Sweat trickled down Arth’s forehead, down to his face and neck. He couldn’t stand all these books piled up on the desk while he’d been forcing himself to read the one opened to him. It made him recall his sessions with Maester Irvine when he’s still in the castle. Books had been too much for him. Reading had been too much for him.
“I can’t …” Arth said under his breath, wiping the sweat on his forehead. The air inside the den had stayed hot, far from the weather in Glacia. “This isn’t working for me, Eli.”
Seated at the opposite chair, Elicantris pulled her head up from reading her book. “If you really desire to join us on our missions, Your Highness, you have to know our enemies very well. Part of it is trying to understand where they got their massive strength and power from. This applies most to the Ka’erns.”
“You mentio
Tristan had no idea what to do. He found no trace of the orb’s presence when he had roamed the entire ship. He’d spent the whole night searching, but hopeless it was. Perhaps the orb was asleep. Perhaps someone had kept it inside his pocket. Perhaps Tristan’ senses were yet to be in the condition of tracking the orb, considering what he’d gotten in the aftermath of his battle with the Pirate Lord. He’d also searched the Pirate Lord’s cabin, chests, cabinets … everything. It was all empty, as all his possessions were in the enormous sack of loot. And the orb had not been there inside.Tristan leaned over the taffrail, glancing at the endless blue ocean gleaming beneath the bright noon sun. His cuts and bruises still hurt, but his disappointment to himself had brought the most pain, tightening his chest and throat. He could not protect anything or anyone in this world. It was Arth’s mistake tha
The market square in the Lower Ring proved as lively as a festive night. Kael and Lucas, the upper half of their faces hidden under the shadows of their hood, joined the crowds along with the buzzing noise of the warm air. Above them, moonlight bled in the night sky.Kael’s suspicions of Lucas grew since they left the Grand Mage’s estate. It was Harith’s prized possession that made him curious of what Lucas could be attempting to achieve, given his freedom. The man always had hidden intentions out of every external goal he’s trying to show. And Kael doubted it was all for the good.Tents and stalls lined up on four sides of the square, with the people inside roaming along the line of stores like ants. Kael followed Lucas as the man seemed to know where he’s going. But this better be important … as Kael could not afford to waste any more time when Janshai and Luna had been missing.
A sense of fear haunted Arth’s thoughts. Was it the right choice? Leading the Snowsong Alliance would’ve been the very last thing he’d want, and the least expected thing he thought he would do. But the upcoming threat and the General’s absence had forced all responsibilities and the possible consequences into Arth’s hands. He feared he would fail them.Orange thunder flashed amidst the darkness of the bluish sky. Arth watched all armed men pack the last stocks they’d need for their leave. The hot wind smelled of dread. He glanced up towards the high mountains surrounding the encampment, wondering how long they had got before the enemies would arrive.Elicantris stepped outside the flap of the den and stood behind Arth.“I don’t understand,” Arth said, staring at the peak of the mountains. “You said the encampment has never been tracked and found ov
Tristan’s thoughts had traveled far away, far from the lone ship that crawled over the surface of the calm waters. The words of the pirate had kept on echoing in his mind. His fellow pirate, who had pocketed the orb, now rested beneath the ocean depths, and perhaps devoured by the sea monsters the men had been speaking about in front of him now.He had been seated on a chair beside Lewis, along with the men and their leader, Bow, all gathered in a circle with a huge, bright lamp at the center. Tristan glanced at each of the men’s faces, shone by the yellow lamp. He had not been sure if he could judge them as thieves, like the pirates they had defeated. Then his eyes went to Bow. He could not tell the man’s intentions just by seeing that unreadable face. He had to speak with him privately.A cup of ale was offered to him. When Tristan looked, it was from Lewis beside him. “You’re a silent one … a dee
The morning light kissed the floor through the cold windows. The air smelled of tea. It came from Lucas drinking while he stared at the small scroll on the table; a scroll that Kael had never noticed someone giving to him. Lucas had his chin shaven, his hair cut, and his body bathed last night when they arrived in the hideout, a few hours before dawn. Kael had attended to his wounds and bruises but barely had enough sleep.The previous night, the two had been found in the dark alleys by the knights from the citadel after Lucas’ business with Merit. Someone must’ve shared information about their whereabouts. Harith. That mage could never be trusted at all. Fortunate they were that they managed to escape by climbing above the structures. It had been easier for them to move over the roofs while they could see and be aware of any threats below.“Nothing will arrive sooner with you pacing around the room while peeking thro
It was the two of them against tens of thousands. Breath racing, Arth sped through the skies, chased by thousands of Ma’rogs; flying beasts mounted by Gunturs. His blood ran wild through his veins as if they’d burst. The Ma’rogs had proved to have powerful wings as Arth struggled from keeping up his pace towards the south.Only Ma’rogs could go after them if they headed east, and so the plan was to divert their attention while the seed that Elicantris had planted on the encampment had still yet to grow. The seed was their hope to hold off the army, and that’s when they could regroup with the others in Bron’s Cave.But the plan didn’t turn outright. Arth had underestimated the speed of the beasts chasing him, so he had to work his dragon wings as hard as he could, and it’s causing his blood to run mad, like a wild current of a river.Arth thought he saw countless arrows flying t
“Drava … that’s where your father is now,” Tristan remembered Bow saying last night. “We’ll head to the country after we’re done with our business with the Lord.” Tristan didn’t know what to feel after hearing about his father. So the man was alive, indeed. And he’d never even thought of returning to his home, to see if his family was still alive? Anger boiled inside Tristan’s chest. He vowed to make the man pay … for leaving them … for not being there to protect them. Surpine and their mother, Pauline, would’ve been alive if the father was there, while Tristan had been gone making a livelihood for the family. An old pain tightened his chest as he recalled the bloody scene in his house after his day of work. It was Surpine’s naming day, and he had thought of using his savings to buy a decent meal for their dinner. He bought her sister’s favorites; honeyed biscuits, a roasted whole chicken, and a frui
Kael watched as Lucas collected a small amount of blood mark on the floor from the chamber, where Janshai had been kidnapped. It was dry and solid, as it had stayed for over three days. But the tiny tong managed to get the blood mark out of the cold surface before containing it in a small glass vial.Kael had not much knowledge about the art of blood magic … as his long years of magic training had only put him into the Path of Ice … as well as the Path of Light. Perhaps Lucas, too, hadn’t known much about it, which was why he had to use the disc to track Janshai using blood.It was an hour afternoon when the three of them gathered at the circular table, where Lucas had laid a scroll that depicted the map of Glacia.“I will expect my request to arrive this afternoon,” Lucas said. “Then we shall begin tracking the kid. In the meantime,” he laid both hands on the table, “We&rsqu