At first, no one was overly concerned about his disappearance. Even Milla was certain that he’d return within hours; just by the simple logic that he had something to tell her, and wouldn’t leave without doing so first. And during breakfast, there was little mention of Jeryn at all.

  Her food always graciously accepted, Tess served a hearty meal to everyone—leaving a plate out for Jeryn in case he came back soon.

  Milla having finally accepted Kamsa, she took a seat next to her to give herself an opportunity to know the cloned pretorian a little better. Of course, Kamsa’s story remained a simple one, and it didn’t take long for the two to get to know each other as well as Garder knew Kamsa.

  “You should do Milla’s reading now,” Garder suggested as Tess collected the emptied plates.

  “Hm? What reading?” Milla replied.

  “Oh, that’s right, we forgot to tell you… Um, it turns out that I have a really high—abnormally high, actually, alchemagi reserve level. Forty percent, it seems. Kamsa did the reading for me. She seems good at it.”

  “Forty percent? That’s barely even possible, Garder. How am I supposed to believe that?”

  “See if you’re the same. Considering we’re twins, I wonder if…”

  Kamsa looked up at Milla. “I just need your hand for a moment.”

  “Well, okay…” She slid it across the table. “But are you sure it’s going to be accurate?”

  “Yes. I am well trained for all manner of biological readings.”

  “Come to think of it, Kamsa…” Garder spoke up and looked over at Rayna. “You might want to see what you think of Rayna, too.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Wendell added. “Instead of seeing an image, the alchemagi rock dissolved in her hands, as we told you before.”

  Kamsa nodded and clasped Milla’s hand lightly. The result came as little surprise.

  “Just as I thought…” she said and released her hand. “The same as Garder; around forty percent. Unnaturally high, but not impossible.”

  “But how…?” Milla wondered. “It was perfectly normal when we entered the academy.”

  “So Garder told me. Perhaps something is… growing. You had difficulties keeping your techniques under control, correct?”

  “For a while, yes. But I eventually overcame it.”

  “What about paradigms?” Temki asked. “Do we have high levels?”

  “Not necessarily,” Kamsa answered. “In your case, your alchemagi system is devoted entirely to the mind alignment—it is not contaminated with bits and pieces of the other elements. The twins, however, have higher total reserves than most of the pretorians.”

  “And what about Rayna?” Garder asked.

  Rayna went ahead and reached across the table, equally curious. Kamsa looked at the child’s small hand for a moment before taking it.

  Her eyes shot back open and she all but shoved Rayna’s arm away from her within a second. Rayna slumped back into her chair, somewhat afraid of what she had just done. For a moment, no one said anything.

  “S-sorry…” Kamsa stuttered. “I don’t know how to put this, but there’s something completely just… wrong with Rayna’s entire system…”

  Rayna looked to the floor. Kamsa felt badly about what she just said, but continued, “I don’t know what just happened. I can only describe it as something of a total incompatibility. It’s as if Rayna’s alchemagi is in conflict with itself, like it’s tearing itself apart. I couldn’t even tell what alignment she holds; there’s too much chaos. I’m… sorry.”

  Sitting next to her, Shin compassionately wrapped one of her arms around Rayna’s shoulders to comfort the trembling child.

  “But look at her…” she said. “How could this little girl be full of so much… corrupted, or chaotic power?”

  “It’s because of the demon, isn’t it…?” Rayna murmured. “It’s trying to survive by still being part of me.”

  “And it might be because of her origins, too,” Garder added.

  “My… origins? What do you mean?”

  Garder suddenly realized that she had yet to be told about how she was somehow constructed on a datastone, and quickly replied, “Nothing, Rayna. Never mind what I said—I was thinking of something else.”

  “Oh…”

  Kamsa, however, had been told by Garder about where and how Rayna came to life, and though she could hardly understand it, it made her think more about her own existence. She was now conflicted more than ever on the concept of her owning the one thing all other humans had. She looked down at Tanesh, sitting next to Lechi at her side.

  “Um, Lechi…” Kamsa spoke up quietly.

  “Yes?”

  “Your dog… You told me he was ‘created’? What did you mean?”

  “Oh, Mr. Pangs in City C gave him to me. He runs a lab there. And I didn’t say created. Tanesh isn’t cloned, but he was born in Aurra. I mean, this is his first life, you see. He started it in Aurra,” Lechi emphasized.

  “Do you think… he has an inner being?”

  “Like a soul? I don’t see why not. He’ll probably be reborn as a puppy on Earth in the future, and the cycle will just continue like it always does. He just flipped the order around—that’s all. At least, that’s what I think, anyway… I guess there’s no way to prove it. He goes against the system, sure, but if the system can’t adapt… then what good is it?”

  “I see. Tanesh and I are similar, then. But… I was created.”

  “You were still born. Just in a different way. Do you really think it matters? Every living thing has a soul—that’s my belief.”

  “I hope so… Thank you for being nice to me.”

  “No need to thank me, Kamsa. We’ve all accepted you as a friend. I’m sure that, in time, you’ll stop being a clone and start being a regular old person like the rest of us.” Lechi smiled.

  “I hope so. I would like to understand emotions instead of only being able to exhibit them… I believe that is my goal.”

  “You could start by talking like the rest of us. And also, don’t be afraid to screw up. We all do. You’ll be perfect once you’re imperfect.”

  “I see. I will try, Lechi.”

  “Don’t try, that’ll just make it harder. Just… let go, take things in.”

  “Okay. Thank you…”

  A knock came at the door. Pip and his cousins burst in as soon as Tess turned the handle, their usual calm demeanors nowhere to be seen.

  “What is it?” Milla asked as she stood from her chair.

  “It’s serious,” Dak huffed. “We’ve just picked up two incoming enemy battalions. One from the east; one from the west.”

  “Not again… Any idea how big?”

  “Big,” Kyler replied.

  Garder groaned. “The hell? I thought they gave up on this place.”

  “They must be part of Lontonkon’s army,” Tess said. “The king must’ve given a direct order this time, waited for us to be diminished.”

  “Well, good,” Shin said. “It’s been some time since we’ve seen the king actually send people after us. Guess we’d better go greet them.”

  Pip spoke up, “There’s more. We… we got reports that Jeryn was sighted outside the City—in the direction of the western advancement.”

  “What?” Xavier replied. “What does he think he’s going to do, take them all on himself?”

  “We don’t know what his intentions are. And we also don’t know how many—if any—pretorians are with the enemy. Lontonkon’s sending everything he has after us for all we know.”

  “Or coming himself to try and blow us up again…” Garder added.

  Milla replied after thinking for a moment, “Most of the City has already been evacuated. Given the situation, we might just have to force Rivia to bring back the Fragmented City right away.”

  “Should we go do that, then?” Temki asked.

  “No. Not yet,” Shin said. “We should hold off the enemy as long as possible. Maybe try to wipe out one of the battalions completely.”

  “But Shin, we and the rebels are pretty much all the City has…” Milla worried. “And these men probably aren’t fodder like last time.”

  “The strength of our forces isn’t the point. If Rivia comes back here surrounded by an army, the Fragmented City, Old J, is going to get blasted to bits before he can even get his people out. I say we do what we can, hold them back, and if it looks bad, get Rivia to return before the enemy fortifies themselves. We’ve still got people here to protect. We’re obligated to help them as much we can. Rivia would certainly want us to.”

  “I think she’s right,” Pip agreed. “We’ll take the eastern forces first. Weaken them as much we can.”

  “G-Garder…” Kamsa murmured.

  “Hm? What is it?”

  “Um… I—I think we should go after Jeryn.”

  “That might be a good idea,” Wendell replied. “Get him back to us. He’s definitely needed here.”

  “Why the hell did he run off in the first place?” Verim wondered.

  “Garder, you hate big battles anyway,” Milla said. “Why don’t you and Kamsa go find Jeryn? You’re both well suited in case something happens, too… what with all the ice around.”

  “What’s going on?” Rayna asked.

  “Nothing to worry about,” Shin replied. “Just stay here with Tess for us, okay?”

  “I’m going to help this time,” Lechi said. “I don’t care where you put me. I’ve got to contribute something to the team.”

  “With our forces this small, alchemagi would be the best route to take,” Pip replied. “I mean, mass area coverage should be our focus.”

  “You don’t have to say it. I know I’m only a level one. But with Temki at my side, I’ve been able to do some amazing things. Trust me.”

  Temki nodded in response. “I—I can help Lechi. Kyler and Dak… Thanks to them, I know how to use my powers.”

  “Okay,” Milla sighed. “Xavier.

  “Huh?” He looked up. “Want me to operate a radio again?”

  “No. I want you to hold the rear with Lechi and Temki. Shin, Verim, Wendell, Pip, and you two are with me,” she said and looked over at Temki’s teachers. “I’ve never really seen all of your abilities in full, but I’m sure we can work them into a battle plan quickly.”

  “I’ll… do my best. Kamsa and Garder, good luck finding Jeryn.”

  “Yeah. We’ll get him back here and protect the City alongside you guys,” Garder assured as he readied himself for combat.

  “Take care,” Tess said. “Don’t be afraid to make a retreat if you’re getting overrun.”

  As he loaded his Aurrian rifle, Wendell replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure a retreat is not necessary. Watch over Rayna for us, Tess.”

  “You have to fight?” Rayna asked. “What if someone gets hurt?”

  “Aurra isn’t normally like this, but we’ve gotten used to this sort of thing,” Garder replied. “I don’t want to think we’re invincible, but with all the, um, stuff we’ve been through, a few battalions don’t seem like much.”

  “Kamsa…” Milla spoke up before her group departed. “Thank you for everything. Take care of Garder for me, okay?”

  “Yes… I will.”

  Milla smiled and left with her group. Kamsa and Garder secured two sunlamps each at their sides, covered themselves with heat cloaks that would keep most of their bodies warm, and also set off. Tess’ arms around her, Rayna watched quietly as everyone left her almost completely alone.

  She didn’t know why Aurra had fighting, and war was still an alien concept to her. But she had the greatest fear that they wouldn’t return.

  “Garder… there is something I must tell you,” Kamsa spoke up above the frozen winds engulfing the barren, rocky valley pass.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Milla… What are her feelings towards Jeryn?”

  “I don’t know. I think she respects him, definitely. Beyond that, I don’t really know. I’ve never really pried as far as any… relationships go.”

  “But is she close enough to him to be hurt by a painful truth?”

  “Kamsa, what are you talking about?”

  “I think… you need to know. I will leave it to you about telling Milla or not. But as we’re going after him, you should know something.”

  They rounded a cliffside. Garder zoomed in on the rolling hills in the distance with his binoculars and saw a strange, dull light encompassing the horizon—on the opposite side of where the dark winter sun would rise.

  “Kamsa, just tell me already. What is going on?” he asked as he kept on the lookout for enemy movement.

  “Your friend Jeryn… He is a former pretorian,” she stated plainly.

  “W-what? Is that a joke? He hates the Guard. That’s a load of—”

  “It is the truth. He had his memories sealed. And he wasn’t just any pretorian—he was the first. When the king found Drides, he was replaced.”

  “I don’t know why you’re telling me this,” Garder shook from either the cold or his own fear, “but I’m not buying it. Jeryn isn’t even strong enough to be a pretorian—much less the head of them.”

  “Do not doubt his abilities. With his memories released, he has had the potential to destroy your entire group without effort. Something has only been holding him back from doing so. You have no reason to trust—”

  “Enough,” Garder snapped. “I like you, Kamsa, but I’m not believing any of this until I find Jeryn and ask him myself.”

  “Very well…” she whispered. “I am sorry, Garder…”

  “Do… do you know what the light is in the distance?”

  “Yes. It is a sun umbrella. These umbrellas are attached to airships. They gather light from the sun, magnify it, and redirect it over a wide area.”

  “Then it’s basically a floating sunsphere?”

  “No, not really. The protection method is different. One benefit it has is the ability to redirect the reflected sunlight in any direction.”

  “So, what, can they focus it and vaporize people? Too bad they don’t use that kind of technology for a good purpose…”

  “We must be careful. Sun umbrellas are reserved for important, flagship Guard forces and extended operations. We should avoid combat.”

  “Fine with me. I just want to knock some sense into Jeryn.”

  Kamsa, feeling that Garder had completely ignored her, kept close as the two progressed over the frozen fields. The landscape was cold, dark, rough, and featureless. There were few points of reference aside from the rock spires, mountains, small valleys, and long frozen acid lakes.

  Soon after they entered the airship’s large area of effect that made their personal lamps superfluous and their bubbles invisible, they got a look at the approaching army about to enter the large ravine a few miles ahead. Both knew it would be the perfect place to stop—or at least stall them. For the time being, they waited in hiding and got an estimate on their numbers.

  “They’re not fighting anyone,” Garder noted. “Jeryn could prove to be a match for them, but he obviously hasn’t met with them yet…”

  “I am picking up traces of a fire adept. I’m also detecting the presence of a strong iron user, and something else I can’t quite identify.”

  “What could it be?”

  “I’m not sure. It seems that they are behind us, and the presence grows stronger whenever we stop to rest.”

  “We’re being followed, then.”

  “That is the best assumption.”

  “You can only sense really powerful adepts, right?”

  “Usually, yes. Pretorians are trained to be able to do so.”

  “Then the fire person you’re picking up is probably Jeryn. Let’s tail him and keep away from whatever’s following us.”

  “Very well. Follow me.”

  He kept close as he and Kamsa used air manipulation to jump higher and longer to make their way across the valleys. Before long, they reached a cliffside that offered a full view of the land. To the south were the ice flows and the sea beyond them. To the north were the valleys leading to City I and the back end of the approaching army. To the west was a forest resting at the bottom of a mountain range, locked in a state of pale white. Three trembling animal farm sun domes were all that kept the pristine woodland from dissolving into the region’s nearly invisible haze.

  “We are closing in on him,” Kamsa reported. “If he is still moving, then we are outpacing him. We must hurry, Garder—he may be on his way to the battalion right now.”

  “Damn. We have to catch up to him before he gets there… We can’t sneak around anymore—we’re going straight to him.”

  “Right.”

  They hurried down into the valley and raced across it, a quiet wind at both their backs. Kamsa had to slow down quite a bit just to let Garder catch up, though it was clear to her that he was really giving it his all this time. He was determined to get to Jeryn, and Kamsa knew she had to help him in that goal, no matter the end result.

  She picked up Jeryn’s unmistakable signature almost as soon as they entered the frozen forest, and it was intensifying quickly—she knew that the true Jeryn was returning. The leader of the pretorians… Just by looking into his eyes once back at Tess’ apartment, she could see the strength he possessed, but also the inner struggle he was going through.

  “Jeryn!” Garder shouted out towards a clearing ahead of them.

  He had spotted him before Kamsa. Jeryn was straight ahead, resting on a fallen log and seemingly alone. Upon hearing Garder’s voice, he stood, nudged his goggles up with his thumb, and watched as Garder and Kamsa slowed to a halt a few dozen safety-feet away.

  Garder could tell by looking at him that he was no longer the Jeryn he had known from the days of Rivia’s original mission.

  “J-Jeryn… What the hell are you doing out here? You made us all worry…” Garder panted.

  “You got here quickly,” he replied. “You must be improving. I suppose you owe your thanks to Kamsa here.”

  “Come help us stop this army from getting to the City.”

  “Garder. I can’t fight with you anymore. I have other obligations.”

  “Like what? You’re not really a pretorian are you? Right…?”

  Jeryn said nothing. Garder felt his heart drop.

  “Come on. I mean… we’re buddies, right? You’re… one of us.”  “I had my memories sealed away, Garder. The truth is, I led the pretorians once. Before… Drides. Lontonkon did this to me to leave me alive and maintain some future use. He then imprisoned those twins—Vadaka and Bired. I roamed for two years, trying to figure out who I was. Once he reopened my mind, I tried to figure out what I should do next. And I reached a conclusion. I still have an obligation.”

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  “Are you kidding, or are you just insane? The pretorians hate you! They consider you the enemy! How could you just go over to them?”

  “I’m willing to remain loyal to them. Loyalty is important. There is no other reason, nor do I need one. Besides, Kamsa can replace me.”

  “Replace you? Who could do that? We need you. Come on—wake up. You know what we’re fighting for. How is it not a just cause?”

  “You fight for something unobtainable; a waste of resources, time, and human life. My duty is to Aurra and keeping the balance.”

  “Yeah? What does being out here have to do with any of that?”

  “I am approaching from the rear to avoid being mistaken for an enemy. I am to meet a fellow pretorian shortly, and from there, I’ll receive my first assignment. We are not friends anymore. Do you understand?”

  Garder growled deeply before lunging forward with his sword. Jeryn raised three fingers in defense. Kamsa generated a blast of air to push Garder back towards her just as a pillar of flame erupted from the ground.

  Jeryn sighed. “And here I thought you had matured… You can’t possibly match me. If you value your life, then return home immediately.”

  “I don’t believe you!” Garder yelled. “You can’t be serious about this! Have you lost your mind? Do your friends mean nothing to you?”

  The ground rumbled intensely, almost bringing Garder down to his feet. He watched as an enormous steel blade shot up from behind Jeryn, who had little reaction to its sudden appearance.

  “K-Kamsa? What is that?”

  “It’s… S-sir…” she stuttered for a moment. “It’s Sir Breen…”

  “Ah, you’re here, Axil,” Jeryn said without turning to greet him.

  The large blade dissolved into the air, leaving behind the armored pretorian, perhaps the one of the six Garder knew the least about.

  “Jeryn. Palar would like to meet with you immediately. Shall I dispose of the traitor and her friend here?”

  “Do as you please. Where is Palar waiting for me?”

  “A valley two klicks west, through a narrow mountain pass.”

  “What? That’s in the opposite direction of…”

  “He wishes for you to prove your worth and loyalty.”

  “I’ve already bested him once. What else do all of you need?”

  “Maybe only your word. Be on your way. I’ll take care of this pair.”

  “Very well.” Jeryn turned back towards the two, without emotion. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have come after me. Perhaps we can be friends again in the next life.”

  “Be friends with you? After all you’ve done?”

  “I thought that you were the forgiving type, Mr. Nolland.”

  “Not to a bastard who has no respect for those who trusted you!”

  “Ah,” Breen’s muffled, metallic voice scoffed. “Such biting words.”

  “How unlike you, Garder. I do respect you, even now. Because of your beliefs that there is no inherent good or evil in people. There are merely different sides. That is valuable.”

  “Screw you, Jeryn! Milla cares about you, you selfish asshole.”

  Jeryn looked to the ground. With his dark goggles, it was impossible for Garder to see that he had sorrow in his eyes. Jeryn always knew that this moment was going to be tough, but he had no choice.

  He was the only one powerful enough to take on Drides. He couldn’t have the man who replaced him harm any of his friends. And for that, he would make any sacrifice, and explain everything in a following life.

  If only he could say it in words…

  “Jeryn, are you touching upon your prime again?” Breen asked. “Do you believe that your former strength is within reach?”

  “Yes, I do…”

  “Then go prove yourself to Palar.”

  “Good luck,” he said, secretly speaking to Garder and Kamsa.

  “But there is one thing you must do before he meets with you.”

  “What?”

  “He will not speak with you if you do not have Rayna. You must bring her to us. Only then will you gain our trust.”

  “But… I was not made aware of this earlier—”

  “Of course you weren’t. Now go. I’ll keep them busy while your demirriage forms.”

  “I…” Jeryn clenched his fists angrily. “Fine… I’m off, then.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere!” Garder yelled. “I swear, Jeryn—I’ll break you in half and drag you back! You aren’t turning on us!”

  “I’m sorry, Garder.”

  With that, he headed into the woods. Kamsa tried to hold Garder back, but he shot forward to pursue—only to be blocked in instantly.

  Without so much as moving anything other than a casting hand, Breen formed a circling barrier of metallic sharp thorns reaching ten feet in height. A battlefield had been created from the metal in the ground, trapping Kamsa and Garder with the pretorian.

  “I am all that is in your way,” Breen said as two pikes formed in his armored hands. “Defeat me, and perhaps you can save your friend… Or at least have the opportunity to die trying.”

  “Kamsa…” Garder murmured. “C-can we take him on together?”

  She shook her head. “He can create a storm of cutting blades in seconds… We are a bad matchup for him to begin with.”

  Breen laughed. “You should listen to the traitorous clone. She’s been fed tactical knowledge since she was a few neurons and cells in a vat.”

  “Shut up!” Garder yelled. “I bet none of you have ever even considered Kamsa as a living thing, have you?”

  “She is a breathing, now useless weapon. Nothing more.”

  Breen slammed his pikes into the ground. Ruptures tore open around his feet, and bolted outward towards the two. Sharp, metal spikes burst out of the ground like rabid silicon plant life, taking dead aim at the pair. Using their powers in unison, they hit each other with blasts of air just as the spikes went between them. The attack having missed, Breen released his grip, and the metal returned to the surrounding elements.

  “How’s he keeping that barrier around us up?” Garder panted. “Should’ve been released on its own by now…”

  “Breen carries a compacted sphere of metal wherever he goes. He can expand and change its shape during battle,” Kamsa explained.

  “What about his armor? It has to weigh him down, right?”

  “No. He’s an iron paradigm. He controls that armor with his mind; not his body. No other human could wear it and move.”

  “Yeah, well, something’s gotta be able to pierce it…”

  Garder formed a large, sharp icicle in his right hand and launched it out at Breen. The armored pretorian didn’t bother to move a muscle—the piercing ice only shattered on impact, leaving behind no trace.

  “Were you hoping for something there?” Breen sighed. “This armor is almost as hard as diamond. Nothing you do will get through it.”

  “What about this?”

  Garder tore out his sword and swiped it downward with full force. A slicing wave of air shot out ahead of him, ripping the ground open as it made its way towards Breen. This time, the pretorian reacted by lifting one of his pikes up as a light defense. The cutting air snapped the metal cleanly in half, but the effect on the armor was nonexistent—Breen didn’t budge. It was as if he were a solid wall capable of absorbing anything.

  “Garder, stop. We can’t fight him. We must run,” Kamsa pleaded.

  “Were you trying to impress me?” Breen scoffed and reformed his pike. “Neither of you have a chance against me. Now, die.”

  He leapt into the air with immense force, leaving behind a small crater. Both pikes coming straight down on them, Kamsa and Garder used their agility to evade just in time. When the pikes hit the ground, a mass of steel thickets sprouted out in all directions like a shock wave. As the dust settled and the thickets evaporated, the two stared back at their enemy.

  “Could we sink him into the ground?” Garder wondered. “Maybe turn it into quicksand? He’s so heavy, he’d sink like lead.”

  “He’d find a way to get out by using the metal in the ground.”

  “Then… I guess we do run. Surely, he couldn’t follow us very well.”

  “Retreat would be your best option,” Breen said. “Unfortunately…”

  He shot out three fingers, and the wall of iron behind the two stretched and contorted, and then raised another six feet. In the process, the entire barrier surrounding the battlefield shrunk in its coverage. Breen could effortlessly trap the two inside, and they both knew it.

  “Too bad I don’t know how to travel elementally…” Garder sighed. “Kamsa, you get out of here. Find Jeryn for me. I’ll keep him busy and try to think of something.”

  “Garder, he will destroy you. You are simply no match for him.”

  The barrier around the arena shrunk a second time. Breen twirled his pikes and prepared to slam them into the ground once more—and this time, Garder and Kamsa had nowhere to run. They could only brace for the upcoming attack, to minimize injury or perhaps only avoid instant death.

  But then, a crack of sound, like the small sonic boom off a whip.

  Followed by a pillar of light.

  Taking all three of them by surprise, a strand of blinding burst had just come out of nowhere and made impact right in the center of the arena. No one could be sure at first if it was something produced by their enemy, and until a figure emerged from the light as it faded away, there was no way of telling what kind of technique it was to begin with.

  The combatants watched as someone clad in a thick brown heat cloak stood from the impact area. They adjusted something on their face, gave a look at Breen, and then turned to Garder and Kamsa. Three gloved fingers were out at his side, and other than his eyes, every part of him was concealed under cold protection. But Garder could easily tell who it was.

  “Simon!” he shouted. “Simon—you made it!”

  “Been a while, hasn’t it?” he replied with a cough. “Sorry if I kept you waiting. Training took time. So… what’s going on here?”

  “W-where’d you come from?”

  “I got to City I just as you left, apparently. Tess told me what was happening, and I figured that you could probably use some help.”

  “We have a lot to talk about, but the two of us are in a hurry. Do you think you’re strong enough to take this guy, or at least keep him busy?”

  “It’s about Jeryn, right?”

  “Y-yeah…”

  “I don’t know much about it, but I’ll do what I can here.”

  “Be careful,” Kamsa said. “He’s an iron paradigm. I am uncertain how a solar would match up to him.”

  “Guess I’ll just make it up as I go along. Now go on—we’ll talk when all of this is finished with.”

  Garder and Kamsa took off, aiming for one of the lower portions of Breen’s wall. The pretorian reacted by raising its height to block them, but Simon quickly fired off a powerful blast of light that blinded him for a moment, making him miss the two and letting them get away unharmed

  “Ugh…” Breen groaned as he recovered. “I hate complications…”

  He tapped the side of his helmet, lowering a sun visor over his face. He turned to Simon and glared at him, both pikes still in hand. Simon raised his right hand up to his face and extended three of his fingers sideways so they lined up with his chin.

  “Ha. Look who we have here. Think you’re special, boy?”

  “No. I just take things a little more seriously. That’s all.”

  “You’re quite unlike that Garder, then. You must be Simon. My king has shown interest you. You’re a solar Earthen, I believe?”

  “That’s right.”

  “I’ve never battled a solar before. Photons against metal, hm? I look forward to it. But as I cannot afford to lose here, I will show you no mercy. We both realize much more is at stake for me here.”

  “Well, if you manage to off me… I’ll say hi to Escellé, go home, and forget all about Aurra. How’s that sound?”

  “Don’t patronize me, boy. You’ll only end up coming back again and again. Rest assured, we will seek you out on Earth and ensure you can’t return a second time. You newsoul non-Aurrian… You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  “You people keep saying crap like that. I just don’t care. This world, or wherever—I’m always ready for a fight against corruption.”

  “You wouldn’t know Aurrian corruption if you saw it. I’m correct in assuming that you’ve been trained by Vlad and Kerchief, then?”

  Simon stood his ground and said nothing else.

  “Very well, Simon. My name is Axil Breen, and I bid you not waste my time. You will witness the full power of metal’s strength.”

  He slammed his pikes into the ground, summoning two traveling blades of steel that could bend and contort to his will. They chased after Simon like two serpents, at speeds any non-lightning or solar would have difficulty evading. Simon leapt out of their way, only to have the blades take to the air and continue their pursuit.

  With steel snakes dancing around him and making repeated strikes, Simon had to resort to partial elemental travel to avoid them. By briefly breaking down his limbs into light matter, he could move any part of his body to safety within a split second; the blades would only penetrate the photon ghost that was left behind. With constant, repeated use, it almost looked like he was performing an elegant, unearthly dance.

  Breen gave up on the blade serpents and relinquished them. The two opponents stared each other down, contemplating their next moves. Simon knew he wouldn’t be able to do much until the sun rose farther over the horizon, so for the time being, he would continue at his efforts to keep away from anything sharp. Breen had already figured this out; he knew that for his own safety, he’d have to defeat his foe as soon as possible.

  “I’ve heard that a solar adept working with the sun’s light is powerful indeed,” Breen muttered. “However, there are plenty of ways to remove that combat advantage…”

  He turned both pikes into spheres of iron, and then launched them into the air above him. They exploded into thick metal dust that quickly expanded over a wide area and blotted out the light. Simon couldn’t comprehend how so much metal could be generated so quickly, and his confusion was apparent.

  “Metals are everywhere,” Breen said. “All I have to do is clump it together. Becoming a master iron adept is no easy task… However, I was born with the gift of being a paradigm.”

  He raised an arm. Shards of cutting steel began to drop from the sky like raindrops. Simon leapt backwards a few times to safety and took out one of the flares he kept on him for emergency illumination. After lighting it and holding it securely with his left hand, he had access again to his powers—although without sunlight, they would remain quite weak.

  The storm of shrapnel was intensifying, with the cloud of metal above thinning in the process. Still, Simon could only do so much to avoid the shards coming down on him, and he endured several cuts on his arms before the cloud dissipated.

  He caught his breath and looked around. The ground was gray, littered with iron sand. With a layer of metal below, Breen could effectively manipulate the entire battlefield. And the barrier around the small arena made it a deathtrap that Simon had to escape from to gain any advantage.

  If only the sun were a little higher, Simon knew he could fight back in full. The flares he had and the current low position of the sun weren’t enough. He couldn’t even power up an elemental movement technique quickly enough to avoid an attack.

  “Nowhere to run…” Breen scoffed.

  He threw his arm up in the air again. The iron sand condensed and erupted into dozens of piercing spires. They quickly reshaped and turned on Simon, threatening to easily pulverize him against Breen’s barrier. With only moments to act, the Earthen’s only choice was to rely on a powerful technique that he had long yet to master.

  The sound of steel crashing against itself boomed in the distance as Kamsa and Garder continued their pursuit of Jeryn.

  “Simon…” Garder murmured. “Does he even have a chance…?”

  “Who was he?”

  “We’ve mentioned him before; a friend we picked up from Earth.”

  “H-how did you do that?”

  “What do you mean how? He helped us out, and we brought him to Aurra and taught him everything there was to know. It’s thanks to him that the suppression device’s Guard protection was disabled.”

  “I see… You’ve picked up a wide variety of friends in you journeys, haven’t you?”

  “I guess so, yeah. Kamsa—you okay?”

  She turned away. “I’m… I’m fine. I sense Jeryn straight ahead.”

  They picked up their pace and entered a second, smaller clearing. Right in the middle was Jeryn, waiting for the demirriage to form in the dull light. Upon seeing the two, he immediately wrapped up the scroll and retreated once more into the forest.

  “Jeryn! Stop!” Garder called out angrily.

  Garder generated a blast of air towards Jeryn, and forced to defend himself, he turned and responded with a wave of fire. The elemental masses collided and fueled one another, creating a giant, intense ball of flame that left nearby trees blazing. Amid the explosion, Jeryn had let go of the scroll, and Garder noticed it flying through the air.

  Acting quickly, he launched out an air blade after taking aim at the scroll. Right before Jeryn could secure it, the cutting wind sliced it cleanly in half. Tiny bits of sealed alchemagi escaped from the scroll like golden dust being released into the wind. Jeryn stopped and stood his ground.

  “So… you’re really planning on giving Rayna to them, aren’t you?” Garder muttered. “I can’t believe you’d really betray us like this, Jeryn… Just for the sake of pointless loyalty.”

  “It isn’t pointless. And now that you’ve forced me to go to City I on foot… I can’t have you following me any longer.”

  He prepped a powerful spell. Kamsa could feel the surge of energy.

  “Garder, he’s serious. Something strong is coming. We must ret—”

  “Not a chance.”

  Despite his persistence, Garder did realize that Jeryn was summoning up something that could destroy them. The temperature was rising rapidly, and in seconds, he was already drenched in sweat. The snow and ice around him melted as and the surrounding area filled with steam.

  “Get back!” Kamsa shouted. “It’s an incineration spell!”

  “No…” Garder muttered. “We have to stop Jeryn…”

  “He’s going to kill us, Garder!”

  “Why… Why is he doing this?”

  Garder refused to move, so Kamsa took matters into her own hands. She created a jet stream to push them back. Instead of the usual elegance of her techniques, the stream was formed so clumsily and quickly that it sent the two into a twirl. They only stopped when they hit a tree—but they had still reached safety for the moment. Just seconds later, the area surrounding Jeryn flashed brightly. Nearby trees were turned to ash, and around where he had stood was nothing but smoldering rock.

  “You can’t just keep asking him to stop… It’s not going to work. Don’t you understand that?”

  “So… all that’s left to do is beat him down enough and bring him back ourselves…”

  “The more spells he uses, the more he may remember his full potential. The two of us already have poor odds against him. The other pretorians shared stories of what he could do… He even scared the king.”

  “I don’t care. I—I want to bring him back. I don’t care how alive he is by that point… but I want to bring him back…”

  “I know you do. You want to bring him back for Milla, don’t you?”

  “I… I just wanted to do something for her for a change… I know she has feelings for him. She always had, since the day we all met. I don’t know if it’s love or not, but they’re definitely friends. And Milla has always considered her friends… precious. If I disappoint her now…”

  “That’s what you’re worried about? Disappointing her? What, do you think she’s never going to forgive you or something?”

  “I don’t want to find out,” Garder said and got to his feet again.

  “You honestly think that Milla would…”

  “Come on. We’re going to catch up to him and go all out. Got it?”

  Kamsa knew it wasn’t possible to talk him out of it by this point. She joined him, and they were once again on Jeryn’s trail.

  Once they left the burning forest, they realized just how bad a spot they were in. The army was on their right, moving to City I on the horizon. Within a few minutes, they would begin to squeeze through the final mountain pass, after which they’d be within firing range of the City.

  And to their left was Jeryn, a good distance away and heading towards a large valley at the other side of a very narrow set of cliffs.

  “Garder—now’s our chance to stall the army. If we get them before they can manage the pass, we could stop them—”

  But he was already off towards Jeryn once more before Kamsa could finish. She turned and noticed that several tanks had broken off from the main unit, and were obviously meant to cover Jeryn’s escape.

  “Garder! Get back here!” Kamsa shouted out.

  He looked back at her, and then towards the tanks. Six fired their main cannons, their booms echoing throughout the canyons. He fell and sought cover by diving behind a nearby cluster of boulders.

  It turned out that the tanks hadn’t been aiming for him specifically. Most of the shells impacted instead on the two cliff sides separating the icy plains from the large valley on the other side; Jeryn’s destination.

  The cliffs partially collapsed, and the tremors produced by the falling walls of rock were so intense that the ground shook for miles around. Garder didn’t have to wait for the dust to clear to see that he was now completely cut off from Jeryn. He slammed the side of his fist against a nearby boulder angrily, and Kamsa was quick to come over to him.

  “Why? Why can’t I ever do anything? Now even Simon can do more than I can… I can’t even convince a friend to snap out of it.”

  “Do you always focus on your failures?” Kamsa asked. “Don’t you ever think about all the good things you’ve done? I know that if you looked back at everything, you’d realize you’ve had plenty of successes…”

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  She looked at the nearby army. “You took me away from… that.”

  “What am I supposed to do?” Garder asked quietly. “I don’t want to give up on Jeryn, but I don’t think I can bring him back…”

  “Then we’ll do something perhaps more important. If you let go of Jeryn, you’re giving up on a friend… But if you give up on City I, well… think about how many people you’d be letting down then.”

  “So… so we stop that army.”

  “Yes. As long as there are no pretorians with them, I think we can do it. But we have to take advantage of the pass’s bottleneck right now.”

  “Okay.” Garder straightened himself out and clutched his sword tightly. “How do we get up there? A demirriage would be too slow. We’d be blasted to pieces before we get out of it.”

  “We need to set up defenses as soon as we land,” Kamsa replied as she raised her arm. “Hold on. I’m going to use the flutter technique.”

  “What? Isn’t that spell like… flying?”

  “Exactly. But unlike elemental travel, we could go together. I need you to relax, though, or it won’t work. Put your sword away, ease your body, and let me do everything. It’s going to be fast and our landing hard.”

  “I don’t know much about this technique, Kamsa. What do I do? Spread out my arms like a bird?”

  “No. Your arms would snap right off if you did that. Your body needs to be streamlined. This spell involves inducing a vacuum tunnel and traveling through it. I’ll summon it—you just hold on.”

  “How?”

  “Get right behind me, keep your legs and arms in, and when we start to slow down, spread them again so you can use air resistance to land as softly as possible. Are you ready?”

  “Y-yeah… I guess so.”

  “One more thing. Exhale first. Remember… it’s a vacuum.”

  Garder braced himself as Kamsa started up the spell. He suddenly felt very light, and before he knew it, he was floating a few feet off of the ground. His ears popped as all of the surrounding air was pushed out, putting him in a very uncomfortable state. Kamsa angled both of them correctly, and then promptly activated the spell in full.

  It was intense, even more so than Osk’s sand travel. The landscape became a blur as he and Kamsa screeched just meters above the landscape. He rather painfully fought to keep his head down so he’d get a look at the ground—just in time to see, in a streak of white and gray, the army below him. No doubt that they were taking them by surprise.

  He looked up again to see the landing area straight ahead. Kamsa was already extending her arms and legs to slow herself down, and Garder followed suit. It was agonizing at first, but it worked, and made it easier for him to drop his speed further.

  He ended up slamming into a hill of snow, with muscle aches all over his body. By the time he recovered and stood up with a tremble, Kamsa was already primed for combat. He looked back at their starting point. He could spot the boulder that he had taken cover behind, and realized that it was at least a mile away; the trip had taken just four seconds.

  “Are you okay?” Kamsa asked as the front of the army approached.

  He breathed. “I think so. Damn, how fast can you go using that?”

  “The maximum speed is faster than sound, I believe. I slowed it down since it’s something you’ve never done before. It can actually be faster than normal air elemental travel.”

  Garder shook off the pain and joined Kamsa in the middle of the mountain pass. One of the battalion’s commanders stopped as soon as he noticed Kamsa. He said nothing at first, but one of the forward tank operators opened the hatch and responded to her presence.

  “Sir? Isn’t that Lady Kamsa?”

  “Yes,” the commander replied. “Unfortunately, I’ve been given word that she has betrayed the Guard.”

  “T-that can’t be sir…”

  “It is,” Kamsa replied. “Let me assure you, that is true. If you value your lives, turn back now. I will not attack you if you retreat immediately.”

  “Lady Kamsa,” the commander replied. “I know of your strength, but surely you couldn’t wipe out an entire battalion alone…”

  “I am not alone. Garder here is more powerful than your superiors would have you think.”

  “Then… it pains me to do this, but by order of our King Lontonkon, you are in violation of a Guard military operation.”

  “If that is how you wish to proceed…” Kamsa took an offensive stance alongside Garder. “Then I’m afraid that I will be forced to defend both myself and the City beyond this point.”

  The commander didn’t argue a second time. With regret, he ordered his men to commence the attack on the pair of seemingly almost defenseless watairre adepts; the only two blocking their path to the needed victory over City I.

  The sounds of firing cannons were heard as whispers past the thick mountains behind him. Jeryn knew that he was flinging himself far into the deep end by this point, but he had little choice but to continue. If he could get to Drides while he had the chance, he might just be able to kill the menace before he became a major threat to his friends.

  His friends, who had no idea what that young man was capable of. Drides was unlike anything Jeryn had seen before, truly one of a kind. An apostle at the base of everything, but one who had become something even more. Jeryn would give his life to do what he could to him, even if he couldn’t finish him off. If he inflicted some permanent wound and gave his friends the slightest advantage, that would be enough.

  Palar was waiting for him in the large valley, his mighty ax at the ready. The singular red eye that covered his mask glared at Jeryn, who approached carefully and quietly. He didn’t know how to explain his inability to bring Rayna, but he didn’t have time to go all the way back to City I on foot without raising suspicion in the pretorian who had once jealously served right under him.

  “Where’s the girl, Jeryn?”

  “Garder… destroyed my demirriage scroll.”

  “And I suppose you were wondering if I had a spare on me?” Palar said coldly.

  “A rather embarrassing question, but yes, that’s exactly it.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I must’ve left it at home today.”

  Jeryn knew he had to avoid antagonizing Palar, just as he knew he had to avoid showing his fear for him. Palar was no doubt busy estimating whether or not he could take on his former superior a second time.

  “Then… I’ll make my way to I and return as soon as possible.”

  “Right. With the girl safe in hand.”

  “That’s my end of the bargain, Reht. I don’t go back on my word.”

  “Oh? Like the one you gave your comrades?”

  “That was different… I was someone else back then.”

  “Sure. I get it. Oh, and never call me by my first name again.”

  “I’m off, then.”

  “Right. Return quickly, Jeryn.”

  He gave a weak nod and began to go off in the opposite direction. Only to have a wall of rock rise up in front of him. Jeryn didn’t wait to be blocked a second time—he had already well expected what was coming and accepted it. Palar was in a combat stance by the time he turned to face him.

  “Did you honestly think I’d trust you?” he scoffed. “Actually, I might have, but it’s obvious that your heart isn’t in this. You could’ve proven yourself long ago by wiping out your team and joining us weeks after Lontonkon unlocked your memories. Your hesitation speaks volumes, sir.”

  Jeryn responded only by straightening three fingers at his side. He then removed his heat cloak and let it drift off in the wind.

  “You were never going to let it go, were you? You always wanted to be the best. Yes, I remember… I always used to watch over my shoulder with you around. You always had something to prove. You just had to be on the top. Tell me, how does Drides make you feel?”

  “Drides? I’d never go against him. He’s barely human. I wouldn’t have a chance. You, on the other hand, were only ever perhaps just slightly better than I was. You, I could’ve beaten at any time if I saw it through.”

  “If you truly believe that you are no match for Drides, then I’m afraid that I still outclass you, as well.”

  “Really now? Why would you say that?”

  “Since you’re going to die—permanently this time—I may as well tell you. The only reason I was trying to come back was to kill him myself.”

  “Just wanted your old position back, huh…” Palar laughed.

  “If I could do some good with it, maybe.”

  “You’re a fool, Jeryn. But we’re on Aurra now—battling for our lives. Go all out this time, sir. Show me if you still resemble, in any way, the person that once led us.”

  “You’ve been waiting for this moment, haven’t you…?”

  “The taste I got in the Sahara has only deepened my appetite. Our rivalry ends here,” Palar said and brought up his ax.

  “Very well…” Jeryn sighed. “You die, or we both do. Either way, this ends with two fewer pretorians for my friends to worry about.”

  “Milla?” Shin murmured over the battlefield’s din. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine…” she replied. “I just had a sudden feeling…”

  “Hey, those three will be okay, I’m sure of it. Garder, Kamsa, Jeryn—they’ll all return to us. Now keep your focus here. Your friends need you. I mean… this is it. Right here and now.”

  Milla looked out towards the advancing army and the large field of sunlight that followed them, while her friends and City I’s small military held their ground and braced for each new round of cannon barrage.

  “War reaches us again…” Lechi muttered near Milla. “There’s always something to overcome, huh?”

  “We defend this place, and we’ll put it all on someone else’s shoulders for once,” Verim replied. “Come on, everyone. One last battle, and maybe we’ll be done with them.”

  “I doubt it…” Milla replied. “I doubt it.”