know how to train! I thought I would have to send a scouting party to find you. There are some decently strong monsters in those parts.”

“You don’t have to worry about us.” Alder laughed. “Elea’s the scariest thing you’d run into out there.”

Vincent looked like he wanted to laugh, but he also seemed terrified of what would happen if he did.

Elea had magical pressure building in the air, enough to make some strangers walking past faint.

“What was that, Alder? I didn’t quite hear you?”

Alder almost turned white at the question. Thankfully, Vincent lent a hand by faking a cough.

“Actually, I stayed at the wall because I would be honored if I could have a drink with the two of you. I may not look it, but I am of age.”

“Oh really? That sounds great. We’ll be staying in Capital City for a while. Making some friends here would be nice,” said Elea, restabilizing her magic pressure.

“Great. Where’d you guys wanna go?” Vincent showed a toothy grin.

Alder thought he must be a big drinker by the way he got excited.

“Actually, I’m pretty sure I can get us a discount at the place we’re staying.” Elea beamed, also getting excited at the prospect of getting others drunk. She and Alder weren’t big drinkers, but they had their fair share of fun getting his parents and some of the surrounding villages drunk every so often.

Vincent enjoyed the sound of discounted alcohol very much, so the three of them set out for Ray’s Summer Sunset.

They entered the building just as the nightlife festivities were getting underway. Vincent picked out a table near the bar so they could refill easily.

Summer rushed to serve them upon noticing their arrival. “What can I get for you guys today?”

“Well, Summer, today, we intend to drink, and I would be honored to have you as company drinking with us. Think you can manage?” Elea was already getting a foxy grin. She went after the weakest link.

“Why, of course, Ms. Elea. I wouldn’t turn down a drink with someone such as yourself. In fact, the first three rounds will be on the house for what you’ve done.” Summer almost skipped away to get drinks.

Alder guessed that it was just the type of night when everyone was in the mood to have some fun.

“I take it you are already famous here, then, Ms. Elea?” Vincent asked, curious of the way Summer behaved.

“You could say that.” Elea just smiled, while Alder rolled his eyes.

Vincent didn’t pursue it any further. He was just happy to be among a future Archmage and her company.

Summer sat down with a tray of mugs.

“Drink up, everybody. We’ve got plenty to go around.”

Alder had flashbacks to the king and his table of sweets. He didn’t let it faze him. He reached for a mug and set to work. After a nice-sized swig, he asked Summer, “What about other customers? Will drinking with us get in the way of work?”

“Of course not! I have plenty of capable hands around here to do it for me.” She finished by taking a sizable drink herself.

Alder looked around the room and noticed there were more workers than just her. Two of which being the men Summer had by the hair the night before. They must have been making up for the trouble they caused.

“Chug! Chug! Chug!” Elea was egging on Vincent to finish his mug in one go. Funny enough, he complied.

Alder watched in awe as the golden liquid vanished from the mug. His assumption must have been correct. Vincent was one heck of a drinker. Or so he thought.

Vincent slammed the mug onto the table. Those who were brought to watch by the famous “Chug” chant roared in praise. Vincent, however, stared at the edge of the table. His nose twitched. He threw his head back.

“Aaachoooo!” Vincent’s head flung forward with a force unlike anything seen before.

A loud thud silenced the whole room. Vincent slammed his head into the table and crumpled to the floor.

No one moved or breathed. The world was silent as the man on the floor.

Alder looked at Elea then back to the spot Vincent was sitting.

Suddenly revived, Vincent stood loud and proud. “Let’s drink another!” The room erupted in cheers for a second time.

The rest of the night went well with singing, food, and even more liquor. Ray’s Summer Sunset stayed open up until the moment when the last man dropped.

*

The sun brightly shone through the window of their room. Endless cycles of pain filled the emptiness of Alder’s head. He let out a dreadful groan to drown out the sound of Capital City bustling outside.

Alder looked around at a snail’s pace, trying to recollect how he got to bed. Elea was asleep on her bed. Even after a night like that, she looked breathtaking to him. Her hair spread out behind her like the golden wings of an angel. The sight almost took the aching pain away from him. He laid back down, deciding he’d give sleep another go.

When Elea was sure he passed out again, she got up and started getting ready for the morning. She didn’t drink nearly as much as the rest of them. It didn’t stop her from getting everyone to the same level as the others, though. She tallied the night as a win for her.

She exited the room quiet as a mouse. She felt bad making Alder drink as much as he did, so she’d give him the small peace of sleeping in.

She found a table by herself in the corner. She only ordered a coffee because she’d rather eat late than alone. She didn’t think she would have to wait long for Alder to make his way downstairs.

An older man resembling Archmage Albor handed Elea her coffee. “I take it you’re the Archmage that gave this place such a riot last night?” The older man had weathered gentle features from years of serving the people.

“I’m not quite an Archmage yet, but yes, I am mostly to blame for last night’s riot.” Elea felt bad being called out right away by the staff. “It is quite all right, Ms. Elea. I’m sure everyone had their fair share of fun along with no damage done to my building. A night like that was needed in this part of town.” His features were sweet while he talked, and yet his voice was tinged with sadness.

“I’m glad you feel that way. Also, forgive me for being rude, but are you Ray, the owner?” Elea wanted to change the subject while confirming a growing suspicion.

“Yes, I am, and I must say you have grown into a fine young lady from the time you visited last.”

“Thank you! I’m surprised you recognized me after all these years.”

“I never forget a face, and your celebration being named the prodigy was something I nor any who were here that day would soon forget. When Summer told me a potential Archmage came and helped out the place, I had a feeling it was the same little girl who announced herself upon entering the building all those years ago.”

Elea blushed, remembering how proud she was to be called the prodigy back then. Shortly after, the thought always followed sadness. She pushed it away before it showed on her face.

“Is Summer all right after last night?”

“Quite. She’ll be fine when she wakes up a few hours from now.” He chuckled at the thought. “Though before I tend to other customers, I was wondering how your father is. I remember him bringing you here. He often visited this place upon coming to Capital City to sell crops and whatnot.”

Elea took a deep breath. It was a topic she avoided, but she couldn’t leave the kind man hanging, especially if he was well acquainted with her father.

“Unfortunately, shortly after that visit, him and my mother passed away.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. He seemed like an amazing fellow. I’d assume the same for your mother. I’m glad things have still worked out for you” His eyes looked concerned like he wanted to know more. He knew better than to ask, though.

Elea was about to speak when she spotted Alder on the stairs. She smiled. “Things have worked out much better than I could have imagined.”

Ray followed her gaze. He gave a slight bow and said, “I see. Let me go get another cup and some breakfast for you two.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it very much.”

Alder passed Ray on his way to the table. When he sat down, he asked, “Is it just me, or does he look like an older more dignified version of that one Archmage that gave us a problem?”

Elea giggled. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s his dad.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope. King Cadien did tell me that Archmage Albor was a part of the family who owned this place.”

Alder looked over his shoulder.

“Now that you say that, I do remember you telling me.”

Ray came over and set down their coffee.

“Breakfast should be out in just a moment.” He excused himself and walked away.

“Are you training with Vincent today?” Elea asked Alder in between sips.

The question hit him like a brick. “What?”

“Last night, Vincent asked to do some training with you on his off day, and you agreed.”

“I don’t remember that at all.”

“Yeah, he said he’d meet you at the castle wall at some point so you guys could do some speed training over a long distance.” Elea was holding back a chuckle at Alder’s lack of memory.

Ray placed down their food.

“Please do enjoy.” He bowed slightly and then excused himself from the table.

Fried eggs on top of ham and potatoes cooked in the hams grease. If Alder’s stomach didn’t hurt, he would have been more ecstatic about the meal.

“Don’t you need me at all times, though, as your protector?” asked Alder, breaking open the eggs.

Elea shrugged. “No. You would be a nuisance if that were the case.”

Alder took that as a sign he wasn’t needed. “Okay, then. Looks like I’m training with Vincent today.”

The rest of their breakfast was filled with stories Alder couldn’t remember and stories he didn’t want to remember from last night.

*

Sunlight pierced the clouds with similar intensity that burned deep into Alder’s corneas. His hangover took its sweet time fading from pain to physical fatigue.

Despite drinking the night before, breakfast with Elea left him feeling intoxicated. Every so often, she was an angel in the morning. The way she playfully messed with him, showed him she was in a pleasant mood, and knowing that brought Alder more joy than he’d ever admit to himself. When Elea smiled, her stunning thunderous gaze clouded his mind for hours to come.

“Hey there!”

A shout burst through the towns toiling. Alder searched the faces that moved past him until he made eye contact with the owner of the voice.

Vincent carefully pushed his way through the crowded area as he made way for Alder. “Man, last night was a blast, wasn’t it?”

“I guess it was. Elea filled me in on most of it this morning.”

“That’s good. I may need you to fill me in on some spots that aren’t quite matching up for me.” Vincent laughed it off, but his face said he was pretty serious about it.

It made Alder wonder if he had even made it home. In fact, Alder realized that Vincent was wearing his guard armor. If they were going to do speed training, that would weigh him down greatly.

Vincent must have noticed the bewilderment behind Alder’s eyes.

“The armor offered by the kingdom is lighter than you think. Also, speed training works best with extra weight, right?”

Alder laughed and agreed.

Vincent was another Elea when it came to training. He was looking forward to the training a little less now, though it didn’t stop him from leaving Capital City with him.

Rows of crops spread out in front of them. Shadows of billowing clouds moved across the landscape like bison running across the plains. Wind graced them with its coolness as they walked. When they reached a point where the travelers were more spread out, Vincent spoke. “All right, Alder, how about a race to the forest in the distance?”

Alder looked around. The only line of trees he could see was on the horizon. He pointed at it with a dumbfounded look.

“Yup, that’s the one. Shouldn’t be too hard for someone who has trained under the prodigy all these years.”

“I take it word has spread?”

“Yes, sir, everyone in my squad has done nothing but talk about your victory over Maximus.”

“Squad? Are you a Mage Knight, Vincent?”

“Yup! All of the outer wall guards are handpicked by Lad—I mean, Archmage Shona. She specializes in barrier type magic, so she’s in charge of maintaining Capital City’s barriers.”

“Huh, that’s interesting.” Alder didn’t want to say too much, knowing Vincent was a Mage Knight. He could very well be one of the traitors to the kingdom, so Alder decided to keep tight-lipped for the most part.

“Well, then, are you up for it, Alder?”

“Yeah. Just let me know when you’re ready to get beat.” Alder scoffed. Just because he was being cautious doesn’t mean he was going to lose his competitive streak.

Vincent let his young age show, taking the bait and starting before Alder was ready.

*

Elea sighed.

Sighs had been bountiful since Alder’s departure. She told him to go and have fun training, yet she didn’t so much feel like doing some herself. She rotated on her bed for the umpteenth time. It was times like these when she would normally head to Alder’s house and petranize him, and if he wasn’t there, his parents were more than welcoming when they saw her.

“Fine!” she exclaimed to herself.

It was no time to be sitting around bored all day. There was only one thing she could do at a time like this—shop!

Elea looked in the mirror at her tomboy clothes.

“Yup, this won’t be able to compete with that little girl Azuri.”

Determined, she made her way toward the inner gate, where she could find dresses good enough to show Her Highness up.

Elea didn’t visit the noble shopping district on any of her prior trips. She had always shied away from the more feminine side of anything. She didn’t have a need. In the surrounding area she and Alder came from, Elea was without a doubt the most beautiful girl to be born within walking distance of Alder. That being the case, she didn’t have to try hard to please his lustrous gaze. The furthest she had ever gone was doing her hair. For her, it was a lot, not that Alder ever acknowledged the fact.

Torn, she came across two shops. Both had windows lined with breathtaking dresses. The reason she was torn came from the customers coming out of each store. On the left, ladies came out looking marvelous, but their prudish nature ruined their whole ensemble. The store to the right was almost ruined by the amount of snickering that came from the girls in the store.

Elea’s quick decision-making skills were put to the test. She needed to beat Alder home so she could surprise him along with Azuri. Then Elea remembered. “Prissy ladies are usually dressed better!” Stereotype it may have been, Elea believed it was the correct choice.

The ladies standing outside who overheard her little outburst were less enthused. Not that Elea had intended ill will with her comment. She just couldn’t help but create trouble wherever she went.

An hour flew past for Elea. She felt she had harassed the clerks at the store enough, finally settling on a dress that seemed to have been made for her. The dress was a blue of the deepest hue that sparkled every time light graced its presence, armless, slightly open in the front and along the sides to show some skin. Above her knees, the dress ended with ruffles of blue and black. It fit her figure to a T.

After spending half her pay on the dress, she made a beeline for the inn.

No later than she turned the corner she heard an “Oops!” followed by the snickering of two ladies walking the opposite direction as Elea.

She looked down at the dress in her hands.

The edge of the ruffles were up in smoke from grazing one of the lady’s hands.

Elea swatted at the growing embers on her dress. They fell off with pieces of her dress. She held it up, ignoring the laughter that arose from behind her.

“Just the edges. I can still work with this.” Elea folded the dress and held it close to her body to ensure nothing happened to it again. Then she looked over her shoulder, silencing the ladies laughing behind her.

“You’re lucky. If any more of this dress was ruined, I would have had to commit murder for a petty reason.” The air was as frigid as Elea’s voice, taking away the breath of the two behind Elea.

Elea walked away, letting her immense magical pressure linger around the ladies so the feeling could settle in their bones—the feeling that death could grasp hold of their soul at any moment.

When Elea was out of range, the two collapsed where they stood, unable to pull strength from anything. It was like their will to live had been crushed and repeatedly stomped on in a mere instant. Fear would stick with them for years to come, of the time they came across the prodigy.”

*

Rose-colored skies filled Alder’s view while he lay in the grass off to the side of the main trail. Alder initially won the first race by a long shot. Vincent arrived immediately, declaring he would beat Alder back.

That was a few hours ago. He fought constantly to stay awake until Vincent arrived.

Soon, the sound of grass crunching, followed by armor creaking, reached Alder’s ears. He sat up to see an exhausted Vincent looming over him.

“You really suck, you know that?” he voiced his displeasure with a hoarse single breath.

Alder couldn’t hold back his laugh. To make up for it, he threw Vincent a pouch of water.

“Thank . . . you,” Vincent said in between gulps of water.

“I take it you’re not up for a sparring session back at the training grounds, are you?”

“Like hell I’m not! By the time we make it over there, I’ll be ready to mop the floor with you!” Vincent grinned, making a face like he wasn’t bothered by the thought.

Alder stood up and patted Vincent on the shoulder.

“You wanna race there?”

“All right now, that’s not even funny.”

They both laughed, moving toward the road to begin their walk back to Capital City.

In between the breaks they gave themselves, Vincent became more and more comfortable joking around with Alder. It gave Alder peace of mind. He was sure a traitor to the kingdom couldn’t joke around so easily with others. He knew this thinking was naive, but he wanted to believe that Vincent was a good guy.

“Were you serious about sparring?” Vincent wiped the sweat of his brow, trying to hide his fatigue.

Alder chewed on the idea for a moment. He had been joking, and yet the thought sounded relaxing to him.

“Yeah, if you’re up for it, I’d like to see what you’ve got.”

“Sounds good to me. It’s not every day I get to train with someone of your caliber. So I’ll take what I can get.”

Alder’s eyes looked up, wondering what he meant by his last statement. He decided to take it the best way possible.

Joking insults filled the majority of the trip back to the wall.

The approach would never get old, how the wall wrapped around the kingdom, keeping it from dangers born from the outside world. He felt lucky having the opportunity to live in such a magnificent place. It still didn’t touch his heart like returning to his home in the country, though it wasn’t far off.

He wondered what Elea’s thoughts were after her training was done. Would she go back to her empty house, or would she decide to stay in Capital City? His fingers ran through his coarse hair. Alder wasn’t sure what he would do after everything was over himself.

“No point in thinking that far into the future, is there?”

“You say something?” Vincent’s kind features reminded Alder of when he first met him in front of the wall.

“Nah, just talking to myself.”

“Oh, you’re one of those, aren’t you?”

Alder’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“What? One of those what?”

“You know, those crazy people who talk to themselves in public. I’ve heard rumors that those are the kind of people kept under surveillance because you never quite know about them.”

“No, I have never heard that before, and that rumor itself just sounds preposterous.”

“Sounds like something one of those people would say.”

“Whatever. Either way, shouldn’t you be preparing to talk our way back into the city.”

“Oh, it shouldn’t be too hard. They all should know my face. I’m pretty high up in my squad, believe it or not!” Vincent had an uptick of pride in his voice.

“Oh.” Alder played it off like he wasn’t as impressed. On the inside, however, he could tell the kid had a natural knack for leadership. In that aspect, he reminded Alder of Elea.

Like Vincent had said, the two passed through the gate fairly easily. It was dragged out by the other guards recognizing him and talking, which made their return take slightly longer than usual.

The sun’s rays were no longer visible beyond the gate, giving the world a twilight tint.

“I think we can still get in a round or two before it’s too late. What do you think, Alder?”

Alder looked at the approaching darkness and agreed. Elea could wait a little longer for supper. Then again, he was sure she was already gorging herself at supper. He’d be fine with leftovers if that was the case.

*

Reggie stayed as late as the last person training. Every night, it never failed. About fifteen people still remained after sunset.

They always asked if he needed to be home, but he would always respond with the same line. “I’ve made my wife wait this long, so what’s a little longer?” They would laugh, assuming Reggie didn’t want to go home because he knew a nagging wife waited for him there.

This night, the same as any other started off with his famous saying. Shortly after, a couple of young mages approached him. “Is it true you helped train the mage who beat Maximus?” Excitement and awe displayed themselves over their facial features.

Reggie chuckled, telling them, “No. That young man was showing me spells I had never given the slightest chance of testing—lightning magic buffs!”

The news shocked them, along with others who came over to see and hear what tips the keeper of the hall was giving.

Soon, a group surrounded Reggie, buzzing over the mage who used a strictly offensive type magic for buff spells.

Though, one man stayed off to the side, listening to each and every word carefully for they clung to him like the claws of a predator trapping its prey. His breathing, which began haggardly, became calm and focused. Magical pressure started to build around him.

One of the mages listening to the talk about Alder noticed just in time to hear the man speak to himself in a cold tone. “I shall save you all.”

*

As Alder and Vincent reached the training grounds, Alder thought to himself the place looked darker than he imagined it would be.

Vincent spoke. “Usually, Reggie uses magic to light the place up at night. Sometimes, if nobody stays too late to train, Reggie will close the place down like this.”

“Does that mean we can’t go in?”

“No, we should be fine. There’s enough light out for us to train in the coliseum. But it is a little weird.”

“What is?”

“Some of my subordinates said they would be training late into the night today. I guess they went home early.”

Alder looked up at the structure. In the dark, it gave off an eerie vibe.

“Well, let’s get to it. I can’t keep Elea waiting forever.” Alder moved to enter the building.

Vincent hurriedly followed behind him.

Alder wasn’t sure why he took the lead. He still wasn’t that familiar with the building. Vincent, being a Mage Knight and all, would have had a better idea of where to walk in the dark. They turned a corner, and the outside light from the doors disappeared.

Then Alder remembered he wasn’t with Elea. Magic that could help him in little events like this, he could use! He held out his hand and filled it with a glowing ball of fire.

He regretted it immediately.

In between the flickers of shadows produced by his fingers, he saw a puddle just before the next turn into the actual coliseum.

Alder wasn’t blessed enough to not know what it was. Neither was Vincent. They knew it was blood. Vincent looked at Alder, his voice was quiet but firm. His training kicked in.

“Alder, I want you to check out what’s going on up there. If anyone is in there, detain them, but don’t do anything rash if they seem out of your league. I’m going to run to the barracks down the street and bring some backup. Think you can handle that?”

Alder nodded. He was being trusted by a knight to make sure nothing else happened. Whether he wanted to or not was out of the question. Vincent gave him a pat on the shoulder before taking off to get more guards.

With Vincent gone, Alder took a deep breath. He told himself it was just like the stories.

“A true knight doesn’t turn away a request with lives on the line,” he whispered this to himself and marched forward despite the fear beating at his knees.

Alder reached the puddle. The blood had already caked to the floor, and Alder could barely breathe. His eyes traced the ground searching for its source. He didn’t want to find it, but he could feel it in his chest.

The source was close.

He turned the corner into the main coliseum.

His breathing was morbidly slow, hitting his chest with each long exhale. A sheen of cold sweat made his clothes cling to him, making it harder to draw in the stale air that hung around him.

That was when he saw them.

Multiple bodies littered the ground just before the entrance.

Horrendous scents, the like that had never hit his nostrils before, crashed into him like a wave. He held back the unbearable urge to puke.

“ALDER!” a voice called out to him.

Standing no more than a stone’s throw away from him, among the corpses, was Eldroth.

“I knew you would come back here to use your magic and continue to mislead these poor people.”

Alder didn’t know how to respond to his bizarre statement.

Eldroth continued, “It’s a real shame you caused the death of these great people. Alas, it had to be done to save them from your rotten mind control. If only I had more time to find a way to destroy the spell without causing them harm.”

Alder was horrified. He had no clue what Eldroth was ranting on about, but he said it was Alder’s fault. Alder looked over the small sea of people slaughtered in his name. That’s when he saw him. Reggie’s body sprawled out in front of Eldroth. The life that was in his eyes before was gone.

Alder’s fist’s clenched at the sight. Alder had no time to feel sorry for himself. They were innocent, just bystanders in whatever crazy ideals Eldroth had cooked up in his head. They never deserved to die. Alder had been asked to do something. Now, he had even more of a reason to capture Eldroth.

Eldroth noticed where Alder had focused on. He kneeled and closed Reggie’s eyes.

“You even convinced this grand man that I was here training and getting stronger because I saw you as a rival.” He laughed maniacally. “How pathetic of you to even force him to take pity on me! This won’t be forgiven until all the traitorous commoners like you die, like the pitiful vermin you are!” Spittle flew from his mouth, carrying the aggressive words with them.

Alder watched the way Eldroth stood and moved away from the bodies.

“Silent in the face of your crimes, I take it. Not that it matters. Luckily, with this, no more valuable lives need to be lost, just yours, and I’m sure your spell will dissipate along with your life.” When Eldroth was clear of the bodies around him, magical energy pulsed through the air.

Alder said nothing. He was beginning to grasp Eldroth’s words and their meaning. He wasn’t sure he wanted to, but something Elea had told him came to the front of his mind.

To know your enemy’s intentions is half the battle.

That concerned him, along with the respect Eldroth was showing to the people he ruthlessly murdered before Alder’s arrival.

His thoughts didn’t stop him from moving away from the bodies either. Alder told himself he wouldn’t let harm befall their bodies any further. They would be buried properly when Eldroth was restrained.

Eldroth’s body armament magic covered his whole body, beautifully taking form as a heavy armor that surpassed what Alder had seen the palace guards wore.

Alder knew he could have attacked while Eldroth prepared his magic, but he didn’t feel it would be the right thing to do. Not with an opponent like this. Plus, Alder was fairly confident in his speed when he unleashed his spell since heavy armor is just that—heavy.

Blue sparks began hopping around Alder. The air was getting drier by the second.

Eldroth kicked off the ground, closing the distance between them in an instant. He was low to the ground with his hand outstretched to the side.

Alder had a brief moment of panic. He could only see Eldroth’s eyes through the magic armor. They bore into him with a sense of malice Alder had never felt before.

In Eldroth’s outstretched hand, a sword made of pure magic formed. Eldroth brought it up, slashing at Alder.

Alder jumped back with only a breadth to spare.

Eldroth’s murderous intent was relentless. He charged again and again, just missing Alder by the slimmest of margins. While Alder dodged slash after slash, he was storing magic in the tips of his fingers. He decided the spell he used on Maximus would be the most efficient thing to do. It would also allow him to get answers out of him.

It didn’t take long, with Eldroth slashing wildly about. Alder was glad Eldroth didn’t seem to be skilled with the sword he used. Alder just needed to create some distance between them so he could shoot off the spell without losing an arm in the process.

Just then, Eldroth jumped back.

Alder knew it was his chance. He aimed for the spot he would land and fired.

It was a direct hit.

Eldroth stumbled back a couple of steps before stopping and outstretching his arm and creating a bow out of magic.

Alder was at a loss. It should have put him down, yet Eldroth was preparing another spell.

“I saw you use that trick against Maximus. I won’t fall for something so pathetic.” He knocked an arrow he created in his other hand and fired.

Alder stepped to the side with plenty of time. The arrow pierced the wall then disappeared.

Eldroth knocked another and fired.

Alder moved again, thinking it was becoming a waste of time until the arrow split into fractions of itself.

Alder’s left arm and leg were peppered by the arrows. He quickly retreated further to the side in case another arrow was coming.

But Eldroth had anticipated this. He was next to Alder with a giant magic shield. He put all his weight into bashing Alder with it.

Alder went crashing into the wall. He was dazed, and blood trickled from the wounds he received from the arrows. Not that it was something he could worry about. He got to his feet as quick as he could and searched the arena for Eldroth.

Eldroth stood where he hit Alder with his shield, only now, he held the bow again, ready to shoot.

Alder cursed under his breath. He didn’t think he would have such a rough time with a guy that Elea sent packing.

Eldroth shot an arrow to one side of Alder then again to his other side.

Alder smiled.

Eldroth was trying to draw him in to a close combat fight.

Alder complied, kicking of the wall with his good leg. Blue sparks increased the speed at which they appeared.

This time, Alder had the low ground coming in. Eldroth held a mace above his head, bringing it down with excruciating force.

Alder grabbed Eldroth by his elbows, stopping the mace in midswing.

Eldroth tried to drop the mace on Alder’s head, but as soon as it left his hands, it began to dissipate.

Alder took the moment to shove Eldroth’s arms up, immediately moving to take his legs. Alder picked up Eldroth and slammed him on the ground before he could react.

Eldroth tried to catch his breath behind his magic helmet, but Alder wasn’t feeling so merciful. He raised his leg and brought it down on Eldroth’s chest.

A crack appeared in the magic armor where Alder kicked. He moved to do it again, but Eldroth had already recovered enough.

He created a knife in his hand and slashed at Alder’s left leg.

Alder jumped back, blood leaking to the floor. He looked down. His left side couldn’t take any more damage.

Alder took a deep breath then gritted his teeth. Every wound that bled on his body stopped. His left side smoked, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.

Eldroth stood up in time to see what Alder had done.

“You would cauterize your own wounds just to defeat me. I must say, you are truly determined to take this kingdom over. I won’t let that happen. My family still needs to be recognized again.” Eldroth outstretched both of his hands. Spiked knuckles appeared on the magic gauntlets, he charged.

His words clung to Alder as he blocked every punch Eldroth threw. Each punch was meant to kill. Alder pushed them harmlessly to the side. He put together why Eldroth had done everything, or at least, the reason Eldroth created for doing everything.

Alder saw an opening and covered his fist in dense magic and punched Eldroth in the face. The magic helmet crumbled away.

“You have murdered these people on a misunderstanding. I don’t know where you got mind control from, but I don’t have it. Now, if you let yourself be detained, guards should be here any minute to have you face punishment for your crimes.”

Eldroth covered his ears. “I WON’T LET YOUR MAGIC WORK ON ME!” he shouted until his magic helmet reformed.

“There’s no way what you say is true. You may have the rest of the kingdom fooled, but I won’t fall as easily. No . . . NO MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WILL EVER FALL TO A COMMONER AGAIN!” he roared and charged Alder once again.

Alder was waiting for it, though. He put his palm on Eldroth’s chest where a crack had appeared before and released a bolt of lightning.

The coliseum flashed with energy and then fell silent.

A man was dead. No matter how devoid of reason, he fought for what he believed in until his dying breath.

That’s what pained Alder the most. He respected his unbending will. Eldroth had been like the chivalrous knights Alder read about and loved. He followed his code even though it meant death. Alder felt a wall building itself between them. If killing everyone you once called your friend is knightly, then he wanted no part of it.

The bodies in the arena said there was another way to do things. Alder would just have to find it.

Alder held Eldroth up until he could lay him down.

Alder stood up, gazing down at Eldroth’s limp body. The hole in his chest was proof that he had won, and any further danger had been avoided.

Unlike the time he bested Maximus in a match, this victory didn’t taste sweet. It was more bitter than anything he had tasted before, almost to the point of making him sick.

He swallowed the feeling, forcing his body to calm down. He looked over to the bodies by the entrance. It would be disrespectful to all the lives that had been lost there. He had to be strong so their souls could still find peace.

“I see you held back for quite a while. You’ll get yourself killed if you’re not careful, boy.”

Alder jumped back into a fighting stance, facing the direction the voice came from.

An older gentleman stood off to the side of the bodies near the entrance. His expression was naturally cold, and his deep blue eyes chilled Alder to the core. He wore dark clothes and had a weapon Alder couldn’t quite see on his hip.

“The name’s Otto. I’m an Archmage and squad leader for the kingdom. I came across Vincent on the street. He should be arriving shortly with guards. So rest assured, you can lower your guard for the time being.”

Alder believed him but kept his guard. He could feel the power emanating from the man.

He was dangerous, maybe even more terrifying than Elea. That was the impression Otto’s demeanor gave.

“I take it you watched the fight? Why didn’t you help?” Alder lowered his hands but kept a fighting stance.

Otto smiled. While walking closer to Alder, he explained, “I didn’t feel the need to intrude. Word reached me on how well you did with Maximus. I just saw firsthand why you beat the fool.” Otto walked around the bodies like they were bushes in a field, not acknowledging any of them.

Alder was getting angry with how the man acted toward them, along with why he neglected to help.

“If you had helped, we could have taken him alive, and no one else would have had to die.” Alder’s voice was quiet.

Otto stopped just short of Eldroth’s body. “Really? You could have easily dragged out the fight until reinforcements arrived. If I had to say, you just wanted him dead for what he did, right?” Otto looked down on Eldroth’s body. “You know, in many aspects, no matter how old we grow, we are all childish in many ways. Eldroth’s and your actions were a good example of this.” Otto shook his head, appearing disappointed more than anything else.

Alder clenched his teeth. Otto was right, if he had just taken a step back and given it more time, Eldroth would still be alive.

“Though it doesn’t really matter. For the crimes Eldroth has committed, he would be executed by morning. And if you hadn’t killed him then, I would have.” Otto’s voice was serious and harsh.

To Alder, it seemed that Otto no longer saw Eldroth as a person, or it was because he saw Eldroth as a person that he saw death as a fitting punishment. Alder wasn’t sure.

Otto rested his hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Alder tensed.

“Don’t trouble yourself, boy. I’m not in the mood for quarrelling.”

Alder stayed weary while studying the weapon. It had a long shaft with intricate details and a rather large ball on the end covered in spikes. Alder recognized it as a morning star. A type of mace made with the intention of putting down enemies as brutally as possible.

“Is that conductive gear?”

Otto looked down at his weapon.

“Yes, it is. When you’ve been an Archmage as long as I have, things like this are useful.”

Alder wanted to take a step back. If he did, it would show just how much he didn’t trust the man in front of him, so all he could do was stand in anticipation for what Otto would do.

Then he heard a call from the other side of the room.

“Hey, Alder, did you detain the culprit?” Vincent was jogging up to them, followed by a troop of about ten guards. Before reaching them, he gave orders to the guards, and some ran to the bodies, others went to search the building, and the rest followed him.

Vincent looked down on Eldroth’s body.

“They even got Eldroth of Albor’s squad. Did you guy’s figure anything out?” Vincent waited patiently for Otto or Alder to talk.

Otto nudged his head in Alder’s direction.

Alder swallowed. It was only right if he told him since Vincent seemed to know who he was.

Alder explained everything that had happened, up to before Otto made his presence known.

Vincent’s facial features ran through a range of emotions as Alder spoke. It pained Alder to tell him he took his life. He wondered if Vincent had known Eldroth really well. If so, he had to think of some way to make it up to him.

After a moment of silence, Vincent issued orders to the other guards behind him. They ran to relay the news to the others.

Vincent faced Alder. “As a fellow Mage Knight, I should have been the one to deal with him. I shouldn’t have burdened you with such a task.” Vincent sighed deeply. Alder winced. “Sadly, I don’t think the outcome would have been the same. I would be the one laying on the ground now. Alder, I cannot thank you enough!” Vincent bowed deeply.

Alder didn’t think he could accept such a thanks. He didn’t feel worthy.

“I’m to blame. Your words are wasted on me, Vincent. His thinking may have been mad and twisted, but he killed these people in my name. Their blood is on my hands. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

Vincent reached out and put his hand on Alder’s shoulder.

“Look, Alder, in no way, shape, or form, is this your fault. You were not in control of Eldroth’s actions when he did what he did, and better than that, you stopped him before he did it to anyone else.”

His words were reassuring and kind. Alder still felt he needed to do something. He looked out over the bodies being covered in cloth by the guards.

“Before, Reggie mentioned to me he had a wife. At the very least, let me give her the news so she can take her anger out on me and not the Mage Knights who protect the kingdom.”

Vincent exchanged glances with Otto. Otto nodded his approval.

“I’ll take you there tomorrow.” Vincent smiled, but it looked painful to Alder.

Alder knew Vincent was just worried about him, but he felt he had to do at least this much. Alder hadn’t talked to Reggie too much, but every time he did, he was given kindness and advice. He would honor that memory the only way he knew how, with the living.

Shortly after, Otto told them he would take over all the paperwork and reporting what had happened and that if they were needed, he would send for them. So Vincent informed Alder of where to meet in the morning, and then they parted ways.

Alder drifted back to the inn without much thought on anything. He stood outside the entrance with people moving around him in the crowded street. Alder stared at his hand. He clenched his fist. He never wanted to forget the anguish that came with taking another’s life, even if he was in the right.

He walked into the inn. The smell of food poured into his nostrils. He wanted to say he was hungry, but the smell of delicious food only made his stomach hurt.

He surveyed the room for Elea. He didn’t see her, so he clung to the wall like a shadow and headed for their room.

The door’s handle felt like ice in his hand. He opened and closed it quietly, not looking around the room to see Elea.

He turned, and there she was, smiling at him. He felt the world start to crumble outside.

Elea noticed something was wrong. She jumped up and embraced him.

Alder wrapped his arms around her but didn’t let himself cry like the kid inside of him wanted to. It may have been what his soul needed. The man inside told him otherwise. At least, not in front of Elea. He held on to her for as long as she’d allow. Though like all things, he knew it would come to an end.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened. I’ll find out anyway like I usually do. Though it would feel a lot better to hear it from you.” Elea let go of Alder and sat on her bed, waiting for him to speak.

Alder moved to his bed and began recounting the story he didn’t want to get good at telling.

Elea listened silently the whole time, nodding every now and then to let him know he had her full attention. Her face never veered away from concern.

Even after Alder finished, Elea stayed quiet for a while, giving herself a moment to mourn and a moment to think about how to respond. “Do you remember when I told you that making a name for yourself wasn’t always a good thing?”

Alder nodded in agreement because little words were having a hard time making it out of his throat.

Elea continued, “I wish I had more to offer you, but I can only say that things like this happen, as harsh as it may be. You can wallow in self-misery, or you can do something with it.” Elea bit the inside of her lip. She didn’t want him to disregard the experience completely, but lost lives aren’t something you can let yourself get hung up on. It was something she knew and fought with herself while young.

It pained him to know how right she was. The feeling he had before entering the building was the correct one. Somehow, seeing Elea’s face opened up the most vulnerable spots in him, just like it gave him strength. With her, he could see his lowest lows along with his greatest heights.

He leaned back, resolving himself again and thinking how terrifying women were.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to go with Vincent to one of the wives to a man who lost his life tonight. I’ll pay my respects along with diverting her anger elsewhere.” His smile was pained but resolute.

Elea had no way of telling him if his decision was the correct one or not. It would depend on how the wife takes it. Alder’s decision could lead to someone else's grudge eating away at him forever. She decided to stay quiet on the subject. He would have to learn for himself, and if need be, she would help him through it.

She leaned forward and gave Alder another hug. “Well, you get some rest so you can face tomorrow head on.”

“Okay, Mom.” Alder playfully jabbed at Elea’s motherly actions.

Elea let it go. If he was already able to crack a joke, then he would be fine. She turned out her light and rolled over in bed. She listened to Alder let out deep breath after deep breath. He wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight, so neither would she.

*

The beautiful beams of sunlight gracing their room betrayed the gloomy atmosphere making its home in every corner and crevice.

Alder regretted his decision. His resolve from the day before faded away with the night. His mind raced with excuses he wanted to use. Luckily, his pride wouldn’t allow him to use them.

He begrudgingly rolled out of bed. Lack of sleep filled his burning eyes.

Elea was already up and moving around, making sure she was cleaned up before Alder awoke. She noticed him wake up, but stayed silent. She chose to offer Alder no assistance until she was asked, even if it meant denying him of morning interactions. He would have to face the day alone.

Alder watched Elea’s cold shoulder. He knew what it meant. He was being tested. So much for no longer being her student, Alder thought.

She left the room, leaving Alder to ready himself physically and mentally.

Alder joined her shortly at breakfast only doing one of the two. He had washed up and changed his clothes. His eyes still looked like they were looking for a way out. It began to irritate Elea. She made sure to let nothing show.

Alder stared at his breakfast. Oatmeal and bacon still didn’t feel appealing to him. His stomach, on the other hand, said it was necessary. He held himself back from eating like he was starving. Partly as good manners, partly because he wanted to drag breakfast out as long as he could.

Elea finished her breakfast and left the table because she was getting sick of seeing the weak look in Alder’s eyes. She had faith he would do what needed to be done, but to see him appear so weak in the process rubbed her the wrong way.

Alder watched Elea storm out the front door. He ignored her. He had bigger fish to fry today.

*

Princess Azuri’s morning was filled with unexpected developments. She woke up to the sound of her guards banging on her door with urgent news.

“Why did you wait until morning to inform me of this? I remember ordering you to keep me up-to-date on whatever happens with Alder!” The news regarding Eldroth and Alder’s fight made Azuri want to scream.

She was hoping to build trust with Alder but getting attacked by a Mage Knight would surely make it harder for him to trust her since she was a royal.

Though after scolding her guards, she came across a way to better the situation. She could use what happened as a way to bring Alder to her.

She called a guard into her room. “Send an invitation to Alder. I would like to award him for protecting the people of this city!” She paused for a moment, thinking on anything else she was missing. “Also, send compensation worthy of three months’ pay to all the families that lost one of their own. If those at the treasury are unwilling to give the korums necessary for this, I allow you to make up for it with my personal funds.”

She dismissed the guard and headed over to a door opposite of her bed. She walked in and put her hands on her hips.

“Now, what should I wear today.” Before her stretched a room full of the finest dresses that would even catch the eye of those who knew nothing of fine wear.

*

Alder finished his breakfast, after prolonging it as much as he possibly could.

The air outside was warm yet blowing just enough to send chills through his body. He looked around the crowded street to see if there was any sign of Vincent.

He didn’t notice his friendly face among the lonesome crowd. He waited a second longer and then decided to head back into the inn. When he turned around, he noticed Vincent leaning next to the door with his head slightly lowered.

Alder hesitated to call out to him. He remembered he had requested this, so he made sure not to let Vincent’s goodwill go to waste.

“Vincent! You awake there, bud?”

Vincent looked up groggily. “Yeah, I’m up. Last night, Otto called me back to take care of the paperwork he said he’d handle. It took me well into the morning to get it completely finished.” Vincent straightened up and stretched. “Are you ready for this, Alder?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Alder’s weak smile displayed the lack of resolve in him for the world to see.

Vincent nodded and trudged on ahead of Alder. He followed behind, trying not to get lost in the thick morning market.

Soon, they moved toward the area Maximus had called Nobles Paradise.

Just like before, the architecture seemed to improve with each step, along with the living quality.

Alder thought to himself how it was a good thing that Reggie was a noble. It would be easier for a noble to hate a country boy like him over the Mage Knights.

Alder found himself, noticing the beautiful fence they walked alongside. Up to his head was marble, and above that, obsidian black bars came to a point tipped in what could only be gold.

The chill he had been feeling began to grip the base of his spine. He silently pleaded with the heavens that it wasn’t the place they were headed to.

They arrived at an opening in the gate. Vincent turned in without saying anything and kept walking.

Alder made sure not to lose him. Upon entering, he was relieved there were no huge mansions or anything. Alder took in the area in one glance, not thinking hard on it.

“This is some shortcut, Vincent.” He tried to get the conversation going, but like before, Vincent remained silent. Alder hadn’t known him for too long, so he was a little shocked about how rude he was being. Then again, he remembered where they were. He might be the rude one calling the place a shortcut.

He decided to let it go, following Vincent through the paths that stretched before them like a labyrinth.

Vincent came to a somber halt, bowed, and paid his respects.

Alder wanted to ask why they had taken such a detour. The reality of it didn’t want to come to light in Alder’s eyes.

Spread out before them was a graveyard made for nobles. Huge granite monuments lined every turn. Trees offered shade to certain parts of the graveyard, giving some of them a greenish-brown tint. Unlike many of the graves next to it, the grave Vincent stopped before was small and lacked the great designs many held. Even so, it looked like the most taken care of grave in the area.

Head still bowed, Vincent began to speak. “Reggie visited her every morning and every night. No matter the time, he never failed to come here.” Vincent turned to Alder and motioned to the grave. “Alder, I’d like to introduce you to Reggie’s wife, Margie. Margie, this is Alder. He would like to talk to you about what happened yesterday.”

Alder traded places with Vincent. He fell to his knees and gripped the grass digging his fingers into the cold soil. The grave of Reggie’s wife loomed over him. It pained Alder’s heart to know Reggie had asked for stories to tell his wife when he visited her grave.

All the anxiety he had been feeling was washed away, only to be replaced with shame. He felt strong guilt for his selfish worrying the whole morning.

Alder pressed his head into the grass, apologizing softly until his voice would no longer make the sounds he tried so hard to say.

Vincent stepped forward. “Alder, don’t feel too bad. Reggie had a saying when people asked him if it was okay to train late into the night. ‘I’ve made my wife wait this long, what’s a little longer.’ I’m sure he said that because he knew he’d see her again. He knew death would come eventually and welcomed it with open arms. I’m willing to bet everything that he is at peace with her resting in the hereafter. That’s the life of us Mage Knights. Not every death is pretty or glorified, but we go to sleep knowing there’s a chance we won’t see the light of day again.” Vincent chuckled to himself. “Even though we protect this land day in and day out, if we die in the line of duty, all the kingdom does is send a card home to our loved ones. All of our money is sent back into the treasury to fund future Mage Knights.”

Alder sat up, staying on his knees before Margie’s grave. “If that’s the case, why fight to protect a country that wouldn’t help your family after your death.”

Vincent watched the clouds rolling in overhead. “Because my family is here. It’s where I was born and raised, like my father and his forefathers before him. Things change for the better, Alder. I know one day, my kids and theirs and so forth will see a kingdom greater than we could ever dream of. It’s my job as a Mage Knight to make sure that can come to pass, by protecting it now.”

Alder wanted to believe that. His gut told him it wouldn’t be so simple. Not with hiccups like Eldroth appearing in the kingdom. Then Alder remembered Eldroth was acting with the kingdom’s best interests at heart. It was a very extreme way, but Alder wondered what he would have done if their roles had been switched. He couldn’t really say.

Vincent put a hand on Alder’s shoulder, tearing him away from his thoughts. “Are you ready to head back? I have front gate duty in a little bit. Also, they are planning on having a large funeral for everyone. I’ll let you know when it’s going to happen if you’d like.”

Alder stood up, rubbed his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I’d like to attend the funeral. I owe them at least that much.”

*

Alder and Vincent parted ways just before the inn. After a short farewell, Alder made his way inside just to run into a guard on his way out.

The guard excused himself quickly and rushed off on his way. Alder thought the guard looked familiar. He had been seeing a lot lately, so there was a good chance he had seen him before.

“Ah, Alder! Good thing you’re here. A guard just delivered a letter for you!” Summer called out to Alder from behind the bar.

He walked over to her and received the letter. He stuffed it in his pocket then asked, “Hey, Summer, have you seen Elea around here today?”

Summer looked around the room. “Sorry, Alder. I haven’t seen Ms. Elea since she left this morning.”

“Okay, thank you.” Alder decided he would check the room before he left to look for her and headed upstairs.

The room was warm from basking in the morning’s sun. It made him want to take a nap.

He looked around for any sign of Elea. Nothing. Alder sat on his bed and pulled out the letter he had received from Summer.

In bold black letters, “Alder” was printed across the front. He tore the top and pulled out a thick piece of paper. The edges were indented with various floral designs.

It almost scared Alder because he didn’t know anyone with such expensive tastes.

The letter read,

Dear Alder,

You have been invited by a royal member of the family to the royal palace. There, you will be congratulated on your valiant deeds done for the sake of the kingdom.

Please come at your earliest convenience.

Alder immediately hated the letter. What had taken place was by no means valiant or worthy of congratulations. It seemed like a sick joke. He wished he could throw it to the side. He knew better than to create enemies over something like this, though. Especially royalty.

Alder folded the letter and stuffed it back in his pocket. “I guess searching for Elea will have to wait.”

Alder washed his face and headed out the door once again.

*

Magical energy swirled heavily through the air.

A light, seemingly coming out of a haze, surrounded a lone girl sitting in the woods. Nature buzzed around her, reacting to her magic. Few beasts and monsters circled the girl weary of the power she gave off.

She knew they were there, moving through the brush, trying to hide their presence.

Elea had traveled to the darkest area in the forest. Part of her training with light magic was to bring light to dismal and depressingly dark places. She had intended to have Alder stand guard while doing so, but after everything that happened, she knew he had to be alone with his thoughts.

Just like him, she also needed to be alone with her thoughts. The other part of her training was feeling the connection the light magic had with the darkness that surrounded her.

It was difficult, more so than she’d like to admit. She had a hard time feeling the light magic connect with everything around her. Controlling it came as second nature to her, but feeling her magic sway in the breeze or touch the plants was almost impossible.

It reminded her that very few people could use spirit magic. Even among the Archmages, only one was capable of it. The rest were half-baked and passed on the qualification that they could use light magic. It annoyed Elea, but she knew each of them held the power that earned their position.

She couldn’t let the duel she had with Archmage Albor go to her head.

Ancient-looking leather-bound books had been delivered to her. She looked over the text, still trying to get a feel for it.

The monster that had been circling Elea was getting antsy. Its claws curled inward, preparing to charge. It was covered in greasy black fur. Its snout carried rows of razor-sharp teeth meant for tearing apart its prey. It stood up on its haunches, ready to go. Drool dropped to the ground in anticipation for the meal.

It charged. The monster roared while baring its fangs, heading straight for Elea’s open neck.

There was a flash of light, followed by the thud of the monster’s body parted down the middle.

The beast that had been more patient than the monster took off through the woods.

“Jeez! This is gonna be impossible with all these distractions,” exclaimed Elea as she wiped a splatter of black blood from her chin.

*

As Alder walked painstakingly slow to the palace, he thought out loud to himself, “All we can do is hope for a better tomorrow, huh.”

He stopped where he was and looked out over the faces he passed. He knew each of them had their own hardships, but for some reason, he still had ignorant thoughts that his own worries were much greater than theirs. It angered him that he felt that way. It made him want to fork over the blame on some third party.

Alder bit the inside of his lip, walked forward, and blended in with the downcast crowd.

By the time he arrived at the palace, it seemed less inviting than it had been the day before. It was the third time Alder had made the trip. Each time he arrived, he was a little less enthused than the last. The only thing that caught his attention every time was the Sage’s Garden. No matter how many times he saw it, he could feel the energy swirling through the air.

As he approached the palace doors, two guards flagged him down. Their armor was impressive, along with the weapons that hung at their waist.

“We have been expecting you, Alder. We are here to escort you to the king’s greeting chambers.” The two turned, waiting for Alder to follow.

Alder followed, thinking to himself that the one looked like he delivered the letter earlier in the day. That guard then said to the other guard, “I shall go let Her Majesty know that he has arrived.” He took off in a hurry.

The walk was quiet, except for the sound of the guard’s armor creaking with each step. Footsteps echoed off the grand hallway.

They approached the double door that had impressed him before, the way the white contrasted with the black.

The guard stopped just before it, opened it, and ushered him in. He closed the door behind him. Alder looked to the carved wooden throne, expecting to see the king, but in his place was a beautiful girl he had seen once before.

The way she sat on the throne gave Alder chills. Her presence was immense, but not in the sense that she was a powerful mage. She exalted the royal presence that King Cadien didn’t seem to have.

Alder swallowed and felt it get stuck in his throat. His mouth was dry. The girl’s hazel eyes bore into him. Her smile was seductive enough to borderline mischievous.

She rose from the throne and walked toward Alder. Her long purple dress flowed like water behind her.

Alder lowered himself to a knee, trying not to come off as rude.

“Please rise, Alder. You are here as an honored guest and a hero to our kingdom.” She stopped a couple of steps in front of him.

Alder stood; he was slightly taller than her. The light through the windows made her hair shine in his eyes. Her light pink lips accented her caramel skin like the setting sun’s orchestra of colors just before it faded into the night. She was simply stunning.

“We have met before, but allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Princess Azuri, heir to the throne to be the next ruler over the kingdom of Gyges. It is a pleasure to meet you, Alder.” Princess Azuri curtsied to Alder, so he bowed in response.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Azuri, but I have done nothing to warrant the title of a hero. In fact, getting rewarded for what happened doesn’t sit right with me at all.” Alder wondered if he had said too much, but he couldn’t accept anything that was born from his fault.

Princess Azuri nodded.

“I see you are humble and kind of heart. These are indeed qualities of a hero, Alder, so I wouldn’t write yourself off yet.” Azuri smiled at Alder, freezing him in place. “I do understand your qualms about being congratulated, but for the kingdom, we believe it’s necessary to thank those when they do something prominent.”

Azuri snapped her fingers. Alder almost jumped since he was being entranced by Princess Azuri’s beauty.

One of the guards walked into the room, moved to the side of Alder, and knelt with his hand outstretched to Princess Azuri.

She reached for what Alder assumed was a small pin or medal. As soon as she took hold of it, the guard backed out of the room.

“Alder, as it stands now, I would like to gamble on you. I’m sure you have heard rumors of how corrupt the higher-ups may be. I would like your help putting the rumors to rest, along with putting those at fault in the palace dungeons.” Princess Azuri continued while putting the pin on Alder’s chest. “I believe a person like you is what this kingdom needs. As the princess and future ruler, I am tired of seeing the corrupt do as they please while the innocent are blamed. It’s a selfish request, but Alder, I don’t want to be the queen of a corrupt kingdom.”

Alder’s face was already hot because of Princess Azuri being so close to him. The pressure she put on him was fuel to the flame that kept his face flushed.

Her story was similar to King Cadien’s. King Cadien was more focused on the guild Dromaeos being the main problem. Maybe he could help with both, especially since Elea was the one requested to help King Cadien in the first place. It was also a knight’s duty to help pretty damsels. Also, the words Vincent had said echoed off the back of his mind. He had a chance to make the future of the kingdom a better one. Why shouldn’t he?

“I would be honored to help you, Princess Azuri.” Alder bowed deeply to the princess like how he had read the knights once did.

Princess Azuri wanted to clap in excitement, but she knew she had to keep up her royal presence. Luckily, Alder was still bowing, so he couldn’t see the joy spread across her face. She took a breath to reign her emotions in.

“Thank you, Alder. Feel free to come and go as you please to the castle. Ask for me whenever you want, and I shall come. Also, the pin I have given you has been enchanted with spells to protect you against magic and many other things. I would prefer you to always keep it close.” She looked to the side and said in a softer tone, “At least, I would feel better knowing you’re safe holding on to that.”

Alder could no longer contain his innocence. This was the first time a beautiful girl besides Elea had shown concern for his well-being. It made his heart feel like it was beating out of his chest. He straightened his posture, trying to conceal a goofy grin that he couldn’t get rid of.

Princess Azuri brought one of her delicate hands to her lips to conceal a cute giggle.

“Alder, I have one last favor to ask of you.”

Alder nodded in acknowledgment.

“Could you keep this a secret between us?” She tilted her head while asking.

Alder knew what she meant. It was the same as King Cadien. They didn’t know who was trustworthy and who wasn’t.

“Of course, Your Highness!”

“Please, call me Azuri.” Her smile was genuine and pure. It made Alder really want to help.

The only question he was left with was on how to go about doing what Princess Azuri had asked.

*

The sun had reached far past the pinnacle point of the day.

Elea heaved a heavy sigh, realizing that the area she was in no longer met the requirements she needed to practice. She didn’t feel like searching for another area, so she decided to pack up and head back into town.

After exiting the woods, the wind gently caressed her hair and body. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail. The breeze cooled her body, relieving her of the muggy feeling she had been entrapped in while training in the woods.

She took her time walking back to Capital City. Her doubts about Alder’s resolve to see things through to the end, slowed her steps. She had faith in him, but she also knew how much of a baby he was when it came to dragging important things out. It was part of the reason she had originally offered to help Alder out by bringing him to Capital City in the first place.

She slung the bag she carried her books in over her shoulder. When she received them at the palace, they had instructed her that the books were enchanted with magic that kept them safe. It was common knowledge that Archmages were not the careful type, although little things like that didn’t concern Elea.

The look on Alder’s face the night before had been frequently appearing when Elea wanted to clear her head. It was a look she never wanted to see on his face because it reminded her of herself.

She blamed the magic for being hard to learn, but in all reality, she couldn’t help but think about Alder.

Solitude was her remedy. It failed to keep her from worrying about Alder.

“Hopefully, all is resolved” Her intention was to soothe her spirit by telling herself this. It did little to help.

Elea shuffled through the line to get back into the kingdom. The process seemed even longer without someone there next to her. Soon, it was her turn. Right away, she recognized the guard.

“Vincent!”

“Good evening, Ms. Elea. I take it you’re returning from training?”

“That, I am! Did you meet with Alder this morning?”

A slight look of distress flashed across his face before he answered, “Yeah, we did. I’m sure Alder will tell you how it went later. It’s kind of a bit much to talk about right now.”

Elea was made a little cautious by Vincent’s reaction, but she couldn’t really shake him down for answers at the front gate.

“All right! I’ll have to hear about it from Alder over supper then. See you later.” With that, Elea headed toward the inn with renewed vigor.

*

Alder’s mind buzzed while he walked back to the inn.

He had never needed to keep a secret with a pretty girl like Azuri before.

He had shared secrets with Elea before, but those were more like white lies that he needed to keep from his parents. Even then, Elea would use it as something to hold over or tease him with.

None of those carried the same weight as the words Princess Azuri had given him.

The closer he got to the inn, the more fear gripped his heart. He had never kept something so important from Elea before. There was no prior information stockpiled in his head, so he was at a loss on how to approach her when the time came, which was rapidly approaching with each step.

The inn was in his sight.

This was the first time it made him feel like an ant entering a home. He didn’t wish to be seen by anybody, especially Elea.

He opened the door, painfully aware of the point that he would eventually see Elea since they stayed in the same room.

The idea of using an invisibility spell, or something like it, burned into the back of his mind. Faces of the inn’s regular customers turned to see who entered the building. Some even greeted Alder with a small nod or a wave of the hand.

Alder wanted to ask them when he became so popular but bit it back. He returned their kindness with a wave and tried to head for the room.

“Hey there, Alder!”

Someone grabbed Alder from behind. Alder was starting to think she hid in his shadow the way she always popped up behind on him like this.

“Evening, Elea. How was your day?”

“Good! Just ran into Vincent on my way back into the city. Anyway, I’m starving. Wanna get food?”

Alder felt like he was being pressured into agreeing with her.

“Yeah, let’s eat.”

Elea dragged Alder to a table far away from everyone else.

Shortly after they sat, Summer came to take their order. Elea ordered quickly, so Alder asked for the same. Summer left without much discussion. Maybe it wasn’t just Alder; Elea really wanted to be alone with him for the moment.

Then Alder remembered how they departed in the morning. It felt like days ago for him. Elea must have had some questions for him.

“So?” Her voice was smooth to ease any tension that had built. “Did it go the way you wanted it to go?”

It was a simple question, but Alder felt his answer shouldn’t be as small as a “No,” so he took a deep breath and prepared himself to tell Elea about Reggie's wife.

Elea listened carefully, never turning her attention away from him. It was the least she could offer him after leaving him to fend for himself.

After Alder was done, Elea didn't want to admit it, but she was relieved. Knowing that Reggie’s wife had already passed let her know that Alder didn’t put all the blame on himself. At least, she hoped it wasn’t the case.

She made sure to see if there was a change in his features while he talked. For the most part there was nothing, just a hint of remorse in his voice for the way he acted in the morning.

Alder felt a cold sweat build on him. Elea was studying him. He could feel her eyes constantly scanning his body. It made him nervous like she knew he was holding back information.

He left out what time they had finished their visit. Still, there were a few hours in between them meeting that Elea would be curious about. Alder was still searching for excuses to use. Every idea he had, looked pointless before her thunderous all seeing eyes.

Summer brought their food and set it down. She then excused herself and walked away.

Alder followed her with his eyes. He hadn’t really noticed before. The inn was more packed than usual. Maybe it was in his head that Summer had been trying to keep her distance from him. They were just busy.

Alder brought his attention back to Elea. She looked like she wanted to say something. Hunger took priority for her, though. She dug in eating like she hadn’t in days. Alder smiled and figured it was time for him to do the same.

They enjoyed their meal in leisure. Alder requested seconds since he had finally regained his appetite. Elea sat back drinking water, watching him eat his fill.

It made her happy to see the mental anguish lifted from him, but there was another topic she wanted to discuss. A decorative pin that held the royal insignia on Alder’s chest. The pin prodded Elea to ask many questions.

She decided to wait until they were alone in the room. Though depending on who gave him the pin, she didn’t really have a good idea if their discussion would really be alone.

She knew of enchantments that allowed others to hear all of the wearer’s conversations. Seeing it made her regret not learning appraisal magic. The more she studied it, the more she knew that she wouldn’t be able to take it anywhere to appraise it. Not unless they searched for Capital City’s black market. From what she had heard, the merchants of the kingdom were very loyal to the kingdom. If anything would put them in favor with the nobles or royalty, they’d sell it as information. They would let higher-ups know that they were asking around because they were suspicious of whoever gave it to them. If word got back to them, then Elea would lose any trail she thought she had.

She leaned back, rubbing her temples. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the case, and it came from someone trustworthy.

Alder saw Elea massaging her temples. It sent chills throughout his body. Nothing good had ever come from it while growing up. It was usually followed by a thorough talking to and a swift kick to the butt.

He felt his appetite slowly fading again, though it should have after the first meal. Seconds truly was overkill. He knew if he didn’t finish his food, Elea would give him a hard time over it. Alder would rather unbutton his pants than have Elea calling him a little kid for having eyes bigger than his stomach.

It took longer than he had hoped. Alder finished his second plate of food and chugged down the last of his water.

After setting his glass on the table, he told Elea, “I’m going to need help getting up the stairs.”

Elea laughed at him. Alder, on the other hand, was somewhat serious. His legs felt like lead under the table, almost as if all the food bypassed his stomach and went straight to his legs.

Shortly after a small breather, they made their way upstairs. As soon as the door shut, Alder plopped onto his bed. He started to relax and let the day go, along with the tension that had built up in his body at least for the moment.

The air around him became dry. His breath became visible. It felt like an icy hand wrapped itself around his throat.

He knew the magical pressure building around him. He looked over his shoulder. “What’s up, Elea?”

Elea was almost glowing with magical energy. “I need to expand some magical pressure while we talk. It’s a form of jamming with communication magic. It’s generally used to disrupt strong spells that work over long distances.”

Alder wrapped himself in a blanket. “What’s the need for it? Is there someone trying to listen in on us or something?”

“That’s what I want to know.” A wave of magic pressure exploded forth from Elea. Alder barely stayed on his bed.

The pin on Alder’s chest began to glow. Its defensive properties quickly enveloped Alder in a green translucent light.

Elea’s immense pressure faded away from Alder. He could tell it was still there, yet it seemed to part for him so he was unscathed.

Alder was glad to know what Azuri said about the pin being enchanted was true. Alder was less glad to know he forgot to hide it when he got back. The thought of hiding it somewhere else on his person never even crossed his mind. He now understood why Elea had still been staring him down even after he told her everything that happened with Reggie’s wife.

He knew there was no way out of this. Luckily, Elea must have been satisfied seeing what the pin was capable of. She reeled in her overwhelming magical pressure.

She let out a slight sigh like it had taken a little bit of energy to expend so much magic in a condensed space. She moved over to her bed, plopped down much like Alder, and then asked him who gave it to him.

Alder bit the inside of his lip. The taste of iron ran across the bottom of his tongue. How could he tell her without telling her his discussion with Azuri?

“Well, you see, Princess Azuri gave it to me today.” Alder said it while looking at the ceiling and scratching the scruff on his chin.

He avoided eye contact with her. He could feel heat emanating from her side of the room.

Elea too avoided eye contact. She was seething, her eyes bore into the wooden floor with such intensity it could have burst into flames. She was frozen in time but hot to the touch. She didn’t want to believe what she heard. It made her look at Princess Azuri in a new light. She would have to keep a closer watch on Alder from now on. Princess Azuri was more cunning than Elea had given her credit for.

Alder was catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. Her reaction wasn’t quite what he thought it would be. Then again, he wasn’t sure how she would act in the first place.

She was nowhere near learning that he was hiding something from her, yet he could feel the heat coming off of her.

“I was invited to the castle. They thanked me for what happened. Princess Azuri gave me this pin and told me it was enchanted to protect me or something.” Alder shrugged it off, thinking the best way to hide his secret was telling a half truth.

Elea looked up from the ground. The air around her relaxed after Alder’s explanation. She forgot he was there for a second. She let her own emotions rise to a boil without even realizing. She cleared her throat and then spoke. “I see. You should just be careful about accepting gifts all willy-nilly. Remember what King Cadien had said. We don’t know for sure who we can trust in the kingdom for now. I was worried the pin you had was a tool used for spying. But as you saw, it has a defensive enchantment on it. If you remember me telling you, items can only have one enchantment at a time.” She moved her finger back and forth in the air while she talked.

It had been a while since Alder had seen her do it. While explaining things or teaching, she always waved her finger in the air like there was an invisible chalkboard only she could see.

“Yeah, I gotcha. I’ll be more careful from here on out.”

Alder stretched himself out on his bed, arms crossed behind his head.

Light from the outside window told them night was still a ways away. That didn’t stop them from relaxing in bed. They were both exhausted from the previous night’s lack of sleep.

Before long, the two drifted off to sleep still in their day clothes. Moving forward, this night would be one of the last ones they spent sleeping calmly.

*

The moon was full. Its light illuminated even the dimmest parts of the city. The nightlife was bustling throughout most of Capital City, even the morgue.

Men with impressive royal armor stood near every entrance. Their eyes were like hawks peering at anyone who was unlucky enough to pass and catch their gaze.

The inside was surprisingly energetic and full of people. Groups of two to four carried large wooden boxes out of the building to a few large carriages located nearby.

Two people stayed to the side, supervising their colleagues hard at work.

“We got really lucky this time. We weren’t expecting one of your men to go ballistic and murder so many worthwhile tools.” The young man who said this was built like a male model. It was ruined by an ever deepening smug grin etched into his face. He had short curly blond hair and blue eyes that looked through everything as if his gaze was focused on something far off in the distance.

A figure next to him was wrapped in a cloak that allowed none to see their face. Just as they were about to speak, someone called out to the other man, “Hey, Parceble!”

Parceble looked over at the one calling to him.

“Don’t you see me talking?”

Parceble turned back to the cloaked figure. The cloaked one nodded to the energetic young man. Parceble acknowledged it as the okay to go help his men. “Thank you. I wanted to be done in time to go get drinks but that doesn’t seem to be the case.” Parceble chuckled. “And Friedrich already warned me not to waste too much time in the capital.”

The cloaked figure nodded again then left the rest to finish what they had come to do.

Parceble watched the cloaked person until they left and whispered under his breath.

“Bunch of filthy rich royal nobles with nothing better to do with their money.” He spat on the ground before going to help the man who called to him.

He didn’t like getting talked down to. Being late would make that happen, and Friedrich never held back when he was late.

*

Princess Azuri was stirred out of bed by some knocking on her door. She was getting tired of everyone ruining her beauty sleep, though she got up because she knew that it wasn’t for nothing her guards woke her. They knew better than that.

She put on her nightgown along with a thin coat. She sat down on her couch, crossed her legs, and allowed the guard to come in.

Upon entering the room, he immediately dropped to a knee.

“Oh. You’re not one of my regular guards. What brings you here?” Azuri folded her arms, sizing up the young man in her room. He wore the kingdom’s armor and yet it was a new face to her.

“I apologize for intruding so late, Your Highness. I am here on orders from my head Archmage. Lady Shona wanted me to inform you that the enchantment has already been activated, and a steady connection has been established.” The guard lowered his head after speaking.

Azuri smiled. Plans were moving forward faster than she expected. She didn’t mind it at all.

“Wonderful! Is there anything else Lady Shona wanted me to know?” She leaned forward on her couch, awaiting the young man’s response.

“Nothing else, Your Highness. Is there anything you would like me to deliver to Lady Shona?” Again, he put his head down after speaking.

Azuri contemplated the thought for a moment.

“Go ahead and tell her I appreciate the notice. Also, let her know I shall be visiting her tomorrow around midday.”

The guard stood, bowed, and moved to leave.

“By the way, may I ask your name, Sir Mage Knight?”

The guard stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Of course. My name is Vincent, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Vincent.” With that, Vincent left to carry out her orders.

After he was gone and Azuri had made herself at home back in bed, she spoke to herself. “So that’s Vincent, Shona’s new vice captain.”

*

Alder woke to a kick in the side. By some act of god, Elea’s leg had breached the space in between the beds and pierced Alder’s ribs.

He rolled back and forth holding his side. When the pain subsided enough to conceive a rational thought, he looked over to Elea. He thought she would be staring at him, waiting to laugh.

That was not the case. Elea was fast asleep sprawled across her bed like a human web.

For some reason, that made Alder angrier than if she had been awake.

He brought his view to the window to see just how much longer he could sleep for. The sun was just starting its rounds into the day.

Alder rolled over far away from the possessed leg and covered his head with a pillow.

He closed his eyes for what felt like a second. He opened them again to the sound of Elea getting ready for the day. He proceeded to dig his head deeper into the bed. It was all to no avail.

Elea reached out and shook his shoulder gently. “Hey, let’s go get breakfast.”

He wanted to refuse but knew it was pointless. He couldn’t argue with her over getting a few more minutes of sleep.

Soon, he too was up, ready, and holding the door open for Elea.

She thanked him as she skipped past, excited for breakfast.

Alder glared at her behind foggy eyes. Still, he followed her reluctantly with the faintest of grins.

They found a seat near the bar. Summer smiled at them before walking over.

“Is there anything special I can get you two today?”

Alder looked at Elea, and she looked at Summer. “Well, for sure, coffee and a water, but other than that, we will be fine with anything you bring us.” Elea beamed as she talked to Summer.

It almost made Alder forget the mess that had occurred over the past few days.

“I think I can manage with that. I’ll bring you guys some food when it’s finished!” Elea’s energy rubbed off onto Summer putting a skip to her step as she went to turn in their order.

The morning was like any other they shared back at Alder’s house. Elea had a habit of showing up in time for breakfast. Sometimes, it irritated him, while other times, he enjoyed seeing her face in the morning.

They talked about the day and the training they would do. By the time the food arrived, Elea was filling him in on what she had been trying to accomplish yesterday. They casually talked well into their meal.

Suddenly, a man burst into the room, slamming the door into the wall. He frantically searched around the room until he saw what he was looking for. When he found it, he began marching forward.

All eyes in the room were on him, partly for barging in and creating a slight disturbance. That, and the man was shirtless with a giant scar spread across his chest.

He slammed his palms on a table near the bar and stated to everyone in the room, “We need to talk!”

Alder and Elea looked up at Maximus, concerned.

“Can this wait until we’re finished?” Elea asked, taking another bite of her food.

Alder looked back and forth between them. He didn’t want involved so early.

“Yeah, I guess.” Maximus pulled up a chair and waved to Summer.

Alder almost spewed out his food because of Maximus’s laid-back response.

Maximus ordered. Soon, his food came. Alder watched in horror as the man showed no mercy to the delicately prepared food before him.

Evidently, they all finished up around the same time. Elea then invited Maximus up to the room so he could talk to them. It made both Alder and Elea uneasy that Maximus traveled all the way to their place of residence so early. Sadly, it was not enough for them to ignore a good breakfast.

Alder and Elea sat on their beds and waited for Maximus to speak.

“All right, so the reason I’m here is because they’re missing.”

Alder and Elea exchanged confused glances.

“What’s missing?”

“Everybody belonging to the Eldroth case has gone missing. We believe Dromaeos has made a move right from under our noses.”

Epilogue

Deep in the forest, just northwest of Capital City, sat a giant building camouflaged by its natural surroundings.

Parceble reached the hideout by sunrise.

“Just in time!” He was excited to make a delivery on time, especially one as big as this.

He whistled so he sounded like a bird to let the others know he was home. A bird call came back to him, followed by the gates opening.

Parceble pulled forward, only to stop before the opening.

An intimidating man stood in his path. His skin matched the night sky. He held a spear next to him that held intricate details down the shaft.

“Mandala! How nice of you to greet me so early in the morning!”

The man known as Mandala stayed silent. He nodded and then moved to the side.

Parceble pulled forward into the building. A line of carriages followed after him.

Mandala closed his eyes, folded his hands, and bowed to the carriages as they passed.

Parceble saw him do it and whispered, “Even if he’s not the one to kill them, he still mourns for the dead.” He looked forward and sneered. “What a load of shit.”

They parked the carriages, leaving Parceble to talk to the higher members of his guild. The further he walked in, the more he was filled with a sense of dread and malice. A ravenous grin warped his face. He could feel the master’s presence. No matter how much he experienced it, it would always send chills through him.

Parceble loved it.

Finally, he reached a door. He opened it only to be welcomed by the menacing eyes of eleven people around a table. Each member of the table was heavily decorated in colorful armor and weapons with intricate details etched throughout them.

Parceble saw one seat was empty. He figured it was Mandala’s.

Suddenly, a man in red armor called out to him.

“What do you need, Parceble? We’re busy at the moment.”

Parceble bowed at the man’s forceful tone. The grin on his face spread thin. “I have brought the resources for the master!”

A wave of darkness spread throughout the room. Parceble looked up to see before him a wrinkled man with eyes as white as fresh snow.

“Then lest us not waste this precious time we’ve been given.” The Blind Coroner ushered everyone to begin the process of making the accursed cadaver gear.