《The Foolhardies》


 1 The Gallant Fool

    "Dean, get down!" Luca yelled.


    I wasn''t usually cool with my kid brother giving me orders but this time was an exception. After all, Luca probably just saved my life.


    I ducked just in time as a spear tip pierced the space where my head was only a second ago. Glancing up, I saw the spear''s charred blade mere inches from my face. Wispy black vapor spilled out of its edge, and the sight of it sent a cold shiver running up my spine.


    "Dean, keep moving!" Luca yelled again.


    His warning was like a splash of cold water on my face. It saved me from giving in to the sudden fear that was clawing its way into my brain, reminding me that there was no room for panic. This was a time for action.


    I dodged a second spear thrust aimed at my head, and in the next motion, I drew my falchion from its sheath strapped to my belt with my right hand and then sent it forward in an arc. Thanks to its own charred edge, the blade sliced through the spear wielder''s leather vest and cut into the thick skin underneath as easily as if I was cutting butter.


    A howl of pain reached my ears, but my falchion''s momentum continued, slashing through thick skin and soft fleshy parts and out the other side in a spray of blood.


    As soon as I finished my first slash¡ªthe falchion''s own wispy black vapor trailing in a line through the air¡ªI twisted my wrist one-hundred-eighty degrees and sent the sword back down the path it came from.


    Blood and guts spilled out of the x-shaped wound I finished cutting across my attacker''s stomach, and with a final gasp for life, my enemy tumbled forward and crashed onto the dirt by my feet.


    Precious seconds ticked by while I just stared at the dead body.


    It certainly wasn''t my first kill and it most definitely wouldn''t be my last, and yet I couldn''t repress the sickening feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. I couldn''t stop my hands from shaking. Another fairy was dead because of me.


    Yeah, you heard right. I, fifteen-year-old Dean Dapper, was a fairy slayer.


    Make no mistake, the ugly face staring back at me with its lifeless, bulbous eyes probably didn''t deserve the guilt I felt for killing it. Certainly, the pointy, crooked nose that someone had broken one too many times, and the cracked, yellowing tusks peeking out of the misshapen mouth made this creature so repulsive it was hard to feel any pity for it. But I did. I couldn''t help it. My brain was just wired that way. Although I knew if I hadn''t taken its life it would have taken mine. Probably in the most gruesome way, too. Hobgoblins were mean like that.


    Yeah, you definitely didn''t mishear me this time either. I said hobgoblin. They''re real. They''re actually a race of fairy, which, believe it or not, is just as real as you or me. And just like in the old fairy tales, there are many kinds of fairy. Some so beautiful that the sight of them would turn untrained mortals into sappy, love-struck fools for the rest of their short lives. Others so ugly they''re literally the stuff children''s nightmares are made from. However, no matter what they look like, whether fair or foul, most fairies are rotten to the core. They''re petty and cruel creatures who have enormous egos you couldn''t fit into a house if you tried. They think anyone who doesn''t look like them is an inferior being, and that goes double for humans like me and Luca who possess no fay blood inside us.


    Now, you might be wondering why two human teenagers were out and about killing fairies. The short answer was that we''d been roped into fighting in a war of succession that''s been ongoing for almost five hundred years. Tonight was no exception. Luca and I, along with the hundred-man unit we were part of, were in the middle of invading the fairy fort of a rival clan whose defenders also numbered roughly a hundred. As fairy fort''s go, this one was rather tiny. It was just a broken ring of white stones gathered at the top of a low, circular, barren hill.


    While I contemplated on the mess Luca and I were in, a second hobgoblin soldier charged me. This one had a tall, lean frame that would have given it an intimidating aura if only the grey-tinted leather armor it wore wasn''t a size too big for it. Dark brown skin pulled taught over an angular face that had comparably uglier features to the one I''d just defeated. Long and unruly braided hair trailed behind the hobgoblin as it quickened its step toward me.


    The hobgoblin raised knobbly arms and lifted a battle ax with both hands. Long, spindly fingers wrapped tightly around the wooden handle. The charred ax head blazed. Wispy black vapors leaked out of it.


    Still, the threat of impending bodily harm didn''t worry me much because I knew the ax would never reach me. Luca would arrive first.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Luca sprint forward.


    He was a blur of movement that caught the enemy unaware, and with a single swing of his shadowblade¡ªa heavy-looking broadsword mounted on an iron crossguard and hilt¡ªsevered the hobgoblin''s head from its shoulders.


    I clapped in appreciation while I watched the head thump down to the uneven ground.


    "Nice assist, Luca," I said, genuinely impressed at how easy he made killing monsters look.


    Luca swiveled his head in my direction.


    His wavy hair, red like mine but much longer, almost shoulder-length, framed the sun-kissed face with the refreshing smile plastered on it.


    Now, a casual observer who didn''t know my little brother might have thought his smile genuine, but I knew better. I could see it in the depths of his brown eyes. They had a haunted look to them. Clearly, they possessed the same soul-crushing sadness reflected in mine.


    Luca was only fourteen, but at five feet and nine inches, he was taller than me. He was also more muscular. You would expect as much seeing as how he swung that broadsword around pretty often. In contrast, I was three inches shorter, thinner, and had fairer skin than him. My red hair was cut short and styled in the same side-parted haircut as your typical action hero.


    Luca and I both wore the same armor, a low-quality leather vest and shoulder pauldrons dyed in the Trickster Pavilion''s midnight blue colors. We wore wool pants and old leather boots that showed too many signs of wear and tear. In fact, the only equipment we carried worth stealing was our shadowblades, my falchion and Luca''s broadsword. As they were both bronze tier, they''d naturally fetch reasonable prices at any auction house. It was one thing to be thankful for. The clan may treat us with disdain but at least they gave us good weapons to fight and die with.


    "Can you stop spacing out¡­ this is a battlefield, you know," Luca complained.


    "Sorry¡­ my bad," I replied.


    Luca shook his head at me before glancing back to where we came from. "We''re too far out¡­"


    He was right.


    South of us, our unit had formed an offensive line that stretched the bottom of the southern hillside. Ahead of them, the fairy fort''s defenders formed their own defensive line to repel our siege. As their position was elevated, they obviously held the terrain advantage, which meant our side would have a rough time pushing forward.


    Luca walked over to my side.


    "We should move, Dean¡­ we''re sitting ducks out here," he nodded toward our unit. "Should we head back and help them?"


    "Would it kill you to call me big brother?" I grumbled.


    "Maybe if you start acting like one," he countered.


    I sighed inwardly. It was challenging to have such a capable little brother who didn''t need to rely on me at all.


    "We''re fine. We killed the only two guards who saw us. I doubt anyone else will notice two teens climbing up the side of the hill in all this chaos," I reasoned.


    I was mostly right. Earlier, while the two armies prepared for battle, Luca and I ignored our commander''s orders and broke off from our unit to circle around the eastern slope of the chocolate-colored hill so we could climb it unobstructed by the defenders who''d focused on our main attack force. Midway up, we encountered and defeated the only two guards stationed there. As foolhardy plans went, things were going pretty well.


    From our new elevated vantage point on the hillside, I now had a good view of the fort''s defenses. My eyes scanned the scene before me¡ªthe battle was going just like I thought it would.


    Despite our attackers'' determination to climb the hill, the fairy fort''s well-placed defenses repeatedly kept them at bay. Separate groups of defenders scattered across the hillside, charging the weakest points in our line which had stretched itself too thinly along the southern slope. Their shadowblade spears crashed onto our unit''s shields, forcing us back a step for every two we made forward. Projectiles rained down from above¡ªarrows with charred-tipped arrowheads, giant boulders that rolled through predetermined paths down the hill, even mid-sized fireballs from the lone mage standing near the hilltop. In the wake of this onslaught, our troops could do nothing but crumble slowly.


    "Bunch of incompetent idiots," I whispered.


    "Why? What do you see?" Luca asked.


    "We''re stretched out too thin¡­ the whole line is in danger of breaking," I deduced. "They need to reform and gather closer to the center. With more men together they might have a chance of breaking through the defenses and get higher up the hill where the enemy arrows won''t be as effective."


    Luca hefted his broadsword''s blade over his right shoulder. "Wouldn''t that just make them a bigger target?"


    "Only if they kept up this slow pace¡­ but one big push forward could turn this whole battle around," I explained.


    Luca glanced my way. "Is that what your Fool''s Insight is telling you?"


    To be clear, Luca didn''t actually call me a fool. He was referring to the gift bestowed on me by the clan leader. Lowly humans like me who didn''t have a drop of fairy blood in our bodies couldn''t wield the arcane powers most fairies possessed. To make us more useful in battle, fairies gifted humans with abilities that enhanced our natural talents. Mine was Fool''s Insight. It was a power that enhanced my sense of sight to a disturbingly high degree, allowing me to absorb and process all the visual information around me into useful insight.


    "No, I don''t need it to see the mess our commander put us in," I reasoned.


    It wasn''t just that I didn''t need to use the power, I also didn''t want to. Fairy gifts were double-edged swords that caused problems equal to the boons they provided. Overusing Fool''s Insight meant I would later have to deal with temporary blurry eyesight akin to near blindness. Such a debuff would prove fatal in a battlefield like the one we were in.


    "You think Commander Roselle''s plan will fail?" Luca asked.


    "It already has," I answered. "That arrogant pixie wouldn''t know what strategy was even if it jumped out and bit him in the face¡­"


    Luca sighed. "If he survives, he''ll want to kill us himself for breaking away and doing our own thing, for sure. You know how he is about rules¡­"


    I grinned at Luca. "Not unless we help turn this dire situation around, little brother."


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    "You have a plan?" Luca sounded skeptical.


    "When have I not?" I answered.


    Luca lowered his broadsword tip first and impaled it onto the soft earth where it sank a good two inches. "It''s probably another reckless idea..."


    "What we''re doing is called gallantry, not recklessness," I countered.


    I pointed to the top of the hill.


    Around seventy to eighty yards above us, the barren hill that was the color and surface texture of chocolate brownies peaked into a low rise encircled by a ring of white stones made visible by the large golden moon that was native to this realm.


    "See what I see?" I asked.


    Luca gazed in the direction I pointed. After a while, he shrugged. "You know I don''t¡­"


    "I see a path to victory," I said, confidently.


    "Uhuh, and how exactly are we supposed to win this?" Luca asked with an impassive face that seemed unconvinced by my declaration.


    My grin grew wider. "Follow me."

 2 A Time to Kill

    "Your reckless plan''s going to get us killed!" Luca hissed.


    "Calm down," I whispered. "We can do this."


    We were making our way up the side of the hill while we argued. Our goal was to reach the fairy fort''s hilltop to catch our enemies unaware before they saw us, but this was easier said than done. Although most of the attention was on our hundred-man unit below, it would be nearly impossible not to be noticed by the scattered groups of defenders the further up we went.


    "Look," I pointed back to the hilltop. There were only five soldiers encircling the lone mage on the hill. The rest of their forces were gathered further below. "There are so few of them guarding their commander. With your overpowering brawn and my quick wit, the two of us are more than enough to take them."


    Luca rolled his eyes at me but didn''t argue. He knew I had a point. Our teamwork was the best in the entire unit.


    "How do you know that one''s their leader?" he asked.


    "We''re up against the Magesong Clan. You know how high they value their fairy magicians more than everyone else," I reasoned.


    We continued up the hill, trekking through the barren dirt, and it wasn''t until there were less than fifty yards between us and the commander''s group when we stopped. Troops of archers and boulder-throwers gathered in clumps above us. We needed another route.


    In order to increase our chance of a successful stealth run, I decided it was time to pull out my winning card. I knelt on the dirt and closed my eyes. Then I reached deep inside me and called forth the power of my fairy gift. It appeared in my mind''s eye a moment later, a floating paper-thin rectangular object about six inches long and three inches wide wrapped in the warm silver light of fairy glimmer. It was a card.


    On the card''s surface was the painting of a weirdly dressed man staring whimsically at the sky. Draped across his back was a wooden pole with a sack at its end. Beneath this foolish figure were markings that would have been unreadable to the uninitiated mind. However, I knew they were primordial script, the language of fairy kind.


    I read the words, "Oh great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," and felt the magic stir.


    Heat concentrated on the surface of my eyes like I''d rubbed chili pepper all over them. Seconds passed, and what began as a painful stinging slowly transformed into this warm, soothing sensation that enveloped my entire vision.


    When I opened my eyes, I was a bird in flight staring down at the hill from high above the clouds. With this bird''s-eye-view, I saw the entire fairy fort, its surrounding hill, and the formations and composition of the two forces arrayed against each other. I witnessed my unit struggling to make their way up the hill. Their numbers were lesser since the battle began. I also noticed the gaps in the Magesong Clan''s defenses, and not for the first time, wished I was the one leading instead of the incompetent one-hundred-man commander who ordered the soldiers into this losing struggle.


    My eyes zoned in on the hilltop to the enemy commander and its guards lounging in a loose formation outside the ring of white stones at the very top of the hill. There were five mean-looking hobgoblins in grey-tinted leather armor carrying shadowblades of different types, their scarred faces way uglier than the ones Luca and I defeated. Their leader wore a heavy grey cloak and hood that kept its face in shadow. Although it had the same tall, slim physique as the hobgoblins, my Fool''s Insight would not be, well, fooled. It was clear to my sight that this commander was no hobgoblin. The long and lustrous golden hair peeking out of the hood gave its secret away.


    To the right of the enemy command group and about ten yards lower on the hill was a series of shallow ditches carved into the dirt. These were the tracks the giant boulders used to roll down the hill. Now, it just so happened that the ditch on the farthest right cut into the hill in a line that intersected with the path Luca and I were on. Another lucky coincidence was that this particular ditch was unused as there were no more boulders to roll down it. I knew immediately that this was our way in.


    After taking one final snapshot of the battlefield, I closed my eyes and deactivated my power. The warm heat vanished from my sight, and my vision cleared. I was back on ground-level and staring into Luca''s worried face.


    "So, how doomed are we?" he asked.


    I told him what I saw.


    "That sounds bad¡­" Luca''s brow bunched together in concern. "How much longer can the unit hold out?"


    His concern wasn''t unexpected. Unlike me who''d only joined the unit three weeks ago, Luca had been fighting alongside most of them for the three months he was missing. He''d made some friends among them in that time.


    "The rate they''re going¡­ I estimate another half hour before they''re completely wiped out," I answered, honestly.


    I patted Luca reassuringly on the shoulder.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll finish the job long before that happens," I said.


    Luca nodded silently. Despite his constant complaints, I knew he would rather put himself in mortal danger than watch people he knew get hurt. He was a good kid at heart.


    "Let''s go," I said.


    I led Luca to the ditch. We climbed into the wide three feet space, and with our heads stooped low, made our way up the hill while sticking as close to the earthen wall as possible. We hoped this would help us avoid detection from the scattered enemies above. Ten cautious minutes later, we reached the end of the ditch unseen.


    Luca and I peeked out of the left wall and discovered a group of soldiers standing among the other ditches. Thankfully, they were too busy gleefully pushing five-foot boulders down the hill to notice us. We saw the commander''s guards about fifteen yards away from the boulder-throwers.


    "What now?" Luca whispered.


    I nodded toward the right. "We''ll climb up that wall and then make a dash for the commander''s location."


    "And then?" Luca pressed.


    I raised a knowing eyebrow at him.


    Luca sighed. "You want me to do the heavy lifting, don''t you?"


    I shrugged. "Your Foolish Strength combined with the surprise attack should be enough to break their formation and allow me to slip in and assassinate the magician."


    "What if the magician has a barrier up?" Luca argued.


    "Not likely¡­ the dude''s too far away from the main fight to bother with a shield," I reasoned.


    "This plan is foolhardy, Dean¡­ It''s too risky," he insisted.


    I wrapped an arm around Luca''s shoulder.


    "Remember why we''re doing this?" I asked.


    "To rack up as many accomplishments as we can to earn a wish from the clan leader," Luca recited like he''d done a dozen times before.


    I nodded. "Yeah¡­ if we become the clan''s heroes then the patriarch will definitely grant our wish. And there isn''t a bigger reward on a battlefield than the head of the enemy commander."


    "What if the fighting continues even after we kill the boss?" Luca argued.


    For an answer, I pointed to the heavens. The sky was less dark. The sun would show its face soon.


    Luca''s shoulder''s stiffened. "Dawn''s coming¡­"


    "Roselle must have noticed the enemy unit''s composition just like I did which is why he started the battle this late just in case we couldn''t win the fight," I said, smirking. "I have to give that pixie some credit. He''s definitely good at running away¡­"


    Without another word, we climbed out of the ditch and made our way as stealthily as we could manage up the remaining fifteen yards to our target. Now, I wasn''t sure if it was our awesome stealth skills, the growing intensity of the battle below, or just dumb luck but the enemy commander''s guards didn''t notice me and Luca until we were almost right on top of them. By then, it was already too late.


    The soft glow of fairy glimmer surrounded Luca for a brief second before disappearing just as quickly. Immediately afterward, he unleashed an inhuman roar that even made the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end. I could only imagine the kind of mind-numbing fear our enemies must have felt.


    Although his fairy gift turned him into something akin to a tank, my little brother unleashed berserker tendencies whenever he used Foolish Strength that was totally out of character to his usual gentle bearing.


    Luca''s roar stunned the hobgoblins enough that they were a second too late in raising their weapons to block his attack. With a wide swing of his broadsword, he struck the closest hobgoblin and sent it barreling into the soldier beside it, forcing them both to topple over. Luca''s second attack was another ferocious swing toward the hobgoblin on his left. The creature had just enough wit to raise his own shadowblade to block the attack. This may have seemed like a wise move but I was pretty sure Luca had baited the hobgoblin into it.


    Why would my brother do that, you ask? Well, it had to do with the properties of a shadowblade. All of them, regardless of shape were similar in that they were formed out of shadows hardened by the magic harnessed from the shadow crystal core hidden inside the weapon handle. A shadowblade''s strength depended on its core, and Luca''s, like mine, had a bronze tier core. Out of the six weapon tiers; copper, bronze, steel, silver, gold, and the legendary mythril, bronze cores had the unique trait of being the quickest to draw and retract.


    As soon as their shadowblades clashed, Luca retracted his weapon. The shadows forming the broadsword''s blade lost their hardness and slinked back into the weapon handle. The hobgoblin had only a second to look smug, however, before Luca''s shadowblade reformed and hardened, impaling the fairy through its undefended gut.


    Less than a minute went by since Luca''s charge but already three of the five guards were down. At the same time as my brother struck down his foe, I reactivated Fool''s Insight. As this power wasn''t limited to the strategic bird''s-eye-view I''d used earlier, but could also give me enhanced perception, I knew it would aid me in my own task.


    My vision refocused just in time to witness the commander point a hand at Luca. I saw the fingers twitch and noticed the arcane energy build-up at their tips. I saw the gleam of wicked eyes and the thin-lipped mouth uttering the beginnings of a spell.


    Having seen the danger, my left hand jerked to the back of my belt and I pulled out the dagger handle I kept there. I threw the dagger at the enemy commander without waiting for the shadowblade to form, and thanks to insight guiding my aim, my newly formed blade pierced the palm of the enemy''s outstretched hand.


    A pained scream came from the hood and was immediately followed by a slur of primordial curses.


    Quick as I dared, I dashed forward while my right hand grasped the handle of my falchion.


    I ran past Luca who''d switched targets to the fourth hobgoblin guard. From my peripheral, I saw them exchange sword blows. There was another howl of pain. Luca''s charred blade cut deep into his opponent''s shoulder.


    I quickened my pace, pushing my legs and feet to the extremes.


    The last standing hobgoblin guard moved to block me with his shadowblade spear raised. Behind him, the enemy commander had just removed my dagger from its hand. More cursing ensued.


    The hobgoblin''s spear came hurtling at me, but I feinted to the right. The hobgoblin turned to follow, and at that exact moment, I spun around in a three-sixty-degree arc while my momentum carried me forward like I was executing a basketball spin move against the defender of the opposing team. As I spun, I pulled my falchion from its sheath in a quick draw style that used the buildup of shadows in forming the blade like a rocket to boost the speed and force of my slash. I moved past the hobgoblin and rushed forward to my sword''s intended target.


    Unfortunately, I hadn''t accounted for the fireball that came to greet me. Sent by the mage''s outstretched hand and possibly formed out of a rushed spell to counter my attack. Heat grazed my skin. The incoming flames threatened to burn my outstretched arm. But I gritted my teeth and forced my sword through the fire. My falchion arced forward at blinding speed and the shadowblade''s charred edge met the flames. The two magics collided.


    Here''s the thing about spells. The more time you put into casting, the more potent its power. When it''s rushed, however, the spell is weaker. So, it was no surprise to me when my falchion cut through the fire and reach the commander''s throat.


    The hood flew back, revealing the face of a beautiful Elven maiden with golden hair and golden eyes the color of the summer sun. There was an instance of disbelief appearing on her fair face right before the fear settled in. Blood splattered her hair and cloak as my falchion bit into her throat. She clutched at her gaping wound with both hands but the blood wouldn''t stop flowing, and neither did I.


    She sent me a last spurt of defiance, her eyes pulsing in what might have been the start of a chantless spell, but I gave her no quarter. I plunged my shadowblade into her.


    As I sent my blade into her chest and saw her gurgle her soundless death scream, I felt hot tears fall down my face. A great sadness had suddenly overwhelmed me. She was a creature of myth and legend¡ªand I, a lowly human, sentenced her to an early grave. I watched her fall. Heard the thud of her body as it hit the ground. I felt numb. So much that I didn''t even care when the surviving hobgoblin guards dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. What monsters me and my brother must have seemed to them.


    It wasn''t until Luca shook my shoulders that my stupor cleared.


    "What¡­?" I asked, confused.


    "The elf charmed you just before she died," he answered.


    "Really¡­?" my mind still felt muddled.


    "You probably looked into her eyes," Luca insisted. "Dean, please focus¡­"


    The urgency in Luca''s voice sent warning bells into my brain, forcing me to wake up from the daze.


    "I''m okay," I said. "We did it. We won."


    Luca nodded. "Yeah¡­ but, we''re too late¡­ the sun''s coming up."


    My eyes glanced eastward toward the rising dawn.


    "Shit," I hissed.


    I turned my sight to the hillside below and saw that both armies had stopped fighting. It wasn''t clear if the enemies realized their leader was dead and were in retreat or if the coming of the morning had simply postponed the fight because they knew that much of their force would vanish soon.


    I grabbed Luca''s shoulders with shaky hands.


    "Listen, the moment I''m gone get down there and tell Roselle what we did here. Get him to lead the rest of our soldiers up the hill to claim the fort. Have Aura help you convince him if you need to. Got it?"


    I was desperate. There was no time. I could already feel the pull of home calling me. Damn that she-elf for charming me at the worst moment.


    Luca gave me a weak smile.


    "I''ll try," he said.


    As sunlight touched his exposed skin, golden lines formed in patterned swirls across his face and arms. My eyes narrowed at the sight of them. My fists clenched. Here was the root cause of our troubles. The tool the fairies used to force my brother and those like him into a life of slavery.


    However, since I didn''t possess these faintly glowing loops of gold that I knew were actually magical chains that bound Luca to the Fayne, I was a free man¡ªwhat the fairies called a visere, someone who was a frequent visitor to their realm. This also meant my time was up.


    "Do as I ask, okay?" I reminded him. "You won''t get much resistance. I saw it earlier. A big chunk of the enemy''s forces was human. Most likely, many of them are viseres like me."


    Luca nodded thoughtfully before saying, "I''ll be okay, Dean."


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    This always happened during dawn. Luca would show me a brave face. Sometimes it felt like he was the big brother.


    "I promise I''ll be back. I''ll always come back," I said.


    The last thing I saw was Luca''s smile. I heard him say, "See you later", and then he vanished from my sight.


    Everything went black, and then I woke up in my bed.

 3 Gone with the Wind

    I sat up groggily on my bed and rubbed my eyes before I looked over my surroundings.


    The backdrop of the dawn rising over the horizon bathing the hilltop in sunlight''s rays was replaced by white-washed walls and a nearly empty room. No posters of famous rock bands or hanged photos on the walls. No furniture for books or toy figures or computer consoles. Only a single mattress and a chair beside it for the stuff I''d need close at hand. My bedroom was Spartan¡ªand that''s just the way I liked it now.


    I felt tired. Sleep was no rest for me as I spent that time awake in the Fayne. Half of my life. That was the deal all viseres made.


    My eyes swiveled to the alarm clock on top of the chair. It was six in the morning. Sunlight peeked in through the gap in the window curtains.


    I sighed. Another night had come and gone, and I was no closer to freeing Luca from the fairy realm.


    I looked over to the lone photo propped up next to the alarm clock.


    The photo showed four people smiling in front of a loose ring of tall grey stones. These were my parents, an eleven-year-old Luca, and twelve-year-old me. We''d taken this photo three years ago during our last family vacation. We were happy then. Our smiles were warmer and more genuine. We''d traveled to the U.K. because Dad wanted to visit the Stonehenge for research to help with writing his new book concerning the legends surrounding the stone circles scattered across the world. Specifically, the one about how they were actually portals to another realm.


    That a rumor like that even existed was proof that some people knew the truth and were trying to warn others. It''s too bad that I didn''t pay attention. Things would have been easier if I learned all the fairy stuff sooner.


    Dad never got to finish his book. He died in a car accident that same year. His body was so badly damaged that the only thing they could use to identify him was his teeth.


    Dad''s death sent our mom into a fit of depression that would last for months before she finally snapped out of it. Her psychiatrist always worried the depression would come back so he encouraged my brother and me to do our best not to agitate her. And we did, for a time. Luca and I excelled at school so mom wouldn''t have to worry over us. I got top grades in my year while Luca did his best in sports and quickly became the high-school basketball team''s star rookie. However, despite our achievements, mom fussed and fretted over us twice as much as before, especially with Luca. She seemed so worried that something bad might happen to him, almost as if she was certain it was a foregone conclusion. As the big brother, I did my best to assure her I was watching over him, and it felt like I was doing an okay job too. In fact, things were going pretty well until the night Luca disappeared three and a half months ago.


    I remembered it like it was just yesterday. I was out with my friends that night. We''d join the line snaking the street outside Starlight City''s biggest movie theater for Endgame''s opening night when I got the call.


    My mom was frantic over the phone, repeating over and over that Luca hadn''t come home from practice, and that he wasn''t responding to any of her calls or texts.


    I checked my wristwatch. It was a quarter to midnight. Fifteen minutes before the biggest cinematic experience of all time would start. But I barely hesitated when I told her I would look for him. I put the phone down and explained the situation to my two best friends, Ty Cruz and Arah Tan, and neither of them hesitated when they offered to help. We each spared one last look at the poster for the movie sequel we''d been waiting an entire year for before we left the line in search of Luca.


    The first place we visited was Edward''s Chocolate Bar down on 5th Avenue. It was a well-known caf¨¦ that was the usual haunt for the jocks of my school. A friendly interrogation of Luca''s friends there led me to the discovery that my brother left basketball practice an hour before it ended because he said he wasn''t feeling well. This was strange for me to hear as I remembered seeing Luca bouncing on the toes of his feet that morning. After all, that day was his fourteenth birthday.


    Arah, a pretty half-Chinese girl with glossy black hair she liked to tie in a ponytail who had grades that were almost as high as mine, suggested we check out the local hospital. Maybe Luca felt worse and had dropped in for a checkup. We followed her suggestion and visited St. Lucy''s Medical Hospital at the corner of 5th Avenue and 32nd Street but the receptionist inside the Emergency Center told us no one with Luca''s name or description had checked in that night.


    We were outside the hospital, walking along 5th Avenue when Ty said something that sent cold shivers up and down my spine.


    "Um¡­ do you guys remember Ashley Johnson?" he asked.


    I looked over to my friend. His buzz-cut head was bowed, but he was tall enough for me to see the contemplative look on his face.


    I remembered Ashley but I couldn''t say so out loud. I just didn''t want to think about what happened to her now of all times.


    "Sounds familiar¡­ but I can''t quite place the name," Arah answered. "Refresh my memory, Tiberius."


    In case you''re wondering, Tiberius was Ty''s first name. His dad was a huge Trekkie fan who named his son after Star Trek''s fictional captain of the Enterprise, James Tiberius Kirk, hoping Ty would inherit the adventurous spirit that Captain Kirk possessed. No such luck. Ty was a gamer geek who spent most of his time indoors while glued to a computer monitor playing Fortnite or Final Fantasy XIV. The only time Ty visited the outdoors was when Arah and I drag him out of his boy-cave.


    "Well¡­" Ty started. "No, it''s probably nothing¡­"


    "Speak up, Tiberius, or I will smack you," Arah threatened, jokingly.


    Ty glanced over to me hesitantly.


    "Ashley was a year older than us," Ty said.


    "Was?" Arah repeated, noticing Ty''s word choice.


    "She went missing two years ago¡­ on the night of her fourteenth birthday," Ty revealed.


    A moment of suspenseful silence passed before Arah smacked Ty on the shoulder with her fist. This wasn''t easy to do as Ty, being just an inch below six feet, towered over the both of us.


    "You jerk! Why the hell would you say that now?" Arah hissed.


    "Because you insisted I tell you!" Ty countered.


    "Well, read the mood, dude¡­ Geez," Arah replied.


    Now, before either of them could continue their banter, I said, "I remember her. Brown hair. Green eyes. Cute¡­ You had a crush on her, right, Ty?"


    "Dude!" he scowled. "That was like a million years ago¡­ no need to mention it now¡­ or ever¡­"


    Arah laughed. It was the last bout of genuine laughter I would hear for a long time.


    "She wasn''t the only one," I continued. "Lots of kids have been missing in Starlight City over the years¡­ Many of them about our age¡­"


    There was another bout of awkward silence. No one knew how to respond to what I just said. Eventually, though, Arah would be the one to speak her mind first as she really hated uncomfortable silences.


    "We''re talking about Luca¡­ Isn''t he a black belt in several martial arts like you, Dean?" No one could just abduct him," Arah reasoned.


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    She had a point. For as long as I could remember, my dad had been training me and Luca in all kinds of fighting styles. He never explained why but I remembered him revealing once how he wanted us to have the skills to defend ourselves from anything.


    "Anything," dad repeated, placing a lot of emphasis on that last word like it held some hidden meaning.


    Even after dad''s passing, Luca and I kept up our training. We couldn''t let go of it as daily training was the most time dad spent with us. Nostalgia aside, there was also a bit of rivalry between me and Luca. This meant a lot of one-on-one sparring sessions that resulted in plenty of bruises¡ªmostly, for me. Even before our adventure in the Fayne began, I could never beat him in a straight-up fight.


    "Yeah¡­ Luca''s probably just getting some quality time with a girl from his class," I joked, half-heartedly. It was all I could do to keep from panicking.


    In response to my attempt at levity, both Ty and Arah gave me tired smiles.


    We continued our search, and it wasn''t until the sun was peeking through the eastern horizon when we finally stopped and admitted defeat.


    The next few days went by in a blur.


    After my failure to find Luca, mom finally called the police. Detectives arrived at our two-story townhouse in the suburbs and questioned both my mom and me about him, his habits, places he liked to go, and known associates. I hated how they hinted that Luca might be involved with some undesirable groups, and I insisted he was a good kid. He wouldn''t hang with a bad crowd. This interrogation lasted the entire morning. Afterward, the detectives left and the search for Luca began.


    As he was a rising star in our community¡ªeveryone being such big basketball fans¡ªvolunteers from both the school and the neighborhood turned up to help search the nearby forests and hills surrounding Starlight City for him. Even my classmates came out to support me and my brother. It was honestly very touching.


    Three days after Luca vanished, Ty, Arah, and I, along with some neighborhood volunteers, made our way into Elfwood Forest, the deep forest reserve located south of the city and just a few miles outside the suburbs where my family lived. We trekked through dense foliage and wooden pines searching for Luca and found ourselves about five miles deep into the forest, arriving at one of Starlight City''s most renowned landmarks, the Elfwood Circle Stones.


    Like the Stonehenge in England, the Elfwood Circle Stones was a henge, a circular ring of standing stones roughly thirty feet in height each surrounded by a circular ditch about twenty feet away from the stones. Slabs of rock joined some stones together, forming a kind of uneven, flat arch roofs.


    While the rest of the search party moved on after a quick glance at the site, I remained behind out of a sense of nostalgia. Luca and I spent many summers with dad exploring this place. As he was one of the top researchers on circle stones, the local authorities never minded whenever we visited. Today, however, something about the ring of stones caught my attention. I couldn''t quite understand why but there was this feeling in my gut that Luca had been here.


    I walked over to the carpet of grass at the center of the circle and glanced around me. while there was nothing to see except for the tree line, I noticed something odd. There was a strange vacuum of silence where I stood that seemed to banish away the sounds one usually hears in the forest. No noise from the birds or forest critters. Not even the fluttering of the wind in the trees.


    Unnerved and frustrated, I screamed Luca''s name to the sky. Then the strangest thing happened. I heard him answer.


    "Dean!"


    I wasn''t entirely sure if it was a whisper or a shout but I heard Luca''s voice in the wind like he was somewhere very far away.


    I blinked. "Luca¡­? Where are you?"


    There was no response this time. Just dead silence. It was as if the wind had gone and it had taken Luca with him.


    "Luca! I''m here, Luca!" I yelled frantically.


    Alarmed by my yelling, members of the search party returned to the circle stones. They found me kneeling on the grass with tears streaming down my face while I screamed for my younger brother to come back.


    Yup, I had been bawling like a baby. But could you blame me? This was an emotionally taxing moment, and I might have felt like I was going crazy. After all, I did just hear Luca''s voice in the wind. This was not a very sane thought to have, which is why I never mentioned it to anyone and chalked up the whole episode to a temporary nervous breakdown.


    It was worse for my mom. After what happened in Elfwood Forest, I went home and found her in a catatonic state. She was sitting on the living room couch with her long, unwashed red hair draped over her face like a curtain. She''d been swaying from side to side while whispering nonsensical gibberish to the empty room. For how long, I didn''t know. All I knew was not even the sound of my voice or the shaking of her shoulders could snap her out of it.


    I called my aunt Lena¡ªmom''s younger sister¡ªand told her what was wrong with my mother.


    Aunt Lena arrived at our house fifteen minutes later in a haggard state embodied by the mess of short red hair which she usually kept waxed and styled. After she found my mom in the living room, she used the house telephone to call for an ambulance. Right after this, she strode over to me and gave me a hug like she used to do when I was a kid. She held me there in her arms for the full five minutes it took emergency medical services to arrive.


    Now, I was already fifteen and certainly not the sappy, overly emotional teenager I became for that brief period in Elfwood Forest, but it was honestly nice to have an adult hold you together like that. At least for those five minutes, I felt like the world wasn''t ending around me.


    I let aunt Lena do the talking. I simply allowed the paramedics to lead me into the ambulance so I could sit next to mom while they tended to her. She didn''t even twitch or make a sound after they''d stuck a needle into her hand for her IV drip.


    That night was certainly a contender for the second-worst night ever. It was right up there with the night Luca went missing and the night they told us about dad''s accident. Yeah, I''d been through the wringer these past few years. You''d think fate would let you catch a break once in a while, you know? Balance out good karma with the bad¡ªbut no. Fate was indifferent like that.


    Hold on, what kind of terrible night did I have that trumped the list above for the title of the worst night ever, you ask? Well, that would be two month after mom got carted away in the ambulance. It was the night I learned the truth about my family and our curse. It was the moment I learned that Luca''s disappearance was all my fault.

 4 The Ugly Truth

    The official diagnosis for mom''s condition was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by the sudden loss of a loved one. Her doctors declared her mentally unfit and recommended we place her in psychiatric care to help her recover from the ordeal. Although I was initially against leaving mom behind in St. Lucy''s psychiatric ward, I was smart enough to understand that neither aunt Lena nor I were equipped to help her in any meaningful way. Since the doctors promised they would do their best to help mom heal mentally, I relented. What else could I do?


    That same night aunt Lena brought me home to the empty house and told me she would live with me for as long as my mom was in the hospital. She would rent out her apartment for a while and use the guest bedroom in the house''s second floor which was conveniently right next to my room. It was a comfort to hear her decide this without having to ask her to stay. I couldn''t even imagine living here all alone with nothing but the recent tragic memories for company.


    Meanwhile, the hunt for Luca lasted a mere two months. Having found no significant clues to his whereabouts, the police ended their search and chalked it up to just another mysterious and unsolved missing person''s case.


    It wasn''t like they were incompetent¡ªalthough I remember calling the detective that to his face when he informed me and aunt Lena of the Police Department''s decision¡ªit was just that there were so many missing people in Starlight City that Luca''s incident didn''t seem so abnormal. Sure, once in a while a well-known family like ours would lose a kid and get attention from the authorities, but we were in the minority. Most missing person''s cases didn''t even make the news. It was just generally accepted as a hazard of living in Starlight City. Yes, missing teenagers was tragic, but the city was prosperous despite it. Businesses rarely went under, outbreaks of diseases rarely happened, and money flowed into all sectors of life. Starlight City thrived, and in a world where problems like famine, disease, and war cropped up everywhere, the citizens of Starlight were content to live here despite the odd sacrifice or two.


    After the detective left that afternoon with a promise to call us if any news regarding Luca turned up, I stormed out of my house not knowing where I was headed. My feet led me along the familiar path to the nearest bus stop, and from there I rode the short ride from the suburbs into midtown. I got off at 5th Avenue ten minutes later and walked along the bustling streets packed with people on their way home from work. My subconscious was obviously taking me somewhere. I only discovered where after I found myself standing in front of the entrance to St. Lucy''s.


    As dusk approached, the hospital''s entrance sign lit up like a neon beacon in the growing darkness. To me, it seemed like a proverbial go sign welcoming me in, and so I did.


    Mom''s room was on the fourth floor of the hospital''s second tower. But because hesitation slowed my steps, by the time I made it to her floor, night had completely fallen. The LED lights above me were glaringly bright as I made my way through the white hallway of the Psychiatric Ward. I passed an open door to my right and heard the angry shouts coming out of it.


    "The fairies¡ªthe fairies are calling me, I tell you! They won''t let me rest!" a man''s low baritone voice screamed.


    "Mr. Azuma, please calm down," another man answered. "Nurse, we will have to sedate him¡­ give him a dose of Lorazepam."


    "No! Don''t put me to sleep! Don''t send me back there!" Azuma screamed.


    Two burly orderlies in white scrubs passed me by before they charged into the room to help secure the rampaging patient. Soon afterward, scuffling sounds emanated from that room, as if the patient inside refused to be restrained.


    I moved along, not waiting to see which side would win. I had my own battle to fight.


    Mom''s door was on the left, near the end of the long hallway, and far enough from the rampaging man''s room. I stood before it undecided if I should enter. Five minutes passed, and I still didn''t have the nerve to turn the door handle.


    Why was I being such a wuss about this? Because I was looking for hope and I knew deep down that I wouldn''t find it here. After visiting mom nearly every day, I knew only hopelessness lay beyond the door.


    "Get it together, Dean," I whispered.


    However, before I could get it together, the door actually swung open on its own and a young woman in a white lab coat appeared on the other side of it.


    Long golden hair fell across her shoulders in wavy curls. Her eyes, hidden behind thick glasses, were the striking blue of a clear azure sky. Her nose was long and extended more at the tip. Her skin was the alabaster white of a goddess statue that had suddenly come to life. The surprise showing on her oval face at seeing me standing there mirrored my own, although I doubt her jaw was dropping like mine must have been. No, her small mouth with their pale pink lips reformed in a smile just before she inquired about why I was there.


    My brain felt frozen, stuck on loading to the point where I couldn''t utter more than a dumb, "um," in front of the gorgeous woman who I assumed was a doctor. She was wearing a doctor''s signature white lab coat after all.


    The doctor giggled. It was a wonderful, playful sound.


    "You must be Dean," she said.


    Her voice, although high, wasn''t the grating kind. It was the sound of honey being poured into my ears.


    "Are you here to visit your mother?" she asked.


    I nodded dumbly.


    The doctor walked through the open doorway and stepped aside for me.


    "Please go ahead," she held the door open. "Lora''s feeling much better tonight."


    There was something wrong in her statement¡ªlike she actually believed my mom was better. Nevertheless, I could do nothing but follow her suggestion. I entered the room, but when I turned around a second later to thank her¡ªor more likely, ask for her number¡ªthe doctor was nowhere in sight. The corridor was empty.


    "That''s¡­ weird," I said, confused.


    "Hi, Dean," a female voice said.


    Just hearing her greet me in such a calm manner sent my heart pounding madly as I hadn''t heard mom sounding so normal since the night I found her on the couch. Only, was it possible for someone who had PTSD to get better suddenly?


    Fear and hope gripped me in equal measure as I turned around to face her.


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    Mom was sitting on the cushioned bench by the window staring out at a view of the night sky where the full moon was out in all its glory. Moonlight drifted down from the sky to illuminate the darkened room, and it was only then that I realized the lights were out in here.


    "Mom?" I called, hesitantly.


    She turned to look at me. There was a warm smile on her face, the kind you probably wouldn''t find on a catatonic patient''s face.


    Mom gestured me over to sit beside her, but I hesitated.


    "I won''t bite, Dean. Come over here and give me a hug," she insisted with a laugh. It was the same one dad used to gush about.


    That clinched it. It really was mom. She was okay.


    At that moment, I forgot all my problems and went over to embrace her. I didn''t even notice the waterworks flowing down my cheeks until she brushed them away.


    "When did you turn into a crybaby?" she asked.


    I rubbed my eyes while my face turned red from embarrassment.


    "I''m not¡­ I''ve just got something in my eyes," I lied.


    After I blinked the tears away¡ªsomething that took a longer time to accomplish than I initially imagined¡ªI saw mom''s face turn grave. Her mood changed instantly. The atmosphere turned serious.


    "Listen to me now, Dean¡­ We have little time," she said.


    "What''s wrong, mom?" I asked.


    "There''s so much to tell¡­" She grasped both my hands in hers. Our fingers intertwined. "I''m so sorry¡­ Everything that''s happened to you and Luca is our fault¡­ Mine and your father''s¡­"


    I stiffened. What did she mean by this confession? And how was dad involved?


    According to mom, mine was a sickly birth that came with many complications. The doctors didn''t think I would survive the night.


    Her hands squeezed mine. "But your father¡­ Desmond¡­ he wouldn''t give up on you so he made a deal to save your life¡­"


    "What kind of deal?" I asked.


    If this was a movie, now would be the moment suspenseful music would begin playing, the kind that raised the hair on the back of one''s arms while simultaneously increasing the tension up to several notches.


    "I didn''t know about it until a year and a half later¡­ when L-Luca was born," mom said, her voice turning frantic. "They tried to take him then, but Desmond wouldn''t let them¡­ it wasn''t the deal."


    Here was when I noticed how the moonlight seemed to reflect unnaturally onto my mom''s eyes. They were too bright, like cat eyes reflecting a car''s headlights.


    "The ones who came¡­ they were¡­ they were¡­ they were¡­" she struggled but couldn''t seem to finish her sentence. Every time she tried, she would choke on what I assumed was an important word. Eventually, she gave up on this tactic and switched to telling me about Luca''s birth instead.


    Unlike mine, Luca came out of the womb a strong and healthy baby. It was very uneventful, at least not until later that night when mom woke up from her sleep and found two strange visitors standing over baby Luca''s hospital crib.


    "One was tall and lean while the other was squat and had a barrel-like shape. It was all I could see as they were both covered in shadows," mom explained.


    Her grip tightened on my hand.


    "Fear overtook me. I screamed¡­ but no sound came out of my mouth," she said.


    Her failed outburst caught the attention of the tall visitor, and his response to her silent scream was to place a finger over the space where his lips must have been like he was telling her to be quiet. Luckily, dad¡ªwho was sleeping on the couch next to mom''s hospital bed¡ªwas a very light sleeper, and mom''s frantic movements had alerted him to the intruders who arrived in the night.


    "I''d never seen him so furious¡­ Yet I could tell he was also very frightened," mom admitted. "He yelled for them to go away as it wasn''t time yet¡­"


    Her voice had turned hollow like the sound made by a robotic voice recording.


    "Mom¡­ what''s wrong?" I asked, worried.


    She ignored my concern and continued her story as if she couldn''t stop herself now that she''d begun.


    "The tall one spoke, and it was like the sound the wind makes in a storm¡­ It was terrible to hear," mom said in her hollow voice.


    Mom''s eyes shone even brighter. They were two pinpricks of light in the darkness of the room.


    I won''t lie. The current situation was starting to terrify me.


    "The voice said they were only there to inspect the merchandise¡­ to ensure the sacrifice was healthy," mom said.


    My brow furrowed at the word "sacrifice" and I had to ask her what she meant by it. She responded with the worst answer I could imagine, "Luca."


    "Why? Why was Luca a sacrifice?" I asked, confused.


    Mom had lost much of the lucidity she had when she asked me for an embrace. Her glowing eyes stared at me with an intensity that made me want to pull back but she tightened her grip on my hands and kept me in place. Then her voice switched to an urgent, hurried tone that felt rushed and nearly indecipherable.


    "They vanished as quickly as they came¡­ like imaginary ghosts in the dark¡­ but not before they revealed the truth," she said.


    "Mom, why did they want Luca?" I insisted. I needed her to stay on point.


    The urgency in my voice must have gotten through to her because she answered, "The deal Desmond made to save you ¡ª your life for the life of our next child."


    My hands slipped out of mom''s grasp. I pulled away from her as the horror of this realization overwhelmed me. Mom was wrong. It wasn''t her or dad''s fault. It was mine. I was the reason Luca went missing.


    "Does that mean... is Luca... is he dead?" I asked.


    Mom shook her head.


    Relief flooded my system, and the pain in my chest lessened to a dull throb that was incomparable to the squeezing sensation I felt previously.


    The lights flickered on and off, adding to the already foreboding mood.


    My mother''s eyes began to lose their weird shine. Intuition told me this was a bad thing. She was most likely losing her connection to that night¡ªand maybe to her newfound sanity too. This was no longer a time to be gentle. I grasped her shoulders and forced her to focus on me.


    "Tell me who took Luca, mom," I asked in a cold tone that didn''t reflect the panic or worry in my heart.


    She shook her head repeatedly. "No, no, no¡­ I can''t¡­"


    "Tell me now," I insisted.


    Her eyes which were no longer lustrous gazed back at me, and just for a second, I could see a spark of understanding flare-up in their brown irises.


    "Fairies," she whispered. "The fairies took Luca."


    The lights flickered again. More violently this time. As if a naughty child had its hand on the switch and was fooling around with it.


    "Fairies?" My brain hurt. It felt like invisible hands were squeezing them from inside my head. "What the hell are fairies? Where would they take Luca?"


    Mom shut her eyes. She shook her head. Then her mouth opened in a wordless scream right before she slumped forward and passed out on my shoulder.


    The lights flickered one last time before brightness filled the room and banished the darkness surrounding us.


    Mom stiffened in my arms as if waking from sleep. She pulled away. Her face, which only a minute ago had been so animated, was back to the glazed catatonic state that was now her default since Luca vanished.


    Realizing mom would be no more help, I put her arm over my shoulder and half-carried her back to her hospital bed as gently as I could. She obeyed without complaint. After she laid back onto the mattress, I placed the blanket over her to keep her warm. The night was cold after all.


    Feeling drained myself, I sat on the chair beside her and just stared at the ceiling. The shadows in the room had deepened before I stirred again. The cold numbness that overcame me when I realized I was responsible for Luca''s disappearance was slowly giving way to a furious rage simmering inside me.


    Fairies were real, and they abducted my little brother. It was up to me to bring him home.

 5 The Ritual

    According to Sun Zhu''s Art of War, the first step in achieving victory was to know your enemy. This was generally sound advice, especially since the enemy in question was of the otherworldly kind. And it was exactly because of this advice that on the morning after my visit to the hospital, I found myself standing in the first-floor hallway of my house while staring at the glass-paneled door opposite the living room.


    "How long are you planning to stare at it?" Arah asked in a playful tone.


    "Well, it is a nice door," Ty added, jokingly.


    "Hilarious," I answered. Inwardly, I was regretting calling the two of them for backup.


    Although my hand reached out for the door''s brass handle I couldn''t bring myself to open it.


    "Any day now, Dean," Arah pressed.


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    "Give him a break. He probably hasn''t gone in since¡­" Ty didn''t finish his sentence.


    He was right. After dad''s death, the study became a dark and dreary place full of memories of a father I would never see again. It had become forbidden territory. The room you walked by the corridor without a second glance.


    But then why was I subjecting myself to this emotional torture, you ask? Because dad knew about fairies long before anyone else in my family did. Hell, he wrote about them in his novels and in his research. He even made a deal with them to sacrifice Luca for me. By simple deduction, it meant there were definitely clues to find in the study.


    "This isn''t the time to hesitate," I whispered. "It''s a time for action¡­"


    I pulled open the door and walked into the smell of old paper and varnished wood.


    On either wall of the square space were shelves overburdened with heavy-looking volumes of books and manila folders. At the opposite end of the room was a hardwood table. Its partner was a plush high-back chair. Dust covered the room''s only window located behind the chair.


    Arah was the first to step into the study, and the hardwood floor panels creaked at her passing.


    "We''re only searching for information regarding fairies, yes?" she asked as her eyes took in the rows of shelves.


    "Yeah¡­ because there''s way too much stuff here," Ty added.


    Ty''s observation was an understatement. It would take us days to sift through all of my dad''s notes.


    "Why do you think I called you two?" I asked, wryly.


    "You will owe us dinner for this, Dean," Arah said.


    I nodded. "Sure. Later. Now we have to work¡­"


    Ty joined Arah inside the room, but I idled by the door. I needed another second to center myself because just being in dad''s study brought out a torrent of memories to the forefront of my mind, and with these memories came the simmering rage I''d been nursing since I learned about my family''s enemies.


    I cleared my throat. "Ready player one."


    "Ready player two," Arah added.


    "Ready player three," Ty finished.


    It was our mantra, the words we said whenever we needed to psyche ourselves up for whatever huge task we were tackling. Yes, it sounded super nerdy, but to be fair, we''ve been saying it since we were nine.


    The usual pump-up ritual done, I walked over to the east shelf where dad kept the reference materials for his work and pulled out the thinnest volume in the entire collection.


    On its brown leather cover, written in gold script, were the words "Dapper''s Fairy Tales Volume I." It was a series of short stories about fairies from all over the world that dad compiled and edited into a two-hundred-page anthology book. It was his very first best-seller.


    I flipped open the cover and began to read. Thirty minutes passed before I tucked the book into my jacket pocket. I wasn''t sure if any of the fantastical stories found inside would be of any help but there was an interesting bit in there about how iron was deadly to fairies. It deserved more scrutiny later.


    Arah, who''d been sitting on the high-back chair, called me over. As soon as I reached her, she showed me the title of the folder she''d been reading.


    A STUDY ON THE SUPERNATURAL POWERS OF THE FAIR FOLK AND THEIR WEAKNESSES


    The file inside the folder contained articles hypothesizing the supposed abilities fairies possessed.


    "Listen to this," Arah began reciting. "Fairy glamour ¡ª an illusion used by dark fay to appear beautiful to mortals. However, once a human sees a fairy''s true form, the glamour will never again affect them for they will never unsee the ugliness hidden inside."


    "Interesting," I said. "How exactly can you see past the glamour?"


    "Give me a sec," Arah scanned the document. "Salt¡­ you need salt."


    "What are you supposed to do with salt?" I asked.


    "Maybe you season them with it," Ty joked from the other side of the room.


    I ignored him and kept my eyes focused on Arah. I believe she found this uncomfortable as she raised an eyebrow at me in response.


    "You know fairies aren''t real, right?" she asked.


    Since I didn''t actually tell them the true reason we were researching fairies, I brushed off her concern with the lie I''d prepared beforehand.


    "Yeah-yeah, for sure. I''m just¡­ I thought that maybe I''d try my hand at writing too¡­ maybe write a novel and help with the bills," I lied.


    Arah''s eyebrow lowered a little slower than I would have liked it to. It meant I hadn''t entirely convinced her. Still, she told me about the use of salt. Apparently, spreading it in a circle around you weakened a fairy''s glamour.


    Ty''s own discovery was just as interesting as Arah''s, if not more so. He''d been reading a book called "AN EXPLORATION OF FAIRY PHYSIOLOGY" and found something inside it that he wanted to share with us.


    "Did you guys know there are twenty types of known fairies?" he said. "They''ve got tons of subspecies that make up the whole race."


    "You''re obviously dying to enumerate them, Tiberius?" Arah guessed.


    "See how fast I can do it," Right after he stated this, Ty named all the fairy subtypes as quickly as he could recite them without taking a single breath. "Gnomes-sylphs-undines-salamanders-pixies-brownies-fauns-kelpies-merfolk-leprechauns-sprites-dwarves-trolls-goblins-hobgoblins-ogres-spriggans-dryads-elves-drow, which is a kind of dark elf!" Ty gasped that last bit while his face turned purple.


    "Idiot," Arah commented, right before she saw how my own face turned pale, which prompted her to say, "What''s wrong with you?"


    How could I tell her that my heart rate had gone up several paces at just the thought of how many enemies I would have to fight against? Even if I had an idea regarding who took Luca, twenty fairy types were just too much of a hassle to think about. Obviously, I didn''t say any of this out loud so all I could manage was a shrug.


    It was just a happy coincidence that Ty''s cluelessness caught Arah''s attention before she scrutinized my reactions further.


    "Yeah, and those are only the known types. There might be dozens that we don''t know about," he added.


    "Like dragons and giants, you mean?" Arah guessed. "I noticed you didn''t mention them."


    "They''re not in this book," Ty replied. "Maybe they don''t count."


    It would have thrilled me if dragons and giants didn''t exist at all. Twenty monsters to take down was enough, thank you very much.


    I glanced over to the remaining books and folders on the wall shelves. Just staring at them was giving me a headache.


    "We''ll be here awhile," I said.


    Awhile was an understatement. It was nearly dusk before we discovered the answer I was looking for.


    Inside a cardboard box stashed in the study''s corner, Ty found a leather folder. Inside this folder was a pamphlet so old the yellowing pages cracked at his touch. He brought this pamphlet over to us on the table so we could all inspect it together.


    "It''s in Latin," Arah said, after a quick inspection.


    "Um, I can''t speak Latin," Ty complained. "I don''t know anyone who does."


    "Yes, we do," Arah countered.


    "Who?!" Ty asked, surprised at Arah''s nonchalant response.


    "Dean," Arah answered, before turning to me. "Well, what does it say, smart guy?"


    I ignored Ty''s dumbfounded expression and focused on scanning the pamphlet, whose first out of three pages, Arah was lifting with a librarian''s soft touch.


    "The Summoning of Fairies Most Vile and Evil," I pronounced.


    My eyes lit up immediately. Here was the answer to my dilemma. How do I find a fairy that could take me to where Luca was? The solution was right before me inside this aptly named document.


    "Hold on!" Ty called. "How do you speak Latin?"


    It was a fair question. Why did a fifteen-year-old like me learn Latin? Surely, reading Latin wasn''t required to get top grades? My dad taught me. Just like with martial arts, he believed knowing how to read and speak Latin would prove useful one day. I guess he was right. I explained this to Ty but left out why I thought it was useful.


    Inside this appropriately named document was a series of instructions detailing the steps required to summon one of the fair folk to our mortal plane. It goes without saying that I didn''t tell my friends exactly what was written but gave them a watered-down version one might find in a Disney movie. I wanted to keep them safe in case something bad happened with my foolhardy plan.


    Still, there was a reason Arah was number two in class. She surmised I wasn''t being completely truthful and gave me that smoldering look she did with her eyebrow rising to hairline level.


    "Dean¡­ you''re not thinking of trying this summoning ritual, right?" Arah asked.


    "No," I said. One word. That''s all I could give her as she was channeling Dwayne Johnson a little too well and it was hard to breathe under her scrutiny.


    "Trying something as illogical as this¡­ it won''t bring Luca back," she insisted, despite knowing how she thought it might hurt me to think about this. "It won''t help¡­"


    "Y-yeah¡­" Ty added weakly.


    "It''s not like that," I insisted. "I just¡­ I lost Luca and my mom in a span of weeks. But my dad''s still here," I gestured to the mountain of books around us. "I just wanted to feel a connection again¡­"


    Sheesh, I could probably join Broadway with my half-believable channeling of pain and sorrow when what I was really feeling deep down was hope. Although she didn''t know it, Arah was wrong. This knowledge was helpful. It was the key to everything.


    Both Arah and Ty looked away embarrassedly. My lie may not have completely convinced them but it would buy me time before they thought to stop me. Not that they could as I resolved to enact my plan that very night.


    The Summoning of Fairies most Vile and Evil revealed that the time of the ritual was crucial. it had to be during midnight, in the middle of summer. Whether it was a mere coincidence or fate driving me I wasn''t sure but it turned out that this day was right in the middle of summer break.


    So, that night, once Arah and Ty had gone home, I grabbed all the ingredients I would need for the ritual as well as the survival gear I prepared beforehand and headed out the back door.


    After pushing my mountain bike out to the street, I sent Aunt Lena a text message that I''d be sleeping over at Ty''s that night. She responded with, "Have fun."


    That tiny stab of guilt about lying gnawed at me as I rode my bike across the darkening streets of the suburbs and onto the path heading into Elfwood Forest. However, as the forest''s tree line came into sight, I comforted myself with the thought that I was doing this for my family.


    According to the summoning book, the ritual must be completed near a ring-shaped formation of stones at a location where nature''s influence was strong. Well, I knew a place that fit the bill perfectly¡ªand it was almost midnight when I finished my preparations a short distance away from the Elfwood Circle Stones.


    I touched the iron cross and chain I placed around my neck to make sure it was there. As iron repelled the fair folk, the chain would serve as my protection.


    I glanced at my wristwatch. It was five minutes to midnight.


    Kneeling down, I made sure that the ring of salt I placed in a circle around me remained unbroken. The salt should keep the fairy from playing tricks on my mind. No fairy glamour would befuddle me into fumbling my way to the goal.


    I checked my watch again. Midnight was here.


    From my pocket, I pulled out a thin golden chain connected on both ends by a round pendant about the size of a poker chip. It was one of my mom''s old necklaces. I didn''t like the idea of stealing her things, but I needed the necklace as an offering to the creature I would summon. According to the lore, fairies liked shiny things just as much as humans did.


    I placed the necklace on the ground just outside my circle of salt. Immediately afterward, I got up, closed my eyes, and with as confident a voice as I could manage despite the foreboding atmosphere, I said, "A scion of House Dapper offers you this gift on this auspicious night. If you accept the gift, then please reveal yourself."


    I opened my eyes.


    Since, as Ty pointed out earlier, there were many types of fairy, there was a chance that I would summon something completely unrelated to Luca. However, thanks to the super weird mom-and-son talk from the night before, I was relatively certain about my chances of picking the right target.


    A satisfied smile grew on my face as I said, "Hello again, Doctor!"

 6 First Contac

    I mentally patted myself on the back for deducing the truth. Not that it was too difficult to figure out once I really thought about it. After all, the person who saw mom before I did was also most likely the person responsible for turning her into that glowing eyed storyteller of last night. Her doctors would have informed aunt Lena or me of any drastic changes to mom''s condition, but since they hadn''t, it meant there was really only one suspect.


    I expected her to be angry at me for ruining her big reveal, the wringing of hands, the naming of insults¡ªeven just a regular frown would have sufficed. However, I received none of these responses. In fact, she seemed delighted that I figured it out. At least that''s what I assumed from the smile showing on her face.


    "I knew you were smart, Dean," she said, in that honeyed voice that seemed like music to my ears.


    It was glamour. It had to be. I was still under her spell and was definitely not responsible for the star-struck vibes I was giving the woman who I knew was my enemy.


    No. I was wrong. She wasn''t a woman at all.


    In the span between her giving me a compliment and my internal monologue about how captivatingly beautiful she was, the fairy doctor changed shape from a woman in her early twenties to the slender teenage blonde who was walking over to where I stood inside my circle of salt.


    It was the same blue-eyed face except her glasses were missing. She replaced her lab coat with a sleeveless midnight blue dress that reached past her knees. Her feet were bare, but she didn''t seem to mind the soft earth she stepped on.


    "U-um," I swallowed.


    She was close enough to touch now. Only the salt barrier kept her from walking right up to my face, and at this distance, I could say with certainty that she didn''t need glamour to woo me.


    "Yes?" she asked.


    The golden hair that fell across her milky white shoulders seemed to be shining with its own inner light, and peeking out of these golden locks were two extra-long and pointed ears.


    "Uh¡­ well¡­" I said, lamely.


    She leaned forward. "What is it?"


    Inwardly I wondered if she hadn''t realized yet how her proximity was overloading my brain, or maybe she did, and she was using it against me. This thought was like pulling the trigger of a gun aimed right at my hormonal teenage-boy-brain, reminding me of what was at stake. The anger returned, and with it, my resolve.


    Although the summoning pamphlet warned the summoner of stepping away less the fairy they summoned feel insulted by the gesture, there was no other way for me to create the space I needed to bow my head in greeting.


    No, I didn''t want to bow to her, but this was how the ritual was done and I needed things to go perfectly.


    "Might this humble personage ask the name of the fair folk who has deigned to grace this mortal realm?" I asked, with my head bowed.


    I was not channeling Shakespeare. It was necessary to show proper respect to receive the fairy''s favor later. At least that''s what the pamphlet claimed.


    As I sneaked a peek at her face, I watched her smile transform into a slight frown, and I guessed it had something to do with my sudden change in attitude.


    "I am Aurana Trickhaven, first daughter of the Trickster Pavilion, the noblest of the fay clans," she answered in a stately tone.


    I let five seconds pass before I raised my head to her eye level. Her smile was back, and now that I was thinking clearer, I understood that she was using her charms to test my resolve once more.


    We stared at each other, she with her captivating smile and me with my frosty grin. Neither of us allowing the other a foothold, until, after what seemed like an eternity, Aurana rolled her eyes at me and laughed. It was the kind of laughter that could evaporate someone''s anger. In this case, mine.


    "You are very stubborn, Dean Dapper," she said.


    "Um, thanks?" I answered, uncertainly.


    "Shall we dispense with the formalities?" she suggested. "I didn''t travel all this way just so you and I can try to outwit each other."


    This wasn''t how the pamphlet said things would go. Either it was dead wrong about what to expect or this fairy before me was an oddity.


    "If that is what the fair one desires," I said. I kept up the pretense in case she was trying to con me.


    "We''re not in one of your human plays, you know," she giggled. "Why don''t you just call me Aurana and I''ll keep calling you Dean."


    "Seriously? We''re just dispensing the ritual''s rules just like that?"


    "I didn''t think you were one to care too much about rules, Dean."


    Her blue eyes were staring right into mine, and I was afraid I might get lost inside their depths.


    "Besides, I''m not fond of mind games, and if this continued, I have no doubt you would have beaten me completely," she admitted.


    She certainly wasn''t as I expected. She seemed so open and honest. Not at all like the wicked monsters that stole children in the dead of night.


    "You''re wondering if you can trust me." she guessed.


    "Can I?" I countered.


    Aurana shrugged. "That''s up to you. I won''t try to persuade you¡­ but I''d rather we lay our cards on the table. Enter into this relationship with full transparency."


    My ears pricked up. "Relationship?"


    Although I was certain she didn''t mean it to sound anything like what my hormonal brain was thinking, the thought of any relationship with Aurana was making my cheeks turn a red shade similar to my hair.


    When Aurana saw the redness on my face, her own cheeks turned a shade of apple.


    "I meant something like a business partnership¡­ a mutually beneficial one," she quickly corrected.


    "Oh, yeah. I knew that¡­" I replied just as quickly.


    Seconds ticked by into a full minute before Aurana thought to continue our conversation. It seems she needed the time to get over her embarrassment.


    "All cards on the table, yes?" She asked.


    "Yes," although I said this without hesitation, I wasn''t completely smitten by her. A part of me was still on guard and still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "So¡­ how can we help each other?"


    "First thing''s first. You need to know that a fairy trade is binding to both parties. It cannot be undone or bamboozled or forgotten. We must both uphold it less great tragedy strike the rule-breaker," Aurana recited as if she were reading from an invisible textbook.


    "Sounds serious," I joked, lightheartedly.


    "It is," she responded. "We call this the Rule of Equivalent Trade, and it is the one rule no fairy can break."


    "Why not?"


    "It just isn''t done. Not in the last five hundred years¡­"


    I placed both my hands in the pocket of my jeans.


    "I assume you''re telling me this to prove you won''t go back on any agreement we make tonight?" I guessed.


    Aurana nodded. "Fair trade. That''s what I can promise you."


    "Great, cool, thank you," I said, as a sudden panic began to fill my thoughts. After all, it was now or never. Do or die. "I would like to make a deal."


    "I assumed as much." Aurana smiled. "So, you would like me to heal your mother''s sanity¡ª"


    "What ¡ª no!" I interrupted her.


    Aurana frowned at the interruption but said nothing.


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    "Hold on¡­ you can do that?" I couldn''t help asking. Mom seemed so far gone that anything short of magic might not make her better again. "You can just¡­ heal her? And not just temporarily like last night. I mean, really make her better again?"


    Aurana was still frowning when she answered, "Yes. It''s why I was there last night¡­ to show you it was possible."


    Now, she looked smug, and I have to say, her face was very expressive.


    "But in order for me to heal your mother, I would need equal¡ª"


    "No, thanks¡­ that''s not what I want." I said, quickly.


    It was tempting. It was very tempting. Honestly, I would have said yes in a heartbeat if there wasn''t something even more important I needed to ask for.


    Aurana''s face, crunched together as it was at that second, was the textbook definition of bewilderment. "A-are you certain?"


    I shook my head before I finally revealed the reason I summoned her. "Luca. I want to trade my life for his."


    That was my moment of truth because even I wasn''t sure I could say it. To sacrifice myself for someone else¡ªeven if it was Luca¡ªthat took guts I didn''t think I had. Not until that moment.


    "You know about my missing brother, right?"


    Aurana nodded slowly. Her face was smooth impassivity, and I wondered how long she could maintain it.


    "Were you the one who took him?" I asked.


    "No," she blurted. "It wasn''t me."


    I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing her answer. It would have been infinitely harder to work with the fairy that was responsible for my family''s recent problems.


    "But you know who did?" I prompted.


    Despite how honest she seemed, I reminded myself that the pamphlet warned summoners from completely believing the fairy they summoned as they were experts at bending the truth.


    "I do," Aurana said, after a pause. "One of my clan''s elders took Luca to the Fayne."


    My eyebrow shot up. "What is the Fayne?"


    "It''s our word for the realm we call home," Aurana revealed.

 7 An Indecent Proposal

    So it was true. There was another world out there beyond the reach of human hands, and that''s where Luca was. Honestly, I didn''t really believe it until she said it out loud.


    "All right, this makes things simple. You bring Luca back and I''ll go to the Fayne in his place," I said.


    "It''s not simple at all," Aurana''s shoulders slumped. Her mask of passivity had fallen. "In fact, it''s impossible."


    "But, why?" I felt my calm shatter in the face of rising anger. "It''s equivalent trade!"


    "The Rule of Equivalent Trade doesn''t work that way¡­ A deal made cannot be unmade!" she explained, the frustration clear in her tone.


    "I''m talking about a new trade," I countered.


    "A done deal cannot be overridden by another one either," she fired back.


    Aurana''s own calm evaporated. She was all fire now, and deep in the recesses of my hormonal brain, I found aggressive Aurana to be kind of hot. This unnecessary mental admission allowed me to calm down long enough for an idea to pop into my head.


    "What if we didn''t use your rule?" I asked.


    Her eyes narrowed. "Then how could we guarantee that neither of us would betray each other?"


    "We just do. We trust each other. It would be a real partnership. One with no magical strings attached," I offered.


    There was another pause. Aurana seemed deep in thought, no doubt weighing the options in her mind. Her eventual response was, "What do you have in mind?"


    "That depends on why you wanted me? Because I assume you did. You wouldn''t have gone through the trouble of setting up last night, otherwise," I deduced.


    "Need I remind you that it was wasted effort on my part," she rolled her eyes. "Things would be much simpler if you just chose to help your mother."


    She was right. Things would be simpler that way. However, there were a lot of people trying to help mom, but no one was there for Luca¡ªno one except me.


    "Luca needs me more," I said, flatly. "So¡­ why do you want me?"


    "Well¡­ I want you to use your big brain to help my clan," she admitted.


    Aurana''s explanation was brief but it did provide me with much-needed insight into the situation of the Fayne. After the last fairy king died five hundred years ago without a successor, the twenty-two fairy clans who served under him went to war with each other for the right to become the next monarch. As one of the weaker clans, Aurana''s Trickster Pavillion was in danger of being conquered or annihilated by their bigger rivals.


    "I believe you possess the potential to help us become the victors in this war," she confessed.


    That was really high praise I wasn''t sure I deserved. Yeah, I was considered smart for my age, but I didn''t think I was smart enough to win a war in another world. I admitted this to her.


    "Because we live such long lives, fairies have become rigid in our thinking. We don''t adapt quickly enough to changing circumstance," Aurana explained. "You don''t share this¡­ weakness. Your mind is supple and open to trying things most people wouldn''t to get what you want."


    She gestured to the circle of salt between us.


    "This out-of-the-box thinking is something my clan desperately needs to become stronger."


    "I''m sorry," I raised a hand, feeling bewildered. "Why do you have such a high regard for me?"


    "Because I''ve been watching you this past year, and I saw more potential in you than your brother."


    Aurana admitted that her clan had been monitoring Luca to ensure he grew up healthy and strong. Her discovering my talents was just a happy coincidence.


    "Luca''s growth satisfied the elders. They believed he would make a good soldier. I argued that your intellect would be far more useful to us, but my opinion was disregarded," she said.


    My eyes narrowed at the thought of my little brother risking his life in some fantasy world. He was fourteen. He shouldn''t have to be anyone''s soldier. Being the big brother that I was, I told Aurana how wrong it was that they forced him into such a life.


    "I don''t expect your sympathy, Dean, but my people are dying, and unless the war ends, more of your people will die too," she said.


    I sighed. I knew there was no point arguing about this. Her beliefs and mine were just too different, our worlds too alien from each other. So, instead of whining about the unfairness of it all, I asked her how this would help us both get what we wanted.


    "I don''t have the power to break Luca''s slave mark but my older brother, Auren, is the current clan patriarch¡­ he might¡­ if he were to become the next fairy king," Aurana suggested.


    "Equivalent trade¡­ right," I agreed. "And he needs to be king to do this?"


    "Slave marks are powerful old magic. Only a fairy wish could break it, and only the monarch can grant those," she explained.


    "So if I helped him get the throne¡­" I began.


    "Then granting you a wish would be an appropriate reward," she finished.


    Aurana raised a finger to my eye level.


    "However, you need to be the one most responsible for our victory. This will ensure no one in the clan will object to your wish."


    "Become the hero, huh?"


    "As I said, you''re a smart guy, Dean. You catch on quickly."


    Aurana and I were staring into each other''s eyes, our smiles wide and mischievous, and it was only then that I noticed how she was an inch and a half taller than me. This slightly depressing thought nearly dampened my excitement at the plan we cooked up.


    I stepped forward and over the line of salt that protected me from her fairy powers. This was my gesture of trust as well as my way of showing her my resolve.


    "All right, Aurana, I''ll fight in your war, and I''ll do whatever it takes to help you win it," I said with as much conviction as I could muster.


    "Well, if you''re willing to do that much," Aurana stooped down on the grass and picked up my mother''s necklace. It was already around her neck when she got back up. "I have to respond appropriately."


    She raised her hand and then pulled out the object she''d hidden somewhere behind her.


    It was a sword hilt made of sturdy redwood. It had a grip that was seven inches long that ended in the carved pommel of a sharp bird''s beak. The wooden cross-guard on the grip''s other side was of two falcon heads at each end.


    Aurana tightened her grip on the handle, and a second later, shadows sprang out of the hilt and hardened into a three-foot-long single-edged blade. Wispy black vapor leaked out of its charred edge.


    This was my very first encounter with a shadowblade¡ªand to fairy magic¡ªso I believe my heart jumping into my throat was an appropriate response.


    In hindsight, I really shouldn''t have worried as Aurana obviously didn''t mean to turn her weapon on me. Instead, she used it to chop off her hair. In one graceful swipe of the blade, she cut off her golden locks to chin length.


    "Whoa-whoa!" both my eyebrows rose in surprise. "What are you doing?"


    The golden necklace and its locket dangling from Aurana''s neck were more prominent now that her golden locks had fallen away.


    "You aren''t the only one who needs to show their resolve," she answered.


    As she loosened her grip on her sword hilt, the shadows that formed her blade lost their hardened form and slinked back into the sword hilt from where they came.


    "Cool," I said, appreciatively.


    Aurana grabbed a few strands of her golden locks and weaved them together into a bracelet. Once she completed it, she pulled my left hand toward her and wrapped her do-it-yourself bracelet around my wrist.


    "I give you a piece of me as the proof of our bond," she said. "Do you accept?"


    "Yes," I answered without hesitation.


    She smiled that gorgeous smile of hers. Once more I felt captivated by her otherworldly beauty.


    "And I accept your gift," she placed a hand on my mother''s locket, "as proof that you have become a visere of the Trickster Pavilion."


    Immediately after she said this, both the necklace and bracelet began to glow a soft golden light that disappeared as quickly as it came.


    "What is a visere?" I asked.


    "It''s the term we give to humans of Mudgard who frequently visit the Fayne," she answered.


    "Mudgard?" My forehead creased. "Your name for my world is Mudgard?"


    "You humans used to build your homes with mud, right?" she reminded me, playfully.


    Before I could respond to her jab at ancient man, Aurana took my hand in hers, and with our fingers intertwined, she led me to the very center of the Elfwood Circle Stones. That spot where I stood when I heard Luca''s voice in the wind.


    She stepped in front of me. Our eyes met.


    "Oh, wait," Aurana placed the sword hilt into my free hand. "You can have my falchion. I''m not much of a warrior¡­ And don''t call me Aurana anymore. From now on, I''m just Aura."


    "Why the name change?" I asked this while I tightened the grip on the falchion''s hilt and watched the blade reform itself.


    "Aurana Trickhaven cannot fight alongside you, but a regular elf maiden named Aura certainly can," she explained.


    I raised an eyebrow at her. "You''re not planning to just watch from the sidelines?"


    "I meant what I said, Dean," she pursed her lips. "You and I are partners now."


    I sheathed the shadowblade and offered the falchion''s sword hilt back to her.


    "Then you''ll need this," I said.


    She shook her head. "I don''t need it. I''ve got other tricks."


    "What kind of tricks?" I asked.


    "You''ll see soon enough," she answered.


    I tucked the falchion''s sword hilt into my belt temporarily. I would look for something to sheath it in once things calmed down.


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    As my eyes met hers once again, the female elf who was now Aura asked me if I was ready. I responded with a nod because I couldn''t speak. It was a big moment and there was a lump in my throat.


    "Don''t read anything into this, okay?" she said right before she kissed my forehead.


    This would have been the perfect rom-com moment if I wasn''t suddenly lifted off my feet immediately after her lips touched my skin. It was like a great gust of wind had sprung from under me, and in the next breath, I was propelled into the sky with my wild, panicked scream dying in my throat.

 8 What Dreams May Come

    The memory of my first visit to the Fayne was like a splash of cold water on my face. Incidentally, splashing water on my tired face was exactly what I was doing after I got up from bed the day after Luca and I conquered the top of the hill.


    What? Did you think I would tell you about the past three weeks in one go? Hah, no such luck for you. But don''t worry, those moments will be told when they become relevant to the tale. Now, where was I?


    Yes, I was freshening up for another day in the human realm. Summer break was over and sophomore year had restarted for me, Arah, and Ty.


    Aunt Lena was at my door after I walked out of the bathroom in the crisp white shirt and grey pants that were my school uniform. She had a tray of tuna melt sandwiches in one hand and a glass of apple juice in the other.


    "Long night?" she asked as if she guessed at the truth.


    "Yeah... nightmare kept me up," I answered.


    This was a half-truth. Fighting in a battlefield really was akin to a nightmare except that death in the Fayne would have meant death in Mudgard too. Even if I resolved not to lie to my aunt unless absolutely necessary, I didn''t want to worry her either.


    "Well, don''t overwork yourself, kid," she said before passing me the tray. "At least eat before you go."


    The tuna melt was delicious. I gobbled it up just as Ty arrived to pick me up in his Camaro.


    Yeah, his muscle car didn''t really suit him but his dad, still hoping his son would become more adventurous, bought him the two-door sports car wishing it would have an effect. It really didn''t. Ty barely used it as he preferred taking the bus alongside us mere mortals who didn''t have multi-millionaire parents. Going to school was the only time he ever drove his car.


    I got in, we high-fived and fist-bumped, and then we drove out of my driveway to three blocks away and into Arah''s cul-de-sac. She was waiting for us outside the door of her ultra-modern home designed by her architect mom and built by her engineer dad.


    "You''re two minutes late, boys," she said as she squeezed herself into the back seat behind me. "My mom was driving me nuts over beating you for the top spot on the academic ranking this year, Dean."


    "You''re welcome to it," I said.


    "Don''t get smug with me, Dapper. I''ll outrank you soon enough," she said, laughing.


    I was actually certain she would. After all, not only was I lacking sleep, my night job wouldn''t leave me much room for studying.


    Ty was fiddling with the radio dial when Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol began to play.


    "Keep it there," Arah and I said together. We all sang along to it.


    It was a fun ride to school, and I needed these moments with my two best friends because whenever I felt down and defeated in that other world, moments like this one always helped pick me up from the floor. They kept me alive more than any potion of healing could.


    The first day back in high school ended in a blur that I barely remember. One thing of note was how no one had forgotten Luca. Students decorated his locker room into a kind of shrine. They posted photos of him on the locker''s metal surface. Flowers littered the floor beneath it.


    After Ty dropped me off at my house that afternoon, he and Arah offered to hang out, but I told them I was tired and didn''t have the energy. This prompted them to exchange looks, something they''ve been doing a lot recently. The reason for these veiled glances was obvious. They were both worried about me, which Arah explained a moment later.


    I gave her the sunniest smile I could manage under her scrutiny and told them both that I was fine. Then I got out of the car before either of them could say more and walked into my house without looking back. I waited just inside the door to hear Ty''s car drive away before I sojourned into the kitchen for food.


    Aunt Lena left me a note on the fridge saying she would be late getting home because she was going on a date with her new girlfriend.


    I smiled. "Cool, at least someone in this house is getting some action."


    This made me think of Aura and her otherworldly beauty. But I pushed the thought of her aside and grabbed the leftover tuna melt from the fridge. I took it with me as I walked up the familiar stairs.


    Once I was back inside my room, I trotted over to the window and took a peek through the curtains. Ty''s blue Camaro was parked at the end of the street.


    I first noticed them last week after I declined another meet up by claiming I was going to sleep early. They didn''t believe me and thought I was sneaking away someplace. They were only half right.


    I sat on my bed, reminding myself to spend more time with them just so they would stop staking out my house. After all, I couldn''t get annoyed as they were just worried for me.


    After I finished my sandwich, I went into the adjoining bathroom to do my business. By the time I left it, the sun had finally set. It was time.


    "Here we go again," I said to no one in particular while I lay down on my mattress. "I wonder if Luca followed my instructions... I hope he did."


    My eyes had barely closed when I felt it. The tug of the other side calling me, and as I drifted off to sleep, I felt the gust of wind lift me up-up-up, past my ceiling, past my house, and straight up into the sky.


    The threshold between the two realms was like falling into a pool of ice-cold water, and it was something I could never get used to no matter how many times I went through it. Imagine soaring up to that ceiling in the sky, touching it, and then falling immediately afterward, down into wherever it was you were last before you excited the Fayne. It was a very jarring experience.


    When consciousness returned to me, I found myself in the middle of chaos. Soldiers in the same midnight blue leather vest as me were moving around in every direction, no doubt marching to the orders barked by the big-headed, willowy figure standing atop a huge chunk of white stone a little ways above me.


    "Get your shitty heads in gear, you reprobates," Commander Roselle barked. "I want all defenses on this hill manned in five minutes!"


    "I guess Luca managed fine," I said to myself as I got up from the ground.


    I was in the same spot I was in before I disappeared back into the human world. At the hilltop, south of the formations of circle stones Roselle was now using as his personal platform. The bodies of the two dead hobgoblin guards were missing, as was that of the enemy commander. It seemed I missed out on claiming spoils.


    Above me, the golden moon of the Fayne was nowhere in sight. Instead, the night sky was a dark canvas of nimbus clouds that signaled the coming of impending rainfall. A little ways below me, the surviving soldiers of my unit were gathering to occupy the defensive fortifications of wooden fences left behind by the enemy. Further down, the remnant of the Magesong clan''s soldiers gathered around the bottom of the hill. It seemed our forces had changed positions from the night before.


    I took all of this in while Roselle barked orders that I thought didn''t really match the situation we were in. There was no need to occupy all the hill''s defenses, just the ones near the top.


    "Well, did you formulate a plan in the time you were staring off into space?" said a soft female voice that was like honey being poured into my ears.


    I looked behind me to the she-elf standing a yard away.


    "Yo!" I said, in greeting.


    Aura had her arms crossed.


    "You left me behind with the unit," she accused. "While you and Luca risked your lives to secure the hilltop."


    The blue eyes behind the golden half-mask that covered her face narrowed.


    The name change and haircut weren''t enough. Aura was still instantly recognizable by anyone in the Trickster Pavilion. So, she opted for a mask that covered the upper half of her face to just below the bridge of her nose. It was golden in design and had intricate patterns surrounding the eye holes similar to a masquerade mask. Over her golden hair, she wore a wide hood that was attached to the midnight blue cloak draped across her shoulders. Her armor was the same leather as mine but newer and cleaner. Only the supple, brown boots she wore showed any signs of wear.


    I sighed. "The plan was a little too risky. I left you behind in case it ended in failure."


    "It obviously didn''t," she gestured to where we were. "I could have helped."


    I walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder. "Believe me, you''ll get your chance tonight."


    I glanced back down the hill where the enemy was gathering. Somehow, their size had tripled compared to the night before.


    "There''s more than one Century down there," I noted.


    Anyone not familiar with fairy military jargon wouldn''t know that a Century was the official designation for a one-hundred-man unit, but Aura knew what I meant as she nodded in agreement.


    "There are at least three Centuries down there," she said.


    "Damn... that''s not good," I said while she and I walked toward our own commander. "Do we know who''s leading their reinforcements?"


    "It''s Azuma," Aura answered.


    I stopped walking and swiveled my head to look at her. "Seriously? Are you sure?"


    "The scouts saw him arrive ten minutes before you did," she answered.


    "They must have a port-anchor ready for him so he can arrive wherever he''s needed," I scowled. "Must be nice. I hear those help soften the landing... Why don''t you get me one?"


    "Sadly, you''re not renowned enough for me to spend that much gold on you yet," she laughed lightly.


    "Geez, if we''re fighting Azuma... then this will be a long night," I said.


    "Aura nodded her head. "Luca said the same thing."


    "Where is he?" I asked.


    At the same time as I cast my eyes around for my little brother, I saw a willowy figure hovering over Aura and me, his gossamer wings flapping soundlessly behind him.


    Commander Roselle landed in front of us, and in a single breath, proceeded to reprimand me for disobeying his orders despite my disobedience being the cause for our winning the field last night.


    I wasn''t much-paying attention as he''d lectured me one too many times in the three weeks since I joined his unit. Even words like "punishment" and "demotion" didn''t really scare me as I was under the protection of the clan princess, and Roselle knew as much. This, however, didn''t stop him from wanting to intimidate me every chance he got.


    "What have you got to say for yourself, Dapper?" he asked.


    "Apologies, sir!" I said, placatingly. "As the unit''s strategist, I saw an opportunity to assist in your conquest of this hill and I proceeded to achieve it in haste."


    Roselle''s slanted eyes, one red iris on the left and one grey iris on the right, glared at me.


    "Are you lying to me, human?" he asked through thin lips.


    "No sir," I answered, quickly.


    Roselle, like most fairies, can be vindictive when affronted. That would be an extra hassle I didn''t need in this conflict as I needed him to listen to my advice.


    His chest, hidden behind the chain-mail he wore, puffed slightly. "Good, good... Just as long as you know who''s in charge... Mr. Strategist."


    He obviously meant it as a taunt. Roselle hated that the clan''s leadership saddled me onto him which made him hate me twice as much as anybody else.


    "About that," I rubbed my hands together like a seedy salesman about to make a deal. "I understand the commander''s brilliant strategy to deploy our forces throughout the hillside, but as we''re short on soldiers, might I suggest we localize our efforts to only the upper half?"


    Roselle raised a bushy eyebrow at me. "You would let those Magesong bastards charge up the hill without resistance despite the trouble they gave us yesterday?"


    "Despite their efforts, they still lost the hill to you, sir," I reminded him.


    "Humph... that she-elf you defeated. She wasn''t much was she?" he asked, derisively.


    "No, sir. She was nothing like you," I agreed while barfing in my mind.


    Roselle wasted another minute thinking about my advice, and then, "Fine... have the soldiers defend the upper half of the hill."


    As Roselle readied his wings for flight, I suggested one last thing to him.


    "Shouldn''t we send for reinforcements, sir?" I asked.


    Roselle glanced at me. "Reinforcements will arrive before dawn. We are to hold the hilltop until they do."


    This was a lie, of course. Roselle would never share the glory. Neither would he ever admit that he needed help.


    "You will take charge of the front defenses. I''ll be..." he glanced back at the ring of white stones. "I''ll be leading from the rear."


    I glanced at Aura and winked before I bowed my head to Roselle.


    She rolled her eye in response.


    "You can be useful to me, Dapper, if you remember who''s in charge," Roselle said, pompously. "Not like your brother... too insolent."


    At his mention of Luca, my head rose so we were eye level. "Sir?"


    "He kept nagging at me to climb the hilltop. Said you and he already took it for us. Annoyed me so much I almost had my guards beat some sense into him," Roselle spoke disinterestedly, not even noticing the murderous look I was sending him.


    "If it wasn''t for Aura and that Edo¡­" Roselle reflexively shivered at the mention of Edo, Aura''s half-ogre bodyguard. "I''d have had my guards cut off Luca''s tongue."


    My hand wrapped around my falchion''s sword hilt but Aura grabbed onto my arm. She shook her head and mouthed that Luca was fine.


    Roselle who had turned around while feeling self-important as he usually did was too thick-skinned to notice our silent exchange.


    "Follow my orders, Dapper!" he barked before he flew off.


    We watched him glide past the ring of white stones to what lay hidden behind them before I turned to Aura and thanked her for protecting Luca from our idiot commander. Although I was still worried about him and asked her where he was.


    "I sent him and Edo to scout our enemy to keep him away from Roselle," Aura explained.


    After a moment, I sighed in relief. The tension in me unknotted.


    "Thanks again," I said.


    Aura gazed at me with soft eyes.


    "We''re partners. I watch over your interests the same way you deal with mine," she answered.


    "All right," I slapped my cheeks with the palms of my fist to psych myself up. "Do we still have any sprites to send out?"


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    Aura nodded. "You want me to send a sprite messenger to call for reinforcements?"


    It seemed she understood the situation as well as I did.


    "It''ll take them half the night to arrive if they come from Fort Darah. We''ll have to hold out until then¡­" I said.


    "Against Azuma?" Aura looked skeptical.


    "Yeah, well¡­ It''s my job to figure that out. It''s why you hired me," I said, jokingly.


    Aura laughed. Then she saluted me and hurried off down the hill. She wasn''t one to idle around.


    As I watched her retreating form, my eyes were distracted by something further down, to our enemies and the lone figure standing in front of their army.


    At this distance, I could just make out the long, unkempt hair billowing in the wind alongside the grey cloak he wore. His black armor gleamed despite the lack of light. So did his spear.


    Azuma, a visere renowned for his offensive strength, would be my opponent tonight. It was time to get psyched up.


    "Ready player one," I said.

 9 Courage Under Fire

    "Couldn''t find him, huh?" I asked, without feeling surprised.


    The pixie I sent to fetch our commander from the rear responded with a shake of his head.


    "He wasn''t inside the circle of stones..." the pixie said, almost laughing. "Just like you said."


    "His three stooges are gone, too," said the dwarf standing next to the pixie. "Probably high-tailed it along with our glorious commander, the slimy little turd."


    The dwarf who was happily disrespecting our superior officer was Varda Coldstone. Like most dwarven females, she kept her curly brown hair tied in a tight bun. This made her chiseled face stand out more which was exactly what she preferred. Varda had emerald green eyes underneath thick eyebrows. she had a small button nose and a thin mouth whose smile could light up a room. Only four feet and ten inches tall but she was all heart with broad shoulders that didn''t hesitate to pull her own weight and then some. She was also one of only two pure magicians left in our unit as many of them had died trying to climb up the hill thanks to Roselle''s useless command.


    "Muds! I''m embarrassed the commander and I share a species," the pixie said with a shake of his head.


    "Not your fault, Qwipps. There''s a black sheep in every breed," I noted, jokingly.


    "I''m supposed to be the black sheep. Broke enough pixie hearts to prove it," Qwipps joked back.


    Unlike the stout Varda beside him, Qwipps Daggerby had a willowy frame that made his sex difficult to determine. However, all one had to do was listen to his potty mouth and they''d know immediately that he was male. Qwipps'' brushed-back hair was a much lighter shade of brown than his tanned skin. His face was angular, with high cheekbones and a straight sharp nose. With his slanted eyes, Qwipps looked almost Asian, except his left iris was an electric blue while his right iris was apple red. Like the two gossamer wings hidden on his back, two-color eyes was a defining trait among pixies.


    "You expected this?" Aura asked.


    She stood alongside me as we hung at the very front of our defensive line, about ten yards above the halfway mark of the barren hillside. Around us, a small group of our unit''s elites gathered. This included Luca and Edo, Aura''s half-ogre bodyguard.


    "You would come to the same conclusion if you just thought about it," I responded. "What''s the one thing our commander is good at?"


    "Running away," Luca and Qwipps answered at the same time.


    "Not quite," I laughed. "He knows exactly when he''s fighting a losing battle and when to cut his losses."


    I pointed a finger at the enemy below. Their forces gathered on the southern side of the hill were more than three times our size, with trolls who had thick skins at the front and hobgoblins who were quick climbers right behind them, ready to charge at a moment''s notice. Behind these fairies were row upon row of human viseres and slave soldiers, and in the rear guard, a small unit of hooded figures wielding magician staffs.


    "He left us to die," Aura whispered angrily.


    I nodded. "I doubt he ever intended to win the hill last night. No less defend it from this horde."


    "So, we kind of ruined it for him," Luca said thoughtfully as if the idea of cramping Roselle''s style amused him.


    "Which is why we''ve become expendable. The whole lot of us," I said. Although I was still smiling, I was all serious inside my head. My mind was looking for a way to survive this encounter.


    "We can handle the trolls and the hobs... the real concern is Azuma and his elites," said the hulking figure standing behind Aura.


    At seven feet tall, Edo was the largest member of our hundred-man-unit. Two short, curved horns protruded out of the forehead of this silver-skinned, physically robust humanoid. Above his aquiline nose, he had deep-set violet eyes underneath thin eyebrows. His long black hair was pulled back and tied in a single braid behind his head.


    "Yeah," I agreed. "We''ll deal with him, too."


    I didn''t see the need to mention that I hadn''t figured that part out yet. After all, how do you plan to defeat someone who reportedly could charge an army by himself and win single-handedly?


    "You have a plan, Dean?" Varda asked. Her voice was soft and very lady-like.


    I looked up at the sky.


    Forks of lightning streaked across the dark clouds. Raindrops were falling on our hill. Visibility was already low and would only get lower once the rain poured harder.


    I glanced down.


    The hillside between our defensive formations and the enemy army was about a hundred and twenty yards in a low slope. It was the color of dark chocolate and as barren as an elf''s backside. The fog had appeared in the northern and eastern hillsides. Thankfully, this meant that the enemy couldn''t climb these areas any more than we could defend them.


    "How many spells can you use tonight, Varda?" I asked as I glanced at her.


    Varda, who was watching me with mild curiosity, raised three fingers.


    I looked to Aura next. She was the only other pure magic caster we still had.


    "I have two spells ready," Aura answered.


    "Can either of you make the earth shake?" I asked.


    "I can cause a mudslide as long as the ground gets wetter," Varda answered.


    "Good," I replied. "It''s going to rain hard tonight. Wait for my signal. Then wake the earth up."


    I turned to Luca and Edo next.


    "The two of you are our heaviest hitters. I want you to pick five more guys out of the remaining seventy-two who can perform well with hit-and-run tactics in slippery slopes," I said.


    "Qwipps," I started, but then I noticed them all looking at me intently and I suddenly realized I''d taken command without asking their opinions. By rights, Varda or Qwipps should lead as they ranked higher than me. This caused me to blush. "Sorry... you mind if I take the helm?"


    After a moment, Varda nodded thoughtfully. "The way I see it, Dean, you''ve put a plan together faster than I could. Probably better than anything Qwipps could come up with, too."


    "Yep. We''d probably get you all killed if either Varda or I took charge," Qwipps added in. "But you''ll need more than wit and a plucky attitude to convince our soldiers to fall in line."


    I glanced past the officers with me to the soldiers manning the wooden fences nearest us. They were all looking at me, and it was obvious from their doubtful faces that they didn''t share the confidence Varda and Qwipps placed in me. Some of them looked so dejected at the prospect that lay before us that we were in danger of losing before the battle began.


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    I expected their mistrust. After all, I was the unit newbie and everyone knew I attained my position as a strategist only because the clan''s princess recommended me. And although I may have won us the hill, many were of a mind that Luca deserved credit for this as I wasn''t a warrior in their eyes. This meant that I would have to figure out a way to impress them and boost their morale at the same time.


    Nervous anxiety began to build up in me, and it would have frozen me in indecision if Aura hadn''t squeezed my shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. Yeah, she had that effect on me.


    I turned around and faced the hilltop to survey our defenses.


    The nearest manned wooden fence was a quarter of the way up the hill and maybe thirty yards from the ring of white stones above. Each fence was four feet in height, built in a series of x-shape formations joined by coils of rope with their sharpened tips facing outward to discourage enemies from breaking through them. We placed the fences at intervals along the hill with little gaps between that allowed enemies passage through. These were subtle traps that would funnel enemy soldiers right into the waiting shadowblade spears of our defenders. Furthermore, nearly all of our surviving soldiers received bows and a quiver of arrows.


    Among our seventy-two defenders, Luca and I included, around half comprised pixies and elves, which meant low accuracy wouldn''t be much of a concern. It was important that the enemy see the hail of arrows raining down on them. It might even sap their drive to climb the hill.


    "We''re lacking shields," Luca noted.


    "Remind me to get some for next time," I agreed. "You and Edo ready?"


    "Yeah... we picked three elves and two humans who are all light on their feet," Luca answered.


    "As soon as the fighting starts, you and Edo take the ditches down to the halfway point of the hill. Wait there for the enemy to pass you by and then ambush them whenever you see an opportunity. Then run back through the ditches and take another route. Rinse and repeat," I instructed.


    "So that''s why you left the ditches alone," Luca said.


    "Yeah... last night''s match proved how effective they are as a pathway, and no one really noticed us use one. Might as well take advantage while we can," I answered.


    Luca nodded thoughtfully before whispering in my ear, "What about the soldiers? How are you going to get them to follow you?"


    "Do you remember that really old movie, Independence Day?" I asked.


    "Yeah¡­ it was dad''s favorite," Luca answered.


    I nodded. "Therein lies the key, little brother."


    Luca''s forehead creased. "We don''t have an alien space ship to blow the enemy army away, Dean..."


    I patted him on the shoulder. "You missed the point... it wasn''t the weapons, it was the speech that turned things around."


    Three minutes after Luca and I finished our conversation, I was standing in front of the seventy-one hardened veterans of last night''s battle, sweating buckets for all to see. Behind me, the enemy army just finished with their own preparations. I could hear their war cries from below to our position on the hilltop.


    Thunder shook the heavens. Rain poured.


    I refocused my thoughts back on my men.


    "This is not the time to panic, Dean. It''s a time for action," I whispered to myself before I finally addressed the soldiers. "Hi..."


    As rousing openings went, mine was pathetic. I coughed to hide away my embarrassment. Then I tried again.


    "Hi!" I repeated, stronger this time. "I don''t want to be here... I don''t think any of you want to either."


    I always loved the speeches from movies that were based on real-life stories which is why I figured being honest had to be the right way to start things.


    "I''m also sure that you don''t want a weakling like me standing here talking to you," I said in jest.


    This got me a few laughs. Some cat-calls about how right I was. Plenty of boos.


    "But I''m all you''ve got!" I fired back. "Our leader, in his cowardice, has abandoned us and the hill we must defend!"


    Shifting the blame to Roselle meant giving the soldiers someone else to hate, and anger was just as good a motivator as hope. Of course, I still needed to raise hope, too.


    "He ran because he didn''t believe in any of us... because he didn''t know about your courage," My voice was steady. My hand raised and pointed at random soldiers. "But I do... I saw it last night. When you endured the enemy''s spears and their arrows as you struggled up the hillside you showed me, you showed them, and you showed yourselves exactly who you are!"


    The whining stopped. All was silent except for the pouring of the rain. All eyes were on me. I had their attention now.


    I smacked my chest with a fist. "Here." Then I pointed to my brain. "And here."


    There were a few nods now. Some calls of agreement.


    "And when the battle begins tonight, we''ve all got to lay that courage on the line now... from the tips of your fingers, squeeze out every ounce of your courage and lay it out on the line tonight until you''ve got nothing left to give, and if you do that..."


    I paused, not just for dramatic effect, but so I could look at as many faces as I could. Human, elf, pixie, dwarf, all of them. I wanted them to see the sincerity in my eyes. The proud way they stared back at me, with their chins raised, their smiles growing, and their eyes blazing, spoke volumes of how they were responding to my rousing call.


    "If you do that ¡ª if we do that," I nodded my head, "we will not lose tonight. We will triumph, and with our heads held high we will have found our opportunity," I raised my hand high, "to grab glory and be remembered as heroes!"


    Despite how I knew it would cause a reaction, I didn''t expect the one I got. I didn''t expect the booming cheers or the call to action. I felt humbled at that moment more than any time in my short existence.


    Our cheering continued a long time, and I imagined it was causing an effect down below too. It may have even helped to demoralize our enemy. However, we had no such luck. For as we continued to yell ourselves hoarse, a single booming voice drowned out our cheers with a single foreboding word.


    "Death!" he called, and the response that met Azuma''s rallying cry overwhelmed our morale.


    I turned just in time to witness three-hundred soldiers shout in unison, "De~~ath!"


    "Death!" Azuma yelled again, and once more, he received an earth-shattering reply of, "De~~ath!"


    Lightning struck the ground somewhere close by. Thunder boomed. The rain poured even more heavily.


    "Death!" Azuma called, and with this final cry raised his spear toward the hilltop.


    "De~~ath," his soldiers answered right before they finally charged.


    Qwipps, who was closest to me, said, "I like his speech better. More impact."


    I nodded wordlessly.


    "Guess it''s my turn," Qwipps said.


    I nodded while still slightly in shock. There was much I needed to learn. Hopefully, I would survive the night to learn something.


    "Alright, you bastards... let''s give these Magesong fools a welcome gift," Qwipps yelled.


    Thankfully, Qwipps voice was loud enough to wake the soldiers from their daze. They began notching their bows.


    "Aim," Qwipps ordered.


    I glanced at Luca and mouthed for him to go. I saw him gulp visibly before he nodded. Then he, Edo, and their raiding party vanished behind the nearest ditch.


    "Fire!" Qwipps yelled.


    Soon afterward, the air filled with the swooshing sounds of fifty bowstrings and the skies was blocked from view by a canvas of arrows.

 10 War Games

    "Oh great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," this was my call to the fairy gift bestowed on me by the patriarch of the Trickster Pavillion. And when my eyelids opened again, I whispered, "That''s more like it..."


    Thanks to the bird''s-eye-view granted by Fool''s Insight, I saw most of what transpired in the initial clash. The arrows momentarily blocked the ground from my sight, but when the path cleared and they fell on the Magesong soldiers, I watched dozens fall and dozens more waver in their charge, but it was not enough. There were too few casualties.


    "Keep firing, Qwipps'''' I called out while lightning streaked across the sky and thunder boomed around us.


    Bowstrings sang again. Another volley of arrows launched into the air despite the heavy downpour of rain. They fell on the hillside with murderous intent. Yet our enemies were unfazed and continued climbing despite the threat of dangerous projectiles falling from the sky.


    "Again, Qwipps! Keep firing volleys until they reach the halfway mark," I ordered.


    It was the fourth rain of arrows that finally slowed the charge up the hillside. These weren''t aimed at the front where the trolls thick skins could protect those behind them but toward the middle where the humans in their ragged grey leathers stood. They had climbed high enough now that they were all within our archers'' range.


    "Look out!" Aura yelled.


    I felt her grab my leather vest from behind and drag me back. This caused me to lose focus and abruptly cut off my connection to Fool''s Insight. When my sight returned to ground level, that''s when I saw the incoming fireball of death.


    I''d seen them being cast by the enemy magicians while my gift was active. A counterattack of fireballs to harass our archers, hoping to prevent us from causing more damage to the enemy forces. Most of these hubcap-sized fireballs never made it pass our vanguard line, but as I''d relocated to the rear of our forces after the rousing speech I''d given earlier, the giant fireball that threatened to turn me into fried meat meant there was at least one powerful magician among the enemies forces.


    Luckily, Aura was able to yank me back, and at the same time, she cast a spell to protect the both of us.


    "Spirits of the sacred flame defend me from those who mean me harm," she chanted as she raised her wooden staff before her. "Breathe life to my Shield of Flame!"


    Immediately after her chant, the orb at the tip of her wooden staff glowed a fierce red, and an arcane pattern of molten lines blazed to life in front of us. It expanded itself into a round shield that burned at the edges. The fireball that rammed into this flame shield dissipated harmlessly across its surface and even seemed to have strengthened its form, enlarging it to half its original size.


    I was grateful to the rainfall as its continued presence meant the enemy''s fireballs were weaker than they would have been if the skies were clear. However, it was unfortunate that the rain also affected Aura''s spell. It fell onto her shield and caused steam to appear where the raindrops touched the flames. The shield''s form wavered slightly.


    "I can''t hold this spell for very long in this weather," Aura admitted.


    "Keep it there for as long as you can," I pleaded, grateful for the cover.


    The enemy was nearing the halfway point of the southern hillside. That was my cue to unleash one of my countermeasures.


    I looked over to Qwipps and signaled him with my raised falchion. He responded with a mischievous wink. Then he and several of his fellow pixies vanished from my field of view.


    Next, I raised my falchion and waved it toward Varda who''d positioned herself among our vanguard. Thankfully, she was looking back at me, and despite the surrounding chaos, she understood what I wanted.


    Varda knelt on the ground and placed both hands on the soft earth, and although I couldn''t hear her, I was certain she''d begun casting her spell.


    Another giant fireball struck Aura''s shield.


    "Don''t they realize they''re only strengthening your spell?" I asked.


    "I think whoever''s hitting us... is trying to overload... my Shield of Flame," Aura struggled to get the words out. "I can''t control... too much power..."


    To even figure out the mechanics of Aura''s spell, it seemed Azuma wasn''t the only adversary we needed to worry about in the enemy''s army. I would need to think up a counter to this capable magician.


    "Don''t worry... it won''t be much longer now," I hoped. This belief in Varda was justified seconds later.


    We heard it before we saw it. The roar of the waking earth as Varda''s spell caused the ground along the southern hillside to rumble. Thanks to the wet earth easily giving way, a great wave of muddy earth cascaded down the hillside.


    The Magesong clan''s trolls, these eight-foot monstrosities with thick, hairy hides and long muscular limbs wrapped in light mail armor, met the mudslide with their huge hands raised like shields.


    Contrary to how human popular culture usually portrayed them, trolls aren''t dumb. In fact, they''ve been known to produce some of the brightest minds among the fay these past five hundred years. However, this didn''t mean all trolls were smart. Just like humans, there would always be slow learners among the bunch. This was most likely the case with the trolls employed by the Magesong clan''s army because¡ªand I don''t care how big they were¡ªwho in their right minds would try to stop a landslide with just their bodies?


    The obvious conclusion to the clash between the trolls and the mudslide was an overwhelming victory for Mother Nature. She buried the trolls in a mountain of dirt. The hobgoblins and humans hiding behind them fared no better as the wave of destruction continued down to the bottom of the hill.


    I quickly reactivated Fool''s Insight and sent my vision high into the sky so that I could survey the damage dealt by the timely use of Varda''s spell used in tandem with the weather and terrain advantage.


    The mudslide devastated the southern hillside with half-buried enemy soldiers scattered under the newly turned earth. The trolls who attempted to stop this seemingly natural disaster were nowhere in sight, but the hobgoblins were climbing out of the dirt like cockroaches that just wouldn''t die. Further down below, the magician''s unit in the landslide''s path had erected a rather large Mana Shield that kept them relatively safe from the onslaught.


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I had hoped at least some of them would get buried alive.


    While the enemy forces positioned in the south lost around fifty to sixty of their number, the soldiers climbing the western hillside remained mostly unscathed.


    "It was a good plan... sadly, there are still a lot of foes making their way to us," Aura kept a firm grip on her staff with both hands while she surveyed the battle below. "At least the fireballs stopped coming... What else do you have up your sleeve?"


    I glanced over to her and noted how pretty she looked in her serious face. "I''ve got a few more tricks to try."


    I''d read somewhere that a siege was the easiest type of battle for beginners as you only had to defend while the enemy kept trying to break through your tactics. However, I doubt conventional human wisdom took into account a fairy''s arcane power. This was exactly what I witnessed as I surveyed the western hillside.


    Thanks to their weariness against another mudslide, the magicians in their grey hooded cloaks who were originally safe in the back-line now gathered nearer to the front where they could raise magical shields to protect their army the moment we sent another mudslide their way. This also meant they were slower in climbing up the hill which gave our side some much-needed breathing room. Unfortunately, another mudslide probably wouldn''t be as effective.


    Varda must have come to the same conclusion I did as I saw her abandon her post at the front and found her running toward me and Aura in a huff. I deactivated Fool''s Insight just as she arrived as my eyes were beginning to sting in a not-so-good kind of way.


    "That was amazing~~g!" Varda puffed out an excited tone as she arrived at my side. "I wasn''t aware I could cause such damage with a simple earth rupture spell just by taking into account the rain''s effect on the hill''s slope!"


    She sounded like such a big spell nerd. You could even see the enthusiasm in the glint of her wide green eyes.


    "I''ll need you to do it again later," I winked, equally satisfied with her results. "But now... Luca told me once that you can create earth golems?"


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    Varda nodded giddily. "I can shape two rock golems into existence as long as there''s material to work with. They can last a full thirty minutes or until I pass out. Whichever comes first."


    The prospect of passing out because of spell fatigue seemed enticing to our dwarven spell caster.


    "Materials, huh," another idea popped into my head, and I directed Varda''s gaze to the white stones encircling the hilltop. "Will those work?"


    "Yes," Varda cracked her knuckles together. "Shall I get started?"


    I shook my head. "I''ll let you know when it''s time. I''m waiting for something else to happen. Stick by me just in case..."


    Varda looked quizzically at me before she shrugged. "Alright!"


    Aura''s Flame Shield began to sputter and peter out. More than the fireballs, it was the rain that did the shield in.


    "Apologies," sweat poured down Aura''s forehead as she leaned on her staff. "I couldn''t keep it up any longer."


    I patted her on the back reassuringly. "Don''t sweat it. You did good... But I''ll need you to cast my favorite spell soon."


    Aura stood up straighter although she kept one hand on her five-foot staff for support. "I''ll be ready then."


    Our conversation over, I asked both spell casters to watch my back while I used Fool''s Insight one more time to check our enemy''s progress up the hill.


    The soldiers on the western hillside had all crossed the halfway point, which was the signal for our defenders guarding that side of the hill to ready their melee weapons. The soldiers on the right side were reforming their formations, starting with the hobgoblins in the vanguard, while the trolls, who still hadn''t surface, seemed down for the count. The hobgoblins would have restarted their climb too, if it weren''t for the ambush of Luca''s raiding party on their flanks.


    The raiders ran out of their hiding spot¡ªa boulder ditch between the western and southern hillsides that was far enough from the devastation caused by the earlier mudslide¡ªand attacked the hobgoblins caught unaware by their sudden arrival.


    I watched Luca''s broadsword swing at a hobgoblin''s head, and a moment later, saw that same head fall off the now decapitated fairy. Luca continued his decapitation of two more hobgoblins before the rest turned their weapons on him. But I wasn''t overly worried about my brother''s safety for he had the ultimate bodyguard by his side.


    Edo''s half-ogre physique needed no armor to protect it other than the steel belt and chain-mail skirt I believed he only wore as a kind of fashion statement. Aura once told me that he was very particular about his appearance as looking fittingly intimidating was part of a bodyguard''s duty. His boots were also made of steel, but these served a different purpose other than protecting his feet. They were weapons Edo used to kick at the smaller hobgoblins charging him, and a push kick from such muscular legs sent all his opponents flying.


    His preferred weapon was a glaive. It was a sharp single-edged shadowblade about two feet long on top of a six-foot solid steel pole. In his powerful hands, this glaive was akin to a weapon of mass destruction with each swing ripping through the hobgoblins and humans who were foolhardy enough to get in his way.


    The other members of Luca''s raiding party weren''t as spectacular at killing things the way he and Edo were but they were no slackers. As the saying went, different strokes for different folks. In this case, all five were experienced warriors in hit-and-run tactics that made use of the distraction the two tanks caused to deal surgical strikes against any combatants who weren''t prepared to get stabbed in the back.


    Their entire attack lasted less than five minutes, and once they caused enough chaos in this killing field they created, they threw smoke bombs to ensure their escape back into the ditches. As it hadn''t stopped raining yet, the smoke was very effective in causing even more confusion.


    I wanted to watch their progress some more but a painful stinging in my eyes forced me to deactivate Fool''s Insight. The pain was a sign that I was nearing my limit for using my fairy gift. It even took several blinks to refocus my vision back to normal, although a slight blur was present at the edge of my sight.


    Aura, who noticed my discomfort, grabbed onto my shoulder to steady me.


    "Don''t overuse your gift," she whispered in my ear as she wanted to avoid any prying ears from learning about what I could do. After all, only she and her brother, the current patriarch, new what power my fairy gift possessed. "Let me cast a healing spell on you."


    I shook my head. "We''ll need you to use your remaining spell for something else."


    "Azuma," she said, and it was amazing how a single name could strike such apprehension in both of us.


    I nodded. "He''s coming..."


    As if on cue, there was a warning cry from the watchers I left to guard over the eastern hillside, the one covered by the heavy fog. A small force of twenty soldiers¡ªall of them human¡ªhad jumped out of the fog and were now attacking the few guards stationed there. A long-haired man in black plate armor was leading them. His damped grey cloak trailed behind him.


    "It looks like you were right..." Aura''s grip tightened on my shoulder. "Azuma was preparing to ambush us while the main force distracted us."


    "Yeah..." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I sometimes hate it when I''m right."


    The eight guards on the eastern hillside were no match for Azuma and his elites. Half of them had already fallen in the few seconds since the enemy rushed out of the fog. They would have been wiped out to the last man too if I hadn''t planned ahead for this probable scenario actually happening.


    From the sky above came the yell of, "Charge!" in that chirpy tone belonging to Qwipps Daggerby.


    Qwipps and his eight pixie companions had been lying in wait, hidden behind the fog themselves, for the moment our enemy would appear just like we''d planned. Now that Azuma, who we noticed had been missing from the Magesong clan''s main force since their initial charge, triggered the trap we set, Qwipps and his fellows dived into the fray with their shadowblades at the ready. The ensuing clash promised to be very bloody.


    "Uh, even with that attack of opportunity, I doubt Qwipps can defeat Azuma," Varda kindly pointed out. "Should we go save his ass, Dean?"


    "That''s the plan," I gripped the hilt of my falchion tightly. "Time to earn some glory..."

 11 Warrior

    To be completely honest, I hoped to have Luca by my side when it came time for the inevitable clash between me and Azuma. It was a forgone conclusion that he and I would have to trade shadowblade blows at least once in this battle, but I didn''t think I would challenge him solo. Having Luca around, possibly with Edo in tow, would have certainly increased my chances, not of winning, but of surviving.


    Don''t get me wrong. I wasn''t disregarding Aura or Varda who were both running alongside me. I knew full well what these two badass females could do. In fact, as I caught sight of the two hulking forms jogging along either side of the three of us, I couldn''t help but feel impressed with Varda''s control over earth magic. Her two stone golems, with their imposing seven-foot bodies formed out of piles of white rocks, deserved praise. Meanwhile, Aura, who was no slouch herself, had rotated her staff to its other end where a shadowblade spear tip lay hidden.


    She once told me that she wasn''t a warrior, but this was not true at all. As I recall, much of the bruising I earned while training during my first week in the Fayne was because of her and that staff she loved.


    However, I still didn''t think this was enough. Even with the assistance of Fool''s Insight, I didn''t believe we could beat Azuma¡ªand before I could condition my brain to think otherwise, we found ourselves within a spear throw''s distance of the pixie-human brawl on the eastern hillside.


    The soldiers in midnight blue clashed with the soldiers in grey armor between a row of abandoned wooden fences about fifteen yards away from the top of the eastern hillside. In this area, the hill''s slope was at a lower angle, making the climb much easier for those coming from the bottom. Inwardly I wondered why Roselle hadn''t thought to attack the hill via this route.


    It was like a scene in an anime or an eastern movie. For even with the low visibility caused by the fog, I still saw the sparks that came to life as shadowblades clashed. And it was a credit to Qwipps'' unit that they were still fighting hard despite the overwhelming number of their opponents. Still, it was clear just from a quick glance which side was winning.


    Before I went full throttle on my dash headlong into the fray, I ordered Varda to tell her golems to bulldoze their way into the fight and cause as much chaos as possible.


    Her response was, "They can only follow simple commands," to which I posed a question, "That wasn''t simple enough for you?" and she responded with a shrug, "They''re more... go left, go right, kill, etc," and I shook my head before saying, "Okay... tell them to smash," after which, she finished with, "They can do that."


    That entire conversation happened in an instant and was mostly quick banter while we ran. Aura had that same amount of time to say, "You couldn''t think up a better plan than... smash?"


    "Worked for the Hulk," I cried, right before Varda gave her command of, "smash!" to the two stone golems.


    It was a treat to watch two giant chunks of walking stone sculptures barrel into both our soldiers and Azuma''s unit with no discrimination. There was major confusion going on as neither side was certain which side summoned these new challengers.


    I watched a golem pick up one of the human Magesong clan soldiers with a massive stone fist, and in the next motion, send that same human flying into the air. The other golem copied this action too. Unfortunately, the pixie it tossed into the sky was one of Qwipps'' people.


    "Muddammit, Varda!" Qwipps screamed. "Tell your goons we''re not the enemy!"


    "I can''t," she yelled back, destroying the possibility of a sneak attack. "Only simple commands... sorry!"


    "Mud!" Qwipps yelled back.


    A golem had focused its attack on him and he had to fly into the sky to avoid its grasping stone fingers.


    "Dean wanted chaos," Varda grumbled to no one in particular. "This is chaos!"


    She was right. It really had become sufficiently chaotic. And in the middle of that chaos, calmly surveying the battle around him like it was nothing special to be standing still while shadowblades swished by and arrows zoomed past him, was Azuma.


    He wore a complete set of black steel plate-mail, and it was really the only physically intimidating thing about him. The rest of him was just so regular you''d be hard pressed to figure out why everyone was so wary of him. Azuma was a tan-skinned middle-aged man with long, curly black hair he didn''t bother to comb flowing around his head like a widow''s shroud. The slanted, black eyes beneath bushy eyebrows were the sunken look of someone who hadn''t slept in days. He had an angular face with high cheekbones. His pale mouth was dry and cracked. The frail body inside the armor was that of an emaciated man starving from hunger, or maybe something else.


    My initial impression of Azuma was that of a tired-looking man with no special talents, but despite his weird aura, insight told me to be wary. This guy was dangerous. You could tell that from the sharpness in his gaze, and in the tightness of his grip as he held his black steel spear aloft. Perhaps, that was always how he was, even on that night I''d first heard him scream about fairies wanting to take him.


    Yes, this warrior of renown had the same name as the mental patient who was causing trouble in his room that night I went to visit mom and learned the truth of Luca''s disappearance. I would later learn, during the time Aura and I were researching possible big-name enemies we could encounter atop this very hill¡ªthis gateway to the Magesong Clan''s territory¡ªthat the Azuma of the Fayne and the Azuma of St. Lucy''s was the same person.


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    I now understood why he refused the sleep medication. He must not have wanted to come back to the Fayne to fight over and over every night for the rest of his life. It was the trade a visere made for a fairy''s favor. And I wondered what it was Azuma wanted so desperately that he was willing to sacrifice himself for his desire in the same way I was willing to sacrifice myself to save Luca.


    Sadly, I didn''t have more time to think about this¡ªperhaps if I did, he and I wouldn''t have to fight¡ªAzuma''s steely gaze was looking right at me.


    "Aura, Varda, back me up!" I said, and with that, I drew my falchion in one quick motion and charged into the fray.


    It wasn''t difficult for my shadowblade to reach him because by some lucky coincidence¡ªor more likely, a demand of fate¡ªthe path between me and Azuma cleared suddenly. In that instant, we both jumped forward. I with my falchion cleaving through the air and he with his spear piercing through the space between us. I dodged his spear thrust, and he parried my slash. Then he sent the butt of his spear careening into my side but I repelled it by pushing my falchion down at the last second. Immediately after this, I raised my sword in both hands and with my foot stepping forward for support sent my shadowblade down in a vertical slash using all the power I had in my body.


    I''d like to think it would have been a killing blow for anyone other than Luca or Edo. Azuma now counted among them. The steel handle of his spear met my slash with an upward rise that knocked my blade back, causing me to lose my footing.


    This mistake would have caused me dearly if Aura hadn''t sent a streak of orange flames from the tip of her staff''s red orb right at Azuma immediately afterward. He easily dodged this counter as a Firebolt took a predictably straight path that would be noticeable to anyone who saw it coming. However, Aura''s intention wasn''t to hurt Azuma but to keep him from hurting me.


    Both Azuma and I stepped back and retook this momentary respite to reform our stances. But when he saw mine, how I held my falchion in both hands and extended the tip of the shadowblade forward as if readying to thrust at him, he finally broke the silence between us.


    "You studied kendo?" he asked in a rough voice.


    I nodded. I shouldn''t have done that because I knew better than to share vital information with an opponent but Azuma''s curiosity was also an opportunity to learn more about him.


    "You''re not used to the spear, are you?" I asked.


    The way he held it with the spearhead pointed up, and with his body standing tall and relaxed, it didn''t seem like he was ready for the next clash. Our earlier confrontation told me his movements were mostly reflex as there was no skill in his attacks.


    "Is that how it seems to you?" Azuma glanced at his shadowblade''s spear tip. He sighed. "I guess it doesn''t really matter whether or not I''m prepared..."


    He sent me such a bored look that I half-wondered what I was being all serious about.


    "Whether it''s the sword or the spear or the bow... I used to know them all. I used to sweat tears of blood in the hours upon hours I spent learning to use them... but now... now it is unnecessary," he said, sounding resigned. "Do you understand, boy? aren''t you like me?"


    It was official now. This man was crazy. But I didn''t say that out loud. I simply waited for him to finish his rant. It was an opportunity to stall for some time while Aura and Varda flanked him from the sides.


    "The fairies took it from me the same way they''ll take it from you," he said in a resigned tone.


    "What did they take from you?" I asked despite myself.


    The heavy rainfall continued. The tunder boomed. A streak of lightning illuminated our surroundings.


    "My purpose," he answered, and without warning, without even the slightest hint of movement, Azuma charged. Only, he wasn''t heading toward me. He had charged toward Varda instead.


    I didn''t even have time to warn her as the flat of Azuma''s spearhead smacked Varda in the side and sent her careening into the huddle of soldiers who were fighting on our left. It was only thanks to the grace of Lady Luck that this was the exact spot Qwipps was fighting in.


    "Mud! Varda?!" He yelled in surprise.


    Qwipps jumped up to catch her almost reflexively, and Varda crashed into him before going limp in his arms. This also meant that the two stone golems she summoned would lose the magic that animated them. True enough, I heard the crumbling of dozens of rocks from somewhere in the surrounding battlefield. I had no time to check. I couldn''t even check if Varda was dead or alive because Azuma was dashing for Aura with his spear raised forward.


    However, unlike Varda who had no talent in melee combat, Aura, who was well-trained by the clan''s best weapon masters, showed just how capable she was when she met Azuma''s charge with her own. Aura twirled her staff around so that the shadowblade spearhead would come forward. Then she used the momentum of the twirl to raise the spear in an upward slashing motion that cut through rain and into¡ªnothing.


    Azuma wasn''t there. He was above her. He had actually jumped the short distance between them and thrust his spear at Aura''s head. This attack might have killed her too if Aura hadn''t kept one final trick of hers in reserve.


    The Firebolt Aura fired at Azuma when she saved me wasn''t actually a spell she''d cast. It was simply a magic enchantment contained inside the orb of her Hearthwood Staff which was the only gold tier weapon I''ve ever seen. Now, some specialists would argue that silver tier weapons were sharper and therefore deadlier than gold tier weapons that had less attack power, but the one advantage of a gold tier item was its ability to store powerful enchantments inside them. In Aura''s case, her staff could cast the Firebolt spell¡ªeven if Aura hadn''t learned it herself¡ªindefinitely or until Aura''s mana depleted. This meant that she hadn''t actually cast her last spell for the night.


    A series of molten patterns appeared in the space between Azuma and Aura, and her Shield of Flame erupted to life in a fiery blaze. However, as it was obviously a rushed, chantless spell and therefore weaker in its casting than one strengthened by an appeal to the spirits, the shield''s shimmering, magical form shattered after it clashed with Azuma''s spear. This was fine as the shield had fulfilled its purpose and prevented the death of my partner who I hadn''t known was talented enough to cast chantless spells.


    The force of her magic''s destruction blew both Aura and Azuma back, making it the perfect opportunity for a counterattack.


    While Azuma and Aura were fighting, I''d activated Fool''s Insight despite the strain it placed on my eyes because I needed all the advantage I could get for my next move. And although I knew about the hidden power of Aura''s staff, I wasn''t sure she could save herself¡ªI really should trust her more. Still, Fool''s Insight was active and working well enough that I saw the instant Azuma was vulnerable. It was right after destruction of the Shield of Flame blew him back. In that brief moment of opportunity, I rushed at him and sent my falchion right into his side, into the slim slit opening in the plates of his armor just below his armpit.


    I slammed into him, and blood splattered onto my face as I plunged the falchion''s shadowblade deep into his body. The momentum of our impact sent us both crashing onto the wet earth.


    The slope sent me tumbling a little ways down the hill. I lost my grip on my falchion. My body felt bruised all over. There was a ringing in my ears. I released Fool''s Insight and felt the gift leave my eyes blurrier than before.


    Raindrops fell down my upturned face. "Ouch¡­ call an ambulance."


    I crawled to my feet feeling like I was in a car crash. Groggily, I looked over to Aura, who, despite my successful assassination of the enemy commander was gazing back at me, not with pride, but with wide-eyed fear. No. My blurry sight kept me from seeing the obvious in time. Aura wasn''t staring at me. She was looking behind me.


    "They took away my purpose when their gift made me unkillable," Azuma''s voice was so close. So close, in fact, I was certain he''d whispered his words into my ear.


    I turned my head to see what I already knew I''d find.


    Azuma, who was taller than Luca by a head, was towering over me with my falchion comically stuck halfway inside him, piercing him just below the left armpit. It made him look like an extra from some campy zombie movie.


    "I ask you," and Azuma''s hollow eyes gazed at me with a manic light in them. "What kind of warrior will know the meaning of true victory when he is cheated of the chance to put his life on the line?"


    Then he sent his spearhead into my gut.

 12 Never Back Down

    I always assumed that a shadowblade''s touch was as hot as grasping burning coals, so I wasn''t prepared for the biting cold seeping out of the charred blade as it pierced through my leather vest and touched the exposed skin underneath. Even worse was the freezing sensation it produced as the spearhead ripped into my stomach. Pain and numbness struck me at the same time. I screamed. I wasn''t the only one.


    "Dean~~n!" Aura screamed my name.


    I could hear her voice even through the ringing in my ears, drowning out my own scream, and moving past the pain to something primal hidden in the depths of my addled brain. Only an inappropriate teenage brain would think of not wanting to look uncool in front of the girl he fancied, but it was because of this really superficial thought that clarity returned to me, and I didn''t fail to take advantage of my return to consciousness.


    My scream cut out as I gritted my teeth. With my left hand, I grasped Azuma''s spear tip, which was only about half an inch deep into me, by the charred blade. Immediately, my fingers felt a cold numbness creep into their tips. Blood dripped down my palm where the blade cut into me but I refused to let go.


    Azuma''s slanted eyes widened in momentary surprise, but before he could push the spear tip further in, my free hand reached for the falchion''s sword hilt which was dangling from his left side and pulled the blade out with the last of my dwindling strength. The blade slinked out, and it was Azuma''s turn to scream.


    It was nice to know that he still felt pain despite being some kind of unkillable soldier, which I think was the worst cheat in the history of fairy gifts.


    Nevertheless, Azuma''s discomfort was my gain because while the pain distracted him, I pushed the half-inch of the spear tip that pierced me out and away. Then I stepped away as quickly as I could, almost stumbling in my haste despite my own wound causing painful tremors inside me.


    Seeing me escape his clutches would have sent anyone else in a fury but Azuma remained calm. He took a moment to cover his wound with his right palm while his left hand laid the steel spear over his shoulder. He sighed heavily like a teenager forced into a thankless chore. Then, quick as a snake, he whipped the spear out in a wide arc and straight for my exposed neck.


    I jumped back to dodge it. I stumbled. Then I fell into the wet mud butt first.


    A Firebolt from Aura''s staff streaked past me but all Azuma had to do to destroy it was slice it in half with his shadowblade spear tip. He''d done it with an inhumanly quick sweep of his spear with just his left hand.


    Blood continued to pour down from the hole in my vest. It soaked the ground and mixed with the puddle of water beside me.


    Azuma stepped forward. This put me within his attack range.


    He thrust his spear at me, but my hand had no strength left to parry it with my falchion.


    Or so I believed.


    Out of nowhere, power surged into my right hand like a jolt of electricity. This energy traveled up my arm, giving it a much needed boost like a shot of caffeine during endless homework season.


    I gripped my sword hilt and reflexively lifted the falchion to parry the spear tip heading for me. I forced the blade''s momentum with the flat of my own blade to the side where it harmlessly skewered the dirt.


    As I couldn''t get up to run, I barrelled away instead like a pig rolling in the mud. That''s how desperate I was to escape. When I was a good ten feet away from him, I rolled onto one knee with my blade pointed in Azuma''s direction.


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    There was a glint of amusement in the crinkle of his eyes. A smile forming on the dry lips.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve fought a soldier too stubborn to die," he said, and his voice sounded less tired.


    Shit, just how unlucky was I that Azuma was much more interested in killing me now? I wondered this while the rest of my mind raced through the possible ending scenarios of another confrontation. Every single one of them led to my death¡ªshit.


    While I thought about how hopeless the situation was, I noticed the glow coming from my hand, and when I glanced down, I found Aura''s bracelet flickering with a soft golden light.


    My eyes swiveled to where I''d last seen her, and my heart warmed to find that she was still there.


    Aura was kneeling on the ground with her eyes half closed. She was whispering under her breath while her hands grasped the locket I gave her. From where I was, it seemed the locket was glowing too.


    I lifted Aura''s bracelet to eye-level and saw the golden light surrounding it flickering like a heartbeat.


    "Interesting... that she-elf must be your contractor," Azuma gave Aura a curious look. "You share a life bond?"


    "W-what?" I asked, confused. It was the first time I''d ever heard of this life bond.


    Azuma lifted his spear as if the fight had gone out of him. "Fairies who form a contract with a visere can create a life bond with them so that they can share each other''s strengths with one another."


    Azuma''s gaze fell on my stomach.


    His eyes narrowed slightly. "How''s your pain?"


    I glanced down at the hole in my stomach. The bleeding had stopped. Newly formed scar tissue covered the wound. The pain was also much lesser¡ªan insistent whimper compared to the raging roar of earlier.


    "A life bond even allows a fairy to share her life force with her visere at the cost of her own health," Azuma revealed.


    At his words, my head swiveled to Aura whose chest, I now noticed, was heaving heavily like she was running a marathon.


    "Curious... most fairies would never attempt this as they don''t really value human lives more than their own," Azuma''s voice was contemplative. Then he asked a question that made me blush from my toes all the way to the pores of my cheeks. "Is the she-elf your woman? Have you had sex yet?"


    I looked at Azuma with growing shock on my face. "O-of course not! We''re partners. That''s all..."


    "Partners, huh," he shook his head. "You must have a screw loose in your head, boy... Fairies and humans can''t be partners. They take advantage of us the same way we take advantage of them."


    The guy with his own room at a mental ward back on Mudgard was telling me I had a screw loose for believing in Aura who was trying to save my life by sharing her life force with me. The outrage I''d felt after Luca''s disappearance was back. Azuma had no clue what Aura and I had been through.


    "Shut up! You know nothing, dude," I snapped.


    I tried to get up, but my body was still too weak. Whatever Aura was doing wasn''t enough to put me backto a hundred percent. I stumbled back to one knee.


    "It doesn''t matter. She''ll be dead soon..." Azuma nodded his head toward Aura. "Then we can begin round two..."


    I followed his line of sight and was horrified to find that Aura, with her eyes still half-closed, hadn''t noticed the human soldier in grey-tinted leather armor looming over her.


    "Shit, Aura, get up!" Again, I tried to stand, and again I fell onto my knee. It was like my legs were jelly.


    She hadn''t heard me.


    "Aura! Open your eyes!" I screamed. "Get out of there!"


    I reached behind me for the dagger I''d hidden in my belt but I found that the handle wasn''t there.


    My eyes glanced left and right. There. My dagger hilt was lying on the mud by Azuma''s feet. It must have fallen during our earlier scuffle.


    "Shit," I hissed.


    I gripped my falchion and prepared to throw it at the bastard who was threatening Aura. There was no time for Fool''s Insight, I realized. I would have to eyeball it. But could I hit the target from where I was? Maybe if I was Luca. Doubt filled my thoughts. But then the warm feeling from Aura''s bracelet made me remember that I couldn''t let her die because her death meant I would fail and Luca would never escape the Fayne.


    This was not the time for doubt. It was a time for action.


    I hurled my falchion at the Magesong soldier who was threatening Aura. It was a distance of ten yards, a doable distance. However, as I watched the downward angle of my twirling blade, I worried it would be a miss. But I really should have believed in myself more. It was a definite hit although it wasn''t a bullseye. Instead of piercing the enemy''s chest which is where I aimed, the sword hilt struck his thigh. This was another miscalculation, but I figured even a sword hilt would hurt.


    The loud yelp of pain that came from the enemy''s mouth justified this belief.


    My attack caused him to lose his foot in that crucial moment when he swung his sword down on Aura. Obviously, he missed, and it was all my doing. My shot. Yey.


    However, I certainly wasn''t responsible for the soldier losing his entire upper body in a shower of blood and guts. My throwing arm wasn''t that amazing. No, this deathblow resulted from Edo''s timely arrival combined with his incredible power to cut a man in two with a single swing of his glaive.


    Edo looked livid. You could see it in the way his nostrils flared and in the way his eyes cast a murderous gaze over everything that wasn''t Aura. This included me.


    I understood why. In the time he was slaughtering enemy soldiers on the southern hillside at my insistence, the clan princess he swore to protect had nearly died. I was pretty certain he would blame me for this and hoped he''d seen my successful attempt to save Aura before he thought of beating me up later.


    It was right after Edo covered her in the blood of her ambusher that Aura''s eyes opened. She glanced at her clothes once and then sighed. Aura looked up disbelievingly at Edo who shrugged back at her.


    She looked exhausted, yet she rose to her feet by leaning on Edo''s arm. When her gaze found me, the relief in them mirrored mine. After all, we''d both survived in time for the cavalry to arrive.


    "How long are you going to just lie there, Dean?" Luca asked.


    He was finally here. Standing over me with a judge-y look. I sometimes suspect that he forgets that I''m the big brother. Not the other way around.


    I looked at him from where I sat in the mud. "What took you so long? Did you stop for drive-thru?"


    Luca rolled his eyes before he offered me his hand. "Hilarious..."


    He pulled me up after I took it. Thankfully, my body had recovered enough that I didn''t need him to hold me up afterward.


    "So... I suppose you have another foolhardy strategy to deal with the guy glaring at us?" Luca nodded toward the man who was standing just a few feet away and was obviously waiting for us to finish catching up.


    Azuma cracked his neck. "Well, shall we begin round two, boys?"


    "Hey, Luca," I raised my hand for a high-five. "How do you feel about a team-up?"


    "Sure," Luca smacked it back a little harder than I would have liked. "As long as your reckless plan doesn''t get us killed."


    "I think that''s the only kind that will work on this guy," I reasoned.


    Luca sighed. "I knew you''d say that."


    I had a genuine grin plastered on my face now. The Dapper brothers were together again. It was time to kick butt. "Follow my lead, little brother."

 13 Tha A-Team

    "Dean... where''s your falchion?" Luca asked.


    "Um... I threw it away," This was an oversimplification of the actions I took that led to me losing the sword, and I knew I needed to explain further to avoid Luca''s criticism, but all I could think to say was, "But I did it to save Aura..."


    Luca gazed at me sideways in a how-could-you-throw-your-weapon-away look that promised me I would get lectured later. Honestly, I was the big brother and yet my little brother did all the lecturing.


    "So... what were you planning to do when you proposed a team-up... punch him to death?" Luca asked with heavily dripping sarcasm.


    "Well," this time, I was appropriately sheepish when I said, "I was hoping you''d distract him while I get my falchion back."


    Luca shook his head and then sighed. It was a double dose of disapproval.


    "No need to worry, Luca," while my brother and I were arguing Aura had walked over to my other side. "Here, Dean..."


    She handed me back my falchion. When I tried to take it, she held her grip on it to say, "Thanks for saving me."


    Her voice was a soft whisper only I could hear.


    "You saved me first..." I blushed. "But... you saw?"


    She released her hold on the sword hilt. "It was a neat swing, but it curved down a little too much."


    "It did the job okay though, right?" I was grinning now. At least someone appreciated my heroics. Besides, Aura healed me enough that even the blurriness in my vision lessened.


    "Lucky shot, if you ask me," Edo stood on Aura''s other side. He gave me a disapproving glance. "Don''t miss next time."


    I breathed a sigh of relief. For Edo, that snide remark was his version of high praise.


    "Um... I''m happy to see you''re okay Aura, but, can we focus?" Luca suggested. He drew his shadowblade from the sword hilt of his broadsword. "That guy looks like he''s getting restless."


    I glanced over at Azuma who was continuing to survey our quartet with an amused smile, which in hindsight probably meant a terrible thing as the Azuma I fought earlier didn''t have a hint of enthusiasm showing on his face.


    "I get it now... you''re just a battle freak, aren''t you?" I guessed.


    Azuma''s gaze fell on me. He cracked his neck sideways. Then he stretched his shoulders up and down like he was about to exercise.


    "I think of myself as a competitor," he reasoned.


    "And you think you can take all four of us on?" I nodded toward my companions. "Even the big guy over there?"


    "I told you... I''m a competitor," Azuma crouched forward and raised his spear forward with both hands grasping tight on each end of the spear''s pole. "I''ll take on all comers..."


    It was a credit to my companions that I didn''t need to order them around. They knew exactly what to do next because we''d drilled it many times before during that hellish week of training Aura forced me into.


    Aura pulled back to a safe distance and readied her staff for firing more Firebolts while Edo moved to the front of us with his own stance mirroring Azuma''s. Meanwhile, Luca and I moved to the sides so we could flank him or defend as necessary. This cross formation was something I cooked up back when I first considered our team composition and our strengths.


    At the same time as we moved into our places, I yelled, Qwipps, are you there?"


    He responded with, "Varda''s alive!"


    I guessed as much because I remembered the impact that sent Varda flying came from the flat of Azuma''s spear, not from the shadowblade''s sharp edge. And since Varda liked to wear dwarven made chain mail underneath her robe, I expected this high-quality product would save her from the worst of Azuma''s attack.


    "Is she conscious?" I asked.


    "Barely!" he yelled back from somewhere on my right.


    The fog was still around and the visibility was low past a few yards away.


    "Get her out of here and back to the southern hillside. I need her to cause another mudslide!" I yelled. "Take your whole squad with you!"


    "Mud, Dean! What about you?" he asked. "There are still a dozen Magesong bastards on this side!"


    "We''ll handle it... go!" I ordered.


    I heard a "Muddamit!" before the buzzing of five gossamer wings began. Then Qwipps and the rest of his squad along with a half-conscious Varda in tow hightailed it back to the southern hillside.


    "Was that wise?" Concern creased Aura''s brow.


    I wasn''t sure. It all depended on Azuma and how he felt about his soldiers fighting on the other side of the hill. If he knew what Varda''s mudslide did the last time, then...


    "Leeroy!" Azuma yelled. "Don''t let that dwarf cast another spell..."


    "Yes, sir!" someone answered, and immediately afterward, the group of Magesong soldiers on this side ran past our position without sparing us a second glance. Azuma had obviously trained them well.


    Luca looked sideways at me. "Did you know that would happen?"


    "A good commander wouldn''t sacrifice his men when he can do something about it," I answered, confidently.


    "High-praise you have of me," Azuma responded.


    The rain cut out suddenly although the clouds continued to glow as lightning streaked across the sky.


    We all glanced up. It was time for round two.


    "Yeah-yeah... let''s get started already," I said, understanding that the sooner this fight was over the sooner I could head back and command my troops. Besides, Azuma was our only obstacle to victory. "Edo!"


    Both Edo and Azuma charged through the wet, uneven ground, but while Edo swung for Azuma''s head, Azuma, who was smaller and lower to the ground, hacked at the inner side of Edo''s right leg just above his steel boots.


    Clang!


    Edo was no amateur. Once he saw where Azuma was aiming he immediately lifted his foot and blocked the shadowblade spear tip with his steel boot. The blade''s magical property seared through the steel but didn''t penetrate it. But while Edo''s foot was raised, Azuma used a leg sweep maneuver with his foot to tag Edo''s other leg and unbalance him.


    Edo went down on one knee, but this wasn''t much of a disadvantage for such a big guy. He sent his glaive in a sweeping arc around him to protect himself from a follow-up attack that never came.


    Azuma had bypassed Edo and charged toward Aura who was directly in front of him, and this is where the cross formation I created showed its true worth.


    On Azuma''s left flank was Luca with his broadsword raised to strike. On Azuma''s right was me with my falchion arcing up from the ground. Luca and I called this the Heaven-and-Hell combo which saw us pincer an enemy from the sides and cut him into mincemeat with horizontal slashes from both a downward and rising angle.


    Azuma reacted instantly. He stopped mid-charge and repelled both mine and Luca''s swings by twirling his spear around to block each strike as it came at him.


    Geez, was this guy superb at battle, I thought inwardly while he knocked my shadowblade back. Still, I wasn''t too worried. I said the cross formation would show it''s worth, right?


    Our distraction kept Azuma still long enough for a Firebolt to hit him in the face.


    Boom!


    A tiny explosion engulfed Azuma''s face, probably searing his skin.


    "Argh!" he yelled.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Aura didn''t stop with one successful shot. She fired Firebolt after Firebolt at Azuma''s body with each swing of her Hearthwood Staff like a fire dancer from another world.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After that sixth explosion smacked him in the gut, Azuma hurled his spear at Aura.


    The force of it was like a rocket as it zoomed across the air. But it never reached her.


    In our formation, it was my responsibility to watch out for any counters from our enemy''s side, so I was prepared for something like a projectile attack. And even without triggering Fool''s Insight, my years'' worth of Kendo training was enough for me to swat that spear away with my falchion. To Azuma''s credit, that spear was so heavy I couldn''t smack it down to the ground and could only push its trajectory away from Aura.


    Then I heard the guttural, primal roar that escapes out of Luca''s mouth whenever he activated his Foolish Strength.


    While the hairs on the back of my hand rose and an involuntary shiver escaped my lips, I turned my head toward the next clash.


    Luca''s broadsword swung down and met Azuma''s steel plate armor just above the shoulder, and with his berserker strength, cut through the plate and into flesh. While Edo''s glaive hacked at Azuma''s back and sent a spray of blood streaking upward along with his rising glaive.


    Azuma, his face bloodied and burned, didn''t even scream. He simply gritted his teeth.


    "Luca, Edo, back away now!" I yelled worriedly. It was my complete blunder for forgetting to tell them in advance about Azuma''s fairy gift. "He''s immortal! You can''t kill him!"


    If it was anyone else besides my A-team, Azuma''s counter would have taken them unaware, but Edo was a true warrior and Luca always followed my commands despite whining about it. So, they backed away in time before Azuma could grapple either of them.


    We all pulled back.


    "Are you kidding me!" Luca''s disbelieving face with its furrowed brows was hilarious in a different setting. "He''s a zombie?!"


    "He''s something," I grinned.


    He really was something, and despite the fear that made the hand grasping my falchion shake, there was a stirring in my chest that had nothing to do with being afraid. I was excited. Here was an opponent that could help my name soar among the clan members. If we beat Azuma using my tactics, if we won the hilltop despite the odds, Luca and I would be one step closer to getting our wish.


    "We''ll attack him together," As I said this, I felt a slight discomfort in the spot where I''d been pierced earlier. It reminded me that I wasn''t a hundred percent and that I shouldn''t attempt anything foolhardy. "Ready player one..."


    I closed my eyes. With my body the way it was, I could use Fool''s Insight one last time before I would become an invalid who''d be no help to the others. Some would call leaving yourself without an escape route reckless. But this was just how important this battle was. And so I activated Fool''s Insight.


    When I opened my eyes again, I gripped my sword hilt tight and ran forward.


    Luca and Edo followed my lead but before any of us got to the crouching, bleeding figure that was Azuma, another Firebolt from Aura came hurtling from behind me. The advantage was certainly ours.


    Or so I thought.


    There was a swish from behind me as a passing object cut the air, and insight gave me just enough warning to duck as Azuma''s spear came flying past me. It passed through the Firebolt, destroying it, and flew into Azuma''s outstretched hand like a Jedi reaching out for his light-saber.


    Both Edo and Luca pulled back immediately as neither of them had expected our opponent would reclaim his weapon. However, I rushed forward.


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    I banked on Fool''s Insight giving me an advantage against Azuma because there was no way we could allow him to recover.


    My blade sang. His spear came forward. Our weapons clashed.


    One, two, three, four, five¡ªwe sent a chain of attacks against each other. Each would-be deathblow repelled by the other''s weapon. Each strike met by a counter that was parried or blocked again and again.


    The mud beneath our feet flew back under the intensity of our death dance. The surrounding air swished violently as our arms moved against each other at near-superhuman speeds.


    Azuma was definitely better than me in every way. He was stronger. More skilled. Hardier. And he was unkillable. But my one advantage was that I could see his attacks before they came just by taking into account the minuscule movements of his body. A simple twitch of a muscle or angling of his foot was enough to give me insight on his next attack.


    I couldn''t tell you how long we fought. Only that it felt like hours even though only minutes must have passed. In that time, sweat streaked down my face and soaked my inner clothes like the rain hadn''t stopped. Blood dripped out of the many cuts made by Azuma''s spear as I wasn''t able to dodge all of his attacks.


    The others could only watch desperately. They knew better than to interfere in a deathmatch where one wrong move, one callous mistake meant death.


    Through the haze and pressure being exerted, I looked into Azuma''s face and saw that he was smiling. The battle freak was enjoying the fight, and to be honest, I think I did too. I didn''t have a wide grin on my face but each attack I blocked sent a jolt of confidence into me. After all, I was going toe-to-toe with one of the Magesong clan''s best and it wasn''t too one-sided.


    The ground rumbling interrupted us. We heard the roar of the earth somewhere to the south of us, and I guess Varda was able to pull off one last mudslide.


    Both Azuma and I clashed one final time with my falchion''s shadowblade resting on his spear''s black steel handle.


    "Looks like I win," I said.


    Azuma''s eyes narrowed. "I could still kill you."


    "Sure... you probably will if we kept this up," I answered honestly because as we held our positions, I could already feel my body losing strength. My vision was blurring more and more. "But then you''d lose your entire force. For a commander like you... that would be a bigger blow than dying now..."


    Azuma''s brow creased and I could tell he was weighing his options.


    A loud, booming horn broke the silence of the night. It was the sound of reinforcements arriving by the western hillside, in the same direction as Fort Darah.


    "It''s my win," I proclaimed more certainly now.


    Azuma pushed down harder on my falchion and I barely had enough strength to push back.


    It was at this moment that both Edo and Luca intervened.


    The weapons came down on Azuma''s flanks and would have cut him in two too if he hadn''t pulled back in that instant.


    My strength failed me then, and I would have fallen to my knees if Aura hadn''t caught me by the shoulders and held me up.


    Edo and Luca took positions in front of us to guard us.


    Even as Azuma stood before us, we could see the wounds I''d inflicted slowly stitching themselves together, although it was much slower than before when the wounds Luca and Edo dealt him healed. Perhaps there was a limit to his regeneration.


    His armor was a mess. The grey cloak behind him was ripped. Still, there was a wide grin plastered on his face.


    "I haven''t lost yet, boy..." He held his spear aloft in one hand. "Not until one of us is dead..."


    After saying this most ominous of phrases, Azuma pulled out a horn he''d been hiding behind him and blew on it.


    The sound was loud and clear. It was a signal to retreat.


    Azuma saluted me with his free hand. "Let''s meet again soon."


    Then he turned his back on us and climbed down the hill. None of us followed him. We all knew better than to poke the tiger.


    "I think you just made a rival, Dean..." Luca commented.


    "Yep," I answered depressingly. Of all the people to antagonize.


    "I guess I should start planning your funeral," Luca sheathed his broadsword''s shadowblade. "Maybe sell tickets."


    "I doubt anyone would turn up," Aura noted.


    They both laughed but Edo kept silent. His own smile hinted at repressed laughter.


    "Hilarious," I said.


    And then all four of us laughed. It was the hysterical kind that told you how thrilled we were to have survived the night. It really was a very long night after all.

 14 Iron Fis

    With the battle over and the skies clear of rain, it became time to pick up the pieces of what we broke during the fight. This started with Aura holding onto bruised-and-battered me and ended with our A-Team looking for survivors among the Eastern hillside''s slope.


    We found one badly injured pixie named Pike unconscious beside two very dead Magesong soldiers. One of Qwipps soldiers, Pike was a female pixie with short-cropped chestnut hair, fair skin, and a pluckier attitude than Qwipps. She was an excellent archer, too. But now her face was bloodied by the wound above her right eye and her right wing and right arm both looked broken, but her chest heaved in normal intervals. It was a good sign.


    In all the fighting and the fog, Qwipps must not have realized she was still alive and left her behind.


    Luca picked her up delicately in his arms after Aura gave her a quick inspection.


    My eyebrows bunched together in worry. "We need to find the rest..."


    The others followed my order despite the horns sounding the arrival of our reinforcements got louder along the western hillside. It was our duty to bring back everyone. Even the dead. No one got left behind.


    We found the bodies of seven of the eight original guards I ordered to watch the eastern hillside. Of the eighth, we could only find the severed head of a young elf named Edan. We assumed the rest of him must have rolled down the hillside.


    Aura wrapped his head in her silk scarf and I carried it afterward.


    Of Qwipps'' squad of nine, five had flown away with him, but the other two besides Pike were dead. We found one battered body covered in sword wounds and another one pierced through the chest by a shadowblade spear. I remembered their names. They were Qwigan and Pilo.


    Between Edo and Luca¡ªwith me instructing them¡ªwe hastily constructed a makeshift sled by dismantling several of the wooden fences around us. Edo then piled all the bodies onto the sled so we could bring them back to the rest of our unit.


    As I gazed at the pile of our dead, I wondered just how many more deaths I''d be responsible for. It was a gnawing thought in my head as this was a reality of command I hadn''t experienced yet. These weight of lives I carried in my hands who followed my orders and died because I didn''t come up with a better plan. Frankly, just the thought of what awaited me on the southern slope was nerve-wracking.


    Aura, who continued to support me as I limped, half-blind with extreme nearsightedness caused by overusing Fool''s Insight, squeezed my arm in a gesture of encouragement.


    It was amazing how emphatic she was to my moods, and I assumed it was just the bond between a fairy contractor and her chosen visere. I couldn''t dare hope for a deeper connection. That was forbidden territory.


    We made our way rather slowly across the hillside to the southern slope. Halfway there, a small unit of soldiers in glossy steel plate armor came to meet us. By the look of the midnight blue tabards they wore over their armor, we recognized these soldiers as fairy knights from Fort Darah. The Fist symbol embroidered in silver thread on their tabards was proof enough.


    These knights were obviously higher ranked than anyone on my side except for Aura¡ªalthough they shouldn''t know who she really was¡ªbut they saluted us first and relieved us of the burden of our dead comrades.


    A knight took Pike from Luca''s hands, and it surprised me to see how hesitant he was to give her up. Aura even had to persuade him by assuring Luca that they would take care of Pike.


    I filed this thought for later use. Perhaps I could use it against my brother somehow to avoid getting lectured. At the very least, it was something I could tease him with if my suspicions were correct.


    The fairy knights led our ragtag team back to the middle slope of the southern hillside where I got a first-hand glimpse of the devastation that had occurred there since I left.


    The ground was full of holes like remnants of cannon fire. Many of the wooden fences were still burning. And I believe this resulted from the Magesong clan''s magicians attempts to bombard our defenders while their army climbed up the slope.


    The dead littered the hillside. Many of them wore grey-tinted leathers. A few wore the midnight blue vests of my unit.


    I wanted to look away, but I didn''t want those who stood up and noticed my approach think their temporary commander was a coward.


    I expected confusion at our arrival. Maybe even some hate-speech at the fact we''d left them there to fend for themselves, but the response we received from the surviving soldiers of Roselle''s unit as we passed them was an approving nod of the head or a congratulatory pat on the back. There were even some cheers of "Victory!"


    Aura and I glanced at each other. Her smile was divine. It told me she agreed with them.


    I looked over to Luca next. He just shrugged. But there was definitely a light in his eyes that was more hopeful than his default wariness.


    Neither of them noticed what I noticed. There were few soldiers standing among Roselle''s original seventy-two survivors from the night before. Including the ten soldiers who died on the eastern slope, at least half the unit was dead or too injured to stand.


    My heart grew heavier as we walked toward Qwipps who was higher up the slope.


    We found him standing next to a fairy knight who wore a tabard with a fist symbol embroidered with gold thread instead of silver. His steel plate armor was also a brighter sheen of silver than the rest of the surrounding knights, all of whom were looking at him like they were afraid he would explode while he lectured the dwarf sitting on the ground between him and Qwipps.


    Varda was being checked on by the fairy knight kneeling beside her. This one had long, flowing, blue hair made of what I could only assume was water. Her skin was a lighter shade of blue, too. She had a beautiful face that seemed to shift its features slightly after a simple blink of pale grey eyes or the twitch of blue-tinged lips. It was like looking at someone from above the water while they were under it.


    She wore the same golden embroidered tabard as the angry fairy knight. However, she wore no armor underneath. In fact, her voluptuous form, covered only by what I assumed was swimwear, was a sight that made me blush just to look at it.


    This watery woman offered Varda a potion of healing while she bandaged Varda''s injured side with a roll of cloth bandages. Varda''s chain mail shirt was nowhere in sight. Probably cast off during the process of her first aid treatment.


    Varda herself looked bruised in one eye, and she winced every time the woman touched her injured side. Other than that, she seemed okay except for the pronounced frown showing on her face.


    "But... uncle Vardoom," Varda began but was immediately cut off by the fairy knight who, even at just four-feet-seven inches tall, intimidated everyone around him with his booming voice. This included Qwipps who was doing his very best to seem inconsequential.


    "I don''t want to hear it, Varda Coldstone! A shaman-magician like you who''s barely out of her cobble years has no business joining the army in the first place!" he barked. "What will my sister think when she finds out that her daughter nearly got cracked... and drink that potion already!"


    "But I didn''t get cracked... just bruised," Varda grumbled before she uncapped the vial in her hand and drank the red liquid inside.


    The older dwarf turned his glare on Qwipps next. "What are you smiling at, Daggerby? Don''t think I won''t beat you to pebble dust for getting my niece injured like this!"


    "But it wasn''t my fault..." Qwipps protested. And it was at that moment when he saw me. Instant relief flooded his face when he pointed to me and said, "He''s to blame, sir!"


    Leave it to Qwipps to put me in the crosshairs so he could get away.


    Vardoom narrowed his already narrow eyes at me. The mouth under his full red beard twitched into a frown.


    "You, human! Are you responsible for this mess?" he was pointing at his niece when he said this.


    "Aura, a little help here," I whispered into her ear.


    "Oh, no," she whispered back. "I have a hard time dealing with Commander Vardoom too. Almost as much as his superior..."


    As Aura said this, her eyes flitted to the top of the hill where the banner of the Trickster Pavillion fluttered next to the banner of the Fist of Fort Darah.


    Vardoom made his way toward me all in a huff, his steel-toed boots stomping on the wet earth and leaving tiny craters as he walked. But before he could get to within spitting range of me, Edo blocked his path.


    Edo poked the butt end of his glaive at the plate mail hiding the commander''s rotund stomach. "You look rounder than when I last saw you, Vardoom¡­"


    He gave Vardoom a wide grin, the first one I''d ever seen him give anything, before casting a side-eye glance at me with a silent order to get moving.


    "Edo, you giant chunk of muscle!" Vardoom clapped him on the leg which was as high as he could go. He was grinning widely at the half-ogre bodyguard himself."When was the last time I drank you under the table?"


    Edo himself looked fondly at the dwarf before he banged the Dwarf half to the ground with a clap on the back. "Last winter at Holly Hall."


    Vardoom laughed loudly. Edo joined in this laughter. They had both clearly forgotten about me.


    I glanced over at Qwipps who had both hands raised at me in an apologetic sign. I reminded myself to give Qwipps all the troublesome jobs if ever I was allowed to keep command over the unit.


    Looking over at Varda, I found her giving me a toothy grin and thumbs up combination. She was obviously still giddy over her spell casting achievements from the previous battle.


    The watery woman beside Varda looked so relaxed as she smiled at me, Aurana, and Luca that I thought of her as the complete opposite of Commander Vardoom. Then, without opening her mouth, she spoke to me.


    "The Great General is waiting for you at the hilltop," she whispered into my mind in a soothing voice akin to the steady flow of a river.


    "How¡ª"


    Aura answered my question before I could ask it. "Undines speak with their thoughts..."


    "She knows who you are then?" I asked.


    "Yes," Aura answered. She gazed up the hilltop. "Might as well get this over with."


    "Um, why do you sound hesitant, Aura?" Luca asked worriedly.


    Aura glanced at him. "Have you met Great General Darah, Luca?"


    "No... she''s not the elder who brought me into the Fayne¡­but I''ve heard about the Iron Fist of the Trickster Pavilion," Luca answered.


    "Well... I guess you should both meet my aunt then..." Aura said, dejectedly. "Follow me..."


    At the top of the southern slope of the hill, right before the ring of white stones, we found a group of fairy knights surrounding a round tent-like structure made of paper-white birch tree branches bent toward the center. Drapes of midnight blue silk covered the entryway. Both banners of the Trickster Pavilion and the Fist of Fort Darah soared above the tent''s roof


    The fairy knights let us pass when we approached. At the entrance, a knight pulled open the drapes to let us through.


    Aura passed my arm to Luca so he could help keep me up, and then she reluctantly walked into the tent. We followed in after her.


    The interior was sparse with any furniture except for the white fur carpet and the lone wooden chair in the center of the space. Seated on the chair was a she-elf who appeared as a more mature version of Aura, except her long hair was a tawny brown instead of gold.


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    Even in the short time that I''ve been a visere of the Trickster Pavilion, I''d heard the name of Great General Darah mentioned. Known throughout the Fayne as Iron Fist Darah, she was one of the clan''s only four Great Generals. She was also an idol worshipped by many soldiers as the fiercest Elven warrior in the Hearthlands, the central region of the Fayne. The elf sitting on her chair as if it was a thrown of gold certainly fit the bill.


    She wore golden armor with each golden plate designed like a leaf that curved around her lean, muscular form. Draped across her shoulders was an expensive-looking midnight blue cloak that fell in waves on the floor. Propped against her chair were a golden sword scabbard and round shield that were easily within her reach.


    Her face was very similar to Aura''s. They even had the same blue color irises. However, as the general spared a glance at each of us, I saw a hint of curious amusement replacing the warmth I usually found in Aura''s eyes.


    The man standing attentively to the side of Great General Darah was exactly that, a man. But he wore the same silver armor and tabard with the golden embroidery as Commander Vardoom.


    I took note of his short-cropped, side-parted blonde hair, his brown eyes, and his cleanly shaven rugged face and immediately recognized who he was as there was only one high-ranking human soldier among the clan''s military officers. This was Five-Thousand-Man Commander Roger Thors.


    "You look like you''ve just survived a life-and-death struggle, Aurana," Great General Darah''s voice was like Aura''s. Only deeper and less warm.


    Aura bowed stiffly to her. "It has been a long night, Great General¡­ Thank you for arriving on time to rescue us."


    "As if I would not come at a moment''s notice for my favorite niece." Darah''s smile widened.


    Aura was blushing. "Great General, surely my brother deserves your words more than me."


    Darah stood up abruptly and walked over to Aura with her cloak trailing behind her.


    Both Luca and I stiffened as neither of us understood the relationship between these two.


    Aura looked up. Their eyes met. And then she did something I never thought she''d do. She jumped into her aunt''s embrace like a young girl. They hugged each other for a long time, and it wasn''t until Commander Thors coughed that the general broke their embrace.


    She held Aura at arms'' length so she could inspect her better.


    "I like what you''ve done to your hair, Aurana," she said. "Your mother liked to wear it short too when we were young and wild."


    Aura blushed again. "Thank you, aunt Darah..."


    The general laughed. The man coughed again.


    General Darah rolled her eyes. "What is it, Roger?"


    "We''re on a tight clock, General," he answered briskly. "We''re too close to the Magesong Clan''s territory, and they just might consider this a full-blown invasion if we don''t hurry and withdraw soon."


    "No rest for the wicked, huh?" As Darah said this, her eyes turned on me. They shone with the familiar silver light of fairy glimmer. "So¡­ you''re the human who took command after that idiot I put in-charge ran away¡­ I guess that means you''re responsible for this mess?"

 15 Secret of Mana

    Great General Darah was right, of course. I nominated myself the unit leader and so I was responsible for the defense of the hill which may have been successful but that was because of the timely arrival of Fort Darah''s reinforcements. The most we did was to stall for some time.


    It''s why I couldn''t say anything in my defense while Darah scrutinized me with a quivering look that made my feet turn to jelly.


    However, despite my silence, both Aura and Luca came to my rescue. They each gave Darah an accounting of how wisely I led the unit with no prompting from her.


    Now, it was one thing for Aura, who was the clan''s princess, to speak out loud, but Luca, who was a slave soldier, showed incredible nerve by directly addressing one of the four leaders of the clan''s military without so much as a bow. I was afraid this would get him in trouble, but Darah didn''t seem to mind.


    She looked from Luca to Aura, before turning back to me with an eyebrow raised. "Loyalty can be a measurement for the competence of a leader... perhaps you have potential, Dean Dapper."


    "Y-you know who I am, general?" I asked, surprised.


    "I take great interest in Aurana''s wellbeing," she laughed, and then she pinched Aura''s cheeks like a doting aunt, making Aura blush. "When she contracted for the very first time, I was very curious to know what kind of man would interest her to do so."


    I glanced at Aura who kept her eyes down. Her cheeks were tomato red though.


    "And here I find a boy barely out of his... tweens," Darah raised my chin as if to inspect my face. "What do you think, Roger?"


    Commander Thors'' brown eyes gazed back at me. His face was unreadable.


    "He did defeat Azuma," Commander Thors answered.


    "Pssh, that battle obsessed neanderthal isn''t anything special. You beat him too, didn''t you?" Darah fired back at him as she pulled her hand away from my face.


    "With some difficulty," Commander Thors admitted. Then he gave me a warm smile that softened the rugged features on his face. "I heard you went toe-to-toe with him. How was it?"


    His welcoming smile sent a surge of confidence in me enough to reply, "Like I would die if I made one mistake..."


    Commander Thor''s face turned serious again. "I think he has potential, general."


    "Pssh, you''re too soft on your fellow humans," Throughout this whole conversation, Darah''s eyes never left mine. "Besides, you fought Azuma but couldn''t kill him?"


    "That''s because¡ª"


    Aura had started to explain but Darah raised a hand to silence her like she was saying it wasn''t Aura''s job to answer for me.


    Inwardly, I wondered what the right answer was. Should I have just explained that Azuma was basically an unkillable zombie? But wouldn''t that just sound like an excuse? I opted instead to tell Great Commander Darah how I really felt. "I wasn''t strong enough to give him a deathblow, General."


    "But, Dean¡ª"


    This time it was Luca who wanted to explain, but I shook my head to stop him.


    I gazed back into Great General Darah''s eyes with all the conviction I could muster despite having to lean on my brother to hold me up. "I''ll defeat him for sure next time."


    She narrowed her eyes at me, but I held her gaze without blinking because it felt like staring into the face of a hungry lioness, and if I turned away those sharp eyes would devour me.


    "You have courage, Dean Dapper... and from how you led our soldiers tonight, you might even have a brain," Darah placed a hand on my shoulder. The one Luca held onto. "At least you didn''t give me the same excuse Roger did last time he let Azuma escape his grasp."


    Darah glanced mockingly at Commander Thors whose face remained impassive.


    "I''m not sure even you could kill an immortal, general," he responded nonchalantly.


    "All the true immortals are dead, Roger," Darah''s face turned contemplative. "There''s a trick to it, but I guarantee you it isn''t because he can''t die... the Magesong clan''s not that powerful they could dole out such a fairy gift."


    "A trick... aunt Darah?" Aura asked, her curiosity mirroring mine.


    "There''s always a reason for something occurring, Aurana. this so-called immortality is just the trick that veils this truth," Darah explained like she was giving a lecture to a class.


    Her hand tightened on my shoulder like an iron clamp. Then she looked at Luca. "Let go. I''ll take your brother."


    Luca, unable to endure those piercing eyes, did as she asked. He let me go, and then Darah dragged me forward with a strength that would have made Edo quake in his steel boots.


    "Do you know why this hill is so important, Dean?" Darah asked while she dragged me toward the other end of the tent to the opposite entryway.


    My tired and injured body could barely keep up with the pressure of being pulled forward.


    "This hill... is the entryway to the Magesong Clan''s... territory," I answered with difficulty.


    Darah asked a followup question. "And why do we consider this the entryway when the Magesong Clan''s cities are much further away from here?"


    "Because," My feet shuffled me through the tent flap on the opposite side of where we entered. "We''re in the Calmlands which is west of the Spellweave River Valley, the center of the Magesong Clan''s power."


    I glanced up at the sky. It was still dark but the storm clouds had vanished, and I thought about how the weather in the Fayne seemed as capricious as the fairies who lived here.


    "And what makes these Calmlands so significant?" Darah pressed as she dragged me up to the circle of white stones.


    "Exactly that. It''s calm," I answered.


    There was a longer explanation for this but that would mean discussing a very important natural resource that only exists in the Fayne¡ªsomething Great General Darah already knew. After all, she was walking me into one.


    Darah pushed me through the space between the stone circles, and I found myself transported into a place of verdant grass and trees. A myriad of vibrant flowers grew among the healthiest shrubs I''d ever seen. The sky above was not the dark clouds I just left behind but an aurora of green and blue and purple hues. It reflected the light of the single small pool at the very center of the garden which glowed with its own inner light.


    This was the secret all fairy forts held. This secret garden at the very center of the hilltop and the pool within that filled this space with magical energy.


    Noticing the wide-eyed look on my face, Darah commented, "You''ve never seen a mana well up close before, have you?"


    I shook my head dumbly as the sight of the well held me captive.


    Even with the bird''s-eye-view provided by Fool''s Insight, I could never see into what was inside the fairy fort''s ring of white stones, although I knew what lay inside. I assumed the cause of my blindness was magic, and that multicolored sky was proof that I was right.


    The entire secret garden must have been less than fifty square meters in total. It was a short distance for my feet to take me to the center where the mana well was.


    Darah followed behind me.


    I looked into the glowing pool that was about the size of a round jacuzzi tub, and what I found reflected at me was not my own face but a canvas of stars brightly lit across a clear blue morning sky.


    "hmmm," I heard Darah behind me. "It looks like someone''s touched it. That fool Roselle must have pinched a bit of mana before he ran away with his wings between his legs."


    "He did enter this place before he left," I agreed, although I left out the part that I sent Qwipps in here to look for him too.


    "Well, you should go cleanse it then," and with zero warning, Darah pushed me into the mana well.


    Getting thrown into a pool full of magical energy wasn''t something I wanted to do without testing first. After all, what if it was the equivalent of radioactive sludge and melted me into dust, or worse, turned me into some kind of genetic freak?


    Panic flared up in my chest and I thrashed below the surface of the pool. This anxiety stayed with me until I realized that I wasn''t drowning. I was breathing.


    I opened my eyes.


    Pale blue orbs with fiery tails swam in the pool around me like shooting stars crossing the night sky.


    Calm returned to me as I watched them pass by. And when one brushed me, I could feel warm energy, similar to the feel of Aura''s glowing bracelet, pass into me.


    After an unknown amount of time passed, I swam up, and when I broke the water''s surface, I found Great General Darah sitting on the grass beside the mana well. It seemed she''d been waiting for me.


    Darah waited for me with her legs intertwined in the lotus position. "Now you know what you were fighting for..."


    "I..." I nodded, suddenly speechless. Such a priceless feeling it was to be wading in this well. I could feel myself getting stronger as if I could break through the limits imposed on me by my genetics.


    "In the vastness of the Calmlands, there are only three mana wells. Each one hidden in a fairy fort hill. The one in the north is under the control of the Chariot Lords of Wheel Nation. The Magesong Clan of Spellweave River Valley controlled the other two... that is, until tonight when your unit took full control of this western hill," Darah explained. "Do you understand what that means?"


    I thought about it for a few seconds before I responded with, "We now have a way to cross the Calmlands without worrying about depleting our mana supply..."


    Darah nodded. "Mana fuels much of a fairy''s power and technology¡­ Mana wells like this one are our primary source of it."


    I lifted my hand to watch the water cascade down through the gaps of my fingers like a waterfall. "I guess mana is to fairies what oil is to us, humans..."


    "An apt deduction," Darah agreed. "Although we rarely destroy our environment to gain it, unlike the way you humans do. We just kill each other for it."


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    I made to wade out of the pool of mana but then Great General Darah held up a hand.


    "Stay there for a while. It''ll help you cultivate and reinforce the arcane energies flowing inside you," she instructed.


    "I don''t have any arcane energy in me... I''m human," I reminded the general.


    "That is a common misconception... all living things possess a bit of arcane energy inside them. Humanity may not have as much as the different fairy races, but you have it." Darah placed a hand in the pool. "You simply lack the understanding to harness it."


    I watched as the mana climbed up Darah''s arm and get absorbed into her skin like a sponge. Immediately afterward, Darah''s eyes lit up with its own inner light, and I felt power radiate out of her in a wave of invisible energy.


    "How do I¡ª"


    "Awaken your fairy gift inside the pool and allow it to evolve beyond what you can currently do with it," she instructed.


    "Evolve?" I asked.


    Darah nodded. "Although fairy gifts are rarely unique to an individual, they are a resonance between the clan you serve and the arcane potential in you. As you grow, your gifts grow with you."


    Darah took her hand out of the pool. "This is your first lesson. Evolve your fairy gift past its current use here and now."


    "My first¡­" The confusion was clear in my furrowed brow. "lesson?"


    "I have chosen to take you under my wing. You will report directly to Fort Darah from now on as the replacement Hundred-Man Commander of your current unit," There was a smirk on Darah''s lips.


    The shock showing on my face made Darah laugh. I couldn''t help thinking how similar it sounded to Aura''s own laughter.


    "However, don''t start thinking too highly of yourself, Dean Dapper. You have potential but that is not the only reason I promoted you," Darah admitted.


    "What''s the other reason, General?" I asked, curious.


    She shrugged. "The best way I can watch over my foolhardy niece is by making sure her foolhardy captain is under my thumb, yes?"


    This was a fair assumption. The General certainly knew the right tactics to use here.


    "Foolhardy," I whispered, not at all against the idea Darah proposed. After all, I would officially become a Hundred-Man Commander now. "I like the sound of that¡­"


    "Yes-yes, that name really suits you," Darah''s eyes twinkled. "Alright¡­ from now on, I will name your hundred-man unit as The Foolhardies."


    "F-foolhardies?" I wondered if that was even a word. "I Don''t get to choose?"


    Darah''s eyebrow shot up. "You have something against my naming sense?"


    I shook my head quickly as I felt a murderous intent coming from Great General Darah. "Foolhardies is great."


    Darah nodded satisfied. Then she said, "Well? Are you planning to chat with me until dawn arrives? Begin with your training!"


    I quickly did as ordered and activated fool''s Insight while still in the mana well, all the while wondering what Luca and Aura would think of our unit''s new name.

 16 Enemy at the Gates

    It''s been a week since I refined my fairy gift using the mana well. In that time, I spent two more nights training under its influence thanks to Great General Darah''s goodwill. Both Luca and Aura also used the well''s arcane power to train their respective abilities as it was our collective reward for repelling Azuma without dying.


    Edo, however, declined this boon despite having been part of the Azuma suppression team. I wasn''t sure why, but I got the impression he didn''t want his fairy powers to grow any stronger.


    The rest of my unit''s surviving thirty-eight members were also rewarded for their service with a hefty bonus of fifty gold leprechaun coins each. In human terms that would be somewhere around two thousand US dollars. Yep, it paid well to be soldiers in the Trickster Pavilion.


    If you asked me, I''d say it wasn''t enough. After all, out of the original hundred-man unit, with two nights'' worth of intense battles, less than half had survived. From my point of view, these soldiers were now elites.


    There were a few other special rewards. Qwipps Daggerby received a new pair of steel-ranked shadowblade short-swords and Varda Coldstone got a new chain-mail shirt courtesy of the fine dwarven smiths of Fort Darah.


    This same night, a week after the battle to defend the hilltop, Great General Darah announced to the soldiers of Roselle''s former unit that I would officially become their new Hundred-Man Commander. There was quite a lot of cheering after this announcement that left me blushing like a kid with a schoolboy crush. Even the Fort Darah knights joined in the clapping. Then Darah revealed the name she''d picked for our unit and the enthusiasm died down almost immediately.


    Commander Vardoom laughed out loud at hearing this and pronounced the name stupid in an equally booming voice. Then he teased his niece about wanting to stick with the unit that had such a dumb name, and it wasn''t until Commander Thors pointed out that it was Great General Darah who thought it up that Commander Vardoom finally shut his lid.


    It was entertaining to watch a Five-Thousand-Man Commander get trounced by the general with a single punch.


    After the entertainment ended and no one else questioned Darah''s unique naming sense, she announced something else that caught me off guard. Apparently, as my unit was rebuilding, she gave the veteran soldiers the option to leave it and join a different unit under her command.


    "I''d rather you rebuild your unit from the ground up than have soldiers under you who won''t listen to your orders," she said this to me right before I could protest her decision to take away my warriors.


    True enough, there was a sizable chunk of fairies, mostly elves, who chose to switch teams. They had nothing against me, they insisted. I was a great guy, funny kid, noble warrior, or some other platitude. However, they just didn''t think a human could lead them well enough. Last week was a one-time thing.


    Aura gave me an apologetic look after the mass exodus of fifteen elves meant my unit was down to twenty-three.


    Thankfully¡ªor maybe not, I couldn''t really tell¡ªboth Qwipps and Varda stayed on for two completely different yet similar sounding reasons.


    "Is there another desperate sucker who will name me an officer in their unit?" Qwipps asked, sighing like he didn''t think he had to explain this.


    Varda''s reason was just as hilariously selfish, but at least she had the decency to look happy when she said, "Who else will let me try all the crazy arcane experiments I want to do? Besides, your base understanding of how things work means you can help me plan new experiments!"


    And so, I was able to keep two experienced officers to go along with my three new officers. Luca and Aura who would be my lieutenants, and Edo who would take up the role of a drill sergeant, besides being Aura''s bodyguard.


    Pike and the rest of Qwipps'' men also stayed on. And while the other five were obviously friends with Qwipps, the side glances Pike sent Luca told me she might have had a different reason for wanting to stay.


    Three nights after our unit finished its restructure, Great General Darah sent me and my officers on our very first official mission while in command. This was to find new recruits to fill our roster, and there was only one place to do that if you wanted your own men and not those provided by the clan¡ªthat place was Broken Sellsword''s Canyon deep in the neutral territory of Westersand Desert under the control of the powerful, impartial clan of Lover''s Embrace.


    It was just before midnight when we arrived at the canyon entrance. A little ways ahead of us stood two sixty-foot-tall iron front gates wedged between unscalable hundred-foot cliffs the color of red sandstone. These cliffs stretched out for a good three miles on either side, giving off the impression of an impregnable earthen fortress growing out of the craggy barren plains that marked the beginning of Westersand Desert which was directly south of the Calmlands.


    "And aunt Lena really said that the doctors think mom was getting better?" Luca asked me for the umpteenth time as we walked the famous sandy road leading into the gates.


    There were five of us, Edo, Varda, Luca, Aura, and myself wearing nondescript brown cloaks and hoods over our heads while we joined the line to get into Broken Sellsword''s Canyon, the second-largest city in Westersand Desert. It was a long queue that gave Luca enough time to pester me about Mudgard, making me wish I''d left him with Qwipps who I''d given the unenviable task of staying behind to take care of the unit at Fort Darah. I hadn''t forgotten that he''d sold me out to Commander Vardoom.


    "Yes, that''s what she said," I answered for the nth time. "The doctors think mom''s starting to come around."


    I glanced sideways at Luca and saw the furrowed brow that was way too serious to be on a fourteen-year-old''s face. Luca blamed himself for mom''s deep dive into mental illness, not that it was really his fault. But the kid felt responsible despite me saying so.


    I patted him on the back reassuringly. "She''ll be up and joking about wanting to cut your long hair by the time you get to go home."


    I turned my gaze on Aura who also had a frown on her beautiful face while she listened to Luca''s brooding. Her mask was hidden in the satchel she carried. It wouldn''t do to wear a golden mask in a city like Sellsword''s as it would only attract the wrong crowd.


    Aura didn''t think my mom was getting better at all. She even admitted to me that she believed mom was getting worse, and she didn''t know why.


    Even though it wasn''t part of our agreement, Aura sent some of the clan healers to help mom recover but all their attempts were nothing more than temporary measures. Mom always devolved back to the catatonic state I''d found her in, and no one, not the human doctors or the fairy healers, could tell us why.


    Between the two of them brooding away like that, this side quest wasn''t turning out to be the fun field trip I envisioned it would be. The only ones who seemed to enjoy themselves were Varda and Edo who were both enjoying a game of fairy-watching.


    Basically, they picked random people in the long line to the city gates and made up stories about them. These stories started out fairly tame, like when Varda pointed at a gruff-looking troll with a wooden cart''s ropes hoisted onto his back harness like he was his own pack-horse and said the troll was a trader looking to sell exotic products from the Gemsea. These tall tales eventually got taller and taller, turning into fantastic tales of dragon-slaying errant knights on secret quests or fairy princesses running away from their cruel clan patriarchs who wanted to marry them off to a rival clan''s heir.


    I had just about rolled my eyes on that last one when Edo pointed to a group of black-hooded people who had just left the city''s great iron gates and said they were thieves.


    At this point, we were near enough now in the line that we could see the intricate designs pounded on the thirty-foot-tall iron front gates, as well as the stone-cut carvings on the surface of the two canyon walls on either side of the gate. These giant carvings were depictions of human slaves carrying heavy loads under the scrutiny of their fairy masters.


    It was certifiably disturbing and an all too familiar sight for me and Luca.


    Four people dressed all in black cloaks and hoods were making their way quickly through the exiting crowd and didn''t really care that they were roughly pushing the people in line out of their way. Meanwhile, several gongs boomed from inside the gates that sounded suspiciously like they were an alarm of some kind.


    "Told you," Edo said smugly.


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    Varda shook her head. "You''re supposed to make their backgrounds up, Edo! Not actually guess who they are..."


    I didn''t think that was the problem she needed to point out as these four black hooded figures were very close to us now, and a little ways behind them were a small group of armed fairies wearing the orange tabards of the city guard. They were obviously giving chase to the four hooded figures before us.


    Edo raised his glaive''s steel pole and planted it down hard in front of Aura in a thou-shall-not-pass sort of vibe.


    Seeing this giant obstruction, the four hooded figures gave the bare-chested half-ogre a wide birth. And it seemed like they were about to pass us without causing trouble when, with no prompting, Luca jumped in their way with his broadsword raised.


    I slapped my forehead in annoyance because I''d forgotten that Luca was such a goody-goody-two-shoes. I may be the one with short hair like Captain America, but Luca lived by the same code as the superhero he idolized.


    This meant that I, being the big brother, was always getting into fights to help my saint of a little brother out of whatever trouble he got himself into in the name of fair play. It was exactly the same case now as I drew my falchion from its sheathe and charged forward.

 17 Broken Arrow

    Under the light of the Fayne''s golden moon, sparks flew as Luca''s broadsword clashed with the lead black-hooded figure''s longsword.


    "What in brimstone is happening?!" Varda exclaimed. "What are we doing, Dean?"


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    "A few stone golems would be handy right about now!" I yelled back at her as I sent my falchion toward a second black-hooded figure who had darted for Luca.


    This one was shorter and thinner than the first and was also way quicker. It would have cut into Luca''s exposed left leg if I hadn''t intervened.


    My shadowblade met the dagger that parried my slash, but with my momentum and my sneak attack giving me an advantage, the dagger and its wielder were blown back.


    I caught a glimpse of an ebony brow and pale eyes, almost white but with a shade of red, as I pushed away my opponent. This backward movement made its cloak flutter briefly and gave away the feminine form hidden underneath it.


    Our exchange lasted seconds, which was the exact amount of time Varda needed to form a response for my advice about summoning golems, "But I need a large number of rocks to make golems?!"


    "We''re literally outside a canyon, Varda!" I parried her verbally while also parrying my opponent''s dagger strike as it came slicing through the air where my stomach was just a second ago. "There are big rocks everywhere!"


    "Oh, yes, right!" Varda yelled back.


    While Varda and I had this quick conversation, from the corner of my eye I kept tabs on Luca and the lead hooded figure as they traded sword blows. Luca had more power in his swings but his opponent was lighter on his feet and swifter with his shadowblade. Just like my own opponent who used the moment my little brother''s fight distracted me to attack me a third time.


    However, there wasn''t a need for me to react defensively as a Firebolt fired from behind me came hurtling at my attacker, forcing her to duck for cover.


    At the same time as Aura''s timely attack, the last two members of the thieves'' party ran past me without even a second glance.


    One of them, a short child-like fairy, carried a heavy sack over its shoulders, and as it went by, the smell of fresh-baked pastry wafted out of the sack. However, the second one, a tall broad-shouldered fairy, had something in his arms that made my gut clench tightly.


    Two child-like fairies, both with ebony skins and silver hair, clung to the one carrying them. They looked like they were only four years old and yet both of them had steel manacles wrapped around their wrists attached to recently broken chains. And while one child had its face buried in the folds of the dark cloak of the fairy carrying it, the other child gazed back at me as they passed with an anxious expression on his face.


    A quick glance at the two retreating figures with their luggage and I decided not to give chase. Somehow, my gut told me it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, I was the only one who thought so because it was at this time when the city guard finally showed up and made things worse.


    The crowd of onlookers parted to give way to the guards who moved to surround all combatants. They wrongfully included me and Luca in this encirclement.


    My eyes darted past the circle of guards and eventually found Aura looking back at me with mild concern while she was half-hidden by Edo''s bulky form. Varda was nowhere in sight¡ªand I couldn''t help but wonder where the dwarf went to find her rocks.


    There were twelve members of the city guard in total. All of them were dwarves who wore the same orange tabards¡ªembroidered with the broken sword insignia of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon¡ªover steel chain mail shirts. They all carried similar weapons too. Round shields and polearms that were just the right length for fairies under five feet tall.


    The eight male dwarves were your typical tan-skinned, heavy bearded fellows with narrow eyes half-hidden under very bushy eyebrows. Their hair, also in different shades of black and brown and red, were all similarly long and braided.


    The five females in the guard were all typical dwarven beauties with fair skins, chiseled features, and hair all tied in a tight bun behind them.


    Both I and the female thief I was fighting glanced around worriedly at the sharp shadowblade tips that the guards pointed at us in this tightening circle. Yet it seemed neither Luca nor his opponent knew of the danger as they continued with their swordplay despite the new arrivals.


    The guard leader, an especially stout dwarf with a braided beard long enough to go past his stomach yelled for everyone to throw away their weapons and surrender.


    "Hold on... we''re trying to help you!" I reasoned and received a hostile glare from the leader for my trouble.


    "Put down your weapons or I''ll¡ª"


    His threat was cut off mid-speech by the black arrow with red fletchings that had just pierced his throat. Blood seeped out of his wound in rivulets.


    Then the screaming started and panic overcame the crowd. Human and fairy onlookers dispersed in a mad dash for the Canyon''s gates. Chaos ensued.


    A second arrow came zooming past me and struck one of the female guards who was closest to the dagger-wielding thief. The guard next to her screamed bloody murder and was also struck down by a red fletching arrow.


    I dived to the ground to avoid the fourth arrow and glanced over to where Aura was. She was crouching behind Edo who was using his own massive body as a meat shield.


    Someone bumped into my shoulder as I got up to my feet, and immediately afterward, I felt a blade slice through my pants and cut into my leg. With a grinding of teeth, I worked through the pain and slashed at my attacker but she''d pushed past me too quickly and bolted toward her other two companions who''d escaped in the same direction the arrow fire originated from. That''s when I saw him.


    At a distance of about forty meters, half-hidden inside a covered wagon was a fifth hooded figure who carried a bow in its hand.


    I quickly activated Fool''s Insight while this archer finished notching another arrow to its bow, and in the same moment as the warm sensation of power filled my eyes the archer fired another shot.


    My eyes collated the information gleaned from several factors, the angle of the archer''s bow to the distance of the shot as well as the wind factor, and turned all this into insight that told me the target was¡ª


    With my falchion in hand, and despite the pained protest of my bleeding leg, I pushed off sideways like a goalie in a soccer match and sliced through the arrow as it came speeding for Luca''s back.


    After my spectacular save that no one noticed, I spared a second''s glance at the broken arrow before I pulled myself back up and readied my falchion for the second shot that never came.


    While I was saving his life, Luca cut down his opponent with a massive swing toward the gut. Blood sprayed out of the hooded thief''s stomach. Then he crumpled to his knees and breathed his last before falling on the hard ground.


    Seeing this abrupt and bloody conclusion to its comrade, the archer vanished inside the wagon. He didn''t come out again.


    the female thief I fought spared one last glance at her dead companion by Luca''s feet before she too disappeared inside the wagon.


    Once the arrows stopped coming, the city guard who had lost four of their number in that short round of sniper fire finally shifted gears and reformed their formation into a line with their shields in front, ready to receive incoming projectiles.


    I got behind their line and waited vigilantly with Fool''s Insight still active but the arrows never came. We received the answer to this silence a short time later.


    Something from the inside it ripped apart the top cover of the wagon the thieves were hiding in, and in a gust of magical wind four giant wing shapes made of similar black cloth to the cloaks worn by the thieves shot out of the wagon like bats out of hell.


    They soared up to the brightly lit night sky, and once they were in higher altitude, glided toward the western horizon.


    "Are those¡­" Luca had walked over to me. He was nursing a cut on his cheek. "wings?"


    "Magical gliders¡­" I shut my eyes and deactivated Fool''s Insight. When I opened them again, I turned to my brother. "Luca¡­"


    "I know, Dean. I''m¡­" Luca was at a loss for words. He understood how much trouble he''d gotten us into and how things could have gone horribly wrong. "I''m sorry¡­"


    I winced at the slight pain from my latest scar. "No one died¡­" I said, sympathetically. Then I remembered the many dead bodies currently on the ground. "Well, at least none of our guys died."


    I decided not to tell Luca about the two freed child slaves I briefly encountered. I didn''t want the possibility of us being the bad guys in this encounter to make him feel worse.


    "Come with me," I led Luca back to his fallen opponent. "pull down his hood, Luca. I want to see his face."


    Luca knelt on the ground, and after only a moment''s hesitation, he removed the cover that had been hiding the face of the dead fairy thief.


    There were similar features on the bloodied face to the two fairy children I let escape. They shared the same ebony skin and the same silver hair¡ªand I finally recognized the dead fairy staring lifelessly into nothing. Seeing this creature sent my thoughts immediately to Aura and my eyes darted through the crowd until I founder her.


    They were closer to the iron gates now, standing by a crowd of stubborn onlookers who remained behind during the fight to watch. Edo was restraining her from running over to us. I thought it was a wise decision as the city guard, no longer under threat of sniper fire, turned their attention on the remaining trouble makers, the two armed humans.


    I mouthed the word "Drow" to Aura and hoped she got the message. She must have because she nodded her head. Then I watched her whisper my warning to Edo, who, after hearing that drows were close by, took Aura by the arm and dragged her deeper into the crowd of nosy fairies. As going incognito went, Edo''s was a poor attempt. After all, he towered over everyone, and anyone with a good eye would have spotted him and Aura as well as the agitation clearly showing on their faces.


    But that was none of my concern anymore because dwarven guards who were a little too high on adrenaline surrounded me and Luca.


    There was a lot of shouting and demands for surrender which Luca and I did our best to comply with. We even threw down our weapons and put up our arms in a gesture of surrender.


    Unfortunately, our attempts to placate the guards went in vain as soon as everyone noticed the two stone golems jogging in our direction from the road leading to the city gates. There was an out-of-breath female dwarf in a brown cloak similar to mine running between them, and she was calling my name at the top of her lungs.

 18 Panic Room

    I know some of my plans border on recklessness but I swear I don''t go looking around for trouble despite how trouble seemed to enjoy chasing after me all the time. And you know what they say about trouble¡ªit loves company. Especially if its old pal misery.


    After the battle outside the entrance to Broken Sellsword''s Canyon, the city guard marched me, Luca, and Varda to the open massive iron double gates.


    Onlookers gave way while they gawked at us. Some had sympathetic faces that showed they understood we were just trying to help. Others looked disgustedly at the two humans who''d overreached themselves.Luckily, Aura and Edo weren''t part of this walk of shame and were nowhere in sight.


    As we got closer to the cliffs, I glanced over at Luca and noticed how he averted his eyes from the imagery carved into the cliff walls. I understood why, of course. They reminded him too much of his own circumstance. I, however, thought it was a shame we couldn''t spend a few minutes to look upon it.


    It would have been a sight to see despite their dark theme, the giant stone wall sculptures depicting the cruelties of slavery in larger-than-life imagery carved onto the sandstone walls on either side of the iron front gates. The gates themselves loomed over us at a height of sixty feet, and although half-open in a gesture of welcome to travelers seeking to enter the city, the fact that they were solid iron, a metal most harmful to fairies, seemed like a grave warning to would-be troublemakers.


    Unfortunately, the sharp shadowblades poking at our backs left no room for us to admire the architecture. As we passed through these iron gates, I thought about how we had become the troublemakers. After all, we looked like a party of criminals being paraded down to a jail cell.


    Isighed. "I don''t suppose they''ll just let us off on a warning..."


    Beside me, a grumbling Varda shook her head. "If they find us guilty of lawlessness, they''ll give us a punishment that fits the crime. Might even take away our rights as free people and sell us off as slaves."


    Luca stiffened. "They could do that?"


    Before Varda could answer him, she received a poke from behind along with an order to shut up by a city guard.


    We walked silently past the gate and into the canyon that was way beyond anything I could have thought up in my imagination.


    There was a wide cobbled street snaking forward into what was obviously a city shaped out of the surrounding rock. And I''m not talking simple-type cave dwellings either but sprawling sandstone mansions hewn out of the canyon''s inner walls. There were also magnificent looking stone-cut towers spiraling up into the night sky which seemed to be carved out of the naturally formed, giant stalagmites littered across the canyon grounds. On both sides of the road, five-foot light-emitting gemstones stood at equal intervals and shared their luminescence to a crowded city entrance full of fairies of all kinds.


    I wanted to explore this visually captivating city before me, however, a glimpse was all I could manage at the moment as the guards had shoved me and my companions toward the first dwelling right after the gate.


    Carved out of the sandstone wall on our immediate right was a three-floor structure of rough-hewn bricks similar to that of one of New York City''s famous brownstone houses, but designed in the sharp edges and linear patterns indicative of dwarven style masonry. Orange banners similar to the tabards the guards wore hung over the structure''s exterior. Right next to it hung the sapphire flag of Lover''s Embrace with its two embracing skulls-and-crossbones coat-of-arms painted onto it.


    It was a reminder to me that we were not in friendly territory and I would have to watch what I said if I didn''t want more trouble than we were already in.


    There were a set of sharp steps that led from the cobblestone sidewalk up to a square opening of an equal measure of eight feet in both length and width. It was another dwarven design quirk.


    They led us up these steps, through the opening, and into an interior of polished stone walls and square pillars that reflected the dwarven design of the exterior. Smaller versions of the light-emitting gemstones hung like torch sconces on the walls. The floor was volcanic rock tiles while the furniture was a variety of marble that had been shaped into sharp-edged chairs and tables with wool upholstery.


    This was mostly guesswork as I only had a passing understanding of dwarven culture. It was more my interest in architecture which was on full display earlier when I gushed over my first glimpse of the city that made me curious about the masonry work put into this building.


    After this entry hall, most of the guard who escorted us into the city dispersed into other areas and duties. Only two guards took my team through a few more square pathways and arches that eventually landed us in a box-like room with only chairs and a single wide table for furniture. There were no windows in here. Just polished stone walls and luminescent gems clinging to them.


    The guards left us in the room after we''d followed their orders and found chairs on the other side of the table. As we faced the entryway, a stone slab slid down the square opening like an automated garage door.


    "Dean, I don''t like this..." Luca whispered in my ear. "I really don''t like this."


    It was only then that I remembered that he had stress-related anxiety issues that presented itself as claustrophobia. I''d almost forgotten this as we spent most of our time outdoors under the canopy of the night sky with its twinkling stars and brilliant golden moon.


    I ruffled his hair. "Hang in there, Luca... We''ll get out of here as soon as we explain the situation."


    "That''s not likely going to happen," Varda interjected. "This is one of their tactics. Sweat them out until they go crazy and talk..."


    I knew that, but Luca might not have. This annoying fact drove me to give Varda a meaningful look that told her to shut up about it.


    Varda raised her arms in surrender. "Sorry... I forget how fragile human psyches are..."


    I facepalmed myself as I heard Luca groan involuntarily. Varda could be pretty clueless, especially when it was a time to be delicate. This was a trait she and Qwipps Daggerby shared.


    Luca lasted a full thirty minutes before he started biting his nails. This was the first sign his anxiety was reaching intolerable levels. The second would be hyperventilation. Luca, like most people who suffered from anxiety attacks, reached a point where they couldn''t breathe properly because of breathing too quickly.


    As this used to happen a lot after dad''s accident, I always kept a puke bag or something similar to help him calm his breathing. Sadly, he had exhibited none of these symptoms in the Fayne and I''d forgotten to stay prepared.


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    "Varda," I whispered in her ear. "Say something..."


    "What should I say?" she asked.


    "Anything... maybe a joke?" I asked.


    "Dwarves don''t joke around too much, Dean... We''re very serious people," she hissed.


    That may have been true for her but I recalled her uncle getting trounced by Great General Darah for being a little too sarcastic.


    "Then make something up," I hissed back. "It''s an order, Quartermaster."


    "That''s an abuse of authority, Commander!" she countered.


    "You realize I can hear you two, right?" Luca interrupted our banter. "I have anxiety issues. I''m not deaf."


    There was a loud exhale of breath from Luca. "I''ll be okay... you don''t need to keep watching over me, Dean..."


    "What are you talking about, Luca?" I patted him on the back. "I''m the big brother. It''s my job to watch over you."


    "Look where that got you?" Luca gestured to the thick stone walls that surrounded us. "We''re stuck in here because I was too dumb to mind my own business."


    "Luca..." I began.


    "You''re not supposed to be here," Luca''s voice was rising. "You''re supposed to be in school getting top grades or hanging out with Ty and Arah or taking care of mom... anywhere but here!"


    "Luca," my voice was a little higher now too.


    Anger. Rage. Guilt. These were common emotions for people dealing with anxiety. Luca was just better at holding it in than most people. But he certainly wasn''t holding it in now. It was like a dam had burst inside him and he couldn''t stop himself from spilling his guts out now that he''d begun.


    Luca was shaking his head. "You almost died fighting Azuma... and that was because you''re here risking your life for me!"


    I sighed, knowing there really was only one thing I could do to turn things around. Now, what I was about to do to Luca wasn''t something I recommend trying with other people who had anxiety. I just knew my brother best.


    Before Luca''s anger could intensify any further, I smacked him hard on the head with a karate chop.


    "Enough of that now, you here?" I said, in an authoritative tone.


    Luca looked scandalized. "W-why did you do that?"


    "So you can focus..." I placed both hands on his shoulders. "Why are we fighting, Luca? What are we fighting for?"


    It was in the seriousness of my eyes and the intense look I sent him that made Luca''s breathing stabilize.


    "We''re fighting to rack up as many accomplishments as we can to attain a wish from the clan leader," he answered, calmer now.


    And just like that, he was all better. Sure, he was still claustrophobic and looking paler by the minute, but at least he''d taken back control from the anxiety playing tug-of-war with reason inside his brain.


    "Aww, you guys are so close," Varda said cheerfully. There was a sparkle in her eyes when she said, "Bromance is so cool!"


    Not only did this ruin the moment, but it really made things weird.


    "Geez, Varda... I didn''t know you were interested in that kind of stuff," I complained.


    "W-what?" Varda protested. "I-I meant nothing weird by it, okay? I was simply saying that having brothers is cool and I wish I had one... Mine are all dead..."


    If the mood could get any weirder, Varda''s last statement certainly turned it up a notch.


    "Want to talk about it, Varda?" Luca asked.


    Although his fingers were grasping tightly against the hem of his cloak, he gave Varda an encouraging look.


    It was times like these when he would offer someone his help despite his earlier outburst that I really appreciated having him as a little brother. Although I will never ever tell him this. Wouldn''t want him to get a big head.


    "Well... if you guys really want to know," Varda mumbled.


    "Sure," I answered while inwardly thinking that this was the exact thing I asked her to do earlier.


    Varda''s tale was very dark and tragic. So heavy in fact that I promised myself to buy her something nice when we left this place and finally got to do what we came to do which was to shop for new gear and get the Foolhardies some new recruits.


    Varda, who was thirty-two and only two years out of her pebble years¡ªthe dwarven term for a teenager¡ªwas the youngest of nine in a dwarven military family belonging to The Hermitage, one of the strongest and only dwarf-exclusive clans in the entire Fayne. Like most fairy clans, their internal struggles were bloody and very brutal, leaving a lot of bodies in its wake. Varda''s father was a dwarf who had been in line for the patriarch seat but a rival faction killed him and eight of Varda''s older brothers in an effort to cull the competition. Varda and her mother, who had gone to visit her mother''s brother, Commander Vardoom, were the only ones spared. Thanks to Vardoom''s connection to Great General Darah, Varda and her mother were allowed to become members of the Trickster Pavillion as they would have been killed if they returned to the Hermitage.


    I don''t know how long Luca and I were quiet after Varda finished her tale, but we both spoke at nearly the same time when we tried to comfort her. This made her laugh.


    She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "You humans are so emotional..."


    "You realize you''re the one who''s teary-eyed, right?" I corrected her.


    "Dean... so are you," Luca was giving me an exasperated look.


    "Leave me alone," I dabbed at my eyes with a piece of my brown cloak. "I''m a sucker for tragedies..."


    This made Varda and Luca laugh. Eventually, I joined in on them, and we laughed and laughed until our stomachs hurt as this was always the result for those who indulged in hysterical fits of laughter.


    In the middle of our hysteria, the thick stone door slid up and all three of us quieted down.


    The female who walked in to greet us was no dwarf. She was at least a head taller than Luca with an even brighter shade of red hair than ours. Also, it was burning at the tips. With her soft, round eyes, perfectly straight nose, and pouty lips, her face would have been gorgeous were it not for the fiery scale markings on the sides of her cheek and around her violet reptilian irises.


    "You''re a salamander," I realized.


    The salamander''s eyes narrowed.


    She placed a sharp-nailed hand¡ªalso covered in fiery scale patterns¡ªon her curvy hip. "And you''re Dean Dapper. The human who stopped Azuma''s rampage in the Calmlands."


    At the mention of my rival, all thought of wanting to get to know this beautiful fire elemental vanished from my teenage-boy-brain. Instead, a bright warning sign of danger appeared in my mind''s eye.


    "How do you know who I am?" I asked.


    "Azuma''s a fairly popular human around these parts," the salamander answered. "It would be our business to know who defeated him."


    "Who''s we?" I pressed.


    The salamander pointed to the sapphire symbol pinned to the front of her rather revealing breastplate. It was proof that she was a clan member of the Lover''s Embrace.


    "What do you want with us?" My hands grasped on nothing but air as I''d forgotten that we''d surrendered our weapons.


    I sensed Varda and Luca stiffen beside me.


    They readied themselves for a fight that wasn''t coming as the woman simply turned around and strutted toward the door. Before she crossed the entrance, she turned her head so she could cast a sidelong glance at me.


    "We want nothing from you... yet," she answered, almost playfully. "You''re free to go. Enjoy your stay at Broken Sellsword''s Canyon."


    Just like that, we were free.

 19 Market Stree

    It was the weirdest send-off ever, and yet, based on the salamander''s own words I could tell our meeting was simply a prologue. A prologue to what, I didn''t know. That would be a problem for another time. I hoped.


    The guards returned our weapons to us before they kicked us out of their panic-inducing room and out the front door of their station.


    The sky above was still dark despite the brilliant glow of the golden moon that shown across the Fayne like a much lesser version of Mudgard''s sun. Although it wasn''t as strong as daylight the golden moon''s glow at least kept some of the shadows at bay.


    I mentioned shadows because I noticed how Luca and Varda still worried over our encounter with the salamander from Lover''s Embrace. You could see this in the wary darting of their eyes against every shadowy surface.


    "They won''t jump us right after they set us free, you know?" I reasoned.


    "That''s exactly what they would like you to think, Dean," Varda countered with a shove at my back. "And when we least expect it," she slid a finger across her throat. "Boom. The end."


    "Yeah," Luca nodded in agreement.


    "You know what, Varda, you need to lighten up..." I grabbed her and Luca by the shoulders and steered them into the cobbled street heading deeper into the city, "Let''s go shopping!"


    Luca sighed. "You gave our unit funds to Aura to hold, remember?"


    I smirked at him. "Don''t worry about that. She and Edo will find us."


    As I said this, two hooded forms¡ªthat of a slim female elf and a hulking half-ogre¡ªwalked out of a side street that was teeming with travelers.


    We walked over to them feeling a little more relaxed.


    "They let you out?" Edo asked. His eyes warily scanning the building we just left.


    "Yup... They''ll probably start tailing us from now on," I answered in feigned unconcernedness.


    "You said," Luca started, but I cut him off with, "It doesn''t matter if they follow us. So long as they don''t stop us from doing what we came to do."


    Aura frowned. "Doesn''t that seem a little too reckless?"


    "We''re the Foolhardies... it''s what we do." I winked at her. "But you should put on your mask just in case. It''s better they assumed you were some rich elf maiden rather than know for sure that you''re the princess of the Pavilion."


    Edo grunted approvingly. "Yeah, especially if there are drow close by..."


    The thought of drow being so close made Aura''s brow creased. So she did as I asked and put on her golden half-mask. She pulled up her hood over her head as a further precaution.


    It did very little to hide her ethereal-like beauty. Nothing seemed to be able to do that.


    Luca smacked me lightly on the shoulder.


    I glanced at him in annoyance. "What?"


    "You were drooling," he whispered in my ear before grinning like an idiot and then walking away.


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    "I was not!" I called to his back, but Luca ignored me. He and Varda had gone ahead.


    At the corner of my eye, I saw several shadows move stealthily across the street opposite us.


    "Edo," I nodded my head toward the opposite street. "Watch our backs."


    Edo''s eyes narrowed. "Want me to kill them now?"


    "Um, no... that would give them just cause to attack," I reasoned. "There''s more of them here than us... let''s just wait and see what happens."


    Edo grunted an acknowledgment.


    Realizing that I was using us as bait, I turned to Aura and asked, "You okay with that?"


    She shrugged. "We''re partners. I trust you."


    As she walked away, I gazed at her back with a weird, fluttering feeling in my chest.


    "Let''s go, Dean," Edo pushed me forward. "You can gawk at her later."


    "I wasn''t gawking," I grumbled as my eye glanced back at the shadows. Then I jogged after Edo and said, "I really wasn''t!"


    Together, the five of us made our way through the main cobbled street in search of the first item on our list, and that was gaining new equipment for the officers. This wasn''t as easy as I thought it would go as there were just so many shops to explore once we''d hit the marketplace.


    Much like a town square, the marketplace was a wide-open space just off to the right of the main cobbled street. From its stone-arched entrance in the east, it expanded out to the sides in a circular pattern of stone-cut mansions of varying sizes and colors. Vibrant shades of yellow and green and blues and oranges gave it a rather festive vibe. This fact was underscored by the dozens and dozens of stalls found all over the central grounds which sold items from everyday things like food and clothing and furniture to items a unit like ours would need such as weapons and armor and all manner of potions. Not to mention the variety of merchants visible in their stalls and shoppers roaming about the marketplace.


    It had been a little over a month since I arrived in the Fayne, but as I was mostly in the company of the Trickster Pavilion''s clan members, tonight was the first night I really saw just how diverse fairy society really was. From the pixies and griffins soaring above ground to the goblins and gnomes who shuffled their tiny feet across the sandy floor, it really was a whole new world.


    It was Aura who dragged me out of my daze when she took my hand in hers, and with our fingers intertwined, she pulled me into the row of stalls in front of us while my cheeks blazed red.


    The others followed us as we explored the marketplace, turning our heads at every shiny bauble that caught our attention and every seemingly worthwhile deal shouted out to us.


    We''d only made past a few stalls and already Varda''s hands grasped tightly onto two shopping bags full of magical components like slime cores, manticore venom, and C-grade fairy dust.


    When Luca asked her if she really needed all that, Varda''s response was, "There are two types of magicians, Luca... magicians like Aura who use magical relics to harness the arcane power inside them and magicians like me who use components like these," she showed him several strands of long lustrous white hair which she claimed came from a unicorn''s tail, "to harness the arcane power of Mother Nature."


    She gave him a long lecture on the benefits and cons of both styles while we walked among a row of food stalls but I wasn''t much-paying attention as my eyes were more focused on the three stout city guardsmen trailing us. The orange tabards they wore didn''t really help with their attempts to be stealthy.


    "Edo," I called his name to make sure he noticed.


    He nodded. "I see them. They know we can see them right?"


    I shrugged. "Who knows? They don''t look that smart."


    At one point, I found myself standing in front of an arms merchant stall being manned by a curly, black-haired gnome with an eye-patch covering his right eye.


    The gnome was showing off a gold-gilded longsword to a small crowd gathered outside his stall. The four-foot blade was so well made it looked like it was once a movie prop for Lord of the Rings, and the gnome held this blade aloft with hands attached to beefy brown arms that looked like they didn''t belong to someone who stood shorter than the blade he carried.


    "This here sword was forged by my old master, Silent Mildew, himself!" the gnome squeaked in a child-like tone that didn''t betray his chubby, cherubic face.


    "Silent Mildew?" I wondered aloud.


    The gnome''s one good eye turned to me. A frown showed on his face. "Silent Mildew was the greatest fairy smith of the previous age... how do you not know that, human?"


    "I''m new here," I responded just as Aura dragged me away.


    She seemed to want to go somewhere as she confidently zigged and zagged around narrow paths while dragging me along. Eventually, we found our way out of the central stall area and to the open space before the stone-cut mansions located furthest from the marketplace''s entrance.


    Luca, Edo, and Varda were waiting for us in front of a red building with colorful banners hanging from its stone-cut walls. Above its uncommonly large entrance was a sign that read THE RINGS OF FORTUNE AUCTION HOUSE.


    "The Rings of Fortune... that''s another fairy clan, right?" I asked Aura.


    She nodded. "They''re a merchant clan that''s been neutral since the beginning of the empty throne... so they can trade almost anywhere in the Fayne."


    "Doesn''t mean they''re friendly," I noted. "But I''m guessing our tail won''t be able to follow us inside?"


    "As I said, you''re a smart guy, Dean," she smiled that brilliant smile of hers. "Still, they''re the best place for us to get what we need."


    "Alright then, lead the way," I bowed to Aura, "my lady."


    Aura rolled her eyes before she linked her arm with mine and we followed the others into the auction house.


    The interior of the auction house''s entry hall was all red velvet curtains, satin upholstery, and gold fixtures¡ªlike the inside of some posh five-star hotel.


    There were very few guests around and none of them looked as raggedly dressed like my friends and I. This is probably why they gave us disdainful looks complete with upturned noses.


    "Don''t mind them," a sultry voice whispered in my ear. "They don''t know quality when they see it right in front of them."


    Aura and I turned around to find a voluptuous figure standing behind us.


    She wasn''t wearing a breastplate anymore. In its place was a long red dress that hugged her curves, but the flaming red hair and the purple reptilian eyes were still the same.


    "You''re not very subtle..." I dragged Aura back with me. "are you?"


    "Subtlety is for those boring people who don''t have the guts to strut and show off who they really are." As she said this, the salamander''s eyes turned to Aura as if hinting at knowing Aura''s secret. "But, I''m not following you either."


    She raised a sharp-nailed hand in a gesture of welcome.


    "I am Kallista, Head Auctioneer of this wonderful establishment," she bowed slightly. "How might we serve the rising star of the Trickster''s Pavilion?"

 20 Almost Famous

    "You really think I''m a rising star?" I couldn''t help feeling flattered from hearing those words from such a beautiful female, even with Aura beside me. Assuming she actually meant it and wasn''t just trying to get on my good side.


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    "The salamander who had us followed appears in front of us and that''s what you''re concerned about?" By the tone of his voice, I could tell Luca was either shaking his head in exasperation or rolling his eyes at my back.


    "Dean... priorities..." Aura admonished me.


    "I am prioritizing, guys. We want to become heroes, right?" I reasoned with them. "I just want confirmation that we''re getting noticed now."


    "Fair point... but are her words reliable? She''s not exactly trustworthy," Varda commented from somewhere on my right. "Ooh, this is a nice sofa..."


    "Allow me to clarify," Kallista interrupted. "The real rising star is Azuma as he has accomplished remarkable achievements since becoming a visere of the Magesong clan. And among the current generation of viseres, there are many who recognize his strength as the real deal."


    Kallista raised five of her sharp-nailed fingers one by one.


    "I can count the number of his defeats on one hand," then she raised a finger from her other hand. "Your victory over him in the Calmlands could be considered the sixth."


    "Six losses doesn''t sound so special," Luca answered. "Dean hasn''t lost a single one."


    But I thought he was wrong. A war that''s been going on for five hundred years among more than twenty fairy clans meant the number of battles that have occurred since must be in the tens of thousands. Having only six losses, even if we considered his short human lifespan, meant Azuma must have won dozens by now. He was a one-thousand man commander after all, and we were just lucky he didn''t attack us at full strength.


    "Your brother has had only one victory," Kallista corrected Luca. "But, this is a victory worth noticing because of who you were up against as Azuma has become quite famous here in the eastern lands."


    Beside me, Aura''s face turned contemplative. "Since we defeated him... it stands to reason that our name... no, our leader''s name will spread to those who fear and admire Azuma."


    Kallista nodded. "And it won''t stop there... chances are, your name will spread to the entire Fayne."


    My eyes grew wide at just the thought of what Kallista was suggesting. "To all the Fayne..."


    "Do not let this inflate your ego too much," Kallista laughed. "I speak of something temporary. An instant is all the time you will have to be remembered..."


    "Like a drop of water making a ripple in a vast ocean," Edo translated.


    They were right. An instant was all I had. However, as long as we kept winning, those little victories would keep trickling into the thoughts of the people, and that''s how we''ll become the heroes of this age.


    The thought of this future possibility blew my mind, and I noticed that the others were equally quiet and contemplative. It wasn''t until Varda said, "So... you''re not actually famous. Just almost famous because it''s so short term," that everyone laughed. Myself included.


    "But like Varda said," I raised an eyebrow at Kallista. "How can we trust your information?"


    "I am an auctioneer. I deal in all things... including information," Kallista''s smile revealed a pair of sharp fangs on her pearly white teeth. "Consider this a freebie. Now, shall we get to business?"


    "I''m sorry but aren''t you with the Lover''s Embrace?" Aura sought confirmation from Kallista. "Why are you here in this auction house owned by the Rings of Fortune?"


    "The Rings are a merchant clan so it is not unreasonable for them to hire someone with influence in the city who can make business transactions run smoother for them," Kallista answered with a sway of her curvy lips. "Your problems with the city guard aside, I guarantee that you are safe inside this auction house for as long as you behave."


    There was nothing we could do. Asking for a different auctioneer might create more bad blood between us. So, if we wanted to use the auction house''s resources then we would have to deal with Kallista. Preferably, with no bloodshed.


    I glanced over to Luca who shrugged back at me.


    "I''ll go with whatever you think, Dean," his answer was a contrast to the stiffness of his posture. He wasn''t letting his guard down in front of Kallista.


    My eyes looked over to Varda who was sitting on one of the plush red couches.


    "It''s fine by me," Varda answered.


    I couldn''t help noticing the piece of unicorn-hair she held tight in her fist.


    Edo slid his finger across his neck before saying, "She crosses us, she dies."


    I shook my head exasperated. He could have been less hostile as it wasn''t like Kallista hadn''t seen his threat.


    Aura squeezed my arm.


    "We need this auction house, Dean," Aura whispered in my ear. "It''s the one place we can sell the goods aunt Darah gave us."


    I nodded without looking at her. She was right, of course. Darah had given a side mission and this auction house might just be the place we could accomplish it


    "Alright, auctioneer... let''s make a deal," I said.


    After we exchanged hostilities for pleasantries at the foyer, Kallista took us to a private room with the same decor as the foyer we''d left behind. There were satin plush cushions on lounge chairs facing the red velvet curtains covering the opposite wall. The luminescent gems on the walls were attached to golden fixtures. The whole gave off an atmosphere of wealth and indulgence which was probably the intention. The proprietors would want us to spend as much as possible.


    Kallista directed us to sit on the couches before we started transactions. All of us did so except for Edo who opted to lean on the back wall with his glaive held aloft. He took his bodyguard duties seriously.


    Before we took our seats, I whispered into Aura''s ear, "How much money did we bring?"


    "We have two thousand five hundred Leprechauns in our war chest," Aura whispered back.


    "We need at least half for recruitment... Is a thousand enough to get us good gear?" I asked her.


    She nodded. "It depends what we want... but don''t worry. We can use my personal wealth too..."


    As reassuring as that sounded, I didn''t really want Aura to use her own money for the unit''s benefit. She caught on to this hesitation almost immediately which is why she narrowed her eyes at me before saying, "Partners... remember?"


    I nodded once and then sat down without arguing.


    All this time, Kallista watched our exchange like a hawk. She waited patiently for us to finish before she crossed her legs and revealed a bit more skin than what Luca was used to as his face blushed a furious shade of red.


    I sighed. It must be obvious to everyone by now how clueless the Dapper brothers when dealing with feminine wiles.


    "So, how may our humble establishment assist you?" Kallista started.


    "There''s no auction tonight?" Aura asked.


    "Sadly, no... recent troubles from within and without the city have made acquiring new items rather difficult," Kallista admitted. "However, You need not worry. We do already have a fine selection of goods on hand for your needs."


    Aura nodded approvingly.


    "So, what flights of fancy shall we tickle you with first?" Kallista asked in a rather sensual manner.


    I cleared my throat to make sure my voice didn''t squeak. It did that sometimes when I was nervous. "Show us some armor first."


    Kallista clapped her hands together, and in response, the curtains covering the back wall parted to reveal a wall made of a silver-like watery substance.


    "Is that fairy dust?" I asked, curiously. I''d never seen the stuff in such large quantities before.


    Kallista nodded to me before turning her head to the wall of fairy dust and asking it to show us some armor.


    The dust pushed off the wall like a glittering dust devil floating across the room to swirl into a giant mass in front of us before reshaping once more into three types of ghostly armor. The one on the left was a robe, the middle was a leather vest, and the third was a metal breastplate. I understood these to represent the three armor types, light, medium, and heavy.


    "Whoa¡­ cool," Luca said, impressed. "It''s like a virtual model."


    Luca''s hand reached out toward the leather vest in the middle, but before he touched it, he looked over to me for approval.


    I laughed. "Go ahead."


    The enthusiastic grin he gave me afterward reminded me of those carefree days when dad was still alive and all was well and far from all the suffering we''d been through recently. It reminded me that there was still a kid hiding inside my warrior brother.


    Luca touched the ghostly leather vest formed from fairy dust and it dissolved into a thousand dust particles before and coalescing with the other two ghostly apparitions to form one giant glittering dust-ball which dispersed again into four smaller dust-balls, each with its own shade of grey. The leftmost ball had a rust-like shade, the ball next to it was soft gold, the third kept the natural silver color of fairy dust, and the last one was almost emerald in its green shade.


    Luca inspected each, but when his face turned back to us with a puzzled look Kallista decided it was time to explain.


    "Just as there are six weapon tiers, there are also four armor grades named after the quality of the materials they''re made from." She pointed a sharp-nailed finger at the leftmost ball. "Brass is the weakest." Kallista pointed to the blue ball. "Electrum boasts an intermediate defensive strength." Then she pointed to the silver one. "Platinum grade are high-tier armor that possesses elemental resistances." Last, she pointed at the shining green orb. "Adamantine is rarest of all. Some would call it legendary armor."


    Kallista frowned slightly.


    Sadly, we possess no adamantine grade armor at present," she bowed her head slightly. "My apologies."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine..." I waved my hand dismissively while thinking we didn''t have enough Leprechauns to afford legendary class armor, anyway. "What do you think, Aura?"


    I turned to look at my partner who was gazing back at me expectantly. You could tell just from the sparkle in her blue eyes that she wanted to take the lead in the negotiations, and I realized that females were the same whichever world you were in. It seemed they all loved to shop.

 21 A Respectable Trade

    Aura took over from me without much prompting and she quickly instructed Luca on which dust ball to choose.


    "If we want armor for the officers and still have enough to spare for enticing new recruits then I recommend we choose electrum," she answered.


    Luca followed her suggestion and tapped on the ghostly golden orb.


    Like before, all the dust balls coalesced into one glittering, giant mass before reshaping once more into five pieces of middle-type armor.


    "These are some popular pieces we currently have in stock," Kallista rose from her seat and tapped on the surface of the scale breastplate floating in the middle. There was a loud clanging sound. "As you can see, the fairy dust not only takes in the form of the item they represent but also its qualities."


    Just to be certain she wasn''t pulling the wool over our eyes, Luca also tapped on the breastplate. He heard a resounding clang for his efforts.


    "This is so cool," he whistled.


    While my brother fawned over fairy technology, I had closed my eyes and chanted under my breath, and when I opened them again my irises glowed with a dim inner light.


    Controlling the output of Fool''s Insight was one of the boons I''d received after training under the mana pool. This meant that only the wariest of opponents would notice the change when I activated my power. Luckily, Kallista''s information network hadn''t known of my fairy gift so she was unaware that I now had the means to thoroughly inspect her merchandise.


    Only Aura seemed to notice this and she had to hide the smirk that appeared on her face under the pretense of a cough.


    Once I''d adjusted to fairy insight''s power, my vision scrutinized each piece of armor, from the leather stitching to tiny cracks in the metal sheets, and eventually, my eyes zoned in on the object that was at the far right end of the row of ghostly armor.


    It was a sleeveless black leather coat with a high collar and a pale golden chest piece. The coat reached down to mid-thigh with its hem shaped into feather tips. Insight confirmed that the leather material used was supple dire wolf hide, and the metal was a great quality of electrum.


    I checked with Varda to see if she had a second opinion but she only confirmed what I already saw.


    "It''s a really good quality leather. And the metal work''s not bad. Not dwarven made though," Varda noted. "Looks almost elven?"


    "No... it''s a drow piece," Aura answered, almost in a whisper. She pointed to the feather tips of the coat. "Those raven feathers are a traditional drow design."


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    I scowled at the coat in annoyance as I knew it was the best one of the group and it sort of appealed to my sense of style, but if it affected Aura negatively then, "Okay, something else¡ª"


    "Try it on, Dean," Aura prompted. There was no hesitation in her gaze, and I understood quickly that our emphatic link clued her in on my interest. "If you want to become a hero then you better look the part."


    "Um, alright..." I sighed, knowing that I gave in too quickly as I really wanted to try it on.


    I stood up only to realize right afterward that I didn''t have a clue what to do next.


    "Relax," Kallista waved a hand at me. "It''ll fit itself to you."


    At her gesture, the ghostly coat made of fairy dust moved in my direction and reformed itself to fit me. It even resized to shorten the hemline, which I felt was a jab at my height. But, Luca was right. This was cool.


    "For once, you actually look like you''re worthy of the commander title," Edo said, almost approvingly which was the same thing where he was concerned.


    "Now he just has to act the part," Luca added, earning himself a nod from Edo.


    Varda gave me the thumbs up. "Looking good, Commander."


    Aura walked over to me and patted down the few creases in the leather, and it really was life-like how the fairy dust obeyed her touch.


    "There, a proper suit for a future hero," she said while doting on me like she was my mother.


    In hindsight, that was the worst comparison I''d ever given her. I certainly didn''t want to think of her that way.


    After all the fussing was finished, I asked Kallista how much the sleeveless leather coat cost.


    "I can give it to you for a hundred and fifty Leprechauns," Kallista answered coolly.


    "A hundred and fifty Leprechauns?!" I repeated in disbelief. That was roughly six thousand US dollars back in Mudgard. It was the price of a second-hand car that was still in good condition.


    Before I could complain at the overpriced tag on the coat, Aura placed a hand on my shoulder. "It''s alright, Dean. I''ll handle this."


    I saw the fierce determination in her eyes, the same kind I would see on my mom or aunt Lena whenever there was a sale at their favorite shopping center¡ªand I gulped nervously. I''d never seen Aura look so serious. Not even when we were fighting Azuma.


    "You''re testing us," Aura smiled appreciatively. "An electrum-grade middle-tier armor would sell at a hundred gold at best."


    Aura glanced over at the ghostly coat hovering over me before turning back to face Kallista with her eyebrow rising.


    "And that would only be if this was a piece by the very best fairy designers," Aura added. "I don''t see a designer''s symbol."


    Kallista uncrossed her legs only to recross them again with her other leg. "And they say royals don''t know how to haggle..."


    A smile played on her lips as she dropped the bomb that she knew who Aura really was.


    In response to this revelation, Edo took a step toward Kallista with his glaive front and center, but Aura sent him a warning glance to stand down, and he obeyed her despite the deep frown on his face. Although, if looks could hurt then the evil-eyed glare he sent Kallista would have been a critical hit.


    Having such a giant send you a death-stare would have made another person shiver in fear, but Kallista didn''t seem to care about the violent waves emanating from Edo or the alarm she''d caused in the rest of us. We were all wary now. All of us, except Aura who looked calmly back at Kallista.


    Aura removed her mask and hood before responding. "Alright, you know who I am... doesn''t change the situation. Let''s make a deal."


    An hour of haggling passed before Aura was able to chop down the price of my new coat armor to half of Kallista''s original offer. In that time, she was also able to add an electrum-grade scale mail for Luca, as well as a metal shoulder piece that covered the left chest area for Edo despite his protests that he didn''t need armor. Aura also got herself a new elven magician''s robe. Sleeveless like mine with a metal neck guard and shoulder piece crafted in autumn leaf designs. All priced at a discounted rate of two hundred and fifty Leprechauns with a promise that the Trickster Pavilion would become patrons of this particular auction house. So, I guessed they both got what they wanted.


    Varda declined new armor as she was already happy with her dwarven-forged chain mail shirt.


    Aura had forgotten about Qwipps, but I didn''t feel the need to remind her as I figured he could just wear the lower-tier gear Fort Darah provided its soldiers. Obviously, I wasn''t over him selling me out to Vardoom.


    After armor came the weapons.


    Varda didn''t want one as she was already satisfied with arcane components. "I don''t do close combat."


    While Edo''s glaive was already a silver-grade weapon of mass destruction in his hands and Aura''s Hearthwood Staff was a unique gold-grade relic.


    It seemed the only two members of our group who needed new weapons were me and Luca.


    Luca was a simple kid at heart. He knew what he wanted, and after only a few minutes of searching,he hefted the new steel-grade broadsword he''d chosen.


    "I can feel its weight even if it''s just a demo fairy dust version," he sounded delighted. Clearly, he wasn''t over the fairy version of a holographic model.


    The new broadsword didn''t have the same knight sword design of his previous weapon but was more like that of a Viking blade with a wider shadowblade toward the hilt that narrowed as it reached the tip. The guard was thicker. As was the rest of the sword hilt. The pommel was a thick round ring that helped balance the weapon.


    When it was my turn to choose a weapon from Kallista''s offerings, I couldn''t decide. Eventually, I pulled out my falchion and thought about how it was a gift from Aura at the beginning of our adventure together. For me, it was a symbol of our partnership and I was reluctant to part with it.


    Noticing my hesitation, Aura placed a hand gently on the falchion''s crossguard. "You don''t have to change your weapon''s hilt. Why not just change its shadow crystal core to make it stronger?"


    Inspiration flared in me, and I looked over to Kallista and asked if this was possible. She explained that it was but it would be more expensive. Aura didn''t hesitate to answer for me when she said it wouldn''t be a problem. It seemed she was just as reluctant for me to let go of the falchion, too.


    When Kallista asked me what core I wanted, the answer was obvious. Silver and gold grade shadow crystals were way too expensive. A steel-grade one would suffice.


    "Very well," she smiled her sultry smile at Aura like they were now friends. "I will make sure you receive a great-quality steel-grade crystal core at a reasonable price.


    "Thank you, Lady Kallista. This is much appreciated," Aura bowed her head slightly.


    "No-no, Princess Aurana... the pleasure is certainly mine," Kallista bowed back. Then she glanced at me. "Of course, you will also need a quality arcane focus to ensure the shadowblade is stable."


    While she browsed through a catalog of arcane focuses necessary to forge a stable shadowblade core, Fool''s Insight took note of a peculiar object momentarily formed from the fairy dust, and I immediately stopped Kallista from changing what was displayed in front of us.


    I grabbed the circular object that was roughly the size and shape of a thick ring. What I found surprising was how this ring wasn''t made of the usual metals associated with fairy weapons. it was the color of a dull dark grey reminiscent of the massive front gates found at the canyon''s entrance. This ring was made of iron.


    I held it aloft. "I want this one."

 22 Iron Clad

    The thrill of discovery one experiences when they find something worthwhile from a market sale or thrift shop was upon me because I knew I''d found a genuine diamond in the rough.


    "You want that?" Kallista asked, her brow creasing. "But it is nothing. Junk we''ve forgotten to throw away."


    "Huh?" I glanced over to her with surprise in my eyes. Did she not know how amazing this find was? Or was she playing me to get more out of it? "You realize this is pure iron, right?"


    "I know that," Kallista shrugged. "However, no shadowblade core will work with an iron forged arcane focus..."


    "That means it''s worthless," Luca agreed.


    But I couldn''t let it go. No one would make something like this if there wasn''t a purpose for it. There must be some kind of trick to it, and I was determined to figure it out.


    "Who made this?" I asked.


    Kallista''s smile returned after she noticed how important this seemed to me. She answered, "That is information I can certainly provide you with... for a price."


    I scowled. "Lady... you just said this thing was worthless."


    I hefted the iron ring for emphasis. The fairy dust continued to emulate it in a very lifelike manner.


    "The item may be useless but as I see how much it interests you, then the name of its creator should certainly fetch a nice price, yes?" Kallista guessed.


    "What was it you did for the Lover''s Embrace again?" I asked. "Because I''m thinking you like this job a little too much..."


    "I am whatever my clan needs me to be," she answered with a shrug which was an obvious attempt at looking sincere but it was hardly convincing coming from the salamander who had us followed by the city guards under her control. "Now, I am offering you our support as I believe it will benefit the Lover''s Embrace soon."


    "What does that mean?" It was Luca who asked this question.


    "Who knows..." Kallista''s eyes inspected him from top to bottom. This made Luca blush, causing the salamander to laugh before she turned her gaze back on me. "Well, do you want the information or not?"


    I really wanted to know who made this so that I could figure out how I could make use of this unique arcane focus. I had a thing for solving riddles.


    We came to an agreement of fifty Leprechauns for the information and another twenty for the actual item. A whopping seventy Leprechauns¡ªit was my definition of highway robbery. I paid it out of my own pocket instead of the unit''s war chest as this was a personal side quest I took on myself. And when Kallista told me who had given her the iron ring I laughed. Somehow, I just knew fate was messing with me.


    With our shopping concluded, a pixie attendant in a red dress arrived to give us the actual items we purchased. She passed a grey leather satchel to Aura that Kallista claimed held five cubic meters of space inside it despite the satchel''s size.


    I knew instantly what the bag in Aura''s hands was after she''d opened it and pulled out Luca''s new broadsword hilt from inside it despite the bag looking empty from the outside.


    "That''s a bag of holding!" I felt my mind get blown as I recalled my hours of tabletop gaming with Ty and Arah. "You''re giving us a bag of holding for free?!"


    Kallista looked at me like a pauper she''d rather not associate with. "It''s only five cubic meters..." Then she looked at Aura who had put her mask and hood back on. "This is still an expensive item but as we are happy to receive the patronage of the Trickster Pavilion, let''s call it a complimentary gift."


    Aura thanked her one more time and they both smiled at each other like there was a secret only the two of them shared.


    As Kallista led us out to the front door of the Auction House, she gave me one last piece of advice. "I ordered your release because I knew it would lead to our benefit... it does not make us friends but it does not make us enemies either."


    "So, you rolled the dice... and now you have Aura''s patronage," I reasoned.


    "I rolled rather high," Kallista laughed. "And I am certain your continued presence in the city may lead to resolving other issues..."


    I raised an eyebrow at her. "You think I''ll just solve your problems for you, huh?"


    She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I think you''re the type not to let a challenge pass you by when it arrives."


    Then she nodded behind me to the open doorway.


    "Here''s one right now," Kallista said.


    The individual I saw when I turned around was like meeting an acquaintance you tried avoiding for days only to have him bump into you at the mall as you were about to leave it.


    "Look who it is... the hero of the hilltop," said a familiar, derisive tone I hadn''t thought I would hear again so soon.


    The willowy figure of Rosalin Roselle stood before us with his back against the night sky and his long curly black hair flowing freely behind him. He cut an impressive figure with his fists resting on his hips in a very Superman-like fashion. Too bad it had no effect on us as we all knew how much of a sleazeball our former commander really was. In fact, the flowing peacock robe he wore with its myriad colors seemed to emphasis our perception of him¡ªthe pixie was a ridiculous blowhard.


    Behind Roselle stood his three stooges, Ruben, Rachet, and Razzbo. Three of the most arrogant pixies I''d ever come across, and that''s including Qwipps Daggerby.


    Roselle''s slanted eyes, one red and one grey, glared at me. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face in front¡ª"


    I walked forward and caused Roselle to falter in his words. He stepped back as he was unsure of my intentions.


    I got closer.


    "What do you think you''re¡ª"


    "Hey, Luca, hurry it up will you," I said, ignoring the pixie and whatever ridiculous statement he wanted to say. "Sun''s going to come up before we finish everything we need to do."


    "You''re the one holding us up, Dean," Luca answered as he stepped in beside me.


    We walked passed the flabbergasted pixie with his jaw-dropping. The others followed suit and ignored our former commander too.


    When Roselle''s three stooges moved to block my path, Edo stepped forward to face them, and with a single death-stare sent the pixies scattering.


    We continued down the steps of the auction house while our former commander screamed insults at us. This was easier for him to do as we were far enough apart for him to feel safe.


    "You will rue this insult!" he shouted at our backs.


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    "From what I know, the Trickster Pavilion treats all deserters the same," Aura''s voice was clear and empowered when she spoke. "A penalty of death to all who betray us."


    As she said this, Aura turned her head around to look at Roselle once.


    I heard a pattering of feet rushing into the building and a hurried slamming of stone doors.


    Luca laughed nervously. "Geez, Aura... you gave me goosebumps there."


    Her face behind the mask went from imperious indignation to her usual sweet self. "Sorry, I kind of got carried away. He always got on my nerves."


    "We''ll deal with the traitor another time," I said before urging my companions onward. The night wasn''t getting any younger, after all.


    We arrived back at the stall of the one-eyed gnome a few minutes later. Luckily, he wasn''t entertaining any customers.


    "Hey there!" I greeted him excitedly. "Did you make this?"


    I pulled out the iron ring from the front pocket of my shirt and showed it to him. There was a second of confusion before recognition filled his one good eye.


    "Oy, that''s mine!" the gnome said, loudly.


    I pulled my hand away as he made to grab the ring in my hand.


    "So you made this?" I asked for confirmation.


    He was still looking at it when he shook his head. "I helped make it but only my master, Silent Mildew, could craft such a superb object."


    "If it was so superb then why did you ask the auction house to sell it?" Varda asked.


    The gnome squinted at Varda with his one eye. "Have you seen their head auctioneer?"


    Varda nodded. "She''s the one who sold it to us."


    "Humph," The gnome exhaled roughly. He combed a stubby hand over his short black curls. "Then you''ll know just what kind of temptress she is with her feminine wiles... next thing I know, I''m parting with a keepsake my master left me just to keep her smiling that seductive smile of hers..."


    We all nodded in understanding. Even Edo. Although the gnome''s choice of words weirded me out as he had such a cherubic face and it was like hearing a baby say lewd things about an adult woman.


    "So, how much do you want for it?" he asked.


    I raised an eyebrow. "It''s not for sale..."


    "Then why did you show it to me? You trying to torture me, human?" he countered.


    "Um, no... I just want to know how I can make it work on this," I showed him my hands. On the right was the iron arcane focus. On the left was my falchion''s sword hilt.


    "Y-you want to combine an iron arcane focus with a shadow crystal core?" The gnome asked, the surprise clear on his face. "T-that''s dangerous! Potentially explosive!"


    I nodded. "Probably... want to help me anyway?"


    The gnome raised a long curly eyebrow at me. "What''s your name, crazy human?"


    "Dean Dapper," I said. "Hundred-man commander of the Foolhardies."


    The gnome''s eyebrow was now in danger of disappearing into his forehead. "Foolhardies... sounds kind of accurate."


    "Don''t we know it," Luca sighed. "Dean, this is crazy."


    I shushed him before turning back to the gnome. I knew I was close to reeling him into my foolhardy plan. "Well, friend?"


    He looked between me and the items in my hand. Eventually, he gave me a toothy grin. "Call me Zarz. Zarz Mildew."


    We shook hands, and it seemed to me like I''d just met another foolhardy companion.


    "If you really want to use that arcane focus on your weapon then you will have to get it blessed by a shield maiden first... purify its impurities," Zarz explained.


    "A shield maiden?" Aura sounded surprised. "There are shield maidens in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon?"


    I couldn''t help but noticed the enthusiam in her voice. It was that hard to miss.


    "Yeah," Zarz said to her with a cherubic grin. "I''ll take you to them."

 23 Agents of Shield

    "For we are the shield that defends the realm of fay, the guide to the faithless who''ve lost their way, the sword that protects against threats unknown, the guardians who watch over the empty throne," Aura recited this while she looked up at the entrance of the white stone spire before us.


    It was an impressive-looking tower that had been shaped out of the naturally forming stalagmite cropping out of the ground. The tower soared up to the sky reaching nearly as high as the surrounding cliff''s hundred-foot peak, making it one of the largest structures in the city and second only to that of the city lord''s spire. The tower''s surface, painted ivory white from top to bottom, was covered in leaf-like geometric patterns indicative of elven design. Two life-like stone trees chiseled at intervals appeared on each floor, their branches bowed like arches over entryways or windows.


    "Did you make that up yourself?" I asked Aura after she''d finished her rhyme.


    Aura shook her head. "No... it''s the sacred pledge made by every shieldmaiden during their joining."


    "Huh," I glanced sideways at her and saw the half-longing stare she sent the tower. "How do you know the shieldmaidens pledge?"


    "I trained as one," Aura dropped that bomb in such a casual way that I almost missed the implication in it.


    "Y-you we''re a shieldmaiden?" I asked, surprised.


    She shook her head again. "I trained as a shieldmaiden but I was never able to pledge... my brother and Great General Darah took me back before I could."


    There was obviously more to this, but I''d been very reluctant to ask Aura about her back story. I preferred she told me bits and pieces as our trust with one another got stronger or when she was in a sharing mood like now. Therefore, I stayed silent and waited for more details to arrive but no more details were forthcoming as she''d gone quiet in her contemplation.


    I followed her gaze back to the tower in front of us which in my eyes was an inspired piece of architecture that seemed to brighten up the surrounding area of the district we''d arrived in.


    Yes, we were now in another part of the city, and the trip it took to get here was a short but sad journey.


    Earlier, after he''d packed his merchandise and closed his stall down for the rest of the night, Zarz led our band of Foolhardies out of the marketplace and back onto the main cobbled street of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. From there, he led us further into the city and into a very busy district west of the central way which is how we''d arrived at the Slave Quarter.


    Except for its central square where the shieldmaiden''s tower stood, the entire quarter was nothing but filth and rot and decadence. Steel cages of all sizes were piled high on top of one another in ordered rows all around us. It was the complete opposite of the marketplace''s ordered disorder.


    Everywhere you looked, you would find rows upon rows of cages filled to capacity with occupants whose dead eyes stared back at you in glazed hopelessness. From humans to dwarves to elves to trolls and elementals, it seemed every race of the fay and humanity were accounted for. They were all naked too, even the females. And although they had no shackles keeping them tied we all assumed they had the same slave mark that Luca had which was only visible in daylight.


    As there was only one road from the slave quarter''s entrance to the central square where the shieldmaiden''s tower stood, it became difficult for us not to pay attention to the depravity displayed before us while we walked onward. It was especially hard for Luca who kept his eyes glued front and center to avoid being reminded of his own misfortune.


    He was whispering under his breath, "It''s not you. You''re not in the cages anymore..."


    It was admirable how he held himself together like that despite the obvious itch to do something crazy like freeing the slaves and starting a revolt. Honestly, it was even hard for me to keep quiet at the sight of the misery before me, and a quick glance at the rest of my gang told me I wasn''t alone in feeling agitated. Edo, in particular, had a murderous glare wherever he cast his eyes. This helped to keep the sleazy slave traders from walking up to us and invading our personal space to hawk their wares in our faces.


    It wasn''t until we''d reached the central square and stood before the shieldmaiden''s tower that we relaxed and Aura got contemplative about her memories as one of their trainees.


    "Are we just going to stand here and gawk at the front door or do you guys want to try knocking on it?" Luca asked.


    "I vote we knock," Varda raised her hand. "I''m getting the chills just standing out here with all that misfortune happening behind us."


    "Me too," Zarz agreed. "Muddamit, I hate coming by here... if it wasn''t for the prospect of finally seeing my master''s inventions finally finding a purpose... well, I don''t like it here at all..."


    "Sorry," Aura glanced back at Varda and Zarz with an apologetic smile. "Yes, we should enter as soon as possible."


    We walked up the stone stairs and once we reached the top step, the stone door slid up by itself like an automatic garage door that had been expecting visitors. Waiting for us on the other side of the door was a female with skin a lighter shade of brown than her short-cropped hair.


    The shieldmaiden had a painted face of spiral leaves on one side of her face. Her eyes and lips shared the same green shade. She wore a silver breastplate over a sleeveless white robe that ended just above her knee. Her sandals were covered in metal around the shins. The bangles on her forearms were the same. There was a coiled green vine wrapped around her hips like a thick belt. Behind her was a round shield roughly the size of a car tire.


    "Greetings, travelers," the shield maiden''s deep green eyes scanned each of our faces. "Have you come to seek enlightenment?"


    Aura bowed her head slightly before she responded with, "We have come for a blessing, sister."


    The shieldmaiden returned Aura''s bow. "Then you have come to the right place... a blessing can be given, provided you have sufficient offering."


    The shieldmaiden glanced at the hilt of my falchion as well as the glaive on Edo''s back.


    "You are armed... that is good. It seems your offering will be mighty." That said, she turned around and walked into the corridor beyond.


    "Can we go in now?" A drop of sweat slid down Luca''s cheek. His face was tense.


    Aura patted him gently on the arm. "Why don''t you lead the way."


    She was amazing with how well she handled Luca''s nervousness as you could visibly see the calm return to his face when he nodded to her.


    Luca walked into the tower with the rest of us following close behind.


    The door behind me slid close and blocked our escape path.


    "Um, guys," I called to their retreating backs.


    "It''s alright, Dean," Aura insisted. She waited for me while the others went further in to follow the shieldmaiden. "There are no enemies here. Only knowledge."


    The hallway was long and narrow. It was all white stone on one side and an intricate stone sculpture on the other depicting a story I''d seen once before, but I couldn''t place where I''d seen it. Whoever carved it separated the wall sculptures into panels showing a different scene in each like a comic book read from right to left.


    "What is this about?" I asked, curious.


    "This is the ''Tale of the Lost Monarch'' which tells the story of the last and greatest of the fairy kings," Aura pointed to the first panel in the line. "This speaks of his birth, when the great high-priestess, Mab, brought him to life by mixing the blood of a fallen human king into the body of one of her fairy followers."


    It was a pretty graphic scene that I wasn''t sure I could do justice describing. There was a fairy with twin horns on her head standing over a seated fairy with her legs parted apart like she was about to give birth. A pool of what I assumed was blood flowed out of her and mixed with the pool of blood underneath the corpse of the dead man beside her. And from his open chest, a babe with long ears sprung forth.


    The writing underneath the sculpture was in primordial script but in a language I didn''t understand.


    "Is this a different dialect?" I asked Aura. "I don''t recognize it."


    "You only speak common," Aura explained. "This is Elvish... the oldest of the fairy languages."


    "What does it say?" I asked while thinking I needed to learn the other fairy languages at some point.


    "The passage of great strife gives birth to a blessed life," Aura translated.


    The panels after the first one were similar depictions of blood and gore, from decapitations of his enemies to the impaling of his wives, it was certifiably disturbing to look at. And I wondered if this great king wasn''t just a tyrant with a bloated ego and a very bloody reign.


    The last panel on the wall before we reached the entryway to the hall beyond was empty, and I had to ask why it was left like this.


    "The successor hasn''t been chosen yet," Aura answered with a glint of something akin to hope clinging to her eyes as she stared at the wall. "Shall we?"


    The wide, round hall we walked into was no place of worship like I''d ever seen. Unless you counted a sports stadium a place to commune with the heavens which some people do. Don''t get me wrong, the high ceiling and wide windows on the walls certainly gave it a cathedral-type kind of vibe. Only, there was no altar at the end or wooden pews for people to sit and pray in. In their place were several rectangular training mats at intervals along both sides of the hall, and it looked like a martial arts tournament was taking place in this huge space. That was clear from the many shieldmaidens trouncing the supplicants who''d come seeking knowledge or blessing.


    It was Luca who asked the question that was also on my mind, "What is going on here?"


    The shieldmaiden who guided us to this place responded with, "This is the hall of prayers where supplicants come to show they are worthy of the priestess'' gifts through a test of strength."


    "So~~o, everyone in the Fayne is a battle freak," I sighed.


    "Why are we here again?" Luca asked this question while racing an eyebrow at me. It was a promise of another lecture later.


    "To get my master''s iron-forged arcane focus blessed of impurities, why else would you want to subject yourself to this tor¡ª uh... I mean bountiful experience," Zarz explained quickly.


    I was pretty sure he was about to say torture.


    "Tell me, which of you seeks our blessing?" the green-eyed shieldmaiden asked us.


    Everyone turned their heads at me. Even Aura, who looked at me encouragingly like an older sister taking her kid brother to daycare. Edo had a smile playing on his lips whileVarda was giving me the thumbs up. Raz was shaking his head apologetically. Luca just looked exasperated.


    I sighed before I raised my hand. "I''m your guy¡­"


    "Is this your first time to seek aid from the righteous path?" the shieldmaiden asked.


    I nodded as I found it difficult to speak while there was a lump of regret lodged in my throat.


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    "Very well..." the shieldmaiden looked dejected like it saddened her to hear I was a noob to all of this worshipping. "As you are a novice, it is only appropriate that you spar with one of our novice sisters as well on your path to true enlightenment."


    I didn''t complain. I was all for the easy setting to enlightenment. Then I saw the new shieldmaiden the green-eyed one called for.


    She''d been standing at attention by one of the other mats playing referee to another supplicant and shieldmaiden sparring when our guide called her.


    She was a human girl in the same white robe and silver armor as our guide. But there was no chord of vines on her waist. Instead, she wore a thick brown leather belt with a sword scabbard attached to its side. There was a round wooden shield strapped on her back as well.


    As she approached us, this brown-haired girl with fair skin and sea-green eyes looked at me with a hint of recognition showing on her face. I was the same way. I''d recognized her too. It was the girl who disappeared on her fourteenth birthday two years before Luca. It was Ty''s crush, Ashley Johnson.

 24 Art of Submission

    "You''re Ashley Johnson," I said to the girl standing opposite me on the training mat. "You''re Ashley Johnson..."


    She was older. More mature looking than the teenager I remembered. Also, more beautiful despite the harsh frown on her face.


    "You''ve said that a few times already, kid," she answered coolly as she curled a lock of brown hair behind her ear. It had been one of the few strands to escape the Katniss Everdeen braid at the back of her head. "I remember you too."


    Ashley glanced over at Luca who was also looking back at her with recognition.When her sea-green eyes came back to me, they looked me up and down, scrutinizing me from top to bottom.


    "You''re one of the brothers whose dad died in that car accident," Ashley said. "I see you''re still short."


    If this girl was trying to pick a fight with me, then she was doing a good job at riling me up. There was no easier way to get me pissed than to remind me of my dad and then make a jab at my height immediately afterward.


    "You didn''t just call me short," I growled.


    "Pretty sure I did..." There was a smile playing on her lips as she hefted her round wooden shield forward to cover her front. Behind this shield, the shadowblade of Ashley''s longsword came to life in a charred blaze. "Enough talk. Either put up or shut up."


    "Seriously, I''m getting major anger vibes coming from you..." I went into my usual quick-draw stance with my right hand resting lightly on my falchion while my legs bent forward, my left foot positioned behind the right. "Are you sure fighting''s the way to deal with whatever''s got you all tense?"


    She raised an eyebrow at me. "You haven''t been in the Fayne very long, have you? There''s usually not this much talking before a test of strength..."


    "Yeah, well, this is my first time as a supplicant," I answered. "Wait... what are the rules exactly?"


    The answer to my question came from the mouth of the green-lipped shieldmaiden standing just outside the rectangular mat. "This is a test of strength between the supplicant and the chosen shieldmaiden."


    She raised a finger on her tattooed hand.


    "Victory is not required. You will be judged by both the strength of your arms and your ability to do battle." She sent a glare at her sister shieldmaiden and then to me. "The match ends when there is a clear victor. Leaving the worship mat before this will automatically disqualify the supplicant.


    I glanced down with a raised eyebrow. "This is called a worship mat?"


    "We communicate with the divine through pain," both the green-lipped shieldmaiden and Ashley responded together.


    "Yeah... I figured you would say something like that," I smiled because, despite my aversion to battles, there was a part of me that loved the thrill of a match. It was something my dad had engraved into my soul with all that training he pushed onto me and Luca. "Hypothetically, what do I get if I win?"


    "You''re not going to," Ashley whispered right before she launched herself at me shield forward like a battering ram.


    "Hold on!" I dodged to the right as she came hurtling at me.


    This may not have been the wisest choice as her longsword came slicing forward to meet me, and I realized she had baited me into moving into her range. I unsheathed my falchion quickly to meet her sword. Our shadowblades clashed. Sparks flew.


    "You didn''t say start yet!" I roared at her.


    "It is not the supplicant''s job to question," Ashley roared back as she sent her sword forward in a thrust. "Only to prove yourself!"


    I parried her sword with the flat of my falchion and then I stepped forward so that I could send my blade crashing into her armor¡ªbut I''d forgotten about the shield on her other hand. It was the same round shield that crashed into my shoulder and pushed me back.


    The distance between us widened, and I figured I would have a moment''s respite, but then I saw the shield come hurtling at me like some deadly frisbee and I could barely repel it with my falchion.


    The shield bounced off my shadowblade and was caught by Ashley as she leaped forward. Her other arm was already swinging down at me with her longsword.


    I sent my falchion up to block her shadowblade, and although I was successful in blocking the slash that might have cut me open from the left shoulder down to my waist, I wasn''t able to stop the shield that bashed me on my other side.


    Bang!


    Ashley shoved me forward, and while this unbalanced me, her shield came hurtling at me a second time.


    Bang!


    I gritted my teeth as the wooden shield struck my shoulder and sent a jolt of pain down my entire left arm.


    The shield bounced off my body and flew back into the hand of the shieldmaiden whose other hand had just thrust her sword at me.


    I barely had enough time to twist my body out of her way. "Time out!"


    "There is no time out!" she yelled back before throwing her shield at me a third time.


    This time my feet had finally found purchase on the mat, and with an angry retort of, "stop throwing this shield at me like you''re Captain America!" I smacked the incoming shield down with both hands grasping my falchion''s sword hilt.


    The impact sent it clattering to the ground between me and Ashley.


    Ashley dashed forward with a slash aimed at my throat that was so similar to that time I killed that she-elf commander at the hilltop that I could feel a chill run up my spine.


    I parried this attack with my falchion like my life depended on it, which it did. Then I yelled, "Are you trying to kill me?"


    "There is no try," she responded while she shoved my shadowblade back with her own shadowblade, and at the same time, stomped on her still rattling shield with her foot, making it jump up into her outstretched hand. "Only do!"


    She slammed the shield into my face.


    Bang!


    My head reared back in pain. I felt blood pour down my nose. That wasn''t the end of it.


    I felt her kick me in the abdomen and the impact sent me crashing onto the mattress floor. It was only through the instinct brought about by years of practice that allowed me to pull off a rolling maneuver that saved me from my face eating the mat. I pulled myself up quickly expecting another attack, but it hadn''t come.


    Blood dripped down my nose. I wiped it off with the back of my hand while thinking I''d never been in such a one-sided fight before. Not in all my years of sparring with Luca or even that time I stood toe-to-toe with Azuma. He wasn''t nearly this overwhelming.


    "Of course he wasn''t... I''d used Fool''s Insight on him..." I whispered under my breath.


    Ashley was standing by the edge of the mat opposite me looking calm and unwinded. She was rapping on her shield''s front with the flat of her sword. It was obviously a taunt.


    "Is that thing even made of wood?" I asked, in equal parts frustration and awe. "It doesn''t seem to obey the laws of physics..."


    "You''re in another world and you''re talking about human physics?" I heard Luca yell from the sidelines.


    "Your brother has a point," Ashley smirked. This smile quickly vanished and was replaced by the deep frown she''d had since she saw me. "Let''s go again."


    "Wait," I held a hand up while my other hand planted my falchion''s sword tip onto the mat for support. "I have to know... why are you so angry?"


    She raised an eyebrow at me in the same time as she pointed her sword at my chest. "How''d you get here?"


    "We walked from the marketplace," I answered between breaths. I was determined to keep her talking so I could catch a breath. I needed it for what I wanted to do next. "How else?"


    "Don''t play dumb with me... I know you''re a smart kid," she kept her blade vertical and pointed at me. "You''re a visere, aren''t you?"


    I glanced over at Aura who was standing between Luca and Edo, both of whom were looking at me with an exasperated look like they were telling me with their faces that I sucked. Aura, on the other hand, sent me an encouraging smile.


    "I knew it," Ashley''s voice was a low growl.


    I swiveled my head to look at her and found her blade now pointed toward Luca.


    "And your brother... is he a visere like you?" she asked.


    I shook my head as understanding dawned on me like a light bulb turning on in my brain. "No... he''s like you."


    She nodded. Her scowl deepened. "So you get it after all..."


    I nodded back at her as I reformed my posture, placing both hands on my falchion as I pointed it forward in a traditional Kendo stance.


    "You''re a slave," I gripped my blade tight as I knew the next attack would come right after these last exchange of words. "How did it happen?"


    "My dad sold me off so he could come here and get rich and be far, far away from his debt collectors," she answered flatly. "Just like you and everyone else... coming here seeking glory..."


    I understood why she was so mad at me now. She thought I was just like her sleazy father, and anything I said in my defense would fall on deaf ears. So, there was no need for more words. I would set her straight with action instead.


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    The moment she took a step forward, I immediately shut my eyes.


    I know what you''re thinking¡ªwhat the hell was I doing closing my eyes during the decisive clash? It was a simple deduction. Ashley was way better than me in every possible way, and I could only imagine what kind of harsh training she must have gone through to beat the harsh training my dad made me endure when I was younger. I couldn''t beat her. Not without using my trump card.


    "Oh, great fool, let my sight turn deathly cold that I might turn my foes to stone," I whispered.


    The warmth I had once felt from Fool''s Insight had transformed into a great and heavy pressure that could only be relieved once I opened my eyes, and all living things within my sight¡ªor at least those I''d targeted¡ªwould feel the power bear down on them, rendering them as heavy as stone.


    Yes, thanks to the time I spent training in the mana pool and under Great General Darah''s guidance my fairy gift had leveled up to include an extra power I dubbed the ''basilisk''s eye'' because of its effect of temporarily paralyzing whoever I laid my eyes on.


    How long the paralysis lasted varied from person to person but it was enough time for me to bypass Ashley''s shield and longsword, allowing me to send my shadowblade''s charred edge right against the skin of her throat. And with my falchion resting on her neck, I said, "I win."

 25 The Handmaids Tale

    After the fight was over and a potion of healing provided by the shieldmaidens generosity had healed my bruises, Ashley, who was kneeling beside me as I sat just outside of the worship mat, continued interrogating me on my reasons for coming to the Fayne despite me, Luca, and Aura having explained it twice already.


    I actually preferred it if she''d asked me how I beat her, not that I would tell her about my improved Fool''s Insight and my new Basilisk''s Eye skill, but she didn''t care about it at all. She just assumed I''d used my fairy gift to paralyze her and moved on from her defeat. It was very mature of her.


    No, she was more interested in my reason for journeying into the Fayne which is why she had an eyebrow raised when she said, "No one''s that altruistic..."


    "Hey, Luca," I elbowed him in the shoulder as he was sitting beside me. "I finally found someone who''s more of a downer than you are..."


    He elbowed me back. "You''re still not funny, Dean..."


    The rest of my party sat alongside us in a line with Varda at the end. We were waiting for Edo to finish his test of strength against the green-eyed shieldmaiden who had requested a match from him after my victory over Ashley. It seemed our battle lit a fire under her and she wanted to stretch her legs. Edo being the martial freak that he was readily agreed to this.


    I watched the shieldmaiden uncoil the tree vine wrapped around her waist and wield it like a whip, and each snap caused it to sprout thorns on its surface. These thorns raked on Edo''s skin but he didn''t seem to mind. He just took her attacks like they were tickling him.


    Aura clued me in on the fact the other shieldmaiden was a dryad and that finally made her appearance and weapon choice make sense to me.


    "You really jumped into the Fayne and all this madness to save your little brother?" Ashley asked for the fourth time. "And you actually made a bargain with an elf to do it?"


    She looked over at Aura who was seated in the lotus position on Luca''s other side.


    "No offense," Ashley said. "I haven''t met a lot of good elves around here..."


    "No offense taken. I know how difficult things can be for those like you and Luca." Aura replied while looking more apologetic than Ashley did. "I''m glad you found your way to the shieldmaidens."


    A surprised Ashley could only nod back. Then she turned to whisper in my ear, "Did you actually luck out and found the nicest fairy in the entire Fayne?"


    I gave Ashley a thumbs up. There was no need to respond. Clearly, Aura was something special.


    The match between Edo and the dryad continued into a stalemate. Partly because Edo didn''t seem interested in beheading his sparring partner and partly because the Dryad seemed to grow stronger after each exchange, and the longer the fight got the more her silver armor seemed to glow.


    "Did she cast a spell?" Luca asked Ashley.


    Ashley shook her head. "Shieldmaidens can''t use arcane energy. Not even the fairies."


    "Why not?" Luca asked again.


    It was Aura who responded. "All shieldmaidens carry the same mark you do, Luca. And except for fairy blessings, that mark prevents the release of any arcane power."


    "All... of them?" Luca''s eyes were as round as Oreos when he turned to look at Ashley. "You''re all... like me?"


    Ashley laughed. Even Aura smiled.


    "It''s not what you think, Luca," Ashley answered after her fit of laughter was over. "Sure, we''ve all got the mark but most of my sister shieldmaidens willingly accept the mark during their joining."


    "W-why?!" Luca got on his knees and leaned over me to come closer to Ashley. "W-why would they do that?"


    "Because being a shieldmaiden is to pledge yourself to the noblest of causes... to ensure the will of the last fairy king endures until his successor arrives," answered a soft yet commanding voice from behind us.


    At the arrival of the newcomer, every shieldmaiden dropped what they were doing¡ªeven the ones sparring with supplicants¡ªand bowed their heads in her direction.


    "Welcome back, Mother Superior," they all chanted together.


    The mother superior raised a stubby hand and commanded everyone to go back to their different tasks. Then she walked over to Luca on silver-plated sandals and grabbed his hands in hers. As Luca was still kneeling beside me they were about eye-level as she was rather short for a dwarf.


    "You struggle with your bonds... it is only natural," her cloudy grey eyes under painted eyebrows searched his face. "But unlike the lost souls outside, you have not lost your way... You still fight?"


    Luca nodded as if compelled to answer.


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    "Good. Don''t lose that fire in your belly." She patted him on the head and caused Luca''s head to bow. "I recommend you treat the mark not as a curse but as a challenge to overcome."


    Then she walked away after glancing at each of us, her gaze lingering on Aura longer than the others.


    "Yeah," Ashley was looking smugly down at me. "I met a cool fairy, too"


    After Edo''s sparring match in which he won out of sheer hardiness, the two shieldmaidens led me through a side door in the central hall while my friends waited just outside it. We entered a small inner chapel with only a single round basin and pedestal at its center as its occupant. Inside the basin was a liquid substance that faintly glowed with its own inner light.


    "It''s a mana font," Ashley said.


    "The mana in this font was purified with the blessing of the High Priestess whom all shieldmaidens serve. It will do for cleansing your iron bauble," the dryad explained.


    The dryad instructed me to hold the iron ring above the pool. After I did this, Ashley picked up a small silver chalice underneath the basin and filled it with the liquid that was like a canvas of stars brightly lit across a clear morning sky. Then she raised the cup over the iron arcane focus in my hands and began to pour the mana onto it.


    After she emptied the cup, the color of my iron arcane focus turned from a dull grey to a shiny, almost silver hue.


    "There. You''re done," Ashley said, taking away the moment of solemnity we were experiencing. "You can go now..."


    "Just like that?" I asked.


    "An offering of strength was provided and so a blessing is given," the dryad said.


    "Mana can do anything, huh?" I asked as an idea was forming in my brain.


    "Sure... that''s why people would risk getting beat up just for a drop of the stuff." Ashley pointed a hand at the basin. "And this isn''t even pure enough. Grade three purity at best."


    "What about the mana from a mana well?" I asked, curious.


    "Depending on the age and location of the well, it''s mana would certainly be much purer," the dryad admitted. "At least grade two I''d say... a few drops would fetch quite the price on the market."


    It just so happened that I actually had a jar''s worth of mana from the well we took from the Magesong clan. It was given to me by Great General Darah to use in trade in case we needed more funds to recruit soldiers, and I''d forgotten to sell it at the auction house, which in hindsight was a stroke of luck. Now I knew of another use for it.


    Noticing I was deep in contemplation, Ashley cleared her throat and said, "Alright. Bye, Dean. See you never."


    "Not quite," A grin formed on my lips. "I haven''t received anything for beating you yet."


    My greed got me a promise from Ashley that she would aid me and my friends once and only once whenever we called on her no matter where we were. As this was a sworn pledge of a shieldmaiden, despite the cussing and threats she sent my way, I was confident she would honor this agreement when she was called to do so.


    "Get the hell out of here already!" she yelled at me despite the scandalous look her fellow shieldmaiden sent her.


    This first side quest completed, I led my friends quickly out of the Shieldmaiden''s Tower and away from the Slave Quarter with zero harassment from the slave traders. It seemed walking out of the shieldmaidens territory looking relatively unscathed earned us a slight reputation of being untouchables.


    When we were back at the main Cobbled Street, I told everyone to stop so we could discuss the next stage of our plan. I even included Zarz in the discussion because I needed to know a few things only he could provide me.


    "Okay, I''ve purified the iron arcane focus... I assume there''s something else we need to make this work?" I asked him plainly.


    Zarz scratched his head. "well... you''ll need a special kind of rock to pair with my master''s invention."


    "How special? And how difficult is this going to be this time?" Luca asked, looking exasperatedly at the pair of us.


    "Extremely difficult, I believe... there''s only a few places in the Fayne that will have a formless shadow crystal," Zarz admitted.


    My brows furrowed. "I''ve never heard of a formless shadow crystal before..."


    "That''s because nearly all shadow crystals are attuned to one of the five metal grades the moment they''re born," Varda explained. "You''ll almost never get one unless you cut it out of a dusk shard and those... well... we won''t get our hands on any of those anytime soon."


    "Why not?" I asked her.


    "Because only one of the three moon clans know the secret to farming dusk shards... and they''re not exactly friends with the Trickster Pavilion seeing as we''re at war with them," Varda cast a sidelong glance at Aura. "After all, they''re¡ª"


    "Drow," I sighed.


    Seconds passed while I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger.


    "Fine," I finally said. "Let''s drop this side quest for now. It''s probably like one of those long-haul quests you get in Dungeons and Dragons..."


    "You''re such a nerd, Dean," Luca laughed.


    "So, are we finally going to continue with our original purpose, Commander?" Aura asked in a slightly mocking tone.


    I smiled sheepishly at her while being thankful at how much she indulged my eccentricity.


    "Yeah..." I answered her before looking over at Edo who''d just finished a massive yawn. "You still have the mana jar?"


    He patted the bag of holding we''d received from Kallista. "Put it in here along with the rest of our stuff."


    "I can''t believe I forgot to sell it at the auction," Aura shook her head. "What an oversight..."


    "It''s lucky you and I forgot actually..." I patted her on the shoulder. "I''ve figured another use for it."


    Aura''s eyes narrowed in concern. "Such as?"


    "Something foolhardy, no doubt," Luca guessed.


    "You''re close to the mark this time, little brother," As I said this, my eyes glanced around until they found Zarz. "I don''t suppose you''d want to stick around with us a bit longer. At least until we get your master''s contraption working?"


    Zarz took a moment to ponder my question. "Depends... you guys recruiting for an army, I''m guessing?"


    Aura nodded. "We''re soldiers of the Fort Darah Army."


    "Trickster folks, huh?" Zarz''s bow creased. "I don''t hate anyone from around there... so I guess I wouldn''t mind..."


    He glanced up at me. "Mind you, I don''t fight. I''m an artificer not a soldier... and if the wages are good..."


    "They''re fantastic," I answered. "Includes a signing bonus too."


    "Now you''re talking my language, Dean," Zarz''s grinned mirrored mine. "What kind of signing bonus?"


    "You think you can get me a few dozen small empty vials?" I asked.


    "Got some in my shop. Spares I keep in case I need to get some liquid ingredients for my artificing," he answered.


    "Good..." I''m certain the weird looks Luca and Varda were giving me was because of the maniacal grin plastered on my face. Could you blame me, I had a new surefire plan to get some strong recruits. "We''ll need them to make potions."

 26 The Replacements

    Mana potions are a very common item in games like Dungeons and Dragons, but here in the Fayne, you have a one in a hundred chance of finding one. That''s how well guarded all sources of mana are by the clans that control them. Because of this, mana potions are ultra-rare items making them the perfect tool for recruiting the most promising soldiers for my unit.


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    With the help of Zarz, we emptied our jar of mana into twenty-five small vials equivalent to a minor mana potion each. And with these mana potions in hand, the group made our way along the main cobbled street until we arrived at our intended destination.


    The red-stone edifice of the five-story building before us styled in the city''s standard dwarven design might not have been the biggest of the dwellings we''d seen in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon but it was certainly a contender for the busiest and rowdiest.


    A myriad of banners and flags representing dozens of companies and clans who did business here were planted on the grounds surrounding this portion of the canyon wall. Both fairies and humans were loitering about as well. Some looked undecided about entering the building while others joked around and pushed each other forward in eagerness.


    "Well, we''re here... if you''re looking for fools to join you and your foolhardy band, this would be it," Zarz raised a hand to the building facade. "This here is the mercenary''s hall of Soldier''s Peak."


    "You realize that you joined us too, right?" Luca reminded him.


    "I''m an active non-combatant," Zarz reasoned.


    "What makes you think Dean won''t put you in danger either way?" Varda piped in.


    "He''ll likely be the first of the new recruits to die,"Edo agreed.


    "W-w-what?!" Zarz sputtered.


    "Alright, alright... stop scaring our recruit," I patted Zarz on the back as I walked past him. "He''ll survive... probably."


    The others followed my lead and gave Zarz pats on the back as they passed him.


    I glanced back and saw Zarz hesitating as he looked at our backs. "Master Mildew... what did I get myself into?" Then he too followed us as we entered the square entrance of Soldier''s Peak.


    Soldier''s Peak was exactly what I imagined it would be, a wide spacious interior with wooden floors and a high ceiling. There were wooden stairs in one corner that led to a second floor which was lost in the gloom. A white board, covering the length of the entire eastern wall, was nearly full with parchments ranging from announcements to different job recruitments. Wooden tables and a variety of benches, chairs, and divans were scattered near the entrance. Several booths and platforms like the ones you''d find in a job fair on Mudgard were set up in disordered rows on the other side of the tables all the way to the far wall. On the left side of the hall stood a long wooden counter that was half bar and half reception.


    Much like a fair, the hall was full of people going about their business, from lounging in the comfy chairs to exploring the recruitment booths to looking over the announcements on the bulletin board. Rowdy males and females from every race clinked on bottles of alcohol, the universal language of camaraderie no matter what world you were in.


    "Now, this is my kind of place," Edo whistled.


    "Go have a look around then," I grinned while patting him on his arm which is about as high as I could go without jumping. "Aura and I will register."


    While Edo, Luca, Varda, and Zarz went to tour the hall, Aura and I made our way to the reception to register our unit''s intent to find recruits with the hall''s help. I easily accomplished this with a form and five golden Leprechauns.


    When we were done registering, a gnome receptionist led me and Aura to the only free space in the hall for recruiters. This was a spot close to the wall at the far end. The rest of the team joined us here and we began our preparations for the task ahead.


    Varda used her dwarven talent to create two signboards for us. These were ''Join the unit that defeated Azuma in the Calmlands'' and ''Special signing bonus for the first twenty-five recruits''.


    "I feel like this will attract the wrong sort," Luca commented.


    I shook my head. "Nope. I think it''ll attract the right sort."


    "The crazies and the reckless?" Varda suggested. "The kind of reprobates who''d follow your crazy plans?"


    I nodded. "Exactly... let''s get started!"


    The plan was simple, attract people with flashy signboards and speeches while wearing the new equipment we purchased from the Rings of Fortune Auction House. We easily cleared this requirement as both Aura and Varda were beauties who could gather a crowd together by a mere batting of eyelashes. Even with Aura''s mask on, her honeyed voice as she called to passerby was enough to get them interested.


    "Come one come all and join the heroes of the hilltop who defeated the unkillable Azuma!" Varda called. "Meet Dean, the first human commander to end the rampage of the monster of the Magesong clan!"


    "Fight alongside us, and win honor and glory for yourselves," Aura added.


    A crowd had encircled our booth, and when it had grown enough to cause a ruckus in the hall, Aura passed me the baton. It was now time for the speech I''d prepared.


    "Friends, lend me your ears!" I called.


    The few humans who understood snickered, but my joke dumbfounded the rest. And I realized I sucked at beginning my speeches.


    "We are the Foolhardies, a unit serving directly under Great General Darah of the Trickster Pavilion," I said, a little louder.


    The name of Darah really held great weight because many of the mercenaries and would-be soldiers perked up at hearing me mention her.


    "And we''re looking for warriors!" I roared. "The very best of the best to join us in our fight to become heroes of the Fayne!"


    I expected a cheer of ''aye'' but got a few nods at best. The rest seemed unmoved.


    "Bring back the girls!" One called, and the rest laughed.


    I glanced over at Aura who met my eyes and gestured for me to keep it up. Luca, standing beside her, refused to look me in the eyes, and I could tell I embarrassed him.


    I turned back to the crowd. "Are you looking for an easy life, is that it?"


    I glanced at the human who''d made that joke and made him cringe away with my best steel-eyed glare.


    "Or would you rather stand alongside a group of elites who can face off hundreds without fear," I pointed to the sign that mentioned Azuma. "Do you want to claim glory with us?"


    The mood was finally starting to turn in my favor. It was now time to seal the deal.


    "Plus," I raised my hand. "We''re giving away lesser mana potions to the first soldiers who sign up with us!"


    The cheering was as expected, and the line that followed snaked all the way to the front of the hall, earning my team a few angry glares from the recruiters beside us. And now we had a new problem. There were too many people trying to join us when we only needed to fill the seventy-seven free slots. So we had to conduct a rigorous interview for each potential recruit.


    As we didn''t have enough mana potions for all these people, I decided that we should give them a cask of fairy spirits instead as a bonus so I sent Luca out with Zarz to buy some from the marketplace.


    There were a few noteworthy mentions among the list of recruits.


    There was a bashful troll named Shaqs who walked up to Edo and bowed his head after calling him master. Apparently, Shaqs, who was bigger than Edo with twice his girth, saw his fight with the shieldmaiden and was so impressed with him that he wanted to learn from, "the toughest warrior in the Fayne," or so he claimed.


    An elven healer named Berrian Berrygrove was one of our first sign-ups for the chance to grab a free mana potion. This was fortunate for us as we needed a healer in our unit and he claimed to know a spell that could heal more than a single person.


    A male salamander magician named Donar Firemonger who was obsessed with fire magic struck a conversation with me and signed up with us after I told him about napalm and dynamite and other explosives from Mudgard.


    Perhaps my favorite among the new recruits was Alfie Monroe, a human visere who had accidentally found himself in the Fayne after a beautiful elf had hoodwinked him into a contract. Apparently, this elf was the same one I killed on the hilltop, freeing Alfie from their contract. But as visere contracts don''t end even with the death of the contractor, it was necessary for Alfie to find another patron in the Fayne which Varda was happy to become after we learned that Alfie was a chef on Mudgard and it was his food that caught the interest of the she-elf commander who tricked him.


    After we''d handed out the last of the mana potions, the number of potential recruits dwindled, and the promise of quality alcohol didn''t last very long as it never arrived. Thus we enlisted only thirty-five new soldiers rather than the seventy-seven we originally wanted.


    Luca and Zarz hadn''t returned since I sent them out to get the alcohol and this had me worried. So Aura and I left Edo and Varda to finish our business at Soldier''s Peak while she and I went to search for them. We hadn''t gone very far when we found Zarz in a sidestreet just off the main cobbled street a few yards past Soldier''s Peak.


    When we knelt to inspect him we discovered that he was bleeding from a cut on his shoulder and unconscious from the blow to his head represented by the bump forming on it.


    Aura roused him awake with the heat from the red orb of her Hearthwood staff.


    "Drow!" Zarz yelled as he awoke. "Drows took Luca!"


    My eyes darted left and right, agitation growing inside me as I searched. They had taken Luca. That thought raced through my head while I surveyed our surroundings. But it was when I looked up and saw that the sky had lightened that I began to curse myself for not realizing that the night was nearly over. Dawn was coming and the sun would force me to return to Mudgard despite my missing brother.


    "Aura, listen to me..." I whispered urgently to her as I grasped her shoulders with both hands. "As soon as I''m gone, take Zarz with you back to Edo. You guys need to see Kallista and get information on the drow we encountered outside the city. Get Ashley¡ª"


    I never got to finish my instructions to her because I saw the alarm on her face while she stared behind me, and I was a second too late when I turned around. I felt the heavy blow of something hard crack against my skull, and I blacked out hearing Aura scream my name.

 27 Friends

    "Aura!" I yelled her name as my eyes flew open to the familiar scene of white-washed walls and daylight''s rays peeking through the curtains. "Dammit!"


    I slammed my fist against my mattress. Then I pulled off the comforter in a rush and grabbed my smartphone from the chair so I could dial Ty''s number.


    Precious seconds ticked by on my alarm clock as I waited for him to pick up.


    "H-hello?" Ty answered sleepily.


    "Ty, get up... I need your help with something," I said in an urgent tone.


    "Sure..." He yawned. "It''s Sunday... so give me another few hours to catch some zzz''s..."


    "I need you now, man!" I insisted. "Get dressed, pick up Arah, and head to my house as quick as you can... please."


    Ty finally registered the tone in my voice. "A-alright, dude... I''ll head over soon."


    "Thanks," I told him before I put the phone down and dialed Arah''s number next.


    She picked up at the second ring as I figured she would. Arah was an early riser who liked to exercise in the mornings. After Luca disappeared, she''d taken up the Japanese martial art of Aikido to learn and protect herself. She was probably already deep into her katas by the time I called.


    The conversation with Arah was short and quick to the point as she understood that time was important to me. She made a promise to arrive soon.


    Finished calling for reinforcements, I rushed down to the kitchen to find that Aunt Lena had already left me pancakes and bacon for breakfast along with a note that explained she was spending the day at the hospital to visit my mom.


    Guilt racked me then because I hadn''t visited mom since the night I defended the hilltop. Partly because I didn''t like seeing her in that fugue state she was in, but mostly because I really didn''t want to run into Azuma while on Mudgard. That would be very dangerous considering he wanted to kill me.


    I shrugged the guilt off and reminded myself I was doing everything I could to bring my family back together which is why I needed to rescue Luca as soon as possible.


    I grabbed a quick bite to eat and downed a glass of apple juice as I would need the energy to prepare my counterstrategy for the tonight.


    Ty and Arah arrived just as I''d finished my meal, and I led them from the front door and back to my dad''s study, which is where I was about to tell them my plan but Arah stopped me with a raised hand after she''d shut the door into the room.


    "Are you okay?" she asked sincerely. "Because you look like you barely slept and you''re still in your PJs..."


    "I don''t have time to shower now... I''ll do it later," I countered. "So¡ª"


    This time it was Ty who had his hand raised. "Dude... we''ve been talking..."


    Now I knew why they were both standing so stiffly and had their arms crossed together. I was in for a lecture.


    "You''ve asked us to help you out several times already... to research some really far-fetched stuff in here," Ty gestured to the stacks of papers and books on the walls. "And we have said nothing but..."


    He looked over at Arah for support.


    "We want to know what''s gotten into you... do you believe these creatures - these fairies actually exist?" she sent me one of her smoldering looks. "What''s going on with you, Dean?"


    "Guys, we don''t have time for long explanations... we need to¡ª"


    They both had their hands raised.


    "We''re not helping you anymore until you fess up, dude," Ty admitted.


    Arah nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what''s really going on with you, Dean?"


    We were at an impasse. They wanted to know the truth, but I refused to put them in that kind of danger. Besides, I wasn''t even sure if I could. I didn''t know if Aura had placed on me the same restriction of being unable to talk about fairies as was clearly put on my mother by the fairies who took Luca. But I needed their help. It was only because the three of us worked it out that I was able to find my way into the Fayne, and it was their suggestions that helped me figure out a strategy to defend the hilltop. I needed them.


    I sighed. "Look, you don''t want any part of this... I''m keeping you safe by leaving you in the dark... I swear."


    They both looked at each other. Then they turned their eyes on me.


    "Ready player two," Arah said with conviction.


    "Ready player three," Ty added with a grin.


    True to form, these guys wouldn''t abandon me despite the trouble I could send their way. It''s why we were best friends after all.


    I sighed. "Alright... Let''s start from the beginning then..."


    It turns out Aura had placed no restrictions on me as I was free to tell Ty and Arah everything that had happened to me since the day we discovered the fairy summoning ritual. I also clued them into my family''s curse. This explanation took the better part of two hours as they were both stopping me for clarifications.


    "So you serve as a commander in this fairy clan?" Arah asked.


    "One-hundred Man Commander," I corrected.


    "So, like, Aura''s a girl and she''s an elf? I''m guessing she''s hot, right? Please tell me that every fantasy we have about elves is true?" Ty asked eagerly.


    I nodded in response. "Yeah... she''s beautiful."


    At the thought of Aura, I began wondering if she had defended herself after our enemies knocked me out and if she was safe with Edo and the others and waiting for my return.


    It was a credit to the trust Arah and Ty placed in me that neither of them asked me if I was lying or even considered the possibility that I was going crazy. I told them fairies were real and they just accepted it just like that.


    "So that''s why you always look like you lack sleep... and why your grades have dropped considerably," Arah noted.


    "Dude," Ty reproached her. "Priorities... you don''t have to rub it in that you''ve finally beaten him academically..."


    The three of us laughed at that, and the lighthearted feeling I always had when I was with them returned.


    "Fine... we''ll table my lecture on how foolhardy you''ve been, Dean," Arah said.


    "Cool name by the way," Ty interjected.


    We bumped fists.


    Arah coughed to get our attention back.


    "So Luca was kidnapped by these drow which is slang for dark elves... correct?" Arah asked for confirmation.


    I nodded. "Yeah... drows are bad news. They''re like the ninjas of the Fayne. Hired assassins who kill or abduct other fairies for profit..."


    "How do you know this?" she asked.


    "Aura..." I wondered inwardly if it was my place to tell them about Aura''s life. But they needed to know a few things. "There was a coup attempt in the Trickster Pavilion years before I arrived, and the opposition hired a rival drow clan to assassinate the patriarch''s family. Aura and her brother were the only survivors. Drows are the reason they''re orphans..."


    After several seconds of absorbing this information, Ty asked, "Could this be why they took Luca?"


    Arah smacked him on the shoulder. "That theory only makes sense if they took Aura too, dummy."


    "Yeah, but... what if they did?" Ty asked the question that was in my mind too. "What if after they knocked you out and you were sent back here to, um, Mudgard, what if they took her then?"


    My brows creased while I worried about Luca and Aura. This was completely my fault, my failure as their leader not to have foreseen something like this could happen.


    "Cut giving him more reasons to feel depressed, Tiberius!" Arah karate chopped him on the top of his head. "We don''t know what happened after Dean passed out like a wimp¡ª"


    "Hey," I cut in while frowning at her. "I didn''t pass out! Something heavy smashed me..."


    Arah ignored me and kept on with her deduction. "What we know was that Luca had killed one of these drow, right? It stands to reason this might be why they took him..."


    "For revenge?" Ty sounded skeptical.


    "It''s my theory at least..." she gestured to the books on the walls. "We can find out more about drow in these, yes?"


    I nodded, amazed at how rational she was being while discussing creatures we only encountered in our DnD campaigns.


    "Then let''s get cracking," Arah insisted. "What are our objectives, Dean?"


    "Drow culture... how they live, where they live, and what hurts them," I answered quickly.


    Both Ty and Arah nodded, and we set to work on the task before us. And it took us most of the day to work out what we needed to know. During this time, Ty had ordered two large pizzas from our favorite pizza parlor so we could load up on carbs while we thought up a plan.


    Ty discovered the clue about why drows would want to abduct Luca in one of my father''s books called the ''FAY MOST DARK AND CUNNING.''


    "It''s called a blood feud," Ty explained. "It says here that drows are so few in number that they''re familial bonds are really important to them. If one of them is killed in combat, then the other family members have to seek revenge on the killer to ensure the soul of the dead drow is reincarnated back into the family..."


    "That''s morbid," Arah said. "So, how do they seek this revenge, Tiberius?"


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    Ty looked at me with his brow creased. "Through single combat... The killer and a member of the drow''s family..."


    My heart raced at the thought of Luca being in serious danger. But I kept my cool because I didn''t want my friends to worry more than they already did.


    Another thing Ty found discovered was that drows like to live in dark caves due to their extreme sensitivity to light.


    "They have something called a superior shadow-vision... Looks like they see better in the dark than in a place of light. They''ve got extreme sensitivity to sunlight too... they''re weaker in the daytime," Ty said.


    "That''s no help... I''m not in the Fayne during the day," I said before an idea came to life inside my brain. "But what if we can bring the light to them?"


    I quickly explained to my friends about the luminescent rocks I saw in Broken Sellsword''s canyon and asked them if I could use these against the drow to create a stronger light source.


    "Depends, you''d need a certain amount of magnesium or aluminum to create a powerful enough reaction..." Arah pondered on this while her fingers tapped on the surface of dad''s desk. "Can you even find those two in the Fayne?"


    I nodded. "I''ve seen aluminum in the stores of Fort Darah the first time I went there, and magnesium is common enough here on Mudgard that it''ll probably be abundant in the Fayne too..."


    "Can I just say how derogatory that word sounds to me?" Arah complained. "Humans haven''t lived in mud houses in millennia!"


    Arah''s outburst fell on deaf ears as I was contemplating how I could use the information we uncovered to save my brother. Eventually, the three of us came up with a pretty solid strategy that might help my upcoming rescue mission. That this strategy depended on finding magnesium in the Fayne wasn''t something I wanted to think about too much. Unfortunately, apart from golden Leprechauns, I couldn''t bring anything from either world with me to the other.


    "Thanks, guys," I whispered after we''d finished with our plan and Ty had eaten the last slice of pizza. "For believing me..."


    It was a huge deal for me that my friends hadn''t questioned my sanity or left abruptly in anger thinking I was lying to them.


    "Um, we believe you but I have to say... this still feels unreal, dude," Ty said.


    "We''ll still need further evidence to rid us of our doubts, Dean," Arah added.


    "Um, how do I give you that?" I asked.


    Ty quickly raised his hand. "I''d like to meet Aura!"


    This got him another karate chop to his buzz-cut head.


    "Not that I wouldn''t mind... I''d love to meet this elf girl who got you caught up in all this mess, Dean," Arah''s eyes narrowed. "But you can give us proof today."


    "Huh?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "How?"


    Arah pointed to the lone window in dad''s study. "Sun''s coming down... So, if everything you said is true, you should head off to the Fayne as soon as you fall asleep. We''ll stay and watch."


    The excited smiles on their faces told me I might have a hard time sleeping after sundown.

 28 The Game Plan

    "Nothing''s happening..." Ty commented. "Are you asleep yet, Dean?"


    "Shut up, Tyberius!" Arah hissed. "He''s trying to sleep."


    "I was just asking... It''s not like we know what will happen..." Ty sighed.


    They were sitting on the floor by the corner close to the door of my room waiting for me to drift off to sleep, a feat that was becoming increasingly difficult the more they whispered to each other.


    "Can you guys shut up, please," I whispered. "I''m trying to sleep..."


    "Sorry," They both said at the same time right before Arah smacked Ty in the shoulder like it was all his fault.


    This started a match of pushing each other around which was nowhere near the peace and quiet I needed.


    I sighed. "Fairies take me now..."


    The last rays of sunlight had finally gone and the growing shadows were a welcome sign. It was time.


    "Should we turn off the light?" Arah suggested. "Might help you sleep."


    "Don''t turn off the lights!" Ty begged. "What if the fairies come out of the shadows and slit our throats for trying to get a peek at this super-secret ritual?"


    Both Arah and I looked at him with our eyebrows furrowed.


    "Dude," I began. "You have one active imagination, man..."


    Arah smacked him in the shoulder again to shut him up.


    I sighed before I finally lay flat on the bed and closed my eyes.


    The light didn''t need to be off. They didn''t even need to be quiet. Apparently, it didn''t matter what situation I was in because I would be called back to the Fayne no matter what. As soon as my eyes closed, drowsiness overtook me, and I felt the pull I''d been experiencing every night since I met Aura.


    I wasn''t sure what my friends saw¡ªif they watched my body float past the ceiling or not¡ªit didn''t matter. I was gone up and past that threshold in the sky, and just as quickly, I was crashing back down onto the familiar dirt road of the alley of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon where Aura and I were attacked.


    I didn''t expect the greeting I got immediately after my foot touched ground.


    Boom!


    A half-ogre sized fist smashed the canyon wall behind me, and in front of me, mere inches from my face, was a knotted browed Edo, his mouth bared in a snarl.


    Sweat trickled down my face when I said, "Use your words, big guy..."


    "There aren''t enough words in common, elvish, dwarvish, or ogrish for me to describe you right now, boy," he grumbled.


    There was only one reason why Edo was up in my face like this, and that meant something had happened to Aura.


    My eyes darted past Edo to the other people in the narrow alley. Varda was there looking like she wasn''t sure who to side with. Ashley stood beside her smirking at me. Then...


    "Zarz!" my eyes zoned in on him. "What happened after I was knocked out?"


    Everyone turned to look at Zarz, even Edo and his semi-murderous glare, causing the gnome to clam up in fright. He was shaking in his boots.


    I mustered as much courage as I could and pushed past Edo, shoving his arm away as I did. It wasn''t easy. I''d seen Edo do too much damage to others not to be feeling my skin prickle as I turned my back on him and marched toward the frightened gnome. But it wasn''t a time for fear. Now was a time for action.


    I placed a gentle hand on Zarz shoulder. "Don''t mind the grumpy bodyguard... focus on me, Zarz. I need to know everything that happened after I blacked out."


    It took a couple of breaths for him to calm down but Zarz eventually told me what transpired after my fall.


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    Three drows in black hoods were lying in wait for us. The biggest of them smacked my head with a round mace. The other two attacked Aura. She tried to fight them off while protecting my prone body and Zarz who''d only just regained consciousness at the time.


    "She burned one of them badly with her staff and I think she recognized them," he reported. "But before she could do anything else, a fourth guy jumped down from above and hit her in the head too."


    Zarz rubbed his eye with the back of his hand.


    "I couldn''t see much as there was a swirl of colors blocking my view, and then they picked her up, unconscious as she was, and took off with her," he continued. "One of the guys remained to stab you with his sword, but by then you''d vanished with the dawn. He was so mad he kept stomping at the ground you vacated and called you an insolent reprobate... he was a lunatic, I tell you... and I skedaddled out of there as quick as I could."


    Zarz then went on to explain that he followed the instructions I''d given Aura. He went to Edo and Varda, told them what happened and they chased after our attackers but couldn''t find any trace.


    I turned my head to look at Ashley. "So you''re here because Zarz told you we needed help."


    Ashley shrugged. "I said I would assist you once."


    "Thanks, we''ll need all the help we can get," I said gratefully. Despite her haughty attitude, I knew first-hand what she could do in a fight. "I need information. What do the shieldmaidens know about the drow who live outside the city."


    "Not much," Ashley shrugged. "They don''t come to worship, and the only time they ever enter the city gates is when they steal things or get back the things other fairies stole from them."


    There was a scowl on Ashley''s face as she talked about them, and I couldn''t help but be reminded about how I used to feel about fairies¡ªhow I still feel about most of them, present company excluded.


    "All this talking won''t help us get Aura back... or Luca," Edo growled.


    He was still pissed but a little more subdued now that he knew I was taking action. Despite his anger, Edo knew he could rely on me. I hoped.


    "We need more information..." I glanced over at my team. "I''ll get that from the Auction House, but I need you guys to prepare a few things so we''ll be ready to move out once I''ve acquired the intel."


    "What do you need, Commander?" Varda asked.


    Contrary to how she was during our battle outside the canyon''s gates, my unit''s quartermaster exuded an air of confident capableness that was a jolt of relief to my worried mind. I could rely on her tonight.


    And so I relayed my orders to the team.


    Edo would return to the new recruits and see which of them was ready to sortie, get them in gear, and wait for us outside the city gates. It was a credit to Edo that he didn''t ask me questions. He trusted me despite his frustrations.


    "We have to find her, Dean," Edo said in a soft voice. "Luca too."


    "We''ll find them. And we''ll make our enemies pay," I answered.


    He nodded, then rushed back out the alley in long strides of his powerful legs no human could mimic.


    After confirming with Varda that the light-emitting gemstones found all over the city were combustible due to them being laced with veins of niter¡ªmore commonly known on Mudgard as potassium nitrate, a substance used in pyrotechnics¡ªI asked her to get me a basketball-sized one and bring it to us at the auction house.


    "Are we performing an experiment?" she asked, suddenly giddy at the prospect of causing another calamity.


    I nodded. "Maybe. Get going, Quartermaster."


    "As you command," she grinned before dashing off in pursuit of the first ingredient in my foolhardy plan.


    The next thing I needed was for Zarz to get me something really specific. I needed him to procure two round, aluminum tubes roughly the size and width of his arm along with some magnesium ore, a length of candle wick, wax, and a leather sack.


    Just in case, I asked him if he knew what magnesium was and he said, "Of course I know what the damn thing is, I''m an artificer!"


    I left out a relieved sigh as he said this. "Can you get all those items for me, Zarz?"


    "I''ll need some time to get a smith to turn some of my aluminum sheets into these tubes of yours," he insisted. "About an hour''s worth of time if you want it done to your specs."


    I nodded. "I also needed you to punch holes in the tube at intervals along the upper half of it."


    Zarz agreed to my odd request but couldn''t help but mention, "I don''t usually create dangerous things but Aura tried to save my life... I owe that she-elf..."


    "Alright... we''ll meet you at your shop in the marketplace when you''re done," I said.


    Once Zarz was gone, Ashley asked what she was supposed to do with me. "First we''ll head to the auction house, then... well, how were your grades in Chemistry and Science?"


    "I coasted by but I wasn''t great at it," she admitted. "The only good thing about the Fayne... no homework."


    I sighed, wishing I had Ty and Arah here backing me up. "Let''s go."


    Our conversation with Kallista was short and to the point, as she was eager for us to find Aura as soon as possible. I supposed she didn''t want to lose one of her most high profile clients after just one successful sale.


    Kallista provided me with a map that showed a series of unexplored caverns to the west of the city right where the canyon is split by a deep gorge created by the river Titania. The cave entrances were on the eastern side of the river but much lower down the canyon wall, and was only accessible via a steep path carved out of the rock.


    I thanked Kallista for her help and for only charging us twenty Leprechauns for the information.


    "The value of you having this information is worth so much more than gold," she told me as she ushered us out of the establishment. "But be cautious, Dean Dapper. Things may not be so easily accomplished as a forceful charge into an enemy lair. I fear your situation is more complicated than that..."


    And with that ominous warning, she shut the door on us.


    Varda was already there waiting with a basketball-sized sack in her arms. She was grinning. This made me grin too.


    We met up with Zarz at his stall and he showed me the two aluminum canisters I asked for which were forged to specs.


    "Nicely done," I said, feeling grateful that he had arrived in less time than he said he would.


    "So... what''s next?" Varda asked eagerly. "What are we doing with all of these materials?"


    I grinned. "There''s an interesting item on Mudgard that can produce a blindingly bright light. We''re going to try and create that with items we''ve gathered here."


    Despite the urgency, Varda and Zarz evil smiles reflected my own which caused Ashley to sigh in regret.


    "What am I doing here with these nerds?" she said to no one in particular.


    We finished putting together our makeshift items and stored them into the bag of holding for later use, then we made our way back to the city gates and past it to hook up with Edo and the new recruits.


    All thirty-five of them were there with Edo, which was more than I''d hoped. Most of them wearing an assortment of mismatched weapons and armor prompting me to consider getting armor and weapons in bulk from Kallista the next time I saw her.


    Luckily, my four top picks were accounted for. My plan was doubly secured as long as we had the help of Donar Firemonger, our new salamander magician.


    "Edo, are they ready?" I asked.


    "They better be... I whipped some of them into shape while I waited for your slow human carcass to get here," he growled.


    He was still obviously pissed, and looking over at some of the bruised viseres and fairies among the new recruits, I could guess just how Edo convinced all of them to tag along for this mission.


    I sighed before saying, "Alright men, we''re heading into¡ª"


    "Commander!" Varda interrupted in an urgent tone. "You better come look at this."


    I turned around to look at her. "W-what is it Var¡ª"


    Beside Varda stood a foot-tall creature with green skin and short-cropped silver hair. Besides the glowing eyes and wide mouth, there were also two mint-tinted gossamer wings on its back. But what really caught my attention was the tabard it wore. It was a tiny version of the ones worn by the knights of Fort Darah.


    "This sprite has a message from the Great General Darah for you," Varda informed me.


    Her eyes darted to me then back at the creature like she was afraid it was about to explode which is what I expected it would do in about a moment as sprites had the uncommon ability to mimic the voice and tone of the message giver. It''s why they were used to deliver messages throughout the Fayne.


    "So~o," said the sprite in the voice of Great General Darah. "I hear you lost my niece."

 29 Chasing Shadows

    My ears were still ringing when we reached the cave entrance on the canyon wall to the right of the gorge. It wasn''t like I needed the reprimand. Aura had become an important companion to me, and I would do everything possible to save her and Luca from the clutches of her drow kidnappers. However, even after the one-hour walk from Broken Sellsword''s Canyon''s gates, the verbal beating Great General Darah gave me was like fresh wounds that just wouldn''t close.


    "Find my niece and bring her back safely, One-Hundred Man Commander," Darah ordered after she''d threaten to beat me black and blue once I got back to Fort Darah.


    "You need more training," she insisted. "I''ll personally train you hard until your life flashes before your eyes."


    I sighed just thinking about the painful experience I would have to undergo to make up for last night''s blunder.


    Edo slapped my back gently with one of his huge hands. "Weep and regret later, Dean... we have company."


    He was less angry with me after Darah''s reprimand. Partly because he pitied me for getting yelled at but mostly because she''d called him out by name too for failing to protect Aura. The bodyguard and I were in the same boat now.


    From behind the outcropping of rock Varda, Edo, and I were crouched behind, I watched the two drow guarding the entrance. The rest of our thirty-five recruits were waiting just around the bend of the narrow path that led up back to the main canyon road.


    I gave instructions to my two companions. Edo would attack the guard closest to us while Varda would cast ''Fist of Stone'' against the one further away.


    "Knock him out or throw him over the gorge," I ordered.


    "Understood, Commander," Varda whispered right before she pulled out her component pouch and reached into it. When her hand came out she was holding a smooth round rock about the size of a golf ball. "Give me a second to cast the spell."


    Varda wrapped the rock in both her hands.


    "Spirits of earth assist me in breaking bone, empower this pebble into a fist of stone," she whispered.


    Edo covered the dim yellow light radiating out of the space between Varda''s fingers with his massive form to keep our enemies from noticing.


    Varda mouthed that she was ready, and I nodded to her before looking over to Edo and drew a line across my neck with my forefinger.


    Edo hefted his glaive in one hand with the blade facing downward, and after the muscles on his arms tensed, he rose from our hiding place and threw his weapon at the enemy drow.


    In a burst of inhuman speed, the shadowblade zipped across the air and impaled the first drow in its chest, killing him instantly. The other drow had just enough time to look at his ally in shock before a small boulder-sized rock in the shape of a fist came hurtling at him. The fist of stone collided with the drow''s face and sent him crashing into the cave entrance''s wall.


    He had nearly crumpled to the ground but with a last-ditch effort held onto the wall to keep himself up. Blood poured down the side of his head. His eyes were slits as he struggled to stay conscious.


    I dashed out of the rock outcropping as quickly as I could with Edo right behind me. And while he took the time to pull his glaive out of the dead drow''s body, my falchion''s shadowblade was already resting on the skin of the other drow''s throat.


    The enemy drow was about to yell for help but I pushed my shadowblade close enough to his skin to draw blood. "I can slit your throat before you could scream for help."


    I used all the pent up frustration boiling up inside me to send this drow the most intimidating glare I''d ever given anyone in my life. Obvious fear caused him to nod his head slowly.


    Edo walked over to stand beside me. He leaned in closer to drow''s face.


    "Listen, friend," Edo''s voice was a smooth baritone. He spoke in a friendly manner that was the opposite of my own threatening tone. "My commander''s a little crazy tonight, so I recommend you tell us what we need to know and maybe we''ll just knock you out."


    Our partial promise to spare his life seemed enough for the drow guard to spill the beans on everything we wanted to know.


    There was roughly a hundred drow who lived in the series of caverns beyond the cave entrance. Many of them were females and children. They had around thirty male warriors, minus the one Edo slew, and less than ten elders left who were still alive during the end of the drow civil war fifty years ago.


    Yes, I knew about the war of the seven fractured moon clans and how the alliance of three led by the Scarlet Moon clan slaughtered the rest in a conflict that lasted two hundred years. I think I''ve already established that I am a nerd¡ªand proud of it.


    The drow told us this sob story about how their group was a remnant of one of the fallen clans and that they''d been hiding here for an entire generation but some of their children were caught outside the cave system by mercenaries who sold them as slaves in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. The young clan leader and his troop went out to rescue them but came back with one of their number dead at the hands of a human warrior.


    At the mention of Luca, my heart began to palpitate, and that anger I felt for fairies when I first learned about them was slowly climbing back to the surface of my conscious mind. I clamped down on this feeling as I needed to focus. I couldn''t give in to hate now. Maybe later when their forces stood against mine, maybe then I would be merciless.


    Edo noticed the murderous intent oozing out of me and urged our drow captive to keep talking less I grow berserk and rip him apart with my bare hands, or so Edo claimed. It seemed he was enjoying his role as the good cop to my bad cop.


    The drow told us that Luca had killed a member of the young clan leader''s family and his sister demanded that they seek revenge against the killer. It''s why they kidnapped Luca and took him back to their lair. In fact, at this moment, Luca was in the middle of a one-on-one fight with the clan leader while we spoke, and all their people were there to watch which is why there were so few guards at the entrance.


    I slammed my fist into the drow''s shoulder. "Why didn''t you say that before?!"


    It was then that I saw the glint of defiance in the drow''s eyes, the quiver of lips that was trying hard not to smile.


    "You were stalling us," I snarled.


    "We survivors of the Hazy Moon do not fear death," he said, with the fear in his voice gone as if it was never there. The quivering of his body vanished and he stood tall despite the weight of Edo''s hand bearing down on him. "We welcome her as an old friend who has walked alongside us all these years."


    I sighed in relief. Even with the trouble Luca was in, at least we knew where he was now. We just needed to find out where Aura was and the pressure I''d been feeling since Darah''s lecture would ease a little¡ªor so I hoped.


    "What about the she-elf who was with us?" I drove my shadowblade against his neck and drew an even deeper line of blood in his skin. "Why did you take her if all you wanted was revenge for your fallen comrade?"


    The drow''s eyes narrowed. "I don''t know about any she-elf..."


    It was Edo''s turn to get angry. It was a quick change in attitude that made me instinctively back away.


    Edo drove the tip of his spear slowly into the drow''s shoulder.


    "Argh!" the drow screamed.


    "Where is Aura!" Edo growled into the drow''s ear right before he twisted the blade to the left. "Where did you take her!"


    I understood his anxiety. Not knowing Aura''s location made my chest tighten. It became hard to breathe. And for the first time that night, I was unsure of the plan I''d made. Maybe this was what Kallista meant when she said not everything was as it seemed. Maybe we were fighting on more than one battlefield.


    I shoved that thought aside for later. Luca needed my help now.


    "Edo," I grabbed his arm despite the risk it entailed. "He won''t tell us anything else... It''s up to us to find them."


    "Your friend will be dead long before you get there... Our leader is strong," the drow explained in an almost haughty voice despite the situation he was in.


    Edo''s eyes darted between me and our drow prisoner, and his brows furrowed with each passing glance. Without warning, he punched the drow in the jaw and knocked him out.


    I didn''t even wait for him to crumple to the floor. I ordered Varda to gather our recruits and follow us in. It was time to go to war.


    We traversed a series of connected caverns, some with low hanging ceilings and tight corridors while others with wide spaces and high ceilings. All of them showed signs of being lived in. Whether it be the ordered rows of leather tents and wooden furniture or the firepits and common household tools, the different caverns were full of proof that a group of people lived here.


    Eventually, we reached a low hanging corridor that was wide enough for eight men to walk side by side in. The other end of this corridor opened out into a wide central chamber that was larger than any we''d seen. It had a hole in the roof that allowed the golden moon to shine down at the scene before us.


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    There were holes of different sizes placed at different heights along the cave walls. They were most likely entrances from other areas of the cave system that led back to this central chamber similar to the entrance we were in. A crowd of onlookers gathered around these entrances to watch over the spectacle below them.


    There were three drow watching from our hole, but as they were so focused on what they were watching, they were easy prey for Edo and Shaqs¡ªour new troll recruit¡ªto knock them unconscious.


    With my path clear, I walked over to the ledge and gazed down into the central chamber. I finally found my brother.


    Luca was engaged in single combat against a drow wearing a familiar-looking cloak. It took me a second to place him as he wasn''t carrying the bow that had killed so many of the city guards during our battle at the gate. And instead of the bow, he parried Luca''s new broadsword with a shadowblade sword that had a curved edge¡ªand it looked suspiciously like a Katana to my eyes.


    "Everyone ready?" I glanced behind me. "You better be¡­ it''s do or die time."


    "We''re ready as ready can be, Commander," Varda answered.


    She must have read my mind as she was already carrying the aluminum cylinder with both hands. Beside her stood a very skeptical looking Ashley Johnson who was carrying the other cylinder gingerly in her hands like it was dynamite. However, regardless of whether or not this would blow up in our faces, it was time to see if my experiment to mix science with magic would bear fruit.


    I glanced down at my brother and his opponent, and I gritted my teeth as Luca barely dodged the katana aimed for his neck.


    "Let''s make some noise," I whispered.

 30 Blood Spor

    The plan this time might have been more foolhardy than usual, but I did have a back up in case it failed. Now, the linchpin of our strategy was the item I created with Varda and Zarz, and as long as it functioned the way we intended it to then our victory was all but assured.


    Ashley passed me the metal canister she was carrying. "Are you sure this will work?"


    The skepticism showing clear on Ashley''s face was emphasized by a raised eyebrow that reminded me so much of Arah''s smoldering gaze that it made me miss my two friends. They wouldn''t have doubted me. I think.


    "It''ll work if we did everything right," I held the canister in my hand. "But just in case... tell Donar to get ready, Varda."


    Varda, who stood beside Ashley, glanced behind to our troops positioned in the rear. "Commander wants you to get ready for when the experiment fails, Donar Firemonger."


    I sighed after hearing Varda''s words, but I shrugged off her pessimism and transferred my focus over to Luca''s battle in the arena below.


    He was doing pretty well. At least, it looked as if he and the young leader of the fallen drow clan were evenly matched as they traded sword blows and parried each other''s shadowblades.


    "Why don''t you just use your fairy gift to paralyze your brother''s opponent so he''d win easily?" Ashley asked.


    I had considered it but there was a simple reason why ''Basilisk''s Eye'' couldn''t be my first option. Although it didn''t mess with my vision afterward like regular Fool''s Insight did, using the skill meant I would be unable to call on Fool''s Insight for the rest of the night like that time right before Aura and I were ambushed. If I did, I might have been able to notice our enemies before the bad stuff happened.


    Of course, I couldn''t admit this weakness to Ashley so I came up with a different excuse. "The target''s too far away..."


    I glanced down at the item in my hands and inspected it one final time.


    The metal canister was the size of a soda can and made of a thin aluminum sheet capped on both ends by wax that could melt quickly in hot temperatures. There were round holes on the metal surface''s upper half that allowed for a sneak peek at what we''d crammed inside it, a brown sack carrying a portion of the light-emitting gemstone as well as the mixture of aluminum and magnesium shavings we''d filled the sack with.


    "Is it time to set this place ablaze, Commander?" said a husky male voice in a humorous tone.


    I glanced over to Donar Firemonger who had arrived to stand beside Vada.


    Although they weren''t related, the male salamander was similar to Kallista in many ways. Even in his red magician''s robe, I could tell that they shared a similar toned build. He also possessed the same fiery scale marks under violet reptilian eyes, as well as the hair that seemed to burn at the tips.


    Donar sent me a toothy smile that revealed the two sharp fangs in his teeth.


    "Almost," I answered. "Get ready to fire on my command."


    I closed my eyes and read the words floating in my mind''s eye, "Oh great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," and the fairy gift inside me awakened.


    With Fool''s Insight activated, I would be prepared for anything. It was time.


    "We charge down into that arena after we hear the boom," I instructed my men. "Circular formation around the two fighters. Ashley and Edo will assist Luca in subduing the enemy leader. Don''t kill him. We need information on where to find Aura."


    I glanced over at Edo who nodded back to me in an affirmative way.


    "The rest of us will keep the formation and block any drow that comes to the commander''s aid," I finished.


    I pulled at the wick that was out of the sack inside the cannister and lit it by pressing it onto the tips of Donar''s hair. He was a convenient alternative to a matchstick.


    The wick lit up like a fireworks'' fuse because I''d coated it earlier in niter from the gemstone and aluminum dust ground from our aluminum shavings.


    "We go as soon as we hear the boom," I tossed the canister out our opening. "Oh, and close your eyes, everyone!"


    I glanced down below.


    "Close your eyes, Luca!" I yelled at the top of my lungs right before I followed my own advice.


    There was a loud clang as the metal landed on the rocky ground, and then¡ªnothing.


    I counted to five but still hadn''t heard the intensely loud bang that should have come from the explosion of my makeshift flashbang. All I could hear was the startled cries of the onlooking drow who were no doubt surprised to find that their home was under attack.


    "Shit," I cursed before yelling at Donar, "Use your Flashfire!"


    But then I heard Luca''s voice loud and clear against the rising clamor of the panicking drow, "Dean, stop! Don''t do anything!"


    Despite my mind telling me to keep going less we lose the initiative, my hand instinctively stopped Donar from turning the fireball he''d conjured over his sharp-nailed hand into a shower of blindingly bright sparks.


    I wondered why Luca had asked me to stop, and I glanced down at my brother who was looking up at me despite the danger he was in.


    "Don''t do anything else... there are innocent women and children here!" he called.


    Of course, that''s what Luca was worried about. Nevermind the murderous glare of the drow leader or the bows that were now targeting my position, the innocents were first on Luca''s mind.


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    I slapped my forehead with the palm of my right hand. "Luca..."


    "Well, this is hilarious," Ashley said, and she really sounded like she found the current situation comical.


    "Aw, shucks, Commander... it didn''t go boom," Varda added like our failed experiment was the more pressing concern. "Maybe that wick didn''t make it inside the sack?"


    "I told you!" I heard Zarz yell from the backline of my thirty-five man troop who all looked as sheepish as I felt. "We need a better trigger mechanism to make it explode properly!"


    I sighed. Things were certainly not going as planned.


    It was a minute later¡ªafter I''d deactivated Fool''s Insight and given instructions to Varda to keep the recruits in our corridor ready for an all-out battle¡ªwhen I jumped down into the arena with Edo and Ashley as my backup.


    The warrior drow surrounding us from above kept their bows trained on our moving forms but didn''t attack, and I assumed it was because their leader hadn''t given them the order yet.


    Luca walked over to us and I slapped him a high-five before I asked him why he''d stopped me from taking the initiative in this battle.


    "Did you know why the drow were running away from the guards?" he asked instead of answering my question.


    I did, and Luca could read the truth in my face.


    "Then you know this is all my fault... And there''s no way I''m going to put others in danger at my expense,"he insisted. "Let me make things right..."


    "You want me to let you continue this deathmatch?" I asked, incredulous.


    "It won''t be a deathmatch if I win... the drow leader agreed to let me go safely if I beat him in single combat," Luca explained.


    I looked over at his opponent. The drow''s hood was down and I could see his face clearly now.


    He had a pointed face and a long, pointed nose with pale eyes that were almost white but had a shade of red in their irises. His skin was ebony but a lighter shade than the deep black of his shoulder-length brushed back hair. His lips, pale in color, were set in an amused smile.


    "Do you think you can win?" It was Ashley who asked the question. "I''ve fought drow before. They fight with deception and stealth... kind of like ninjas..."


    "I can... no... I will," Luca insisted.


    He turned his gaze on me and I could feel the intense determination flowing out of him.


    "Fine... but I have a condition," My eyebrows knitted together. "I won''t let him kill you... if it looks like you''re about to lose, I''ll stop the fight and unleash hell on this place to protect you..."


    Luca''s own brow creased. "Don''t you believe in me?"


    I smacked his chest lightly with my fist. "Of course, I believe you... you''re the one guy I can''t defeat."


    Edo reacted to this comment with a fake coughing sound. Technically, I hadn''t beaten him in a one-on-one fight either but that''s because I was smart enough to never spar with him.


    "Besides, dad didn''t train us to be weaklings," My face turned serious. "But I''m your big brother and it''s my job to protect you. Alright?"


    Luca nodded. "Alright."


    He struck my chest with his own fist. "See you later."


    "Go kick some drow butt, Luca," I agreed.


    While Luca returned to the center of the arena to face his opponent, I turned my head back to my other two companions and warned them to be ready. We would rescue Luca the moment things looked like they were going to go badly for him.


    Luca, being the white knight he was, apologized to his opponent with a slight bow of his head. After he explained to the drow leader that we wouldn''t interfere in their fight, Luca insisted that they continue. In response to Luca''s words, the drow glanced over at his warriors and signaled for them to guard us.


    Out of nowhere, five light-footed drow came down from their holes and surrounded me, Ashley, and Edo. Among them was the knife-wielder I encountered outside broken Sellsword''s Canyon. However, neither of my teammates drew their weapons because we''d agreed we would act calmly unless the tide changed. This way, the enemies might be caught off guard.


    With everyone satisfied that things were not going to devolve into a huge melee, Luca and the drow leader continued their fight.


    Their initial exchange was a series of sword blows that weren''t aimed at killing each other. It seemed they were both still feeling each other out and probing for weaknesses in the other''s guard.


    While this was happening, I''d reactivated Fool''s Insight so I could better understand their movements. This allowed me to scrutinize every twitch of their limbs and every turn of their gaze, helping me to predict how the next clash would go.


    The drow was much faster than Luca but he was able to barely ward off his enemy''s blows through a combination of experience brought about by constant battle and the intense training we''d endured throughout our lives at the insistence of our dad. And it was in times like these that I appreciated dad''s foresight.


    Although no words were exchanged, you could feel the emotions pouring out of them with each slash of their blades. Their shared regret at the death of a drow who was only trying to save his people was apparent in the heavy swings of shadowblades.


    Eventually, Luca drew the first blood. He''d dodge the drow''s katana that was meant to slice at his neck by going under him and cutting him near the abdomen with a sideswipe of his new broadsword. However, the drow was quick enough to turn his torso away so that the cut wouldn''t bite deep into him.


    Instead of anger, it was amusement showing on his face while he inspected the wound Luca cut into him. Clearly, he was a battle freak like everyone else we''ve met in this damnable realm of fairies.


    The drow raised his katana with both hands and positioned his right leg before him. It was a high guard stance I was familiar with because I''d practiced it enough in Kendo.


    Luca, who''d trained the same way as me, copied the drow''s stance.


    A second passed. They both remained in place. Another second. Then another, and another. Still, neither fighter took the initiative. Then, as if his shadow rose up in an instant to swallow him, the drow disappeared.


    "Luca, watch out!" I yelled.


    Luca''s form never wavered. His breathing was calm and leveled. It was the complete opposite of how he was whenever he activated his Foolish Strength. It was only then that I realized my brother had been hiding the fact that he too had gained new powers from bathing in the mana well.


    A fraction of a second since he disappeared, the drow leader''s form rose up from Luca''s shadow with his blade rising up in an arc to slash Luca from the back.


    Even if I moved now, I wouldn''t have made it in time, and all I could think about was how much of a fool I was for letting my little brother risk his life this way.


    But then something miraculous happened. Luca proved me wrong.


    As the drow jumped out from his shadow, Luca exhaled a long breath. And although I didn''t hear his voice, Fool''s Insight read his lips when he whispered, "Second Wind."


    In a speed that would rival Azuma''s reflexes, Luca jumped and then rotated his whole body downward like a wheel which moved in tandem with the drow''s rising blade, forcing it to miss. If that wasn''t acrobatic enough, my brother''s momentum continued his rotation past the point where his head was at the bottom while his feet were at the top, and with the force of his powerful arms, sent his shadowblade in a reverse rising slash at the now exposed body of his opponent.


    Luca''s wheel-attack bit deep into the drow from the right side of his stomach up to his right shoulder, and blood gushed out in a spray of red.


    Almost in unison, the spectating drow gasped out loud.


    The five guarding me and my friends screamed bloody murder at Luca who had slowly risen from the kneeling position he was in after he''d finish his wheel-attack.


    Edo was the first to move. He raised his glaive in such a threatening manner that the drow closest to him backed away instinctively.


    Ashley pulled out her sword and shield in front of her.


    My own shadowblade came to life in my hand.


    It seemed a battle was going to happen anyway. However, before the rumble began, a loud arrogant voice screamed for everyone to stop moving.


    I looked back to Luca who had his broadsword''s shadowblade tip point mere inches away from the fallen drow leader''s heaving chest. He was still alive, after all.


    "I gave... my word..." His yell was ragged. He was obviously in pain, but he did manage to say one more thing. "Enough fighting... I lost..."

 31 Mistaken for the Culpri

    "So~o, you''ve been holding out on me, huh," I said to Luca who was standing next to me while we waited outside the young drow leader''s tent. "Second Wind... sounds cool."


    "Yeah, like you haven''t?" Luca countered. "I saw what you did against Ashley."


    "Well parried, little brother," I glanced over at him. In the dim light of the small cave, I saw the satisfied smile plastered on his face. Not that he didn''t deserve it. He did just win his first deathmatch after all. "Well, are you going to tell me how it works?"


    Luca''s smile vanished. "Is that an order?"


    I shrugged. "No... I just think it might be useful to know how your new skill works so I can help you use it better next time?"


    "You mean..." Luca''s face turned my way. "So you''ll have a counter for it next time we spar."


    "I knew it," I pointed a finger at him accusingly. "You were planning to use it on me next time."


    He slapped my finger away. "As if you weren''t planning to use your new skill on me next time."


    "Ha, as if I needed to... and no wonder you''ve been beating me in our last two training sessions. You''ve probably been using it already." I elbowed him hard on his shoulder.


    He elbowed me back. "I haven''t... you''re just getting slower, old man."


    I elbowed him again. "Cheater."


    "You''re the cheater." he sent me another elbow on the shoulder.


    Our brotherly argument devolved into swatting each other''s hands away before either of us could land a blow on the other''s shoulders.


    "You really must be brothers," the drow leader said as he opened the tent flap and walked out. "You''re both equally annoying."


    I slapped Luca''s shoulder one final time before I stood up straight and looked over the drow I planned to negotiate with. Assuming he was telling the truth about not kidnapping Aura and wasn''t just hiding her somewhere deeper in their caves system.


    The wide gash on his body was now covered by a tight linen bandage tied at the waist. A herbal-type yellow paste could be seen leaking out of the bandage. From the burned smell wafting out of him, I guessed that they cauterized it too.


    The drow that walked out of the tent after him was a petite female whose pale eyes were a shade of purple. She carried what I assumed was a healer bag with her. She didn''t leave the cave but stood to the side of the drow leader like an assistant would.


    "Have your friends returned from harassing my people yet?" he asked in an arrogant tone that contradicted the smile plastered on his face.


    The familiar sound of a huge pair of boots angrily stomping on the rocky ground could be heard from the corridor behind me which connected this small cave to the arena beyond.


    "I think they''re back..." My brow furrowed as I thought about why Edo would be angry like that. It meant he really didn''t find Aura. It seemed way may have mistaken who the culprits were in Aura''s case.


    "Oh, good... Now you can all go away and never darken our doorstep again," the leader said, happily.


    A moment later, Edo walked into the cave. With him were Luca, Ashley, Varda, Zarz, and the knife-wielder I fought against outside the city gates the night before.


    "No dice, Dean," Ashley answered. "we couldn''t find your elf friend."


    Edo strode forward, his eyes blazing.


    "Tell me where you hid her drow or I will smash you into mudpie," Edo hissed.


    "I don''t take threats kindly, friend," the drow leader''s eyes narrowed as he spoke but the smile never left his face. "Especially not from a filthy half-blood..."


    Edo growled.


    "As interesting as it might be to watch another fight," I interrupted. "I''d rather find my partner before the night ends..."


    I shook my head at Edo.


    "She''s not here," I told him before I turned to the drow leader with a warning look. "Right?"


    "I swear on the golden moon that lends its glamorous light to the land," he answered quickly. "My people did not take your she-elf. Perhaps you should have watched her properly."


    Edo took a step forward after he heard the taunt but Luca got in his way and pulled him back. It wasn''t like anyone could have stopped Edo if he went on a rampage. This meant he allowed Luca to pull him away. It was a good sign that things weren''t going to get nasty.


    "Zarz, get over here, please," I said.


    The little gnome glanced out from behind Ashley''s legs. After he believed a fight wouldn''t start, he walked out of his hiding place and trotted over to me.


    "You called me, kid?" he asked toothily.


    Hearing a cherubic looking gnome call me a kid made my eyes roll.


    "I need you to tell me again what happened after I was knocked out," I knelt so our faces were almost at level with each other. "And I want every detail you can remember."


    Zarz did as I asked and retold his tale from the moment he woke up to the moment he ran to get Edo and company.


    "It was certainly not my people who took your friend," the drow leader sat on the stone chair next to his tent that I assumed was his version of a poor man''s throne. "We wouldn''t be out in hostile territory so near to dawn."


    If what Ty discovered was true and drows really were weaker during the daytime, then the leader''s excuse made sense. I thought of this while thinking about other possibilities, other enemies who knew we were in the city¡ªand my mind flashed on a swirl of blue and green and yellow colors.


    "Zarz," I said slowly, "The kidnapper who tried to stab me before I vanished... it was he, right?"


    "Most certainly, kid," Zarz nodded in agreement. "Acted all pompous too. Like he was the boss of the other three."


    "What did you say he called me?" I asked.


    "It was hilarious," Zarz giggled his child-like giggle. "He called you an insolent reprobate! Whatever that means."


    As Zarz continued his fit of giggles my eyes found Luca''s and it seemed the same light bulb lit up inside his head as the one in mine.


    There was just one final thing to confirm now. "Hey, Zarz..."


    I waited for the giggling to stop before I continued.


    "I recalled you saying something about colors... what exactly was this leader wearing?" I asked.


    "Something like that," Zarz pointed at the drow leader''s cloak.


    The drow leader grabbed the edge of his cloak with a hand. "I think not. This is made from shadoweave cloth. Only a drow can withstand the enchantments we''ve placed in them."


    Zarz''s eyes lit up at the mention of the shadoweave cloth. "Shadoweave, huh... The only way you could make one of those..."


    He glanced over at me, but as he tried to speak, I stopped him with a hand. "Whatever it is, you can tell me after you explain what the last kidnapper wore underneath the black cloak. I assume you noticed it while he was stomping around like an idiot."


    Zarz nodded. "Of course, I noticed. They were blue and green in some kind of feathery patterns..."


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    At Zarz''s words, four people spoke up at the same time. It was me, Luca, Varda, and Edo, and all of us had the same annoyed tone in our voices. "Roselle!"


    "I''m going to murder that little mudstain a hundred times over," Edo growled.


    "Let me help you, Edo," Varda was rubbing her hands together like a villain with an evil plan. "I''ve always wanted to drown that pixie in a mudslide."


    Ashley elbowed Luca lightly on the shoulder. "I take it you all know who took your elf friend?"


    Luca nodded. He didn''t react the way the other two did but he was frowning. "He was the commander Dean replaced... He left us to die during our last mission with him."


    Unlike the rest of them, however, I was actually smiling as I was recalling Sun Tzu''s words, All warfare is based on deception..."


    Finally, we knew who took Aura. Now we needed a way to find him and his cronies, and it was time to flex my negotiation skills.


    I walked closer to the stone chair where the leader sat.


    "Looks like we were wrong to accuse you... please accept my apologies," I said, bowing slightly.


    "Manners... I didn''t know you Mudgardians actually had any," the drow leader joked.


    "Yeah, well, we do..." I answered without taking his bait. "We also know what it looks like when you''re down in the dumps."


    The drow leader''s eyes narrowed despite his ever-present smile. "Whatever do you mean?"


    I pointed to the shabby leather tent. "That''s not a place I would choose to live in if I was the leader of a mighty clan."


    Then I pointed my thumb behind me to the corridor leading out to the arena.


    "We took the scenic route on our way to save Luca," I continued. "What I saw tells me your people have had it rough these last couple of years."


    His smile wavered. It seemed I struck a nerve.


    "Thank you for your concern but we''re doing fine," he answered flatly.


    "Are you though?" My eyes glanced over to his assistant and the shabby white healer''s gown she wore underneath her shadoweave cloak.


    His eyes followed my gaze, and it was seconds later when he finally responded. "What are you proposing."


    "Thom!" the knife-wilder raised her voice. "These people killed our cousin!"


    The leader, whose name I now knew was Thom, raised a hand to silence her.


    "My cousin, Enna, speaks true. You have wronged us... why should we listen to you now?" Thom asked.


    "Because my brother beat you fair and square..." I nodded over to Luca. "And from what I understand of drow culture, a loss can still appease your dead cousin''s soul as long as you put your heart into the fight."


    Thom leaned back in his chair and raised his right hand''s forefinger to his still smiling lips. "You''ve studied our culture?"


    "I''ve got resources," I answered while in the back of my mind I thought about my awesome backup back in Mudgard.


    Thom tapped his fingers on his lips for a long while before he said, "Well, tell me what you propose."


    It was now or never. I took a breath and said, "You and your warriors come work for me, and I''ll make sure your fallen clan comes under the protection of Great General Darah."


    My companions reacted to my words just like I thought they would.


    "Um, Dean, can you even make a deal like that?" Luca asked, sighing as he did.


    Varda was shaking her head. "This is a bad idea, Commander..."


    "Their drow, Dean," Edo snarled.


    I raised a hand to stop their whining. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, not my enemy."


    I recited the wise words of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Sun Tzu, with a steady voice.


    "These are not the same drow our Trickster Pavilion is at war with," I answered. "And they have just as much cause to hate the Scarlet Moon as Aura and her brother do."

 32 The Negotiation

    Thom watched our exchange with mild interest. When we were done, he spoke in the same haughty tone as always. "You would accept drow as members of your unit?"


    "I saw you glide away last night... Imagine having an air-force like that on my side... it''s giving me chills just thinking about the possibilities," I answered truthfully. "Besides, I''''m human. I don''t have any fairy prejudice. I hate you all until you prove you''re worth liking."


    "We''re remnants of the Hazy Moon clan... it has always been our way to prowl the night sky," Thom said proudly. Then his brow furrowed, and he asked, "Can you really convince your general to protect my clan?"


    I nodded. "Darah sent me here on a mission to recruit soldiers for the specialized unit she wants me to build... a response team that can react to any situation on the battlefield."


    "Like the Avengers!" Luca blurted out.


    The momentary grin on his face vanished quickly when all eyes turned on him.


    "MCU still ongoing on Mudgard?" Ashley asked thoughtfully. "The last one I saw was Civil War... because, you know..."


    Not that we needed a reminder of Ashley''s very sad circumstance, but I thought to myself that I could use tales from Mudgard as inducement to get her to join my team¡ªand I wanted her on my team. Not just because having a shieldmaiden gave my unit more prestige and give us access to resources only a shieldmaiden had, but also because she was kind of cool. Only, before I could recruit Ashley, I needed to secure my drow air force first.


    I coughed audibly to bring the attention back to me. "As I was saying... you join my team and help me find out where Aura''s being held and I''ll help you secure a better life for your people. Maybe even move you into a swankier cave."


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    Thom leaned forward. "And how are we supposed to find your she-elf? Are we expected to conjure out of nothing but shadows?"


    "Same way you found out where your drow children were being held... it''s proof you have connections in the city," I raised a finger upward. "Plus, you''ve got the sky. You can cover more ground than my unit."


    Thom''s grin grew disturbingly wider. His pearl white teeth were a stark contrast to his ebony skin. "You are a very smart Mudgardian..."


    "Humph... too much brain and not enough brawn if you ask me," Edo''s voice was calmer now that he knew why I wanted the drow''s help.


    I was right in thinking he would never turn down any assistance that led to finding Aura. Even if it meant working with drow.


    "He''s definitely a wise-ass," Luca agreed.


    "Foolhardy," Varda added.


    Ashley just laughed.


    "He''s also right," Edo turned his glower on Thom. "You help us find Aura and Great General Darah will want to thank you personally."


    "This she-elf is special then?" Thom asked curiously.


    Neither Edo or I answered him which in hindsight was answer enough.


    "Well? Do we have a deal or not?" I pressed.


    Thom looked over at Enna, and I watched their silent conversation of nods and shakes and eye rolls until Enna finally sighed in defeat.


    "You are our clan leader, cousin. We will follow you anywhere... even if it means being subservient to lesser beings," she said.


    "Lesser beings..?" Ashley had a hand on her sword hilt.


    Enna glanced over at Ashley and said, "Mudgardians like you who reek of filth and dirt..."


    Ashley drew her sword. The shadowblade shot out of it like a lightsaber that had just been activated.


    In response, Enna drew her own shadowblade knife from underneath her cloak.


    For a moment, I thought negotiations were about to break down thanks to the hot-headedness of these two females, but Thom smack the side of his fist against his throne''s arm rest, and ordered his cousin to stand down.


    After Enna withdrew her blade and turned away from us, I asked Ashley to do the same. Thankfully, she listened to me, and the situation de-escalated.


    With the quarrel finished, Thom raised his hand forward in my direction. "Very well... we will assist you in finding your she-elf and fight for you in your future battles. In return, you will help raise my people out of the squalor we find ourselves in and protect our women and children from the evil machinations of the Scarlet Moon."


    I took his outstretched hand and shook it. "It''s a pleasure doing business with you."


    After we shook hands, Thom sent Enna to relay his orders to his people. They were to send out spies to their informants in the city for word on Aura''s whereabouts while a second group of drow would take to the sky in their gliders and scout the area outside the city because he guessed, and I concurred, that Roselle and his fools wouldn''t have been able to get out of the Broken Sellsword''s Canyon in broad daylight with Aura in tow. Too many people would notice. No, they were either still hiding inside or only just now beginning to set out.


    As soon as Enna ran out of the cave, I glanced over to my companions and relayed my own orders.


    "Edo, take Ashley with you and get our recruits ready to move out as soon as we have word," I said. "Varda you and Zarz¡ª"


    It was only then that I noticed the cherubic face glaring up at me.


    "What are you mad about?" I asked.


    "Do you have time for me now or aren''t you done making deals with everyone else," he pouted. "Because I recall you promising to get my master''s iron arcane focus working?"


    "Uh," I raised an eyebrow. "Now''s not really the time Zarz."


    He pointed a finger at me. "There ain''t no better time, kid!" And then he pointed at Thom. "Do you know what these drow need to make a shadoweave cloth?"


    I looked over to Varda to see if she understood our gnome companion but she just shrugged back at me.


    "A dusk shard!" Zarz exhaled. "Your new friends have a dusk shard somewhere in here!"


    My eyes lit up once I remembered the key piece of information Zarz gave me. We needed a formless shadow crystal to combine it with the iron arcane focus so it could work as a core for my falchion. The only way we could get such a rare crystal was from a dusk shard.


    I turned to Thom and asked him flat out if he had a dusk shard lying about somewhere.


    Thom''s eyebrow rose slowly while he looked from me to Zarz and back to me. "Assuming we did, why would I tell you this?"


    "Because we''re allies now... and I''ve got Leprechauns to spare," I answered.


    Thom feigned a sigh. "Very well... Commander. Follow me."


    While Edo, Luca, and Ashley returned to our recruits who were waiting in the central area where the arena was, Thom led me, a curious Varda, and an excited Zarz to an inner chamber even deeper into the cave system than the chamber that was Thom''s home.


    This new chamber was similar in size to the one we were recently in but it had zero occupants. Even from the opening where we stood, it was already chilly here like a freezer at a butcher''s shop when someone opens its door. The coils of black vapor spreading out beneath our feet from inside the chamber seemed to come from the shard of crystal that was roughly Luca''s size.It pulsed with a deep violet light near the edges but its central core was pitch black akin to crystalized shadows.


    "Pretty," Varda said with gleaming eyes.


    "Ho-ho," Zarz said. "Now we''re talking."


    "All you want is a shadow crystal, yes?" Thom asked for confirmation. "You don''t have any other reckless demands like wanting to claim the entire dusk shard for yourself, do you? because I promise it will not go well if that is your intention."


    I shook my head. "We only want a dusk shard."


    "A formless one," Zarz corrected.


    "That is simple enough to provide as this dusk shard has no elemental affinity," Thom answered before showing me his open palm. "The price is five hundred Leprechauns. I will not accept anything less."


    "You just said it was simple enough to give us," I argued.


    "Yes, but since I can tell you want it badly enough..." His smile was widening again. "It is not greed. It''s for my people."


    For some reason, I wasn''t quite convinced by his last statement, but he was right. I wanted go finish this sidequest badly. "Fine... you''ll get it after we rescue Aura."


    Thom seemed satisfied with just my word because he walked into the chamber and over to the dusk shard, drew his katana, and with quick slash upward, shaved off a piece from its corner. He picked up the fallen piece and offered it to Zarz.


    "Here you are," he dropped a colorless crystal that was the size of my pinky finger onto Zarz''s hands. "Pleasure doing business with you... Commander."


    I wondered why it sounded like a taunt to me every time ''Commander'' came out of Thom''s lips.


    "Well, Zarz... Can we make the core work now?" I asked.


    Zarz''s eyes glittered while he gazed at the crystal''s depths and the nail-sized core of darkness found inside it. "Yes... I believe we can... but I''ll be needing your weapon and a week''s worth of time to forge you a new sword..."


    "Fine..." I nodded without giving anyone any idea of how giddy I was inside. I was getting a new weapon. Preferably one that could help me trounce Luca and Azuma the next time I fought them. "You can have my falchion after we rescue Aura."


    It was an hour later, while I impatiently tapped my foot over the rocky ground of the arena, that we finally had news of Aura''s location.


    Our guess was right. She was still in the city, held captive in a dilapidated quarter similar to the slums of cities on Mudgard. This maze-like district of broken stone houses and narrow, dirt ridden streets was a good place to hide for thieves or traitorous former commanders. It turns out Roselle had a safehouse there that was no more than a broken-down stone mansion along the quarter''s main street.


    It took us another two hours to get there but Thom''s drow gliders were already hidden in nearby rooftops to keep watch on any movement. And with just that, one could see that their addition to my fighting force drastically increased our mobility.


    I also dispatched Zarz to the Rings Auction House to inform Kallista of our rescue mission with a request not to interfere with it or arrest the drow who were now our allies. As I wouldn''t hear back from her until the operation was over, I just assumed she would let me do what I want. After all, she did mention she hoped I would deal with her city''s problems which included the drow and probably Roselle too.


    Edo, Ashley, myself, Donar and several recruits were staring at the two-floor, stone-cut building from the opposite side of the street. Luca, Varda, Shaqs, and Thom had surrounded the building from both sides to ensure no one could escape to the streets. The surrounding rooftops were littered with twenty drow led by Enna, their bows pointed at the building''s entrance and windows. We were more than ready for anything. Or so I thought.


    Before we could begin to storm in, there was a huge explosion that led to the stone building collapsing in on itself like a bomb had exploded inside. Plumes of black smoke billowed upward alongside a column of fire. Fiery sparks shot out in all directions and forced my people back from the target.


    In the center of this chaotic mess rose a creature formed of shadow and flame. Beside this monstrosity stood a very angry and maskless Aura. And the expression on her face was that of a woman contemplating murder.


    "That''s an Efreet right?" I asked Edo in a calm manner.


    "Yes, he answered just as calmly.


    Donar was nodding his head gleefully. "Such beautiful flames... it could only be done by such a powerful fire spirit."


    "You know... you guys suck at being rescuers," Ashley commented.


    Both Edo and I nodded as we looked on.


    While we watched Aura order her efreet to send a column of fire into the rubble she''d created, I said to no one in particular, "Maybe next time we attempt a rescue operation we should make sure the people we want to rescue actually need rescuing..."

 33 Firestarter

    One of Aura''s three spells, Efreet Summoning was her most powerful magic¡ªand also the most dangerous to use because she barely had control of it.


    Even after she''d destroyed the building they kept her in, she went Dark Phoenix on it and didn''t stop burning the stone foundations until all that was left of her surroundings were ash.


    It was only after this total destruction that I decided to cautiously approach her. Everyone else stayed back. Only Edo walked behind me.


    I glanced back at him. "Shouldn''t you be in front of me, protecting your commander?"


    He shook his head. "You''re replaceable... but I promise to mourn you if she kills you."


    "I appreciate the vote of confidence, Edo," I said dryly.


    The walk to Aura was like stepping into a sauna that kept getting hotter the closer you got to the source. Once I was near enough, I saw how Aura herself swayed like someone half-asleep. The Efreet beside her stood immobile yet its eyes glared in my direction.


    On the rubble in front of her, I saw two charred humanoid forms, their skin so blackened that they were beyond recognition. I had no doubt that they were pixies though as I noticed that both had protrusions on their backs that were probably the stems for their burnt gossamer wings.


    "Any advice?" I asked Edo who was further behind me than I thought.


    "Don''t anger her like you do most people you meet," he answered back.


    Back on Mudgard, the middle finger would have been an appropriate response to Edo, but as our cultures were slightly different, I showed him the back of my middle finger and my forefinger in a v-shape formation. Basically, I sent him the peace sign but in reverse. This had a similar meaning to its Mudgardian equivalent.


    I made cautious steps to Aura until I was within touching distance while the heat blew on me like a hot furnace ready to melt my skin off.


    The Efreet looked down at me, it''s molten eyes, slit like a cat''s, gazed at me with unmistakable anger. It did not like that I approached its summoner.


    "Aura," I said while glancing between her and the efreet, "You''ve done enough. You can release your summon now... Aura..."


    Sweat trickled down my face as I watched the efreet slowly raise a shadowy fist wrapped in flames.


    "Aura... time to wake up now..." My voice turned urgent. "Aura~a..."


    She wasn''t responding.


    Aura''s eyelids were half-closed. Her brows were furrowed. Her face had gone even whiter than her usual milky white complexion. She swayed like a leaf in the wind.


    "Aura! Wake up already!" I hissed.


    Still no response. And now the efreet''s boulder-sized fist was as high as it could go. There was no doubt what it was about to do.


    "Aura... if I die because of your stupid spell I swear I will haunt you for as long as elves lifespans last," I said in one breath.


    I placed my hands on her but she was too hot to touch. She was burning up form the inside.


    "Dammit!" I cursed.


    I felt it more than I saw as my eyes refused to look up. But the heat coming down on me left very little to my imagination.


    It was no time to stand still. If there ever was a time for action, it was right now.


    I jumped forward and tackled Aura to the ground despite my hands feeling like I was touching heated coals.


    I screamed and then gritted my teeth before yelling in her ears, "Aurana wake up! We''re about to die!"


    This wasn''t an exaggeration. The efreet''s fist certainly continued to fall down on me despite its summoner laying right beneath me. Whether that was a fluke or it just didn''t care, I didn''t know. One thing was certain. If Aura didn''t wake up now, we were both toast.


    Aura''s eyes fluttered awake. Consciousness returned to her almost instantly, and seeing the fiery fist behind me, immediately shouted, "Stop!"


    It felt like there was a hot furnace just a few feet above me, but I was thankfully spared death by burning.


    "Hi," I said to Aura. "Mind getting rid of it now?"


    Aura raised a hand to the flames. "Oh mighty servant of the pillar of flames, I release you from this fairy plane..."


    And the fire winked out just like that and all was dark again. Yet even in darkness, I could see the fierce blush on Aura''s cheeks. This made me think of our current position which in turn made my cheeks turn red.


    I pulled away from her as quickly as I could and got up feeling way more embarrassed than I should have. It''s not like I was trying to take advantage of her.


    "Sorry," I said as I helped her up to her feet.


    "It''s alright..." she replied.


    Her blush hadn''t disappeared one bit, but at least they brought color back to her face.


    Aura''s eyes surveyed the destruction around us. "Did I do all this?"


    "Yup," I answered, half-impressed and half-terrified by her destructive power.


    Edo walked over to stand in front of her and knelt before her. "Forgive me, princess. I should have been there for you..."


    "Nothing to forgive, my old friend," she held his arm and helped him stand.


    The smile she gave Edo was the smile she also turned on me next. "Thanks for coming to my rescue, Dean."


    "Didn''t do anything... this is all you," I shrugged. "We were a little late to the party."


    She raised her hand to me palms up. "You came looking for me all the same."


    As she''s seen me and Luca do it plenty of times, I guessed she wanted to try out her very first high-five.


    I slapped her palm with my own before saying, "Let''s go home."


    Then I thought about something strange I needed to confirm with her.


    "Aura... I only saw two bodies... I don''t suppose?" I started but Aura finished my thought with, "After he discovered who I really was, Roselle and one of his cronies left earlier in the day... they promised to come back with someone who would be interested in meeting me... But he never did."


    "Ah... too bad," I answered. "But... how were you able to cast your spell if they kept you guarded?"


    Aura glanced back at the rubble. "I... don''t remember..."


    And on that ominous note, our little adventure in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon was finally over.


    Kallista was gracious enough to handle the cleanup of the conflict''s aftermath. It was the least she could do after we solved her drow problem.


    I thanked her and promised that we would definitely be doing business with them again. Her response was to promise me a discount next time we passed by.


    With our new equipment, Aura and Luca safely back with the team, our new recruits, and the drow refugees in tow, we made our way back north and back to the region west of the Calmlands to the Bastion of Fort Darah.


    It was an uneventful three-night trip which took longer only because everyone had to wait for nightfall for me to return to the Fayne. We really had to get me an anchor so they could just carry it along whenever the unit traveled by day.


    Darah magnanimously accepted the refugees after she learned how helpful they were in finding her niece. The great general really doted on Aura.


    Thom, luckily for him, was very courteous to the great general. I supposed he figured out even he wouldn''t survive taunting her. Plus, he was very grateful that his one-hundred-ten clan members would be given a new home within Darah''s territory.


    Darah ignored her advisors'' opinions that accepting drow into the Trickster Pavilion would cause a scandal among the clan, but as she was one of the most powerful elders, she didn''t think it would be a problem.


    "Anyone who has a problem with me can face me themselves," she boasted.


    No one refuted her. Not even Commander Vardoom who grumbled that the general''s whim was going to cause another headache for her subordinates. Darah smacked him good for that.


    The patriarch sent word that he accepted Darahs decision to allow Thom''s people to come under the protection of the Trickster''s Pavilion. This might have been because Aura also sent a message to her brother pleading their case. Despite her past with the drow, she didn''t judge them based on the color of their skin. This earned her quite a bit of fame among the remnants of the Hazy Moon.


    After he learned who Aura really was, Thom just chuckled. "She''s special after all..."


    Darah left the task of finding them a home to Commander Thors who was nice enough to commend me on accomplishing my mission despite the setbacks.


    "You''re working hard," he said as he patted me on the shoulder. "Keep it up."


    As for me, Darah was true to her word. For the next month, after we returned to Fort Darah, she personally trained me and my reformed hundred-man unit to the point where my soldiers puked blood. Even Luca and I were having a hard time.


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    The Foolhardies'' new composition included the original twenty-three members plus the thirty-five new mercenary recruits and thirty drow members which included ten healers. We now had seven officers, too. With myself as Commander, Luca and Aura as my Lieutenants, Varda as Quartermaster, Edo as Master Sergeant, Qwipps and Thom as squad leaders, and finally, Ashley, who was in charge of our unit''s defense tactics.


    Yeah, she joined us in Fort Darah half a month after we parted ways in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. It took a lot of cajoling and several sprite messages but I finally enticed her to join us after mentioning we would be entering Magesong territory soon. Apparently, she had been assigned a mission there by their Mother Superior and hooking up with the Foolhardies was the best way to get her in.


    During one of these grueling training exercises Darah supervised, a fresh-faced Aura who didn''t seem like she was affected by training¡ªelven physiques were cheats in themselves¡ªwalked over to me and suggested something I couldn''t believe.


    "Hey... your two friends, the ones who helped you figure out how to fight drows," she looked doe-eyed at me. "I''d like to meet them."

 34 Date Nigh

    The evening of the weekend after Aura made her request, Ty and Arah joined me as I stood just a short distance away from the Elfwood Circle Stones.


    The sun had just set, but as Aura and I were now connected through our pact, I didn''t need to follow the old summoning rules I first used to meet her.


    "Um, shouldn''t we have protection?" Ty asked.


    "Aura doesn''t bite, Ty," I answered laughing.


    "Yeah... but what if it''s not her you summon?" Ty countered. "What if it''s something... nastier?"


    "Then we''ll have something big to feed it, Tiberius," Arah answered just before she smacked him on the arm. "Don''t be such a wuss..."


    I couldn''t help noticing that Arah had one hand over her arm in an obvious attempt to stop it from shaking.


    "Should we cancel? I could just let Aura know that you guys were too freaked out to meet her," I smiled.


    In truth, I preferred that my two worlds didn''t collide like this as this meeting would certainly change things. However, I knew it would eventually turn out this way after I confessed the truth to Ty and Arah. They would want to know more. They were just like me in their desire for adventure, after all. Plus, I really couldn''t say no to any of Aura''s requests. Especially not after I''d let her get kidnapped while I was there.


    "Although I''m not one to agree with Tiberius, shouldn''t we take extra precautions while attempting to contact the other realm?" Arah asked, finally giving in to her nerves.


    "Y-yeah," Ty agreed.


    I understood why they were so nervous. It was the same feeling I experienced during the first time I summoned Aura to Mudgard. But this wasn''t a time for fear. It was a time for action.


    As I was between the two of them, I patted them both reassuringly on the shoulders. "It''s going to be okay. We''re not summoning some scary tentacle monster from the Cthulhu mythos."


    I raised my left hand and showed them both the bracelet Aura had given me. It glowed with a faint golden glow tonight.


    "Aura''s cool. You''ll both like her," I said.


    I pointed my left hand, palm up, at the circle of stones and told my friends to close their eyes. I did the same.


    "A scion of House Dapper greets the Princess of the Trickster Pavillion this auspicious night and bids her to cross through into this mortal plane," I said in a confident voice.


    I heard her giggle before I opened my eyes and saw her.


    Aura was standing in front of me wearing the new magician''s robe she''d bought in the Rings Auction House. she smiled that gorgeous smile of hers, and once more I was captivated by her otherworldly beauty. My two friends who gawked at her probably felt the same as I did.


    "Yo," I said with my hand raised.


    "Hello," she answered before she gave me a high-five.


    This got a weird reaction from Ty, who blurted out, "You guys usually high-five each other when you meet?"


    "Only recently," Aura answered as she turned to look at Ty who was standing on my left. "Our training has been really tough so this is how we''ve been encouraging each other."


    Her honeyed voice must have been too much for him as I could visibly see his face turn red as an apple from the chin up to the forehead.


    "You must be Ty..." she smiled at him.


    If this were a cartoon I swear there would have been a small puff of white smoke coming out of Ty by now.


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    "Forgive our cognitively challenged friend, Princess Aurana," Arah said nonchalantly. "I''m afraid he doesn''t know how to speak to women."


    Now that she was certain no demonic entity was crossing over, it seemed Arah''s nervousness had gone away. In fact, by how she was looking cautiously at Aura, I thought she was a little more hostile than necessary.


    Aura sent her smile at aura which obviously disarmed my friend enough that the frown on her face vanished instantly.


    "You''re Arah. Dean tells me your twice as smart as he is," Aura said in greeting.


    Arah''s response was a soft, "Um... thank you?"


    Then she elbowed me.


    "Fine, she''s nice," Arah conceded.


    I grinned. "Told ya."


    "So, what will we be doing first?" Aura asked. "I am particularly interested in these sweets called chocolates Dean keeps telling me about... and... television?"


    Arah rolled her eyes at me. "What have you bee teaching this girl, Dean Dapper?"


    "Only the good stuff," I said proudly. "Right, Aura?"


    "Michael Keaton is still the best Batman," Aura repeated this line I''ve drilled into her head about Mudgardian pop culture.


    Arah sighed heavily. "boys..."


    She gave Aura a once over with her eyes. Then she grabbed my partner by the hand as if this wasn''t the hardest thing in the world to do and led her away from the circle stones.


    "We need to get you some proper clothes or people might think you''re some weird cosplayer," Arah explained.


    Aura followed her obediently, and I could see the excitement in her face. It might have been because Arah had mentioned clothes or the novelty of a night out in Mudgard.


    "Women," I sighed before I followed them. I glanced behind me after a few steps. "Are you coming, Ty?"


    Ty, who was still dazed, finally snapped out of it and jogged toward me. "Y-yeah... wait for me!"


    Once we''d cleared the forest and returned to the suburbs, we made straight for Arah''s house to get appropriate Mudgardian attire for Aura.


    After an hour of trying on new clothes, the girls finally decided Aura was ready in her new green sweater, light brown pants, and dark brown boots. The necklace I gave her was still on her neck.


    Yes, the cliched imagery of a forest dweller did not escape my notice.


    Yet, even with her new clothes, the first thing Aura and Arah wanted to do was shop for more clothes. Not that Aura could bring these home. It was more the principle of wanting it, they told me. And Arah had agreed to keep Aura''s clothes for the next time she dropped by.


    So, we decided to head to midtown via the commuter bus as neither Arah and I were convinced Ty¡ªwho did nothing but ogle Aura and stutter when asked a question¡ªwasn''t in the right frame of mind to drive us into town in his Camaro.


    As Aura had been into the city before, there was no cliched wide-eyed staring at the ingenuity of humanity. Instead, we got a different observational response to the glass towers and horseless carriages of the age.


    "If only humans could create your modern inventions without sacrificing Mudgard to do so," Aura said.


    Hearing the word ''Mudgard'' prompted Arah to start a debate that would last the entire trip to midtown''s busiest street, 5th Avenue.


    The shops we entered all carried the same symbol on their storefronts. It was the golden four leaf clover that was embossed onto one side of the Fayne''s Golden Leprechauns. This meant that the establishment was not only aware of the Fayne but also did business with fairies and their currency. This also meant I didn''t have to shell out for aura who was way richer than me in terms of Leprechauns.


    Five stores and a couple of shopping bags later, which Ty and I had to carry, we found ourselves in a booth inside Edward''s Chocolate Bar so Aura can try Ed''s Burgers and Milkshake combo as well as Ed''s famous Triple Layer Chocolate Cake.


    Aura, who sat beside me, sliced a piece of burger with a knife and fork, prompting Ty to finally snap out of his daze in outrage at her blasphemy of burger eating.


    He took a minute educating Aura about how to properly eat burgers, and that was with your hands. Aura humored him and followed his instructions, and when the burger came away from her face, there was ketchup on her cheeks. This caused everyone to laugh, and finally the knotted tension I was feeling in my stomach at Aura meeting my friends vanished.


    The rest of the dinner was a discussion on all things fairy. Arah and Ty had prepared a long list of questions and Aura did her best to answer each honestly enough. She was under no compunctions to hide anything from them as she viewed their help a month ago the reason I was able to save Luca and find her afterward.


    So when Ty asked the taboo question of her age, aura answered truthfully with, "I''m fifty-years-old."


    Both Arah''s and ty''s eyes widened at hearing this prompting Aura to explain.


    "Elves have much longer lifespans than humans... and it takes us much longer to mature the way you would view it," she reasoned. "In fact, in terms of maturity, I would say I''m only about seventeen in your human years."


    "But you do die?" Arah asked.


    Aura nodded. "All things die. We just take much longer."


    There was a soft melancholy in Aura''s eyes as she gazed outside the window.


    "You may think this disingenuous of me but I envy humans your short lifespans," she said softly. "You build towers that reach the skies in a span of a few short years and create beautiful artworks within days of each other... Each of you is seeking meaning to your lives as if you must have meaning... as if you would die if you didn''t have one..."


    She turned to us look at us.


    "Such passion rarely exists among the fay... We take too long to adapt to change, and we mostly watch the time pass uneventfully," she continued. "Our own creations, at least the ones we don''t use for warfare, take decades to be imagined and even longer to be realized. We''re only really quick and good at making war amongst ourselves... it is a trait we''ve no doubt passed onto mankind."


    This very heavy exposition about the differences in fairy and human understanding of the passage of time would certainly have dampened the mood if Ty wasn''t such a goofball and asked, "So~~o, you''re technically still a kid, right?"


    His dumb question caused Aura to smile again and thankfully diffused the depressed mood. He also received an elbow from Arah who was sitting beside him.


    "Ty, you really have to learn to read the mood," she sighed.


    We all laughed.


    The conversation moved onto my unit and the training Aura and I were missing this night.


    "Yeah... how does that work exactly?" Arah asked. "I thought Dean couldn''t resist going to the Fayne every night?"


    "It''s because I''m here," Aura touched the pendant of the necklace I''d given her. "And since I''m his contractor, I''ve given him one night a month of time away from the Fayne... but he''s never used it before."


    "Seriously, dude?" Ty''s brow creased. "You''re that much of a workaholic?"


    "It''s not like that," I said while shaking my head. "It''s because I don''t want Luca to spend any more nights alone."


    Ty nodded thoughtfully. "You are such a bro, bro."


    We fist-bumped across the table.


    "Speaking of the Follhardies," Aura said suddenly. "Zarz Mildew arrived at Camp Darah earlier today to officially join the unit and bring your new falchion to you."


    My eyes were glittering when I feigned annoyance, "He said it would only take him a week but it''s been over a month," but deep down inside I was shouting for joy. I could finally see if my intuition regarding that iron arcane focus was right or not.


    My new weapon prompted another discussion about the Fayne that included many more samplings of chocolate cake which caused Aura and Arah to join hands in their newfound shared love for sweets. This lasted until it was well past nine in the evening.


    We''d just walked out of Edward''s Chocolate Bar when Aura grabbed my hand and pulled me eastward.


    Her seemingly bold action drew incredulous stares from both Arah and Ty, and I thought to myself that their shared expressions were beginning to become a bad habit. Sadly, they didn''t know what I knew. Aura meant nothing by the gesture.


    "What is it?" I asked.


    "I would like to see your mother again and see if I can help her..." Aura let go of my hand. "Also..."


    The mention of mom brought a chill up my spine. "Y-yeah... what else?"


    "He''s in that hospital too right?" Aura had a determined expression on her face. "We''re going to fight him soon, right? I''d like to meet him and talk to him while I can."


    What she just said sent the chills traveling up my spine back down. My brow furrowed. My mouth went dry.


    Of course, I knew who she wanted to meet. It was the very same person I''d been trying to avoid the past month and a half. Aura wanted to have a chat with Azuma.

 35 What Men Talk Abou

    "Are you sure about this?" I asked Aura.


    She, Ty, Arah, and I were standing just outside the door to Azuma''s room in the Psych Ward of St. Lucy''s Medical Center.


    The LED lights above us flickered as if responding to our inner agitations.


    "Yes," Aura answered. "I''d like to speak to him."


    She grabbed the handle to his door and pulled it open.


    "Don''t you?" Aura asked as she glanced back at me. Then she walked into the darkened room.


    I sighed while wondering how I''d gotten myself into this.


    The only reason I agreed to Aura''s request was that I knew visitation hours were over at St. Lucy''s and I counted on security keeping us out. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that Aura once posed as a doctor so she could see my mother.


    The beautiful doctor quickly made an appearance as soon as we were confronted by anyone of authority, and we were let through without issue all the way up to the Psych ward''s fourth floor.


    Ty and Arah were surprised by Aura''s sudden change, but I reminded them that fairy glamour was one of a fairy''s powers. It allowed them to befuddle the minds of humans and make them see whatever the fairy wanted to see. In Aura''s case, a drop-dead gorgeous blue-eyed blonde doctor who looked older than the real her.


    "Um, Dean... what should we do?" Ty asked, breaking my inner monologue.


    "You guys mind waiting out here?" I scratched at the bridge of my nose. "Trust me... you don''t want to meet this psycho..."


    The look of fear on my face was enough to convince Arah and Ty to stay behind.


    "How about we head over to your mom''s room and wait for you there?" Arah grabbed Ty''s hand and began dragging him away. "Take as much time as you want."


    "Thanks," I called after her, but in my head I was screaming for them to stay. Strength in numbers and all that. "Call the cops if we''re not back in fifteen minutes."


    Ty''s face crunched up in worry but Arah simply waved her hand at me.


    "You''ll be fine," she called back. "You''ve got Aura with you."


    "Yeah... she might not be enough..." I sighed one last time and then I followed Aura into the dark room.


    I found Aura opening the curtains so that moonlight could filter in through the window. She had dropped her glamour and was her usual pretty self again.


    It was a beautiful night. The sky was clear and the stars were out in full. But it was the halfmoon that shined down on us with an otherworldly brilliance that caught my attention.


    I wondered why it was that the moon seemed to be brighter than normal whenever one of the fair folk was around.


    In the time while I glanced up at the starry night sky, Aura had moved on to the stand beside the empty bed.


    I joined her with my body tense and ready to spring into action in case something monstrous suddenly appeared and attacked us, but the bed was empty as I hoped it would be.


    "Nobody''s home," I said while hiding my delight at this lucky break.


    Aura gave me a wan smile. "Look again."


    I looked down and saw that the mattress was sagging, and in its center, there was an imprint of someone lying on it. But the bed was still empty.


    Goosebumps rose over the back of my arms.


    "When did this turn into a horror show..." I whispered before turning my head to Aura. "What''s going on?"


    "This bed is Azuma''s anchor on Mudgard... and we can summon him back here to it," Aura explained.


    I gulped. "You can... summon him back?"


    Aura nodded. "But only temporarily. Eventually, the pull of the Fayne and Azuma''s contractor will take hold of him again and he''ll be sent back. Only dawn can really make the transfer permanent."


    My eyes glanced over to the other side of the bed where several medical machines beeped in a steady pattern as if they could still read the life signs of a man who wasn''t there.


    I hesitated for another moment before finally deciding that this was no time to be a wuss. It was a time for action.


    Seeing the determination in my face, Aura began to chant an incantation in Elvish that I wouldn''t be able to write down because it was completely incomprehensible to me.


    Eventually, though, a ghostly form slowly descended from the ceiling and crashed onto the bed in a loud groan. And suddenly, I found myself face to face with the Mudgardian version of my rival.


    Azuma was the same tan-skinned middle-aged man from the Fayne. Only, his cheeks were more hollow and his eyes, although closed, seemed more sunken than before. His hair was its usual length but someone, possibly a nurse, had bothered to comb it. His arms were the emaciated limbs of a man who was wasting away.


    I couldn''t understand why someone who could not die looked like he was half dead already. Well, this was my chance to ask him as the slanted black eyes suddenly opened.


    Both Aura and I took an involuntary step back.


    Azuma took another few seconds to reorient himself to his surroundings much like I did whenever I woke up in my room after a night in the Fayne. Then he sat up and looked between me and Aura.


    "I don''t usually have guests," he said in his rough voice. "Have you come to kill me, Dean Dapper?"


    "W-what... no, of course not," I protested. "We, um... we just..."


    I glanced over at Aura. "Why are we here again?"


    "We wanted to have a chat with you, Azuma," Aura answered, and her face showed no fear despite me knowing that she was, in fact, nervous.


    I could tell this from how tight she coiled her fist.


    This made me inwardly ashamed of how scared I looked.


    "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles," I whispered the words of Sun Tzu to calm my nerves.


    "If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat," Azuma continued the next line like he''d memorized it too.


    There was a smirk on his face when I looked at him.


    "So... you read the Art of War, huh?" he asked.


    I shrugged while hoping I exuded calm instead of what I was really feeling. "I read a lot."


    "You look like you do," Azuma laughed hoarsely before giving into a fit of coughing. It was awhile before he finished, but when he was ready, he asked, "So... what did you want to talk about?"


    I answered before Aura could. "Why do you look like you''re dying?"


    Azuma wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "How old do you think I am, Dean?"


    "Somewhere in your forties... I''d guess," I said.


    He laughed and then began another fit of coughing.


    "I''m thirty-two," Azuma answered.


    Both Aura and I glanced at each other. The man in front of us looked like he was on the latter side of forty and not just past his twenties.


    "H-how is that¡ª"


    Azuma stopped me with a hand. Then he gestured to his machines. "Cancer''s a bitch like that... Kills you slow and takes it all away before you''re ready to go..."


    My brow creased. "You''re really dying... but?"


    "Doctors said I had six months... but I''ve been terminally ill for two years," Azuma said. "They call me a medical miracle... cancer''s still there but it just can''t seem to press the off switch on my life..."


    "The Magesong clan is keeping you alive," Aura guessed.


    Azuma nodded. "They needed a warrior... and in my prime... I was one of the best there was..."


    ''


    Azuma''s eyes were half-glazed like they were seeing something far away. His face was wistful.


    "I was a soldier, a martial arts champion, an Olympian..." Azuma once more gestured to the machines his body was once again hooked up to. "Now, I''m a zombie... just a puppet... a hired gun too cowardly to die..."


    "Is that why you''ve sided with the Magesong clan?" Aura asked. "Do you know the atrocities they''ve committed to fay and men alike these past five-hundred-years for the sake of their desire to wield more powerful magics?"


    Azuma pointed to himself. "I''ve heard stories."


    "Then why would you¡ª"


    Azuma laughed his hoarse laughter but no coughing came after it.


    "Because over there, I''m not stuck in this bed!" He yelled at her.


    I moved to get between them, but Azuma''s tantrum subsided as quickly as it came.


    "An elf like you who has centuries to live cannot understand the struggle of a man who''s at the end of his life with nothing to pass on..." Azuma answered.


    Aura was taken aback by his answer. Her face turned away from him.


    I didn''t want to feel bad for him but I was beginning to understand. Although our problems weren''t the same, I too understood what it meant to want to take back your life from the unfairness of fate.


    "So... why are you in the psych ward?" I asked to diffuse the situation.


    Azuma chuckled again, and this time, the coughing fit was back. But once it was gone, he answered, "Eventually... I got tired of being their butcher... So I kept telling the doctors to keep me awake so I wouldn''t have to go back to that cursed place... Well, you can guess what they thought after I told them about the Fayne."


    "Yup, that would certainly land you in here," I answered, smiling.


    He returned my smile. But his grin was more Joker to my Superman smirk.


    "So I wasn''t wrong... You really don''t want to work for the Magesong clan anymore," Aura piped in.


    We both looked at her.


    She cleared her throat before saying, "The boring look you had like you were tired of how repetitive things were... that''s when I guessed."


    Azuma shook his head. "It doesn''t matter. I can''t get away from them even if I wanted to."


    "Is that what you want?" Aura asked, and her face was as serious as I''d ever seen it. "To be free?"


    Honestly, this was getting a little too real for me. "Aura... what are you planning?"


    "We could set you free," Aura answered.


    Auma raised an eyebrow at her. Honestly, so did I.


    "You don''t have that power, girl," he hissed.


    "Maybe I don''t right now," Aura admitted as she bit her lip. "But Dean does..."


    "W-what?" I looked surprised at her. "I don''t have the power to do that!"


    She gazed at me. "Yes, you do. You have the power to free him like you freed Alfie Monroe."


    Aura was talking about the Foolhardies'' very capable chef, a visere I''d freed inadvertently when I slew the she-elf who was his original contractor.


    "You mean..." I gulped.


    "You have the talent to make real change in the Fayne," Aura said. "It''s why I chose you..."


    She smiled that gorgeous smile of hers, and it nearly convinced me I could do whatever she thought I could.


    "You think Dean can kill my contractor," Azuma guessed.


    We both turned to him.


    "Dean and I are forging the Foolhardies into a tempered blade that can do exactly those kinds of things," Aura answered in a confident tone. "As long as he leads, we can do anything."


    I sighed while wondering where Aura was getting her confidence.


    Azuma laughed. Then he coughed. Then he laughed some more. "I like you, girl... You realize killing my contractor will kill me too?"


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    Aura bit her lip. "It''s a possibility, yes..."


    "It''s a certainty," Azuma countered as he glanced down at his body. "Spellweaver''s power is the only thing keeping my cancer at bay..."


    "Spellweaver?" Aura''s voice faltered. "Your contractor is Great General Ardan Spellweaver? The Magesong clan''s top military officer?"


    Azuma shook his head. "His son... Ardeen Spellweaver... the general''s strategist..."


    I wondered if this mountain Aura wanted to climb couldn''t get any higher.


    "And it''s not just them... I rank third among the Magesong''s viseres... There are two other monsters there..." Azuma explained. "Not to mention the other monsters in other clans... you two probably know one..."


    "Commander Thors," I said.


    Azuma nodded. "That man is a whole different breed... killed me more than once before I got away from him."


    This brought a smile to Azuma''s lips like it was a happy memory to die at the hands of Five-Thousand Man Commander Roger Thors.


    "So... you''re only third-best in your clan?" I didn''t mean for it to sound like a taunt but it probably did.


    Azuma scowled. "Only because I arrived after them... But I made One-Thousand Man Commander in less than a year... what are you again?"


    It was my turn to scowl, but I shrugged off his jab at my rank and looked over to Aura who had gone quiet. Her head was down and she seemed at a loss.


    She''d walked in here with a plan and an unwarranted belief in us to save someone who only recently had attempted to kill her because she noticed him suffering during our last battle.


    This made my blood boil. I didn''t want Aura to lose her optimism. I didn''t want her to feel the way Luca and I felt almost nightly.


    I grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, forcing her to raise her head and look at me.


    "If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle," I finished the line of Sun Tzu''s famous principle before I looked over to Azuma and said, "Challenge accepted. We''ll deal with your contractor."


    I raised my hand forward palm up. "So you give us something in exchange... tell us where to find him."


    Azuma looked incredulously between me and Aura. Seeing the determination in our faces made him laugh even harder. Once this coughing and laughter duet was over, he revealed something neither Aura or I were prepared for.


    "You''ll see him soon enough... Great General Spellweaver and his army of a hundred thousand strong are preparing to march across the Calmlands to take back the hilltop you stole from us," he grinned. "Obviously, I''ll be there too... so you and I can have our rematch, Dean."


    As head this, Azuma''s body seemed to become more transparent.


    "Time''s up," he said. "Good luck, Dean Dapper..." he looked over to Aura. "And you too, girl... If we meet again on the battlefield, I''ll make sure to kill you painlessly..."


    And with that, Azuma''s ghostly form was launched up into the sky, and Aura and I were alone. We were both speechless at the bomb he''d just dropped on us.


    Wordlessly, we continued to stare at his vacated bed for a long while before we both took our first steps toward the door. However, once I pulled open the door, I found myself staring at Arah and Ty who had clearly listened in on the conversation.


    They both looked determinedly at me when they said, "Dean, if you''re going to war then we''re coming too!"

 36 Training Day

    "What are you looking all moody for, Dapper?" Commander Vardoom yelled in my ear. "Your unit''s about to lose to Thors again!"


    I rubbed my ears at the same time as I pulled away from Varda''s uncle.


    "It''s too early in the night for this," I said tiredly.


    "What was that?" Vardoom boomed.


    "I said it''s too early in the night for my unit to lose sir," I answered with gusto.


    "Humph," Vardoom exhaled. "We''ll see about that... now get your head in the game."


    I sighed while knowing deep down that I deserved the reprimand. After all, my head really wasn''t in the game. Despite my desire to stay in the moment, my brain went around in circles replaying last night''s fight with Arah and Ty.


    They wanted to join me in the Fayne but my answer to their offer to help was a resounding no.


    Maybe if a hundred thousand enemy soldiers weren''t preparing to go to war with us, maybe then. But not now when I knew it wouldn''t be safe for Ty and Arah to be with me. I already had a full plate worrying about Luca. I couldn''t add my friends to that.


    They thought I was being too selfless or maybe even selfish. Honestly, they were kind of right about the latter.


    It wasn''t just about protecting them. I also didn''t want to lose the people who grounded me here on Mudgard. I had no one else. Mom was sick and Aunt Lena gave me way too much space. Ty and Arah were my only real connections there. What would happen to me if I didn''t even have them to return to? Would I just stick to the Fayne and never go home? Because, and I will never admit this out loud, I was enjoying my time in the Fayne more than my hours on Mudgard.


    In the eight and a half years since we''d been friends, not once did Arah walk out on me. But last night, she turned away in frustration right after she said, "I won''t wait here like a good girl and hear about how you died bravely on a battlefield I''ll never see..."


    Ty followed her after he told me, "We don''t need you to protect us, Dean. We need you to trust us..."


    And the loud tapping of their footsteps on the linoleum floor as they walked away was still fresh on my mind the next night.


    Yup, I was out of focus, and the Foolhardies were paying the price for it on the field.


    We were on a wide stretch of grasslands a mile away from Fort Darah. In front of the bench Vardoom and I sat on was a hundred-yard rectangular training field with every ten yards marked by a line of glowing mushroom paste.


    Yes, it looked like an American Football field.


    On the right side of the field were my Foolhardies separated into their respective teams led by Luca, Edo, Varda, Qwipps, Thom, and Ashley.


    On the left side of the field were a hundred knights of Fort Darah who were directly under the leadership of Commander Thors. Many of them were viseres, and they all wore matching midnight blue cloaks. It was probably why they were called the Storm Cloaks.


    Behind these knights was a makeshift wooden fort with the fist banner of Fort Darah at its peak.


    Opposite my spot on the field was another bench. Sitting on that bench was Five-Thousand Man Commander Roger Thors and his visere strategist, a twenty-something guy with straight shoulder-length black hair and horn-rimmed glasses named Matt Stevenson.


    Behind them stood a small army of nine hundred straight-backed men and fairies¡ªand they all wore the same matching blue cloaks.


    A fifth of his army watched our battlefield which was most certainly a form of psychological warfare they were using on us. But to me, it was just plain dirty. The big guy ganging up on the little guy.


    "Well, you''ve been repelled twice since this skirmish started... what are you going to do?" Vardoom asked.


    In what I assumed was punishment for both of us missing the previous night''s training, Great General Darah had assigned Vardoom to act as my mentor in this strategy game. And although he was trying his best to guide me, I just wasn''t feeling his teaching style of smacking the back of my head whenever my orders caused us to fall back.


    "Should we attempt the blitz again, Commander?" Aura asked.


    She was standing behind me and Vardoom and acting as my adjutant.


    "No..." I shook my head. "Last time we tried that, we lost a dozen guys... Let''s go with... hold on."


    I leaned forward and gazed out at the enemy''s formation.


    About fifty of them had formed three rows of defensive lines facing my unit. Another twenty lined up alongside their fort. Two groups of ten-man archers stood on opposite sides of the fort with the last ten cramped on the small wooden balconies and pathways of the wooden fort itself.


    Commander Thors seemed to be playing things by the book.


    Smack!


    Vardoom had just slapped the back of my head.


    "No using your fairy gift, Dapper," he guffawed like he was enjoying hitting me.


    "I wasn''t..." I complained while I rubbed my head.


    "Could have sworn I saw your eyes glitter," he countered.


    "My eyes don''t glitter... it doesn''t work that way," I reasoned.


    Vardoom shrugged. "Humph... my mistake. Carry on."


    The smirk on his face made me wish I was facing his unit tonight rather than Thors. After all, I''d beaten him a few times on these skirmishes already this past month. We each had five wins apiece.


    I sighed and forced my focus back on my team. Then I heard the tapping of feet walking away and sighed again. Clearly, I was still bothered by my friends being mad at me.


    Aura''s hand clasped my shoulder and squeezed gently. This made me look up at her, and from the sympathetic expression on her face, I could tell that she could feel a bit of what was depressing me.


    It wasn''t the first time she''d read my mood, and I wondered just how deep this contractor relationship went.


    I exhaled a deep breath before I called the play, "Let''s go with the Hail Mary... Have Thom ready to catch."


    Aura nodded uncertainly. "Alright, Commander..."


    Her apprehension was justified. We''d never really tested this particular move before. Ergo, the ''Hail Mary'' call sign. And yes, I forced the Foolhardies to learn some football terms.


    Aura raised her staff and made the orb on its tip glow five times. She relayed this secret sign to our bookkeeper on the field, Zarz, who then relayed my orders to the six team leaders.


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    I couldn''t see his face but I could feel Luca rolling his eyes at my plan the moment Zarz explained.


    Once he was done with his explanation, Zarz stepped out of the field and resumed his role as a spotter for the unit.


    Immediately after my orders were given, the unit''s composition changed quickly with Luca''s and Edo''s units comprising veteran soldiers and hardened newbies moving to the front while Ashley''s and Qwipps'' teams stood to one side each, ready to charge at a moment''s notice.


    Thom''s twenty-man drow unit moved to the back to stand next to Varda''s newly minted magician group which comprised her, Donar Firemonger, our elven healer Berrian Berrygrove, and three new dwarven magicians who joined us alongside the twelve supplementary soldiers Vardoom sent to fill up the roster of my hundred-man unit.


    Even after my recruitment, I only filled eighty-eight slots, so I was grateful to Vardoom as well as the dwarves who volunteered to work under me. Even though I knew they were mostly there to watch over Varda.


    "Haven''t seen this formation before..." Vardoom raised a bushy eyebrow at me. "You going to tell me the plan?"


    "Nope," I said. "Get ready to be impressed, Commander Vardoom."


    "Humph," he guffawed. "Show me what you got, Dapper."


    It was up to Luca to start the game now, and he did not disappoint.


    Luca roared in that wild way he did every time he activated his Foolish Strength, and without waiting for anyone, he charged alone. No one followed him.


    Everyone on the other team just watched, their mouths gaped open at my younger brother''s foolhardiness.


    There were four lines of ten yards between our unit and the defensive formation of the Storm Cloaks and Luca had just crossed the first. Then the second. And finally, right before he crossed the third line, Edo charged, and both Luca''s and his own unit charged with him.


    Qwipps'' fifteen-pixie unit took to the sky and flew forward, and I loved this three-dimensional aspect of this life size chess match between me and Commander Thors.


    Ashley''s unit¡ªall of them carrying large round bronze shields with a diameter of neck to thigh¡ªrushed forward too, but they lagged behind Edo''s group and repositioned toward the center.


    On the back of the field, Varda and Donar had combined their fire and earth magic to launch burning fists of stone at the enemy fort. Unfortunately, these projectiles would fall short and land close to the center of the field instead.


    These failures caused and a billowing cloud of smoke to disrupt the field of view.


    Despite that setback, our rush continued with Luca just past the thirty yard line and everyone else following behind him.


    When he smashed into the knights at the front and carved a hole into their formation with the flat of his blade, Commander Vardoom yelled in my ear once more.


    "This is almost like the same damn thing you tried earlier... it''s just a blitz with your brother jumping in head first!" Vardoom complained. Then he coughed. "And now you got my niece doing something stupid and clogging up the field in all this¡ª"


    Vardoom glanced back at the field. his eyes widened. Then he turned them toward me.


    I had a finger placed over my lips.


    "Well, aren''t you a sneaky bastard," he guffawed. "I''m beginning to like you more and more, Dapper..." he slapped me on the shoulder. "No wonder Edo hasn''t slaughtered you yet for always googly eyeing our princess. You''re entertaining."


    I blushed furiously at his comment, and I could hear Aura giggle behind me.


    Luca''s mad dash surprised the knights so much that he was able to create a space between their formations that quickly filled up with Foolhardies led by Edo. The half-ogre was probably the main reason the veteran knights weren''t able to reform right away.


    In the air above, Qwipps'' team engaged the Storm Cloak''s own flyers to keep supremacy over the skies. It was an uphill battle for them as there were more enemies than friendlies in the air.


    Varda''s and Donar''s miscalculation had turned into a mighty column of smoke that soared even higher than the pixie air battle.


    On the land front, Both Edo''s and Luca''s units had created a wedge between the three knight formations, but their soldiers were slowly falling prey to the arrows of the enemy archers. Because no killing was allowed, the arrows had blunt tips coated with a heavy dose of paralysis potion.


    "Come on, guys... put your backs into it!" Luca yelled.


    "One big push!" Edo yelled.


    Together their two units widened the gap between the lines and created a big enough opening for another unit who''d been waiting behind for this opportunity to pass through.


    Ashley''s unit jumped forward, and with raised shields, engaged the second line of defense waiting in front of the makeshift wooden fort.


    Their shields collided, but neither unit was pushed back as the enemy veterans were prepared for the attack. Both groups digged in and held their ground.


    "Now," Ashley yelled. "Push!"


    The frontline soldiers pushed their shields forward together, and in a coordinated move, raised their shields up to slam them forcefully onto the enemy''s own shields. Their attack caused the Storm Cloaks to get pushed back momentarily before they regained their footing and pushed Ashley''s unit back once more.


    "I think you''ve caused enough of a distraction, Dapper," Vardoom said. "Your Foolhardies did well enough... You can''t expect them to outmatch Thors'' vets."


    "It''s a good plan..." Aura agreed. "As long as Commander Thors doesn''t notice."


    I looked over to the other side.


    Thors sat there calmly while idly chatting with his knights standing around him. He was grinning, and I knew instinctively that he''d noticed my feint.


    However, the sudden panic in my chest quickly subsided after I realized he wouldn''t do anything about it because, technically, I wasn''t competing with the commander. I was matching wits with his strategist.


    I nodded. "Yeah... everyone''s tied up... and no one even noticed that death comes from above..."


    And death came from above¡ªfar, far above. They hid in a cloud of smoke that was just a cover for them to maneuver into position while they waited for everyone below to get tied up in their own little skirmishes.


    When everything was finally in place, they dived into the fort with their black cloaks spread across them like bats gliding down onto the earth.


    When Thom and his drow gliders landed lightly on the fort''s balconies and pathways, the ten knights guarding it fought valiantly but were overwhelmed by a group twice their numbers.


    Thom pulled out the flag and raised it high, then he let it fall to the ground while a mocking grin was plastered on his face.


    I couldn''t hear him, but I could see his lips the moment he said, "Oops..."


    My brow creased at the sight because I would get yelled at again for his attitude. He was my responsibility after all.


    Nevertheless, we''d won, and this victory made me feel much better. It even nearly made me forget about the argument with my friends. Then I thought about how they would have both enjoyed this victory with me¡ªand I sighed again.

 37 Good Advice

    Despite our victory over a unit many believed was the strongest in Great General Darah''s army, I couldn''t join in on the revelry of my team. I just wasn''t in a celebratory mood.


    However, as I didn''t want to be the lone party pooper, I got up from the bench and turned eastward so I could walk the outer field and brood without bothering anyone.


    Aura didn''t stop me. She must have known that I needed some space.


    I couldn''t really pinpoint what frustrated me more. That Ty and Arah hadn''t spoken to me since the previous night or the fact that they were right and I was just being selfish¡ªbecause I was. I wanted them far away from the Fayne not just to protect them but so they could protect my sanity too whenever I went home to Mudgard.


    While I mulled things over, my feet had taken me far from the glowing lines of the field and deeper into the sea of grass. I stopped and closed my eyes so I could feel the cool wind on my face.


    "Leprechaun for your thoughts?" a man''s voice asked.


    I opened my eyes and found Five-Thousand Man Commander Thors standing beside me.


    "Sorry, I called to you but you were so lost in thought that you probably didn''t hear me," he said.


    I stood to attention before asking, "Sorry, sir... how can I help you?"


    He chuckled. It was the first time I''d ever heard him not sound like a decorated military officer. He always seemed so stoic whenever I saw him standing beside Darah.


    "Walk with me, Dean," he said before making his way eastward.


    I hurried to catch up to him as his strides were much longer than mine. Tall people were annoying like that. After some time, I asked him where we were going.


    "Nowhere in particular... Sometimes I just need space to stretch my legs, you know?" he answered.


    I nodded. I knew. Being the leader of a unit meant I couldn''t really show anyone¡ªnot even Luca or Aura¡ªany weaknesses. I didn''t want them to think I couldn''t handle my own troubles much less lead them on a battlefield.


    "So... I noticed the frown on your face a mile away, Dean," Commander Thors stretched his arms to the side like a man limbering up for a run. "What''s on your mind?"


    "Nothing big, sir... just personal stuff," I blurted. I liked Thors, but I wasn''t sure I wanted him to know about my business.


    "Ah, that''s what my daughter says when she and her boyfriend fight," Thors smiled as he gazed at the near distance. His face turned wistful.


    "You have a daughter?" I asked.


    Thors stopped walking. He pulled out a golden pocket watch from the pocket of his trousers. Then he opened its latch and showed me what was inside.


    On one side of the case''s interior was a timepiece whose two dials were stuck at twelve. On the opposite side was a picture of a short-haired blonde with features similar to the man standing beside me.


    "This is Natalie. My pride and joy," Thors beamed, and I could tell right away that he was one of those doting parents. "She''s beautiful isn''t she?"


    "Um, yeah," I answered awkwardly. I wasn''t sure how else to respond to this question.


    Thors chuckled softly. "Yeah, my girl''s a real beauty. Won''t lose to any fairy in her looks or brains."


    He cast a sidelong glance at me.


    "Well, I guess you would have a different opinion," he said. "Is that why you''re blue? You and Aurana have an argument?"


    "What?! N-no!" I blurted. "We''re not fighting..."


    I glanced back at his pocket watch. "That''s made of Leprechaun gold right? That''s how you could bring your daughter''s picture along..."


    As I said this, I wondered why I hadn''t thought about it first. It was a brilliant idea, encasing something in Leprechaun gold to bring it into the Fayne.


    Thors nodded. Then he continued walking without waiting for me.


    Once I''d caught up to him, he asked me a question. "The general told me you made a pact with Aurana to save your brother Luca... is that true?"


    "Yeah," I answered after a while. "I didn''t want him to be alone in this place..."


    Thors glanced back to the field that was tiny to us now.


    "You and I are similar then..." he whispered. "We both sacrificed ourselves to save the ones we love."


    "Um, is your daughter here in the Fayne?" I asked.


    He shook his head. "No, thank God... No..."


    Thors sighed and I could visibly see his shoulders sag.


    "Nat and her mom got into an accident a few years ago..." Thor revealed like he didn''t mind me knowing his story. He glanced at me when he said, "My wife died... but Nat... she was in a coma. Doctors didn''t think she would ever wake up."


    There was a moment of awkward silence as I found it difficult to ask a follow-up question in this kind of depressing atmosphere.


    "So~~o you sold your soul to the fairies to wake her up?" I asked in an attempt at lightheartedness.


    It wasn''t just a chuckle this time. Thors genuinely laughed and it was a jolly sound like the kind you hear during a festival.


    "I guess you''re right," Thors wiped at his eye with the back of his finger. His laughter had driven him to get teary-eyed. "Technically, I sold my soul to Darah so Nat would wake up... I''d do it again in a heartbeat."


    "Yeah... me too," I answered.


    I felt it then. The shared bond that formed between us like an invisible thread had extended out from him and connected to me. It was a warm and comforting feeling¡ªand I wondered if this was what the old soldiers spoke of when they talked about fellowship born from war.


    "Does Natalie know where you go every night, sir?" I asked.


    Thors nodded. "It''s just the two of us... I don''t want her to get blindsided in case something happens to me while I''m here."


    So he knew what I was going through, and maybe he had some sage advice to offer. It wouldn''t hurt to ask. Commander Thors was a good guy, after all.


    "Sir, I was wondering..." I began. "Does she ever ask you to take her with you?"


    "More often than I can count." Thors'' brown eyes scanned my face. "I''m sensing we''re about to hear what''s made you so moody tonight."


    I told Thors about my two friends and how they were angry with me for not bringing them along. I told him my all reasons for saying no. Even the one about me using them as my surrogate happy pills.


    "Did they hear your entire conversation with Azuma? Even the part where a hundred thousand strong army was marching against us?" he asked.


    I was happy that he didn''t reprimand me for bothering him with this teenager stuff as most adults do. He didn''t dismiss my worries either.


    "Yes," I answered. "They definitely heard that..."


    "Good job getting that intel by the way," Thors patted me on the back. "Gives us more time to prepare."


    Thors looked up at the golden moon hanging up in the sky like a giant flashlight in a canvas of stars.


    "You know in all my years in the Fayne that moon has been nothing but full... It is consistent in its desire to light our way," Thors mused.


    "Sir?" I asked, confused by his sudden shift of topic.


    "This moon," he pointed up to it. "It''s constant. Ever-present and never wavering despite the darkness surrounding it. You get it?"


    "You mean... the moon is your analogy for my friends?" my brow creased. My eyes squinted as I gazed at the moon. "They''re constant... an ever-present and unwavering..."


    Thors nodded. "You are smart, Dean... never let anyone tell you otherwise."


    I sighed. "People keep telling me that but I don''t feel like it tonight... otherwise I''d know how to fix things."


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    Thors slapped my back hard, causing me to cough and sputter.


    "Don''t sigh. Breathe it in. Smell the air and the grass and the earth... Take it all into your lungs in one big breath and expel the negativity from your body," he said. "Come on. Let''s do that."


    Like a yoga instructor, Thors directed me to stretch my hands sideways and take in a huge gulp of air, and then expel it in one breath. I did this several times while taking in the earthy scent of the ground beneath my feet.


    The smell of grass and dirt and the clean air of the Fayne floated up to my nostrils¡ªand as these sensations calmed me, I realized it was the same principle as Luca''s breathing exercise to combat his anxiety. Breathing long and deeply delivered more oxygen to my body, relaxing my frayed nerves and calming my mind.


    "Your friends didn''t run away from you after you told them the truth about the Fayne," Commander Thors said while we continued our breathing exercise. "Maybe all you need to do now is to be honest with them. Tell them your reasons... even the selfish parts. that will let them know that you trust them."


    Commander Thors'' advice was still on my mind when I woke up on my mattress. It was good advice. Now, I just needed an excuse to get Ty and Arah to talk to me again so I could explain myself.


    I sat up on my bed and checked the time. It was six in the morning on a Sunday. I might have to wait until school tomorrow to talk to them.


    My bedroom door opened. The smell of roasted coffee drifted in through the crack Aunt Lena made.


    "Are you up yet?" she asked.


    "Uhuh," I said groggily.


    "Well, get decent fast because your friends are here," she said right before she shut the door.


    I balled my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. My chest heaved. The sudden pressure of my visitors was getting to me¡ªbut then I remembered Commander Thors'' advice, and I inhaled a long breath before exhaling it.


    "Dispel the bad juju, Dean," I said to myself. "This is not a time to panic. It''s a time for action."

 38 Ainst No Mountain High Enough

    Speak the truth¡ªthat was the game plan. It was a good one, the kind that filled me up with righteous energy, giving me that extra kick I needed to take those stairs down to the first-floor in twos. In fact, I went as far as to jump those last three steps.


    With a loud thud, my sneakers banged on the landing. My imagination conjured a round of applause for my perfect jump.


    I felt light as a feather. I felt good. My mood better than It''s been since the other night. Tell the truth. That was all I needed to lift the weight of melancholy and doubt from my shoulders.


    I made my way to the kitchen where I could hear the chatter of my aunt doling out the necessary inquiries adults gave teenagers whenever they visit. Stuff like, "How''ve you been, Arah," or, "Did you gain a little weight, Ty?"


    The smell of sausage wafted out of the kitchen. It sent my stomach grumbling.


    "Sausage ¡ª tastes ¡ª great, Aunt Lena, I heard Ty say between bites.


    ''Have some more apple juice, Arah," Aunt Lena''s voice prompted.


    "Thank you, ma''am," Arah responded from inside the kitchen.


    Damn¡ªhearing Arah and Ty''s voice so close sent my confidence spiraling back down to zero.


    It felt like the heat turned up a notch. A trickle of sweat fell down my left cheek.


    I placed a hand over my chest so I could feel my rapidly increasing heartbeat. "Calm down, Dean... The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting... just speak the truth."


    It was weird how quoting Sun Tzu''s Art of War always seemed to center me like the words were some kind of talisman against a teenager''s irrationality.


    I closed my eyes and breathed in and out. In and out. In and¡ª


    "How long are you going to stand there?" Arah''s voice asked.


    I peeked through my eyelids and saw her head poking out the kitchen door.


    "Get in here," she said without so much as a hello or good morning. "We need to talk."


    Feeling like a chump, I followed Arah into the kitchen.


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    Sitting on the stool next to the marble tabletop counter in the center of the kitchen was Ty. He was gobbling up a plate of sausages.


    Aunt Lena was by the fridge by the back wall. She pulled it open and brought out a loaf of sliced bread which she dropped beside Ty''s plate.


    "Add some carbs to your meal, Ty," she said. "It''s good for you."


    Ty looked incredulously at her. "Didn''t you just say I was gaining weight?"


    "Compared to when you were all sticks and bones..." Aunt Lena gave him the once over. "This look is better for you."


    She laughed while Ty grumbled. She ruffled his hair, walked over to Arah and patted her head, then moved to me with a big fat hug.


    I pulled away from her smothering arms.


    "You''re such a hippie." I joked.


    "Ha-ha," she responded while she grabbed her purse from the side table next to the door. "Alright, you kids, I''m heading out."


    "Going on a date with your girl?" Ty asked.


    "Nah... going to spend time with my sister," Aunt Lena answered.


    Her words dropped the temperature in the room by a lot.


    This cold silence lasted the few seconds it took me to find my voice. "Want me to come along?"


    "Nah," she twirled a finger at the three of us. "You guys fix whatever it is that''s causing this tension."


    Aunt Lena gave me a meaningful look.


    "Quid agimus amicis?" she asked in Latin. The rough translation would be, "How do we treat our friends?"


    "Nos tractare, quasi cognatione illa," I answered after the second it took for my tongue to adjust to the pronunciation. My answer was basically, "We treat them like family."


    She nodded approvingly. "Work it out, guys."


    Her final words to us before she walked out the door sent the temperature right back up to uncomfortable heat.


    I sighed. It was challenging having such an observant aunt who wasn''t afraid to speak up even in the most awkward situations. She was just cool like that.


    "Sit down, Dean," Arah instructed.


    She''d taken the seat next to Ty which meant I would have to take the seat opposite them. Great, as if we needed any more reminders of the rift between us.


    I sat there with my hands on the smooth marble countertop, my fingers tapping the beat for the intro for ''Eye of the Tiger'' while I waited for one of them to speak. I was betting on Ty to break the silence¡ªand I was right.


    "Aunt Lena speaks Latin, too?" Ty asked as if he''d forgotten we weren''t speaking.


    "Yeah," I nodded. "She took the same Latin class from dad that Luca and I did..."


    "A~~and speaking Latin is necessary in the, um, other place?" Ty consciously avoided saying the F-word.


    He was probably keeping the mood light and avoided the subject that would just inflame tensions once more. I was grateful to him for that.


    "Latin and Primordial are similar... Primordial''s like the formal speech over there..." I gulped as my mouth turned dry. The scent of sizzling fried meat was getting to me.


    Ty slid his plate of sausages toward me. I took a sausage and chomped it down¡ªand for a hungry guy who spent the previous night exhausting my brain cells, the taste of a well-cooked sausage was like the ambrosia of the gods.


    After my fourth bite, I felt a chunk of meat stuck in my throat, causing me to cough.


    Arah slid her glass of apple juice toward me. I took it gratefully and gulped down the glass.


    Once I was done acting like a starved maniac, I glanced over to my two friends and wondered if them sharing the food and drink was a peace offering.


    No such luck. Arah was still frowning and Ty had his arms crossed over his belly.


    "Um, where was I?" I asked to diffuse the tension.


    "You were telling us about Latin and... Primordial," Arah said like she was urging me on.


    "Yeah, so, Primordial''s what they use most of the time for their texts and speeches. At least the formal stuff like rituals and contracts..." I was sounding like a guide at a museum who sucked at his job. This wasn''t entertaining at all. "But there are a lot of other languages... like elvish, and dwarven, and gnomish..."


    I stopped pattering on at the sight of Arah''s raised eyebrow.


    "Aura spoke English," she countered.


    Ty nodded briskly.


    "Actually, she was speaking Common," I corrected. "Which is the universal language over there that''s used for day-to-day speech."


    "Why does it sound like English then?" Arah asked, curiosity getting the best of her.


    "Well... I don''t actually know..." I answered truthfully. "I think it''s because we speak it and the, um, other place, sort of mirrors our world... at least, that''s what I think... I don''t think too much about it."


    "Why not?" It was Ty''s turn to sound intrigued.


    "Because I''ve got other things to worry about than wonder why I can understand my enemies when they''re threatening to slice off my limbs so I can''t run away while they throw me over a flame pit to cook me before they eat me," I said in one breath.


    I know, I was already getting them interested so why did I have to say something so morbid? Why did I sound so snarky?


    Honestly, it felt like the perfect opening to explain to them why going to the fayne was not the picnic they envisioned. Obviously, they didn''t really think that way and I was just being a jerk.


    I sighed, believing that I''d ruined the moment. I glanced over my two friends and saw that they were both downcast.


    Guilt racked me. My fingers scraped the marble.


    "Guys," I said.


    "Dean," Arah said.


    "Dude," Ty said.


    All three of us spoke up at the same time, and as if a dam had burst, all three of us began talking at the same time to the point where none of what we said made sense to each other.


    This prompted me to raise both hands in a gesture of, "time out!"


    My eyes darted between the two of them.


    "Please... let me say something first," I said to them.


    I could see it in the sheepish expressions on their faces. Arah and Ty were about to apologize to me for the other night. I just knew it¡ªas of the metaphorical string that connected us was strumming in a remorseful tune.


    Now, a bad guy would have let them do it. A bad guy would have let them take the fall for him. However, I wasn''t a bad guy, and I could prove that by being the bigger person. It was time to speak the truth.


    "The truth is..." I started.


    I spilled my guts out to them. All of it. From not wanting them to get hurt to not wanting to lose my connection to Mudgard, a connection that they represented. I told them how frightened I really was every time I faced off against an enemy, and how excited I felt whenever the Fayne called me away after falling asleep.


    These were things not even Luca knew, and probably feelings Aura could only sense but never heard from my mouth.


    I told Ty and Aura my secret truths because I wanted them to know that I trusted them more than anything. They were my support. They were the guys in the chairs to my Batman. They were my Alfred and my Wong and my Jarvis.


    "Um, I don''t mind being the man in the chair," Ty blurted out.


    Arah rolled her eyes at him. "The accurate term is ''people in the command chair''."


    She sent me a searching gaze as if she would glean the truth of my words in my facial expression.


    "Fine... we''ll drop wanting to go to the Fayne for now..." Arah relented. "But can we be fair and agree to discuss this option again in the future?"


    "Sure," I said quickly. Not that my mind would change on this topic but I would deal with that bridge when I had to cross it. Now, I was just hoping for reconcilliation.


    Eventually, both Arah and Ty chuckled. They glanced at each other, and together, they reached their hands out to me.


    I took them gratefully¡ªand just like that, the heavy weight that pressed down on my chest lifted. I was able to breathe calmly again. That''s just how much my two friends meant to me.


    Ty was the first to let go. He picked up the plate of sausages and grabbed a piece. Arah took another. They offered me a third.


    We pointed our sausages forward so that our three pointy ends would meet.


    "All for one, and one for all," we said in unison.


    Then we each took our sausages and chomped it down.


    "By the ¡ª way," Ty mumbled between bites. "What did you and aunt Lena talk about in latin?"


    "She asked me how we treated our friends," I said. "And I said we treat them like family..."


    This made both Ty and Arah blush.


    I laughed. A tossing of leftover sausage ensued.


    Once we were done fooling around, Arah asked, "So this war you''re going to..." she pointed at me with a lame sausage. "Let''s think up a few strategies to keep you alive."


    "Yeah," Ty answered. "You guys saw that old movie, The 300?"


    While Arah and Ty discussed the benefits of a coordinated push of a shield unit to defend a narrow path, I beamed contentedly at them.


    My friends were my friends again. All was right in the world. Well, mostly. I still had to save Luca and Help Aura with the empty throne for her brother.


    I wasn''t worried though because there ain''t no mountain high enough, ain''t no valley low enough, to keep Arah and Ty from helping me. My people in the chair were here to provide backup.

 39 The Outsider

    Making up with my friends was the best feeling in the world. Too bad fate couldn''t give me even one day to enjoy this natural high. The night after Ty, Arah, and I roleplayed the most famous line from the Three Musketeers, I learned that the war that was coming had already arrived.


    As soon as I dropped into the Fayne, Luca clued me in on the big news circling the barracks of Fort Darah.


    "A hundred-thousand-strong army just left Spellweave River Valley... It''ll enter the Calmlands in a week. They''ll take another seven days to reach the western side," Luca frowned. "You were right..."


    "Did you really doubt what Aura and I told the higher-ups?" I asked him.


    That''s when I noticed his hands shaking.


    "No..." he whispered. "But I was kind of hoping you were exaggerating... a hundred thousand just feels unreal."


    I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.


    "Luca, if we''re serious about becoming the clan''s heroes then this kind of war is exactly what we need..." I reasoned.


    "I-I know..." he answered, his eyes downcast.


    I squeezed his shoulder again. "Why do we fight, Luca?"


    Luca''s shoulders slumped when he answered, "So we can earn a wish from the clan leader... so we can go home."


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    "Don''t worry... we''ll survive..." I slapped his shoulder lightly before I pulled my hand away as I didn''t want him to notice that my own hand was shaking. "I''ll figure it out. I''ll find the best opportunity for us to make a splash while making sure we stay alive."


    Luca nodded wordlessly. He clasped his hands together to stop them from shaking. I did the same but in a more subtle way as I''d clasped my hands behind me.


    Sometimes I forgot that Luca was younger than me. He did kick butt often enough for me to believe he was made of sterner stuff. Tonight, however, he was just fourteen-year-old Luca, a kid who''d experienced too much pain and sorrow.


    I heard the rustling of leaves in the wind, and I glanced up and saw the wooden stairs wrapped around the giant sequoia-type tree that led up to the platform housing the Foolhardies'' barracks creak as heavy footsteps stomped down them.


    A minute later, Edo came into view. Behind him walked a light-footed Aura. They made their way down to the redwood platform Luca and I hung out in.


    Our platform was located a little below the halfway point of the tree''s fifty-foot height. It hugged the tree''s side like a really weird flat branch with wooden railings carved in life-like leaf patterns that really showed off how elven architecture tended to look like it was naturally formed from its surroundings. A redwood bridge with walls of geometric patterns and wooden awnings connected to another platform hanging onto a second giant sequoia. This platform was also connected to a third tree''s platform further away, and that platform also connected to another tree, and so on.


    Essentially, Fort Darah was a gigantic tree fort that rested on the limbs of dozens of gigantic redwoods in a forest only a day''s travel from the western entrance of the Calmlands.


    Aura walked over to me and showed me an obsidian orb wrapped in her hand. It was half the size of a regular basketball.


    "Whoa... did you get me an anchor?" I asked.


    Aura nodded. "Complements of Great General Darah... she says all hundred-man commanders are provided one right before the start of a large conflict."


    I took the orb from her and hefted it in my hand. It was cold to touch and almost as light as a feather¡ªas if it would fly away if I didn''t grip it tightly enough.


    "It''s like a balloon," I observed.


    "It won''t be for long," Aura offered me a needle. "Prick your hand on this and drop your blood onto the anchor''s surface."


    It sounded pretty morbid but I did as she asked. There was a lingering sting after I pierced my left hand''s forefinger with the needle. A bead of blood trailed down the wound and onto my palm which I rubbed onto the orb.


    Immediately afterward, the anchor increased in weight until it felt like I was holding onto a bowling ball which I nearly dropped in surprised.


    "Dean... careful," Luca admonished.


    "I''ll take it," Edo impatiently gestured for me to give up the orb with the twirl of his fingers. "Wimp."


    There was a grin growing on his face when he said this, and if I didn''t know any better, I''d say Edo was finally warming up to me.


    He took the orb from my hands like it weighed nothing on the wide palm of his own hand. Then he dropped it into the bag of holding we''d gotten from Kallista.


    It left me wondering loudly what would happen if I appeared inside the bag''s dimensional space.


    Edo responded with, "I''ll be sure to take it out before sundown, boss."


    Somehow, I wasn''t convinced as I felt no sincerity in the way he called me boss.


    "Now we can march without worrying about leaving you behind," Aura explained happily. "So... shall we get to training? There''s a war to prepare for."


    Aura''s enthusiasm didn''t spread to the rest of us. The depressing atmosphere was even more apparent with the rest of the unit who had all heard about the threat heading our way. Qwipps, in particular, was shameless in his whining.


    "That''s what I get for fighting alongside a human... death and more death," he sighed.


    Thom, who was standing beside him, tried comforting him with, "Well, if we are overwhelmed by the enemy, chances are they''ll want to kill our commander first," he winked at me as he said this, "so you''ll have time to flee while they dismember him limb from limb, Daggerby."


    Qwipps seemed to brighten up at this thought which annoyed Varda who had been standing in front of them. She punched him in the gut for earning her displeasure.


    "Sorry, Commander," Varda said brightly when she glanced back at me. "I''ll whip this lousy pixie into shape for you."


    Seeing Qwipps double over in pain caused by the punch of someone a third his size was a happy memory for me, almost as much as my time with my friends back on Mudgard. In fact, it was the memory I chose to replay in my mind''s eye while I stood at attention behind Commander thors outside the Patriarch''s Hall five days later.


    Thors, who was standing behind Great General Varda like he usually did, glanced back at me so we could continue our conversation from the extremely long centaur ride back to the seat of the Trickster Pavilion''s power, The city of Sh?rleden, well hidden in the foothills of the Bloodsword Mountain.


    "So they forgave you after you told them the truth?" he asked.


    I beamed at him. "Yeah... it was as easy as you said it would be."


    Thors and I traded side slaps from behind Darah who was irked by having to wait outside the great hall. She had to be announced first before she could go in, and this was taking a while.


    Darah looked over to me and Thors.


    "You two are getting too chummy," she reproached us. "Dean, fix your collar."


    I fixed the collar of my sleeveless leather coat. Underneath it, I wore a new steel chainmail shirt. It gleamed with a blue steel tone that matched the electrum breastplate over my chest.


    "Sorry, ma''am," I said without adding in any honorifics.


    In the last two months of training directly under her, I''d learned to be less formal with the great general who always seemed to enjoy making me work harder than most. She explained it was to help me grow into a fine leader but I think a part of her just liked watching me suffer.


    "See, Roger?" she gave him an incensed look. "Give the boy a carrot and it''s like he''s forgotten the feel of the whip... whatever shall I do with such a cheeky subordinate?"


    "Didn''t you bring me along to spy on your rivals for you?" I reminded her.


    Darah glanced sideways to ensure none of the elven attendants were listening in on us. Once she was certain everyone was minding their own business¡ªas if anyone had the courage to spy on such a dominating presence like hers¡ªshe gestured for me to come closer with her hand.


    "You aren''t here to spy, you''re here to observe, Dean," Darah explained. "I want you to see first hand the wall you seek to smash through in your insistence to assist my niece."


    "Wait... are you saying that there are people here who don''t want us to succeed?" I asked.


    It made sense if the Fayne was anything like Mudgard''s politics where everything and anyone was up for sale. But I thought better of fairies. Stupid me.


    Darah nodded. "The allure of power can be very tempting... very dangerous for those unfit to wield it. This will be your opportunity to watch and listen."


    Darah placed her hands on her hips.


    "If you learn to use your brain for more than your usual witlessness then perhaps you''ll even learn something," she laughed. "What do you think, Roger?"


    Commander Thors glanced over to the wooden double doors with their geometric leaf patterns. "He''ll have his work cut out for him. There are a lot of tricksters behind those doors."


    "Indeed," Darah instinctively wrapped her hand around her golden sword hilt. She spared me one final glance. "Remember, Dean. To many of the fools inside this hall, you are an outsider. They will not care that you are present. This gives you power over them. Use it wisely."


    I nodded thoughtfully. Darah was giving me a chance to catch a glimpse at the internal politics of the clan I served. I wouldn''t let it go to waste.


    "It''s time," Thors said, nodding over to the attendant who was gazing nervously at the she-elf Great General.


    The massive oak double doors swung outward slowly, and the hall within came into view.


    "Marshall of the East, Great General Darah, enters," the attendant announced.

 40 All the Kings Men

    My first impression of the great hall I followed Darah and Thors into was of a rich interior space hollowed out of several massive trees. It smelled of trees too. To me, it was the rich scent of fresh pines on a winter morning that floated inside the hall.


    The wooden walls were curved and gave off the impression of expanding space. Arched windows appeared in intervals along the walls like entryways. The floors were half a dozen interconnected circular platforms of varying heights with the one at the end being the highest. It was maybe three or four feet off the ground. On this dais was an unadorned highback chair carved out of a tree stump. Behind this chair was a large round window that looked out into a city of wooden halls and trees surrounded by waterfalls on one side and a cliff wall on the other.


    On the second circular platform from the dais was a round table. Around this table sat four individuals. Standing at attention behind them stood fairies of varying races who I assumed were their aids.


    Darah strode into the hall and claimed the empty wooden seat at the three o''clock position of the table. Thors and I stood behind her¡ªand while he looked the part of a bodyguard, I was a scrawny kid who felt like I didn''t belong among the clan''s top brass.


    "You''re late again," said the black-haired dwarf seated on the north side of the table.


    "Not all of us live safely within the borders of clan territory, Grimthorn," Darah countered. "Some of us actually have to fight for a living."


    Grimthorn, or I should say, Great General Bron Grimthorn, scowled at Darah. She responded to him with a mocking smile of her own.


    The fairy sitting on the seat opposite Grimthorn laughed.


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    "You''re both still so petty," she said in a sing-song voice typical of female pixies.


    Great General Lavinia Folkor tapped long, thin fingers on the wooden surface of the round table. Her eyes glanced over to the empty seat on the dais.


    "That damn cripple is making us wait again," she laughed.


    "I see you''re as callous as ever, Lavinia," Darah said in a harsh tone.


    Folkor''s eyes¡ªone red, the other violet¡ªdarted toward Darah and narrowed quickly as they looked upon her face. "It''s always a pleasure to see you, Darah..."


    The icy stare she sent Darah made her warm greeting rather hollow. For her part, Darah just sent the mocking smile she''d given Grimthorn to Folkor.


    "Why is it that when we bring you four together you''re always at each other''s throats?" asked the gnome sitting between Darah and Grimthorn.


    I knew who he was because I''d met him the first time Aura brought me to see her brother. He was Orryn Timbers, Chancellor of the Sun, and one of the two clan elders who visited Luca the night he was born.


    "Four," Darah raised an eyebrow at him. "I only see three of us here."


    All gazes traveled to the empty seat opposite Darah''s, the one that belonged to the Marshal of the West.


    "Great General Garm cannot make tonight''s council meeting as he is busy in his campaign against the Sunspire Clan in the Westmarch," said the tall, green-skinned male sitting between the empty seat and Folkor. "He sends his greetings to his fellow Great Generals and his apologies to the current Patriarch."


    My hands clenched into fists as I looked upon him.


    Even seated, he was tall and bowed like a wizened grandfatherly figure. Yet the leanness of his form¡ªdespite being hidden behind the midnight blue robe of a Chancellor¡ªbetrayed any impression of fragility. The cruel looking face, with its emerald eyes darting from one general to the next, was a calculating one¡ªas if he viewed the people around him like enemy chess pieces to be gobbled up.


    Compared to Chancellor Orryn, Kairon, the Chancellor of the Moon, was a true wolf in sheep''s clothing. He was also the elder responsible for acquiring new clan slaves through his methods of selection and abduction.


    Enmity flowed out of me in waves that would have caught the attention of everyone at that table and those around them if Thors hadn''t noticed it first and gripped hard on my shoulder to calm me.


    Darah glanced back at me for only a moment before her gaze returned to the others.


    "What else is new?" Darah asked Kairon. "I haven''t seen him in a council meeting since he lost the succession."


    "Perhaps he''s just tired of looking at your arrogant face, Darah," Grimthorn growled.


    Although he was smaller in stature, the Great General was unintimidated by Darah which was something I thought impossible. I just assumed Darah intimidated everyone.


    To be honest, Great General Grimthorn in his full-plate armor dyed in the Trickster Pavilion''s midnight blue colors was plenty intimidating himself. I wasn''t entirely sure if it was the scowling face with his deep blue eyes, big button nose, and braided beard or the battle-ax leaning on the side of his chair that made him look bigger than his actual size.


    "If this is how the night''s going to go... I''d rather find a nice young fairy to romp with." Great General Folkor rose from her seat and combed through her long red locks with a hand. "Besides, it seems the cripple is too sick to see us..."


    "We are gathered here tonight to discuss the incoming invasion of the Magesong Clan on our eastern border, Lavinia... So, please, kindly sit your ass back on the chair," Chancellor Orryn instructed. "And maybe show a little more respect to the clan Patriarch while you''re at it."


    Orryn waited for Folkor to sit before he glared at the rest of the participants around the table.


    "The succession has been decided. Auranos Trickhaven is Patriarch of the Trickster Pavilion, Lord of Sh?rleden, and protector of the realm," he spoke with an authoritative voice that belied his small stature. "I trust you all remember this as each of you swore allegiance to him during the ceremony."


    His glare didn''t end with Folkor, although it stayed their longest. No, I noticed that his final glare was reserved for his fellow Chancellor who was looking back at him with something akin to mild contempt. It was the same look I''d give an annoying fly that buzzed around my head for too long.


    "Well, where is he then?" the pixie shot back at Orryn. "If he''s our glorious leader then why isn''t he here?"


    As if right on cue, it was then that we heard the soft coughing fit coming from the entryway to the side of the dais. When we all turned to look in that direction, we were greeted by the arrival of the clan Patriarch, his sister, and her bodyguard.


    From what I knew of his story, at least the parts Aura was willing to share with me, Auranos Trickhaven was the lone survivor of an assassination attempt on his family. His father, two elder brothers, and elder sister were all dead¡ªkilled by the same deadly poison that disfigured his body. The other exception was Aura, but that was because she wasn''t present during the attack¡ªand I suspect this was around the time she was training to be a shieldmaiden.


    Auranos didn''t die from the deadly poison the way the rest of the Trickhavens did. However, he was far from what I''d call a healthy elf. In fact, he was the opposite of the beautiful elf maiden standing beside him, projecting vitality in a way her brother obviously wasn''t.


    Aura, or Aurana as she was known among the elders, wore a simple blue dress that hugged her form. It was an off-shoulder dress that flowed down past her ankles like a waterfall. Her face was as beautiful as I remember it. Except she wasn''t smiling like she usually was when she was with us.


    What shocked me most, however, was the long golden hair trailing behind her that ended in near-perfect curls. I would certainly need to find out how she pulled this trick.


    Obviously, this was her attempt to keep others unaware that she was, in fact, the same shoulder-length, mask-wearing elf magician who fought alongside the Foolhardies. As if Edo''s presence in the unit wasn''t a dead giveaway already.


    The hooded figure in his heavy blue robes in golden leaf designs limped to his wooden throne with the help of his sister guiding him along. After he sat on it, he gazed out at his guests through the slits of his full golden mask while his gloved hand still held onto Aura''s as she took her place standing to the left of the throne.


    Yes, he wasn''t a healthy elf at all, and yet, the voice that projected out of the mask was strong and steady¡ªexactly what I believed a leader''s voice should sound like.


    "I apologize for my tardiness, my friends... The poison still coursing through my veins sometimes takes its toll on me..." he said. Then he coughed. "Well, shall we get started on this council... Tell me, how shall we go to war?"

 41 War Machine

    "If you will allow me this small interruption, Lord Patriarch," Chancellor Orryn bowed his silver curly-haired head to his master. Then he turned to face the people behind Great General Folkor. "You there, if you think we are not monitoring the use of fairy gifts during this council meeting then your master has not trained to you well enough..."


    He pointed a stubby finger at one of Folkor''s two aids, an Asian looking human girl with straight black hair and a nose ring on her right nostril. She was probably a visere like me because slaves were not permitted in this hall which is why I had to leave Luca behind at the barracks.


    "Lavinia... you should know better than to task your followers into spying on your fellow council members," Orryn reproached.


    Great General Folkor''s response was quick. She rose from her chair and slapped the girl in the face. "Stupid, stupid girl... I didn''t ask you to do this, did I?"


    Folkor spoke in a sing-song voice that was more playful than angry.


    The girl shook her head in response. Her eyes were wide with fear right before she lowered her head in apology.


    Of course, no one believed Folkor''s lie. We all knew she probably had asked her visere to use her fairy gift during the council meeting. For what purpose, I could only guess.


    I looked around the table and saw that both Grimthorn and Kairon also had viseres in their entourage. And a glance over at Orryn''s back revealed that there was a human boy¡ªsmaller and younger than me¡ªamong his three aids.


    It seems they all had the idea that Darah had for me which meant all these viseres gathered in this hall had fairy gifts similar to mine. Probably not Fool''s Insight as I was told it was a very rare gift, but the others were most likely harboring similar sense-type skills as well.


    Folkor slapped her aid again. This time on the other cheek.


    "I hope you don''t embarrass me anymore," Folkor laughed after she said this. It was like several bells were chiming in unison.


    She twirled around like a dancer would have done and returned to her seat, leaving the poor visere with her cheeks red and raw.


    I felt sorry for the girl, but her misstep was a lucky coincidence for me because I nearly activated Fool''s Insight myself before Chancellor Orryn caught her. Otherwise, I might have been the one getting the reprimand¡ªand Darah''s punch would have hurt a lot more.


    The other viseres were also looking around at each other with wary eyes. I doubt any of them would start using their gifts now. It was clever of Orryn to nip the internal spying in the bud before the matter of the upcoming war was discussed.


    My eyes caught Aura''s pointed gaze.


    She sent me an almost imperceptible shake of the head which I translated as "don''t do anything rash."


    I responded with an equally short nod of my head which I hoped she understood meant, "Duh, I don''t want to get hit by your monster of an aunt."


    "I hope that satisfies you, Lord Orryn," Folkor said, her voice forcing my gaze away from my partner and back to the fairies around the table.


    She smiled at the gnome, but I could tell there was no warmth in it. It seemed to me like all these council members really didn''t like each other.


    Orryn shook his head, and I could tell that he thought Folkor''s show was nothing more than that, a show. Then he turned to face the patriarch and bowed a second time. "I apologize for the rude showing, my lord."


    The patriarch had watched all this without moving. Not even a cough escaped his lips. Wordlessly, he waved a gloved hand for Orryn to continue.


    With his master''s approval, Orryn produced a three-inch wooden stick from his breast pocket. He tapped the end of this stick onto the round table.


    Golden sparks, like a sparkler coming to life, shot out from the end of what I believed was a magician''s wand.


    The round table vibrated, slowly at first. then it increased in intensity that ended once the silver patterns crisscrossing across its surface erupted upward into a silver-like watery substance¡ªwhich I knew from past experience was fairy dust.


    As was its way, the fairy dust came together in a swirling round mass that floated a few inches above the table surface before spreading out into a series of tiny shapes that I instantly recognized as sprawling silver forests and mountains¡ªand very quickly, the eastern outlying territories of the Trickster Pavilion appeared before us in sharply defined silver shades.


    My feet shuffled forward and I inched closer to this floating map so I could study it more easily.


    The floating virtual model showed the hill my Foolhardies conquered at the dead center of the map. Fort Darah was at its westernmost edge. On the right side of the map were wide flatlands, clusters of low hills, and small patches of forest. This was the western end of the Calmlands.


    Orryn tapped on the floating map and a tiny silver army with tiny soldiers and tiny instruments of war appeared on the easternmost edge of the map. There were pegasi riders soaring in the skies above the army. Trebuchets and catapults lumbered across the field. These minuscule details were so lifelike that I swear that I even saw one hobgoblin soldier stretch its arms and yawn.


    "As you can see, the Magsong Clan has sent a great host to reclaim the Western Calmlands from our grasp..." Orryn raised his short right arm to my hilltop. "I have also learned from my little sprites that they won''t stop at reclaiming the hilltop we took from them, but with the reclaimed mana resource, they''ll push further west into the Pavilion''s interior."


    "Is there a specific target?" Darah asked.


    Orryn shook his head. "It is unclear. However, I assume they are targeting the many deposits of natural resources in the region. If I had a guess..."


    He pointed his wand at a series of low hills a few miles north of Forth Darah. "The Mythril Mines of the Dawntreader family would be a worthy trophy."


    Next, Orryn pointed just south of Fort Darah. "The great Redwood Forest produces much of our steelbark deposits... and there is the Fairy Fort hidden at its center."


    Lastly, Orryn pointed to the southwest where a bustling town could be found.


    "Clown Town is also a viable destination... it is the top trading post in this region with a direct connection to Broken Sellsword''s Canyon," Orryn finished.


    Grimthorn rose from his seat and slammed his fist on the table. "These outlying territories ensure the growth of the inner regions... we cannot allow the Magesong clan a hold here."


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    Folkor raised a hand. "This area is Darah''s responsibility... why not have her handle this... unless," Folkor glanced at Darah, "you can''t handle it yourself?"


    Darah''s smile didn''t waver when she crossed her arms. "It seems I must remind the Marshal of the South that the last time our armies had a joint training exercise, Roger," She nodded toward Commander Thors, "wiped the ground with your soldiers."


    Folkor''s scowl was much more intense now. It was a glower that promised pain if the option was available.


    "Humph... you''re too proud of your knights, Darah," Grimthorn growled. "Your force of forty thousand doesn''t have the numbers to repel this invasion. Not even with the Iron Fist leading the charge."


    "I''m afraid I must agree with our friend, Bron, here," Orryn added quickly so that Darah wouldn''t have a chance to fire back at the dwarf.


    Grimthorn stroked his braided black beard like a villain in a cartoon show. "I''ll lead my army east and we can battle the Magesong together."


    "Absolutely not," Darah''s face didn''t lose the arrogant smirk despite the tone of her voice. "You cannot leave the central region, Grimthorn. Sh?rleden and the other central cities cannot be left defenseless from other threats."


    As she said this, Darah''s eyes gazed at the empty seat opposite her.


    Orryn followed her gaze, and looking like he understood, sighed. "Yes, the Marshal of the North cannot march eastward."


    I wasn''t entirely sure why the two of them seemed so wary of the general who hadn''t arrived for the debate. I would have to ask Darah later about this.


    "Humph," Grimthorn thumped onto his seat, his metal armor clanging heavily on the wooden surface of his chair. He sent an annoyed glance at the empty seat, and then shifted his gaze to the Patriarch. "I''m getting bored of playing watchdog."


    There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before Orryn cleared his throat to continue with the planning.


    "We''ll send out a recruitment call in the central and eastern regions to bolster your forces with new enlisted fairies and viseres," Orryn advised. "I believe we can gather at least fifty thousand soldiers even with the short time we have before our enemies arrive."


    "Yes, we''ll have a week to gather soldiers and another five days to get here," Darah pointed to a group of hills further east from my hilltop. "These hills are a natural gate that we can use to put a stop to the enemy advance.


    "Might I offer an alternative plan," Kairon had a long and muscular arm raised. "A solution that might allow us to prevent this conflict from even happening."


    All eyes turned to him.


    Kairon pointed to my hill. "We have no dire need for this mana pool. If we offer it back to the Magesong Clan as a sign of good faith, perhaps we can negotiate a truce that will benefit the clan in future days."


    His eyes were trained on the Patriarch. His voice was a sickly sweet honeyed voice that grated on my mind like it was trying to force its way in.


    Auranos'' response to this was a coughing fit that sounded like his lungs were about to burst out of him. When he was done, he had one hand holding onto Aura''s hand while his other hand gripped hard on the armrest of his chair.


    His voice when he spoke was weaker but it had more fire in it than the previous time he spoke. "You would have us give up claim to a place our people sacrificed their lives to take in our name?"


    He glanced in my direction. It was only a moment, but I saw the empathy in his eyes slightly hidden by the slits of his mask. I assumed Aura had told him about the challenge of claiming and defending that hilltop.


    "Why should we capitulate to the Magesong clan before the horns of war have yet to sound?" His hand clenched harder on the edge of the armrest. "What do we have to fear from them? Are we not equal in standing?"


    "It is not the Magesong Clan I am wary of angering, Lord Patriarch," Kairon bowed his head respectfully at his boss. "However, they have a strong benefactor... and we do not wish to antagonize them when we aren''t prepared to challenge them yet..."


    Each of the three Great Generals responded to Kairon''s remark with angry words.


    "You''re getting old, Lord Kairon," Folkor hissed. "Why would we cower over some rabble like the Scarlet Moon?"


    "Humph, let them come!" With an audible banging, Grimthorn slammed his fist on the table once more. "By the stones, there isn''t a dwarf in this clan who wouldn''t jump at the chance to sever beardless Scarlet Moon heads from their necks!"


    "I didn''t think I would hear such craven words from you, Kairon..." Darah had lost the smile she''d sported since sitting on the table. The tone of her voice was venomous. "Have you forgotten that we began taking Magesong clan territory for the exact purpose of antagonizing and drawing out their hidden masters."


    "I am no coward... I simply think that war should always be the last resort. Not the first thing we jump into without discussing another option..." Kairon glared at all three military leaders before he addressed the Patriarch once more. "This insistence to wage war with the Scarlet Moon and its allies does not benefit the Trickster Pavilion. We must build bridges and look to the future."


    "There can be no future for our clan if the Scarlet Moon isn''t dealt with," Orryn argued. "How many times have we sued for peace and they''ve ignored it. How much blood did they spill the last time they tricked us?"


    "The road to peace is bloody and full of compromise, Orryn," Kairon countered.


    "On that, we agree, my friend," Orryn shot back.


    "The Scarlet Moon is five times the size of the Trickster Pavilion... to challenge them is to court death," Kairon shot back.


    "Then we shall court death," Auranos answered. His voice was even weaker than before. "Orryn is right. There is no future for our clan unless we end the threat of the Scarlet Moon... and their allies..."


    Seeing that the Patriarch would not be persuaded by him, Kairon bowed his head in surrender.


    Honestly, I think the only thing he accomplished with his suggestion was to unite the bickering group sitting around the table. After all, it seemed like everyone hated the Scarlet Moon way more than their own petty quarrels. And if this was Kairon''s intent then he was a mad genius, but somehow I doubt that as I could see him scowling in his seat.


    "So... Great General Darah will take charge of the army that will be bolstered by recruits from across the inner and eastern regions. She will repel the Magesong Clan''s forces from our lands," Orryn announced. "Are we all agreed?"


    There was begrudging consent from the other two generals. Kairon nodded wordlessly.


    "Very well," Orryn rose from his seat and straightened his ruffled coat by the hem. Once he was more presentable, he walked over to the dais. "Will you give Great General Darah your Fool''s Blessing, Lord Patriarch?"


    Auranos nodded wordlessly before motioning his aunt to approach with his hand.


    Great General Darah rose from her seat. She made her way to her nephew and knelt in front of his throne.


    "I am Sh?rleden..." He removed his left glove and revealed an emaciated hand with cracked fingernails and blackened veins across the surface of the skin. "And you are my swift and terrible sword... My great will and power made manifest... and my enemies will quake in fear at your coming... for they will know death has arrived."


    His palm emitted a soft silver light that pulsed like a slow beating heart. In contrast, the giant light-emitting gemstone chandeliers lined above us seemed to dim with each pulse of Auranos'' hand.


    "Go and lead our people to victory and glory," he whispered, and immediately afterward, he slumped in his chair wheezing for breath.

 42 Sense and Sensibility

    After giving Darah his blessing seemingly caused him pain, Auranos Trickhaven was whisked away by his sister with the help of her bodyguard. They half-carried him through the side door he''d entered from and vanished into whatever lay beyond.


    No one had moved until he was gone but the reactions to his abrupt departure were a mixed bag. Both Grimthorn and Folkor were visibly annoyed, although neither of them scowled angrily at the side door as Kairon did.


    The Chancellor of the Moon rose from his seat in a huff and stormed out of the hall in a really bad mood. His three aids shuffled in his wake looking as livid as their boss.


    I watched them go while thinking I needed to stay clear from that crowd. Even without using Fool''s Insight, I knew they were trouble. In fact, I could smell crazy coming off them.


    Orryn just scratched his curly-haired head and sighed. He tapped on Darah''s shoulder and then walked over to the side door to follow the Patriarch''s group. However, before he vanished completely through it, he looked over to me and gestured for me to join him.


    I looked puzzledly at him and then pointed to myself for clarification. This earned me an eye roll from Chancellor Orryn.


    "I was told you had a brain, boy... perhaps that''s been exaggerated as much as your recent exploits I''ve heard so much about," he said.


    As if in response to his mocking tone, an audible chuckling could be heard from the one person who hadn''t moved since the Patriarch''s departure. After her fit of giggles subsided, Darah, who''d been kneeling this whole time, finally rose and looked over to where Commander Thors and I stood.


    "Come along, boys," she ordered. Then she followed Orryn who''d already gone through the side door.


    Commander Thors nudged me forward. "Come on. We don''t want to keep those two waiting."


    Darah and Orryn were already far into the passage by the time Thors and I walked through the arch of the side door. We found ourselves in a high-ceilinged hallway with curved walls similar to the hall we''d just vacated. Above us, a canopy of tree limbs and leaves served as a roof for what felt like a five-minute walk. The passage was that long.


    When we finally exited on the other side, we arrived in an enclosed garden surrounded by walkways on each side. I think this place was called a cloister, but it was unlike any cloister back on Mudgard.


    The flowers growing on the green shrubs were of a size and color you''d be hard-pressed to find back home. They were huge and too bright like their contrast had been dialed up to max. Even the grass looked like something you''d see on an Instagram post, almost like a landscape photo that had been edited to perfection.


    However, it was the smell that really showed off the beauty around me. The pleasing scent of a dozen flowers and herbs like lavender and thyme and peppermint and rose floated all around me¡ªand even more amazing was how each scent didn''t overpower the other. Instead, they melded into each other and produced a strangely calming effect on me.


    At the center of this perfect scenery was a wooden gazebo fashioned to look like four white trees bending at the center so that their branches were a roof for the people inside it.


    To the right side of the gazebo stood Darah and Orryn who were paying their respects to the clan Patriarch while he rested on a plush antique lounge chair. On his left stood Aura.


    I just stood there and looked at her. Her hair was back to that shoulder-length blonde I''d gotten used to. Although the smile she had when she was with the Foolhardies was still out of sight. It had been replaced by the worry on her face as she looked down at Auranos.


    I''m not sure how long I stood there, but Thors had already gone ahead when someone shoved me from behind and broke my daze. When I turned around to see who did it, I found the stoic face of Edo looking down at me.


    "Stare at her any harder and I''ll poke your eyes out, kid," he said in a non-threatening way.


    "Is that any way to talk to your Commander?" I countered jokingly.


    Edo snorted. "Tell you what, Dean... you make sure Aura survives the coming war and I''ll sing your praises until the golden moon loses its luster."


    It was just like Edo to take a swing at my penchant for semi-reckless ideas while reminding me what I would be putting at stake if things turned for the worse.


    I nodded. "I hear you loud and clear, big guy..."


    An unwritten agreement formed between us then. Whatever happened, we would make sure Aura survived.


    I waved goodbye to my fellow soldier and made my way over to the gazebo where expectant eyes watched for my approach. When I arrived just outside it, I followed the rules as I was taught them back in the beginning. I knelt and gave my greetings to the Patriarch.


    "This visere of Lady Aurana greets the Patriarch of the Trickster Pavilion," I said.


    "Ah... I remember you. Aurana brought you to me only a short while ago..." the Patriarch''s voice was almost a whisper. "I understand you are instrumental in our victory over the Clamlands."


    I raised my head and looked into the Patriarch''s face.


    The golden mask that covered his face had the shape and features of an elf. Even the nose was long and pointed. the eyes hiding behind the slits were of a darker blue than Aura''s and was as deep as staring into depths of the sea.


    "Rise, Dean... and come closer," the Patriarch whispered.


    I did as he asked, and when I got close enough, he held onto my arm and pulled himself into a sitting position.


    Both Orryn and Darah moved to assist him but he held them back with a wave of his other hand. As if to say he wasn''t so weak he needed three people to help him sit upright.


    "My sister has regailed me with your recent exploits.. your victory in the Western Calmlands and your conquering of a lost drow clan..." Although his voice was still weak, Auranos'' tone was more at ease now.


    I glanced over to Aura who just shrugged at me.


    It seemed she was the culprit who, as Orryn put it, exaggerated my achievements. Sure, I did win the hilltop but I''d gotten too many of my soldiers killed and almost died myself. As for conquering a lost drow clan, well, that would be the loosest definition of what really happened.


    All I could do was shrug at Auranos which in hindsight might have been rude to royalty, but he didn''t seem to mind.


    "When Aurana told me she was returning to Mudgard to recruit a talented human... I was skeptical," Auranos admitted. "And when I saw you, how much smaller you were than your own younger brother... Well, I did not believe you would be useful..."


    No one but Aura must have noticed the momentary flash of anger that flitted between my eyes at hearing someone call me small. It wasn''t my fault Luca was so damn tall for a fourteen-year-old.


    Luckily, Auranos continued speaking like he hadn''t noticed my frustration.


    "But then I gave you a fairy blessing and the power that awoke in you... and I knew my sister was right..." Auranos managed to say all this before a coughing fit racked his body.


    Aura went to him and helped him take a sip from the crystal goblet on the small table beside his chair. Whatever was inside eased his breathing a little.


    I smelled the sweet, spicy-hot fragrance of a healing potion wafting out of the goblet as Aura placed it back on the table.


    After a short time had passed, I asked the question lodged in my brain, "What do you mean when you said your sister was right?"


    It was Orryn who answered. "The Patriarch speaks of your fairy gift... Including yourself, I can count the number of viseres in the last three hundred years who''ve gained the power of insight with the fingers of one hand."


    For effect, Orryn raised his stubby left hand and showed me the number five.


    "One perished during the fracturing of the moon clan," Orryn began.


    "After he caused it in the first place," Darah commented.


    "Well, yes," Orryn agreed. "The other three are still alive."


    "One sits as an Inquisitor of the Order of Justiciar... Unofficially the most powerful of the neutral clans," Commander Thors revealed. "They act as are arbitrators in other clan conflicts.


    "Pray you never meet them as an enemy for they are relentless in the pursuit of their justice," Darah warned.


    "Another one rules over the Starfall Clan as its Lord of Stars," Orryn continued. "Can you imagine, a human ruling over fairies... how absurd..."


    The silence that arrived after his words was deafening. Of course, everyone was looking at me, and in my head, I wondered if they thought I would one day try to seize power in the clan. Ha! As if I''d bother. Nope. I just wanted to save Luca and fulfill my bargain with Aura. I didn''t want any more responsibility, thank you very much.


    "And the last one?" I asked just so I could change the mood. I didn''t realize my question would sour things even more.


    "We do not speak of him less the whisper of his name reach his ears and he turns his thoughts onto us before we are ready," Auranos answered after a while.


    "What Auranos is getting at, Dean," Darah draped her armored hand on my shoulder. "Is that not all those gifted with insight necessarily have eyes like yours. There is more than one way to sense the world around us, isn''t there?"


    The implications of the bomb Darah and the others dropped on me sent a chill down my spine. I felt like the only loser in a family of five super siblings. Geez, and I already had Luca to contend with. Now there were four other sense guys running around accomplishing tasks I couldn''t even imagine.


    Aura must have sensed my distress as she came over and smacked me lightly on the shoulder.


    "This changes nothing," she said encouragingly. "Our goal was always going to be a challenging one... and now you have a measure of what''s necessary."


    "My sister is right," Auranos slumped even lower on his chair like he was getting ready to lie back. "Continue to distinguish yourself in service as you have already begun and use the upcoming war to learn all you can from my aunt."


    "That won''t be easy... This boy''s a stubborn brat. I doubt he could learn more than a tenth of what I''m willing to teach him," Darah increased the weight of her arm on my shoulder, forcing my back to bend. "Besides, our next opponent won''t be as easy as that Azuma you and Roger are so enamored about..."


    Darah''s smile reversed into a scowl. Her eyes narrowed. The thought of the enemy general was obviously pissing her off.


    "Ardan Spellweaver is a Great General who has accomplished as much as our four Great Generals... Maybe more," Orryn brooded. "After all, while there are four of you here, Darah, he alone ensures the security of his clan..."


    "Four..." Darah''s eyebrow arched when she turned on Orryn. "I count only three we can rely on, Orryn. Don''t make the mistake of thinking we can trust Garm to watch our backs..."


    "Humph," Orryn crossed his short arms over his chest. "I''m no fool. I''d trust Garm to guard my flank as much as I''d feed myself to a baby dragon..."


    Despite the debate that sparked between Orryn and Darah over the one Great General I hadn''t met yet, I noticed that Auranos'' eyes were fixed on me.


    "You don''t need to worry about anything other than what is in front of you, Dean..." he said.


    He spoke over his aunt and advisor to tell me this.


    Little by little... your achievements will pile up one after another until your name resounds across all the Fayne... that is the fate of those blessed with great senses... and perhaps then, you will have achieved your dreams..." Auranos whispered.


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    His head drooped into his pillow. Sleep was taking him.


    Auranos and Aura were right. Helping their family claim the empty throne and claiming a wish that could save Luca from the curse of slavery was always going to be a ginormous job. However, just like Yoda told Luke in that really old Star Wars movie, There was no try, only do.

 43 Danger Close

    After the council meeting in Sh?rleden, the Trickster Pavilion''s preparations for the conflict in the Calmlands began in earnest. The first step was the recruitment of troops and the gathering of supplies that could support a large army that would rival the great host we were going to war against.


    Chancellor Orryn did an amazing job at getting things done.


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    By week''s end, there were forty-five thousand soldiers gathering in hastily made camps on the green training field outside Fort Darah''s Redwood Forest. A large number of centaur wagons filled to the brim with rations and other equipment arrived at the same time as the new soldiers.


    This made me glad that the Chancellor of the Moon was loyal to House Trickhaven. It also got me thinking that the Foolhardies would need a human resources guy in the future so I wouldn''t have to bother with recruiting good soldiers.


    Now, as I wasn''t part of the logistics team, I thought I''d have some free time to get the Foolhardies into shape, but Darah had other plans for me. So, while Aura and Luca continued the training exercises with our soldiers, I had been tasked with memorizing the terrain of the region we were likely to battle in.


    This is why on the afternoon before the gongs of war would finally sound, I was sitting on my bed reading up on the homework Darah gave me. Luckily, I had two extra sets of eyes helping me out.


    "This spot here should be a good place to set up an ambush," Arah pointed to another x-mark we''d placed in the rough map I was able to recreate from memory of the Calmlands hill region. "You''ll want to let them pass you until you see the rear and then¡ª"


    "Tighten that noose and choke the life out of them," Ty finished.


    Ty and Arah were sitting on my bed with me. The three of us were looking over the map that was now covered in notes and cheese stains.


    "You''re right, Dean," Arah had a finger tracing a line I''d jotted down yesterday afternoon about a likely supply route the enemy would use to get supplies to the front from their probable rear position. "It''s deep enough that they''ll feel safe... ambushing them here will definitely get results."


    Arah looked pointedly at me.


    "But it has to be a quick in-and-out. A snatch and run play," Arah suggested.


    I nodded. "Yeah, we spend too much time there and we''re likely to get surrounded..."


    Ty tapped a finger on his forehead. "These two hills between the supply path are pretty steep so as long as you can climb up fast enough, it''ll be hard to be pursued..."


    He glanced up at me.


    "Man, you got lucky when you recruited those drow gliders... they''re like your personal spy drones," Ty said grinning.


    We bumped fists, switched to side slaps, and ended with a handshake.


    "Boys..." The tone of Arah''s voice was gloomy. "It''s time... sundown''s here."


    Both Ty and I glanced over the window. We''d left the curtains open so we''d know when it was time.


    I sighed. "Ready player one.


    I said my goodbyes to my friends with a promise that I would my best to survive. To their credit, neither of them tried to stop me. They knew how important this was for me. Even more amazing, neither of them turned crybaby on me. Although I honestly wouldn''t have minded a teary-eyed farewell. The best I got was a hug.


    Soon after they left the bed, and after a few embarrassing minutes of them watching me try to fall asleep like sleeping beauty, I finally got called back to that place beyond the Mudgard sky.


    I dropped back down to the solid ground of a hilltop I''d never seen except in the details of the map I''d poured my last few days into.


    The anchor Aura got me was between my feet. Luca, Aura, and Edo were standing around me.


    "Yo," I said, before giving my brother and my partner high-fives each. Edo sent me his usual raised eyebrows greeting.


    "Has it started yet?" I asked them.


    For an answer, Luca pointed behind me¡ªand I turned around to the sight I would normally only see inside a television screen.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I whispered.


    With the assistance of Fool''s Insight, I began to survey the battlefield in front of me with an eagle eye that took note of everything my sight could devour.


    The golden moon shone down on a sea of grass dotted here and there by rocky flat grounds between a series of low hills and cliffs¡ªone of which, we were on, giving us a good view of the surroundings.


    On the left side of this field was a mass of midnight blue banners rising over an army equally divided into three halves. Fairies of all kinds and human viseres in blue gear lined up neatly alongside fairy catapults and other war machines.


    From our last strategy meeting, I knew that two Five-Thousand Man Commanders, Thors and Vardoom, were given a field commission to act as generals in the battle.


    Thors led the center army which was thirty-thousand strong. Vardoom commanded the left army which was twenty-five thousand strong. The other twenty-five thousand strong right army, however, had two leaders. These were Three-Thousand Man Commander Unna Ra Lara¡ªthe undine I met along with Commander Vardoom¡ªand Three-thousand-man Commander Tyrox Xor, an albino male centaur I''d only met recently as he''d only just returned from a mission in a faraway land.


    The remaining five thousand soldiers and supply troops joined Great General Darah in the command center which was on the hill directly west of the battlefield. The Fist of Fort Darah rose proudly over this hill like a symbol of encouragement to the soldiers below.


    Staring down the eighty-five thousand strong Darah army was a larger force of grey-tinted banners and soldiers.


    The opposing Magesong army was similarly lined up against our side. They were split into three armies with a fourth army in the rear. However, that was as far as similarities go. For while our side had humans, elves, dwarves, pixies, centaurs, and the occasional elemental, the enemy force also included hobgoblins, trolls, and pegasi in their ranks. They had trebuchets and ballista too.


    Above the fourth army was a grey flag with an outward-facing open palm as its symbol. From what I heard, this was the standard of the enemy commander, Great General Spellweaver.


    I closed my eyes and disengaged Fool''s Insight.


    "Geez, they''ve come prepared," I said while blinking the dryness away.


    "Yeah," Luca agreed. "And we''re supposed to wade into all that without any backup..."


    "I wonder which fool thought this idea up," Edo was giving me a pointed look like it was my fault we were at war.


    To be fair, I had help thinking up our plan which was inline with Darah''s requirements for my unit. I felt a swell of pride in my chest just thinking about the mornings Ty, Arah, and I spent to increase our strategy''s chances of success.


    "Well, Great General Darah thinks it''s a good plan," Aura''s voice sounded a bit hesitant to my ears.


    I turned around to look at them. "Come on, guys... it''ll work. Trust me. Believe in me."


    I glanced at each of them and held their gazes.


    "Because I believe in you," I said.


    "You are so corny, Dean," Luca shook his head.


    "I liked it... exudes confidence," a commanding female voice said from behind me.


    I turned around and found Great General Darah looking down at me from atop a creature that had the head, antlers, and forelegs of a brown stag, combined with the hindquarters, plumage, and wings of a large white bird.


    The creature landed beside me and knelt on its forelegs like a horse sometimes did so its rider could get off. And next thing I knew, Darah was standing before me resplendent in her gleaming golden armor, with her midnight blue cloak billowing in the wind.


    "Are you ready to accomplish your task, Dean?" she asked.


    "Y-yes, General," I stammered.


    I couldn''t help get flustered. There was a moment where the picture of a golden-haired superhero surrounded by golden light flashed before my eyes while I gazed at Darah. She was that impressive tonight.


    "Whether the battle turns well for us on this first clash is dependent on the success of your mission," she said.


    "But... general," Aura addressed her aunt in a formal manner. Even in this situation, she continued to keep up appearances. "Surely our task, no matter how important, isn''t so vital as to decide tonight''s battle?"


    Unlike her niece who was working hard to keep up the act, Darah smiled at her like the doting, obsessed aunt she was.


    "You''re right and wrong, Lieutenant," Darah answered her.


    The general pointed to the grey army on our right.


    "They haven''t revealed their positions yet but the enemy definitely has their trump card ready," Darah said.


    "You''re talking about the spell canons, ma''am?" Luca asked.


    It was rare for him to speak in front of a higher-up like Darah, and I knew it was because he didn''t trust the elders. Just the thought of that old fairy, Kairon, pissed me off. Luca''s feelings must have been far more confusing. So, it made me happy to see him speak up now.


    Darah gave Luca an appraising look before she answered him.


    "Manners... how unlike your brother you are, Luca Dapper," Darah said with a smile.


    Luca bowed his head to her in an apologetic gesture. "I''m sorry for his rudeness, great General Darah... I will lecture him about this later."


    Darah''s smile widened. She turned to me with a this-is-how-you-should-act look that really grated on my nerves. It''s not like I wasn''t at least a little respectful to her, after all.


    After she was done having fun at my expense, Darah answered Luca''s question, "Despite their small size, the Magesong have survived wars with other clans because of the devastation caused by their spell canons."


    She walked away from us and remounted her steed. But before she flew off, she gave us one final command.


    "We cannot allow these weapons to stay on the field," Darah insisted. "It''ll be your job to ensure they are thrown off the board."


    Then she was gone, soaring back up the sky and in the direction of the command hill.


    I looked over to my team. Luca, Aura, and even Edo gazed determinedly back at me. They were ready and able. Now, we just had to round up the rest of the Foolhardies and cause some mischief danger-close style like we usually did.


    "You heard her," I grinned. "Time to work for a living."

 44 Waiting to Exhale

    "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."


    The great Eastern Philosopher, Sun Tzu, really knew exactly what to say. It was the perfect quote for the night we planned.


    My Foolhardies were waiting for us beneath the hill. All hundred of them looked ready to fulfill the job Great General Darah gave us. This was clear in the confident looks and determined gazes on the variety of faces staring back at me. In fact, the only ones who seemed worried were my officers.


    "Hey, Commander," Varda, her chainmail shirt gleaming underneath the folds of her midnight blue magician''s robe, raised a hand in salute. "Qwipps says your plan''s going to get us killed."


    "What?!" Qwipps slanted eyes¡ªthe left one apple red and the right one electric blue¡ªgazed wide-eyed at Varda. "You said that... I just agreed!"


    Varda punched Qwipps in the gut to shut him up, forcing him to bend over as the wind was knocked out of him.


    "It does sound kind of foolhardy," Ashley, who was dazzling to look at in her shieldmaiden white robe and silver breastplate, commented from beside Varda." Even if this sort of thing is kind of our M.O."


    "A plan that risks much in exchange for vague rewards," Thom chuckled as he gripped tightly on the handle of his wooden bow. "I find myself liking you more and more, Commander."


    After they''d expressed their varying opinions, I tapped each of them lightly on the shoulder while saying out loud, "Don''t sweat it... believe in me... believe in our plan... and we''ll make it through the night like we always have... covered in the trappings of victory!"


    The Foolhardies resounding replies of "Yes, sir!" stayed present in my mind roughly two hours later after our hundred-man unit had traveled the distance to our target location.


    We''d trekked past our hill and circled the bottom of another hill while keeping ourselves out of sight from the combatants on the field on the opposite side.


    At one point, we heard the rumbling of tens of thousands of stomping feet and felt the tremors in the ground as the grey army marched forward. To me, this was a warning that the battle had begun between the two great armies and the countdown to our success or failure started ticking.


    Unfortunately, this danger-close situation made our own march slower. We were all tense with the worry of discovery.


    Our drow gliders were extra vigilant when they took to the skies and scouted the path ahead, allowing us to avoid any enemy outposts on this side of the hills. With this drow GPS, we were able to navigate the snaking paths between hills and cliffsides, allowing us to reach our destination to the rear of the enemy position.


    Basically, we''d circled around the enemy until we were southwest of their main force, along several small hills which were right between them and their rear units. It was the perfect spot to set up an ambush for those daring enough to lie in wait between a hammer and its anvil¡ªand so we dared.


    The first spot we''d chosen was a wide stretch of road between two small hills that were dotted here and there with pine trees and thick bushes that could provide us with cover. As this was the straightest path to the battlefront from the rear, we guessed that it was the most likely supply route.


    Qwipps, Ashley, Luca and I took forty men and positioned ourselves on the northern hill. We hid behind the trees and underneath bushes waiting for our prey to arrive.


    Aura, Edo, and Varda stayed behind on the south hill. They too kept out of sight for our enemy''s approach.


    Thom took two drow and kept watch a mile away on the east side of the road. His cousin, Enna, took another two drow with her to camp the west side of the road. These two lookouts would alert us of any approaching hostiles from either side.


    The waiting was a strain on my mind. A dozen thoughts raced through my brain, each one a worst-case scenario with each leading to total failure. What if we were in the wrong spot and the supply route was somewhere else? What if the enemy was too well guarded? What if my soldiers died because of my foolhardy plan?


    Such thoughts made my hands clammy with sweat. My mouth turned dry. My brow creased.


    On my right, I could hear Luca take a deep breath and then exhale all the air out of his lungs. He repeated this action several more times before I realized that he was going through his breathing exercise in an effort to calm himself.


    Qwipps, who was standing behind a birch tree to the left of my bush, was whispering constantly to himself. I couldn''t hear what he said but I had no doubt he was complaining about something.


    Of course, I knew I wasn''t the only one whose nerves were frayed. But I had to be the one to take their worries away which meant I needed to psych myself up so I could lead by example.


    I took a long breath of cold night air into my lungs. It smelled of pines and wet grass. I exhaled the air while thinking about another piece of advice from Sun Tzu, "He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not will be victorious."


    This thought calmed me slightly because it reminded me that I was doing things the right way. There was no need for panic. It was just a time for waiting to take action.


    Fifteen minutes and a few breaths of cold air later, a warning from the east arrived in the form of Thom Blackthorn.


    "You may just be as clever as I thought you were, Commander," Thom said in that mocking tone of his. "Several large elken wagons are on the way here. By the way, the wagons looked to be sagging under the weight of what they''re carrying, I believe there''s a fifty-fifty chance we''ve found what we''re looking for."


    "Are the elken having a hard time pulling the wagons?" I asked.


    Elken are the Fayne''s version of deers, but they had green fur instead of brown and were bigger than their Mudgardian counterparts. They were almost twice the size of an adult brown bear.


    Thom looked thoughtful for a second before replying with, "Perhaps a little... I did notice the wagon wheels tracking heavily on the soft earth."


    "How many enemies are we looking at?" Luca asked.


    He and Qwipps had drifted to me when Thom arrived.


    Thom''s smile turned into a maniacal grin after hearing Luca''s question. "I counted about a hundred heads."


    "Damn..." Luca hissed. "That''s more than our ninety..."


    "I told you this was a bad plan..." Qwipps combed long fingers through his black, brushed-back hair. "Zarz and the supply team should have joined the ambush..."


    "Can you two quit panicking," I hissed. "This is within our calculations..."


    It really was. In fact, Arah and I expected to encounter a unit twice our numbers. So, to me at least, facing off against an equal number of opponents was a stroke of luck. It was down to quality now, as well as the advantageous position of an ambush. These facts I explained to Luca and Qwipps to calm them down.


    I nodded to Thom. "Alright. Send word to your cousin and get to your position on the northside to let Aura know too."


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    Thom nodded back to me before disappearing into the shadows like the ninja stories back on Mudgard.


    "Qwipps... wait for the head of the caravan to past us before your squad rains arrows down on them," I instructed. "It''s important that we pin them to this spot."


    "What if they escape from the rear?" Luca asked as he crouched down beside me.


    "Varda''s got that covered," I answered. "She''s been dying to try out her new Earthen Wall spell... That should take care of the back."


    Qwipps shook his head. "You spoil that dwarf too much, Dean... next thing you know, she''ll be asking you to let her practice her spells on us..."


    I could always rely on Qwipps'' pessimism for some comic relief. It helped lighten the load squeezing my chest.


    Yes, my heart still felt heavy with worry. I couldn''t seem to shake off the feeling that something would go terribly wrong despite convincing myself earlier that now was no time for panic.


    My left arm suddenly felt warm. When I glanced down to look at it, I saw the soft golden glow rising out of Aura''s bracelet. And as I gazed at its pulsing light, a sense of calm entered my mind like a soothing balm flowed out of the bracelet and filled me with tranquil thoughts.


    "What''s with the dopey face, Dean?" Luca asked.


    When I turned to look at him, my face continued to exude tranquility. I couldn''t help it because I was thinking of Aura. She must''ve felt my anxiety through the connection we shared and sent me happy thoughts to calm me. I really lucked out with her as a partner.


    "Dude... you look like your high... Cut it out..." Luca protested.


    "Looks like his regular loopy face to me," Qwipps added coolly.


    Their annoying comments forced my expression back to tense and moody. "Can you two shut up and get to your positions already. they''re almost here."


    I was right.


    To the east, the head of the supply caravan had finally come into view. At the very front was an elf who was mounted on a small elken roughly the size of a warhorse.


    His long brown hair flowed down to the steel breastplate he wore. He was also decked in a gray cloak similar to the elf commander I''d slain on the hilltop many months ago.


    Thankfully, the elf was the only one with a mount. His soldiers, ranging from human viseres to elves and hobgoblins, were all on foot. There were no trolls in sight either. At least not anywhere near the front of their caravan.


    I exhaled the long breath I''d been holding in since I noticed the enemy''s arrival.


    My thoughts turned from worry to anticipation. The battle would soon be joined. The time for action was here, and when it did, we would follow the wise words of Sun Tzu, "When you move, fall like a thunderbolt."

 45 Grave Encounters

    While the enemy continued their approach to what I designated was our kill-zone, my hand reached out for the handle of my new weapon which was strapped to my side.


    Well, that wasn''t completely right. It was still the same wooden sword-hilt with its twin falcon crossguard and beak pommel. There was only one difference. The handle felt lighter than it did as a bronze-tier weapon.


    Zarz Mildew, the Foolhardies'' artificer, explained to me when he gave me back my reforged falchion that it no longer had a tier because its new core wasn''t among the list of metals officially used for weapon crafting. On the flip side of being essentially rankless, my sword now possessed new traits I was dying to try out. Tonight presented the perfect opportunity to do so.


    I poured my killing intent into the formless shadow crystal encased in the iron arcane focus of the weapon''s core. Immediately afterward, I felt the sword hilt shaking roughly in my hands like a Playstation controller with its vibration setting set to max.


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    Coils of shadows shot out of the crossguard like arrows in flight and the blade formed from this roughness was blacker than any charred blade I''d ever seen. Gone too were the fiery veins common on the surface of shadowblades. In their place was a blurry blue line that traced the edge of the blade.


    What I found most astonishing was how the vibration I''d previously felt from the sword-hilt had transferred to the shadowblade. I could even hear a soft humming noise emanate from its new blue edge.


    "Damn... I think this thing''s a vibroblade... cool," I whispered to myself.


    Although the falchion felt a little unwieldy because of this constant vibration traveling down to my sword-hilt weekend my grip on it, the lighter weight of the sword-hilt more than made up for the difficulty of maneuvering it.


    The anticipation of trying out my falchion''s new ability was building up inside me to the point where I wished the enemy would march faster. It overrode the worry and fear that had gripped me during the waiting. Thankfully, the enemy did not disappoint me. The time for planning was over. All that was left was the execution.


    As the ten large covered wagons¡ªeach pulled by a fully grown elken with each wagon surrounded by a rectangular formation of soldiers¡ªentered my kill-zone and passed the point of no return, I sent Qwipps the go signal.


    Qwipps notched an arrow to his bow. Then he took aim toward the front of the lead wagon.


    His actions were mirrored by the pixies and elves hiding in the bushes or behind the trees on my side of the road. I could only assume Aura''s group was also in the middle of preparations.


    The head of the supply caravan passed right below me.


    A knotted tenstion became stuck in my lungs. The anticipation was unbearable, and I wanted to scream out the stress building inside me.


    Then it happened like I feared it would¡ªan unexpected problem arising from changing circumstances.


    The elken mount of the enemy elf commander reared its head in agitation like it could sense what was about to go down. Noticing his mount''s distress, the brown-haired elf was immediately wary of the surroundings. His eyes darted left and then right.


    However, thanks to quick thinking on Qwipps'' part, the elf wasn''t able to warn his soldiers to be prepared because an arrow with midnight blue fletching suddenly sprouted out of his neck.


    Shouts of "Ambush!" could be heard among our targets. Their warning came too late.


    Arrows flying from both their left and right sides pierced into hobgoblin and human flesh but bounced off elven steel plates.


    Cries of pain and confusion reached my ears from below when I called for Donar to "Start the fire!"


    Seconds later, I felt the telltale heat of fire magic coming to life from close behind me. This was immediately followed by half a dozen flame arrows¡ªeach the size of spears¡ªzooming past me and down to the enemy''s supply caravan.


    These flame arrows exploded on the ground beside the wagons, causing frightened elken to disregard the commands of their riders. they charged forward and wagons crashed into each other.


    We all heard the cracking sound wood makes when it collides with something heavy.


    Grinning at the success of the initial ambush, I glanced behind me and called to Donar, "Get ready to launch another volley of flames arrows when we charge."


    The salamander magician jaunted to my side with a hop in his step. "Ready to burn the flesh from their bones and boil their blood, Commander..."


    This super dark comment made me want to step away from the fiery haired pyromaniac beside me.


    "Uh, yeah, sure... Try not to kill the elken... we can make use of them later," I ordered.


    Donar nodded as if he understood, yet his eyes blazed with a kind of fanaticism while he glanced down at the fires he''d started below. I could only hope he''d show some restraint when our soldiers were down there too.


    Enemy soldiers called out to each other. They were trying desperately to regroup, but a combination of fires and frightened elken made this difficult.


    "Luca, get ready," I ordered. "We''ll end this fight quickly..."


    My brow creased. I worried that the sounds of battle would attract more enemies to our location.


    "Soldiers trying to flee on our right." Luca draped his new broadsword over his shoulder. "Want me to take a few guys and go after them?"


    I shook my head. "Don''t bother. Varda''s got that area covered."


    Even though I said this confidently, it wasn''t until I saw Varda jumping out of her spot northeast of our position that my worries subsided. Hold on. Something was wrong.


    Varda was running down the hillside and heading straight for the enemy''s rear. She wasn''t supposed to do that. She was supposed to cast her Earth Wall spell from the safety of the hill.


    "Muddamit! Something''s wrong with the plan, Dean!" Qwipps asked while he launched another arrow from his bow. "Varda''s gone ad-lib... and she really sucks at improvising!"


    "Focus on your job, Qwipps... I''ve got Varda," I answered.


    Unfortunately, Luca and I were parallel to the center of the supply caravan and were too far away to reach its rear before Varda would be swamped in desperate enemy soldiers. Luckily, I had a contingency plan for a similar situation happening.


    A group of soldiers on my side of the ambush charged down from our hill with their bronze shields raised, and they actually reached the road before Varda''s tiny legs could take her there.


    It was a good thing I had Ashley''s unit covering the rear in case we needed them to blockade it. It was especially good that Ashley was leading it. Her calm levelheadedness meant I could trust her to handle the situation without any micromanagement from me.


    "Let''s go, Luca!" I rose from my hiding place¡ªand raising my falchion forward with one hand¡ªcharged down the hill. "We are the Foolhardies!"


    "Foolhardies!" As he ran to the right of me, Luca joined me in my rallying cry with his own wild yelling. "Foolhardies!"


    On my left, stomping through the downward sloping ground like a mini-tank, the troll, Shaqs, smashed through trees while he too yelled, "Fo~~olhardies!"


    Two dozen soldiers in total followed me down the hill. We were accompanied by a wave of flame arrows cast by the hands of Donar Firemonger.


    Seeing our approach, the scattered enemies formed a line and braced themselves for impact. Unfortunately for them, Donar''s spell reached them first.


    I heard the pained screams of elf, human, and hobgoblin as our enemies tried desperately to avoid the fire. I smelled the scent of burnt skin as it wafted up to us. I felt the heat from the flames rise to meet us as we fell upon our enemies.


    Usually, Luca was first to reach our enemies, but this time, my eagerness to test my weapon urged me past him and right into the path of a chain-mail wearing elf running toward me. In his desperation to avoid the fire, he ran headlong into my falchion''s path which snaked forward and cut into the steel breastplate over his heart.


    The vibration of my shadowblade sent sparks flying as it connected with the armor''s metal, and there was barely any resistance when I cut right through it and into his heart.


    Blood gushed out of the wound. A final gasping sound escaped his paling lips. Then the elf dropped dead on the ground beside me.


    I expected this result because I thought the vibrations of my shadowblade must have increased its sharpness but I was still surprised by how easily I''d killed my first opponent.


    There was no time to expect the body, however, as I heard a wild screaming on my right. When I glanced toward the elf who''d made it I was just in time to watch his abdomen get cleaved nearly in half by the force of Shaqs'' double-bladed ax head.


    Shaqs'' wide puppy dog eyes, which were a complete contrast to the bald monstrous face they were attached to, looked over to me. He gave me a big toothy grin that was full of jagged teeth.


    I responded to his not-at-all terrifying smile with a charge, my falcon raised as if to strike at him. But before he could second guess my intentions, my sword came crashing down on the shadowblade spear-tip of the hobgoblin attacking him from behind.


    Seeing that I''d just saved his hide from death by stabbing, Shaqs responded with a decisive blow. In one swift motion of his thick arm, he decapitated the hobgoblin with his ax.


    "Commander, thanks," Shaqs said after he''d covered me in a spray of elf blood.


    Then he turned around and slammed his huge body into a runaway elken that had broken out of its straps and was running wildly toward us. Both Shaqs and the elken went sprawling onto the ground.


    "You think he''s going to kill it?" Luca asked.


    He appeared beside me from out of nowhere looking nearly as bloody as I did.


    "I hope not," I answered him. "Hold on... we''ve got company."


    Two viseres stepped in front of us. Both of them wore similar grey-tinted padded vests and carried the same type of unadorned longswords in their hands. They had the same brown hair. They looked older than me and Luca. Closer to Ashley''s age. Even their fighting stance was similar. These little details told me they were obviously twins.


    Luca exhaled a long breath. "You take the one on the right. I''ll deal with the guy on the left."


    "Are you ordering your Commander around, Lieutenant?" I asked half-jokingly.


    Luca''s response was to follow up on his plan without waiting for me to follow.


    He attacked the visere on the left. Their shadowblades sang as metal clashed with metal.


    The other visere didn''t move to help his brother. He kept a wary eye on me instead. It was the smart thing to do.


    Unfortunately for him, I''d already moved my hand to the back of my belt, and a second later, flung my shadowblade dagger in the direction of his brother.


    His eyes went wide, but there was no hesitation in his steps when he moved to block my dagger''s flight path. It was actually really impressive when he reached out with his blade and altered the path of my weapon.


    Again I was reminded that most viseres were better fighters than your average Mudgardian. Of course, I''d taken this into account as I was already within striking distance of him by the time he found his footing again. Yet, despite my advantage, he managed to block my falchion with his longsword.


    His mistake, however, was thinking his regular looking sword could match my uber-cool suped-up falchion. So when he pushed down on my shadowblade and his sword broke where our edges met, it came as a complete surprise for him. It stunned him long enough for me to reverse my grip and slam my pommel up his chin like an uppercut.


    It didn''t cause nearly as much damage as I thought it would. His head simply jerked back down in an attempt to headbutt me, but I pulled away before any harm could be done.


    This sent me back to back with Luca who had also pulled out of his fight at nearly the same time.


    "My guy''s better than I thought," he said grudgingly. "I guess yours is the same?"


    We stood back to back now.


    "Well... it''s a little harder when we''re trying not to kill them..." I complained. "Who thought of this stupid idea anyway."


    "You did..." Luca countered. "You said you didn''t want us carrying the burden of murdering our own kind..."


    "Oh, right," I sighed. "Stupid me..."


    Luca was right. After we were reunited, I made him promise not to kill any human enemies we came across in the Fayne because we didn''t know what type of circumstance brought them to this place. I mean, what if they were like us? Recently, though, I had to scale back our no-killing-humans pact to not include monsters like Azuma. There was no point in following your principals if it only led to death.


    "Want to see who beats their guy first?" Luca asked me.


    It was just like him to psych himself up by turning this into a competition. Moments like this one really brought out the varsity player in him.


    "Sure... loser has to clean our weapons and armor," I yelled as I dashed forward.


    "No fair getting a head start!" I heard Luca yell behind me, but I had no time to banter with him as I was knee-deep in round two of my sword duel.


    Sure, I could have used Basilisk''s Eye or plain old Fool''s Insight to end the fight quickly but my opponent proved so capable with his sword, despite it being a third its original size, that the competitor in me had awoken. I wanted to beat him with my own strength.


    The brown-haired visere parried each of my falchion''s swings even as I began shaving off more pieces of his blade. When his sword was down to a mere three inches, he dropped it on the ground and put up both his fists in a boxing stance.


    "Seriously... you really want to keep going?" I asked him. "Why not just surrender?"


    "Can''t do it," he growled in an accent that was distinctly southside Starlight City.


    Damn, as if I needed more reasons to take pity on him. Now I knew for sure he was a fellow Starlightian. I nearly gave him a free punch. Nearly.


    The moment his right fist drove forward, I jumped and came down on his forehead with the pommel of my falchion. It was like taking candy from a baby.


    After he fell to the floor, I watched his rise and fall in steady beats. It was a good sign.


    "At least you''ll live..." I whispered.


    With my fight over, I looked over to where I last saw my little brother but the fires Donar started were doing too well a job now. The smoke from the bonfires around me dampened visibility. I did see Edo though. He was on the other side of the wagon on my immediate right dealing death to any enemy who approached him. Very few of them did.


    On my left, I saw my soldiers holding onto the reins of several frightened elken. This meant we''d secured the first objective. Now, all we needed to do was wrap up the fight.


    I heard it before I saw it¡ªthe whistle of steel as it traced a diagonal line through the air. Then I saw the shadowblade tip of the glaive aimed at me slice through the cloud of smoke and I knew I was in deep trouble. My body didn''t react fast enough, and although I knew I could dodge the would-be-deathblow, the shadowblade would still cut into me.


    Getting wounded in this first conflict of the night was one of my worst-case scenarios, but thanks to the Flame Shield bursting to life in fiery fashion between me and my unseen enemy, the worst-case scenario didn''t happen.


    Aura''s timing was amazing, but I had no time to look for her as my attention was drawn toward the enemy that had appeared on the opposite side of Aura''s Flame Shield. It was the elven commander Qwipps had killed with an arrow to the throat. Somehow, he''d survived that and was glaring at me with murderous eyes from beyond the safety of the shield.


    My forehead creased. Was it possible? Was Azuma not as unique as we all thought? Or was something else at work here?

 46 Shockingly Evil and Vile

    Meeting another seemingly immortal opponent certainly wasn''t in my calculations, and I just knew this battle''s difficulty level had increased from easy to hardcore by this sudden big reveal.


    A fizzing noise, almost like a lightsaber grazing a metal surface, rose from the other side of the shield as the elf tested his glaive''s shadowblade on Aura''s flame shield.


    Seeing that his weapon was useless against the shield, the elf began to pace back and forth while continually glaring at me.


    It was like that exact same scene in that really old movie, The Phantom Menace, where the bad guy with the red face paint paced against the barrier separating him from the hero who just watched his master get killed.


    If we hadn''t established it yet, this was the moment where I revealed myself to be not just a nerd but a geek too. I couldn''t help it. My dad just loved the whole Star Wars Saga. Luca and I loved it because of him.


    I took this quick reprieve to calm myself as I could feel dread anticipation building inside me. I wasn''t over my battle with Azuma. Taking on another unkillable opponent was really over my quota. However, as Sun Tzu once said, "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."


    And so I took this opportunity to awaken my fairy gift. After all, this wasn''t a fair fight between warriors. This was a battle against a zombie.


    "Aura, release your shield," I said once Fool''s Insight was active.


    I heard her yell, "Are you certain?" from somewhere on the other side of the covered wagon.


    "Yeah... I got this," I answered. "Ready player one..."


    Aura''s shield dissipated into dozens of fiery sparks like firecrackers in their final gasp of life. Neither I or my opponent waited for it to vanish completely though. As soon as there was a hole large enough to pass through, we charged at each other.


    Obviously, the elf''s glaive had the advantage but Fool''s Insight was that much of a cheat because even the longer reach of his weapon wasn''t much of a problem for me. I simply dodged the thrust I saw coming and braced my falchion''s sword against the steel pole, causing sparks to fly as shadowblade grazed on steel.


    The elf''s momentum kept him moving forward and inching closer to his death through the slash I''d sent right at his gut after I finished parrying his glaive.


    the cutting power of my falchion didn''t disappoint me as I heard the satisfying crunching of metal and felt the sensation of the softer skin underneath it. I pushed my arms forward and side, cutting a deep gash into the steel plate covering his abs.


    The elf screamed at first. Yet he backed away in a quick step that bordered disbelief. It was like he''d only experienced momentary pain before he was right as rain again. He really was another immortal.


    Blood dripped out of the caved-in piece of armor I cut into. Yet even this dried up quickly.


    "Man... you Magesong bastards are such cheaters..." I scowled.


    The elf spat out blood. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Throughout this, he continued to glare at me like I was a bug he wanted to squash.


    We clashed again. His glaive rose high, but the muscle movements on his arms and hips were clear indicators of the path the shadowblade would take. So I dodged to the right and sent my falchion upward in a slash that cleaved his face and cut off his nose.


    This was the one good thing about fighting someone who was overconfident in their healing ability like Azuma was. They were very careless. It was as if they didn''t mind getting hurt. It really was annoying. But something was different.


    At the same time as I watched the brown-haired elf''s face reattached itself like someone had put my vision on rewind, I heard a muffled scream emanate from the wagon to my right.


    It was slightly behind me now, but I was much closer to it than before which meant I continued to hear the pained gasps of someone inside who was obviously hurt.


    I glanced behind me, and almost as if my sixth sense was tingling, I felt terribly evil vibes emanating from inside the wagon.


    Unfortunately, I had no time to investigate it as my undead opponent had just sent his glaive slashing toward me. I had just enough time to block it, and here''s where I made my nearly fatal mistake.


    I''d been so in awe of my falchion''s cutting power that I didn''t think about things it couldn''t cut. So, while I hoped the force of his slash would mean another broken pole, I wasn''t ready for the force behind the swing. I wasn''t ready for it to lift me off my feet either. I certainly wasn''t ready for my back to slam into the wooden side of the wagon behind me.


    I fell to my knees feeling pain race up and down my back like I''d been hit by a car which technically was the case. This pain traveled up my into my brain. And with my concentration broken, Fool''s Insight deactivated, too.


    Still, I don''t know what made me look up. Maybe I really did have a danger sense. Maybe I was just very aware of my mortality. But my eyes glanced up at the exact moment as the glaive''s shadowblade came hurtling down at me.


    There was a second where I thought, "Ah, it''s finally over," but then the blade never arrived. Luca and Edo had made it in the nick of time.


    While my brother''s broadsword blocked the glaive from killing me, Edo''s own glaive came crashing down on the elf''s right shoulder and nearly cut him in half.


    This is where it gets really weird.


    Although the elf did howl in pain, it was the high-pitched scream from inside the wagon that demanded to be heard. It was a death rattle so frighteningly painful that it was even able to cut through my own pain.


    "Stop hurting him!" I screamed. "No one kill the elf!"


    My orders were obeyed. Even as the elf''s shoulder seemed to be stitching itself together while he lay jerking wildly on the soft ground, none of my people moved to end his life.


    "Someone knock him out, please," I yelled. "At least restrain him.


    Edo''s answer to my request was to call Shaqs over and order him to sit on the elf which Shaqs did after Luca had taken away the enemy''s weapons and turned him over so that he was lying face first on the dirt. This would have been a hilarious sight if I wasn''t hearing a series of low moans and whimperings from inside the covered wagon.


    I leaned on the wagon''s wooden wheel while I sat on the ground. I needed a minute to think.


    Aura arrived to kneel beside me, and I felt the warmth of her bracelet as she sent her lifeforce into me to heal me.


    I placed a hand on her and shook my head. "No need for that... I''m fine. Just got winded for a second."


    "Fine, huh," Edo said coolly. "Thought for a second there you were about to lose your head, boss."


    "Yeah, well, looks like you''re still stuck with me, Edo," I countered.


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    I gazed left and then right. The battle seemed to have ended. The fires had gone out. My troops were taking control of the supply caravan. Also, on the left side of the road, at the rear of the caravan, there was a ten to twelve foot wall that ran from one stretch of the road to the other hillside.


    Varda had done her part without needing my help after all. Once again, this proved how effective Ashley was at leading.


    On the hillside above me, I saw Qwipps and his archers along with Donar Firemonger leave their hiding spots and make their way down to where we were.


    It was over. We won. Now, there was just one mystery left to solve. Thankfully, the pain had subsided enough that I was able to stand up again.


    Once more, I glanced over to the wagon behind me.


    The screams had died out now. Only the whimpering of soft voices remained.


    "I sense something dark here," Aura said as she too gazed at the wagon. "It feels like I''m stepping over graves..."


    "Like a really sad funeral," Luca added from Aura''s other side.


    "Yeah... that''s how I feel too," I answered. "Let''s go see what''s got the three of us covered in goosebumps."


    I looked over to Edo.


    "Want to lead the way?" I asked. "Just in case something nasty pops out."


    Edo shook his head. "Fine brave commander, you are, Dean..."


    Despite his taunt, Edo obeyed my command and walked ahead of me, Aura, and Luca while we made our way around the wagon with our weapons ready.


    Luca, in particular, looked the most nervous, and I remembered how he hated scary movies that had lots of jump scares in them.


    "Do not touch them!" the elf screamed from underneath Shaqs'' massive rump. He was awake again. "Do not defile our offerings with your filfty mudgardian hands!"


    "Shaqs, shut him up," I ordered.


    Shaqs launched himself up and crashed hus bum down on the beaten elf commander. There was an audible gasp as the wind got knocked out of him.


    In my head I was imagining Azuma in a similar situation the next time we fought. If only he wasn''t such a good fighter. I doubt we''d ever be able to catch him in such a compromising situation. Still, the thought of it almost made the chills I felt go away.


    "I''m opening the flap now," Edo said in a hesitant voice that wasn''t like him. It seemed he too was sensing something weird.


    All was dark inside the wagon when we first peered inside it, but we all heard the shuffling movements within. When the light of the golden moon finally shone down at its contents, the dread in my chest began to squeeze tighter at the sight before me.


    I felt Luca scramble away. I heard him puke out his dinner on the ground.


    I saw Edo pull away, his glaive raised in defense.


    Aura gasped audibly from beside me. Her hand reached out for mine and I took it gratefully.


    The first thing we saw was the dead body of a boy younger than Luca. He wore nothing but a dirt-caked loincloth that dripped with the blood pooling underneath his tiny form. But it was his wounds that disturbed me.


    There were three. One was a wide gash that opened his gut. Another was a slash that tore his face. These two wounds would have certainly killed him in a slow painful manner but it was the third that most likely finished him off. It was a very deep cut that ripped his upper shoulder open all the way down to his chest.


    Tears pooled beneath my eyes as if I felt responsible for this boy''s death, and I probably was.


    I felt Aura''s grip tighten on my hand.


    My eyes drifted further back in the room to the several human and fairy children who were all dressed in the same soiled clothes as the boy. They looked back at me, and all I could see in their eyes was abject horror and fear.


    Whatever had been done to them, one thing was certain. They had experienced something shockingly evil and vile.

 46 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

    Meeting another seemingly immortal opponent certainly wasn''t in my calculations, and I just knew this battle''s difficulty level had increased from easy to hardcore by this sudden big reveal.


    A fizzing noise, almost like a lightsaber grazing a metal surface, rose from the other side of the shield as the elf tested his glaive''s shadowblade on Aura''s flame shield.


    Seeing that his weapon was useless against the shield, the elf began to pace back and forth while continually glaring at me.


    It was like that exact same scene in that really old movie, The Phantom Menace, where the bad guy with the red face paint paced against the barrier separating him from the hero who just watched his master get killed.


    If we hadn''t established it yet, this was the moment where I revealed myself to be not just a nerd but a geek too. I couldn''t help it. My dad just loved the whole Star Wars Saga. Luca and I loved it because of him.


    I took this quick reprieve to calm myself as I could feel dread anticipation building inside me. I wasn''t over my battle with Azuma. Taking on another unkillable opponent was really over my quota. However, as Sun Tzu once said, "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."


    And so I took this opportunity to awaken my fairy gift. After all, this wasn''t a fair fight between warriors. This was a battle against a zombie.


    "Aura, release your shield," I said once Fool''s Insight was active.


    I heard her yell, "Are you certain?" from somewhere on the other side of the covered wagon.


    "Yeah... I got this," I answered. "Ready player one..."


    Aura''s shield dissipated into dozens of fiery sparks like firecrackers in their final gasp of life. Neither I or my opponent waited for it to vanish completely though. As soon as there was a hole large enough to pass through, we charged at each other.


    Obviously, the elf''s glaive had the advantage but Fool''s Insight was that much of a cheat because even the longer reach of his weapon wasn''t much of a problem for me. I simply dodged the thrust I saw coming and braced my falchion''s sword against the steel pole, causing sparks to fly as shadowblade grazed on steel.


    The elf''s momentum kept him moving forward and inching closer to his death through the slash I''d sent right at his gut after I finished parrying his glaive.


    the cutting power of my falchion didn''t disappoint me as I heard the satisfying crunching of metal and felt the sensation of the softer skin underneath it. I pushed my arms forward and side, cutting a deep gash into the steel plate covering his abs.


    The elf screamed at first. Yet he backed away in a quick step that bordered disbelief. It was like he''d only experienced momentary pain before he was right as rain again. He really was another immortal.


    Blood dripped out of the caved-in piece of armor I cut into. Yet even this dried up quickly.


    "Man... you Magesong bastards are such cheaters..." I scowled.


    The elf spat out blood. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Throughout this, he continued to glare at me like I was a bug he wanted to squash.


    We clashed again. His glaive rose high, but the muscle movements on his arms and hips were clear indicators of the path the shadowblade would take. So I dodged to the right and sent my falchion upward in a slash that cleaved his face and cut off his nose.


    This was the one good thing about fighting someone who was overconfident in their healing ability like Azuma was. They were very careless. It was as if they didn''t mind getting hurt. It really was annoying. But something was different.


    At the same time as I watched the brown-haired elf''s face reattached itself like someone had put my vision on rewind, I heard a muffled scream emanate from the wagon to my right. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    It was slightly behind me now, but I was much closer to it than before which meant I continued to hear the pained gasps of someone inside who was obviously hurt.


    I glanced behind me, and almost as if my sixth sense was tingling, I felt terribly evil vibes emanating from inside the wagon.


    Unfortunately, I had no time to investigate it as my undead opponent had just sent his glaive slashing toward me. I had just enough time to block it, and here''s where I made my nearly fatal mistake.


    I''d been so in awe of my falchion''s cutting power that I didn''t think about things it couldn''t cut. So, while I hoped the force of his slash would mean another broken pole, I wasn''t ready for the force behind the swing. I wasn''t ready for it to lift me off my feet either. I certainly wasn''t ready for my back to slam into the wooden side of the wagon behind me.


    I fell to my knees feeling pain race up and down my back like I''d been hit by a car which technically was the case. This pain traveled up into my brain. And with my concentration broken, Fool''s Insight deactivated, too.


    Still, I don''t know what made me look up. Maybe I really did have a danger sense. Maybe I was just very aware of my mortality. But my eyes glanced up at the exact moment as the glaive''s shadowblade came hurtling down at me.


    There was a second where I thought, "Ah, it''s finally over," but then the blade never arrived. Luca and Edo had made it in the nick of time.


    While my brother''s broadsword blocked the glaive from killing me, Edo''s own glaive came crashing down on the elf''s right shoulder and nearly cut him in half.


    This is where it gets really weird.


    Although the elf did howl in pain, it was the high-pitched scream from inside the wagon that demanded to be heard. It was a death rattle so frighteningly painful that it was even able to cut through my own pain.


    "Stop hurting him!" I screamed. "No one kill the elf!"


    My orders were obeyed. Even as the elf''s shoulder seemed to be stitching itself together while he lay jerking wildly on the soft ground, none of my people moved to end his life.


    "Someone knock him out, please," I yelled. "At least restrain him.


    Edo''s answer to my request was to call Shaqs over and order him to sit on the elf which Shaqs did after Luca had taken away the enemy''s weapons and turned him over so that he was lying face first on the dirt. This would have been a hilarious sight if I wasn''t hearing a series of low moans and whimperings from inside the covered wagon.


    I leaned on the wagon''s wooden wheel while I sat on the ground. I needed a minute to think.


    Aura arrived to kneel beside me, and I felt the warmth of her bracelet as she sent her lifeforce into me to heal me.


    I placed a hand on her and shook my head. "No need for that... I''m fine. Just got winded for a second."


    "Fine, huh," Edo said coolly. "Thought for a second there you were about to lose your head, boss."


    "Yeah, well, looks like you''re still stuck with me, Edo," I countered.


    I gazed left and then right. The battle seemed to have ended. The fires had gone out. My troops were taking control of the supply caravan. Also, on the left side of the road, at the rear of the caravan, there was a ten to twelve foot wall that ran from one stretch of the road to the other hillside.


    Varda had done her part without needing my help after all. Once again, this proved how effective Ashley was at leading.


    On the hillside above me, I saw Qwipps and his archers along with Donar Firemonger leave their hiding spots and make their way down to where we were.


    It was over. We won. Now, there was just one mystery left to solve. Thankfully, the pain had subsided enough that I was able to stand up again.


    Once more, I glanced over to the wagon behind me.


    The screams had died out now. Only the whimpering of soft voices remained.


    "I sense something dark here," Aura said as she too gazed at the wagon. "It feels like I''m stepping over graves..."


    "Like a really sad funeral," Luca added from Aura''s other side.


    "Yeah... that''s how I feel too," I answered. "Let''s go see what''s got the three of us covered in goosebumps."


    I looked over to Edo.


    "Want to lead the way?" I asked. "Just in case something nasty pops out."


    Edo shook his head. "Fine brave commander, you are, Dean..."


    Despite his taunt, Edo obeyed my command and walked ahead of me, Aura, and Luca while we made our way around the wagon with our weapons ready.


    Luca, in particular, looked the most nervous, and I remembered how he hated scary movies that had lots of jump scares in them.


    "Do not touch them!" the elf screamed from underneath Shaqs'' massive rump. He was awake again. "Do not defile our offerings with your filthy Mudgardian hands!"


    "Shaqs, shut him up," I ordered.


    Shaqs launched himself up and crashed his bum down on the beaten elf commander. There was an audible gasp as the wind got knocked out of him.


    In my head, I was imagining Azuma in a similar situation the next time we fought. If only he wasn''t such a good fighter. I doubt we''d ever be able to catch him in such a compromising situation. Still, the thought of it almost made the chills I felt go away.


    "I''m opening the flap now," Edo said in a hesitant voice that wasn''t like him. It seemed he too was sensing something weird.


    All was dark inside the wagon when we first peered inside it, but we all heard the shuffling movements within. When the light of the golden moon finally shone down at its contents, the dread in my chest began to squeeze tighter at the sight before me.


    I felt Luca scramble away. I heard him puke out his dinner on the ground.


    I saw Edo pull away, his glaive raised in defense.


    Aura gasped audibly from beside me. Her hand reached out for mine and I took it gratefully.


    The first thing we saw was the dead body of a boy younger than Luca. He wore nothing but a dirt-caked loincloth that dripped with the blood pooling underneath his tiny form. But it was his wounds that disturbed me.


    There were three. One was a wide gash that opened his gut. Another was a slash that tore his face. These two wounds would have certainly killed him in a slow painful manner but it was the third that most likely finished him off. It was a very deep cut that ripped his upper shoulder open all the way down to his chest.


    Tears pooled beneath my eyes as if I felt responsible for this boy''s death, and I probably was.


    I felt Aura''s grip tighten on my hand.


    My eyes drifted further back in the room to the several human and fairy children who were all dressed in the same soiled clothes as the boy. They looked back at me, and all I could see in their eyes was abject horror and fear.


    Whatever had been done to them, one thing was certain. They had experienced something shockingly evil and vile.

 47 Who Can Kill a Child

    "What the hell is going on here, you bastard!" I screamed into the face of the brown-haired elf commander who was struggling in Shaqs'' massive, almost tree-trunk sized, arms.


    On my order, Shaqs had lifted him off his feet and pinned him in place with a troll-style bear hug that was the equivalent of a steel clamp.


    The elf struggled against his binds, with his feet kicking and flailing about, but he couldn''t escape Shaqs'' grip. It seemed fake immortality didn''t automatically come equipped with super strength.


    In my rage, I smacked him on the cheek with the pommel of my falchion. It was until after the red welt appeared right on the spot I struck him that I realized my mistake.


    My eyes darted toward the wagon where we found the kids. The memory of what I''d seen seared into my mind like an old song that just wouldn''t quit playing in the brain. But it was remembering the smell that made it worse, though.


    The smell drifting out of the open flap was like a public restroom complete with clogged toilets and shit stains on the walls coupled with the metallic scent common in a battlefield¡ªthe lingering scent of blood.


    It was Qwipps who peeked out of the side of the wagon and said, "Hey, Dean, not that it''s any of my business but did you just hit that elf?"


    His words were horror to my ears. It meant I''d hurt another kid. "I-I''m sorry... slipped my mind..."


    "Yeah, well, Aura said you should hold off on the torture until she or Berrian or Varda can figure out the trick to this crazy mud sho..." Qwipps said drearily. "Muddamit..."


    If even Qwipps was in a subdued mood then the situation wasn''t going to be as simple as I''d hoped.


    After Qwipps pulled his head back into the wagon, my eyes turned eastward.


    The road was still clear and we hadn''t received any advanced warning from Enna and her lookouts about trouble coming our way. But it was only a matter of time before the enemy noticed the delayed arrival of their supply of human sacrifices.


    The west was equally quiet, but Varda''s earthen wall stood as a glaring sign to anyone who saw it that something strange was afoot. It''s why I sent Thom back to the spot where his lookouts were. Just in case.


    I turned my sights back on the elf. The defiant, murderous look he sent me only inflamed my anger more.


    "What did you do to those children?" my voice cracked as I spoke these words.


    My hate for fairies after Luca''s abduction had subsided somewhat since meeting Aura and the other Foolhardies¡ªbut now it was back in full force. My hands were shaking, not out of fear or fatigue, but because I was desperately trying to hold back the rage I wanted so badly to pummel into the arrogant elf before me.


    "I see the anger in your eyes, mud-man... and I relish it," the elf spat.


    "Look... it speaks," Edo commented from beside Shaqs. He stood there with his arms crossed like a bouncer outside a bar.


    The elf''s eyes narrowed as he looked over Edo. "Do not speak to me as if we were equals, filthy halfbreed..."


    Edo rolled his eyes. Then he glanced toward me. "I can''t hit him, right?"


    I shook my head. "No... bastard''s got hostages."


    "Maybe Donar can burn his hair away then," Edo suggested. "Might not hurt the kids... and it would certainly make this little shit smug... Elves love their hair."


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    Edo''s threat did more psychological damage to the elf than my pommel strike did. He was actively trying to pull his head as far away from Edo as possible.


    "I can do that," Donar said as he poked out his head from behind Edo. "I''ve got a nice little spell that could do just the trick."


    "Um... no," I said while thinking inwardly about what Edo had just said. If it was true, then Aura cutting off her hair when we made our pact meant more than I thought it did. I shook the thought from my head. There would be time to review it again later. Now, I had to deal with Donar who had his hands¡ªhis fingers alight with flame¡ªreaching out for the elf''s head. "Donar... stop scaring the fake immortal bastard... why don''t you go help the other magicians and see if you can undo whatever''s happening to those kids."


    Donar shrugged. "Very well, Commander... but I won''t be very useful. I''m a combat magician. Not a healer like Berrian..."


    He walked away from us looking like I''d just stolen his lunch or something.


    I sighed heavily. It was hard to keep my anger intact around all these weirdos who I couldn''t help liking. Even so, I was going to need to have a chat with Donar about fire safety, and fire hazards, and general conduct.


    Luckily for my anger, the idiot elf just didn''t need to shut up because as soon as Donar was out of sight, the brown-haired elf was back to being a spiteful git. He ran his mouth, calling me and Edo names like dumb mud-boy or stinking half-breed as if these soft-core slurs affected us in any way beyond me thinking how PG-13 the Fayne was when it came to verbal abuse.


    "Edo... the next time he speaks without answering my questions... you have my permission to shave his head," I said coolly. "I''m sure the kids will survive a haircut."


    Edo grunted an affirmative. Then he pulled his glaive out from his back and planted the end of its pole on the ground in a loud bang.


    "Cut my hair? Y-you think that will frighten me into speaking you lowly parasite?!" he snarled, and yet, his eyes darting back and forth between Edo and his glaive.


    "You''ll answer my questions... or I promise that when we do figure out what you did, because we will, and you aren''t cooperative..." I leaned forward so he could see the rage in my eyes. "You''ll wish a haircut was the worst thing we''d do to you. The art of Mudgardian torture is extensive... and I am trained in its many intricacies."


    Of course, this was a lie. As if a fifteen-year-old would be able to learn stuff like that in school. But the elf didn''t know that, and like Sun Tzu said, "All warfare is based on deception."


    I must have been convincing enough because the elf''s face lost some of his haughtiness, although he was still very snooty when he ordered me to tell him what I wanted to know.


    "You''re not immortal," I said.


    "That was not a question... You Mudgardians are as stupid I thought," he hissed back at me.


    Edo''s glaive went up an inch. This took the elf''s defiance down a notch.


    "N-no... I am not immortal..." his voice was still arrogant.


    "So how come you''re not dead?" I asked as I pointed back at the wagon. "How is it you''re alive when there''s a dead human boy in there with all the wounds we inflicted on you?"


    My voice was rising again but could you blame me? As if it was easy to stay calm in this kind of situation.


    The elf responded with, "Your voice weeps for these slaves but they are nothing more than fuel for our victory."


    "Fuel..." I repeated while feeling at a loss for words myself. These human and fairy kids who looked younger than Luca were considered nothing more than energy bars by this superior feeling jackass. It was a few seconds before I responded with, "How are they fuel?"


    He just glared at me and refused to answer.


    "I''m warning you..." I began but then the elf laughed.


    "You showed me your hand with your worry over our sacrifices," he hissed. "You cannot kill me because you''ll just be killing them. I am untouchable so long as you are too weak to murder children."


    It was infuriating to hear but he was right. He was calling my bluff and I had no hand to play. That is until Aura and Berrian came over to explain their findings to me.


    "It''s a kind of binding curse similar in some ways to a visere contract," Aura said. "Only... the benefits only go one way."


    "Constitution, strength, agility, intellect... all of it is up for grabs," Berrian added in a soft, anguished voice. "Whatever part of the slave''s abilities the contractor wants he can get... or at least that''s what I can tell based on the primordial script in the bindings..."


    "Dean... these children... what''s being done to them..." Aura''s eyes were wet with tears. "It''s beyond horrible."


    I nodded. "Can you remove it?"


    Both of Berrian''s hands pulled on the fabric of his wool pants. "We don''t even know what kind of curse it is... we might do more harm than good."


    Aura nodded in agreement. "Perhaps the senior magicians in the Darah army can undo this..."


    Berrian placed a hand over his forehead and pulled his wavy brown hair back. "We''re out of our depth here."


    The profound silence that met Berrian''s admission was broken only a few seconds later by a piercing shriek from inside the wagon behind the one we opened. I''d learned earlier from Qwipps that at least six of the ten were carrying these child sacrifices.


    Aura and I instinctively moved toward the sound but we were met by Luca coming out from behind it and puking his guts on the ground. Varda, who stood beside him, called out to us in a loud and clear voice that a pixie had died because of a stab wound appearing in her chest.


    The laughter that assaulted my ears then made me see red. I glanced back and glared at the elf in Shaqs'' arms. "Shut the hell¡ª"


    "You foul wicked monster!" Aura interrupted my outburst with her own. Then she walked over to him and slapped the elf in the face.


    This elicited an outcry from Qwipps who was still inside the first wagon. "Cut it out, people! Kids are getting hurt in here!"


    Aura quickly backed away. Tears streamed down her face.


    As if on cue, the drow, Enna, appeared from the eastern side of the road. Her brow dripped with sweat.


    "Trouble..." she huffed.


    "How many, Enna?" I asked.


    "At least two dozen. Half are elken riders..." she said.


    That was it. Our time had just run out.


    I looked over to the supply caravan and calculated our odds. There wouldn''t be enough time.


    "Qwipps!" I yelled.


    He poked his head out of the wagon. "What?"


    "How many kids did you count in each wagon when you checked them?" I asked quickly.


    "Fifteen to a wagon," he answered just as quickly. "Well... less two, I guess..."


    "Six wagons times fifteen," I made a quick calculation. "That''s ninety children... eighty-eight..."


    I turned to Edo next.


    "How many wagons are still working?" I asked him.


    "Four wagons are operational. We''ve got eight able elken too," he answered.


    "Luca!" I called his name but he was already up and aware of what I wanted before I could ask my question.


    Luca wiped the remnants of puke with the back of his bracer. "Nine prisoners... ten if we''re counting that monster."


    We all knew which monster he was referring to.


    "Dean," Edo began, but I cut him off with, "I know..."


    It just wasn''t feasible to transport nearly a hundred people, most of whom were kids, while we were under pursuit.


    "Edo..." I started, but I couldn''t ask him.


    "You want me to hold our pursuers off?" he confirmed.


    He already knew what I wanted but couldn''t ask him. How do you tell a guy that he might have to sacrifice his life for strangers?


    "I''ll need some good comrades," Edo said, not even hesitating.


    "We''ll go," Ashley said.


    She had arrived from the rear and was standing next to Varda and Luca.


    "I''ll take my squad. Plus Luca''s raiders. Varda to cause a mudslide," Ashley was counting with her fingers. "That should be enough to hold them back and do damage."


    I nodded. "Make your stand here. The broken wagons will limit their mobility. Harass them and prevent them from being able to follow us. Then double back to our fallback position," I instructed her. "Do you remember where?"


    "The cliff wall south of here and right below our supply team''s position," Ashley answered. "Are you thinking of..."


    "Just make sure you lead any pursuers to that cliffside," I said quickly. "We''ll double back to the west and take the fork that leads south... it should take us where we need to go."


    Ashley didn''t wait for me to dismiss her. She quickly gathered her squad and they got to work setting up a second ambush here.


    "She was amazing," Aura whispered beside me. "Her squad gathered and protected our wounded until the battle was over. It''s why we have so few casualties."


    "We have six dead and another fifteen wounded," I said with a heavy heart. The counting of wounded and dead were left to Qwipps, and he''d given me the report before I interrogated our prisoner. "They died because my plan wasn''t good enough again."


    Aura squeezed my hand.


    "Stop beating yourself up," she chided. "Most of us lived because your plan went well."


    "Can you and Berrian take care of the children?" I asked. "Divide them and our wounded on the three wagons... We''ll leave the fourth one for our prisoners and our dead."


    Aura nodded wordlessly. Then she left me there to wallow while she led the others in moving the children to their wagons.


    I ordered Qwipps and Donar to round up the prisoners and gather our dead. Put them all in the fourth wagon.


    "You''re all going to die!" The elf commander screamed. "You will be pursued like prey in a hunt, and I will relish in watching you suff¡ª"


    Shaqs knocked him out with a hammer fist to the back of the head.


    "Too noisy..." Shaqs growled.


    No one complained that Shaqs had also knocked a dwarf kid out. We were just getting tired of the enemy''s grating, spice-filled voice. Plus, no one wanted to complain to the massive troll while he had his battle-ax draped across his shoulder.


    After all the preparations were ready and we''d hitched two elkin to one wagon each for increased mobility, I climbed up on the enemy Commander''s green-furred mount¡ªwhich I deemed was a very smart elkin to have survived in all the chaos¡ªand readied the convoy to travel west.


    Aura sat at the front of the lead wagon beside Qwipps who held the reins.


    Those who would remain had repositioned themselves behind the trees. Their bows readied for a second ambush. It was a smart idea. After all, no one would expect enemies lying in wait in a spot that already looked like a warzone. At least, I hoped so.


    "Heading out?" Luca asked.


    I nodded. "You okay with this?"


    "Yeah..." Luca''s eyebrows bunched together. "After what we just saw... I feel like hitting something hard."


    "Try not to kill any Commanders you come across," I said as an afterthought. "We don''t know who those kids are connected to."


    Luca planted his broadsword onto the grass. "Yeah... bastards... all of them..."


    I heard the hate in his voice. "Luca..."


    He glanced up smiling. It was that fake smile he always gave me during sunrise. It had arrived too early as dawn wouldn''t arrive until much later.


    "I''ll be okay, Dean," he answered.


    "Fine... just don''t die," I said.


    I wished I told him something else. Maybe an "I love you, bro," or something equally sappy. At least then I wouldn''t have felt so guilty for leaving him behind again.

 48 Run All Nigh

    Our escape had gone smoother than I thought it would. This meant Ashley''s team was doing a good job of keeping our enemies occupied. At the very least, their distraction allowed us to take our convoy of four wagons¡ªwhich included fifteen wounded, nearly ninety child slaves, ten prisoners, and thirty-two able soldiers¡ªto meet up with Thom and his two lookouts southeast of where we had our battle.


    Our group traveled south via a second route that cut between two hills. It was the same route we''d originally taken to get to our ambush point so we were familiar with the terrain.


    Enna and her drow scouts went ahead of the convoy to glide atop the sparse trees along the path. Once in a while, I would see their shadowy forms hop from one tree to another like flying raccoons or bats.


    The path along the hills exited onto a wide grassy plain surrounded on all sides by even more hills. To the east were green hillsides covered by trees. The hills on the west were brownie-colored like the hilltop the Foolhardies conquered. We made our way to these brownies.


    It was a very slow-going march which added to the stress of our escape. Every so often, I would glance behind me and spend seconds wondering if now was the moment I would see enemy riders break through the hillside to attack us. It got to the point where my neck was feeling the strain from the constant back and forth.


    "You ride a swifthart well for a Mudgardian, Dean," Aura said as she sat on the driver''s seat of the lead wagon. "It suits you."


    I knew she was only saying that to distract me from thinking too much about our current situation¡ªbut it worked. My mood always got a little better whenever she praised me.


    "I thought they were all just called elkin," I said as I glanced down at my mount.


    The green-furred creature I rode was smaller than the elkin pulling the wagons. It was leaner and only about the size of a horse. Its fur was also a lighter shade of green than the bigger ones. But its most distinguishing feature was the pair of ivory white antlers on top of its head.


    "Swiftharts are a different breed of elkin... much faster than these grass elkin..." Aura nodded toward the elkins pulling her and Qwipps'' wagon. "and more intelligent too."


    My hands held lightly onto the reins of my swifthart''s harness. "Yeah... it must be smart... because I''ve never even ridden an animal in my life and I haven''t crashed into anything yet."


    I patted the swifthart''s neck. It seemed to like the attention as its head leaned into my hand as I moved it over the soft fur.


    "Glad you''re enjoying yourself, Commander," Qwipps said from the other side of Aura. "You know... even though we left behind a bunch of people who might not come back... and we''re probably still being pursued... and those kids in the back... and¡ª"


    "Qwipps," I interrupted.


    He cocked his head my way. "Yeah?"


    "Shut up," I growled.


    Qwipps laughed in that bells chiming kind of way common to pixies.


    "Just keeping you on your toes, boss man," he said jokingly.


    The good atmosphere building between Aura and me and our bonding over my mount had been ruined by Qwipps Daggerby. I was almost certain he did that just to ruin the moment.


    "You know, Qwipps, if you wanted to stress Dean out, you could just remind him that we still haven''t accomplished our mission of finding and disabling the Magesong Clan''s spell cannons," Aura prompted.


    "Oo~~oh, right-right," Qwipps nodded his head in agreement. "That would be something to worry about... failing Darah when she trusts you to get the job done. Wouldn''t want to be you, Commander."


    I scowled at the pair of them. "You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?"


    "Yes," Aura said.


    "Yep," Qwipps added.


    "Well... you''re both wrong," I said while glowering at them. "Darah doesn''t want us to go after the spell cannons."


    "It''s not nice to lie, Commander," Qwipps chided.


    "I''m telling you the truth," I said smugly. "The spell cannons are most likely hidden somewhere in the frontline and close enough to be of use... why would Darah send us on a suicide mission? Much less order us behind enemy lines?"


    "I was thinking that exact same thing, to be honest," Qwipps admitted. "I just assumed she recognized our penchant for crazy plans and thought we''d be able to pull it off."


    Unlike Qwipps who was quick with his assumptions, Aura went silent. Her eyebrows bunched together while she thought about my questions. Exactly three minutes later, she responded with, "She doesn''t want us to go for the canons..."


    Aura glanced over to me, and I have to admit, those striking blue eyes of hers were very disarming. It was a feeling of getting lost in a clear azure sky.


    "She sent us back here to disrupt their supply lines... something connected to spell cannons... that would be," Aura bit her lip. "It''s at the tip of my tongue..."


    Her eyes lit up in understanding.


    "Oh, she wants us to find¡ª"


    "The ammunition?" Qwipps supplied.


    Aura did not appreciate his interruption. this could clearly be felt when she elbowed him hard on the shoulder.


    "Ow!" Qwipps yelped. "Why are all our females so violent!"


    "No wonder Varda likes to hit you," Aura turned her gaze on him and I had a feeling it wasn''t the warm kind she sometimes sent me. "It''s cathartic."


    Qwipps protested while rubbing his arm. Aura ignored this and turned her attention back to me with one final question, "How are we meant to find these supplies in the middle of this giant battlefield?"


    For the answer, I pointed my thumb behind me. "We''re about to find out."


    Thom was walking up to us while dragging one of the two brown-haired twins roughly by the arm. Of course, he had to pick the one who was sure to be the least cooperative of the two. He brought us the brother I knocked out.


    "Brought you your prisoner, Commander," he said curtly. "Perhaps next time you can ask one of your underlings to perform these menial tasks?"


    "Um, technically, we''re all his underlings," Qwipps commented.


    Even when he stared daggers at Qwipps, Thom never lost the smile on his face. It actually made him look even more menacing, almost like a serial killer.


    I got off my swifthart, and with one hand on the mount''s reins, accepted the silver thread connected to the coil of threads tied around the human''s hands from Thom.


    "Appreciate your help, Thom," I said placatingly. "Why don''t you go back to the rear and¡ª"


    "Continue to be your watchman," Thom suggested. "I would like to do nothing less, Commander..."


    Maybe it was just me, but I felt like Thom didn''t really mean that. It was always how he said the word, Commander, in that joking way of his. I returned his half-hearted salute despite this as I really was getting used to his attitude.


    After Thom sulked away, I turned my attention on the human visere he''d brought to me.


    His brown hair was matted with dry blood. The long aquiline nose was partially broken, and his left cheek sported a large bruise. He also stank badly, like a guy who''d been sitting inside an overstuffed wagon full of dead people, which is exactly where my people put him.


    "I have some questions for you... answer them honestly and you can stay out here where it doesn''t smell of death," Immediately after I said this, I walked away without waiting for him to follow.


    I knew he would though, because like Sun Tzu said, "The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy lies in the enemy himself."


    Give the guy we locked up in what was essentially a coffin for over an hour a taste of freedom and he was more likely to give up information despite what went down between us. I knew I was right about this when I saw the relief in his eyes after he''d caught up to me.


    "W-what do you want to know?" He asked hesitantly.


    "First things first... tell me your name, age, and rank," I said.


    "Collin Mccord... Seventeen... I''m the Black Wand''s quartermaster," he answered.


    It was good to know that he was an officer in his unit. That meant he knew some of the details I needed to know.


    "And your brother?" I asked.


    "Connor," he answered.


    "Is he an officer too?"


    "No... he doesn''t believe in the cause. He''s just here because I am..."


    "So... you dragged your brother into the Fayne?"


    Collin scowled, but it wasn''t anger in his eyes. Just misery. It was the same kind of misery Luca had.


    "No... I didn''t drag him anywhere. He wanted to come here and prove himself just as much as I did..."


    "Prove yourselves?"


    Collin glanced over to look at me. His eyes scanned me up and down.


    The fact that he was at least a head taller than me and possessed that scrapper aura common in Southside kids might have made me wary of him if I hadn''t beaten him once already. Plus, I carried a sword and he didn''t.


    "Where are you from, shorty?" he asked me.


    I pulled hard on his thread and caused him to stumble, but I didn''t care.


    "Did you just call me short?" my voice was calm, but the menace in my eyes was clear.


    "Bad move mud-boy," Qwipps called. "Commander doesn''t like it when you mention his height."


    "Shut up, Qwipps," I said through gritted teeth. "I don''t have a problem with my height."


    "Su~~ure. You keep telling yourself that," Qwipps laughed.


    I refused to comment on his statement because I wasn''t affected by my height in the least. Nope. Never. Well, maybe just a little. Still, I promised myself that I was going to get my revenge on Qwipps Daggerby when the war was over and we''d returned to Fort Darah.


    "Before we were rudely interrupted..." I took a breath and resumed my interrogation. "You were telling me about your reasons for going to the Fayne."


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    "You from Starlight?" Collin asked.


    "Yup... you''re Southie... I recognize the accent," I replied.


    "And you''re from Midtown... what''s a wise-ass kid like you doing here?" He asked in a very mocking tone.


    "I ask the questions here..." For effect, I pulled on his thread which caused him to stumble again.


    That was the great thing about elf rope. The silver threads may look as slim as pasta noodles but they were as tough as titanium and far more durable than hemp.


    Collin gritted his teeth. "Can you stop doing that?"


    "Then cut the wisecracking and tell me what I want to know," I countered.


    Back on Mudgard, the teens of Midtown and southside weren''t exactly friends. To put it mildly, Romeo and Juliet''s families didn''t hold a candle to how much we didn''t like each other¡ªand yes, that was mild even after we factored in that Romeo and Juliet''s families caused their kids to commit suicide.


    It mostly had to do with our two schools, Midtown High and Southside Tech, being rivals since their birth. Whether it was in athletics or academics, Midtown and Southside always went to war for the prize. And in my time as a member of Midtown''s Academic Decathlon team, I''d had my fair share of brush-ups with Southside kids.


    "My grandad..." Collin''s face turned downcast. "He sent me and my brother here to prove ourselves worthy of the family name."


    "Mccord..." My forehead creased. "You related to Starlight''s Mayor?"


    Collin nodded. "Yeah... Mayor Christopher Mccord is my grandad."


    This was a huge revelation for me because this Southie was basically admitting that fairies were so embedded in Starlight City that one of the clans even had a hold on the most mayor''s office. The thought of it just blew my mind so much that it took me a while to ask my next question.


    "Hold on... so your grandfather, the Mayor, sent you into the Fayne so you could go to war?"


    "So we could serve," Collin''s sigh was heavier than any sigh I''d ever made, "and be of use to our family''s benefactors..."


    My eyebrow went as high as it could go. "You''re saying the Magesong Clan is so strong that they''ve got their hooks deep into Starlight''s political system?"


    I really didn''t see it. The Magasong Clan was smaller than the Trickster Pavilion. There was just no way their influence outstripped ours even on Mudgard.


    Collin shook his head. "I don''t serve the Magesong Clan..."


    "You''re wearing Magesong colors..." I argued.


    "Yeah... I know," he chuckled. Then he shook his head. "I guess we''re on loan to the Magesong for the duration of this war."


    Now that was a scary thought. If the Magesong Clan was borrowing soldiers from another clan then there was only one group they''d ask help from. I


    "You said you''re unit''s called the Black Wand... I''m not familiar with it..."


    "That''s exactly how our commander wants it to be... That way you don''t see us coming when we come for you."


    "I think we saw you coming a mile away," I pointed to the wagon at the rear of our caravan. "Your commander didn''t seem so special to me..."


    Collin laughed out loud at my comment. "Kelfer''s just a lieutenant... A high-brow and arrogant bastard who thinks that anyone who isn''t an elf is tainted goods..."


    "Yeah right... if he was just a lieutenant, then why does he have that self-healing skill on him?" I argued. "The only immortal I know is a thousand-man commander named Azuma."


    At the mention of Kelfer''s healing powers, Collin immediately clammed up. "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about..."


    Right after he said this, an electric surge erupted out of the silver threads. This sent a massive shock into his hands that traveled up and down his whole system. Imagine getting shot by a taser at low setting. Still, it must have hurt really badly because Collin crumpled to his knees afterward.


    "See... that''s how I know you''re lying to me... Whenever elf rope is tied onto a living being an enchantment is automatically placed on it." I tugged lightly on the silver thread in my hand. "I know this because Aura tied one around each of my hands back when we used to train so I wouldn''t lie about how tired or hurt I was..."


    I pointed to his bound hands. They were still shaking.


    "It can''t make you tell me the truth like a certain Woman of Wonder''s lasso... but it can sense a lie..." I knelt down so we were eye-level because I needed him to know I was dead serious about getting answers. "The enchantment activates whenever the one tied to it tells a lie... So, you''re going to¡ª"


    The high-pitched shrieking sound of a drow horn broke the silence of our march. Just like that, the interrogation was over.


    The warning forced me on my feet and sent my gaze searching the hillside behind us. What I discovered made the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end.


    There were at least a dozen swifthart riders galloping out of the exit we''d taken. Each of them wore dark grey cloaks. The enemy was here and they were coming for us.

 49 Rough Riders

    If I was in a car chase movie, this moment would be the perfect time for loud rock music to start playing, the kind that made the heartbeat pulse on double time while simultaneously increasing the tension up by several levels.


    "We''ll talk later," I hissed in Collin''s ear before I shoved him and his silver thread toward the elf soldier guarding the side of the lead wagon and told him to bring the prisoner back to the wagon where we stashed the other prisoners.


    Then I got back up on my mount with less difficulty than I thought I would have. Obviously, I knew it wasn''t thanks to my amateur riding skills. The swifthart was just intelligent enough to accommodate its new rider. If it kept impressing me like this, I was going to have to give it a name.


    I looked quickly over to Aura and Qwipps, my brow furrowing in the seconds of hesitation it took me to say, "Aura, get everyone out of here. Take them to the rendezvous point... We''ll hold the line."


    Aura''s eyebrows were knotted with worry. "We are supposed to stick together..."


    "Don''t worry... We''ll be right behind you," thankfully, my voice didn''t quiver when I spoke these words.


    Aura held my gaze a second longer. Then she said in clear tone that was like a royal command, "You''d better be.


    I nodded at her. Then I turned my eyes on Qwipps. "You and your squad are with me."


    "Muddamit, I knew you''d say that, Dean," Qwipps said as he handed the reins of the Elken to Aura and jumped up to the roof of the wagon. "Oi, Qwipps'' Talons, we''re going to hold those buggers off."


    "Go now, Aura," I ordered before I turned my swifthart around to face our rear. I patted its neck and leaned in close to its ear. "Ride as fast as you can, please... and keep me alive while you''re at it."


    As if understanding my words completely, the swifhart lept swiftly toward the rear in speeds I would have expected a sports car to have¡ªfrom zero the sixty MPH in a split second.


    While the scenery blurred around me, I managed one final order. I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Thom! Gather your gliders and follow me too!"


    And we were off. One rough rider and nearly two dozen flyers¡ªQwipps'' ten-man pixie squad and Thom''s ten drow gliders¡ªzoomed past the stolen supply caravan and back to the nearby hills we''d only just left behind.


    My swifthart dashed through the grass like Ty''s Camaro would have if someone other than Ty was behind the wheel. The cold wind prickled at the skin of my face as we continued to increase speed. The biting cold would have stung even more if the swifthart hadn''t finally slowed down once it sensed the danger about to greet us.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable..." I whispered.


    Since it was the second time I''d used Fool''s Insight, I wondered how many more times I''d be able to call on the fairy gift this night before my eyesight went bad. I was sure the duration I could use it had increased since my dip into the mana well, but with all the running around, I was never able to gauge by just how much. this made its use a little more risky as the night was far from over. Still, I didn''t really have a choice. I needed all the advantages I could get right now.


    My vision warped into the enhanced perception that allowed me to see the most minuscule details in front of me, giving me the ability to predict and counter enemy attacks just by observing their movements.


    The enemy was a mere twenty yards away. They numbered thirteen riders made up of half a dozen elves, three human viseres, and three hobgoblins. The lead rider was hooded and masked, but the grey cloak billowing behind it was common to Magesong clan commanders.


    The masked rider reached down to its hip and unsheathed a curved shadowblade similar to the one Thom carried. It was a katana.


    In response to this threatening action, I reached down to my own sword hilt, but I didn''t pull out my falchion yet. I simply kept my hand there ready to unsheath it the moment we clashed.


    The distance between us shortened to ten yards.


    Behind me, I heard Qwipps cursing in a high-pitched tone. "Muddamit, Dean! Wait for us!"


    The enemy was five yards away. My fingers tightened on my sword hilt. From my peripheral, I saw Thom''s dark cloak as he glided to the right of me. Enna flew on my left.


    I took a deep breath. Now was a time for action.


    There was an audible humming sound coming out of the shadowblade when I unsheathed my falchion from its hilt scabbard using my favorite quick-draw style. Predictably, the buildup from the shadows as they rocketed out of the sword hilt increased the speed of my swing to double the force. Then I sent my arm snaking forward just in time to block the shadowblade aimed at my head.


    Falchion clashed with katana as I and the masked rider passed each other. Although our swiftharts momentum kept them from halting so we could exchange a second blow, the short time we glanced at each other gave me enough insight to determine who my enemy was.


    She was noticeably female as the blackened steel plate strapped to her chest was shaped to fit a woman''s body. The full face mask she wore was ebony black and shaped into a woman''s face like the ones worn in the early days of masquerades and carnivals. The hood covering her was black as night and didn''t seem attached to the grey cloak billowing behind her. But it was the narrowing eyes half-hidden behind the mask that caught my attention. They were pale, almost white but had a shade of purple in their irises.


    My last glimpse of the masked rider as she passed me was the katana hilt in her black-gloved hand. It was beautifully crafted, wrapped in a combination of black and golden silk threads.


    Immediately, my suspicions were aroused. If she was what I thought she was, then something was definitely not right with this war.


    It was too bad that I didn''t have time to spend more brain cells on whatever plot might be afoot because my swifthart had continued forward and I was about to clash with more riders.


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    There was a hobgoblin to my right with a curved blade wrapped in his hand. On my left was another generic blonde elf wielding a broadsword in both hands. Both their blades swung toward my upper body like a pair of scythes in a really dangerous obstacle course.


    I dodged their combined attack by lying back as far down as I could, while at the same time, pulled my hidden shadowblade dagger from behind my belt. In the split second where their shadowblades swooshed over my head, I swung my falchion to the right while I sent the one-foot shadowblade of my dagger flying left.


    Both shadowblades cut into the sides of my enemies as I passed them. Pained grunts erupted behind me. The thud of a body falling from a mounted position followed. Only one. I''d killed the hob thanks to the power of my falchion but my dagger probably hadn''t damaged the elf enough to be fatal.


    I spared a quick glance behind me to see how the elf was doing and discovered that I shouldn''t have bothered worrying that he''d attack me from behind because Qwipps had just descended from above to steal my kill.


    He slit the injured elf''s throat with one of his new two-foot daggers and threw the dying body off his swifthart so Qwipps could steal it. Then he pulled on his new mount''s reins to turn it around and follow me.


    Further back, I caught a glimpse of the masked rider and Thom exchange katana blows.


    Thom was blown back by the speed and force of her swing. He catapulted into the ground and skidded to a stop only after he''d kicked up enough grass and dirt to slow his momentum.


    I had just enough time to be impressed with my enemy and inwardly wonder why she hadn''t struck at me with the same force before another attacker reached me.


    This lastest opponent was a burly human with muscles bulging tightly over his linen shirt. The only piece of armor I could see on him was the pair of metal shoulder guards that did nothing to protect his chest. So, while he swung his heavy-looking hammer at my head, I did the most obvious thing.


    I dodged the direction of his swing, which I could clearly see thanks to my enhanced perception, and leaned forward while thrusting my falchion toward his unprotected front. There was the satisfying sound of the shadowblade sinking into the soft flesh. It was immediately followed by a deep baritone howl of pain.


    My shadowblade came out of the hole it had made into my opponent''s side. It wasn''t enough to kill him but the gaping wound would make it very painful to stay mounted.


    Qwipps and his stolen mount finally caught up to me.


    "You''re too soft, Dean," he commented while rolling his eyes at the same time. "How long are you going to uphold your no-killing-humans vow with Luca?"


    "As long as I can," I answered with as much conviction as I could muster. I meant it too.


    It was right about then that Qwipps and I cleared the formation of enemy riders. Behind us, I heard the flapping of pixie wings and the swooshing of drow cloaks. It looks like a lot more people had passed through. We would have to turn around again for a second clash. No doubt the enemy would do the same because it would be too difficult to chase after our caravan with my squad biting at their heels.


    A quick count in my head told me that at least three enemies were down. Probably more if most of my people were able to pass through. In fact, I''d only seen Thom fall and I wasn''t worried about him. He was too good a fighter to go down like that.


    I began to feel confident that we would win this engagement without suffering losses. Then, as I was turning my mount around for a second clash, my eyes caught a glimpse of movement in the hills behind us, and my body went cold at the sight.


    About a dozen or more soldiers in grey armor cleared the path between the hills. Half of them were mounted.


    My heart sank at the sight of them because the implications of their arrival were obvious. Ashley''s group had failed to hold the enemy back.


    "Luca," I whispered.


    And then, as if in answer to me calling his name, Luca, his electrum-grade scale mail drenched in dried blood, broke through the clearing in hot pursuit the new arrivals. His broadsword was raised high and he was mounted on a light green swifthart of his own.


    Riding Beside Luca on a swifthart that was almost as pale as her white dress was Ashley. Seated behind Ashley, with her arms wrapped around the shieldmaiden''s stomach, was Varda.


    Behind them, his long strides nearly putting him at pace with their swiftharts, was the massive form of the half-ogre Edo.


    Further behind Edo, running as fast as they could despite the heavy bronze shields strapped behind them, were the soldiers who made up Ashley''s squad.


    "Hot damn! the cavalry''s here!" Qwipps said excitedly.


    Yeah," I said in subdued happiness.


    I turned my mount around feeling my heartrate subside back into regular levels. There was no need to worry about the enemy behind us. Luca and the rest of his group would deal with it. My focus was needed elsewhere.


    I raised my falchion forward and in the direction of the enemy riders who''d just turned around for a second engagement.


    "Ready for round two," I said.


    Then, with one hand tight on my swifthart''s reins and the other hand gripping tightly on my falchion''s sword hilt, I charged.

 50 Bushido Blade

    My falchion clashed with the mask rider''s katana just like the last time our paths crossed, but with one major difference. This time, our mounts didn''t charge past each other, almost as if they sensed that their riders desired the trading of sword blows.


    The high-pitched shrieking of metal grating on the surface of metal rang out as my falchion''s shadowblade swung down and slid off the edge of my opponent''s katana.


    Weirdly enough, my falchion''s vibration effect didn''t mince her katana into swiss cheese. It was if her shadowblade was made of stronger stuff than the enemies whose swords I cut in two. This was most probably the case, and assuming I survived, I would have to ask Zarz if my sword''s new abilities were ineffective against higher-tier weapons.


    With my falchion free of her block, I twisted my hand one-hundred-eighty degrees and sent the shadowblade back through the path it came through. But her katana was there to block my sword''s path a second time.


    Our weapons were blown back. Our mounts moved nervously from side to side.


    I attempted another slash to her gut, but this too was blocked. As my shadowblade swung around to her left side, she responded by slapping my falchion away with a downward thrust of her sword''s pommel. Immediately afterward, her katana whipped forward at superhuman speed toward my neck.


    She would have cut my head off if the heightened perception provided by Fool''s Insight hadn''t warned me of her intention. Thanks to this cheat of mine, I was able to pull my right shoulder back and narrowly avoided decapitation.


    Her attack didn''t end there. She converted her failed upward slash into a sideswipe that would have slit my neck if I hadn''t pulled my head down to the left. Her reaction to my dodge was a horizontal slash moving in a downward angle that would have cut deep into my shoulder if my falchion hadn''t come up at the last second to block her.


    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that her three attacks were coordinated and that they cut an inverted triangle pattern in the air. It was brilliant swordplay which meant she was obviously far more skilled with her sword than me. I was just lucky enough to have Fool''s Insight backing me up.


    The weight of her katana as it bore down my falchion increased. It got so heavy that I had to hold my sword aloft with both hands just to keep it up. I braced. My arms strained against the weight. Sweat streaked down my face in buckets. I thought I was finally winning. Then she did something too unpredictable for even Fool''s Insight to forewarn me.


    She jumped up and vaulted over me like an acrobat sommersaulting over an obstacle in her way. Next thing I knew, she was above me with her feet dangling in the air, and then she landed lightly behind me with her toes balancing nimbly on top of my swifthart.


    I had half a second to feel impressed by her acrobatics before she drop-kicked me off my mount and I went crashing shoulder first onto the grass.


    Seconds ticked by while I lay there disoriented and bruised. My vision was back to normal. The smell of wild grass and dirt were all around me. I tasted them too as my mouth was open when I fell. It was the texture of powdery chocolate but didn''t have that sweet taste we all loved. It was just bitter and made me want to puke.


    I spit out the coarse stuff as I got to my knees. I took another second to catch my breath before I turned my attention to my surroundings.


    The battle was ongoing around me like a scene from a fantasy movie. Mounted grey-armored soldiers clashed with pixies and drow who dodged sword swings while they flew through the air.


    I caught a glimpse of Pike¡ªthe short-cropped, chestnut-haired pixie with a crush on Luca¡ªas she lifted a pale-skinned, dark-haired elf from his mount and into the sky. When they were maybe thirty feet high, Pike dropped him in the air and he hit the ground with a splat.


    It was a well-executed move as Pike was clearly taking advantage of her maneuverability. It made me think that she was wasted under Qwipps'' command. This thought was quickly replaced by another¡ªand that was the thought of my impending death.


    Despite Fool''s Insight being deactivated abruptly by my crash, I could clearly see the shadowblade of the katana as it came hurtling down my head.


    My reaction was to roll to the side. Once I''d created enough distance between me and my attacker, I pushed myself off the ground and swung my sword arm sideways in case she''d stepped into my range. However, my hand was empty. My falchion was gone and I had no time to search for it as my enemy''s katana sang through the air to try and decapitate me yet again.


    A split-second reaction was all I had to pull out my dagger and block the attack, but the force of her swing sent my dagger flying out of my hands.


    I backed away as quick as I dared. One step. Two steps. The masked rider mirrored my movements. On my fifth step back, her katana''s shadowblade came hurtling at me again. Luckily, instinct made me dodge to the side.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see¡ª"


    The katana came at me again. I stumbled back.


    "Oh, great fool¡ª"


    There wasn''t enough time to concentrate or finish my chant as my attacker continued her advanced and harried me with each step I took away from her. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    In frustration, I decided my only option was to pin her down or disarm her. But either option would prove difficult to achieve because I wasn''t facing some street thug but a true warrior with amazing technique and incredible acrobatic ability. Still, I wasn''t about to back down. Years of training under my dad gave me the confidence to believe in my skills.


    My chance to show off the Muto Dori techniques dad taught me came the moment the enemy raised her katana for another swing.


    Instead of pulling away, I pivoted on my left foot and swung around to my right in that crucial moment where the katana came rushing down.


    I mentally patted myself on the back for doing it right despite not having the aid of Fool''s Insight to make things too easy for me. Not only was I able to avoid the shadowblade''s edge cutting me in half, but I also sneakily set myself right next to the enemy''s outstretched arms.


    The next step was to go danger-close.


    I used my left hand to slap at her left hand which was holding onto the bottom half of the katana''s hilt. I then used the momentum from my slap to wrap my wrist on her handle and twirl my arm around it like I was trying to hook it in.


    The masked rider pulled back her arm but I held it in place with all the strength my fifteen-year-old body could muster.


    Then I stepped forward with my left foot and pivoted to my left, forcing the katana to get caught between my hand and my left side which also served to weaken my enemy''s grip on her weapon. Once I felt this weakening, I smashed my right fist down her outstretched elbow, forcing her to bend her arm long enough for me to pull the katana away from her grasp.


    This successful variation of Muto Dori¡ªwhich translated from its Japanese kanji literally meant catching weapons with your bare hands¡ªmade me feel like all my years of training had finally been validated. It was the best feeling in the world. Sadly, I''d forgotten that I wasn''t in my world. I was in an alien one where the common sense of Mudgard just didn''t apply.


    The masked rider and I were within inches of each other, and you would think that would be enough for me to finally take her out with her own shadowblade which was now in my hands. No such luck. Before I could even think to secure my grip on the hilt, the masked rider''s fist came up to my jaw. I barely had enough time to block it with my right forearm.


    My attempt to block her uppercut resulted in two things. First, the bones of my right arm felt like they''d just been cracked into pieces by a sledgehammer. Second, even with gravity helping me, I was lifted off my feet. It seemed the pure force of her black-gloved hand was enough to send me up.


    If that wasn''t humiliating enough, her other arm came forward to my rising chest in a straight punch that blew me away for several feet and I crashed into the grass tumbling and screaming in pain.


    It was maybe a minute later when I regained consciousness while nursing a massive headache. My chest heaved from the pain, ensuring my breaths came in quick gasps. My right arm felt like it was either broken or about to be. My mouth was wet with something that had a metallic taste to it.


    I spat out the blood while feeling like I was bruised all over. Still, I managed to rise to my feet slowly. I looked up, and through the haze of double vision, I saw my enemy standing maybe six feet away. Even though I couldn''t see it, I could tell she was smiling from behind her mask.


    My right arm dangled loosely at my side. It was most definitely out of commission. Panic was beginning to set in. I could feel it clawing its way into my brain, forcing me to wobble on my feet. But I couldn''t give in.


    The battle was dying down around me. Too many soldiers in blue gear were still standing while there were far too many bodies sporting grey cloaks lying on the ground. We were winning. Only one opponent proved difficult to beat, and she was staring right at me. I was still her target.


    It made sense. Kill the commander and the battle might still be salvageable.


    She charged at me while I hobbled forward like an aging grandpa. When she was almost upon me, I raised my left arm and made a fist with my hand because I understood that this wasn''t a time to back down. It was time for action. But I never got to throw that punch.


    A swooshing sound similar to the rotating blades of a helicopter invaded the quiet of our moment. In the next second, Thom had descended from the sky between me and the masked rider like a tornado, his katana''s shadowblade singing violently as he continued his rotation.


    The masked rider pulled away instantly, creating distance between her and Thom¡ªand me, thankfully.


    Thom executed a rolling maneuver as soon as he landed on the grass. When he came up again, the katana was no longer in his hands. In its place was the bow that made him such a formidable opponent the first time I met him. He notched an arrow to his bow and let it loose.


    The arrow flew true, soaring through the air and right into the masked rider''s outstretched hand. She''d plucked it out of the air like it wasn''t difficult at all.


    I saw it happen but I just couldn''t believe it. Just how many times was she planning to defy common sense?


    Thom fired another shot. She caught this one too.


    He fired two arrows simultaneously, but she just plucked both of them out of the air with one hand. She didn''t even need the other one.


    It was only then that I realized she''d been going easy on me this whole time. There was no way someone who could catch an arrow with their bare hands couldn''t do more damage to me in the time we were fighting. This meant that she either liked playing with her food or she was testing me. Neither thought was all that comforting though.


    "Foolhardies!" people roared from behind me.


    I turned my head to the sound and saw Luca and Ashley riding toward me in their stolen swiftharts.


    "Foolhardies!" Qwipps yelled as if in response.


    He was charging in from the right. Pike and a few other pixies flew behind him.


    To our left, drow gliders led by Enna skirted the grass while they glided toward us.


    Although I was glad they were coming too, it annoyed me that they hadn''t shouted the Foolhardies name like Luca and the others did. Say it loud and say it proud, I always believed. But, nevermind, now wasn''t the time to get fixated over some of my soldiers'' lacking team spirit.


    Thom''s laughter rang out across the open field. After he finished this disturbing chuckling, he turned his gaze on the last enemy left standing and spoke his next words in an obviously fake conciliatory tone, "Apologies... Looks like it''s checkmate."


    His words annoyed me probably as much as it did our opponent. What did I have to be annoyed about? Well, the mocking banter and self-satisfied victory pose were supposed to be mine to accomplish. I was the commander, wasn''t I?


    In response to Thom''s taunt, the masked rider wordlessly knelt on the ground with her head bowed.


    Yes, like everyone who saw her do it, I made the mistake of thinking she was surrendering. Perhaps if I had Fool''s Insight activated I would have seen what was happening to the ground beneath her feet. Perhaps then I would have noticed the cracks forming where her fists met the earth or saw the swirl of dust slowly floating up in the air as if the very gravity around her had been reversed. Maybe then I wouldn''t have been as shocked as the others were by what happened next.


    With power on the level of someone like Superman, the masked rider shot out of the ground¡ªcausing cracks to spread out from the grassy earth beneath her feet¡ªand into the sky. Once she was at a height far above us, her grey cloak reshaped itself into black shapes similar to two bat wings, which she used to glide in the direction of the frontline. Just like that, she was gone and the battle was over.


    "Huh, I was right... she was a drow," I said out loud.

 51 Healing Hands

    Despite the bloody field around us, the reunion with Ashley''s unit was a joyful one. Mostly because a lot of us survived the recent battles despite how quickly circumstances kept changing for the worst.


    I clasped Luca''s hand with my own. We moved on to finger swipes and then fist bumps which turned into fading explosions that finally transitioned into high-fives.


    This made me smile. It had been a while since we did our secret handshake¡ªsince before he was kidnapped. But then I noticed the new scar right below his left eye.


    "Nasty papercut," I joked.


    "Yeah..." he laughed in a pleased and not at all hysterical way.


    It was a very uncommon sight to see when it came to Luca. He rarely laughed in the Fayne. And I wondered if something had changed for him since that night at the hilltop where his eyes could only reflect his inner sorrow.


    Speaking of his eyes, they were rather busy looking over the people around us and lingering mostly on Pike''s pixie features.


    "What you looking at, bro?" I asked jokingly.


    N-nothing," Luca, his face red as an apple''s, quickly averted his gaze. "Glad to see you managed not to get yourself killed without me watching your back." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "As if I needed you to save me," I fired back.


    Although I knew he meant it only as a joke, the truth was, his words stung. Based on my performance in our last two battles, I was good at commanding the unit and making up strategies that led to our victories, but I seemed to be lacking in the single combat department. Twice now I needed help to win my fights. This needed to be remedied, and soon, or I wouldn''t stand a chance against a foe like Azuma anymore.


    Luca noticed the change in my mood and asked if everything was alright. I brushed him off and told him my arm was just hurting. Although it wasn''t the main reason why my eyebrows were furrowed but it technically wasn''t unconnected to my mood. It wasn''t a lie.


    My right arm dangled at my side while sending a throbbing pain up to my brain.


    "Looks broken," Luca guessed.


    "You don''t say, genius," I grimaced. "Call Ashley for me, will you?"


    "Why do you want her?" Luca asked.


    "She''s a shieldmaiden. They''re not as good as healers like Berrian, but they practice the healing arts too," I answered.


    While Luca rushed to get Ashley, I spent the time waiting by observing the scene around me.


    Edo, with help from Luca''s raiders, was rounding up enemy survivors and tying binding their wrists and legs with the silver thread indicative of elf rope, ensuring they wouldn''t be able to escape and call for reinforcement until we were long gone.


    Thom''s drow troops were watching our rear like I asked him to earlier. Their gazes swept over the hillsides as well as the sky above just in case more enemy drow decided to drop in on us while we recuperated.


    The thought of enemy drow present in the Magesong army was giving my goosebumps goosebumps. I would have to warn Darah about this development as soon as I could.


    I glanced over to Qwipps and Varda next. They were herding all the surviving swiftharts together to a spot on the field that was away from the bodies littering the ground. My light-green furred swifthart was among them.


    It warmed my heart to see that my mount was alright and I figured that I should reward its recent valor with a new name once I figured out what I wanted to call it. Naming things couldn''t be rushed, after all. I wouldn''t want to regret calling it ''Taser Face'' or something equally stupid after the fact.


    While I ruminated names like ''Prancer'' or ''Dancer'' and ''Rudolph'', Ashley arrived at my side with an overly worried Luca looking over her shoulder. Seeing him look at me the way I usually looked at him sort of annoyed me, and so I sent him away to loot enemy weapons and armor we could use or sell later.


    "Luca''s just worried," Ashley said as she inspected the black bruises on my right arm. She must have noticed how quickly I dismissed him. "He''s probably not used to seeing you injured like this."


    "I''m not used to seeing me injured like this," I grunted. The pain spiked as soon as I felt her fingers prod my arm. "Our enemies are getting tougher... and I feel stupid for getting baited into that sucker punch..."


    "Well, I can''t heal stupid, FYI... but you''re right... this war is a lot bigger than our teenage brains can even wrap our heads around..." Ashley massaged my arm with her fingers. "Well, at least that''s true of me and Luca. You seem to be doing fine in command..."


    "Why don''t I feel like I''m doing well... My brows furrowed even more and it wasn''t just the pain causing my agitation. "How many did you lose?"


    It wasn''t like I was torturing myself, but as the unit commander, I needed to know how many more soldiers died because I asked them to stay behind.


    "Five," Ashley whispered. "I''ll give you their names later... I just... don''t want to think about it for a while."


    Wordlessly, I patted her on the shoulder with my uninjured hand. It was the only comfort I could provide.


    "Well, you''ve got a fractured arm, Dean..." Ashley unclasped the vial of healing potion from her belt and offered it to me. "I''ll bandage it while you drink this. It won''t heal the arm but it''ll strengthen you enough for the ride back so Berrian can heal it."


    Ashley leaned closer to my arm so she could start bandaging it and it was only then that I noticed how nice she smelled. Despite the sweat clinging to her brow, there was a scent of lavender clinging to her clothes. I recalled this same scent was prevalent inside the training hall of the Shieldmaiden''s Tower where we first met.


    "You smell nice," I said, without thinking, while I took the small vial from her. "Um, I mean, you smell like lavender?"


    "I use lavender oils when I take a bath... the Shieldmaidens believed it helps us keep evil at bay and attract other fairies to our cause," she answered coolly like she didn''t mind my earlier compliment.


    I managed to say, "You have time for a bath?" right before I chugged down the contents of the minor healing potion she gave me. She was right. It wasn''t enough to heal my broken arm but it did make it hurt less.


    Once Ashley was done bandaging my injury and Edo was finished tying up all loose ends, our group with our newly acquired swiftharts¡ªtwenty-one in all¡ªleft the battlefield and traveled the route our caravan had taken in hopes of catching up to them. We managed to reunite with them a mile or so away from the battle, right before Aura''s convoy would cross into a narrow pathway between two hills with steep cliffs.


    Cheering rang out from the soldiers who stayed to protect the convoy¡ªwith Shaqs'' yells being the loudest of the bunch¡ªas they saw us approach. But the clamor quickly died down when they noticed the five dead bodies of our comrades that we carried over the backs of our new swiftharts.


    Luca and I reunited with Aura at the front of the convoy. She took one look at my arm and immediately sent for Berrian. They had me sit inside one of the wagons so Berrian could treat me properly.


    "I wasted most of my spells on our other wounded but luckily for you, Commander, I still have one healing spell in reserve," Berrian said as he inspected the bandaged arm. "Shieldmaiden Ashley did a good job splinting the arm. Makes the recovery much easier."


    Berrian placed both of his hands on my arm. Warmth flowed out of him like a heater that had just switched on.


    "May the light of Idunn, the blessed golden moon, shine down on this wound and restore it back to health so that this soldier of the Fayne may fight once more..." Berrian chanted like a prayer. He finished his chant by calling out the name of his spell, "Healing Words."


    As golden light¡ªnot unlike the glow of the golden moon¡ªwrapped around my arm, it was accompanied by a soothing heat similar to the feeling I get when I activate Fool''s Insight. It flowed into and through my arm, overwhelming the throbbing sensation of pain until it was no more. After the golden light dispersed seconds later, the throbbing in my arm was gone.


    Berrian leaned back while looking exhausted. His brow dripped with sweat like he''d just finished a marathon. Yet he was smiling at me when he said, "You''re healed now, Commander."


    Slowly, I lifted my still bandaged arm. It moved at my command without any complaint. I twirled my fingers and felt no pain.


    "Nice job, Berrian," I said gratefully. "I know you''re out of healing spells but," I glanced over at the frightened kids who''d backed away to further into the wagon when I was put in here. "I don''t suppose you still have it in you to help them?"


    "It''s true that I am out of healing spells but..." Berrian followed my gaze. His smile turning into a frown at the sight of the kids. "I believe I can manage one last spell tonight provided I can use one of the mana potions you''ve got stashed away..."


    "Get one from Edo. He''s got them kept," I said right before I jumped out of the wagon.


    Berrian followed me out and thanked me for my generosity because he understood just how precious a resource our mana potions were. The fact that I was allowing him to use it for purposes not involving our unit''s survival showed him just how important this issue was to me.


    "This is priority one, Berrian. If we can save these kids then this night wouldn''t be a waste at all," I said.


    He nodded in agreement and trotted off to Edo''s position near the back of the convoy.


    Luca and Aura, who were idling outside the wagon and waiting for me, walked over as soon as Iw as done speaking with Berrian.


    "What do we do now?" Luca asked.


    "Should we proceed to the checkpoint as planned?" Aura added.


    I looked up at the night sky. It would be hours before dawn but there were new things to consider now.


    "Yeah... let''s head back to the camp Zarz set up. We need to get those kids out of dodge... and I need to let Darah know what we''re up against... things are definitely not what they seem," I answered ominously.

 52 Inside the Crystal Ball

    The camp Zarz set up for the unit was located on a small plateau south of the range of hills separating the enemy frontlines from their rear. It was far enough that we wouldn''t need to fear a surprise attack without any forewarning, and now that we knew the enemy could attack from the skies, we would be doubly prepared. Not to mention getting up to our plateau required tricky navigation of a steep rise that could easily be defended by very few men.


    In fact, it was such a steep climb that we had difficulty even bringing the five wagons up to the plateau. Luckily, we had big guys like Shaqs and Edo to help with the heavy lifting.


    The first thing I did when I arrived at camp was to have Zarz camouflage the wagons in greenery to keep the enemy from noticing them too quickly.


    While Zarz finished his task, I sent Berrian off to tend to the surviving kids. Seven more died gruesome deaths on our way to the campsite and some kids were sporting bruises or wounds on their bodies that weren''t there when we found them.


    Because I didn''t want to be responsible for the murder of children under my unit''s care, I called on one of our messenger sprites, Fila, to send word to Darah about everything that happened to the Foolhardies since we began our campaign. Specifically, I wanted to know if we had any curse breakers in the Darah that could help with the problem of the cursed children.


    Fila was a foot-tall sprite with light green skin and spiky blue hair. The two gossamer wings on his back were also a shade of light blue. He wore a midnight blue tabard with the symbol of an intricately drawn white harlequin mask complete with a red and blue jester''s cap.


    This was the new symbol for the Foolhardies that Pike¡ªwho I recently learned dabbled in art¡ªdrew for us after she and Luca thought it up. I let Luca workshop the unit''s symbol because he was pouting that he didn''t get to help with the name. Better to have him stress over it than stress me about it. Besides, I would have just vetoed any lame symbols he endorsed. Luckily, I didn''t have to. The first one he and Pike showed me was pretty damn cool.


    Fila''s loud "Ahem," shifted my focus away from the Foolhardies symbol back to the present.


    "Is that all you want to say, Commander?" he asked in a sing-song child-like voice common to his kind.


    "Yeah... but I really want you to emphasis that our first attack went great and that we secured prisoners and rescued hostages as a bonus. Really put some emphasis on that, okay, Fila?" I reminded him.


    "Sure... impress Great General Darah," he repeated as he jotted down notes on his extremely tiny notebook and quill. "And don''t mention that we haven''t completed the task she asked us to do..."


    "Definitely don''t mention that," I agreed vehemently. "Just say that it''s in progress."


    Fila saluted me by banging his fist to his chest pinky first just like how all soldiers in the Fayne saluted their superiors. On a foot-tall creature like him, though, it was just adorable.


    Before Fila could fly off, his partner and the only other messenger of the unit, Nike, landed down on the grass beside him in a huff while waving a glass golf ball up at me.


    I glanced down at the excited little sprite to acknowledge her arrival.


    Although they shared the same light green skin, Nike was the opposite of her partner, Fila. Her hair was a deep crimson similar to mine and the gossamer wings on her back were a fiery violet hue.


    I''d left her behind with Great General Darah so she could quickly relay any messages to me as sprites could find anyone as long as they know the face of their target. Or in my case, being her direct superior meant Nike had an arcane connection to me that would let her know where I am anywhere in the Fayne like some magical fairy GPS.


    "News from the front!" Nike piped in after she''d taken a breath.


    I picked up the golf ball Nike carried in her hands, and as soon as I did, it expanded into volleyball size like it was just waiting for the touch of someone normal height to take it out of the sprite''s hands.


    The glass ball, which I knew was actually called a scrying orb, began to glow from within. Inside its murky depths, I saw a gathering of storm clouds that slowly dissipated to give way to the story hidden within. A series of photos like snapshots from a spy drone appeared one after another, each one giving me insight into the battlefield of the Darah army and the Magesong army.


    "News from the front?" Aura asked as she sat beside me on one of the wooden logs Zarz''s supply team had set up around camp.


    "Nothing too bad... not good either though," I said as I pushed the scrying orb into Aura''s hands.


    "Looks like we won the first clash in the center," Aura observed.


    "Yeah... they''re led by Commander Thors so that was expected," I agreed.


    "On, no," Aura exclaimed. "Looks like the left army isn''t doing so well. The enemy was able to attack push them back..."


    My brow creased. "What the hell is that Vardoom doing losing so quickly like that..."


    "My uncle''s a slow starter... he''ll push back once he''s found his groove," Varda explained when she popped in to sneak a peek at the orb over Aura''s shoulder. "At least the right army''s doing okay."


    "Looks like a stalemate," Aura agreed with Varda.


    "Check the next image," I said.


    Aura did as I instructed and swiped the orb''s screen to the right like Mudgardians usually did on their dating apps. The scene changed to another one showing huge flames erupting within the right army''s forces. They were telltale signs of very recent explosions.


    Aura gasped.


    "Are those..." Varda began, but I finished with, "Looks like cannon fire to me..."


    "But then¡ª"


    I cut Varda off again by swiping the orb once more and changed the image to a new one depicting a closeup shot of a line of what seemed like a magical version of what ancient cannons looked like back on Mudgard.


    There were eight in all. Each one had a large rectangular crystal with a pointed triangular tip mounted on a wooden carriage with two wheels each. The crystal tips faced forward in the direction of what I assumed the Darah Army was in. Only, from the look of them, the cannons were clearly damaged. Their crystal cores were either cracked or broken as if they''d been sabotaged.


    Varda''s eyes were wide when she looked over the picture. "Someone broke these spell cannons good..."


    Aura looked over to me for clarification. "did someone do this? What does it mean?"


    "It means your aunt''s wilier than I thought... she''s covering all her bases," I said, laughing as I did. "While she sent us here looking to raid the cannon''s supply of ammunition she''d already sent another group to infiltrate and destroy the cannons on her field... smart."


    "Does that mean we can scrap our mission? No sense getting ourselves killed looking for something the enemy can''t use anymore, is there?" " Varda asked.


    I pondered her questions in my mind. It was true that the cannons were out of commission but there was always a chance they could be prepared. This meant stealing or destroying their ammunition supply could make them useless for good. On the other hand, if we stayed where we were, the likelihood of discovery was getting more likely by the minute. Especially since we''d already encountered the enemy twice and have both hostages and prisoners to take care of.


    My thoughts were interrupted by the two sprites vying for my attention.


    "Can I go now, Commander?" Fila asked.


    I nodded apologetically to him. "Y-yeah, sure... sorry I kept you waiting."


    He sent me another salute before he flew off into the night sky.


    Now, it was Nike''s turn to grab my attention.


    "I have a message from the Great General," she piped.


    "You couldn''t have said that earlier?" I asked.


    Commander was busy," she shrugged.


    I sighed. "Alright, Nike. What''s Darah''s message?"


    The next time Nike spoke, it was in the clear commanding tone of Great General Darah herself. "Dapper, somethings come up. I want you to end your search for the cannon''s ammunition supply. There''s something else I need you to check on."


    I rolled my eyes. "Now she tells me..."


    "You remember that fool you and Rogers allowed to go free? Well, it turns out there are more fake immortals like your friend, Azuma," Nike continued in Darah''s voice. "Several commander-level enemies in the Magesong army don''t seem to understand how to die properly... They keep waking up from death. I want you to figure out the how and the why and then report back to me as quickly as possible. Invade their entire rear line and get some answers from their cowardly magicians if you have to. This is priority one, Dapper. Don''t fail!"


    I did a double-take as soon as Nike finished Darah''s message. "Did she just¡ª"


    "Seems like we completed our mission, after all, Commander," Varda laughed. "Aren''t you lucky..."


    I looked between Varda and Nike just to make sure neither of them was pulling my leg. Varda had a silly expression on her face but Nike was all serious so at least I could count on her to tell me the truth. It meant we had exactly what Darah wanted which felt like too much of a coincidence to me.


    "I can''t¡ª"


    "Don''t fight it," Aura recommended. She patted me on the back reassuringly while she was at it. "I know you had your heart set on exploring the hills and ambushing every Magesong unit we could find but..."


    I knew she was making fun of me now and I expressed as much in the scowl I sent her. But Aura knew just how to placate me. She grinned that beautiful grin of hers, making me soften up instantly.


    "Let''s not find fault in this simple gift fate sent us, okay?" she suggested. "Just be happy that things worked out. Even if you hadn''t planned for it."


    I sighed. Her logic, although unbelievably flawed in my opinion, made a whole lot more sense than sticking around to get caught by the enemy. We had the information the boss wanted. It was time to get it to her and hopefully find a cure for those kids. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Alright..." I conceded while still feeling unsatisfied by this sudden turn of fortune. "Let''s head back to the main army as soon as we''re ready."

 53 Spy Game

    Before the Foolhardies could pack up and walk away from this incredibly good hiding spot that took hours of debate between me, Ty, and Arah to finally select after looking over detailed scouting reports Thom''s crew provided us with, we needed to tie up loose ends¡ªliterally.


    Edo brought the Mccord twins to me so that I could give them a breakdown of their options. Now, just to refresh everyone''s memory, Connor and Collin Mccord were the two guys Luca and I knocked out in our epic tag team fight. Apparently they were the grandsons of Starlight City''s Mayor. So getting them on my side could possibly get me connected with their grandad in the near future, and you''ll never know when you might need a favor from the mayor.


    "Here''s the deal, guys," I said in a tone I hoped emulated Great General Darah a little. "Unlike our other captives, you guys are viseres so we can''t hold you for more than a night..."


    I let that last word hang ominously over their heads for a few seconds to see how they would react. Of course, I wasn''t planning on killing them like I hinted at but they didn''t know that.


    The brothers gave each other nervous and meaningful looks. One of them was sweating more than the other. I believe he was Collin. I couldn''t tell as they were both carbon copies of each other down to the undershirts beneath their padded vests.


    "Connor¡ª"


    "Shut up, Collin," Connor interrupted whatever Collin wanted to say. He gave his brother a stern look. "You should know better... these fools can''t help us."


    Although he was right in calling us fools, I resented the way he said it. To show off my authority, I raised a finger, and the giant half-ogre behind me pulled out his glaive and held it aloft in a threatening manner just like we''d practiced earlier.


    Edo was very good at intimidating people. This was apparent in the wide-eyed nervous stares the twins gave him. Connor was visibly pulling away from my First Sergeant. I could smell the fear coming off him in waves.


    "As I said, you two and the other five viseres are useless to us if we can''t hold you... but we can''t cut you loose or allow you to wink out at dawn so... I''m at loss guys..." I took turns gazing into each of their faces. Then I pointed a thumb back at Edo. "My sergeant thinks we should kill you and get it over with¡ª"


    "Dude, come on... we''re all humans here, man," Connor pleaded. "It''s just a game..."


    Just a game. That was Connor''s defense for coming to the Fayne every night and fighting as a soldier. It was all a game to him. Unfortunately, I knew he wasn''t the only visere that felt this way. There were even several Foolhardies who thought like this. It pissed me off whenever I heard it because our lives, mine and Luca''s and my mom''s, the tragedy we lived through wasn''t a game to us. Luca''s time as a slave and my mom''s condition, these were real.


    Sadly, before I could smack Connor in the face for his verbal snafu, his brother smacked the back of his head for me. Whether or not Collin saw the murderous look on my eye or, like me, was more sensitive to his own circumstance, I wasn''t sure. He was at least aware his brother said something stupid. I guess that meant he was the sensible one.


    After Connor disciplined his brother, he turned his face back to me and said, "Look... we can''t help you... and it''s not like we don''t want to... we just can''t."


    Connor''s eyes begged for understanding like there was something he wanted to say but couldn''t. It was the same look my mother gave me when I interrogated her in her hospital room that night I learned the truth.


    It was Aura, who was sitting beside me on my wooden log, who answered the unanswered question in my head.


    "They must be under a Silence Curse ," she guessed.


    I raised an eyebrow at her. "Care to explain for, um, Edo''s benefit?"


    My back felt hot like someone was burning two holes in me with a murderous stare that I was certain Edo was currently sending me for using him like that. Not that he knew any better than me when it came to magic. We were both warriors, after all. But, I couldn''t let the Mccord twins think that I didn''t know things. They needed to perceive me as all-knowing if I was going to get them to turn on their current employers.


    Aura gave Edo a sympathetic smile before explaining, "There are plenty of varieties, but essentially, a silence curse prevents the cursed one from releasing information the spellcaster doesn''t want them to divulge to anyone..."


    "Like secrets..." I whispered.


    Aura nodded. "Yes."


    I glanced over to the twins who were also looking at Aura. But while Collin was gazing at her with a wary expression, Connor just looked smitten. I laughed inwardly at seeing him give Aura goo-goo eyes.


    Join the club , I thought.


    "Can this curse be dispelled?" I asked Aura.


    "It would be dangerous... but I do know a way we can overwrite the curse," she answered.


    "Well? Don''t keep me in suspense, partner," I said. I emphasized the word partner hoping the twins would be impressed with the Foolhardies for having such a beautiful creature on our roster. "Do we hold a seance? Exorcism? Blood magic?"


    My playful manner made Aura smile, and showing off her pearly whites had an effect on the twins. Even Collin couldn''t help but be dazzled. Aura''s beauty was such a good recruitment tool.


    "A contract to overwrite the previous one," Aura answered.


    The fingers of both my hands linked together as I placed them under my chin. "Is that even possible? Didn''t you say we had to kill Azuma''s contractor to set him free?"


    Aura looked down. Her brow creased.


    "Yes, that is true for Azuma," she said after a moment''s hesitation. "He''d be too weak to survive it..." Aura glanced over at Connor and Collin. "But these two are young and healthy... they might be able to endure the backlash of an overwrite... It''s been done before..."


    "What do you think, Varda?" I asked the dwarf standing behind Aura. "You think it''s doable?"


    "Well..." Varda crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes narrowed like she was really thinking hard. "It''s happened before... I guess... but most of the time..." she glanced over at the twins. Then she sent her gaze on my expectant face. "well... things don''t turn out well for the contractee."


    "How bad?" I asked.


    "Um... they go crazy," Varda finished ominously.


    "No!" Collin snapped. "You can''t make us go through that!"


    "Y-yeah! Our grandpa''s the mayor of Starlight!" Connor pointed his bound hands at me like he was pleading and not accusing. "H-he''ll sue you!"


    In an instant, I unsheathed my falchion and sent the newly formed shadowblade at Connor''s throat. In reaction, his brother screamed his brother''s name, "Connor!"


    The blue edge of my blade held mere inches from Connor''s throat. Not close enough that its vibration effect could do him harm.


    "Don''t you get it... you either do what I want or you die... right, Edo?" I glanced over to Edo


    Luckily, he caught on quickly enough because he slammed the tip of his glaive down onto the grass. We all watch the shadowblade sink nearly completely into the ground.


    I smirked. Just one more push.


    "I know you said you were on loan to the Magesong clan from another group, right?" I emulated Edo and planted my own sword''s tip on the ground. It sank rather easily. "Earlier tonight, I encountered a drow who hid her face behind a masquerade mask. She fought pretty well with her fists."


    Both boys'' eyes lit up. It was a light akin to hope which I happily shattered. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Don''t hold your breath for a rescue. We beat her. She turned tail and ran," I snarled. I thought it was a rather convincing snarl. I left out the part where she broke my arm though. "And now that I know what she was, I know who you work for."


    The light in their eyes dimmed. There was no possible way I could be lying as I did describe the drow pretty well.


    "You work for the Scarlet Moon... and that drow, she''s a member of the Black Hand, too..." I finally revealed my trump card, the theory I''d been sitting on since I fought the masked drow. "Probably not the Commander of the unit but someone high up. She was skilled enough."


    They didn''t have to confirm it. The shock on their faces was proof enough that I had deduced it correctly thanks to the facts laid out before me. Like a great detective once said, Once you removed the impossible, whatever remained no matter how improbable, must be the truth .


    "So... now that we''ve cleared it up. I''ve got no plans to return you boys to the Scarlet Moon..." I''d reeled them in. It was now time for the offer. "Not unless you go back as my spies."


    Was it possible for shocked faces to receive a double dose of shock? Well, it certainly seemed possible given that both Connor''s and Collin''s eyes and mouths widened to double the size.


    It was only fair that I gave them a few seconds to let my offer sink in. Eventually, after both boys gave each other meaningful looks that made me feel like they were having some kind of telepathic conversation only possible with twins, they gave me their answer.


    "If we do this... how do we know we won''t get caught?" Collin asked. "Our general isn''t someone you can mess with... you''re just a small-time, Commander..."


    "Yeah, she''d murder you right after she killed us," Connor agreed.


    "What guarantees do we have that you''ll protect us and our family back on Mudgard?" Collin added.


    In their panic, I didn''t think they noticed that they''d already given me two vital pieces of information. The Black Hand was a general and she was female.


    I glanced over at Aura and asked, "Is it okay if I tell them?"


    "I trust your decisions," Aura answered easily.


    "Aura¡ª"


    Edo tried to speak up but Aura held her hand to silence him. Edo sighed but stayed quiet.


    "Varda, your uncle''s a blabbermouth so you probably already know Aura''s real identity, right?" I asked the dwarf who seemed like she was trying very hard to look clueless.


    Varda hesitated for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "B-but that''s just because he wanted me to watch out for her... it wasn''t like he was betraying your confidence or anything..."


    Aura turned her smile on Varda. "I don''t mind. I trust you too."


    Her candor combined with her dazzling smile made Varda''s cheeks blush crimson¡ªand I could feel it in my bones that she would never betray Aurana to any of our enemies. Perhaps it was time to clue more of our officers in on this big secret.


    I turned my focus back on both Collin and Connor. "You guys don''t have to worry over some general whose name isn''t even wide-spread enough for us to know about it... not when youre in the presence of the princess of the Trickster Pavilion."


    Somehow, I knew they wouldn''t doubt me despite my tall claim. In those few moments after my big reveal, Aura just exuded a royal presence that made me want to bow in respect and awe. She didn''t do anything special. It was the same beautiful face with the same upright posture but there was just something in her eyes that made you believe she was a princess, and in the Fayne, royalty, even enemy royalty, trumps general in terms of importance.


    I gave the Mccord twins another few seconds to consider this shocking piece of information, but when they were finally ready, they gave me the answer I expected. After all, in their minds the alternative was death. Plus, having a royal on your side guaranteed the kind of rewards they were originally sent to the Fayne for.


    "Yes," they both said together.


    "We''ll work for you," Collin said.


    "For the Princess," Connor corrected.


    "Sure-sure, that''s fine," I was grinning like a kid with a new toy. "Varda, can you please call Qwipps over. We need his... expertise here."


    Then I had another thought and I stopped Varda before she could leave.


    "Get Berrian too... in case things get rough," I added quickly.


    Varda rushed to follow my orders and returned in double time with both Qwipps and Berrian in tow.


    "Alright, Mccords," I pointed a hand toward Qwipps. "Meet your new contractor."

 54 A Soldiers Oath

    The Mccord twins protested the fact that they were getting Qwipps as a contractor and not Aura who they assumed was going to be their new bestie. No such luck for them. Aura''s contracts were a premium reserved only for the very best.


    At least, that''s how I justified it. In all truthfulness, I just didn''t want to share her with anyone. Besides, Qwipps wasn''t a bad fairy to contract. sure, he had lots of unpleasant quirks, but he was a fun guy to have around. Plus, he was loyal. One couldn''t ask for more in a contractor. At the very least, they were guaranteed Qwipps wouldn''t be as abusive as whoever they had before him. I hoped.


    The ritual they would undergo to create a new contract with Qwipps was similar to the one I performed with Aura back in that time I first summoned her to Mudgard. The one difference was that instead of the Elfwood Forest Circle Stones, the twins had to make do with makeshift boulders Shaqs and Edo lugged into position far away from where we parked the wagons.


    Luca and Donar came over to watch after they''d followed my orders and secured the other prisoners inside their wagon so that they couldn''t sneak a peek at what was transpiring. I even had Donar cast a silence spell over the wagon to block out any sound from reaching prying ears.  It was the best way to ensure the anonymity of my newly acquired spies.


    "Alright... let''s get this mud show over with," Qwipps said dejectedly.


    I once remembered him saying that he only wanted to contract beautiful Mudgardian women. The two sweaty, dirt-streaked teenage boys were definitely a far cry from his requirement. Nonetheless, he faithfully accepted my request¡ªin exchange for a few hundred gold Leprechauns, of course.


    The twins looked just as dejected as Qwipps with their fate. Connor even asked one last time, "You sure we can''t get her, instead?"


    The fact that he didn''t say the P-word in front of the gathering crowd meant that he and his brother might just make good spies after all.


    Under the light of the golden moon, the twins pricked their thumbs with a needle Qwipps gave them and sprinkled a few drops of blood on the golden Leprechauns I gave them to use for the ritual. As they didn''t have anything to offer their contractor, the incentive of blood would make it so the gold was now theirs to give.


    In exchange for the gold coins, Qwipps clipped off all the excess fingernails on his left hand and dropped the clippings on Connor''s open palm. I''m pretty sure he enjoyed the horrified look plastered on Connor''s face.


    Qwipps dropped the clippings from his right hand onto Collin''s open palm next, and the look of revulsion in Collin''s eyes was hilarious to me. Southie''s were such prudes. It was just fingernails.


    Now, while Qwipps gave the Mccord boys their disgusting gifts, he gave them each a similar spiel to the one Aura granted me.


    "I give you a piece of me as proof of our bond," Qwipps said while repressing his own laughter at the sight of both boys holding onto his nail clippings. "Do you accept?"


    It was hard not to feel pity for the Southside rich kids but I managed it somewhat. Beside me, Luca was trying very hard not to grin.


    His rivalry with the Southside Basketball Team was almost legendary. Luca debuted to a highlight of twenty-three points, fifteen assists, seven steals, and five rebounds during his first game against them. It goes without saying that they considered him the devil over there.


    "Do we really have to?" Collin asked depressedly.


    "Unless you prefer Edo slice and dice you," I answered from the sidelines.


    Both of the Mccords sighed.


    Seeing the two southside boys tough it out must have been cathartic for my little brother. You could see it in the twinkle in his eyes. And I was glad he was so entertained.


    Meanwhile, Varda, standing on the other side of Luca, looked like she was getting ready to reprimand Qwipps for not taking this ritual seriously.


    After both Collin and Connor accepted the gift, Qwipps raised the two coins to his chest and said, "And I accept your gift, even if it''s a few hundred gold short," at this, Qwipps sent me a raised eyebrow as if to remind me what I promised, "as proof that you are now viseres of the Trickster Pavilion."


    What happened next was a little unexpected.


    You see, I never experienced any sort of arcane effect after Aura and I made our pact. There wasn''t a veil that had finally lifted and given me the knowledge of the universe or anything like that. Nope. The only weird thing about that night was flying up into the sky and getting tossed into the Fayne. So you could imagine my surprise when the air above Connor and Collin flared suddenly with a crimson light.


    Like twins beacons from a lighthouse, a red blaze shot out of the space at the top of their heads and formed into the unmistakable vision of two red moons with each sitting atop two grey clouds. It was unmistakably the symbol for the Scarlet Moon Clan.


    All gazes were turned on these glowing crowns atop the heads of the two clueless boys who couldn''t look up to see what we all could.


    The red glow began to dim and we saw the symbol form cracks and shatter like ice which dissipated in the wind like they were nothing.


    Both the Mccord boys fell to their knees, their faces reddening. They were obviously in pain but no one could come close to them as none of us were sure if any interference would make things worse.


    The waiting was agonizing. I didn''t know them well but they were humans like me and Luca and they''d accepted my bargain with the promise that I would keep them alive. I wasn''t sure I could do that now. I wasn''t sure the arcane powers governing the Fayne would let me. Then I remembered The Rule of Equivalent Trade .


    My hand reached out for Aura''s as she stood beside me watching with bated breath. I felt her hand grasp mine.


    "Aura... how does equivalent trade play out in this scenario? Are we breaking any rules?" I asked.


    "No," Aura shook her head. "Unless... unless there''s something specific that they promised their contractor besides promising to work for him or her."


    "Like you and me, you mean? Our promise to claim the iron throne and claim a wish for Luca..."


    "Yes..."


    "If they don''t have anything like that?"


    "Then they''ll be fine... the pain is just a reminder of breaking their oath... but if the oath they offered Qwipps is similar, there is a chance their new pledge will cancel out the old one..."


    "That doesn''t make sense..."


    "I know... that''s why it''s risky. You''re asking the fates to consider their oath to us more important than the one they previously swore to the Scarlet Moon..."


    I looked worriedly at Aura.


    "What happens if they promised something more?"


    Aura shook her head.


    "I''m sorry..." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    My mind reeled. I''d forgotten one of the most important principles in the Fayne¡ªthe stupid law that Aura and I debated that night we met. I couldn''t believe she didn''t take it into account either. She was always so adamant about following it. But maybe there was a way to save the twins.


    I let go of Aura''s hand and dashed toward the writhing forms of the Mccord brothers.


    I heard Aura and Luca yell my name but I didn''t stop. This was my snafu. I needed to fix it or I sacrificed two lives for nothing.


    "What do I do..." I pondered as I stood over them. "Think, Dean... think."


    "Muddamit! What are you up to, Dean?" Qwipps asked from his spot in front of the twins.


    I ignored him and continued pondering the situation.


    If their new oath was stronger than the one previously made, then the arcane powers that dictate the laws of the Fayne could accept this new pact. If that was really the case, then I just had to make their oath more powerful, and if I was right, then all I needed to do was add an oath of my own¡ªa strengthening of bonds between them and the Foolhardies.


    I pulled out my dagger and cut my palm on it. Then I dabbed each of their backs with the blood from my palm. I may not be a fairy magician, but I do recall reading that blood magic was very powerful.


    "These two viseres now serve me and in exchange for the service they provide, I will ensure that mine will be the hands that end the Scarlet Moon clan... so please, give them a shot..." I pleaded.


    There was no greater promise I could give than the demise of one of the most bloody, traitorous clans of the Fayne. Also, it tied into the brothers'' old oaths, so I was hoping my declaration was enough.


    Apparently, whoever was listening to these oaths liked the exchange I offered because the Mccord twins stopped convulsing in pain. In return, I felt a huge weight suddenly drag my bloody hand down as if iron manacles had clamped onto my wrist and some invisible hand had pulled on it. The feeling lasted only a moment, but I knew I''d somehow locked myself into an agreement with something I couldn''t begin to fathom.


    There was no time to think about it, however, as my thoughts were interrupted by the burst of blue light shining atop the heads of the brothers who both sat up at the same time. The Fool symbol of the Trickster Pavilion, the same one I saw in my mind''s eye whenever I called on the power of Fool''s Insight, appeared above their heads. They had been accepted.


    After the ordeal was done, I reminded the brothers that once they returned to Mudgard they would tell no one of their new allegiance to the Trickster Pavilion.


    "No one''s going to know unless you guys act too suspiciously," I said.


    Both brothers nodded. They looked at me differently now than when we first met and I could swear there was a little more respect in their eyes than before. Maybe it had something to do with me risking my own butt to save them.


    "You''ll report to me every Friday afternoon at Edward''s Chocolate Bar on 5th Avenue unless I send a sprite to you immediate info," I instructed.


    "That''s in Midtown... why can''t we meet somewhere in Southside?" Connor asked.


    "Yeah... it''ll be suspicious if two Southies dropped by midtown territory," Collin added.


    "I don''t care. Try to act inconspicuously," I answered heatedly. I had enough of them for one night.


    After Edo took the twins back to their wagon to be embedded with the other blindfolded prisoners, Luca spent a full ten minutes lecturing me for doing something irrational again.


    "Blood magic?! Seriously? What if it backfired and you''d gotten yourself killed?" he asked for the nth time. "How do you even know it would work?"


    I didn''t. I hoped it would. I''d read enough confidential tomes in Fort Darah to know that blood was a powerful conduit in the arcane arts. I just didn''t want to admit that to Luca and extend the lecture by another ten minutes.


    "Dean... this was my fault..." Aura approached us after Luca''s ranting died down. She had the fingers of her right hand holding onto her left arm while she spoke. In body language terms that was a sign of distress. "I didn''t even consider that they might have made different oaths... I didn''t... think..."


    I patted her shoulder with one arm and sent the other one to Luca''s shoulder.


    "Guys, I''m fine..." I lied. I didn''t really feel fine. Just more tired and responsible for even more lives now. "That new promise I made... it''s the same thing I promised you, Aura. It just means we''ll need to deal with the Scarlet Moon ourselves and not have another clan attack them like I planned."


    A grin played on my face despite the trouble seeping into my heart. It was the first time I saw Aura do something to make me doubt her. And I wondered if the possibility of two spies inside the nest of her hated enemies was more important to her than the two human lives we almost sacrificed.


    Despite this feeling of unease, I decided now was not the time to ask. I wasn''t sure I wanted the answers anyway.


    "Alright... let''s pack up and head back," I ordered. "We''ve got a war to fight."

 55 Orders to Kill

    "Then what happened?" Ty asked me.


    "After we returned to headquarters, we transferred our prisoners to the interrogation team for questioning and the children to the healing camp to see if they could break the curse," I answered.


    It was Wednesday, the day after the Foolhardies'' successful mission behind enemy lines. Ty, Arah and I were sharing an afternoon meal at Edward''s Chocolate Bar after school so I could share my mission report with them.


    "Darah was pleased we stumbled on the clue to the enemy''s secret sooner than she anticipated," I breathed in the scent of hot cocoa wafting out of my mug. "She thought it was a nice stroke of luck."


    "Were they able to help the children?" Arah asked.


    Arah''s brow hadn''t stopped being furrowed since I told her about the child sacrifices. Honestly, if she''d told me the dark things I told her, I''d feel agitated too.


    I shook my head. "Not sure... dawn arrived before the healers tried... I''ll know by tonight."


    "Damn, dude," Ty paused to sip on the straw of his milk tea before continuing. "That''s nasty stuff you''ve told us. I mean, who does that to kids?"


    I shrugged. "Everyone''s got their own circumstances over there... it''s crazy shit."


    "For sure," Ty nodded.


    "Well," Arah leaned back on her chair. "At least we know you''ve got a weakness, Dean..."


    I raised an eyebrow at her. "What? What weakness?"


    "You keep losing your one-on-one fights... you need more training," Arah deduced.


    She was right, of course. I''d just been lucky in my last few fights to have such capable underlings saving me at the last moment. But she knew, as well as I did, that luck could only take me so far. I needed to get my groove back and win some solo fights before I encountered Azuma again.


    "Or you could just have one of your stronger teammates stick close to you so they could save your ass whenever you''re in need," Ty joked.


    His joke pricked on my pride a little.


    "Seriously, Dean... you need more training... get back to your Kendo basics," Arah repeated.


    "I know..." I sighed. "Maybe after the war..."


    "If you survive," Ty teased.


    "If I survive," I agreed in a light manner. Although deep down I really was feeling the pressure. The Foolhardies were finally taking part in tonight''s big battle. We were in the big leagues now where the pressure was definitely higher.


    "Maybe try not to rely too much on your fairy gift," Arah suggested as she blew on her own cup of hot chocolate. "I get the feeling that you''re using it too much and it''s dulling your other battle senses?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    For a girl who only started martial arts recently, Arah was certainly well on her way to sounding like a combat freak. Ty recently started joking that she was turning into a cliched TV trope of an Asian girl who was both into math and had badass fighting skills, but I thought it was cool.


    "You mean my battle sense is unbalanced because I''m relying on sight too much," I guessed.


    "Exactly," she said. "Wax on, wax off, Dean..."


    Ty, who had just finished the plate of hashbrowns we''d ordered, asked me an interesting question, "Can you even use, um, Fool''s Insight here?"


    I grinned. "Wouldn''t you like to know..."


    "Dude, seriously... can you?" he asked insistently.


    I downed my cup of semi-hot chocolate and enjoyed the sweet and sour taste in my mouth before gulping it all down.


    "I''ll tell you some other time," I answered. "Let''s go... I need to get to sleep."


    The trip back to the Fayne was still as thrilling as the first time I took it. The cool wind buffeting my face. The feeling of losing gravity and climbing up to the sky. Then the subsequent fall that made the insides of your stomach go up to your throat. There was nothing like it.


    "Greetings, Commander," Varda saluted me as I stretched my back. "Comman ¡ª I mean General Thors asked me to tell you he wanted to see you when you arrived from Mudgard."


    "Got it, Varda," I returned her salute with my own hammerfist to the chest. "Thanks."


    I looked left and then looked right, taking in the view that greeted me.


    Varda and I were standing in front of the rest of the Foolhardies. All of them neatly lined up in rows of five. To their left and to their right were other hundred-man units in ordered rows. This line of soldiers stretched to the sides as far as I could see.


    Hundreds of midnight blue banners with a variety of symbols fluttered in the wind. The aroma of sweat mixed with the scent of metal and earth. A hundred different sounds, from the whispering of soldiers to the sounding of horns and the neighing of centaurs, floated around me.


    Chills ran up my back. Goosebumps rose on my arms. For it was then that I felt a sense of awe in what I was now a part of. I was a soldier in the great war machine that was the Darah army.


    Then I looked behind me, and the awe I felt for the Darah army was quickly replaced by a foreboding sense of fear.


    Far away but not far enough that we couldn''t see the symbols on their flags was the Magesong army. A large grey mass of soldiers and machines of war that seemed untouched by yesterday''s battle.


    The chills I experienced when first looking upon the Darah army were running down my back at the fearsome sight of what seemed to be a hundred thousand enemies.


    "You looked frightened, Dapper," a commanding female voice whispered in my ear.


    I turned around to find that Great General Darah was standing behind me. Standing on opposite sides of her were newly minted General Thors and my masked lieutenant, Aura.


    A loud raucous cheering rang out from the soldiers on our side as Darah appeared standing before them. Just the sight of her was enough to raise their morale.


    I couldn''t blame them. I too felt a stirring in me while I stood under the shadow of the golden general in her golden armor. Her midnight blue cape fluttered in the wind that also carried away the scent of fresh summer flowers from her body.


    Darah raised a hand in greeting that was also meant to silence the crowd. After they finally quieted down, she turned her attention back on me.


    "See that, Dapper," she crossed her arms over her chest. "That''s how a real commander can affect her troops."


    "General... Maybe you can school the boy some other time," Thors interjected. "We should give him his mission now."


    "My... mission?" I asked curiously.


    It was the first time I''d heard of it. The last briefing had me and the Foolhardies fold into the infantry of Thors center army where the fighting was fiercest. General Thors even sent some of his militia to bolster my unit back to full strength. Although we would remain independent of their command structure and answer only to Darah herself.


    "You''re always ruining the mood, Roger," she rolled her eyes at him before sending her piercing gaze back to me. "Alright, Dapper. Your recent success hasn''t gone unnoticed. I want you to keep doing what you do best."


    Darah nodded toward the Magesong army before us.


    "The Magesong army has greater numbers, but so far, we''ve made up the difference with quality. That doesn''t mean they''re not without capable leaders of their own," Darah gazed back at the forces that made up her central army. "Still, it wouldn''t hurt to lower their capabilities some more."


    Darah placed a heavy yet delicate hand on my shoulder like she was adding onto the troubles I was already carrying on my back, which was most likely the case.


    "I want you to hunt enemy officers in their center army," she said.


    My brow creased because this was a very tall order. Sure, enemy commanders were usually easy to spot. Most of us had a thing for peacocking. But it wasn''t like any of them wouldn''t be heavily guarded by their troops. Especially the higher ranking ones. Luckily, Darah didn''t mean I was going after a general.


    ''Start small. Go for the hundred-man commanders like you then work your way up to five-hundred man commanders," she instructed while squeezing on my shoulder. "Don''t go risking your neck against the thousand-man commanders unless you''re absolutely confident in your victory."


    She glanced at her niece before circling back to me. Of course, she was worried about Aura''s safety too.


    "Do you understand your mission, One-Hundred Man Commander?" Darah asked.


    "Um, what about the sacrifices, boss?" I asked worriedly. "Wouldn''t hunting officers mean..."


    I couldn''t finish that sentence because I didn''t want to think that Darah was that cruel. This was war, sure, but there had to be boundaries we couldn''t cross.


    "Lieutenant Aura, tell your commander what you saw in the healing camp," Darah ordered.


    Aura stepped forward, and even hooded and masked, I couldn''t help but think of how beautiful she was. She wore the elven magician''s robe she bought in the auction, the sleeveless one with the metal neck guard and shoulder piece crafted in autumn leaf designs.


    "There''s been a breakthrough," there was a smile playing on Aura''s lips as she answered my question. "and it was actually due to your foolhardiness last night, Commander."


    "Um, thanks?" I said, unsure if I was getting complimented or not.


    "When you helped strengthen the twins'' new oath to cancel out the backlash of breaking their old one... a similar process was introduced to the children''s curse. Berrian and the other healers couldn''t just simply break the curse. They had to overwrite it with a stronger spell," Aura explained.


    "A contract..." I realized.


    Of course. The sacrifice curse placed on the children worked similar to a contract already in the way it traded lifeforce from one life to another. Introducing a new contract to overwrite the binds of the first worked with the twins so why wouldn''t it work for the kids.


    Aura nodded appreciatively. "Yes. There were some complications but the healers were able to deal with them and save the children... I''ll fill you in more later."


    "Cool," I said.


    I was glad something good had come out of my reckless actions. Well, there were a few things to consider, like what type of contract could overwrite such a powerful curse, but I didn''t think Berrian was someone who could cast anything too sinister. He struck me as a good soul which was rare in the Fayne.


    Darah stepped in front of her niece so we were once more faced to face.


    "Now that we''re sure you won''t hurt anyone you aren''t supposed to, Dapper, I expect a few enemy officer heads to roll before night''s end," she ordered. "Go and earn yourself some glory."


    A smile slowly grew on my face. It was about time for the Foolhardies'' name to resound across the heavens. So, it was with great enthusiasm that I answered her call, "Yes, ma''am."

 56 Bravehear

    General Thors handed me a smaller version of the scrying orb that Nike brought to me the night before. This one was about golf ball size and red in color. From just a glance, I could tell it obviously held a different purpose than the cloudy one that brought us news.


    "Our scouts and spies have compiled a list of officers from hundred-man commanders to one-thousand-man commanders," he pointed to the orb that pulsed weakly in my hand. "The closer you are to an enemy officer, the more that tracker orb will pulse," he explained.


    "Like a heartbeat increasing tempo," I noted.


    General Thors nodded. "A word of caution, Dean. The darker the orb gets... the stronger the opponent. Avoid those until you''ve gained enough confidence hunting big names."


    I glanced down at the orb in my hand and felt the cool, almost marble-like texture between my fingers.


    "Got it," I pocketed the orb and then glanced up at the blonde soldier I looked up to. "Congrats on making general, by the way."


    "Thanks..." he grinned back at me. "Although its a temporary promotion unless I produce enough results in this war to make it stick."


    I gave Thors the thumbs up. "I''ll do what I can to help, sir!"


    Thor climbed up his swifthart like a pro. Then he adjusted his position on his saddle, but before he followed Darah out to the front of the field, he gave me the thumbs up and gave me one last word of encouragement.


    "Go bag yourself some commanders'' heads," he said.


    Then he was gone and moving past the center army''s line so he could stand next to the Iron Fist as she surveyed the enemy army from past our front line.


    I, on the other hand, pulled back to where the rest of the Foolhardies were waiting. All my team leaders were upfront and were no doubt waiting to hear about the mission Darah had given us.


    "We''re hunting officers," I said resolutely.


    "How are we supposed to do this?" Ashley asked. "They won''t exactly be lining up to get whacked."


    I pulled out the red golf ball and showed it to them.


    "Sweet... tracker orb," Varda nodded approvingly.


    "Muddamit... that''s an expensive piece of hardware, Dean," Qwipps whistled.


    "We''re going to need to be dangerously close to make that thing work," Edo argued.


    It was easy to see that he was thinking of Aura''s safety when he said this but he wasn''t wrong. I doubted the orb would work over long distances.


    "Alternatively, we can make a loud enough racket to make the enemy come to us," Thom added.


    I grinned at him. "Exactly. We make enough noise and bait the suckers into coming after us." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "You want to pull the bait and switch in a field this big?" Aura guessed.


    I turned my grin on her next. "I love how we''re all in sync right now. So... you guys ready?"


    The grins playing on their faces was not unexpected. We''d been doing well as a unit these past few months, and we were used to getting tough missions from Darah, but hunting enemy officers successfully usually meant racking up big rewards making it a risky yet worthwhile endeavor. Only Luca seemed dissatisfied.


    "What''s with the glum face, bro?" I asked.


    "Well... if they wanted us to hunt they could have let us keep the swiftharts we stole from the enemy," Luca explained.


    Qwipps and Ashley nodded in agreement. They, like Luca, seemed to have gotten attached. To be honest, so was I. My swifthart was awesome which is why I requested to Darah that our new mounts be kept in the reserve stables for now as I assumed my unit was ill-equipped to take care of and ride those intelligent beasts into battle.


    I explained this face to Luca and the others and added, "Plus, we''re attached to the center army''s infantry division. It wouldn''t make sense strategically for us to have them here."


    "Well, at least Jade Shadow''s going to survive this mess we''re smack in the middle of," Luca said.


    "You named your swifthart already?" I asked.


    "Haven''t you?" Luca asked me back.


    I shrugged. "Haven''t thought of a good name yet... Jade Shadow, huh?"


    "What?" Luca raised an eyebrow at me as if daring me to question his naming sense."


    I shrugged again. "Nothing... the name sounds cool."


    Our discussion on swiftharts ended there because the horns of war had just sounded¡ªand they were coming from the opposite side of the field where the grey mass of enemy soldiers was positioned.


    "Here, we go!" I said a little louder than I intended. Nerves. "You all know what your teams have to do. Keep close to each other when the melee begins and follow through on your roles. Ashley, your squad''s upfront."


    My officers dispersed to return to their respective positions in our unit. The time for preparation was over.


    Aura patted me lightly on the shoulder before she took her place standing beside Luca who was behind me.


    A loud, raucous cheering from the other side began, and like a sonic boom reverberating across the plains, the roars of a hundred thousand warriors shook the earth beneath my feet.


    I glanced down briefly. "Geez... this is something else."


    My eyes glanced upward and back toward the enemy who continued to roar and yell like the devil himself was slapping their behinds with his fiery whip.


    I turned around and saw the tense looks of the soldiers behind me. It seemed like the fervor of the other side was beating down our own morale.


    It was suddenly hard to breathe like I was somewhere high up where the air was too thin. Sweat dripped down my forehead. My body felt tense.


    And then, like a syren''s song drawing my attention, a single cry pierced through the veil of grey muck, "Warriors of the Trickster Pavilion!"


    Darah''s voice was like the clarion call of a valkyrie. It was that powerful and that demanding of our attention.


    "Tonight, we face the fools standing at our door..." Darah unsheathed her golden sword and raised it high. "Tomorrow, we greet the red dawn in victory!"


    The roar that followed her proclamation made the very earth beneath us tremble. There was not a single voice in the entirety of the Darah army that was not raised. There was not a single hand that was not up. Even Luca. Even me. We were all caught up in this inspiring moment.


    Ah, so this is what it''s like when a Great General of the Fayne inspires others . I thought. This is how you boost morale .


    I could only imagine what our warcries were doing to the enemy army whose own warcries seemed weak in comparison to ours. I could only assume they felt an equal mixture of shock and awe. I knew I did.


    Goosebumps rose on the skin of my neck. The hairs on the back of my arm stood on end. That''s how electrifying the atmosphere was.


    Darah, her armor gleaming even under the low lighting of the Fayne''s golden moon, pointed her golden sword forward¡ªand the noise died down suddenly as if the world around me went silent. For those few seconds, everything was still, all was quiet. You could hear a pin drop if you listened hard enough.


    Then Darah gave her marching orders, "Go and be glorious!"


    The silence broke. The tension reached its peak. A second roar escaped the lips of those of us in the center army. We heard the right and left armies answer back with their own warcries. Then all at once, the proverbial dam broke and we charged like a tidal wave seeking to consume all we came across.


    I remembered running in front of the Foolhardies. I remembered my feet feeling light as feathers. And as the scenery around me began to blur and only the way forward seemed crystal clear, I remembered yelling for everyone to ready their weapons and then unsheathing my falchion.


    The wind was in my hair. The cold bit at my skin. The smell of earth floated to my nostrils.


    From in front of us, the enemy infantry charged and I remembered their faces coming ever closer.


    Suddenly, violently, my remembering was over and the clashing of the two sides began, and then all was red as my falchion''s shadowblade cut down the foe before me.

 57 The Front Line

    I know, I know. Why was someone like me who valued strategy over brute force diving headfirst into the enemy''s front line? Well, it was all part of the plan. Make enough noise and someone was bound to pay attention. It was a tactic that literally required the use of brute force. Plus, Darah''s awe-inspiring speech had stirred my warrior''s heart into action.


    Wooden shields rose to meet our charge. Shadowblade spears pointed forward. But like the rest of the center army, I paid them no mind. To the thousands of us racing toward them, these enemies were nothing more than roadblocks to step over.


    Adrenaline coursed through me as I lept toward the grey line of soldiers with my falchion raised in one hand. My shadowblade swooshed in a downward arc, cleaving through a battered wooden shield and into the unprotected chest of the ugly-looking hobgoblin holding it.


    If that sounded too easy, well, that''s because it was. My falchion had become what gamers would have called a cheat item. How? Well, Zarz had explained it to me sometime during the previous night.


    He claimed that a formless shadow crystal core meant my falchion wasn''t tied down by tier ceilings and could grow in strength as long as I kept getting stronger too. Having an iron arcane focus to channel the crystal''s power into meant the shadowblade it formed now held iron properties. As iron was harmful to fairies, this improved the falchion''s overall destructive force. Also, the instability of the core''s output was what caused the continuous vibrations along the blade''s edge. Like I said, cheat item.


    Right now, surrounded as I was by enemies, I was thankful for my sword''s highly useful upgrades. In fact, I''d go as far as to say these unique traits accounted to around fifty percent of the reason why I easily tore through the enemy frontline and pushed forward.


    I slashed left and then right, hacking off limbs and breaking weapons like I was channeling Luca whenever he activated his Foolish Strength¡ªand I kind of enjoyed it. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The grin showing on my face as I ducked to avoid the swooshing of an enemy sword was matched by the exhilaration I felt inside the next moment as my falchion plunged deep into the bronze chest plate of the hobgoblin who''d just attacked me.


    There was a satisfying snicking sound as blade pierced into flesh. Then the familiar iron scent that accompanied the blood dripping out of the wound I ripped into the hobgoblin''s chest.


    Quickly, before the dying fairy could topple over, I pulled the shadowblade out in time to parry the spear thrust of a second hobgoblin attacker who''d tried to skewer me from my left side.


    I pushed its spear back with the flat of my sword while my left foot kicked out at the hobgoblin, unbalancing it long enough for me to swing my falchion around to slice at its armored front¡ªand for the first time since I started swinging, my shadowblade was repelled by the metal plates in the hobgoblin''s scale mail.


    "You''re different," I said surprised. Did I just stumble into an enemy officer this early in the fight ?


    I gave my enemy the once over. My eyes took


    It was a bald male hob with a rather large pair of tusks jutting out of its misshapen mouth. lt also had a tall, lean frame common to its kind. The hobgoblin wore a scale mail shirt and skirt that were the same color as the pale gold of my own chest plate. Even the spear he held in one hand looked better than average.


    "Electrum tier scale, huh," I took a quick glance at the right pocket of my coat. There was a visible bright red glow pulsing rapidly underneath the slit opening. "Lucky."


    I grasped my falchion in both hands and held it forward.


    "Too bad for you... you''re our prey," I said in a light tone that belied the words that accompanied it.


    The hobgoblin turned its head to the side as if it were puzzled by my proclamation. It replied in a deep, guttural voice, "Our , you say... yet you stand alone in a sea of gray, surrounded by me and mine, just waiting to be cut in twine."


    "Wow, I heard you hobs were eloquent speakers..." Regardless of how impressed I was with his rhyming sense, my grip tightened on my sword. "Something about you guys being the Fayne''s best poets... so that might have a ring of truth to it, huh..."


    The muscles on my legs tensed, ready to spring.


    "But you don''t know how to count," I said while shaking my head. "Unfortunately, I''m never alone nowadays."


    The berserker''s roar which was all too familiar to my ears broke through the noise of warcries and death rattles that hummed around me. In the next second, I caught a glimpse of Luca charging through the so-called sea of grey the hobgoblins on my left like they were bowling pins topped over by a raging bowling ball.


    Luca''s inelegant entrance caught the attention of the hobgoblin officer. He twisted his head right to see who was interrupting our banter¡ªand that''s when I pounced.


    My right foot stepped forward and carried me within reach of my distracted enemy. I raised my sword high and then slashed in a forty-five-degree angle to the left that bit into the exposed neck of the hobgoblin officer.


    His head didn''t come clean off his neck as I imagined, however. The stubborn thing held on by a thick flap of skin. Still, the erstwhile poet was dead, and as its legs gave up and it toppled down, I sent my falchion''s shadowblade singing sideward to finish the job it started.


    To my left, I watched Luca hack away at the hobgoblins who stood between us.


    His eyes as he glanced toward me went wide, "Dean!"


    There was no need to yell my name in panic. I did say I was never alone anymore. This fact was made more pronounced by the firebolt that zoomed past Luca only to explode onto the chest of the hobgoblin that was on its way to stab me in the back.


    The burning smell of flesh wafted up to me and made me think of barbeque heating over a grill.


    I touched the golden bracelet around my left wrist and sent a mental thanks to Aura while wondering if she''d actually received it the way she usually sensed my emotions.


    Another yell from Luca as another hobgoblin rushed toward me. This time from my front. Only, it was stopped dead in its tracks by a black arrow that had just pierced its neck.


    My eyes followed the path it had come from all the way back to Thom. He was possibly a good thirty yards away, surrounded by his drow squad, all of whom carried bows of their own at my insistence.


    Although I couldn''t see his face clearly, I was certain he was smirking at me as if to say, You''re welcome .


    It was the right choice to ground them. I didn''t need the drow flying in the skies and getting sniped from below. It was better that they used their own uncanny elven sniping talents to cover the rest of the Foolhardies backs.


    Then, as if it didn''t see how its friends died before it could reach me, a third hobgoblin came charging my way. Honestly, it was as if they were angry I''d killed their leader and were seeking vengeance on me. It never reached me though.


    Luca arrived first while swinging his broadsword down onto the hobgoblin''s back.


    While he drove his sword down into the dying creature, I plucked their officer''s head from the ground by its knife ears and held it up.


    "Hey, Luca, did you see Edo?" I sent Luca a sideways glance. "I need him to wrap this thing up and put it inside our bag of holding for when we collect our reward."


    Luca looked disgustedly back at me. "Eeew... you know we put food in there, right?"


    "That''s why I said I wanted it wrapped first," I argued.


    Aura arrived in time to prevent any further banter.


    I raised the head in her direction. "Look. Nabbed us an officer''s head this quickly."


    She answered my grin with her own sweet smile.


    "Must be a line commander if he''s this close to the front," Aura deduced.


    "Yeah..." I agreed. "The tracker orb was a bright red. This dude''s just a small fry."


    I chose not to add that I too would have been considered a small fry by the orb.


    "How much do you think he''s worth?" Luca asked while pointing behind me.


    I turned around.


    A hulking figure in grey-tinted armor stalked toward us.


    "Let''s find out," I answered while patting myself mentally on the back. It seemed the bait has successfully lured the prey into our trap.

 58 Trollhunters

    As I watched the eight-foot monstrosity stalk toward me, I suddenly recalled the Trollhunter cartoon that Luca and I loved when we were younger.


    The hero of that story was a kid like us who inherited a magical amulet that turned him into the titular Trollhunter, complete with a magic sword and cool looking armor. Believe me, the parallels of that fantasy and my own real-life story weren''t lost on me.


    The troll¡ªbecause of course, it was a troll¡ªwore a wolf head cap on top of its big head that was attached to the thick fur cape draped across its shoulders. Its armor was an electrum scale mail similar to the hobgoblin officer I just defeated. In its hands, the troll carried a steel war hammer.


    "He''s big," Luca said.


    "Yup," I answered. "Want to tag-team it?"


    Luca hefted his broadsword over his back. It was a habit he''d recently formed that I liked to call his hero pose.


    "Sure," he said. "Foolish Strength is still active. It would be a waste if I don''t go all out here."


    I looked sideways at him and observed his face. From the cold-eyed stare to the clenched teeth, his expression was certifiably intense. It was a stark contrast to his usual mild-mannered look.


    Seeing him like that made my forehead crease, and I wondered how much longer I would have to watch my brother risk his life before I was able to win back his freedom.


    "Aura, watch our backs," I said.


    "Of course," she responded from behind me. "Don''t go too crazy though. Stick to the plan."


    "I always do," I said jokingly. After all, nothing ever went according to plan.


    I glanced behind me and saw the midnight blue padded vests and shields gathering there.


    "You hear that, Ashley?" I called. "It''s time to hunt. So give us some breathing room, will you?"


    Ashley''s response was an order to her squad. "Alright, guys, just like we practiced... Form shield wall and repel all attackers."


    As they carried out their orders, Ashley''s shield squad was like a well-oiled machine. They strode forward, moving past me and my fireteam, and engaged the enemy soldiers ahead of us.


    The sounds of metal clashing against metal rang out from the front. From behind, I heard the call of "Foolhardies" from the other members of my unit who had finally caught up with my reckless charge.


    Edo was the first to arrive. He had Shaqs tagging around him. More Foolhardies arrived to engage the enemy around us, giving me a brief respite from the ongoing battle.


    "Did everything go smoothly on your end?" I asked him.


    Edo pointed to the two severed heads stuffed inside the fishnet bag strapped to Shaqs'' thick leather belt. One of them belonged to a dark-haired elf. The other was unmistakably human.


    I shivered at the sight. I couldn''t help it. The adrenaline I''d earlier experienced thanks to Darah''s rallying cry had dissipated after my first officer kill.


    "Line commanders who didn''t have enough sense to get out of our way," Edo cracked the knuckles of his left hand using his right hand. Then he nodded at Aura. "Are you sure you don''t want me fighting at your side?"


    Aura shook her head. "Thank you, my friend. But I''ll be fine."


    Edo''s eyes darted toward me.


    He scowled. "Not with this one, you''re not."


    I ignored the snide remark and tossed him the tracker orb I''d kept in my coat pocket.


    "Go find me more targets to hunt," As reaching his shoulder would have required me to jump, I lightly slapped the back of his arm instead. "We''ll follow after we deal with big ugly."


    Edo followed my line of sight to the troll and his soldiers who were pounding on the wall of bronze shields formed by Ashley''s squad. They were a mere ten yards away from us.


    "Don''t kick the bucket while you strive to achieve your goals, Dean," Edo''s tone, although not exactly fatherly, was full of honest encouragement. "And don''t drag Aura down with you."


    I nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    Edo took Shaqs and Luca''s raiders with him when he left to follow my order. Once he was gone, I turned my attention back to our current target.


    Despite the malicious destructiveness of each swing of the troll''s hammer, Ashley''s steelbark shield held. The troll''s soldiers fared no better. They too were repelled by the bronze shields held aloft by Ashley''s shield squad.


    "You two ready?" I asked the two members of my personal fireteam.


    Both Aura and Luca gave me the affirmative. It was time to hunt.


    "Ashley, let the bastard through," I ordered.


    Ashley spared me a quick glance before she tapped on the soldier to her right. Both of them quickly pulled back to create a hole in their shield wall. This allowed the troll to push past our line. Once he was through, however, Ashley and the other soldier immediately plugged the hole they''d created, ensuring no other enemy soldier was able to follow their commander.


    At the same time as this occurred, Luca and I both rushed forward to engage the troll and keep him from attacking the back of Ashley''s shield wall.


    Luca lept forward with his broadsword held high. He slashed downward but the troll raised its hammer to block the attack.


    Clang!


    Sparks flew as Luca''s shadowblade rebounded after it was repelled by the steel pole of the troll''s hammer. But this didn''t deter my little brother one bit. He simply tightened his grip on his sword hilt and sent the shadowblade slicing sideward.


    Clang!


    The troll lowered the war hammer''s pole in time for another block. His bright yellow eyes glared menacingly back at Luca.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    Three successive slashes. Each one with the force of Luca''s berserker strength behind it. However, the troll''s own strength was a match for Luca''s. It blocked each of Luca''s attacks successfully. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    As it pulled it raised its hammer to counter another attack from Luca, I saw the deep gashes along the width of the pole. Luca, with amazing accuracy I didn''t think possible without a skill like Fool''s Insight, had been striking the same part in the troll''s war hammer.


    It was then that I realized that my brother''s incredible athleticism had opened the path for victory.


    "Luca, switch!" I ordered.


    Quick as a cat, Luca lept back, creating enough of an opening for me to charge in.


    My falchion''s shadowblade slithered forward as I charged. The shadowblade snaked toward the gash in the pole of the troll''s war hammer. Thanks to its constant vibration¡ªan effect equivalent to a chainsaw¡ªmy sword cut through the pole, which, despite obviously being steel-tier, had already been thoroughly weakened by Luca''s attacks.


    The surprised troll had zero time to feel surprised, however, because I had just yelled, "Switch!" and then lept back to allow Luca to charge in.


    Luca, his expression even more intense, swept his shadowblade sideward and cut deep into the troll''s thick right arm.


    The troll screamed in pain. It was a roar that made my ears ring.


    An undeterred Luca continued his attack, sending his shadowblade right back into the troll''s right arm and finally cutting it off along with the war hammer''s head and half a steel pole.


    The troll yelled, "Guards, rally to me! Defend me from these brutish humans!"


    Whoa! I thought. The troll commander sounded nothing like Shaqs who sounded like a typical dumb brute. And did he just call us brutes? Really?


    The troll''s big yellow eyes darted left and then right. Its mouth formed into a deepening frown. The forehead creased. And then a sudden understanding appeared on his face. Only then did he notice that the trap had been sprung.


    Surrounding the troll in a square formation were members of Ashley''s squad. Half of them held their shields up facing the troll while the other half raised their shields outward to protect the line from outside enemies.


    "Infantry square formation completed, Dean!" Ashley yelled.


    "I noticed," I yelled back."Thanks!"


    "No problem. Just kill it quickly... we can''t hold this formation long... some of us have our backs exposed," she said.


    "You heard her, Luca. Let''s¡ª"


    I didn''t have time to finish that sentence as the troll, possibly noticing his own precarious predicament, lunged for me and Luca. The clawed fingers of its only remaining hand reaching out for my neck.

 59 Walk the Line

    Maybe if the troll had launched a suicidal attack that disregarded its own life for the sake of killing me or Luca, maybe then it might have succeeded. But a desperate counterattack to try and shift the momentum out of our favor so the troll could escape was never going to work. The Foolhardies were too well-trained.


    Regardless, the troll might have thought attacking us would force our troops to break formation and come to our rescue. Unfortunately for it, we already had a blazing guardian angel watching our backs.


    A firebolt slammed into the troll''s armored chest, causing it to stumble. A second and then a third fireball forced it to a halt.


    I spared a glance behind me.


    Aura stood there with her staff pointed forward. The orb at its tip glowed a fiery red. The warm heat radiating out of it was similar to the kind felt when one puts their hand close to a campfire.


    It made me think of nights spent camping with my family, of marshmallows and hotdogs roasting by the open fire. I felt a pain in my chest then that had nothing to do with the current fight. It didn''t help that aura''s face, even hidden behind her golden half-mask, seemed more enchanting as the light bounced off her.


    I quickly turned away from Aura for fear of losing my battle sense. Tonight was not a time to reminisce happier days. Tonight was reserved for the butcher''s work.


    My gaze returned to the troll, who for the moment, stood stalk still while its eyes darted between me, Luca, and Aura behind us. It was then that I saw the fear in its eyes, and I just knew the fight was already finished.


    "Let''s do this," I said although to my ears it was almost a whisper.


    I raised my falchion high and charged. Beside me, Luca did the same.


    The troll defiantly raised its broken steel pole to defend against us. Its remaining hand ready to smack me and Luca out of the way.


    Then the firebolts came again. One, two, three, four, like a boxer performing a combination of jabs and straights, Aura''s firebolts struck the troll in the gut, in the chest, and in the face. It didn''t matter that it wore steel-tier scale mail. Aura''s firepower packed enough punch to render it useless.


    In my head, I thought that she''d gotten much stronger than before. It wasn''t just me and Luca who gained new strength from using the mana pool a few months ago.


    The firebolts pummeled the troll down to its knees. It was almost too easy when both Luca and I sent our shadowblades sliding across its neck from opposite sides. And we cleaved the troll''s head in scissor-style execution.


    "Yo~~osh!" I yelled in delight.


    It wasn''t often, but I did have those moments of pure joy. Usually, it happened whenever one of my plans went perfectly.


    "Chill out, Dean," Luca admonished. "There''s still plenty of time for things to turn sideways on us..." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I scowled at him. "Why would you want to jinx us like that?"


    Despite Luca''s words, the plan continued to work like a well-oiled clock. Not only did we learn that the troll we defeated was actually a five-hundred man commander, but we were well on our way to claiming more officer heads.


    I spent the brief reprieve activating Fool''s Insight so I could get a better grasp of the battlefield around me with a birds-eye-view.


    The first thing I did was seek out the rest of my unit. Most of them were close to my location.


    Qwipps'' and Varda''s squads held court just outside Ashley''s infantry square formation. They were doing a good job thinning the crowd of enemies surrounding us and giving Ashley''s squad time to rest.


    The Qwipps'' Talons, as if channeling their squad leader''s inner nastiness, deftly assaulted the scattered enemies with their bows and their daggers, keeping them from regrouping and forming a counterattack.


    Varda''s still-nameless five-man magician squad supported the Talons from the rear. They dealt AOE damage on the surrounding field with a series of elemental spells ranging from Donar''s Flame Arrows to Varda''s Fist of Stone. Berrian stood on standby and was ready to heal any troublesome injuries.


    After Qwipps and Varda, I sought out Thom and discovered that his unit had followed Edo and Luca''s Raiders deeper into the enemy lines.


    Thom had taken command and ordered the squads into a circular formation that would allow them to attack and defend from all sides.


    There were two lines of circles. The outer-circle of drow and viseres were melee fighters who could hold back an enemy charge. The inner-circle were all archers led by Thom himself. They did an excellent job holding back the enemy from reaching them and disrupting Edo''s fight in the center of their ring.


    Edo was fighting toe-to-toe with an elf that their group managed to trap inside Thom''s ring of soldiers. It was a similar tactic to what Ashley had done.


    Surprisingly enough, the elf stood his ground and he seemed highly skilled with a sword. At the very least, he was still alive and hopping around despite facing off against Edo.


    Of course, it wasn''t lost on me that the Foolhardies were in a very danger-close situation. In fact, both halves of the unit were in pockets of open space between a sea of gray. thanks to my leading charge, we''d gotten past the enemy center army''s first line and were now between them and the second line. But, luckily, our own center army was stealing attention away from the small hundred-man unit that had escaped between the cracks.


    Immensely satisfied at what I''d seen, I disengaged Fool''s Insight and told the soldiers around me that it was time to move out. it was imperative that we regrouped before we could be overwhelmed.


    "Where are we going?" Aura asked as she leaned on her staff. She looked winded. Perhaps using her staff''s ability drained her more than she let on. "Don''t you think we''re too far out?"


    "We are," I admitted. "It''s why we need to regroup and push our way out."


    "Out to where?" Aura''s brow creased. "You''re not thinking what I think you''re thinking right?"


    I wasn''t sure if it was our shared connection that clued her in to the butterflies in my stomach. Excitement coursed through me and she might have caught onto it.


    Fool''s insight had shown me more than just our unit placement. It also gave me a brief overview of the flow of the battle which was like a great wave moving and pulling in all directions. If we timed it just right, there was a possibility that we could use this flow to break past the third line of the enemy center army unscathed. That would mean a straight and free path to an even bigger prize.


    "Do you trust me?" I asked her.


    She paused for only a brief second and then nodded her head. "You know I do."


    "Well I don''t," Luca interjected. "You''ve come up with another foolhardy plan, haven''t you?"


    "It''s been working well so far," I reasoned.


    "Luck can only get us so far, Dean," Luca countered.


    I smacked his chest lightly with my fist. "It''s not luck that wins us the fight, little brother. It''s heart."


    It must have been very hard for Luca not to roll his eyes but he managed. Despite his complaints, I knew he believed in me.


    "So, are you going to tell us the plan?" Aura asked.


    "Later, when we''re all together..." A wide grin grew on my face. "First, let''s go piss Edo off and steal his kill."

 60 Toy Soldiers

    By the time my team was able to regroup with Thom''s squad, their encirclement was being pressed from all sides by Magesong soldiers who were like a colony of ants ganging up on a piece of food on the floor.


    I sent Ashley''s Shield squad charging into the fray to help ease the pressure on Thom''s group. Qwipps'' Talons supported them with arrows fired from the rear.


    Aura along with Varda''s unit stood on standby behind Qwipps'' squad because I wanted them to conserve their spells for later. Plus, I didn''t want Donar''s flames to stand out and get us noticed by the larger enemy units around us.


    As for me and Luca, well, we''d gotten used to leading from the front. So it was no surprise to anyone when he and I fought our way through the enemy''s encirclement and reached Thom''s squad first.


    "Someone order a plate of ass-whooping?" I called.


    Yes, sadly, this was my attempt at sounding cool¡ªand I know I failed at it.


    Enna, who was closest to our arrival point, shrugged like our entrance was no big deal. "Meh... we were doing fine without you... Commander."


    I took one glance at the bloodstains on her black cloak and the worn-out expression on her face and simply said, "Of course you were. We''re just here to back you up."


    It was better for me to just agree with her saving face rather than argue the fact that she looked half-dead with exhaustion. Drows were a proud race, after all.


    "Hey, Luca¡ª"


    I''d glanced to my right and noticed his head lowered. Sweat dripped down his forehead. His breath came in short gasps.


    Luca was so winded that he didn''t even notice the enemy soldiers who were about to attack him from his right side. Luckily, Ashley had broken through on that side to back him up.


    I watched her round steelbark shield fly out of her hands and smash into the nose of a pretty-looking she-elf. The shield bounced back and Ashley caught in time to ram it down front-first into the she-elf''s already bloody face, effectively knocking her out.


    "Luca, deactivate your Foolish Strength already!" I sheathed the dagger I''d planned to throw in Luca''s defense. "Conserve your stamina..."


    "I-I''m okay," Luca said between breaths. "Just... a little... tired."


    I rolled my eyes at him. Then I swung my falchion over his bent form and slashed at another grey clothed soldier who was aiming for him with a very spiky mace.


    The Magesong visere pulled away just in time to not get cut in half by my shadowblade which I knew he would as I hadn''t swung at full speed. I hadn''t forgotten my promise not to kill humans if I could help it.


    I grabbed Luca''s arm and pulled him back. Then I pushed him into the encirclement of Foolhardies and said, "Enna, watch him for me, will you!"


    "Dean, I can¡ª"


    "Stay there and rest Luca!" I interrupted whatever excuse he was planning to give. "Rest and recharge. We''ve got this."


    I wasn''t nearly as confident with my declaration as I vocalized but Luca didn''t need to know that. Besides, we weren''t doing so bad despite being in the proverbial eye of the storm.


    Ashley''s unit had broken through along with Varda''s magicians. Qwipps'' Talons were right behind them. And now that we were all together, I had everyone form a third encirclement around the first two that Thom created.


    "Triple line formation now!" I gave them orders from my new position in the rear. "Stand ready!"


    This variation of the standard triple line formation we drilled into our bodies was an effective way to attack and push outward against the enemies currently surrounding us. For as Sun Tzu said, Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack .


    "First-line, forward!" I yelled.


    The first line, comprised of melee-oriented dwarves, elves, humans, launched a coordinated attack at the enemy with the new bronze tier halberds we provided them with. When these guys grew tired, they switched places with the middle line which now comprised solely of Ashley''s shield squad, the largest group in the Foolhardies.


    "Keep them back, second-line!" I commanded.


    Ashley''s squad had two jobs. Hold the enemy back while pushing the line forward inch by inch. Once they created enough room, the third group, Thom''s katana-wielding drow pushed through the newly vacant space at the front to hack and slash at the enemy in typical drow furious fashion.


    "Keep it up, Thom!" I yelled.


    "You really like stating the obvious, don''t you, Commander," Thom said in his typical snide tone from somewhere at the front. "You heard him, my little Night Bats, let''s send these fools down into Hel!"


    Invigorated by their chieftains words, the aptly named Night Bats squad continued to slaughter the Magesong soldiers unlucky enough to be in front.


    I heard their screams of pain and anguish from my place in the rear. It brought a sickening feeling to my stomach, and I was reminded that I wasn''t a kid playing with toy soldiers. This was not how I pictured my teen years going for I had become, at least in my view, a master of war.


    Bang!


    I swiveled my head around to the action at the center of our encirclement and the reason the enemy was so adamant to break our defenses.


    the elf commander who''d been giving Edo a hard time was finally on his knees. His blade broken, lying uselessly at his side.


    Edo stood towering over him with his glaive raised, ready for the final strike that would claim another officer''s head for my unit. How glad I was in that moment to have Edo fighting alongside me and not against me.


    My half-ogre sergeant swung his blade and the enemy''s head toppled to the ground with a dull thud. Blood splashed out of the severed neck and dripped down into the ground, soiling the green in red.


    I watched Edo raised his glaive once more in an expression of victory that wasn''t his usual style. It was always just quiet acceptance like it was simply his job not to lose. This time, however, I could see the triumph in the way his eyes glittered and in the way his nostrils flared. It must have meant that the opponent must have been very difficult to beat.


    Edo saw me staring at him and grinned even more. Then he pulled out the tracker orb from his belt pouch and tossed it to me.


    I caught it just in time to watch the red glow fade from the orb, but I did notice its shade. It was a deep, almost maroon kind of red that was far from the bright red of a lowly hundred-man commander.


    I whistled. "Well, Edo... I believe you just bagged yourself a thousand-man officer."


    He strode over to me and planted the butt of his glaive on the ground.


    "We bagged ourselves a thousand-man commander, Dean," he said while still grinning.


    Fair enough. It was fine to count this as our win. His victory was the unit''s victory.


    I turned my attention back to our formation.


    The original first line of melee fighters had returned to their position at the front. Despite being without a squad leader, they did very well.


    Beyond my soldiers, the enemy numbers were dwindling. It seemed the dead thousand-man commander didn''t bring all his soldiers to this party. Maybe if he did, we would have been overwhelmed.


    "The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself," I whispered the wise words of Sun Tzu .


    "What was that?" Edo asked. He''d raised his rather thin eyebrow at me. "I didn''t quite catch it."


    "Nothing..." I shook my head. "How about you lead the front troops now. There are still at least two hundred Magesong soldiers we need to beat before we can move on to bigger prey."


    Edo narrowed his eyes after hearing my last words. "It''s never just simple with you, is it? You always have to push harder..."


    "My kid brother''s been forced into a life of slavery... I don''t have the luxury to take it easy," I reminded him.


    "Just don''t burn yourself out, Dean," he said. "And don''t drag Aura into too many bad situations... that girl has a bigger destiny than dying in a battlefield."


    "I know..." My eyes glanced toward the magicians who were close by. Aura stood among them yet she stood apart from them too. She was the north star in a sky full of stars. "Get going, Edo. We need to wrap this up."


    "Understood, Commander," Edo said.


    For the first time, he actually sounded like he was showing me respect. However, I didn''t have the chance to ask him if he finally recognized me as the boss because he''d pushed past Qwipps'' archers and was on his way to bring death to our enemies in front. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 61 How to Rock

    "More of our soldiers on the left, Commander!" Varda yelled.


    Even with the racket around us, it wasn''t hard to hear her as she was somewhere close behind me. In fact, I would have preferred if she kept her voice down a few notches. No sense distracting me while I concentrated on the plan.


    "I think they''re leaderless, too!" Varda continued.


    It was a good call to assign her as a lookout for other Darah soldiers who''d gotten mixed up in this mess between both center armies first and second lines. Dwarves had extra good darkvision.


    "Qwipps!" It was my turn to yell.


    "What?!" Qwipps yelled back as if he wasn''t just to the left of me.


    "Get your squad over to the left and gather those stray soldiers. Lead them back to us," I instructed.


    "Muddamit! You want us to wade into that mess?" Qwipps had his hand pointed west of us.


    I turned my gaze where he was pointing and saw what he meant.


    To the left of our encirclement, a jumble of blue cloaked soldiers and grey geared enemies were mixed together in what seemed like a straight forward clash. There was certainly a lot of yelling and screaming going on over there.


    I gave Qwipps a raised eyebrow. "We need those men, Qwipps."


    Qwipps sighed heavily before nodding his head. Then he yelled for Pike and the rest of his squad to follow him. I watched them charge into the mess of soldiers and hoped they made it back.


    Don''t get me wrong, I had plenty of faith in Qwipps'' Talons. They were veterans of my first command, after all. Still, this was a much bigger battlefield than the ones we were used to.


    "Command!" Varda yelled to grab my attention. "More soldiers on the right of us. Looks like they''ve got no clue what to do."


    I gazed right and realized Varda''s assumption was spot on. The midnight blue armored soldiers to the right of our encirclement were in danger of buckling to the pressure of the grey mass of enemies they were engaged with. Whoever was leading them was most likely dead.


    "Edo!" I yelled at the half-ogre directly to the front of our encirclement who was slaying any Magesong soldier within his reach. "Take a squad and gather those soldiers on our right. Lead them toward us. My team will lead the way."


    Edo glanced back at me and yelled back, "What about this side? Didn''t you want me to push us forward?"


    "Ashley and Luca can handle that!" I insisted. "I need you knocking heads over to the right!"


    Edo hefted his glaive and cut himself a bloody path to the right with each swing of his glaive. Enemies dropped like flies to his might, ensuring Ashley''s shield squad on that side had some time to breathe before the next push.


    "Ashley!" My throat was starting to feel strained by all my yelling. "We need to move forward and past the enemy''s third line! We should be free and clear once we''re through!"


    Ashley rarely responded to my calls. She didn''t question. She just trusted me not to get her and her people killed, which meant I could always trust her to quickly relay my orders to her squad.


    "Push forward!" Ashley commanded.


    There was a collective, "Push forward," from her group, and then I saw the shield squad will themselves forward. Their shields were raised to the front and smashed into the Magesong soldiers on the other side of them. Shadowblade spears cut through padded grey uniforms and sent chilling death cries into the air.


    "Dean, I brought Fila with me," Aura said from right behind me.


    I turned around and saw the little sprite Fila standing on her shoulder.


    "Thanks," I said.


    I raised my right-hand palm up and waited for the sprite to fly to me. Once he''d landed on top of my palm, I relayed my instructions to him.


    "Find General Thors, Fila," I ordered. "Tell him that we need him to send his cavalry through the right and left sides of the center armies'' battlelines so that the Magesong cavalry waiting somewhere in front of us will be drawn to attack Darah''s cavalry. Draw them out and we have a chance to win the field tonight."


    His was a difficult task, flying across a very volatile battlefield to relay my message to Thors somewhere behind us, but Fila didn''t even hesitate when he saluted me and flew off despite the rain of projectiles filling the sky. I wished all my soldiers were that loyal.


    "Even for you, this plan seems reckless," Aura''s honeyed voice was full of concern. "Are you certain we have a chance?"


    "That''s all I can promise... a chance... I saw it when Fool''s Insight was activated. The enemy positions relative to ours," I gazed into the eyes of the she-elf who''d been with me since the beginning of my journey into the Fayne. "If Edo and Qwipps are able to bring us more reinforcements. If Ashley and Luca are able to break through this third line. And if Thors is able to draw off the enemy afterward... then we''ve got a chance."


    Aura''s eyebrow was raised but there was a smile playing across her face too. "That''s a lot of ''ifs'', Dean."


    I placed a hand on the bracelet she made me. "Trust me?"


    The fingers of her left hand played with the necklace I''d given her. "Always."


    I nodded. "Stick to my side and get ready to unleash firebolts until we''re out of Magesong targets.... we need to break this line."


    Aura nodded and raised her staff toward the front. "Ready when you are." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "You hear that, Luca?" I glanced down at my brother. "Aura and I are ready. What about you? Got your breath back?"


    Luca, who''d been sitting cross-legged by my side this whole time, had been slowly reclaiming his breath which he''d lost due to overusing Foolish Strength earlier.


    He rose to his feet and pulled out his broadsword from the ground where he''d stabbed it blade first.


    "I''m ready... had to use Second Wind though... can''t use it again until another long rest," Luca explained.


    "That''s fine... I don''t need you to go berserk until later anyways," I hinted. "Just make sure you''ve got enough in the tank to go through the mess in front."


    Luca nodded a little reluctantly. "Sure... I expected you''d give me the hardest job..."


    "I trust you most of all," I answered hoping to boost his morale.


    It worked. I could see the determination in the light of his eyes.


    "By the way, Varda," I glanced behind me and found my Quartermaster fidgeting with the hem of her chainmail shirt. "How about some golems?"


    The grin that appeared on Varda''s face was the widest I''d seen it. She probably didn''t want to feel left out as I''d instructed everyone else among the officers.


    "Two unstoppable golems coming up, Commander," she said happily.


    "Tell Donar to get ready with his flame arrows, too, would you," I said.


    Varda saluted me before she ran to her magician''s squad on the other side of the encirclement''s inner area.


    I kept my gaze to the rear of our encirclement which was facing back to the Magesong''s second line. "Hey, Thom!"


    Thom, who was firing arrows into the rear of our encirclement didn''t even deign to look behind and acknowledge me. Was it bad that I was getting used to this insubordinate treatment?


    "Clear a path for Qwipps and Edo''s groups while we move forward, will you?" I instructed as I knew he was listening. "I want them following right behind us."


    Thom''s answer was to raise his hand and wave it around. I took this as an affirmative. I didn''t have time to debate him on the chain of command.


    "Aura, tell our soldiers in the third line to pick up Magesong shields while we move forward. We''re going to need them later," I instructed.


    "Alright," Aura said.


    Immediately afterward, she rushed to the rearmost line in our encirclement and gave out my instructions to the dwarves and elves waiting on standby.


    I glanced to my left. "Ready to rock, little brother?"


    "Please..." Luca rolled his eyes. "I was rocking hard long before you, Dean..."


    This was true. While I liked alternative rock and hip-hop more, Luca was always more into heavy metal. And not the new stuff. He was into the old stuff like Kiss and AC/DC like dad was. It was the one bond they shared that I wasn''t part of.


    "Lead the way then, little brother," I moved aside for him. "Show me how it''s done."

 62 Breakthrough

    Whatever we did, however we did it, as long as Luca and I did it together, it always felt like we would be victorious. Whatever the odds, the Dapper brothers would win the day.


    Tonight was no exception. Even surrounded by enemies from all sides, I felt invincible just by having Luca fight beside me.


    From right beside me, I watched Luca cut down a golden-haired elf almost mercilessly with one downward swing of his broadsword''s shadowblade. And although it helped that elves rarely wore heavy armor, Luca''s ability to make critical hits when it mattered was beyond mathematical probability.


    I, on the other hand, just blocked the glaive strike of the she-elf I faced off against. I''d already seen the possible killing blow myself but chose not to act on it. This was to the fact that her long blonde hair and blue eyes reminded me too much of Aura.


    The she-elf sent her glaive''s shadowblade forward.


    I dodged.


    She slashed sideward.


    I ducked.


    But when she turned her slash into a downward strike, I raised my falchion with both hands and blocked the heavy blow that didn''t seem like it could have possibly come from such thin arms.


    It was at this point that a firebolt struck the she-elf right in the face, sending her sprawling onto the grass beneath me.


    The smell of burning hair made my nose wrinkle.


    The she-elf tried to get up while I was distracted by her hair catching fire but Aura appeared on my left and kicked her in the head, instantly knocking her out.


    Then she turned her azure eyes on me and said, "You were pulling your punches."


    A hobgoblin pushed past the Shield squad''s shield wall and lunged for Aura. It never reached her as my falchion slithered right into its gut. Even with his chainmail shirt, the vibro-sword function of my shadowblade made easily cut a deep gash in its abdomen.


    At the same time, Luca''s broadsword came swinging down, effectively decapitating the hobgoblin before it could die from my strike.


    "Sorry about that, Aura!" Ashley yelled from the front. She was standing at the very center of her squad''s shield wall. "Slippery bastards keep getting past us."


    "Um, that''s because I told you to leave holes in your wall so we can sweep them up as we move forward," I reminded her.


    "Well, I don''t like it!" she yelled back at me. Then she held her steelbark shield and pushed it forward. "Brace!"


    I heard the crunching sound as fairy bones broke against the weight and force of Ashley''s charge. She was like a cannon plowing through soft-bodied limbs. And her soldiers struggled to keep up with her.


    "We''re almost through," Luca said excitedly.


    "Luca, dodge!" I yelled. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    He did as I asked and narrowly avoided a spear thrust aimed at his head.


    It didn''t escape me that we''d been a similar situation before but in reverse.


    While Luca stayed crouched, I sent my falchion slashing toward the outstretched arms of the Magesong visere that had attacked him. The shadowblade cut neatly past his bronze bangles, straight into his flesh, crushed through bones, and out the other side in a shower of blood.


    I watched as the visere backed away, screaming for all he was worth. If he was lucky, the trip back from the Fayne would partially heal his wounds. It did happen. If he wasn''t, well, at least he was alive.


    Another firebolt zoomed past me and struck the now handless visere, knocking him down to the ground.


    I turned and found Aura with her staff raised like a sniper rifle in my direction.


    "Aren''t you happy to have me watching your back?" she grinned.


    "Since when did you enjoy fighting so much?" I shook my head in dismay. "Luca and I are rubbing off you..."


    "I''m not always prim and proper, you know," Aura argued. "I do enjoy fighting on occasion."


    Even behind her mask, I could tell she was eyeing me playfully.


    "Huh," I responded lamely.


    There were a lot more things I wanted to say to her like how cute she sounded when she defended herself or how pretty she was in her golden half-mask or even how hot I thought she looked looking all warrior-like. I said none of these things, though. I was tongue-tied just looking at her.


    "Can you two stop gazing into each other''s eyes?" Luca, who had just finished stabbing the last Magesong soldier to get past Ashley''s line, said to me and Aura. "We''re through."


    He pointed his broadsword forward and I followed his line of sight.


    The gray mass of soldiers that had covered our front from the beginning of our encirclement had finally been driven to the sides and given way to an open stretch of green grass. Beyond this free area, a smaller army of gray soldiers formed a neat little square formation around a figure riding a swifthart. Above this figure was the gray flag that was unmistakably that of a high ranking officer.


    "Is that..." Aura began.


    "The commander of the Magesong''s center army," I finished for her.


    "We really did it... we broke through their third line with so few soldiers," Aura''s honeyed voice seemed surprised at our accomplishment.


    "Not yet," I answered.


    I glanced behind me.


    "Thom, get ready to disengage and follow us through once you see Edo and Qwipps coming," I yelled.


    "There''s no need to yell," Thom insisted as he appeared beside me in a twirl of his black cloak. "We''ve already disengaged. The half-ogre and the idiot are already here."


    He was right. Both Edo and Qwipps, each with a group of Darah army soldiers, just crashed into the right and left sides of our encirclement at nearly the same time. Together, they devoured the remaining Magesong soldiers positioned there.


    Seeing this all take place like clockwork brought a warm feeling to my chest. It was always nice to see a plan come together like that.


    Then I yelled, "Ashley, we''re breaking through now!"


    As one, the entire force under my command charged forward. Together, we made it past the remaining Magesong soldiers and broke into the empty space between the enemy center army''s third line and their command unit ahead of us.


    In hindsight, this now left us exposed to any enemy units in the vicinity. Their third line had no choice but to let us through once we were past them as they needed to continue forward in an effort to stop our own center army from breaking through with even more soldiers. But there were plenty of other units that could destroy our puny force within reach.


    One of these enemy units was the Magesong center army''s five-thousand strong cavalry. They certainly could have annihilated us if they weren''t already distracted.


    Glancing left and then right, I saw the midnight blue flags of the Darah center army''s cavalry breaking through on both sides.


    In response, the enemy cavalry which was positioned in front of us split in half to repel the incoming Darah cavalry.


    This opened the way for my tiny force to make a huge contribution to tonight''s battle. After all, like Sun Tzu said, Balk the enemy''s power; force him to reveal himself , and, quickness is the essence of warfare .


    I couldn''t help but smile while thinking I was surrounded by reliable people. Fila had found Thors and relayed my message. He''d done his job well. Now, it was time for the rest of us to do ours. Now, we had a chance.

 63 The 300

    I turned to the willowy framed pixie standing in front of a group of unrecognizable Darah soldiers on my left and asked, "How many did you get, Qwipps?"


    "About a hundred and five," he answered with a scratch of his head. "Survivors from two different hundred-man units... muds!"


    I nodded appreciatively. He''d done his job despite his complaints and we now had another hundred soldiers to back us up on our foolhardy quest.


    Next, I swiveled my head to the right where the massive half-ogre was standing in front of another batch of blue armored soldiers. "And you, Edo?"


    "A hundred and fifteen reinforcements. Mostly remnants of the center army''s Hundred-Man Dash Kadash unit..." Edo jerked a thumb at his back. "Their commander, Kadash the centaur, was murdered by an elf before we could rescue them. I made sure he was avenged."


    Hearing the menace in Edo''s voice was enough to convince me that the elf who''d killed my fellow hundred-man commander had died very painfully.


    Edo turned his thick neck around and gestured for one of the twenty centaurs in the group to step forward.


    "This is Xanthor Xor. Kadash''s Quartermaster and the only remaining officer in their unit," Edo explained.


    Xanthor Xor was a tall brownie-skinned young man with an athletic build from the waist up with the white coat body of a stallion from the waist down. The short curly hair on his head was the same type of pearl white as his tail hair. He had deep gray eyes, a long and aquiline nose, and pale lips which were set in a very toothy grin.


    There was an audible metallic thump that came from his chest when Xanthor Xor slammed his right fist on his bronze breastplate pinky first.


    "Yo, Commander Dapper!" he saluted. "Thanks for sending your peeps over to save our hides back there..." He exhaled a long breath from his nostrils. "Everything went crazy as soon as our leader got done in... It was intense."


    I raised an eyebrow at the word peeps but quickly let it go as I knew how fairies easily picked up slang from Mudgard. Some fairy historians even believed that the common tongue was born due to constant interaction between humans and the fay.


    "You''re welcome," I returned his salute with a fist to my own chest plate. "Listen, Xanthor, I need you to make sure your soldiers keep up with mine."


    Xanthor Xor neighed loudly. "For sure. We got you covered, sir!"


    "Right..." I did my best to keep my eyebrow from rolling my eyes at him.


    I glanced over to the remaining Foolhardies next and took note of how tired most of them looked. It was clear from their haggard faces and in the wear and tear of their equipment that they''d struggled each step it took to get us to this point.


    A wave of appreciation for my soldiers washed over me, and not for the first time did I think that the Foolhardies were getting stronger. Even if there were less and less of the original hundred with each passing engagement.


    "Hey, Luca," I turned to my brother and asked him the question I always hated asking. "How many did we lose so far?"


    "Um," Luca''s brow furrowed. This was a telltale sign that he was making a quick calculation in his head, and was always the reason why I constantly beat him in poker. Eventually, Luca answered with, "Almost twenty. At least five casualties from Ashley''s squad..." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Mudammit," I hissed .


    Ashley''s Shield squad was the linchpin of the next stage in the plan. Losing even one of them now was a blow to our chances of success. Still, at least we were able to secure about three hundred soldiers total for what came next.


    "Give the order to pass out the shields we gathered to Foolhardies soldiers only... the newbies won''t know what to do with them," I ordered Luca.


    He nodded. "Yeah... sure... but... what about our dead?"


    It was never easy counting our dead. With each conflict more and more of us died, and every time that happened, I felt like something had just stung me deep in the chest. How was a fifteen-year-old like me supposed to cope with the wright of that responsibility?


    I sighed. "We''ll bury them later... right now... we have a job to finish."


    And finish it we would. Even if I had to use every ounce of brainpower I could squeeze out of my head. My dead soldiers deserved no less.


    Eventually, we''d reformed the mess of Dara soldiers into something that vaguely resembled a three-hundred strong force.


    Ashley''s Shield squad was positioned at the very front. They''d been supplemented by twenty halberd-wielding Foolhardies who now carried the grey shields of fallen Magesong soldiers.


    I too carried a bronze shield in one hand so I could lead from the front.


    Luca''s Raiders and Qwipps'' Talons were right behind our squad. Luca''s unit, which was being led by Edo and was positioned to the left, also place shield carriers at the leftmost position. Qwipps'' talons had the same shield-wielding pixies at the rightmost position of their lines.


    Behind their units was the thirty-man drow squad led by Thom. They had two jobs. Support the rest of the unit as our archers, and once the opportunity presented itself, glide up to the sky so they could rain destruction down from above.


    Last but not least, the two hastily constructed hundred-man squads were positioned in ordered rows at the rear. Luca led the soldiers Qwipps brought in. Varda stood beside him as his second. Aura led the group from Dash Kadash with Xanthor as her second.


    In order for her to lead them effectively from the front, I had Aura ride one of the female centaurs in that unit. She didn''t want to at first because she claimed the centaur might find it insulting, but after I pointed out that no matter how fleet-footed elves were she wouldn''t be able to catch up, she finally relented.


    As I glanced behind me, I could see Aura fidgeting on her seat. She was definitely uncomfortable. The centaur carrying her seemed equally uncomfortable. But at least she wasn''t trying to buck Aura off her.


    "Why do you look so amused, Dean?" Ashley, who was standing beside me, had just finished inspecting her steelbark shield for dents. She''d found none. "You realize we''re about to wade into two thousand enemies, right?"


    I turned my gaze toward the square formation of Magesong soldiers in front of us.


    "Technically, we''ll only be going up against five hundred... maybe a thousand at most," I explained.


    Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Only?"


    I patted her on the back. "Don''t worry too much. It''ll be fun."


    "Fun?" Ashley''s other eyebrow rose too. "You are such a strange boy, Dean Dapper."


    She was right about that. I was just a boy. What business did I really have leading soldiers on a battlefield like this one? Well, it was either this or run home to Mudgard and wait to hear the news that Luca had died in some alien land.


    I sighed. then turned around to gaze at the mass of soldiers behind me, most of whom were much much older than me.


    "After we broke through the thousands of enemies behind us, all I could think of was how proud I was of all of you... I would rather fight beside you than any other force in the Fayne no matter how big..." My voice filled with more and more emotion after each word. "To have endured and struggled and come out of it stronger... that''s what Foolhardies do."


    There were no cheers because it would have been stupid to shout and grab the enemy''s attention now. But all their eyes were focused on me¡ªand in them, I saw fear and hope mixed equally.


    "Before us lies the head of an enemy general," I explained. "Our chance to claim the biggest reward in tonight''s battlefield!"


    "What about the soldiers surrounding him, muddamit!" someone yelled from the middle of the formation. By the tone of voice, I could tell it was Qwipps.


    "That''s nothing to soldiers who''ve already faced thousands," I insisted. "We only need to kill three enemies each!"


    There were a few laughs at my answer, and I could feel the tension died down. It was just like Qwipps to give me opportunities to lighten the mood even when he didn''t intend to.


    "It''s time to show our enemies the quality of the Foolhardies," I ordered. "Let''s go to war!"

 64 Running Turtle

    "Arrows incoming!" Ashley warned.


    I raised my eyes to the sky. Thanks to Fool''s Insight, I had an almost 4K view of the hundreds of gray feathered arrows about to rain down on us.


    "Raise shields!" I yelled.


    My orders were quickly followed by the soldiers who''d been assigned this duty. Shields were raised at the front and sides of our formation.


    At the same time, two round shield constructs formed from molten lines of fire appeared across the center and back positions of our hastily formed three-hundred-man unit.


    The flame shields cast by Aura and Donar were like nets that covered the heads of the soldiers who weren''t carrying shields. Though this made us glaringly obvious to any enemy in the surrounding area, it wasn''t really a problem as there was no longer any need for lying low. The arrows in the sky were proof that the enemy had already noticed us, after all. Now it was a time for haste and ensuring all our soldiers made it across the field and within range of our target.


    The sound of arrowheads breaking on bronze shields reverberated all around me. This was accompanied by the taunts my fellow Foolhardies made against the enemy''s failure to hit us.


    Farther back, many arrow shafts burned as they made contact with the flame shields cast by our magicians, their remains falling harmlessly over my soldiers. Even from all the way at the front, I could smell burning wood and embers. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    But, as Aura and Donar had cast their shields to take up wider space than normal, the effects of their magic dwindled in places. Arrows that flew into these spots were able to pass through and kill some of our soldiers.


    I could hear the cries and grunts that accompanied an arrow finding its mark, and I shut my eyes in frustration. If only I had a better plan to move forward. No. I couldn''t think that way. Shortcuts and convenient power-ups belonged in the realm of fantasy. This was reality. I had to make do with what I had.


    Despite these cries of pain, I knew we had to push forward or we''d eventually become pincushions to the continuous rain of arrow fire.


    "Tortoise formation!" I yelled.


    This command was repeated by Ashley at the front. Then Qwipps and Edo. Then by the veterans of each group.


    If you haven''t heard of the Tortoise formation yet then you''re certainly missing out. This is one of the top formations that made the Romans almost godlike in their many conquests.


    As my command was cascaded down to the rank and file, the soldiers who bore the responsibility of carrying shields rose to their feet as one. Then, with a single step, we closed ranks and tightened formation from the front to the back. Our soldiers at the front raised their shields forward. While those right behind us packed their shields over ours. Those behind them kept their shields facing upward. The soldiers to the side held their shields to left and right. Thus, our Tortoise formation was complete.


    Now that we were covered from front to back with a turtle-like shell, it was time to continue onward.


    "Move forward!" I ordered.


    Slowly but surely, our formation continued its march despite the hail of arrows that came to greet us. And each step we took brought us closer and closer to our prey.


    It would have been different if the Magesong cavalry was still around, but they''d been sent off to fight our own cavalry that General Thors was nice enough to send out as a distraction.


    Don''t get me wrong. Some arrows did penetrate our shell and there were deaths among my soldiers. But not enough. No. There was nothing to impede our progress as we shuffled quickly through the grassy plain.


    "Ashley, make a peephole," I whispered in her ear.


    Ashley moved her shield an inch away from mine so that a small window opened up and allowed me a view of what lay ahead.


    It seemed our shuffle was a little faster than even I anticipated as we''d trekked past the halfway point of the open field. There were less than fifty yards between us and our enemy now.


    "Keep going, Foolhardies!" I yelled in encouragement.


    Forty yards between us and the enemy. This would have been enough to stop but I didn''t want to slow our momentum. So we kept going.


    Arrows slammed into our shields from the front. They continued to rain down on us as well. Still, we held.


    Thirty yards distance now.


    "Thom!" I roared.


    My roar was met with a resounding, "Take aim!"


    Then, just like we practiced, holes opened up along our frontline shield wall. These were quickly filled with notched bows.


    "Anyone who misses gets a beating later!" Thom threatened. "fire!"


    Arrows flew across the thirty-yard distance and into the Magesong line of soldiers. Some bounced off their shields. most hit the unprotected heads and necks of our enemies. Drow sharpshooters were extremely good like that.


    As soon as their volley was complete, the drow archers under Thom''s command pulled away and the hole they left was quickly plugged by our shields.


    It might seem to some like too much effort just to kill a few enemy soldiers but that''s only if you didn''t consider the psychological effects of our actions. An unstoppable enemy who could attack with impunity, how could that thought not affect the Magesong soldiers negatively. Even these elites who were positioned at the back to defend their leader. Even they must have felt chills running down their spine as we drew closer.


    Twenty yards away now.


    Once more we opened holes in our defense. Once more our arrows flew fast and true, killing more of our enemies. Once more their own arrows failed to stop us.


    Fifteen yards.


    Then the enemy made their mistake and sent their front line charging forward to repel us. Thus, breaking their formation of their own accord.


    I was reminded of another quote from the Art of War . If you are far from the enemy, make him believe that you are near .


    "Edo! Shaqs!" I yelled the names of the two biggest bruisers among the Foolhardies, and when I saw them making their way through the line toward me, I grinned. "Your turn."


    "Let''s make a hole," Ashley ordered.


    Soldiers moved to the side to give Edo and Shaqs room to run. Shieldmen pulled back to make a hole wide enough for them to cross through.


    Once they were past the protection of our Tortoise formation, the Magesong soldiers, probably thinking they were now easy pickings, made a bee-line for Edo and Shaqs. It wasn''t until they were close enough to notice the two hulking figures and their weapons of death that these soldiers stopped in their tracks. Too little, too late.


    Shaqs'' war ax split in half the first enemy soldier he reached while Edo cleaved through one, two, and then three hobgoblin heads in rapid succession.


    I spared a moment to watch in awe at my two death machines before rousing myself to join them.


    Glancing toward Ashley, I said, "You with me?"


    Ashley shrugged. "Beats hiding in here for one more minute."


    I nodded. I too felt the tension continue to build up while we waited for our chance behind our shields.


    "Let''s do this," I said right before I dropped my shield. It just wasn''t my style to carry one. Then I glanced forward and yelled, "Break!"


    Our shield wall broke apart, and the soldiers in front followed me and Ashley as we charged forward in pursuit of Edo and Shaqs who were continuing to bring carnage to the foes who met them.


    As I ran, I silently prayed to whoever deity would listen to help us complete our mission.

 65 Last Action Hero Part 1

    Sweat slowly trickled down my face, bringing with it a rolling nervous chill. My sword arm felt more like lead the longer I gripped my falchion''s hilt. My breaths came in huffs with each step I took. I knew this feeling well. The nervousness that came before the first throw of a punch. But despite the nerves, my feet continued forward for I understood that this wasn''t a time for indecision. It was a time for action.


    I took a single long breath as my feet carried me within striking distance of my first opponent, a brash-looking elf with a platinum blonde pompadour on his narrow face.


    He wore a silver scale mail patterned after autumn leaves along with a scale skirt and greaves that made him look like a hero from the old Greek stories. With such expensive equipment, I assumed he must have been an officer.


    My second breath was simultaneous with my sword arm whisking forward.


    The shadowblade of an elven saber met my falchion''s vibro-blade, and to no one''s surprise, was able to block my slash with a resounding clang.


    How unfortunate for the cool-looking elf that I''d already prepared for this eventuality. It was obvious from the glimmer of his sword that it was at least silver-tier which meant the cutting power of my shadowblade wouldn''t be as effective. This meant a contingency¡ªwhich was exactly what the dagger in my other hand was for.


    Another problem with elven warriors¡ªthey rarely wore helmets. Something about how it messed up their perfect hairdos. Well, this officer would never have to worry about his hair getting messy again as I''d just plunged my dagger into his right eye. Luckily, he''d been leaning in and didn''t require me to jump up to reach his face.


    At the same time as I pulled my dagger out of his eye¡ªhe was still alive and screaming at this point¡ªI sent my shadowblade slithering into his throat. Blood poured out of both fatal wounds as the elf crumpled to the ground taking with him the nervous tension that I''d been experiencing.


    I had no time to feel remorse for him. He was an enemy and there were plenty more where he came from.


    A second elf appeared in my peripheral to take the place of his fallen leader. And as he positioned himself to face me, the nervous tension was replaced by the eager anticipation to test myself against another opponent.


    This one had long braided silvery hair with matching silver eyes and an alabaster complexion. Plus he was tall, much too tall for me to reach his neck. So, instead, of worrying about a one-hit critical strike, I opted for a combination of slashes aimed at his knees.


    It really was amazing, how the continuous vibrations in my falchion''s shadowblade increased its cutting power explosively against the same tier or lesser tier equipment. A simple downward stroke was enough for me to put a person seven inches taller than me down on his knees.


    He didn''t get the chance to attack me with the glaive he carried. There was no time for him to even block. my dagger quickly found its mark as I quickly plunged it up to his jaw.


    I spared a glance at the dagger that had won me two kills already, and I was surprised at how easily I handled having a weapon in both hands despite not having practiced dual-wielding much.  Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    There was a loud ruckus to my front that broke through the quiet buzzing of my adrenaline pumped mind, and I glanced in the direction of the noise to find Shaqs beset by three Magesong hobgoblins about five meters away.


    I glanced down at my dagger right before I reversed my grip to the blade end and flung it straight at the closest hobgoblin. And thanks to Fool''s Insight , my dagger buried itself into the back of the hob''s neck.


    With one down, Shaqs made short work of the other two hobs. He''d severed the first one''s arms with a swing of his war ax. The second swing cleaved off the hob''s head. The other hob died more gruesomely. After watching his comrade get massacred, the hob stumbled backward in fear of Shaqs and couldn''t get back up in time before Shaqs stomped on his chest and caved it in with a massive troll foot.


    This whole exchange lasted the short time it took for me to survey the surrounding area.


    Before me lay a disarrayed gathering of gray geared soldiers with their formation clearly broken by Shaqs'' and Edo''s berserker charge. The Magesong officer that led these frontline soldiers was dead at my feet which meant there was no way they could reform in time before my Foolhardies broke through their ranks through overpowering violence.


    As if on cue with my thoughts, two giant stone golems rushed past me to join the Edo in his carnage in the vanguard. They were accompanied by several molten arrows that had been shot out from behind me. It seemed Varda and Donar were finally letting loose.


    I grinned. Then I stepped over the fallen bodies and charged forward, not forgetting to grab my dagger as I passed it.


    What happened after that was sort of a blur despite Fool''s Insight constantly relaying information to my eyes. And as if I were possessed by some god of war, I found myself moving almost perfectly in every engagement that followed. No wasted movements. My sight constantly darted left and right, up and down, showing me every minuscule movement and every would-be-fatal strike like my field of view was on slow motion.


    I dodged a slash from a bearded visere''s broadsword and countered with an upward slash that cut deep into his arm, putting him out of commission.


    My feet carry me ten feet toward the next opponent further back. This time it was a dark-haired she-elf with a slender wooden bow in her hand.


    A memory flashed in my head of another she-elf nearly capturing me with a charm before I could kill her.


    "Not this time," I whispered.


    I launched myself forward without any hesitation or fear, and in two leaps covered the distance between us. Still, she was quick enough to fire a shot at me.


    Her bow sang. The arrow flew.


    If only she knew that Fool''s Insight was active. Maybe then she would have just run away. I doubt she expected how easily I blocked it with my shadowblade in the way Deadpool blocks bullets. But I''m sure she saw me coming as I plunged my sword into her gut.


    The venomous words spouting out of her bloody lips was enough to convince me that she didn''t deserve my pity.


    "You stupid mud¡ª"


    Sorry, but I didn''t have time to listen to her racist slurs. I pushed kicked her out of my way. Yet as I passed her by, I continued to hear her scream bloody murder at me.


    "I will haunt you even in death, you filthy Mudgardian filth!" she rasped. "I will watch from beyond as the goblins pluck out your eyes and wear it as a necklace. I will laugh in pleasure as the trolls suckle the marrow from the bones of your carcass! I¡ª"


    Geez, that elf had a mouth. I tuned her out and kept going, but her words might have slightly gotten to me as I was distracted enough not to notice the two elves who''d appeared to my left and right. Each one of them had an elven saber raised to strike.


    Unfortunately for them, I never walked alone.


    Four firebolts pummeled the she-elf on the left like a combination of explosive punches to the gut and chest, effectively knocking her out.


    The other elf¡ªa male with shoulder-length straw hair and a set of pearly white teeth to go with his pretty-boy eyes¡ªnever even saw Luca''s broadsword swing down his back. He''d simply screamed in pain then slithered dead on the ground a mere three feet away from me.


    I glanced toward my brother who looked like he was an extra in a vampire movie. There was just too much blood on his armor. Although it was clear from the lack of wounds that none of it was his.


    "What took you so long?" I asked.


    Luca jerked his thumb backward. "Had to get rid of the guys you let through."


    There was another explosion. A whiff of burned flesh permeated the nearby air.


    I looked down at the she-elf that had just been smacked by a firebolt in the face. Then I glanced behind me. Aura was there. The part of her face the mask didn''t cover was flushed. Her cheeks were red. To me, she just seemed to glow.


    "Hi," I said.


    "Hey," she said back.


    My eyes met hers, and I found myself staring deep into those blue depths. Aura was just that captivating in the heat of battle. Unfortunately, the enchanting spell that caught me in Aura in each other''s gaze was broken by two words. Obviously, they''d come from Luca.


    "You''re drooling," he teased.

 66 Last Action Hero Part 2

    Luca, the big idiot, had the worst timing. Well, it was probably for the best because his annoying jeer did jump-start my addled teenage brain just in time to avoid the spear that had been thrown at me.


    I ducked. The spear missed my head. Then I rolled to the right as a war hammer¡ªa massive rectangular stone head more than twice the size of my own head¡ªslammed the ground where I''d been just a second ago.


    "The hits just keep coming," I whispered right before I got back on my feet. "I''m going to need a little help here."


    You see, even with the power of Fool''s Insight¡ªthe heightened vision that made every dangerous moment readable and therefore easily manageable¡ªI still needed help whenever I faced something that was just a little beyond my current physical abilities. Case in point, the ugly-looking troll glaring down at me.


    The brown-skinned, eight-footed troll with the long dreadlocks reraised its war hammer with both hands and readied it for another swing at my head.


    "Aura, how many spells can you still use tonight?" I asked quickly.


    From beside me, Aura gripped tightly on her Hearthwood staff with both of her delicate-looking hands.


    "I''ve only used Flame Shield ... but I did waste two spell slots just to make it large enough for our unit," she explained just as quickly. "I have two left..."


    "That''s fine... stick to your Hearthwood staff''s Firebolt skill... it doesn''t cost you anything," I reasoned. "But... maybe you can use a spell to cast Fiery Blessing on me and Luca?"


    "Evade, guys!" Luca yelled.


    Both Aura and I pulled away just as the troll came charging in and slammed its hammer on the ground we''d just vacated. Unperturbed by our quick footedness, it sent its hammer swinging sideward in hopes of swatting one of us as we pulled back. But Luca raised his broadsword to deflect the attack. His shadowblade met with the war hammer''s bronze pole, binding them in place while the troll and Luca pushed at each other''s weapons.


    "Oh, spirits of the sacred flame, I call on you to ignite the fire inside these warriors," Aura began to chant while her staff was raised in front of her, the red orb at the top glowing a fierce orange. "Lend them your will of fire and send them your Fiery Blessing !"


    As soon as Aura finished her melodic chant, I felt my body grow incredibly hot. So hot, in fact, that I wondered if I hadn''t suddenly been dropped into a hot spring or sauna. My face glistened with sweat. It poured down my back and arms too. Then my heart began beating at an alarmingly high pace that seemed to pump liquid fire down my veins.


    I screamed. No. It was a roar, a lion''s roar at the moment before the hunt began.


    A second roar rang out. This one had come from Luca. Not the berserker''s roar of his Foolish Strength but a more dignified one. More subtle but with just as much power as his old one.


    "Stamina, strength, agility and constitution, all your physical abilities have been enhanced for five minutes, Dean," Aura whispered from beside me. "Go wild!"


    I grinned at her. Then I pushed off the ground with my back foot and lept high. At the same time, Luca, combining his Foolish Strength with the boost of Aura''s Fiery Blessing , now had enough power to push back a troll¡ªand he did just that.


    Luca gripped his broadsword''s hilt tight and heaved, forcing the troll to take a step back and creating enough distance for Luca to swing his sword sideward.


    Trolls, known for their very thick hides, often loathed wearing armor on their upper body. The troll we were fighting wasn''t as stupid as his other brethren. He wore a brass splint vest that was too tight around the midriff. Unfortunately for the troll, Luca''s broadsword was steel-tier.


    A wide gash opened up in the troll''s midriff that gushed out blood and guts along with a smell so rank it would have made someone who wasn''t currently hopped up on flame-spirit-boosts hurl all their dinner out.


    The troll didn''t get to cry out in pain either as my own falchion, launched from my a swing of my sword-arm, silenced the creature with a deep cut through its throat. Yes, thanks to Fiery Blessing, I was able to reach the troll''s head. In a word, I had jumped like Lebron.


    In those seconds while I hang-timed in the air, I was able to get a good view of the front battlefield.


    Despite having a force of around two thousand, the enemy command unit''s front line was in complete disarray. Their initial force of five-hundred was simply no match for the momentum of my three-hundred-man unit. In fact, we''d nearly broken through to their inner layer where another group of five-hundred soldiers guarded the heavyset human visere sitting atop his gray swifthart.


    This close, I caught a glimpse of the banner rising high above him and saw the crest displayed on it. It was that of a gray claw, palm facing outward with a sword piercing its center.


    As I landed back on the ground, I thought about the number of visere officers in the Magesong army that General Darah made me remember back while we were preparing for the war.


    There were only three. One of them was Azuma''s black spear, and he was third-ranked among the Magesong viseres. The second rank had a shield for his symbol, but the first rank among the human soldiers of our enemy, I believe his symbol was a claw¡ªa gray claw.


    I glanced over to my brother and watched him impale his broadsword on the back of the dying troll, ensuring its demise.


    "Hey, Luca..." I called to him. Then I looked for Aura. She was close by. her own face glistening with sweat, making me realize how concentration spells did take a toll on their caster. "Aura... I think we''ve caught a really big fish."


    Both of them looked over to where I pointed my finger, to the banners raised high above the enemy commander.


    "That''s the mark of Jimmy Jonas, the bear knight," Luca whistled. "He''s a really big catch..."


    Aura walked over to my side and patted me on the shoulder. "I''m a little surprised that your luck didn''t send us straight in the path of Azuma this time."


    "Yeah... Lucky us," I said jokingly.


    "You two know he''s higher ranked than Azuma, right?" Luca pulled out his broadsword from the troll''s back. There was a discernable snicking sound accompanying his shadowblade''s freedom from the troll''s insides. "He''s their number one visere."


    "Meh... Azuma''s stronger," I countered.


    I believed there was no human stronger than my rival. Well, perhaps Thors was greater but in a different way. Thors was a leader. Azuma was a warrior.


    Aura nodded in agreement. "Given time, I believe Azuma would rise to the top of the Magesong''s viseres. That''s how strong he is."


    Luca looked bewildered at us.


    It was expected. He didn''t see what Aura and I saw. He didn''t talk to Azuma in that hospital room and saw the dying man who refused death despite cancer destroying his body. That kind of strength¡ªeven without the help of fairy gifts¡ªthat kind of strength deserved respect. It deserved the awe we felt for the man who we would face sooner or later on this battlefield.


    "Do you think you and Luca can finish this fight in the three and a half minutes you have left before Fiery Blessing ends?" Flare asked.


    I squinted as a slight pressure flitted in and out of my eyes. Although the time it took for this to happen was much longer than before, the strain of using Fool''s Insight continuously was beginning to show.


    "We''ll just have to do it," I said in a resolved tone. "Right, Luca?"


    "Sure... we just have to go through all that," Luca pointed the tip of his broadsword at the dozens of enemies who were converging on our position, "then take out the guys behind them and the guys behind them just so we can face off with the Magesong clan''s top visere..." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Despite Luca''s pessimistic declaration, I couldn''t help but notice the fiery light in his eyes that had nothing to do with the blessing Aura placed on us. Luca was more warrior than he liked to admit.


    I glanced sideways to the third member of my fireteam. "Aura, you good to go?"


    "Yes," she answered with a resolved that matched my own. "Let''s make my aunt proud."

 67 Against the Wall

    Despite the arcane boost Aura had given me and Luca, we were unable to break through the wall of inner Magesong defenders who protected their general before our time limit ran out.


    Sure, we''d been able to push past the outer layer of five hundred soldiers with two minutes to spare on the Fiery Blessing spell, but as soon as we hit the inner defenses, the wall of elite soldiers there held us off brilliantly despite us having Edo and Shaqs raging at our sides.


    The shields they carried weren''t just big and sturdy but even the electrum-tier chain hauberk armor they wore made our foes formidable. Their steel shadowblade spears seemed sharper too, with each blow heavier than the usual thrust.


    As if the weight of the responsibility they carried bore down on me and my soldiers like boulders that refused to be moved.


    Even with the combination of Fiery Blessing and Fool''s Insight working in my favor, I was barely able to make a dent in the wall of enemies. For every Magesong soldier I slew, two more would take their place and push me back.


    Luca¡ªwith Foolish Strength and Fiery Blessing giving him a boost¡ªcouldn''t make a hole in the defenses either. Even after he''d carved a bloody path and pushed past the frontline of these elites, he was just as quickly pushed back by the soldiers behind them.


    I parried a spear thrust that would have skewered me in the abs if I was a second too late. After my falchion''s shadowblade parried the strike, I used the momentum of my parry to move my body in a three-hundred-sixty-degree rotation that pushed me forward. My shadowblade sang as it swung around to the front. And the combination of vibrosword and swinging force slammed into the side of my opponent''s hauberk with such violence that the elf I''d just slashed gave out a strangled cry that was quickly snuffed out by him passing out.


    As the elf fell remarkably slowly, I took the momentary reprieve before the next soldier took his place to check on my fellow soldiers.


    On my right, Luca was fighting against a brawny dark-haired visere wielding a shortsword and shield. Although Luca clearly held the advantage in terms of strength which was evident in how each of his blows made his enemy''s knees buckle, Luca couldn''t finish him off. After each blow, the visere would just get back up and pressure Luca with well-placed shield pushes and sword strikes aimed at Luca''s lanky legs. This strategy continually forced Luca back and successfully kept him locked in place.


    The only reason Luca hadn''t been overwhelmed by more soldiers at this point was due to Shaqs. The troll waived his double-bladed ax around in an effort to keep the enemy from getting behind him and Luca.


    I whistled appreciatively. Shaqs was proving to be more and more of an asset to the Foolhardies with each battle we fought. Maybe it was time to promote him.


    Further to the right of Luca and Shaqs, the Foolhardies and replacements under the command of Xanthor struggled to keep their footing against the Magesong elites who just wouldn''t budge.


    On my left, the Foolhardies struggle was in similar dire straights.


    Although neither Edo nor Aura¡ªthe two of them teaming up to spread fire and death around them¡ªlooked to be in any danger, Ashley''s shield squad was having a nasty time blocking spear thrusts from the enemy with their battered shields.


    I''d really worked them to the bone on this night''s battle. This was clear in the dents of their bronze shields and the glistening sweat on their struggling faces.


    "Time to earn your shields, boys and girls!" Ashley yelled hoarsely. Her voice was cracking from obvious fatigue. "Hold the line!"


    I really wanted to watch their fight some more but the sounds of battle from above drew my eyes upward.


    Qwipps and his Talons were facing off against Magesong soldiers riding atop white pegasi. And even in this aerial battle where our forces should have had supremacy, we were slowly being beaten back.


    It seemed I miscalculated somewhat. The level of the enemy forces guarding their leader was a little too high level this time. Not even our individual strengths which had often once us the day did much against these elite Magesong soldiers.


    While I pondered this thought, two more elves wearing a similar electrum hauberk to the one I''d just defeated came rushing in to attack me. They were soundly repelled by the massive rock body of one of Varda''s stone golems. It seemed my dwarven Quartermaster had finally made her way to the front.


    "Smash them, Rocky!" Varda yelled from close behind me.


    The golem did as she asked and pounded on the two elves with his massive fists of stone. A single smack each was enough to topple them down.


    However, they were quickly replaced by double the amount of elf warriors carrying elven sabers on each of their hands. Together, these four dual-wielders hacked at Varda''s golem and whittled it down stone by stone until it was destroyed completely. They accomplished this in the time it took me to recover from the momentary fatigue caused by Fiery Blessing leaving my body.


    "Muds! That was my last golem!" Varda complained. "Sorry, Commander!"


    I raised a hand and sent Varda the thumbs up. "How many spells do you still have?"


    "I''ve got two left!" she answered from much closer now. Almost right behind me.


    The nearest elven warrior sprinted forward and launched attacks in my direction. I dodged the first saber and parried the second. Then I pushed kicked him back to create some distance.


    "Good... get ready to summon an earthen wall or a mudslide," I instructed. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Sure... what''s the target?" she asked.


    I pointed at the four elves who staring daggers at me. Menace radiated off of them in invisible waves that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The charred edges of their shadowblades looked even sharper now too.


    "Them," I said simply.


    "Allow me," said a sultry male voice from behind me as well. "I enjoy turning elven hair to ash."


    I didn''t need to see him to know it was my pyromaniac of a fire magician who''d just spoken.


    "Go crazy, Donar," I obliged.


    I dodged to the side as soon as I felt the heat on my back.


    From my new vantage point on his right, I watched Donar take a long and deep breath. The air in front of him seemed to visibly distort as it turned even hotter.


    But the elven warriors were no amateurs. They knew a spell was being cast. Only, instead of getting out of the line of fire, they had decided to charge Donar and me, believing that their fleet footedness was enough to bridge the gap. They would have been right¡ªif Varda wasn''t around to trip them.


    Out of all my magicians, Varda was perhaps the most advanced. At the very least, she was the only one among them who could cast a chantless spell without any drawbacks.


    A fist of stone slammed into the ground right beneath the four charging elves, causing the dirt to erupt upward. This forced the elves to momentarily stop their mad rush which was all the time Donar needed to complete his magic trick.


    As Donar exhaled the breath he''d been holding in, it wasn''t air he released but a blast of yellow flames that burned the grass in front of him. His fire breath engulfed all four Magesong soldiers as well.


    The heat must have been at furnace level because I could see their armor deform as the fire danced over them. Their hair burned quickly. Their faces went from pale to charred in seconds. Their screams were muffled by the sound of rushing flames.


    I''d once seen a World War Two documentary of an American soldier using a flamethrower to burn Japanese soldiers out of their hiding spots. What I''d seen then was a reflection of what I just witnessed.


    The all too familiar smell of burning fairies permeated the air in front of me. As my nose rinkled in disgust, I wondered if I was hanging around flame wielders a little too much.


    "Maybe we should just send Donar to burn through the whole lot of them," Varda suggested.


    I had no doubt that Donar would have agreed with Varda if he wasn''t still spewing fire at the helpless elves. And I wondered how long his fire breath was going to last. I didn''t have to wait long.


    It wasn''t by choice. Donar seemed to be ready to spew out his guts until he''d turned our enemies into nothing but ash. But his efforts were interrupted by a swing of a glaive cutting deep into his shoulder. The sudden attack would have killed him too if Varda hadn''t barreled into him and pushed him out of harm''s way.


    Both of them rolled around the grass while blood poured out of the deep gash on Donar''s right shoulder. When they came to a halt, Varda looked him over. Her eyes were wide with relief when she yelled, "He''s alive... but he''s unconscious!"


    Despite my own relief flooding my chest, I didn''t have the opportunity to respond to her. Rather, I couldn''t. My attention had been completely taken by the towering figure just a few feet to my left. He was a bulky man riding atop a gray swifthart.


    After all the effort my unit put into trying to break through the unbreakable wall, the enemy general had just waltz out of it himself. By the looks of his steely-eyed glare, I do believe he was looking to start a fight with me.

 68 Call of Duty

    The presence of the enemy general sitting atop his gray coated swifthart seemed larger than life as I gazed up at him.


    The confident way he sat on his mount, his short-cropped black hair, and the steely-eyed gaze of his amber eyes certainly gave him the vibe of a high ranking officer. And, yet, the most disturbing thing about the man was the warm smile he sent me. It was as if he''d just seen an old friend on the battlefield and was dying to catch up.


    "You seem surprised at my arrival, young commander," he said in a confident baritone voice. "You''re wondering why I left my very secure position to engage you, huh?"


    Good guess. So he wasn''t just a dumb brute like his physique suggested. Unlike Azuma who had a thin frail form, the enemy general, Jimmy Jonas, was a mountain of a man. He was no Edo, but the barrel-chested warrior with the beefy arms certainly deserved his monicker of Bear Knight.


    "Yeah... I mean... we''re barely making any ground against your elites," I answered honestly. "Good job training them, by the way."


    "Thank you," he accepted my compliment happily like we weren''t enemies about to murder each other. "Your soldiers are pretty well trained themselves. I''m losing my hard-trained forces each minute we face off."


    That''s when I figured out why he was so willing to leave his post. He didn''t want any more of his elites dying by our hand. They weren''t just pawns to him.


    "You... care about your men," I said in a tone that was half-surprised and half-respect.


    More and more I found myself admiring my new opponent. He certainly wasn''t like the other Magesong officers I''d faced so far. He carried a kind of honorable spirit I''d seen only with Azuma so far.


    "Don''t believe what everyone tells you about the Magesong clan. We''re not all child murderers and blood sacrificers." he winked. "Besides... Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys¡ª"


    "¡ªLook on them as your own beloved sons, and they will standby you even onto death," I finished. I knew that line as well. It came from the very same book I tended to quote myself.


    Around this time, I began to notice that the battle had come to an abrupt stop. A circle of both Magesong soldiers and Foolhardies had surrounded us. Although it was clear that the gray overwhelmed our midnight blue colors in terms of numbers. Still, I could see my brother, Aura, Edo, and several of my officers among the crowd. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Jimmy Jonas chuckled softly, forcing my focus to return to him.


    "It''s nice to meet a fellow scholar," he said appreciatively.


    Suddenly, Jimmy''s swifthart made a series of loud grunting sounds that seemed to me like warning bells meant for its master. In response, Jimmy turned his gaze westward, past the crowd of spectators and much further away.


    I took this time to send my vision upward with the help of Fool''s Insight which I''d kept activated despite the growing strain on my eyes. My bird''s-eye-view sent my sight up to cloud level, and from this vantage point, I surveyed the battle below.


    At each corner of the battlefield, the war continued almost monotonously. Neither the left or right armies of both clans made much headway against each other. It was as if their officers had given up on taking control of their respective fronts and were simply waiting for either of the center armies to claim victory. Unlike the other two sides, the center of the field was simply chaos¡ªa jumbled mass of blues and grays fighting for supremacy over that central area.


    I zoomed in a little closer and received insight on the lay of the land.


    Both armies had broken into each other''s frontline with the most concentrated fighting centered between our respective second and third lines. Death and destruction had become a common sight as frenzied soldiers hacked and slashed at each other while magical projectiles launched from both armies bombarded the area in a blanket of arcane power.


    My vision caught sight of something unexpected at the far right corner of the center armies battle. Two cavalries were in close-quarters combat in the area with the blue cloaked soldiers clearly gaining supremacy over their gray-clad opponents. Even from the height of my vantage point, the reason for this disparity in strength was obvious. The quality of commanders was just too different.


    General Roger Thors¡ªresplendent in his silver armor, his cape billowing behind him as he rode on his brown swifthart, was an unstoppable force that broke through every barrier sent his way. Empowered by his charge, his soldiers followed suit and decimated their own opponents.


    And now I knew the reason for the swifthart''s alarm. Very soon, the Thors cavalry would break free from the weakening Magesong cavalry and find their way to where my Foolhardies faced off against the enemy command unit.


    Satisfied with what I''d seen, I sent my vision back to ground level where I was just in time to witness Jimmy Jonas dismount his swifthart.


    "Sadly, we don''t have enough time for a discourse on the teachings of the Art of War..." Jimmy Jonas raised his golden glaive over his head and rested its similarly golden pole on his right shoulder. "I''ll have to kill you now before your general makes his way here."


    Ah, now I knew the other reason why he''d forgone defense for offense. Time. He couldn''t waste any more of it dealing with the Foolhardies while Thors rampaged across the battlefield.


    "Might have been easier for you if you just stayed on your mount..." I raised my sword-arm forward with my falchion pointed menacingly in Jimmy Jonas'' direction. My other hand rubbed at my eyes. They had begun to sting and I knew my time with Fool''s Insight was nearing its end. "I guess I should thank you for making this fight even..."


    Jimmy Jonas stretched both his beefy arms to the sky, forcing me to take note of how easily he carried his glaive in one hand. It didn''t look light at all.


    "I did mention we aren''t all child murderers in the Magesong team, right," he laughed. Then his face turned deadly serious. "I guess that''s not true... in light of current circumstances. Apologies, young commander. I don''t want to kill you... But I have to."


    Despite the threat sent my way, I couldn''t think of his words as anything less than sincere. It wasn''t just his voice that sounded remorseful. It was the way he looked at me. Not with pity or hate but with compassion.


    "You''re a very emotional guy to be leading an army of fairies," I noted.


    I blinked several times to keep the stinging at bay. For those who didn''t know this fact, dry eyes were my worst enemy.


    "I''m a man who understands duty," he said simply. Then he raised his glaive forward so that the sticky point was aimed at me. "I assume you''re the same. A man who answers to the call of duty."


    I spared a glance at my team.


    Luca, Aura, Edo, Varda, Qwipps, and Ashley were all present. Thom, like we''d planned, was out of sight and waiting for a chance I hoped to give him.


    Now, while Luca was looking back at me with a worried expression that was typical of him, Aura, who stood beside him, gave me nodding approval. She understood that sometimes these kinds of fights were necessary. By how they looked proudly back at me, so did Ashley and Edo. But Varda and Qwipps were reflections of Luca''s worry.


    I took in a long breath. "You assume correct... I know the weight of my responsibility."


    "Good," Jimmy Jonas nodded approvingly. "Then we can fight it out without regrets."

 69 Why We Figh

    Five seconds passed. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds had gone by, yet still, we remained unmoving. At least, that''s what most of the spectators assumed. But while they waited with bated breath for the inciting action, many were unaware that the officer''s duel had already begun.


    It started with a contest of wills¡ªthe releasing of killing intent aimed at defeating the opponent before the physical stuff even began.


    The force of Jimmy Jonas'' killing intent was like a giant claw raking across my will, gauging out the strength in my arms and making my legs feel like they''d momentarily turned to jelly. Yet despite this heavy weight pushing down on me, I endured.


    I calmed myself through a breathing exercise Luca had taught me. It was the same one he used whenever his anxiety struck. And once my will felt reinforced, I countered with my own fierce will.


    My killing intent was small in comparison to Jimmy''s as I didn''t possess the same breadth of experience he had. But in exchange, I fortified the mental blade I forged with my unceasing desire to save my brother.


    I launched this weaponized will straight at Jimmy, and with the wisdom provided by Fool''s Insight, I was able to perceive the shadow of doubt pass across his face. Still, he too persevered.


    Half a minute passed and neither of us was willing to give in to the other. This meant the next step in the proceedings was about to begin. Weirdly enough, I wasn''t the first to make a move.


    Jimmy took a step forward.


    To anyone besides me, that single step would have been a harmless action. There was a considerable distance between us, after all. But Fool''s Insight warned me not to be careless. This bombardment of visual information prepared me for what happened next.


    From a single step, Jimmy launched himself forward and covered the distance between us like he was a living bolt of lightning. His glaive came swinging down on my head in the same instant as he landed right in front of me.


    I had just enough time to dodge to the side as Fool''s Insight told me blocking would have been a bad idea.


    Jimmy''s glaive¡ªan intricately designed golden polearm with a coiling serpent embossed on its surface rising up to an open dragon maw with a charred blade sprouting out of it¡ªsmashed down onto the ground I''d just vacated. It left a deep gash on the grass.


    Quick as a flash, he twisted his grip on the polearm and sent the glaive swinging sideward in my direction.


    The second slash came too fast and I had no choice but to raise my falchion to block the attack.


    A high-pitched scraping resounded while the flat of my falchion''s shadowblade endured the charred edge of the glaive sliding along it.


    Once the glaive had passed the width of my sword, I pulled back my sword arm and rushed forward. I calculated that the momentary opening created by the passing glaive was enough to create an opportunity to attack.


    I was dead wrong.


    As if expecting my counter, Jimmy rushed forward himself. His free hand was pulled back in preparation for an unarmed strike at me.


    I was beginning to lose count on the number of times Fool''s Insight saved my butt. This time was no exception.


    The open palm strike zooming right below my face would have left me winded if I didn''t have the foresight to slap it away with my free hand. Sadly, I didn''t account for a difference in strength. Although I was able to divert its direction away from my throat, Jimmy''s palm-strike slammed into my chest. The force of it caused the breath to forcefully leave my lungs.


    There was an audible gasp from the crowd of onlookers. And a "Muddamit, Dean! you could have dodged that!" from Qwipps.


    Jimmy''s hand pulled back, and despite the pain in my chest, I recognized the danger of a second strike.


    I pulled my left shoulder back just as his arm stretched forward. At the same time, I swung my falchion upward and inward in an uppercut motion and sent my blade snaking up Jimmy''s outstretched right arm.


    Sparks flew when my falchion''s shadowblade raked across the chains of his armor. My vibro-blade''s cutting power had failed to penetrate it. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    However, this miscalculation didn''t deter me one bit.


    I used the momentum of my upward swing combined with the pulling back my left shoulder to pivot with my right foot and complete a three-hundred-sixty-degree rotation. The movement sent my falchion swinging forward from the other side. But, unfortunately, the glaive''s polearm was there to block the slash.


    There was a loud clangor as my shadowblade collided with the upper part of the golden polearm. This was immediately followed by a high-pitched scraping caused by the locking of our weapons.


    While we pressed our weapons against each other, neither of us giving in to the other''s pressure, Jimmy leaned forward.


    At first, I was alarmed that he was about to fire a headbutt at me, but it seemed all he wanted to do was talk.


    You''re amazing!" he yelled out loud. "I felt the weight of your killing intent earlier, and now we''re fighting on par with each other despite my size advantage."


    I could hear the honest praise in his voice and couldn''t help grinning myself.


    "You''re not so bad yourself... for an old man," I said in an almost joking manner.


    He pushed down hard on his glaive and forced my shadowblade closer to my chest.


    "What''s your name, young commander?" he asked.


    I gripped my sword hilt tightly with both hands and exerted as much force as I could to push him back but his polearm just wouldn''t budge.


    "Dean Dapper," I hissed through clenched teeth.


    "Good name. Sounds like a superhero''s name." He nodded approvingly like he was having no difficulty keeping me locked in place. "Like Peter Parker or Miles Morales or Scott Summers... Yes, it''s a good name. I''m Jimmy Jonas by the way."


    He grinned widely at me. Then he loosened the pressure on his polearm, giving me a chance to breathe.


    "Um, thanks..?" I said while feeling slightly bewildered. "You know, there usually isn''t this much talking in a fight."


    No harm in it." Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "It''s not like either of us would stop fighting. I''m sure whatever brought you here isn''t something so small you''d give in just by learning a guy''s name?"


    I shook my head. He was right. The weight I carried on my shoulders wasn''t that light.


    "Alright," he said. "Let''s continue!"


    Suddenly, with a strength he''d been hiding all along, Jimmy pushed his polearm forward. The power he exerted nearly blasted me away. It certainly left me stumbling backward.


    "So, what brings you to the Fayne, Dean Dapper!" he asked at the same time as he swung his glaive forward.


    I was barely able to block it with my falchion. Still, his blow nearly threw me sideways.


    "Are you really going to keep interrogating me right now?" I asked while I parried the charred edge of his glaive before it could skewer me.


    "Sure, why not!" He raised his glaive high with one hand, readying it for another downward strike. "I would love to know your origin story. Learn your motivations."


    I dodged left as his blade came crashing down. Then I ducked as he swung his polearm sideward again.


    Fool''s Insight was beginning to see a pattern in his attacks. However, its constant use was really starting to hurt my eyes now. The stinging sensation doubled, nearly comparable to rubbing chili powder over my eyelids.


    I blinked once. Twice. Three times. Then I pulled back to avoid the glaive thrust I''d nearly missed seeing.


    "You want to know what motivates me..." I repeated. "Well, you first!"


    I pushed forward and sent my falchion slithering down to his legs.


    Jimmy smashed his falchion butt-first onto the ground to repel my attack. Then he launched another palm strike aimed at my face.


    As I pulled back, he yelled, "Okay. Me first then!"


    In my head, I wondered if I wasn''t up against someone even crazier than Azuma. But the origin story he gave me as we continued our fight left me imagining that he might have been a really good guy¡ªand that was worse.


    "I didn''t come to the Fayne for fame or riches!" he admitted while he sent glaive strike after glaive strike at me. All of which I was barely dodging even with the aid of Fool''s Insight . "No... I came for the other thing."


    "You came for power," I guessed.


    Jimmy nodded quickly. Then he pulled back to avoid my falchion snaking up his torso.


    In the widening of his eyes, I saw the understanding that he knew I was finally catching up with his technique. In the midst of this battle, I was learning and getting stronger. Only, instead of fear taking hold of him, I saw genuine enthusiasm plastered on his face.


    "You''re really good, Dean Dapper," he said appreciatively. "And you''re also right. I did come here for power. But I promise I didn''t want it for some selfish reason."


    "What, then?" I asked curiously. I couldn''t help it. I was a curious guy.


    "I sought power so I could make our world better," he admitted.


    I looked skeptically back at him. "Seriously?!"


    "Seriously," he answered back.

 70 Reasons to Kill

    "Bullshit," I held tightly onto my sword and pushed back against the shadowblade of Jimmy''s glaive.


    "No real Starlight City politician would have the guts to come to the Fayne themselves. I''ve learned that they send their relatives instead..."


    I wasn''t just blowing smoke out of my ass when I said this. The experiences of the McCord twins were still clear in my mind. I recalled how their grandfather, Starlight''s very own mayor, had sent them down here to fulfill his family''s duties to their fairy overlords.


    Jimmy shook his head. "Well, that''s a very negative view you have on us, Dean¡­"


    He held firm on his position despite my push. His shadowblade pressed hard on mine. Sparks continued to fly as the vibration of my sword clashed against his.


    "But it''s true," he insisted. "I''ve been a Councilman for two terms. Most of which I spent here during nights."


    "Seriously¡­ you''re a Councilman?" I clarified. "What district?"


    "Third District," Jimmy huffed proudly. Then he increased the pressure he put on his glaive and pushed me back an inch. Then more. Until the resistance from my own shadowblade disappeared completely.


    No, I didn''t fly away like a child who''d been tossed around by his overly aggressive uncle like last time. It was simply a calculation on my part to only appear like I''d lost the tug-of-war. The next step was crucial. Literally.


    I stepped back and allowed myself to get pulled away from Jimmy long enough for him to overstep and compromise his stance while he continued to apply force on his glaive. He hadn''t noticed that the lack of resistance from my end was so I could disengage from locking blades with him. Quick as I could, I dropped to below his line of sight.


    The problem with being a big guy, you sometimes don''t notice the smaller things. Not that I was calling myself small. That will never happen. Not in a million years! In Jimmy''s case, his physique was so heavy that he wasn''t able to switch his line of sight quick enough before I struck.


    My sword arm swung to the left and my falchion bit deep into the unprotected space between his hauberk and his knee guard. With the same motion, I dashed to the left and removed myself from my enemy''s range.


    Jimmy bit back the yelp that began to escape out of his throat. He gritted his teeth and sent a steely-eyed glare below him but I wasn''t there anymore. He jerked his head back at the same time as his glaive came slashing at air.


    He was wrong. I hadn''t been hiding behind him preparing another attack. I knew better than that. His reflexes were too good to allow for consecutive hits. Instead, I was standing a good distance away from him thinking how finally hit him. It was the first solid contact I made in our fight and I felt thrilled.


    There were too many stories about soldiers experiencing an evolution in the heat of battle. I never believed that though. In those moments where death came hurtling at you via sharp-edged swords, who had the time to learn? Apparently, I did. This was more obvious to me now because I''d already deactivated Fool''s Insight and I was doing even better than when I had it turned on.


    Wait, why did I do something as dumb as to sheathe my greatest skill? Because the stinging of my eyes was killing me, and I knew better than to overuse the power and leave myself vulnerable with blurry vision while a huge battle continued around me.


    Regardless, I was doing pretty well without arcane assistance. The fight had gone long enough that I was finally adapting to my opponent''s unique battle quirk. From his insane physical strength to his cat-like reflexes. Even the way he used his glaive to set up unarmed strikes aimed to disorient me. The guy was good, but I was catching up. In the heat of battle, I was gaining experience and, to coin a gamer term, leveling up.


    Jimmy noticed the smile forming on my face and pointed it out. "Are you one of those bastards who enjoy the pain of others?"


    "O-of course not!" I answered heatedly. "And that''s rich coming from a councilman from uptown!"


    Jimmy looked confused. "What''s wrong with uptown?"


    "N-nothing!" I shook my head. There was no way I could explain to Jimmy that, like the rivalry between Midtown and Southside, Uptown Prep and Midtown High were also at war with each other. At least the kids were. Obviously, this was out of an adult''s ability to fathom. "That wound looks rough. Might want to just give out now."


    I pointed the tip of my sword at his left thigh.


    Jimmy spared a glance down at his wound. He shook his head once before his eyes met mine again.


    "Would you?" he asked in a serious tone.


    "Muds! Why would he do that! He''s got the upper hand now!" Qwipps yelled from somewhere in the crowd surrounding us.


    "Kick his ass, Commander!" Varda piped in. "For Donar!"


    "Slay this fool of a boy, and the rest of his forces we shall thoroughly destroy!" One of Jimmy''s soldiers yelled. Most likely a rhyming hobgoblin.


    More cheering and jeering ensued. It seemed the crowd was enjoying the show.


    "Looks like neither of us will get to back out now, huh, Dean," Jimmy raised his glaive to his side with both hands like a batter readying to swat at an incoming baseball. "I want you to know, your death won''t be in vain."


    In response to Jimmy''s new battle stance, I held my falchion in both hands and extended the tip of the shadowblade forward as if intending to thrust at him. "How do you figure that?"


    "Because I''ll use the momentum of defeating such a capable young officer as fuel for defeating Roger Thors. After which, the renown I earn from this battle and the backing of a victorious Magesong clan will provide me with enough clout to enact policies that will prove favorable to our city, he explained.


    "What kind of policies?" I pressed.


    Jimmy''s eyes scrutinized me for a few seconds before he responded. "The kind that can help kids like you from winding up in a place like the Fayne¡­"


    His words struck home. I hadn''t forgotten the months of anguish my family underwent after Luca''s disappearance. I hadn''t forgotten my frustrations at the local police force, at the system itself for failing us in our time of need. If he had a plan to make that scenario less likely to happen then wasn''t it my obligation as once of Starlight''s citizens to help him?


    I shook my head repeatedly.


    No. That line of thinking suggested my own path was a mistake. But I couldn''t believe the sacrifices we''d made so far were all in vain.


    "Is that really how it works? You do a lot of bad so you can do a little good?" I asked, my voice lowering to almost a whisper.


    Jimmy sighed. "It shouldn''t be¡­ but you''ve seen how much fairies influence human lives¡­ It is only with their cooperation can we achieve more for ourselves and others."


    "What if the opposite were true?" I raised my eyes to his. "What if humans could influence fairies enough to stop them from taking advantage of Mudgard?"


    Jimmy''s brow furrowed. "That''s impossible. Humans are a resource to the Fay. They wouldn''t give us up unless¡ª"


    "¡ªunless someone with a high enough authority made it so," I reasoned.


    I saw the light appear in the back of Jimmy''s eyes, and I could swear a lightbulb had turned on inside his head. After an agonizing moment of contemplation, Jimmy laughed.


    "So, you want to play kingmaker?" he clarified.


    I nodded. "It''s the only real way to save humans from the abuses of the Fayne."


    In my mind, I wondered how long it''s been since I thought of saving more than just Luca. Although he was still the priority, my many interactions with the many humans like Ashley Johnson and Connor McCord have led me to think that I wanted to help them too.


    "It''s a good dream¡­ Sadly, that''s all it is." Jimmy shook his head. "How many people do you think have attempted it? Hell, how many hundreds of years have passed since there was a monarch on the empty throne? No¡­ it is impossible."


    "It''s not. Not if we get the right fairy on the throne," I insisted.


    "That''s just it. There isn''t anyone right for the throne," Jimmy countered. "there aren''t any good fairies, Dean. Don''t be fooled. They''re all selfish creatures who are just taking advantage of us. Why shouldn''t we do the same?"


    I glanced toward Aura who was at the front of the encirclement on my left. The encouraging smile she sent back at me and the promise that bound us together was all I needed to disprove Jimmy''s words. Not all fairies were evil.


    Jimmy saw the exchange between me and Aura, and he knew I disagreed with him.


    "You fool," he whispered. Then his voice turned grave. "Very well. Defeat me and earn enough glory in this battle to start you on your path to kingmaking... or I kill you and earn political points to create a better life for the citizens of Starlight."


    Jimmy''s eyes narrowed. His muscles tensed. He gripped tighter on the polearm of his glaive. It was obvious that he was about to strike.


    "I wonder, which of us has the right of it. Even more, I wonder which of us will have the chance to continue on our chosen path," he said with a tone that suggested the conversation was over. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    However, being the rebellious kid that I was, I insisted on having the final word, "Let''s find out."


    I mustered my resolve. Then I gripped tightly on my falchion.


    In the next instant, we both charged. We both knew it was time to draw the curtains on this duel.

 71 A Knights Tale Part 1

    People say a person''s life flashes before their eyes in those moments right before death. If this was true, then I was in for a world of hurt as my life, short as it was, had suddenly appeared in my mind''s eye like a picture book unfolding to reveal my early struggles in the Fayne.


    When did these flashbacks appear? Well, it was in those few seconds where my feet carried me toward the general who might cause my doom. Perhaps. The matter of my death wasn''t clear yet.


    But in those milliseconds between each step, in that exact moment my eyes widened at the sight of fire bursting out of the shadowblade of Jimmy''s glaive, I felt my mind get whisked away into an early memory. I was sent back to that moment when I first arrived in the Fayne.


    Yes, it was the fire that caused it. And no, I wasn''t afraid of fire. Spontaneous combustion aside, fire sprouting out of weapons is perfectly common in the Fayne. If one was a magician. For warriors though, I''ve probably seen it happen only once. And that was why my mind recalled that event.


    Aura''s kiss on my forehead sent me hurtling up to the sky, and once I was past that watery ceiling, I was sent plunging back down just as quickly. Since this was my very first experience traveling to another world, it wasn''t hard to imagine that I was screaming my lungs out. It also wasn''t hard to figure out that my landing wasn''t as graceful as the times I''ve already mentioned.


    I remembered lying on soft earth with the scent of wet grass climbing up my nose. I remembered how my body aching all over. And my eyes turned to an unfamiliar night sky full of stars that were just too bright. But these twinkling lights were nothing compared to the pale sun shining above me. It was a sight that made my head spin.


    "Why was the sun out at night?" I wondered.


    "It''s not the sun," a voice whispered.


    It was unlike any voice I had ever heard. Soft, yet at the same time, was hard as steel. Like even stating a simple thing required a kind of resolve.


    But before I could search for the owner of the voice, a giant pair of hands lifted me to my feet almost effortlessly, and my eyes were forced to stare up at a creature that could have only come from my worst nightmares.


    Yep, it was my first time staring into the frightening mug of Aura''s bodyguard. And meeting Edo was simply an appetizer.


    As my eyes darted left and right, I found myself staring at a group of strangers that might have been extras in a Lord of the Rings movie.


    Behind Edo stood four people. The one furthest left was a silver, curly-haired child-like creature in a midnight blue robe I would later know as Orryn Timbers, the Chancellor of the Moon. To Orryn''s right was my new partner, Aurana, resplendent in her sleeveless midnight blue dress. To Aurana''s right was a hooded man sitting on a simple wooden chair.


    Even with a horned Edo holding me up, the hooded man''s appearance still struck me as the strangest. He wore a robe similar to Orryn''s, but the fur-lined cape draped across his shoulders made him seem more regal. It was his bandaged hands and masked face, however, that really caught my attention. They gave off the appearance of a sickly man. Perhaps even a dying one.


    I wasn''t sure if it was because I stared at him for too long or if there was a bad expression on my face, but the fairy to the right of the man¡ªa braided black-haired fairy with pointy ears like Aura''s¡ªjumped into my line of view with narrowed eyes and a scowl on its face.


    This individual drew its sword from the scabbard strapped to its belt and pointed the blade''s charged edge in my direction. It spoke words I couldn''t understand, and in the next instant, orange flames burst out of the blade, coating it in a fiery mantle.


    The fairy would have slashed at me too if Aura''s brother hadn''t commanded it to stop.


    Ironically enough, it was his sister''s urgent warning that pulled me out of the past and back into the present just as I''d stepped into Jimmy''s range. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Fire blazed before me as Jimmy''s glaive cut a wide arc between us.


    My mind¡ªstill partly jarred from my recent flashback¡ªalmost didn''t have enough wits back to block. Almost. Luckily, my reflex was often faster on the uptake, and my sword arm swung forward to meet the burning glaive head.


    Sparks were literally flying as our shadowblades met. Heat grazed my face in that instant our blades momentarily locked. Then the parry. There was a momentary respite as we each pulled our weapons back. It didn''t last more than a second. The second clash of shadowblades. Then a third. But it was only after a fourth unsuccessful attack that Jimmy returned to his talkative mode.


    "You''re really something else, Dean," he said in an impressed tone. "You weren''t this good when we started."


    "Same to you¡­" I answered in a huff. Unlike the smiling Jimmy, I was slightly winded from the earlier encounter. "Is that your fairy gift? You can set things on fire?"


    Jimmy raised an eyebrow at me. Then, realizing that I was serious, he guffawed. This was immediately followed by a downward slash of his glaive.


    Not only was it fast, but the weight of his attack drove my feet half an inch into the earth as I blocked it with my falchion.


    "Since you''re doing so well, I''ll tell you a little secret," Jimmy''s laughter hadn''t died down yet. "Ranked Magesong viseres don''t have fairy gifts¡­ it''s the equivalent trade to becoming unkillable."


    My eyes widened at this revelation. "The children''s binding curse!"


    Jimmy raised his glaive in a flash and just as quickly slashed it down. I barely had enough time to parry it and then take a step away from him.


    He didn''t let up. He thrust his glaive at me.


    While he attacked, he also found time to say, "I''d heard a report that a young commander from the Trickster Pavilion stole the clan''s precious blood sacrifices. I assume that was you?"


    I sent my sword arm swinging down so that my falchion could block the thrust. It worked.


    "Yeah, my unit is responsible for ending the Magesong''s crazy blood ritual!" I said proudly.


    With his glaive swooshing harmlessly past me, I took the initiative and stepped in for the killing stroke. But I''d seen it enough times to know an unarmed strike was coming my way.


    Sure enough, a palm strike aimed at my chest came hurtling at me.


    "Then I should thank you!" He yelled. "I hated having that kind of despicable trump card weighing on my honor!"


    His hand was inches away. But I came prepared.


    While my sword arm stayed at the ready, my other arm, the one I''d just hidden in my back as it gripped tightly on my dagger''s handle, whipped out in a rush. I slashed at Jimmy''s incoming hand and drew blood.


    But the crazy bastard, despite the blood pouring down his palm, continued his thrust toward me. Thankfully, the trajectory of his strike had been disrupted by my counter, and instead of the attack on my chest that would have left me even more winded, he''d simply managed to smash into my left shoulder.


    "Argh!" I hissed.


    I felt the pain lance up and down my arm. I felt the shoulder pop out of place. Quickly followed by the weakening of my arm which consequently forced me to drop my dagger.


    However, I wasn''t out of the fight yet. And just like Jimmy''s mad attack, I too pushed through the pain with gritted teeth, and with a quick snap of my sword arm, sent my falchion up his right arm.


    Usually, hauberk-type armor had long sleeves fashioned out of chain mail. Jimmy''s hauberk armor, however, was short-sleeved. This meant there was bare flesh between his arm gauntlets and his shoulder guards. His arms were beefy for sure, and under normal circumstances or against a regular shadowblade, he might have had enough muscle to keep a wound shallow. But my falchion''s shadowblade was special.


    Imagine a chain-saw meeting an unprotected limb. That''s all the visual anyone really needs.


    The blood spraying out of the deep gash I''d cut into his upper arm washed over my face and gear.


    I could smell the metallic scent of blood so close to me. And if anyone could believe it, this scent was all it took to send my mind back to the moment I''d met Auranos Trickhaven.


    After Aura''s brother stopped his knight from turning me into roasted shish kabob, he''d asked me to come closer.


    I probably wouldn''t have out of fear of his protector overreacting again if Aura hadn''t encouraged me with an almost imperceptible nod.


    "So, sister..." Auranos spoke in the softly-spoken voice that failed to hide the hidden vigor in him. "Introduce me to your new errant knight."

 72 A Knights Tale Part 2

    Aura pointed a pale and delicate finger at me. "This is Dean Dapper. The older brother of Luca. The new, um, indentured soldier Chancellor Kairon recently acquired."


    Clearly, Aura wasn''t keen on starting things out on a sour note. How unfortunate for her that there was no nice way to say, slave.


    As expected, the atmosphere quickly darkened. It surprised me because I didn''t expect any of them to look even remotely embarrassed by what they''d done to my brother.


    Take note that I wasn''t aware who the heck Kairon was at this point and just thought they were all kidnapping bastards. I was overwhelmed with fury when this whole fairy problem began. Not that any of that feeling has really gone away since.


    Eventually, it was Orryn who broke the ice. And believe me, I was very surprised by how the child-like creature spoke in such an authoritative voice. Not something you''d expect from someone who appeared like he was just nine or ten years old.


    "If he''s the brother of the child we took then how exactly are we supposed to trust him?" Orryn pointedly asked Aurana. "Can he even be loyal to us after what the clan has done to his family?"


    "He and I have¡ª"


    "¡ªhe can speak for himself, thanks," I growled.


    I wasn''t entirely sure why I was being combative. Possibly I just wanted to vent now that I was face to face with Luca''s kidnappers.


    "Aurana''s filled me in on your problem. I''ll help as long as she keeps her end of the deal," I answered quickly.


    "Her end of the deal?" Orryn looked from me to Aura. His gaze finally resting on her quickly paling face. "Princess¡­ tell me you didn''t contract with a human?"


    "A-and why can''t I, Chancellor?" Aura asked while looking flustered.


    "Because you''re the sister of the patriarch! You have your position to consider before invoking the Rule of Equivalent Trade with some random boy," he lectured.


    In other circumstances, it would have been hilarious to watch a child lecture the very pretty she-elf. Unfortunately, I was in a testy mood.


    "Look, kid¡ª"


    "I beg your pardon?" Orryn looked mortified. "I am not a kid¡­" Orryn puffed his chest when he continued with, "I am Orryn Timbers, Chancellor of the Sun and chief advisor to the Patriarch!"


    "I don''t know what any of those titles mean," I pointed out.


    I''d like to think that this first verbal spat between us wasn''t the reason Orryn isn''t very fond of me. Maybe it was. But I clearly remember Aura suppressing the laughter from bursting out of her. She was clearly enjoying the situation.


    Things would have escalated for the worse for sure if Auranos hadn''t stepped in himself.


    "It is alright, Orryn," Auranos breathed. "I knew and approved of my sister''s intentions when she left for Mudgard."


    Orryn bowed his head reverently. "As you wish, Patriarch."


    With his head still bowed, Orryn sent me a scowl that was reminiscent of a teacher warning a student not to cause any more trouble.


    Auranos turned the deep blue eyes hiding behind his golden mask on me next.


    "Tell me, Dean Dapper¡­ can you be the strength my sister requires?" he asked.


    Despite the softness of his voice, I couldn''t help feel intimidated by the fairy who''d spoken. It might have been his eyes. The way they didn''t falter or blink when he gazed at me.


    My eyes were dry because I couldn''t blink. I had the impression that blinking meant I would lose.


    "Y-yes¡­" I squeaked. Sighing, I took a deep breath and tried again. "Yes, I can. No¡­ I will. If you guys promise to give me back my brother when this is all over."


    "I will honor whatever trade you and my sister made¡­ if you prove to be the asset she claims you can become," Auranos said.


    He raised his hand palm-forward toward me.


    "Come closer," he urged. "I shall give you our Trickster''s Blessing and we shall see what kind of potential is locked inside you."


    There was much more to this story but the weight that pressed against my gut had abruptly ended my flashback. Next thing I knew, I was back in the present and getting pushed kick away from a very injured Jimmy Jonas.


    I tumbled away and rolled on my back until I was able to get upright again five meters away.


    "Dean, are you alright?!" Luca yelled from somewhere in the crowd behind me.


    I sent him the thumbs up, the universal sign for "Sure, I''m okay although I''m feeling bruised all over!"


    "Way to go, Dean!" this time it was Qwipps'' voice rising above the clamor. "Muds! You got him good!"


    Qwipps tended to state the obvious a lot.


    There was a grimace plastered on Jimmy''s face. He was obviously in pain and yet his eyes stared back at me with a clear determination I could never hope to emulate if my right arm was dangling limply at my side like his was. Blood gushed out of the wound that was so deep you could see the broken cleanly cut bone inside it.


    "Not that I''ve never needed it¡­ until this moment but¡­ I guess I shouldn''t have looked down¡­ on that Magesong regeneration trick, huh," he said through gritted teeth. "Still¡­ I''m glad you saved those kids, Dean¡­"


    Guilt racked me then. Jimmy wasn''t a bad guy. Far from it. He might even have been the only good officer in the entire Magesong army.


    "We don''t have to do this anymore¡­" I offered. "Just surrender, Jimmy."


    "I¡­ I can''t do that," he answered with a strained voice. "My reasons for being here are no less important than yours¡­"


    "You can''t wield a glaive with one hand. Definitely not without your dominant hand!" I reasoned.


    But instead of surrendering, Jimmy planted the butt of his glaive on the ground. Although he didn''t lean on it for support. No, the stubborn fool actually stood up straight despite the obvious pain racking his body.


    His eyes glanced up at his glaive''s shadowblade. It was no longer burning. Then his steely-eyed gaze returned to me and I could see the determination in them.


    "Earlier¡­ you asked me if the flames on my glaive were my fairy gift," he reminded me.


    I nodded slowly.


    He grinned. This must have been very difficult to do considering his current state.


    "Good¡­ let me give you a present for injuring me," he said. "As I said, I no longer possess a fairy gift¡­ Spellweaver replaced that with the Curse of the Morrigan on me¡­"


    "The Curse of the¡ª"


    "¡ªthat''s the official name of the binding ritual you saved me from enduring¡­" Blood coated his teeth while he spoke.


    He raised his glaive and slammed it back on the ground. The result was that the flames reignited on its shadowblade.


    "It''s not a fairy gift... just a skill called Augmentare , the power to augment your weapon with elemental attributes¡­ the only way humans can wield the elements like fairies can," Jimmy revealed.


    With one hand, Jimmy raised the glaive''s pole and pointed it at me in a feat of strength that defied his injuries.


    "If you survive¡­ you can ask your General Thors to teach you how to use it," Jimmy''s voice was almost a whisper. "You''ll need it next time you face Azuma¡­"


    Just the mention of my rival brought chills up my spine. I sighed.


    "We really don''t have to do this¡­" Despite my words, I''d renewed my stance. This time, however, I''d opted for the high guard. I raised my falchion above me with both hands. "We really don''t¡­"


    "You''re not a bad kid, Dean Dapper," Jimmy chuckled. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    There was no longer any need for words. No. This was most definitely a time for action.


    In the seconds we each took to muster our full resolve, I recalled the words Auranos gave me as I knelt before him.


    "I am Sh?rleden..." he had said. "And I have chosen you to uphold my will. Be¡ª"


    "¡ªbrave and honorable in your words and deeds," I whispered to myself. "And be fearless in the face of adversity."


    Recalling Auranos'' words filled me with renewed strength.


    "So I bid you to bring forth your hidden strength and wield it for the good of those you serve and those who follow you¡­ Rise, and inspire others to rise as you do," I finished.


    The blessing of the Patriarch, spoken in the belief of the potential that lay inside me, is what brought Fool''s Insight to me. And with it, the power I needed to finish this duel.


    Jimmy, who was kind enough to wait for me to finish my recital, charged, and it was with a heavy heart that I followed him.


    But I gave him no chance to show me what an elementally augmented weapon could do. For in the seconds right before he swung his glaive, I closed my eyes and whispered, "Oh, great fool, let my sight turn deathly cold that I might turn my foes to stone."


    The warmth I often felt from Fool''s Insight had transformed into a great and heavy pressure that I channeled through my eyes to render my opponent as heavy as stone.


    Basilisk''s Eye had done its job well. With Jimmy momentarily paralyzed, I sent all my killing intent into my falchion and using the strengthened shadowblade, pierced through his hauberk. Then I plunged my sword deep into his chest.


    Immediately afterward, the onlookers went wild. Screams of anguish and roars of delight spilled out into the night in equal measure. But just as I was about to shut out all the noise and wallow in my regret, I heard an unbelievable sound¡ªthe roar of one who just wouldn''t die.


    I felt his one lone hand grasp my neck. Felt the fingers tighten on me. And as he began to choke me, I gazed into his eyes¡ªand I just knew that this man, Jimmy Jonas, the Bear Knight, was a man who deserved to be called a general.

 73 A Lesson Before Dying

    For a guy with a hole in his chest and only one good hand remaining, Jimmy''s grip still felt as hard as steel. His grip tightened on my throat, choking the life out of me.


    My first thought was to pull my falchion out of his chest and cut off his hand but I''d lodged the damn thing in too deep. It wouldn''t budge. Not with my ebbing strength giving way.


    Black dots filled my already blurring vision. Using Basilisk''s Eye had pushed me over the limit of using Fool''s Insight, and my sight was already leaving me. It might only be temporary, but it was still a very frightening prospect. Especially now when I still needed my sight.


    "Dean!" Luca yelled.


    The worry in his voice was clear. He wasn''t the only one.


    "Fight back, stupid Commander!" Varda screamed.


    "Muddamit! Is he going to lose?!" Qwipps piped in.


    "You won''t lose after taking us this far?!" Ashley joined.


    "He won''t," Edo said firmly, and as if in answer to Ashley''s question.


    Weirdly enough, the one voice I didn''t hear was the one I wanted to hear. Although I guess she didn''t need to yell out in encouragement. I could feel the warmth from the bracelet she''d given me. Aura, in her own fairy way, was giving me strength.


    A sincere desire to survive had replaced the guilt that racked me at the thought of murdering a good man. With it, came a struggling to break free. My left hand reached up to Jimmy''s arm. My fingers grasped tightly onto his hand, fumbling to find purchase and break his grip.


    But despite my attempts, I couldn''t shake him off. Looming death gave him an inhuman strength that just wouldn''t give.


    My thoughts blurred. My mind swimming between consciousness and unconsciousness.


    "No!" I screamed. I wasn''t giving in.


    The fingers of my sword arm grasped tighter on my falchion''s hilt, readying myself to twist the blade or drive it even further in. Anything to stop the pain burning my throat at that very moment.


    But then the pain suddenly went away. The tightening of my throat ended. Jimmy had stopped choking me.


    My brain, still half in delirium, couldn''t begin to guess what just happened. And as I couldn''t see clearly enough to tell if Jimmy was alive or dead, I suddenly felt defenseless and lost.


    It wasn''t until I heard him whispering in my ear that the fear gripping my chest finally eased a little.


    "You''ve done well, Dean Dapper¡­ You are the victor¡­" His voice was so soft and low that I doubt anyone but I could hear him.


    Jimmy pulled me in close. Or did he lean forward? I wasn''t sure.


    "You''ve slain an enemy general¡­ this will be a good stepping stone for you¡­ to achieve your goal," Jimmy continued. His voice came between raspy breaths. "But with your victory comes new responsibility¡­" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I felt Jimmy''s head rest on my shoulder. Right next to my left ear.


    "You now have the responsibility to keep winning¡­ you cannot lose¡­ For your dreams¡­ and mine¡­" Jimmy coughed. Then he coughed some more. "But I hope you don''t mind if I ask for something selfish¡­"


    Jimmy paused. His breath turned ragged. He was nearly gone.


    "What is it, Jimmy?" I urged him. My own whisper sounded strained to my ears.


    "Find my wife¡­ in Starlight¡­ tell her what happened¡­ tell my family¡­ I love them¡­ I died fighting for something good¡­" he whispered.


    "Jimmy, I¡­" I sighed. "Alright¡­"


    What else could I have said? It was his last will and testament. I couldn''t refuse him.


    "Thank you¡­" Jimmy squeezed tightly on my shoulder. "Now finish it¡­ before my men try to rescue me¡­ spare them if you can¡­"


    I felt hot tears fall trickle down my cheeks. I couldn''t help it. The guilt I experienced when I plunged my shadowblade through his chest was back.


    "I''m sorry," I whispered.


    "It''s okay," he said, his voice sounding firm for the first time in a while. "Finish it."


    I grasped my sword hilt with both hands, and with a strangled cry, I plunged it in deeper. As deep as it would go.


    Jimmy gasped out loud. His body went rigid. Then, like he''d exhaled a long breath, his body slumped against me, lifeless.


    Jimmy Jonas, the Bear Knight, General of the Magesong force''s center army, was dead by my hand.


    What happened next was more or less a blur although I remember bits and pieces of it very clearly despite how tired I felt and despite how my eyes refused to clear.


    Seeing their general defeated, many of the Magesong soldiers encircling our duel began to scream bloody murder and vengeance. It seemed they cared about their leader enough to launch a suicide attack on me.


    But that was exactly what it was, a suicide. For as they charged with their blades held high, not even caring about my own soldiers around them, a counterattack arrived from above.


    Aura''s voice rang loud and clear. "Thom, now!"


    A hail of arrows descended from the sky. Shot from the bows of the drows gliding beneath the clouds. Hidden from view until this exact moment. And as each arrow found its mark, more bodies dropped to the earth.


    Still, our counterattack wasn''t enough. The suicidal soldiers of Jimmy''s center army were desperate to reach me. So desperate, in fact, that they willingly charged into the range of Luca, Edo, and Shaqs. All of whom, had come rushing to protect me while I sat there half-dazed and leaning against a dead man''s body.


    "No, you don''t!" Luca screamed.


    I heard the wind whistle as Luca swung his broadsword straight at the incoming foes. I heard metal cracking at the force of Luca''s swing. Then the pained screams of a soldier whose side must have gushed out a lot of blood after Luca cut into him.


    No, I didn''t see the blood. But I smelled it. The metallic iron scent was widespread around me. But much closer now. Of course, this might have just been Jimmy''s blood I smelled. I wasn''t entirely sure. Too many things were happening at once for me to be certain.


    More screams. More yelling. More death. At one point, I could smell something burning, and I knew immediately that Aura had lit someone or something on fire.


    There was a shuffling of feet, and a second later, I found myself surrounded by a much smaller encirclement of soldiers. I saw the backs of their padded midnight blue vests clearly enough. Closest to me was the back of the white dress of a shieldmaiden.


    "Raise shields!" Ashley yelled. "Protect the Commander!"


    Despite the numbness overwhelming me, I felt my lips twitch into a smile. It was the first time I heard Ashley call me Commander.


    However, my smile quickly turned upside down as the surrounding battle grew in intensity. It was as if the death of their leader had caused the dam on their restraint to break and the Magesong soldiers were hellbent on making sure the Foolhardies commander followed their general to the grave. That, in my honest opinion, was a terrible proposition for me.


    As if things couldn''t get any worse, an even large commotion ensued.


    I heard the thundering of hooves as riders charged into the melee of soldiers surrounding me and my shield guard. Even with the low visibility, I saw the blurry outline of swifthart mounts and armored riders.


    They kicked up a tiny dust storm too. Some of which found its way to my open mouth. And I coughed hard as the coarse earthy flavor overwhelmed my tastebuds.


    Once the dust had subsided and the fighting gave way to the threat of new arrivals, I heard a man order Ashley to step aside. The fact that she followed his order made me hopeful that the danger was most likely over.


    "Are you still alive, Dean?" the voice of General Thors asked me.


    I nodded slowly. "Is it over, sir?"


    "It''s about to be," he answered kindly. "Well done, son."


    General Thors tapped my shoulder lightly. Then he turned around to face the gathered crowd. General Thors raised his sword high.


    "Dean Dapper of the Foolhardies has slain General Jimmy Jonas of the Magesong Clan!" He proclaimed to the heavens.


    The roar of victory that followed might as well have been a continuous pouring of thunders.

 74 Living & Dying

    Defeating the enemy general of the center army was so huge that the remaining Magesong soldiers couldn''t find the strength to regroup and launch a counter against us. And without a worthy opponent to keep him in check, General Thors quickly took the field with our remaining nineteen thousand warriors, winning the center field for the Trickster Pavilion.


    With their forces in the center collapsing, the left and right Magesong armies now had to consider the threat of Thors'' knights and soldiers attacking their flanks. This made continuing the fight a too risky proposition and the enemy Great General wisely chose to signal a retreat. Funnily enough, Great General Darah also ordered a retreat, ending hostilities for the second night of the conflict.


    I imagined her sitting atop her strange winged mount chuckling to herself while she gazed out at the retreating forces on the field below her command hill. There might even have been a satisfied smirk on her face. Maybe.


    As for my unit and the comrades who joined our successful battle against the center army''s command unit, General Thors was kind enough to order us back to the rear so we could care for our wounded.


    No one complained. Not even Qwipps. We all felt like we needed the rest. After all, most of us who''d survived were already half-dead from exhaustion.


    On the way out of the combat zone, my sight finally returned just in time for me to witness the crowd of friendlies surrounding us. I saw Familiar faces who''d once scorned and ridiculed me for my race¡ªas if being human was the worst insult they could think of¡ªnow beaming at me like I was some rockstar about to perform on stage.


    Soldiers, both fairy and human, patted me and my friends on our backs. They praised us for a job well done.


    The Foolhardies had finally done it. We''d made a huge contribution to the war effort that clearly got everyone''s attention. Everyone on our side gave us rave reviews. So why didn''t I feel like celebrating?


    Perhaps it was because our victory cost the Foolhardies and our new allies much. We lost a hundred and thirty-five soldiers in our struggle. Some would say losing only half the unit for a general''s head might have been worth it, but I felt differently. I viewed the loss of life as a massive failure on my part as a strategist and a leader.


    For those of us who survived, many were injured. Perhaps few worse than Luca.


    My younger brother had been stabbed in his left leg during the frenzied attempt of Jimmy''s soldiers to avenge their leader. His wound was deep, requiring more than a minor healing potion to stitch the sinew and flesh back together.


    "I''m alright," Luca insisted while Berrian forced a greater healing potion into his mouth. "L-look way better than you!" he stammered before the flask of red liquid obscured his face.


    Hearing him brush off his injury made me feel like a worthless big brother. As if learning he was wounded while protecting me didn''t already make me feel like I was crap. I wish he was the only one. He wasn''t.


    Among the seriously injured were Shaqs, Pike, Ashley, more than half her shield squad, and a few of Xanthor''s centaur warriors. Donar hadn''t even woken up from the thrashing Jimmy had given him, and Qwipps¡ªwell, Qwipps was being Qwipps and complaining loudly to no one in particular about the most nonsensical things like how he wanted a bath and how Varda''s face got ugly.


    Varda, the dwarf in question, hadn''t suddenly lost her good looks. She was just sporting a bloody nose. Although she was grinning happily at me when I asked her if she was okay.


    "Nuthing to wurry ubout, Cummundur," she said in a nasal voice that emphasised her injury. "I''ll bu fuine once U''ve hud u pubble fucial."


    I assumed she meant ''pebble facial,'' a secret spa treatment that Great General Grimthorn once revealed to me was the secret to the beauty of female dwarves.


    As I sat on the white cot they had assigned me to in the triage area at the back of the frontline, I observed the Foolhardies who weren''t as badly injured as most. Particularly, Thom and Edo.


    Thom and Edo looked relatively unharmed apart from the new gashes along the surface of their armor. They seemed deep in conversation with Xanthor who himself was sporting a bandage over his forehead. It didn''t take me much concentration to hear what they were discussing as they were loud enough to be heard for miles away. The idiots were actually comparing battle stats.


    "Forty-two confirmed kills," Edo said proudly.


    His chest puffed out like a gorilla''s does when it''s trying to intimidate someone.


    Thom, always the smooth one, gave Edo three slow claps of the mocking variety.


    "Impressive," Thom had transitioned from pity claps to inspecting his fingernails. He looked anything but impressed. "Forty-four kills."


    The nonchalant way he boasted about getting more points clearly got under Edo''s skin. That was obvious in the furrowing of his brow and in the narrowing of his eyes.


    "I lost my glaive during the battle and had to rip out a troll''s esophagus out of his throat with my bare hands," Edo boasted.


    "You''re proud of losing your weapon in the middle of a war?" Thom arched an eyebrow as if to ask Edo if he wasn''t actually an idiot.


    Edo raised a massive fist and squeezed it tight. "I ripped through a troll''s thick hide with just my grip."


    Xanthor, who was a quiet spectator in their pissing contest, was wise enough to "Oo~~oh" and "Aa~~ah" at all the right moments.


    "I had a single arrow left while I faced off against two desperate elves," Thom raised his hand in the shape of a gun. Then he blew on the tip of his forefinger. "I killed them both with that one arrow."


    Edo''s scowl deepened. "How in mud''s sake could you even make that shot?"


    Thom raised his hands and mimed firing an imaginary bow. "Fired it at just the right angle to shoot one through the neck. Arrow passed through his jugular and hit the she-elf behind him in her right eye. Instant death for them both, I''m afraid."


    While Xanthor clapped in amazement, Edo blew air out of his nose in a disbelieving grunt just like a bull might have done.


    "Leprechaun for your thoughts?" whispered a honeyed voice that, thankfully, distracted me away from the inconsiderate fairies boasting their battle prowess while surrounded by their wounded teammates.


    My gaze shifted to Aura''s hooded face, who despite the glaring crack on her golden half mask, seemed to me as radiant as ever.


    "Berrian fixed you up yet?" I asked.


    Aura shook her head. "More people need aid than I do... may I sit?"


    I moved over to give her room on my cot, and I watched as it took her some effort to sit beside me. Her hand rested lightly on her side in support.


    "You''re not okay..." I realized.


    "It''s just a bruise, Dean," Aura assured me. "Unfortunately, I found myself on the other end of a troll''s fist... Edo was furious. Tore the troll''s esophagus out of its throat... it was very disturbing to watch¡­"


    As I watched Aura shudder visibly, I couldn''t help but experience a tightening in my chest. And not even the verification that Edo''s boasting was actually true could stop me from feeling sad. My foolhardy plan had put her in danger. Enough to make Edo go a little berserk to defend her.


    "A-aura¡­ I¡ª"


    "¡ªyou have nothing to apologize for, Dean," she interrupted. Her face was stern. Her eyes were like the blue sky before the storm arrived. "We all chose to follow you despite the risks¡­ and I watched you defeat someone who by all rights should have been stronger than you in every way¡ª"


    "B-but I¡ª"


    "¡ªYou made us all proud, Dean!" Aura''s emotions burst out of her, and for a second, I thought that her golden hair had flared into flames. "So don''t wallow in your regret any longer. It''s a disservice to those who fought and died so we could succeed in our mission."


    It was a while before I spoke again. After all, she had a good point. Everyone made their own choice, and regardless of how dangerous the mission was, they still followed.


    "Thanks," I said.


    My voice was barely more than a whisper.


    "That''s not the only thing making you sad, is it?" she asked concernedly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    It took another few minutes for me to explain why I felt the way I did. It really wasn''t just the loss of my soldiers. It was also the guilt I felt for killing a good man. Someone who could have, maybe in a few years, helped steer both the Magesong clan and Starlight city onto a better path if he was given the chance. But he wasn''t. I snuffed his light before it could truly shine. And I even broke my rule about not killing humans.


    "Then fight for him as well," Aura stated like it was the easiest thing in the world to do. "If you believed in his cause, then just make it your own."


    "Are you serious?" I looked skeptically at her. "You realize his goals weren''t any smaller than ours, right?"


    "So?" she shrugged. "It''s not like our task will get any less difficult, Dean. We''re already aiming for the very top, aren''t we?"


    Hearing her declaration, for the first time, I thought that Aura was a little too greedy. A little too selfless. Maybe even a little crazy. The thought, strangely enough, didn''t bother me. Just made me smile. I didn''t mind a bit of imperfection in an almost perfect girl.


    "Alright, princess, let''s¡ª"


    "¡ªDean!" Qwipps yelled.


    I watched him saunter over to us with a skip in his step.


    "W-what?" I asked while feeling annoyed at how he ruined our moment.


    "Great General Darah wants to see you two," he said happily.


    "W-why would that make you happy? There''s nothing happy about getting summoned by her, you know," I insisted.


    "Well, I think she''s about to reward you," he grinned. "Don''t forget the rest of us when you split the spoils, alright? By my count, we bagged eight officer heads. Including that of a general!"

 75 A Sense of Guil

    It was the day after our victory over the Magesong army that I found myself staring up at a large red brick house with a well-kept front yard that wouldn''t lose to the flower gardens I''d seen in the Fayne.


    A honeyed scent floated up to my nose while I stood at the edge of the garden''s threshold and I assumed they''d come from the yellow tulips blooming beautifully atop healthy green flower bushes.


    Yet even this pleasant fragrance couldn''t make me feel any less anxious.


    A delicate hand grasped my right hand. Our fingers intertwined momentarily. Then came the warmth that usually arrived whenever Aura wanted to encourage me. It was like a very pleasant shot of adrenaline.


    "You didn''t have to come, you know," I said.


    "We''re partners, Dean¡­ your burdens are my burdens," Aura insisted.


    I turned away from her and did my best to hide the redness rising up my cheeks.


    All too soon, Aura let go of my hand. Only the warmth she''d sent me remained.


    "Are you going to be okay though, Aura?" Ty asked.


    He was standing on my right and looking worriedly at Aura''s hooded face.


    Aura sent him a dazzling smile that made Ty blink in a way similar to when he accidentally looks up at the sun.


    "I''ll be fine, Ty. Thanks for the concern," she said.


    "Here I thought fairies could only come out at night," Arah commented.


    She was standing on Aura''s other side and was also staring into Aura''s hooded face.


    Aura turned to Arah and answered the unasked question on her face, "Although it''s true that some types of fairies can''t stand the sun¡ª"


    "¡ªlike trolls and drow, you mean?" Arah interrupted.


    Aura nodded. "Drows are physically weakened by the sun''s energies while some trolls have such a high sensitivity to the sun''s rays that they turn themselves into stone as a defensive measure."


    "Wait¡­" Ty raised his hand like a student in class looking for clarification. "Trolls can turn themselves into stone?"


    "Cave trolls can, and only in the worst types of scenarios. As you can imagine, becoming stone for a full day can make one vulnerable to other outside influences," Aura explained. "In fact, I once heard a story of a human tricking a troll to turn itself into stone only so the human could shatter it into pieces afterward."


    "Humans feature a lot in fairy folk tales?" Arah asked, her eyebrow rising as she did.


    Aura nodded. "Mostly bad ones where humans trick fairies¡­ you guys are the villains in our stories."


    My friends gave each other dubious looks, and then all three of them laughed.


    "You guys sound like you''re having fun," I interrupted.


    I didn''t mean to sound annoyed. It was just that their laughter felt out-of-place given the nature of our reason for standing there. Also, their laughter reminded me of the insensitive scolding Darah gave me the previous night.


    "We taught you better than to feel pity over your opponent''s circumstance!" she''d said this after I told her I didn''t feel like I deserved a reward for what I''d done.


    This happened right after she said I did what she''d expected and nothing more which in Darah-speak was very high praise. Darah then said she was considering rewarding me with a new field promotion. It was then that I told her how uncertain I felt about my actions.


    "Roger, punch this fool for me, will you," she said this right before she punched me in the face herself.


    It wasn''t a full-force attack as that would have probably sent me flying out of her command tent but it was by no means a weak shot. Even now, in the warm sunlight, I could still feel the bruise on my left cheek. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "I didn''t train such a weakling whose resolve would crumble after experiencing one smidge of doubt," Darah kept her fist raised. "Get up! I''ll punch the pity out of you."


    General Thors got between me and the Great General.


    "What our leader is trying to convey to you, Dean, is that not all your enemies will be devils who deserve the edge of your blade. Some, like you, will fight for reasons completely relatable. But this shouldn''t diminish your belief in the path you''ve chosen," Thors explained while holding Darah off with a hand.


    I kept my head down as I had no response. I still couldn''t sort my feelings regarding this. I knew deep down that my chosen path was necessary but it didn''t stop me from feeling the guilt.


    "He''s pouting again, Roger," Darah hissed. "Perhaps I should give him a kick, instead?"


    "I''d refrain from that, General," There was a hint of a smile on Thors'' face when he said this. "Your kicks tend to go into very sensitive locations¡­ wouldn''t want the boy to get scarred like that."


    Darah had said more things and Thors did his best to interpret them in a nicer way. But the gist of it was simple, "cool your head and come back ready to fight or else!"


    I wasn''t sure how I could do that in a single night but I figured one way to do it was to keep the promise I gave Jimmy Jonas, which is why I was standing outside his house searching for the resolve to ring the doorbell.


    To my relief¡ªor maybe it was regret¡ªI didn''t have to as a voice asked from behind me, "What are you kids doing outside my house?"


    Turning around to face the woman who''d just spoken might have been harder than facing off against a dozen hobgoblins. But turn I did.


    The middle-aged woman who owned the house behind me had Asian looks. She had shoulder-length black hair surrounding a beautiful pale face. The painted eyebrows above her slanted eyes were raised in a questioning look. She wore a simple one-piece black dress underneath a grey cardigan. She carried a shopping bag in one hand. Her other hand grasped the hand of a boy of about nine or ten.


    My eyes widened at the sight of the boy as he looked like a carbon copy of his late father.


    Guilt overtook me again, and I found it hard to find the words to speak.


    The boy looked back at me and my friends with mild interest.


    "Who are you guys?" he asked. "Did my dad send you?"


    I could feel my friends look nervously around at each other. No one spoke up. They were all waiting for me to make the move.


    I sighed. "Yeah. Your dad sent me." I looked the kid in the eyes before shifting my gaze toward his mother. "He asked me to pass on a message to his family."

 76 Casualties of War

    "Desmond! No-no-no-no-no~~o!" my mom screamed.


    I remembered the gut-wrenching wailing that followed as well as the river of tears that poured down her doe brown eyes. I remembered watching mom scream her heart out, and after all the emotion spilled out of her, I watched mom go still. Then she was as silent as a grave and it would be months before Luca and I would hear her voice again.


    Eleven-year-old Luca was no better. After the police told us about dad''s accident, he''d yelled and yelled dad''s name until he was hoarse. Then he ran into dad''s study and curled up on his high-back chair until I came in and dragged him out of there an hour later.


    My own tears were streaming down my cheeks while I whispered into Luca''s ear that we needed to be strong for mom. We were the men of the family now. We had to be brave like dad was. It was honestly a bunch of bull I didn''t believe when I said them. Deep down, my heart was breaking just as theirs was and it was only because I was the eldest son that I knew I had to act the part just like dad taught me.


    The night that dad died, my family was so devastated I didn''t think we ever really got over it. Like a wound that wouldn''t heal right. Just scabbed over.


    Why did I suddenly mention this? Because it was way too similar to what was happening now. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I never expected to be placed in a position where I had to inform a young boy that his dad was gone. I never dreamed I would have to tell a wife that her husband was dead. I never thought I would be the one to destroy a family''s happiness like mine did.


    "You have a message from Jimmy?" Mrs. Jonas asked, her face perking up suddenly. "Honestly, is it to tell me he wasn''t coming home tonight because I already knew that."


    She laughed. Her son giggled along with her.


    I think I was going to be sick. I was certain I wanted to barf. I couldn''t do this. I couldn''t turn their smiles upside down.


    Mrs. Jonas must have noticed my inner distress somehow as she gave me a look of concern. "Are you alright, Mr..?"


    "It''s Dean Dapper, ma''am," I blurted.


    "Um, Dean, was it?" Mrs. Jonas'' eyes spent a few moments looking me over. Then her gaze traveled to the rest of my friends. "You''re all awfully young to be part of, um, that place¡­ right?"


    Her eyes glanced down to her son as she said this. Seemingly satisfied that he was still holding onto her arm and wasn''t off to go fight fairies, her attention returned to me. "Well, what did Jimmy want you to pass on?"


    I felt a hand on my back gently nudge me forward. This might have been Aura''s way of telling me to just do it.


    My voice cracked as I spoke. It was as if the guilt of what I''d done scraped against my throat like sharp blades itching to be set free.


    The truth, the whole truth, I couldn''t give them. Not just because telling them I killed him would have been insane, but it was also because no ordinary Mudgardian could know about the dealings of the visere and fay. That was fairy law. All I could do was give them the knowledge that Jimmy Jonas had passed on, and that he had died fighting for what he believed in.


    "H-he was inspiring¡­" I said in a tone that was almost a whisper. "Everyone who saw him thought so."


    I glanced over at Aura''s hooded face and watched her nod in agreement.


    "He showed his quality to all who witnessed his last moments," Aura added.


    Not that any praise we gave him was a comfort to his family. I wasn''t even sure they were still listening after I told them that he died.


    I watched Mrs. Jonas deflate from a cheery housewife into a weeping widow¡ªand it was like having to live with the nightmare of three years ago all over again.


    The tears streamed down her face and dropped onto the asphalt like the first sign of rainfall. Then her shoulders sagged like I had placed a weight over them. Then the shaking started. Followed by the quick and anxious breaths. Mercifully, she was silent in her agony which was the only difference between her and mom.


    "Y-you''re telling me the truth¡­" Her voice was a whisper even tinier than mine. "I can feel it¡­ Jonas is dead¡­"


    She believed me. I wasn''t sure why. Maybe I had conveyed enough emotion and sorrow to convince her of the truth. Somehow, that made things a little easier. Just a little.


    But Mrs'' Jonas'' reaction to the news was the total opposite of her son''s, who unlike her, couldn''t believe the words that spilled out of my mouth.


    He called me a big fat liar, a poser, a faker, a fraud, and promised that his dad was going to beat the shit out of me once he told him what I''d said.


    The boy yanked at his mother''s hand and told her not to believe in my lies. His dad was special, he said. His dad was strong.


    He was right on both counts. Strangely enough, I''d just proved stronger. Although I wasn''t about to boast this to the boy who was now giving me the middle finger. Geez, kids these days.


    "Where is he¡­?" Mrs. Jonas asked. "I need to¡­ I need to bury him¡­"


    That would be a problem as I wasn''t a member of the Magesong clan and didn''t know if they returned fallen viseres to their loved ones on Mudgard. I didn''t even know if the Trickster Pavilion did that too. I prayed inwardly that they did.


    I could only give her an excuse that his body was lost in the battlefield, and that no one could retrieve it right now.


    Finally, the dam broke. Mrs. Jonas wailed, and the sound of it made my heart shudder. She fell to her knees and broke down.


    Her son screamed for us to get the hell out. He shoved at me. Then at Ty who must have been three times his height. The boy was fearless, just like his dad was. I hoped I would never have to see him in the Fayne.


    Aura grabbed my right hand. Arah grabbed the other hand. Together, they pulled me away from the heartbreaking scene of the weeping mother wrapped around her son''s arms while he glared at us. Honestly, if looks could kill.


    Hours later, I sat on the chair beside my mother''s bed while watching her sleep fitfully.


    Ty and Arah were sitting on the couch next to the room''s only window silently eating the chocolate cakes we''d bought from Edward''s Chocolate Bar. We needed comfort food.


    Aura was standing by the window deep in thought. Her hood was down and her golden hair glinted as the sunset touched her pretty face.


    I inwardly scolded myself for my stupid teenage hormones. This wasn''t the time to be thinking of things like that.


    Mom stirred, but she didn''t wake.


    I placed a hand on her head and slowly caressed her red hair. This made her stop fidgeting for some reason.


    "I''m sorry I haven''t been around as much, mom," I whispered. "But I promise you¡­ I''m not slacking off. I''m going to bring Luca home."


    "Dean, it''s time," Aura said.


    "I know," I answered.


    She didn''t really need to remind me as I could already feel the pull of the Fayne calling to me. The sun had dipped low enough.


    I laid back on the couch and looked to my friends. "Will you guys wait until we''re gone before you leave¡­"


    "Of course, we will," Arah answered quickly.


    "Yeah," Ty replied. He looked nervously at the door. "Besides, I''d rather not go out there until the crazy Japanese guy is gone too¡­"


    This comment earned him a smack on the shoulder from Arah.


    "Yow!" Ty hissed. "What did you do that for?"


    "You don''t have to remind Dean about the psycho that wants to kill him¡­ he''s got enough on his plate," she hissed back.


    "Guys," I interrupted before their banter got any louder and woke up my mom. "I am totally cool with being reminded about Azuma. Now, can we table this for when I get back?"


    Both of them looked sheepishly back at me and apologized.


    Next, I turned to Aura and said, "I don''t want to have to face another family ever again."


    She crossed her arms together. "I''m not sure that''s doable. Unless you''re saying you''ll quit¡ª"


    "¡ªNo¡­ I''m saying I understand the problem better now¡­" I said.


    "Problem?" she asked.


    "Fairies take advantage of humans, right?" I asked.


    Aura nodded. "Sure. We can''t help it."


    "Exactly! because no one can tell you not to do it¡­ No one has the authority to stop the different clans from exploiting humanity," I reasoned. "That''s our answer¡ª"


    "¡ªYou''d need enough authority over all the clans to get them to listen," Arah guessed.


    "Wait, doesn''t that mean you must unite all of them under your banner?" Ty added. "But wasn''t that the plan all along? To conquer the empty throne?"


    I beamed at my two friends. They were very quick on the uptake.


    "Yes," I nodded. "But now¡ª"


    "¡ªNow you have a larger goal than just asking for your brother''s freedom and helping my family," Aura surmised.


    I wondered inwardly if I would ever get to finish a sentence again.


    "We''ll unite all the fairy clans under the Trickster Pavilion and get your brother to make the other fairies to stop exploiting humans," I pronounced.


    "That''s going to be difficult, Dean¡­ Why would they give up the resource of human lives," Arah argued.


    "They wouldn''t have to give it up," I reasoned. "Not completely. "But a fairer trade an¡ª"


    "Equivalent trade," Aura finished in an excited tone. "It might be manageable. But only if we make the biggest contributions and show the rest of the Fayne the importance of a mutual partnership."


    "You mean, like the one the two of you have?" Ty considered.


    "We just have to do it like that." I leaned back on my chair and shut my eyes. "Hey, Aura, how are you getting¡ª"


    Believe it or not, no one interrupted me this time. I''d just zoned out just like that as if I was too fatigued to even finish a sentence which certainly wasn''t the case. However, despite my claims, I landed feet first onto the Fayne¡ªinto a scene of total chaos.

 77 The Death of Superman

    The first thing I saw as my feet touched ground onto Fayne soil was devastation.


    My eyes grew wider and wider the more my gaze darted left and right. All around me, there were signs of a recent battle.


    Only last night, this spot, located in a grove of trees below a hill to the rightmost edge of the Darah army''s own command hill, was a campsite we''d set up for the Foolhardies and our new allies. It was fine when I left for Mudgard at dawn. But now, mere hours later, tents were on fire, supplies lay scattered about, and bodies piled up on top of each other.


    My first thought was wondering where Luca was in all this mess. My second thought was relief that Aura had spent the day with me on Mudgard. She wasn''t around for whatever happened here.


    The only reason I didn''t go immediately crazy was that I noticed how many of the bodies weren''t wearing our unit''s midnight blue colors. Many of the dead wore gray armor.


    A popping sound filled the air as more Foolhardies viseres joined me on the ground. Almost immediately, there was a surprised outcry from one of the new arrivals.


    "W-what the hell happened here!" a man yelled in surprise.


    I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alfie Monroe, our unit''s main cook. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Some viseres joined him in voicing out their confusion. Others looked to me after they noticed me standing among them.


    "C-commander¡­ what do we do?" asked a bearded middle-aged man with a scar over his left eye.


    No, it didn''t feel weird at all when adults asked me what to do. I was used to it. And yes, I am being totally sarcastic right now.


    All my viseres were looking at me. Some of them, like Alfie, had frightened looks on their faces. It was kind of disappointing.


    The thought of whipping them up to shape when dealing with crisis was something I had to keep in the back pocket of my mind for now. I had other things I needed to worry about.


    "Look for survivors and gather what rations or equipment you find," I instructed.


    To their credit, the crowd dispersed immediately to follow my commands. This left me some time to consider what kind of disaster occurred while I was back on Mudgard.


    "Could the enemy have launched an attack during the day?" I wondered out loud.


    On my peripheral, I saw a hand shoot out of the rubble to the right. I quickly rushed toward it while yelling, "We''ve got a survivor! Get me a medic!"


    I would have asked for a healer if there were any fairies around but since only humans were presently walking around, a medic would have to suffice. And it just so happened that we had three medics among the viseres.


    I reached the outstretched hand first and held onto it. The drow who owned it looked up at me with bloodshot eyes.


    "Y-you''re late¡­ Commander," Enna whispered through cracked and bloody lips.


    "You''re okay, Enna," I said soothingly. "We''ve got you now."


    Thom''s cousin looked like she''d survived one hell of a scuffle. the deep cuts on her arms and thighs were slightly burned around the edges, telltale signs of a shadowblade''s work. Dark blood continuously trickled down a grievous wound underneath her right breast. It might have caused her death if we hadn''t found her in time. I worried that we were still too late.


    I glanced left and then right, taking note of the six Magesong bodies surrounding Enna. She must have taken them down before she went down.


    "I''m so glad you and your cousin are on our side," I said approvingly


    One of the medics arrived to provide first aid to Enna. Her name was Sasha Grayminster, a twenty-something nurse with long, pink-dyed hair and a constant smile on her pretty face.


    Even after seeing how badly Enna was hurt, Sasha kept on smiling. She even promised Enna that she''d fix her up right away.


    I stepped aside as she set to work, pulling bandages, salves, and ointments out of her workbag¡ªitems she used to provide first aid to the worst of Enna''s wounds.


    Once, I''d asked Sasha why someone like her, who hated fighting enough to refuse to carry a weapon even in a battlefield, came to the Fayne where war was a constant occurrence. She responded with, "I want to help people who can''t be healed by modern medicine¡­ learning from the fairy healers who can even save the critically wounded, well, that''s my dream."


    Watching her work now to save the life of one of our own, I felt my chest grow with pride. Again, I was confronted with proof that not all humans who visit the Fayne are in it for selfish reasons.


    While Sasha continued treating Enna''s wounds, I took the time to ask about what happened to the Foolhardies camp.


    "M-magesong bastards launched¡­ surprise attack¡­ during daylight," Enna explained.


    Enna''s face reddened as she spoke. Her eyes cringed in pain while Sasha continued to work on her.


    "T-they went after¡­ officers¡­ Y-your brother¡­ h-he ¡ª Argh!" Enna howled in pain.


    "Sorry-sorry!" Sasha blurted. "You''ve got a broken arrow shaft imbedded inside you¡­ I have to take it out or the wound will fester," Sasha glanced at me, "Commander, please hold her still."


    The thought that something bad might have happened to Luca made my movements sluggish, but I did as Sasha asked and held onto Enna''s shoulders.


    Sasha offered Enna a piece of rolled-up cloth "Bite down on this¡­"


    Enna bit down on it. She looked up at us and there was fear in her eyes.


    "It''ll be okay," Sasha cooed. She caressed Enna''s cheek. "Ready? On three. One-two¡ª"


    Sasha didn''t wait for three. At two, she plunged her hand into the wound and used her fingers to feel for whatever shrapnel was stuck to Enna''s insides. Obviously, this made Enna scream and scream.


    "Geez, Sasha!" I hissed.


    "Sorry-sorry! Sasha''s hand continued its search inside Enna''s wound. "Almost got it!"


    Enna thrashed underneath me. Her eyes bulged in obvious pain.


    I wasn''t squeamish. I''d seen enough dismembered body parts to feel almost desensitized by excessive gore. But there was just something about seeing Enna look so defenseless that made my insides churn violently, nearly making me puke.


    Enna expelled one final gasp of pain before finally, mercifully, passing out. And as if on cue, Sasha pulled out her hand, bringing with it a charred arrowhead and inch of shaft.


    "I got it!" she said happily.


    "Y-yeah, good job," I managed to say despite my nausea.


    Soon after Sasha finished treating Enna, the bearded visere came to get me.


    "We found him by the command tent¡­" he said solemnly.


    I followed him to the fallen command tent and to the gathering of viseres who''d formed a loose circle around a hulking kneeling form. The closer we got the more certain I was that I knew who the figure was.


    Shaqs, our bashful troll, knelt on the ground while surrounded by a heap of dead Magesong soldiers. The blade of his war ax lay impaled on the chest of the dead troll in front of him.


    I walked closer. The crowd parted to let me through. And it was only then that I noticed that Shaqs'' eyes were closed.


    Alfie was kneeling beside him. Tears streamed down his face. He had a hand resting on Shaqs limp left arm.


    I remembered that the two of them joined the Foolhardies at the same time. Because of this, and Shaqs'' unusual dietary requests of hob meat, the two of them had gotten really close. I even remembered telling them off once for fooling around during training.


    Shaqs had saved my life more than once during this war. In fact, I planned to promote him soon. But I would never get to do that now. There were too many sharp things stabbing into him. A troll''s great sword had even pierced his gut. No doubt, a mortal wound. Possibly the one that finally defeated him. Nothing less could have stopped the bravest troll I''d ever met¡ªa true Superman among Foolhardies. No. I would never get the chance to thank Shaqs for his service. He was already dead.


    Alfie''s sobs raked at my chest like poisoned claws that turned my blood cold. It was heartbreaking to hear.

 78 Missing in Action

    As gently as I could, I pried Shaqs'' fingers from the ax handle they continued to grasp even in death. This wasn''t an easy thing to achieve because a Troll''s grip was as hard as iron clamps. But it was necessary so that the others could easily transport his body away from this place. We left no one behind if we could help it.


    Shaqs'' heroic death wasn''t the only tragedy we had to deal with. In that hour while we searched for survivors, we found many more dead fairy friends. But, mercifully, Luca''s body wasn''t among the dead. Nor any of my other officers. This brought a sense of relief to my strained mind which was already threatening to burst from a combo attack of confusion and grief.


    Sadly, that relief was quickly replaced by guilt¡ªthe guilt of failing my fallen soldiers. I wasn''t even there to fight alongside them. Now, Shaqs and other brave fairies would never get the chance to enjoy the spoils of last night''s victory.


    "Sir, we''ve got movement beyond our perimeter," my bearded visere assistant informed me.


    It took me a second to remember his name. That''s how out of it I was. Jensen. Jensen Padalecki. That was the name of this veteran visere who''d been with the unit since its formation.


    I looked up at the short-cropped dark-haired man with the scar over his left eye and wondered inwardly when exactly he got that scar? There must be an interesting story to it. I''d have to ask him in the future.


    "Friendlies?" I asked.


    "Looks like," Jensen answered. "Although we''re not sure which unit they''re from. They''re wearing our midnight blues." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I nodded. "I''ll go meet them."


    I looked around me and saw that there were more bodies in need of care. This made my eyebrows knot in frustration.


    "I need you guys to finish up here," I insisted. "We have little time before we''re sent back to the front."


    "I''m surprised the fighting hasn''t started yet," Jensen answered. His gaze turned upward, toward the horizon beyond the forest we''d set camp in. "It''s like the calm before the storm out there."


    "Yeah," I agreed. "We need to find our people before the battle restarts."


    Speaking of our people. It turns out the ones who''d arrived at the camp were Ashley, Varda, and some members of Ashley''s Shield squad. All of them looked like they''d just survived a rough day. They were covered in new wounds that weren''t there when I left them.


    "It was an ambush," Varda explained after she''d given me the usual salute. "They hit us just as the sun reached its peak like they knew how sunlight weakened some of our team members ."


    Obviously, Varda meant the drow who were extra sensitive to direct sunlight. I gritted my teeth while I thought about this. The enemy would have taken the time to learn about the group that caused so much damage the previous night. They would have known by now that my unit had drow soldiers in our roster.


    "Luca tried to mount a defense¡­ but the enemy was just too well prepared," Ashley added. "They were strong, Dean¡­"


    I frowned. Just hearing that Luca was in danger was enough to make my head spin, but I had to focus. I needed answers.


    She handed me a triangular piece of gray cloth I recognized as a Magesong banner. The symbol in its center was unfamiliar to me¡ªan outward-facing palm with its forefinger and thumb lightly holding onto a thin wand-like blade.


    "Do we know who this belongs to?" I asked.


    Varda answered with, It''s the flag of Dagger Spell¡­ They''re the group you and Lieutenant Aura asked me to look into, Commander."


    My eyes widened as I remembered there was only one squad I asked Varda to research. It was the one belonging to Azuma''s contractor. The fairy who was also one of the enemy''s top strategists.


    "Ardeen Spellweaver''s personal unit attacked us?" I asked surprised.


    Sure, we made a huge contribution in the last battle but I didn''t believe it was enough to make Great General Spellweaver send his son to launch a sneak attack on us.


    "They didn''t just hit us, Dean¡­ They hit all the scattered squads under the Darah center army," Ashley quickly explained.


    If possible, my eyes got even wider. "Did the Darah army just get slapped in the butt while our pants were down?"


    Ashley sighed. "Did you have to say it like that?"


    Honestly, any description I gave out would sound just as stupid. That''s how absurd the whole situation was for me.


    "Fill me in¡­ How many enemies and what were they after?" I asked.


    "A smaller unit than you''d think¡­ only five hundred enemies wrapped in the cover of sunlight," Varda answered.


    "That''s smart¡­ Anything smaller wouldn''t make a dent in our formations¡­ anything bigger would be too noticeable by our patrols," I said. "What was their aim?"


    "Well," Varda looked sidelong at Ashley. Then back to me. "I think we were the target¡­"


    My brows furrowed. "You mean ''we'' as in the unit?"


    Varda shook her head. "No, Commander. I mean us officers." Varda pointed to herself and then to Ashley. "It was an assassination attempt against the center army''s officers."


    Oh my god! I thought. "They''re doing what we did¡­"


    It was a good strategy. Especially now that their own center army was without a leader. Taking out officers like me would cripple our center army enough to give Thors a headache strategizing a plan of attack.


    Ashley nodded. "And they did it better than we did. We slew eight officers. They took out seventeen hundred-man, five-hundred man, and one-thousand man commanders in total."


    My first thought was, "L-luca¡ª"


    "¡ªPike got him out¡­ we think," Ashley answered. "Thanks to Shaqs keeping the enemies busy. Pike got Luca out just before Spellweaver killed him¡­"


    "Yeah, Shaqs charged in before Spellweaver could stab Luca in the chest¡­ It was chaos afterward but I saw Pike fly him out of here," Varda added.


    I looked at Ashley dumbfounded. "I-it was that bad?"


    I never thought I''d see tears in her eyes. It was admirable that those tears never dropped though.


    "Worse. Ours was the first unit they hit¡­ They came from behind like they''d circled the hills to attack our rear¡­" Ashley began.


    "They almost got Thom and Qwipps too," Varda added. "If Luca and Ashley hadn''t stalled long enough for Edo to cut us a path out of there¡­ Well, Thom and Qwipps won''t be getting up anytime soon¡­ But we lost Enna."


    "She''s alive," I patted my dwarven Quartermaster on the shoulder. "We found her and Sasha was able to stabilize her condition."


    Varda breathed a sigh of relief before asking a question I hoped she wouldn''t, "And Shaqs? Is that crazy troll okay too?"


    Both girls'' eyes widened at the sight of my face. I couldn''t hide the sadness written there.


    "He''s the reason my guys and I got out¡­ he held the enemy back on his own," Ashley admitted.


    I gave grief another minute of silence before I continued my questioning.


    "Well done, you two. You made it out alive," I placed a hand on both their shoulders. "I''m assuming the unit''s survivors are all gathered together at our fallback site?"


    The girls gave each other another sidelong glance. I caught the worry appearing on their faces.


    "What is it?" I asked, my voice almost cracking from stress.


    "Well, most of us are there except for the viseres here with you¡­ And Aura arrived earlier too. Told us to come here and get you because we''d left your anchor here, Commander," Varda explained.


    I recalled the obsidian orb half-buried in the dirt beneath my feet when I arrived. It was the first clue I had that something was wrong. Once I had an idea of what had happened, I''d sent Jensen to pick up the orb and store it with the supplies we could still carry out of here.


    "I sense a ''but'' coming," I guessed.


    "But¡­" Varda continued hesitantly. "We haven''t found Luca and Pike¡­ they didn''t make it to the fallback site¡­"

 79 Eagle Eye

    As my eyes closed and darkness enveloped me, the vision of The Fool''s card appeared in my mind''s eye, and not for the first time did I wonder if the other Tarot cards appeared to those who possess the fairy gifts of other clans. Twenty-two major Tarots. Twenty-two major fairy clans. It kind of made sense.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," Immediately after I whispered the magic words, I felt my fairy gift stir.


    Heat concentrated on the surface of my shut eyes like I''d placed my face too close to the fire. And what began as a stinging pain transformed to a familiar warm soothing sensation that told me Fool''s Insight was now active.


    Varda interrupted my concentration with, "Um, Commander, shouldn''t we get to the fallback site now?"


    "I need to find Luca first¡­ the trail is right here," I insisted.


    I opened my eyes and found myself viewing the ground from high up in the clouds. With this birds-eye-view, I surveyed the campsite below me like an eagle searching for its dinner while it soared in the sky.


    A few things caught my notice beneath the foliage of sparse trees. Small fires still dotted the camp of broken tents and dead bodies. Here and there, a group of blue armored soldiers worked tirelessly to pack our stuff and prepare our fallen comrades for our journey out of this deathtrap. But no sign of my brother or the pixie who whisked him away to safety.


    I searched past the grove of trees to the hill above it and back down to circle the surrounding area. I got nothing. My eyes returned to camp hoping to find some small clue as to where they might have gone.


    "Luca!" I hissed between clenched teeth. "Where the hell are you?!"


    As soon as Luca''s name escaped my lips, something interesting happened. The world around me dimmed to a dull gray as if I was viewing it all through slightly dark tinted sunglasses. At least the surroundings did. But the people moving down there, both fairy and human, began to glow in shades of white and blue.


    "W-whoa¡­ what kind of trippy show am I seeing right now?" I asked in surprise.


    I wasn''t expecting the light show. Nor did I understand how it happened. One minute the world was full of color and the next it was like looking at human-shaped stars across a sky of different shades of gray.


    For a quick moment, I''d forgotten my search for my brother and the only thing that mattered was figuring out what new power I''d awakened and how could I use it.


    "Why can''t Fool''s Insight come with a manual," I complained to no one in particular.


    "What?" Ashley asked. "Are you going crazy on us, Dapper?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Jury''s out on that one," I admitted while my mind exploded with questions. Had I gone crazy? Or was this new phenomenon just a new skill I''d awakened in Fool''s Insight? But if so, then how did I awaken it? Did my fight with Jimmy Jonas actually help push me past my current limits? But I didn''t feel any different and it wasn''t like a pop-up window appeared to tell me I leveled up or something! There were just too many questions that didn''t I didn''t have answers. "I might be going slightly crazy¡­"


    "Are you alright, Commander?" Varda asked in a worried tone.


    "I''m about to be," I said confidently.


    What was there to be confident about? Well, I had just noticed a third glowing color in the scene below, and it seemed to be an answer to my unspoken question. It happened the moment I thought of Luca again. A ghostly golden glow, dimmer than the surrounding lights, appeared in the spot where I''d found Shaqs'' body. At first, I thought I was seeing the heroic troll''s actual ghost. But then I watched as the fading glow began to move in a southernly direction, gaining in speed as if it were flying to escape something. The further it got, the brighter the glow seemed to get.


    "That''s no ghost¡­" I said, understanding almost instinctively.


    "Dean, are you going to keep talking to yourself or would you like to fill us in?" Ashley asked in a sharp tone.


    "Sorry¡­ it''s just¡­ I think I found Luca''s trail," I admitted warily even though I was nearly a hundred percent certain I was right. I''d played enough open-world video games to know I was looking at a kind of projection. Maybe even the aura of someone in flight. If so, the surrounding white and blue glow must have been the auras of my fellow Foolhardies.


    "You found a trail?" Ashley''s tone was skeptical and I could just imagine her with her arms crossed while she gave me a raised eyebrow.


    "I think so," I answered. I squinted. "Hold on. I''m going to try something..."


    To prove my point, I zoomed down to where I stood and found my silhouette wrapped in a brilliant white aura that was brighter than everyone around me. To my right, the Ashley-sized avatar was also clad in a white glow. But on my left, Varda''s form was a shiny blue. The fairy members of Ashley''s shield squad were also wrapped in a similar blue glow while all the viseres had auras like mine.


    If I was right and I really was seeing a kind of essence spreading out of our bodies, then the golden glow I''d seen trailing away might have been a faint remnant for someone''s aura. Why it was golden and not white or blue might have been just because I''d placed more importance on that particular aura more than any other. Of course, I might have been wrong. This was mostly guesswork on my part and I didn''t have time to test the theory out. But, somehow, I felt like I was right. Or at least somewhere close to the truth.


    "Commander, we have to move," Varda''s voice sounded urgent.


    There wasn''t any need to wonder why she seemed worried. After all, I could see far more glowing lights now in the far distance. Past the hill our camp had hidden behind and back to last night''s battlefield, tens of thousands of lights were swarming around each other. And where these lights met in the middle, glaring forks of red lightning erupted like thunderclouds during a heavy storm.


    "Red''s the symbol for aggression¡­ the war''s back on¡­" I whispered.


    I turned my gaze away from the bright lights of the battlefield and returned my focus back to the golden trail. The battle didn''t matter to me right now. Only finding Luca did.


    My eyes followed the golden trail as it led past the trees and moved southward, toward the Darah army''s rear line. However, before getting there, it veered right, like whoever the aura belonged to had suddenly changed direction to avoid colliding with something or someone in its path. It continued eastward and up to another hilltop, almost tracing a similar path to the one we''d taken when we''d challenged the Magesong clan''s rear units.


    "It''s like a recording¡­ like the ghost of the past coming to life so I can see it happen," I guessed.


    "The Commander''s saying some really weird things, Ashley," Varda''s voice was half-exasperated and half-impressed, like she wasn''t sure how to feel about me possibly losing my marbles.


    "We might have to drag him out of here¡­ Maybe even knock him out to do it," Ashley said in a slightly amused tone that wasn''t comforting to hear.


    "Shut up, you two," I scolded. "I''m nearly there¡­"


    The longer I followed the golden glow the more it solidified, eventually taking the form of a winged fairy with a bulky distorted form. After following it for a few more seconds, the fairy''s aura split into two. No. It had been more than just one being this whole time. I''d just been confused by the golden glow. Only now I could see a fairy carrying a long limp form in its arms.


    "Luca¡­" My voice was almost a whisper.


    I watched the golden auras, one dimmer than the other, drop in speed until both had crashed into what must have been a body of water¡ªand I recalled that we''d past a stream on our way to the enemy''s rear.


    Then the golden glow faded like dust carried into the wind only to be replaced by a scene of two dwindling auras, one blue and the other white, their lights fading with each breath. Almost instinctively, I knew it meant Luca and Pike were in deep trouble.


    I disengaged Fool''s Insight , and as soon as my vision returned to normal, I stumbled from an onrush of sudden fatigue. Luckily, Ashley caught my shoulder before I toppled over.


    Still feeling faint, I gripped tightly onto her arm, sending her a squeeze of gratitude for the save. After I received a similar squeeze from Ashley, I turned my attention to Varda. "Get all our people here back to the fallback point. Wait for further orders once you get there."


    "B-but the battle¡ª"


    I shook my head and cut her off mid sentence.


    "We''re staying on the bench tonight..." I turned my gaze on Ashley next. "Are you and your squad up for a rescue mission?"


    She grinned almost impishly before saying, "Are you?"


    II felt really faint. In my head, a dozen unanswered questions continued to add pressure to the strain on my mind. Chief among them was this new skill I''d just unlocked. Especially since I knew it must have been one of Fool''s Insight ''s many hidden powers.


    A sudden flashback, a memory of that gray world I''d glimpsed the previous night after I''d stabbed Jimmy.


    If last night''s battles allowed me to unlock this new skill then there was one more thing to thank Jimmy Jonas for. I never would have pushed myself past my limits if I hadn''t fought him to the death. Then again, this newfound skill might have nothing to do with my efforts. Perhaps it was always there waiting to be called. I would need to figure it out. Later. Not now. There was something more important to do.


    "Let''s go save Luca and Pike," I said.

 80 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

    My swifthart bleated contentedly as it felt my hand caress the light green fur on its neck.


    "I''m glad you''re here buddy. I really need your help¡­" I patted its neck softly. This earned me more happy bleating. "I really should think up a name for you¡­ Just as soon as this current crisis is over."


    My swifthart nudged at my cheek with its long nose, and at any other circumstance, I would have enjoyed playing with it.


    Speaking of noses, I once learned on TV that a deer''s nose was even better than a bloodhound''s. Not only could it sense danger just by the scent of predators, but a deer''s brain was devoted to deciphering different smells.


    I looked into my swifthart''s green eyes curiously. "You''re part deer right? Does that mean you can do what deers do too?"


    I hadn''t expected a reply, but the swifthart gave me a series of snorts that sounded to me like it was laughing, as if to say, "Don''t compare me with those primitive Mudgardian copies."


    "I guess I can test that theory out later... just in case my vision from earlier was just some kind of magically induced hallucination," I sighed heavily.


    There were just too many questions I didn''t have answers to. Like what Luca and Pike were running away from, and if they were still breathing.


    "We''re ready to go, Dean," Ashley said from atop her white swifthart. She tightened her grip on her reins. "Let''s get this over with."


    "Yeah, we need to find Luca and Pike as quickly as possible," I replied.


    I climbed up my mount''s new saddle with the help of its stirrups.


    The saddle had a simple elven design similar to that of Western Mudgardian saddles but without having a horn-shaped front and rear. A dark blue blanket lay between the saddle and body with only one strap looping around my swifthart from one side of the saddle to the other.


    Once my butt was comfy on the seat, I glanced over to Varda who was riding shotgun next to the driver''s seat of the lone wagon we''d salvaged from today''s ambush. Jensen sat next to her while holding onto the reins of the brown elkin Ashley and her crew had brought with them.


    "Get everyone to safety, Varda¡­" I glanced over to the covered part of the wagon and wondered if the dead bodies of my fallen comrades were comfortable inside it. Not that it mattered to the dead one way or the other. It was more a matter of principle. I just didn''t want them to feel worse in death. "Make sure they get home¡­"


    Varda nodded with a solemn face. You''d think I''d ask her to transport the empty throne itself.


    "We''ll handle it, Commander," she answered gracefully. "Good luck finding Luca, sir."


    Varda reached out her hand to mine and passed me a sword hilt with a wide guard and a thick round ring for its pommel. It was Luca''s broadsword hilt.


    My eyes widened at the sight of the deep crack that split it from guard to pommel. It meant the mechanism inside was probably damaged.


    "The guys found it underneath Shaqs," Varda said in a quiet tone. "I''m sure it doesn''t mean what we think it means..."


    Wordlessly¡ªbecause I felt like my mind was strained from worrying over Luca¡ªI tightened my hold on the reins of my swifthart and turned away from Varda.


    Ashley followed behind me after I passed her, and together, we led our search party out of the lost campsite.


    Our journey took us through an even denser grove of trees than the one we''d left behind and then up and down two hillsides. But even as our pace kept increasing, no one in my search party complained. After all, we were all riding atop reliable mounts that easily trekked through uneven paths like they were straight roads. Yep, our search for Luca and Pike was much smoother thanks to our swiftharts.


    "You sure we''re going the right way?" Ashley asked after twenty minutes of smooth riding.


    I searched my memory for an answer to her question. It was all I could do as I didn''t want to activate Fool''s Insight and its new skill without further understanding of its drawbacks.


    "Yup¡­ we''re roughly taking the same route Pike did while she carried Princess Luca in her arms," I joked after thinking it through. Not the joke. The joke was easy and helped me not think too hard on that broken sword hilt lying at the bottom of my pack. "They went south through that hill."


    I pointed in front of us, to a narrow path that cut into the center of a small green hill.


    "Isn''t that too out of the way from the rendezvous? Why would they go this way?" Ashley asked skeptically.


    I shrugged. "Looked like they were trying to avoid a collision with something¡­"


    "Look''s like?" Ashley''s voice was even more skeptic now. "How would you know that?"


    Having to explain my newfound power to her would take too much time. Especially since I didn''t really understand it much myself. So I opted for some levity instead.


    "Brotherly intuition?" I offered.


    Of course, this just earned me a withering glare from the shieldmaiden who''d kicked my butt when I first met her.


    I raised both arms in surrender. "Chill. It''s hard to explain but trust me when I say I know where we''re going."


    "I know where we''re going," Ashley repeated my words back at me another twnety minutes later. About the time it took for us to get turned around. "Well, we''re lost, Dapper!"


    I looked back to the path we''d crossed once already.


    "This doesn''t make sense..." I reasoned. "This is around the place were I watched them crash..."


    My eyes darted left and then right but there was no indication of anyone other than us passing through this path which looked like the butt crack of two brown hills.


    "Crack!" I yelled excitedly. "That might work."


    "What might work?" Ashley asked.


    "You''ll see," I said as I got down from my mount.


    I reached into my pack harnessed to the side of my swifthart and pulled out the cracked sword hilt that belonged to Luca. I brought it close to my swifthart''s nose, and only then did I think that this might be a really stupid idea.


    "I hope this works..." I placed the sword hilt as close to my swifthart''s nose without disturbing its personal space. "Can you sniff out Luca''s sweat from this thing, boy?"


    "Seriously? Ashley prodded her swifthart closer to me. "It''s not a dog, you know."


    "Oh ye of little faith," I said while praying to God that Luca''s hands were still clammy like when he was a kid. "Come on, boy. Go find me Luca."


    Thankfully, my swifthart seemed way more intelligent than Qwipps as it caught on quickly to what I wanted. It sniffed at the hilt, eventually grunting excitedly at me as if to say, "I''ve got this. Let''s go!"


    Its obvious excitement infected me with a dose of hope, and I quickly remounted my swifthart in anticipation.


    "Ash, get ready," I said right before I urged my swifthart forward. "Ride, ride, ride!"


    And ride it did. Into the path it went in a speed that would have been normal at an F1 race. The swifthart zigged and zagged along the narrow path without regard for the sharp cliff faces and hanging vines surrounding us on either side.


    Inwardly, I thought about how lucky I was Aura recommended we add saddles to the mounts. Otherwise I might have fallen off by now.


    Suddenly, the swifhart veered right and I watched as the cliff wall on the right loomed ever closer.


    Holy crap! I''m going to die, I thought.


    But it wasn''t the case. What a fantastic beast the swifthart was to notice the alcove hidden behind a heavy curtain of vines that would have been unnoticable to guys like me.


    We crossed into the alcove and into a mud cavern that seemed to be hollowed out of the earth. That''s where my mount decided to stop. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    At the far end, close to the back wall, I could hear the sound of running water.


    I dismounted my swifthart and then unsheathed my falchion just in case I''d stumbled into someplace nasty.


    The shadowblade shot out of the hilt and lent a dim blue light to the creeping darkness around me.


    I heard hoof stomps coming from behind, and then the call for light which was quickly followed by the sound of striking matches, and finished with the scent of burning wood.


    Warm light filtered into the cave from the torch in Ashley''s hand. She nodded to me, and then walked ahead so she could light the way.


    I followed cautiously.


    The sound of running water got louder the further in we went. Eventually, our boots stepped onto a dark and shallow pool.


    "Dean, look over there," Ashley pointed her light toward the middle of the pool where a small bank of sand rose above the water. Lying on top of it, half covered in mud, where two people whose arms wrapped tightly ahainst each other. Like Katniss and Peeta during their first Hunger Games . And though their eyes were closed their chests rose and fell at regular intervals.


    "This is the pool they fell in..." I whispered. "Ashley, we''ve found them."

 81 Touched with Fire

    Finding Luca snuggled next to a sleeping Pike like they were resting on some hidden beach without a problem in the world was exasperating.


    I wanted to yell at them to give me back the hours of anxiety I''d experienced since coming back to the Fayne.


    This irritation was probably why I didn''t hesitate to cross the shallow pool between us¡ªdespite the sensation of cold water clinging to my knees¡ªand stomp up to their tiny island intending to rough them up. But then I saw them covered in wounds and my annoyance immediately evaporated. The cuts and bruises covering their arms and faces reminded me that they''d been running for their lives.


    Waking Luca up with a splash of water to the face would have to be enough. And I won''t lie, it was.


    Luca sputtered to consciousness with wide eyes and a scream on his lips. Then he saw me and the yell of "Wa~~ah" transformed int "D-dean?"


    "What''s up, sleepyhead," I grinned.


    His jerking woke Pike up too. But she hadn''t screamed in fear. Nope. She''d reached inside her vest and pulled out a small shadowblade dagger which sprang to life in her hand. The blade''s charred edge was soaring up to me before halting midway after Pike realized who she was about to attack.


    "Sorry, Commander, I didn''t know it was you," she said in a lyrical accent that reminded me of the Irish peoples of Mudgard.


    "Not a problem, Pike," I said placatingly.


    To my right, I''d watched from the corner of my eye as Ashley drew her shield ready to block the accidental attack. It really was nice to have a shieldmaiden along for these kinds of adventures.


    I dropped to one knee, feeling the wet mud between my fingers as I pulled my brother into a sitting position. I didn''t have the energy to joke about how he stank of earth and dried blood. It wasn''t the time.


    "Let''s get you back in the game." I pulled out a minor healing potion from one of my belt pockets and offered it to Luca. "Bottoms up."


    "T-thanks¡­" Luca took the vial and drank it greedily. He wiped at his mouth after he finished.


    The effects of the healing potion were immediate. Not all of them, but some of his more minor wounds began to close as if the reddened tissues that had been pulled apart were slowly stitching themselves back together.


    Unfortunately, the potion I''d given him wasn''t enough to heal his more serious wounds. There was a large gash across the side of his armor that was already dark with dried blood. His left arm was also sporting a nasty cut that was still trickling blood down to his hand.


    Beside him, Pike only looked slightly better than he did. The potion Ashley gave her had healed more of her injuries. Still, I could see a tear in her left wing. Probably why they''d crashed in this area.


    "What happened, Luca?" I asked. "Why didn''t you make it to the fallback point?"


    Luca grimaced as he leaned forward to speak to me. His wounds were probably still hurting him.


    "They came after us¡­ even with Shaqs and Edo keeping a lot of them at bay¡­ they really wanted to get me," Luca said between quick breaths. "I-I blacked out while we escaped."


    Luca looked sideways at Pike with a grateful expression. His hand reached out for hers. Their fingers locked together.


    "They would have¡­ caught me¡­ if Pike didn''t rescue me," he insisted.


    The short-cropped brown-haired pixie blushed at Luca''s praise. She kept her eyes diverted away from him.


    I rolled my eyes at their obvious display of affections but said nothing. I would store this embarrassing moment for later use when the situation called for some heavy teasing.


    "But you guys escaped the campsite¡­ are you saying they kept pursuing you afterward?" I pressed.


    Instead of Luca, it was Pike who answered in her lyrical accent, "They continued to chase us, me and Luca. We barely lost them when they would appear in front of us suddenly. It was like the Wild Hunt itself was after us."


    Pike glanced up at the cavern''s ceiling.


    "We''re lucky we crashed just outside this place¡­ and I was able to drag Luca inside and hide here," she continued.


    Her eyes focused on the pool of water behind us, and I understood why she looked so grateful. Passing through the running water must have masked their scent. It would have been hard to pick up again unless they had something that belonged to either of the two. You know, something like the broken sword hilt in my pack.


    I remembered the scene I saw with my Eagle Sight, the name I gave Fool''s Insight''s newfound power. Pike with Luca in her arms had changed course to avoid collision with an unseen obstacle.


    "Why would they insist on coming after you, Luca?" Ashley asked.


    Luca pointed to me. "They wanted Dean."


    "T-they wanted me¡­" I repeated. Of course, they would. I caused an upset in last night''s battle. They''d want my head for that. "You''re saying they thought I was you?"


    That was a stretch. Apart from our flaming red hair, Luca and I didn''t really look alike. Me and my fair skin resembled mom too much. Luca with his tanned skin looked more like dad. But I guess our enemies wouldn''t know the difference. After all, Luca was in-charge when Aura and I left for Mudgard.


    Luca shook his head, easily destroying the theory I''d made in my head.


    "They knew I wasn''t you¡­" he insisted. "But they knew who I was too. The brother of the boy touched by fire."


    "Touched by fire?" Ashley and I repeated at almost exactly the same time.


    "That''s what he called you¡­ the boy touched with fire," Luca continued. "He said he wanted to meet you."


    The boy touched by fire¡ªit was an interesting nickname, but what did it mean exactly? Was it because of my flaming red hair or my closeness with Aura who used fire magic? Or was there an entirely different reason? These questions floated at the top of my mind until Ashley''s question disrupted my thoughts.


    "He, who?" Ashley asked, to which I added, "Who is he?"


    Luca shut his eyes as if he were trying to remember something just out of reach from his mind''s eye.


    "A thin elf with long, braided silver hair and a silver mask covering the top part of his face like Aura''s," Luca explained.


    Luca grasped my tightly onto my arm with his free hand. "Dean, this guy¡­ there was something different about him¡­ it made him really intimidating."


    "Was he more like Azuma or Darah?" I asked while pointing out the two people in the Fayne who intimidated me more than any other.


    Luca shook his head again. "N-no¡­ It wasn''t about martial skill or anything like that¡­" Luca''s eyes darted between me and the mud below him. "He made me think of you. That''s how he felt¡­ like you."


    The sound of lapping water and the soft grunting of swiftharts were all the sound you could hear after Luca''s confession. And it was a while before anyone spoke. Thankfully, Pike was more worried about getting Luca to Berrian as quickly as possible rather than stress over a new enemy who Luca claimed felt like me. Whatever that meant.


    "Shouldn''t you provide them with some first-aid?" I asked.


    Ashley shook her head. "I used up all my supplies earlier when I was helping Berrian tend to our wounded."


    "Does he even have enough spells to heal these two?" I pushed.


    She shrugged. "He''s rested enough. Should have regained enough mana for one or two healing spells." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Ashley was the first to move. She gently helped Pike to her feet and half-carried her through the shallow pool and up to her swifthart. Then, after climbing in after her, she ordered her squad to get ready to move out.


    Luca and I spent a few more seconds longer on the mud bar before I helped him to his feet and half-dragged him to my swifthart.


    Luca looked up at my mount''s face. "I-is Jade Shadow okay?"


    He was referring to his own swifthart which he''d already given that cool name to, reminding me once more that he, like dad, was a Star Wars fanatic. I was more of a Marvel guy myself.


    "He''s fine. Saw him back at the fallback location with our other herd," Ashley answered from atop her mount, one hand on the reins and the other wrapped around Pike who sat in front of her. "You can see him as soon as Berrian heals you."


    I helped Luca up to my swifthart and then followed after him. As he was taller than me¡ªand no I didn''t say that out loud¡ªhe was in the back seat.


    "Oh, yeah," I pulled out his broken broadsword''s hilt from my pack and passed it to him. "Found this lying around."


    "Damn¡­ you think Zarz can fix this?" he asked.


    "Sure. A bit of glue and duct tape should fix it right up," I said jokingly.


    Luca sighed. "I don''t suppose you can give me an advance on my salary so I can buy a new one?"


    I laughed lightheartedly. "Dream on, little brother."


    The last thing I did before ordering our search party out of that cavern was to take one last look at the pool in the back, thanking it in my mind for helping my brother out. My next thoughts strayed back to Luca''s story¡ªto the words the enemy used to describe me, "The boy touched by fire."

 82 Clash of Clans

    My eyes surveyed the clash of clans from atop that same hill where I landed on that first night of the war. And everywhere I turned, I saw the ordered chaos of battles between huge armies, as well as the smaller skirmishes that were like pebbles thrown into the surface of a roaring river.


    "You seem pretty discontent with just watching from the sidelines," said a voice that always seemed like honey being poured down my ears.


    I shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it. Your aunt thinks the unit''s too weak to be of any use tonight..."


    I really was irritated by the fact that the Foolhardies were down for the count. Literally. In one night, we''d lost another forty soldiers. Many of whom were with us since the formation of the unit. Guys like Shaqs who we can''t ever replace.


    The thought of my fallen comrades made my forehead crease.


    "Great General Darah is simply looking out for the unit''s wellbeing. She knows how understaffed we are at the moment," Aura insisted.


    The business-like way she explained it made me glance over to my partner-in-crime, wondering if she even felt the loss as much as I did. Seeing the wetness in her beautiful eyes and the frown on her pretty lips, I really had nothing to worry about. Aura wasn''t unfeeling like other fairies were.


    The constant need to remind me that Aura was different from the bastards who stole Luca was always a sore spot for me. It wasn''t like I didn''t trust her. It was more like I was just too prejudiced against the fay. Sure, I enjoyed hanging around Varda and Edo and even Qwipps, but I could never really let go of the hate I felt for fairies¡ªthe creeps who stole my family''s happiness.


    Aura noticed the internal turmoil inside me like I was a mood ring she could easily read. Her hand reached out for my shoulder, and I let her stir my emotions away from annoying stuff like guilt and fear.


    My eyes returned to the battlefield below but my thoughts were far from the fight. "How are Luca and Pike?"


    Aura stood at my side, watching the same scene I saw.


    "Berrian''s done what he can. He spent the rest of his spells as well as half a dozen of our regular healing potions," Aura reported. "He''s ordered them on bedrest for the duration of the night. Perhaps more¡­ We''re lucky you found them when you did."


    I nodded. "Yeah¡­"


    "Dean¡­ about this new power of yours," Aura began hesitantly. "Are you sure it''s safe to use?"


    "I''ve only used it once¡­ and the drawback was a bit more intense the usual stuff," I admitted. "On the bright side, I feel like my capacity to use Fool''s Insight has grown¡­ Maybe I can even use Basilisk''s Eye more than once a night now."


    "And you''ve tested that theory?" Aura asked.


    "Nope. Maybe when we''re done with this crazy war," I said right before glancing sideways at Aura and asking, "Why? Do you know something about Fool''s Insight that I don''t?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Aura shook her head. "No¡­ it''s nothing like that. But you know that Fool''s Insight is special even among fairy gifts, right?"


    "You''re talking about the five senses of insight that your brother told me about?" I confirmed.


    She nodded. "Even my family''s records have no account of just how powerful the five sense gifts are¡­ Your sight, in particular, has proven to be a remarkable asset in battle." Aura gave me a wan smile. "I''m curious to see just how much more you''ll grow with it¡­ but I''m also worried the power might be too much¡­"


    "For a human, you mean?" there was no anger in my voice when I asked this question.


    "N-no¡­ for anyone, really," Aura insisted. Her bright blue eyes gazed intently back at me. "Promise me you''ll let me know if it begins to feel like too much?"


    I patted her lightly on the shoulder. "You''ll be the first to know when I go crazy." I smiled mischievously at her. "I promise."


    Aura laughed in that lyrical laugh that always made me smile back. "You''re already crazy, Dean Dapper. But let''s not go over the edge, okay?"


    Aura wrapped her arms around herself like she''d gotten cold from the passing breeze. Seeing her like that made me feel the chill myself. It was the kind of cold you could feel in your bones.


    I glanced down and picked up the blanket I''d been sitting on before she arrived. Then I dusted it off and draped it across her shoulders.


    "Thanks," she said in a soft voice.


    This, of course, made my face so hot it must have been redder than an apple.


    "The boy touched with fire," she mused. "You must be happy that our enemies consider you a threat enough to have named you."


    I groaned. "Luca told you about that, did he?"


    Seeing the blush on my face only made Aura''s smirk wider. "It suits you."


    I scratched my head. "Y-yeah¡­ I thought so too. Although I''m not sure why they''d call me that."


    Aura patted my red hair with one of her delicate hands. "I could think of a few reasons."


    The sounds of battle disrupted our playful banter, and it forced us to turn our attention back on the battlefield below.


    You could hear their war cries from a mile away. Even the final death rattles of soldiers cursing their opponents as their lives ebbed to nothing. There were also the sounds of a thousand arrows swooshing through the night sky and then falling down with a thud on shields and armor, along with the occasional agonized screaming of a direct hit. But worst by far were the boom-boom of cannon fire and the following elemental explosions that came after their projectiles found their mark.


    Even from the safety of our hilltop, Aura and I pulled back as columns of fire and tidal waves of water erupted against the  Darah army''s formations. And if it wasn''t for the arcane shields cast by our magicians, the devastation of the Magesong clan''s spell cannons would have cut our troops in half.


    "Damn," I raised my arm to shield my sight from the colorful explosions. "Guess whoever took those cannons down didn''t get them all¡­"


    "That was Al Sheridan''s work¡­ he runs an independent unit like us too," Aura answered.


    "Huh," I said as I dropped my arm. My eyebrow rose at the realization that Darah had someone else she relied on to do the dirty jobs. "I''ve never met him."


    "He''s not very sociable. Mostly keeps to himself and his unit," Aura admitted.


    Whatever I was about to say regarding this other independent unit was drowned out by the horns of war blasting all over the three battlefields, signaling that a change in formations was about to begin. The cannon fire and other projectiles stopped as the infantry units of both sides began to charge forward once again.


    If anything, the smaller scale battles were even fiercer than the previous night with all three Darah armies engaged against all three Magesong armies in a brutal melee clash.


    The right and left armies¡ªwhich had held back on all-out war during the previous night¡ªwere now full of scenes similar to ants devouring a piece of food that had fallen to the floor.


    I couldn''t hear the clashing of their shadowblades, but I could somehow feel the bloodlust spreading out of these battlefields. It was as if many of the soldiers fighting down there had forgotten the causes they answered and had become nothing more than beasts seeking the fresh kill. It was insane.


    In contrast to the intensity of last night, the center army seemed content to send their cavalries out to test each other. But Thors at the lead of a thousand strong cavalry was all the difference necessary for our side to prove stronger. The fact that the enemy center army no longer had a general who could match up to him in terms of battle strategy meant the enemy was continuously pushed back.


    "We did that," I whispered, to which Aura responded with, "Yes, we made it possible for the center army to dominate the field tonight."


    "The war might be over sooner than we thought," I joked.


    I regretted it as soon as the words escaped my lips. You never joke about things like that because it''s like you''re inviting karma to screw shit up for you. And it did, big time.


    Another war horn sounded behind the Magesong center army. The unfurling of banners followed. And just like that, the center army had the reinforcements it needed to stand their ground.


    My eyes scanned the flag flying high in the air. It was a gray flag with the symbol of an outward-facing palm, its two fingers holding lightly onto a thin wand-like blade.


    The enemy raised a second banner beside the first. This one was a white flag with a black wand at its center.


    I scowled. "Hey, Aura, can you call Nike over? I need her to send my message to the McCord brothers."

 83 Something to Talk Abou

    The smell of cooked beef wafted out of the cheeseburger on my plate, making my mouth water out of hunger. It was a sour reminder that I hadn''t eaten since the previous night. But how could I eat when I didn''t have the appetite for it? Not after watching yesterday''s battle.


    I picked up the burger with both hands and took as big a bite as I could manage. The taste of cheese and tomatoes tickled my tongue long enough for my teeth to grind into the meat. Ed''s special sauce dripped out of the beef, and I savored the taste of burger in my mouth while wondering if I should ask Alfie to make some for my fairy teammates. Bet we''d make a killing in Broken Sellsword''s canyon if we sold these.


    "Man, Ed''s Special Cheeseburger really hits the spot, doesn''t it?" I asked to the two kids staring at me from the other side of the table.


    "Don''t you have school?" Collin asked.


    "Yeah, aren''t you like, twelve, or something?" Connor added.


    Both brothers gave each other a high five like their jab at my height was the best they could manage. Lucky for them that they didn''t actually mention my height. I would hate to beat them to a pulp here on Mudgard like I did in the Fayne.


    "Hilarious," I hissed before the second bite of burger.


    "So¡­ why are we here, Dean?" Collin looked nervously around. He was obviously making sure no one was eavesdropping or looking at him funny. Not that the baseball caps and sunglasses they both wore didn''t make them look shady enough already. "Why''re we in enemy territory?"


    Collin was referring to how Edward''s Chocolate Bar was a Midtown High hangout. Southies usually went to Gabe''s Pizzeria down in Piccadilly Boulevard. Good pizza, awful crowd.


    Connor, who I just realized had lighter shade of brown hair than Collin, looked equally stressed. I didn''t think they''d be that worried over hanging out in a rival school''s favorite diner. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Chill, boys. No one here right now. Everyone else is in school," I said.


    Being an honor student myself, I disliked skipping classes, but I had no choice. This meeting was far more urgent than another Monday going through Trigonometry and Advanced Physics. Yup, I was taking advanced classes. I was a nerd among nerds.


    "Glad my Sprite got you my message last night," I said appreciatively.


    "She didn''t give us much of a choice," Collin sighed.


    "Likes to bite, that one," Connor added.


    Collin patted his brother sympathetically on the shoulder before looking over to me and asking, So, why did you call us here? I''m sure it wasn''t just so your sprite could attack us¡­"


    My hand reached out for the Salted Caramel Milkshake to the right of my plate. My fingers grasped the cold glass and lifted it up to my face. I made sure the sipping sound I made as I slurped up the last dregs of milkshake was as loud as I could make them just so I could annoy the boys a bit.


    Collin sighed. His brother covered his ears. Irritation tactics succeeded fifty percent then.


    When I finished with my drink, I put it down and leaned in so the brothers could hear me whisper. "The fact that you guys are okay means no one suspected that you changed sides, right?"


    "Since you forced us to change sides, you mean," Connor rebutted.


    "No one suspects," Collin said placatingly after he''d given his brother a warning look.


    "Good," I said confidently. "I''m going to need you to deliver your end of our agreement sooner than I thought."


    The brothers looked warily at each other. Collin was the first to speak up. "We don''t know much¡­ like I said before, our unit''s just on loan to the Magesong army."


    "That''s fine," I waved off his concern. "I want to know more about the Black Wand you guys are part of."


    The brothers gave each other another wary look, and I wished they''d stop doing it.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t I free you from their Silence Curse already?" I asked.


    "It''s not that simple," Collin insisted.


    "If we tell you what we know and they find out, they''ll kill us," Connor added.


    "Who''s going to find out?" I asked baffled. "I''m not going to tell them¡­ are you?"


    After a minute more of thinking, and finally realizing that I wasn''t about to rat them out, Collin said, "What do you need to know?"


    "You guys are part of the Black Wand¡­ is that the same as the Black Hand?" I asked.


    Connor shook his head, but it was Collin who explained. "The Black Wand is one of the thousand-man units that serve the Black Hand. The Black Hand is the nickname of the Scarlet Moon General who''s working with the Magesong Clan in this war."


    "Sounds kind of like the Trickster Pavillion''s Iron Fist," I mused.


    "Yeah¡­ only, we''ve heard your Iron Fist is an honorable warrior¡­ The Black Hand isn''t like that," Collin said.


    "Let''s say she''s the opposite of that," Connor added.


    I nodded appreciatively at this interesting piece of information. "What do you mean by she''s working with the Magesong army?"


    "She''s loaned several units to the Magesong Clan to bolster their army. Like ours," Collin revealed. Then he grabbed the glass of water in front of him and downed it in one gulp like he was parched just from having this conversation. "There are nine other thousand-man units from the Scarlet Moon hidden in the Magesong army."


    "Split evenly between the center, left, and right armies," Connor added.


    "Can we expect more reinforcements from the Scarlet Moon?" I asked. The thought of going against two armies was nerve-wracking.


    Both boys shook their heads.


    "That''s all the resource the Scarlet Moon''s willing to spare in this war. They''ve got other fights all over the continent to worry about," Collin admitted.


    "I saw the flag of the black Wand beside the banners of Dagger Spell," I leaned back on my chair to reduce the strain from leaning for too long. "Are you guys working under Ardeen Spellweaver?"


    Both boys'' eyes widened in surprise at my mentioning of the name.


    "H-how do you¡ª"


    "¡ªit''s not hard to learn the name of the fairy who came to hunt me last night," I interrupted Collin.


    It was a while before either of them spoke, but Connor broke the uncomfortable silence with, "After what you did the other night, I guess hunting you is a priority for the Magesong clan."


    I nodded appreciatively. It felt good to be recognized for my accomplishments. Even if it meant I had a bigger target on my back now.


    "what can you tell me about him?" I asked.


    "Serious guy¡­ always brooding about something. But he''s chatty too. Gives people pep talks a lot," Connor revealed.


    "He''s brilliant," Collin said, and he sounded like a fanboy when he said this. "A tactician who gets things done."


    Collin eyed me curiously.


    "Kind of like you, I guess¡­" he admitted in a grudging manner.


    This wasn''t the first time I was compared with this guy. I scowled because I didn''t like it.


    "Does he have any quirks? Weaknesses? Anything we can exploit?" I pressed.


    This was the crucial part. If I could get a tactical advantage over my enemy, then I could help Thors plan out a strategy that could finally rid us of the Magesong center army. Unfortunately, neither of the brothers had any useful insights to share. It was quite the downer.


    "But, um," Connor began.


    "Yeah? Go on?" I insisted.


    "I''m not sure if this helps, but I noticed that he plays favorites," Connor admitted. "Whatever big move he makes, he always entrusts it to one group."


    "What group?" I leaned in. I couldn''t help myself. There was something foreboding about Connor''s information.


    "The one that guy leads," Connor said.


    "That guy?" My throat felt dry all of a sudden, and I felt like dread was slowly creeping up my esophagus. "Which guy?"


    "One-Thousand Man Commander Azuma," Connor revealed. "The Unkillable Butcher of the Calmlands."


    I slumped back in my chair and let out a long breath that had been stuck in my throat since my anticipation started. I''d been wondering when I would hear that name again. I shivered in spite of myself, and it was a while later¡ªafter the numb feeling had gone away and the McCord brothers had given me enough weird stares¡ªthat an idea bloomed inside my head.


    "You said he starts big moves whenever he uses Azuma, right?" I asked.


    Connor nodded. "We saw it happen enough last night."


    "What if Azuma was preoccupied," I leaned in. The idea in my head growing with each second. "Would that cripple Spellweaver? Maybe even prevent him from taking any major actions?"


    "Maybe... not sure," Connor guessed.


    I wiped at the bead of sweat trickling down my forehead. "Then we just have to keep Azuma busy, don''t we?"


    Despite the air-conditioned interior of the diner, I couldn''t help but feel cold sweat down my back from just the thought of what I planned to do which was kind of like assisted suicide if I failed.


    "What are you planning, Dean?" Collin asked curiously.


    "We give Spellweaver what he wants," I said. "Looks like the Foolhardies will have to make another appearance on the battlefield... sooner rather than later."


    Both brothers gave me identical looks of confusion.


    I glanced down at the table knife beside my plate. The silverware gleamed in reflected sunlight. I picked it up and gripped it tightly. "It''s time Azuma and I had our round two."

 84 Inglorious Bastards

    "Are you sure you''re ready, Luca? I asked in concern. "I don''t mind if you want to sit back and relax like Qwipps."


    My little brother, ever the errant knight shook his head. "I''m good to go, Dean. And please don''t compare me to Qwipps¡­"


    I sighed. It really was difficult having such a responsible and capable little brother. It always made me want to do better.


    Moonlight from the golden moon filtered into our command tent through the open flap, reminding me that the night''s battle would start soon.


    "Alright..." I patted Luca on the shoulder. "Let''s get this show on the road."


    "We''re still down a few hundred soldiers, Commander," Varda reminded me.


    I glanced over to my quartermaster standing confidently on the other side of the strategy table in a new set of midnight blue magician''s robes underneath her sparkling dwarven chain-mail shirt.


    "Darah promised me more soldiers for this mission." As I said this, my gaze moved from Varda to Aura who was standing next to her. "Any word on their arrival?"


    "I expect they''ll be here any minute now, Dean." Aura had just finished wiping her golden half mask clean with a silk handkerchief. She put it back on before she continued with, "This plan¡­ it seems to rely too much on possibilities, don''t you think?"


    "The possibilities that the new enemy commander of the center army either wants Dean dead or wants his autograph," Luca expanded.


    He had his arms crossed over a borrowed electrum-grade chain-mail shirt. His old one was full of holes that even Zarz couldn''t repair in one day. I noticed that it was a little too loose for him.


    "I think it fits our style," I said, disagreeing with their deduction.


    "True enough, Commander," Varda agreed. "It''s definitely got that foolhardy label we''re getting known for."


    "That''s not a good thing, Varda," Luca sighed.


    His fingers fiddled with the handle of Shaqs'' double-bladed battle-ax which he''d taken as his replacement weapon in honor of the fallen troll who''d defended his life.


    "You sure that''s not a little too big for you?" I asked while eyeing the heavy-looking ax.


    "It''s not that big¡­ about the same size as my broadsword really," Luca explained.


    To prove he could actually carry the ax, Luca lifted it off the ground with one hand and draped its handle across his right shoulder, perfectly mimicking Cloud Strife and his Buster Sword pose.


    Regrettably, my follow up jab at how Luca looked smaller now was interrupted by the sound of the tent flap opening wider. I glanced behind me and saw Zarz, our unit''s gnome artificer, walk in with a cloth-wrapped bundle in his hands.


    "You''ve got a bunch of centaurs and elves looking for you outside, boss," Zarz announced in his cherubic voice.


    "About time." I eyed the package in Zarz''s hands. "Is that what I think it is."


    Zarz''s grin was so wide it looked distorted on his cherubic face. "Updated design. Should do its job properly this time unlike when we were rescuing Luca."


    My own grin may have looked equally villainous to others. ''Good. Give it to Edo so he can put it in our bag of holding."


    Satisfied with how things were coming along, I readied myself to meet our new guests. But as I was walking out of the command tent, Aura called out to me, "Dean, the plan¡ª"


    "¡ªwill work," I said, right before I walked through the tent flap. "As Sun Tzu said, know thyself and know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."


    I heard Varda ask, "Why''s the commander talking funny?"


    Outside our command tent, Edo was chatting cheerfully with a familiar-looking centaur. He was a brown-skinned young man with short curly hair from the waist up, and the white coat body of a stallion from the waist down.


    "Xanthor!" I called excitedly.


    Xanthor clopped closer to me and gave me the fairy version of a soldier''s salute, that reversed fist to the chest thing Varda did a lot.


    "Howdy, Commander Dapper!" Xanthor said, revealing rows of gleaming white teeth as he smiled. "Surviving members of the Dash Kadash unit requesting to board join your crazy party."


    "Request granted," I said while reaching a hand up to the much taller centaur.


    No, it didn''t annoy me one bit that he was way taller than me. He was half-horse so it didn''t count.


    Edo came over to stand beside Xanthor. "The Dash Kadash survivors brought another fifty centaurs with them." Edo pointed his thumb behind him. "Looks like we''ve got cavalry now, Dean."


    I looked over to the spot Edo pointed at and saw nearly seventy centaurs lined together in three neat rows. Many of them carried spears and glaives but there were a few, who, like Xanthor, sported war hammers.


    "Hope you guys are ready to make a mess, Xanthor," I said cheerily.


    Our very own cavalry. The Foolhardies were getting a temporary upgrade. And that brought a warm feeling to my chest.


    "We''re ready, Commander Dapper¡­ but you might want to break up those knife-ears from making a mess right here," Xanthor Made a whining sound I figured was his version of laughter. He nodded his head to the left. "Elves¡­ LOL."


    I turned my gaze to my right and saw an interesting scene taking place.


    Thom Blackthorn was standing in front of a group of blue-robed soldiers. All of them had hoods over their heads except for their commander who was staring daggers at Thom. Not one to be outdone, Thom''s murderous glare was equally foreboding.


    It was immediately obvious why there was such enmity between them. Thom was a drow, a dark elf. The group staring him down were also elves but of a lighter breed. As I stared at the new arrivals, I quickly realized that I knew who they were.


    "Theren Everleaf?" I asked doubtfully. The surprise spilled out of my voice despite of myself. I hadn''t expected to see the elven sergeant who led the elves of our original unit away from the Foolhardies when we first formed. "Is that really you?"


    It looked like it took the dark-haired elf a lot of effort to avert his gaze away from Thom and move on to me. But he managed it.


    "Hail and well met, Dean Dapper." Theren dipped his head, pointed chin and all, toward me. "It has been quite a spell since last we looked upon each other."


    Around this time, Aura showed up to stand beside me. Her arrival caused Theren''s sea-green eyes to widen before he bowed even lower to her than he did to me. He must have known who she was now.


    Aura returned his bow. "Hail and well met, Sergeant. It is good to see you."


    "You honor me with your words, sorceress," he said graciously, but in that pompous elven tone that always sounded like they were bragging even if there weren''t.


    "Not that we aren''t happy to see you again, Theren, but what are you guys doing here?" My eyes searched the other hooded figures behind him. I could guess who they were. "Didn''t you say you weren''t interested in joining up with us?"


    "Yes, we did say that, didn''t we," he turned around to glance at his fellow elves.


    Each of them pulled off their hoods and revealed a variety of elven faces ranging from apologetic to worried.


    After his gaze had swept his group, Theren''s eyes found me again. He said, "We arrogantly assumed you wouldn''t be able to lead us properly, and yet¡­ here you are, contributing to the war effort in ways we couldn''t even imagine."


    A spattering of "well done" ensued among the gathered elves.


    Theren waited for them to finish before he continued with, "It was we who lacked foresight," he lowered his eyes, "but, if you will allow it, we have come to fight at your side once again and reclaim our tarnished honor."


    There was an audible hoot of laughter from Thom that might have gotten him mobbed by rival elves, but no one moved. Everyone was waiting for me to speak. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Dean¡ª"


    I held up a hand to stop Aura. There wasn''t any need for her to take their side as I believed, like another famous philosopher named Bruce Lee did, that mistakes are always forgivable if they come from those who have courage enough to admit them.


    "Sure, why not," I said, a mischievous grin appearing on my face. "I''ll work you inglorious bastards to the bone to make up for snubbing us the first time."


    There was a noticeable collective sighing from the elves who were relieved that I hadn''t turned them away. Next thing I know, the elves, centaurs, and surviving Foolhardies began to greet each other in shared camaraderie.


    "Are you sure about this, Commander?" someone asked from behind me.


    I didn''t need to turn around to know who had asked. It was the way he said commander like it was a joke that gave him away.


    "Not going to be a problem, is it, Thom?" I asked.


    "You saved my cousin last night so it appears I owe you one, Dean," Thom whispered.


    "Don''t worry... the inglorious bastards will do all the heavy lifting." I turned around and clapped him on the shoulder. "I''ll be relying on you more now that Qwipps is milking his injury."


    "Smart move, if you ask me," Thom replied. "Your plan might get us all killed, after all."


    "Or, it''s a super awesome plan that will win us even more rewards," I insisted.


    As if on cue, the horns of war began their loud thundering. It was the call to gather into formations.


    I waited for the booming to finish before I raised my own voice to the gathered crowd. "Alright, Foolhardies. Let''s go to war!"

 85 Master and Commander

    It was the calm before the storm. That moment where two great armies faced off against each other from opposite sides of an already war-torn battlefield. Four days of war have come and gone, but this fifth night promised to be even bloodier. It was a promise to the already blood-drenched earth that there was more red rain to come.


    To the east were the seventy thousand strong army of the Magesong Clan. They''d started this war with over a hundred thousand soldiers, but our side had made them bleed for every inch forward they tried to take.


    Standing on the west side of the field was our sixty thousand strong Darah Army. Just based on the numbers, we were at a disadvantage. But there was more to warfare than quantity. And in a world where almost anything was possible, the quality of soldiers mattered. This was especially true of our generals. Leading our side was the enigmatic Iron Fist Darah, the Great General of the Trickster Pavilion who had decided that tonight she would lead our army from the front.


    "No need to look nervous, Hundred-Man Commander," chuckled the man astride the brown swifthart to my right. "General Darah already approved your plan."


    "The plan won''t work if she''s going out herself, sir," I reasoned.


    I was sitting comfortably on my own mount, a beautiful light green swifthart I''d very recently named Myth Chaser. I patted its neck and felt it quiver in contentment similar to a dog after a good belly rub.


    "Nobody''s going to come after some no-name hundred-man commander when a Great General is on the field," I finished.


    "No-name?" General Thors raised one of his blonde eyebrows at me. "The boy touched with fire, isn''t that what the enemy''s calling you now?"


    "Doesn''t hold as much weight as ''Iron Fist Darah'' does it?" I replied, raising an eyebrow of my own at him.


    Thors chuckled softly. "No, I guess not." He leaned over and patted my arm. "Do your best regardless. It''s all anyone can ask."


    Those simple words of encouragement coming from the most famous visere of the Trickster Pavilion were really all I needed for my spirits to lift.


    I saluted Thors, and he returned my salute before riding away, heading back to the front of the center army where Darah must be.


    "Did General Thors have any words of wisdom to impart?" asked a girl whose voice was like honey being poured into one''s ears.


    I glanced behind me and saw Aura leading her swifthart to my side.


    My eyes wasted seconds examining my lieutenant''s hooded face. Her golden half mask was newly polished. The eyes hidden behind them were bright with anticipation, mirrored by the half-smile playing on her pink lips.


    Aura looked even more stunning than usual in her elven magician''s robe with its metal neck guard and leaf-designed shoulder pauldrons. Her Hearthwood Staff was strapped to her back. The necklace I''d given her twinkled brightly between the folds of her breasts.


    My eyes traveled down from Aura to her mount, a swifthart she''d named Starlight, although the beast''s yellow-green fur resembled the sun and Aura''s own golden locks more than the blue twinkle of a star.


    "When you''re done ogling me, Dean, I expect an answer to my question," Aura joked.


    The playful way Aura said it made my cheeks burn. I hated how smug she sounded too.


    "I-I wasn''t ogling you¡­ I was just making sure you were ready," I insisted, but even I could tell it was a lame lie.


    If anything, my awkward response only served to widen Aura''s smile.


    "A-anyways," I attempted to change the topic, "He said we''re good to go."


    "Even with my aunt deciding to join the battle?" Aura asked.


    "Y-yeah¡­ Darah wants to force a confrontation with the enemy''s great general." I faked checking that the straps of my breastplate were secure to my coat to avoid Aura''s gaze. I didn''t want to blush even more. "It''ll be our job to make sure no one interferes."


    Aura had gotten close enough to lean toward me, and I thought she smelled of something flowery. Perhaps lavender or rose, I couldn''t really tell. Only that she smelled really good.


    "So we''re really picking a fight with the Dagger Spell group?" Aura asked.


    Her voice brought me back to reality and away from la-la-land.


    Get it together, Dean. Now isn''t the time to think about how pretty she is , my brain chided. "Y-yeah. Plan''s the same. We cause enough noise to attract the attention of interested parties."


    "Azuma and his master," Aura nodded. "We''ll be ready for them this time."


    Momentary anger flashed in Aura''s eyes as she said this. I could relate. Like me, Aura wasn''t around when our unit was decimated by our next opponent''s ambush. She wanted payback for our dead comrades just as much as I did.


    A rumbling sound reached my ears.


    I turned away from Aura and sent my gaze forward, toward the front of our line where a single hand was raised in the air.


    General Darah had finally shown herself, and the soldiers in front were celebrating her presence with a rousing call that cascaded all the way to us in the middle and beyond. But by the time it had reached the back line, the rumbling noise had grown to deafening cheers.


    My own voice joined the crowd. Even Aura''s cheer was just as loud. Collectively, our army yelled a single name to the heavens, "Dara~~ah!"


    Only a great general like Darah could raise our morale to sky-high levels with no need for a speech. Words seemed unnecessary when just showing up made the soldiers feel invincible.


    Our pump-up ritual went on for what seemed to me like hours. We were that caught up in it. But surely only minutes had passed before the cries of "Dara~~ah" died down and was replaced by a thunderous explosion that swept the opposite of the field.


    The enemy''s own cheering was so loud that even my mount seemed to cower back from the noise, forcing me to hold his reins tight to keep him steady. And from atop Myth Chaser, I saw it¡ªthe gray flag with its symbol of the outward-facing open palm¡ªrising up at the very front of the enemy''s lines. And right above this flag, astride a black pegasus with wings unfurled as it soared above the sky, was an elven warrior dressed all in shiny black.


    The black pegasus circled around Spellweaver''s flag as it descended to the earth. And as soon as their general touched ground, the enemy''s cheers doubled in intensity until it seemed like an earthquake had sprung to life beneath our very feet, bringing with it a matching wave of uncertainty and fear that swept through the ranks of our Darah army.


    Even more than the shaking underneath me, it was the quaking of my heart I worried over. I didn''t consider myself a scaredy-cat, but I couldn''t help but feel fear seep into me as I watched the enemy''s rallying cry. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Darah must have sensed our army''s growing unease because she''d ordered her personal guard to raise her own banners high above her.


    The sight of the Iron Fist flying high above us was very effective. For me, it was like the earth had stopped shaking and all was finally still. My heart calmed.


    There was, of course, a secondary effect. One that many soldiers in our army felt the need to voice out. And with the return of our morale, the cheers of "Dara~~ah" became ten times louder than before.


    I leaned in toward Aura, did my best to ignore her intoxicating scent, and whispered in her ear, "Looks like your aunt''s plan worked. Spellweaver''s finally on the field."


    Aura leaned in, our cheeks almost touching, replying with, "Hope you''re ready¡­ It''ll be our turn once everyone''s done beating their chests!"


    No sooner had the words escaped her lips when the rallying cries cut off and all became quiet again. It was like the calm before the storm made a brief return right before the thunder rang. It was the two great generals who shattered the quiet.


    Almost simultaneously, both Darah and Spellweaver raised their weapons high, and with a single word of "Charge!" initiated the beginning of the final night of this war.

 86 Now You See Me

    "Do you see Luca''s squad?" I asked to whoever could hear me through the screaming of soldiers and the clanking of steel against steel.


    The battle of the two center armies had been going on for a while now, and from my vantage point right behind our army''s vanguard, I''d lost sight of the other units I was in charge of. I couldn''t help it. I was distracted by all the carnage around me.


    Aura rode to my side and immediately raised her Hearthwood staff in front of her. She took aim, and after saying the command, "Firebolt!" launched a bolt of flames from the staff''s glowing red orb into the melee of soldiers at our front. The flames streaked past the Darah soldiers and exploded onto the face of an ugly hobgoblin who''d been eyeing me like I was a piece of steak it wanted to gut.


    I gave Aura the thumbs up. "Thanks¡­ that guy was ugly. You have eyes on the other teams?"


    Aura raised a hand forward. "Ten O''clock, Dean¡­ I think that''s Luca and Ashley''s group."


    My gaze searched the area Aura pointed out. They were about thirty yards away when I found them, but they were definitely the Foolhardies. It wasn''t just our Flag of Fools raised high above them, but I could clearly see several of our veterans engaged in a fight with a clump of Magesong soldiers.


    Luca, in particular, was showing some real recklessness as he waded into the sea of gray, cutting wide sweeps through the enemies with Shaqs'' battle-ax. Ashley ran behind him, covering his back with her shield while hacking at any stray soldier Luca had missed.


    "Looks like they''re in the thick of things," I said annoyed.


    I know it was my plan to create as much carnage as possible while they raised our flag, but I was resistant to putting my little brother in this much danger. If only Qwipps wasn''t milking his injuries, I wouldn''t have asked Luca to step up like he did now.


    "They''re certainly getting attention from the Magesong soldiers clustered around them," Aura agreed. "They really must not like you, Dean."


    I grimaced at her words because she was right. The soldiers we were fighting now were the remnants of Jimmy Jonas'' forces. They probably thought Luca was me and were dead set on getting payback.


    As I watched my brother send another pretty elf boy''s head flying, I couldn''t help but feel annoyed with how insistent he was to put himself in danger.


    "How much longer do you think can they keep this up?" I asked.


    Aura''s eyes squinted. "Not much longer, I think." Ashley pointed to the sky above Luca''s troops. "It was a good idea to send Varda''s magicians to support them."


    My gaze followed the direction Aura had pointed at, and what I saw made my eyes widen. "Holy shit!"


    A heavy round object was flying toward them. It looked suspiciously like a cannon ball, but was more like a comet with a tail of water trailing behind it.


    "Varda do something!" I yelled, although I hadn''t expected a response from where I was. I certainly didn''t expect to see Varda''s earthen wall appear out of nowhere and rise to about fifteen feet to block the projectile''s path toward Luca''s squad. This pleasant surprise made me pump a fist in the air. "Way to go, you talented little dwarf!"


    The enemy''s projectile exploded onto the earthen wall in a shower of rain and mist. The impact was so strong it crumbled the top half of Varda''s Earth Wall.


    Debris and scalding droplets of water fell onto Luca''s troops. Thankfully, Ashley''s shield squad had been prepared and blocked most of the falling projectiles with their raised shields.


    I let out a relieved sigh. "Spell cannons are such a cheat. Remind me to steal one if we ever we get through the enemy''s lines."


    Aura didn''t have time to answer. Her hand shot up and pointed past Luca''s squad.


    A good thirty yards away, a wave of enemy soldiers marched underneath a gray banner with a Japanese Kanji at its center.


    I recognized the symbol that stood for Bushido and immediately felt chills rise up my spine.


    "That''s not the Dagger Spell''s flag, but¡­" Aura''s voice sounded strained. Almost like she was having difficulty finding her next words. "...that flag belongs to Azuma''s Immortals¡­ Looks like your plan worked, Dean. We got their attention."


    Despite the chills I felt, I turned my gaze away from Azuma''s unit and shifted my sight westward. I couldn''t see her from where I was, but I was sure Darah was causing quite the ruckus about a hundred or so meters away. There were enough screams coming from that side of the battlefield to prove it. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I turned my sights back on Azuma''s unit. "There''s a lot more of them than when we faced them on that hilltop a while back. Way more than Luca''s eighty soldiers can take on."


    "Azuma was originally a thousand-man commander," Aura explained. "It seems he''s brought his entire force with him this time."


    I scowled. As if his martial skill wasn''t a cheat enough already. Now he had to have seven hundred more soldiers than I did. This was going to be troublesome.


    "It''s fine. Azuma and his master focused on us just means Darah will find it easier to reach the enemy''s great general." I tightened my grasp on Myth Chaser''s reins. It was a good way to keep my hands from shaking. "Immortals, huh¡­ let''s put their name to the test."


    I glanced behind me.


    "Jensen, raise the signal. Let Theren and Edo''s group know its time to make some noise," I ordered.


    Jensen, in his new role as guidon bearer, raised a red banner as high as he could. At the same time, the two dwarves I''d assigned to help send out our signal began to beat their drums to the tune of Queen''s We Will Rock You.


    Yes, I taught two fairies how to jam. And it was very easy as dwarves seemed to have an affinity for rock music.


    It took a few minutes for our signal to be seen or heard across such a busy battlefield, but eventually, the Flag of Fools on Luca''s side was lowered. This was quickly followed by the same flag being raised high about forty yards away from us and eighty yards to the right of Luca''s troops, in the two o''clock direction. Theren''s eighty-member elf squad with Edo in tow had heard our call.


    The effect of a second Foolhardies banner raised to the right of the first one after it was lowered had the desired effect we were hoping for¡ªconfusion. I watched with a smile as Azuma''s Immortals abruptly stop their march.


    While this happened, Luca''s soldiers slowly backed away from the front, allowing themselves to be absorbed into our center army''s line, and making it seem as if they''d suddenly disappeared. Honestly, they''d only managed it because of a combination from the distraction caused by Edo''s group and the tenacity of Ashley''s Shield squad to hold the enemy back until all their soldiers could pull out.


    "Hopefully, your faithful bodyguard will cause enough ruckus to make it believable that we''d teleported from one end of the field to another," I said cheerily.


    "Edo won''t disappoint us," Aura insisted. "And your Inglorious Bastards aren''t likely to either. They''re so eager to win your approval, Dean."


    "All they need to do is get the job done," I said. "The glory comes after."


    Like Aura said, it didn''t take long for things to heat up where Edo was. The Foolhardies First Sergeant certainly looked like he was enjoying himself despite having to face off against four fully armored Magesong trolls.


    From the relative safety of my position, I watched Edo compete with the four trolls'' combined brute strength with a martial skill that could probably rival Azuma. So it wasn''t any big surprise as I saw the first troll lose a limb. Edo''s swinging glaive was just that deadly. Edo danced around their clumsy attacks and cut them down one at a time while his glaive sang a murderous tune with each swing against exposed troll flesh.


    While Edo was all about attacking, Theren''s elves were there to provide the defense, and they didn''t disappoint. Not only did they keep more enemies from swarming Edo, but they were also able to maintain a defensive perimeter that helped stabilize the front line on their side.


    I remembered the last time I''d seen that group in action, back during my first command on the hilltop. It was Theren''s group who held the southern side of the hill while I fought against Azuma. It seemed they hadn''t lost their touch.


    Eventually, Edo and Theren''s efforts paid off. I watched Azuma''s soldiers resume their march in Edo''s direction. But a small portion of their unit¡ªmaybe a hundred-man squad¡ªbroke off from the main unit and continued moving to where Luca''s group was last seen. Azuma wasn''t stupid. He would cover all bases. It was exactly what we wanted to happen.


    When Azuma''s immortals had marched close enough to Edo''s and Theren''s group, I gave Jensen another order.


    "Signal Thom''s unit, Jensen. Let them know its time to cause trouble," I said.


    While Jensen raised a yellow banner high in the air, a devilish smile appeared on my lips.


    "Now you see me¡­" I raised my left fist to my eyes and then unfurled my fingers in a quick motion. "Now you don''t."

 87 Now You See Me 2

    In lock-step with my earlier hand gesture, the Flag of Fools on Edo''s side lowered, and like Luca''s squad before them, Theren''s squad pulled out of the line of fire and made their quick exit. And once again, the Foolhardies completed their disappearing act and was absorbed into the line of our center army.


    As a result, Azuma''s soldiers stopped their march a second time. Around them, the other units of the Magesong clan''s center army continued their attacks on our vanguard, but they didn''t matter. Tying Azuma and his troops up, that''s what mattered. The longer we kept his sights fixed on us, the less resistance Great General Darah had in her march to slay the enemy''s own Great General. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I laughed. It was the kind of giddy laughter I hadn''t expected to come out of me in such stressful circumstances, but I couldn''t help feeling light-hearted. The plan was working. In this chaotic battlefield on the right side of the center armies clash, the game of tag I forced upon our enemies was in play.


    But then I heard the agonized screams of the dying soldiers and my mood turned sober. I was once again reminded that this wasn''t a game. We were at war and that meant death and pain. It wasn''t a place for insensible laughter.


    The drums of war continued to beat to the tune of We Will Rock You. Soon afterward, a third Foolhardies flag was raised. This one was directly twelve o''clock and forty yards forward from my position. Thom''s Bat squad was reporting for duty.


    My eyes narrowed as I watched their battle from atop Myth Chaser. "Don''t mess the timing up please¡­"


    To be absolutely honest, Thom wasn''t my first choice to lead a whole squad that wasn''t solely comprised of his drow clansmen. He didn''t strike me as someone you could rely on to keep everyone alive. But I really didn''t have a choice. I needed Ashley to support Luca and Qwipps had escaped the battle by feigning a worse injury than the one he actually had. So asking Thom to step up was my only option.


    Luckily for me, Thom turned out to be an excellent choice.


    From our back row seats, Aura and I watched as Thom directed his soldiers to play to their strengths. The squad was mostly formed of archers with a few sword-wielding fanatics like Enna to tank the incoming enemies who slipped past our center army''s vanguard.


    Thom''s squad fired arrow after arrow into the ranks of Magesong soldiers until many of the dead bodies that littered around them began to resemble porcupines. And even from my spot, I could smell the scent of death from the mounting dead as their blood soaked the field.


    Just like what happened when they marched toward Edo''s group, Azuma''s Immortals reformed their lines and marched toward Thom''s Bat squad next. Another detachment¡ªroughly two-hundred soldiers¡ªbroke off from their main unit to resume their march for the Inglorious Bastards previous position.


    I was confident they wouldn''t find them. At least not until I gave the order.


    My fingers tightened on Myth Chaser''s reins. "It''s almost time¡­"


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Aura take in a deep breath. "We''re as ready as we''ll ever be."


    I glanced behind me to the soldiers I''d kept in reserve while we waited for the opportunity to strike to present itself.


    "I''ve kept you fools waiting, haven''t I?" I asked to the group.


    There were several neighs of agreement. Mostly, one could sense their restlessness. It must not have been easy for centaurs to stand still.


    "We''re raring to charge, boss man!" Xanthor quipped.


    I raised a palm up. "Don''t worry. We''ll be moving out soon and there will be lots of Magesong bastards for you to run over."


    There were a few muffled cheers at my statement that only increased in volume after Xanthor''s words of, "Start your engines, boys and girls! Get ready to unleash max horsepower!"


    Luckily, in such a huge battle, the war cries of a few dozen centaurs weren''t enough to catch anyone''s attention. There was just too much noise to pick us out.


    The next thing I did was order Jensen to raise the green flag which signaled Thom''s squad to begin their retreat behind the army''s vanguard. This also served as a signal for Luca''s group to begin preparations to renew their attacks in an entirely different location than the one they left behind.


    "We will, we will rock you," I sang along to the tune drummed by the dwarves behind me. A few centaurs joined in by stomping their feet to the ground in tune to the beats. "We will, we will rock you."


    After a while, I asked Jensen to re-raise the red flag which signaled Edo''s group to restart their attacks about twenty yards east of their first attempt. Luca''s group, which was fighting around twenty yards west of their original location, would slowly fade back into the army as well.


    We raised our signal flag once more and sent Thom''s squad back to the front barely ten yards away from their first attack point. It also served as a call to retreat for Edo''s group.


    This meant there were now six different spots where the Foolhardies flag had risen, and each one proved difficult confrontations for the enemy Magesong soldiers who could only hold their line when they were reinforced by Azuma''s Immortals. This also meant Azuma''s soldiers were now stretched thin along the enemy''s front and was heavily engaged with our army''s vanguard. Meaning Azuma had less of his trained soldiers around him now. Not that this would be such a big difference where he was concerned, but facing five hundred with roughly my eighty cavalry members was better than taking on the entire one-thousand-man unit.


    "Dean," Aura called urgently, "I found him!"


    My eyes followed the direction Aura pointed at. Roughly fifty yards away on our one o''clock, a black-clad soldier riding atop a gray swifthart was swinging his spear around mercilessly against the Darah soldiers who faced him.


    My eyes narrowed at the sight of them falling like fodder to Azuma''s martial might.


    "Geez, I forgot how much this guy scared me..." My hands shook as if in agreement with my words.


    Around Azuma, a much leaner group of soldiers gathered. They were less than the five hundred soldiers we''d accounted for, and it looked like their mounted troops were no more than twenty.


    I felt a hand grasp my shoulder, and I turned around and saw Aura''s blue eyes gazing back at me.


    "We''re ready to go on your order, Dean," she said in a resolved tone.


    At her touch, I felt my own fear get swept away as if it was nothing more than dust on my windshield. We stayed in that position a minute longer before I pulled away from her feeling gratitude at the inner strength she''d just shared with me.


    I glanced over to Xanthor and the rest of the centaurs who were all looking to me with breathless anticipation. The determination in their eyes mirrored mine. They knew what I knew¡ªnow was a time for action.


    "Let''s ride," I said.

 88 Cavalry Charge

    "Huff-huff-huff¡­" Short breaths continued to escape my lips as we rode closer and closer toward our destination. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Around me, the surrounding landscape and soldiers in their blue gear were like blurs that were quickly replaced by the oncoming rush of gray-clad fairies and their sharp shadowblades. Still, I urged Myth Chaser forward in the hopes that we would reach our targets before they were prepared.


    "We''ve got this, buddy... Just keep running forward. I''ll get rid of anything that comes your way," I whispered assuredly to my mount.


    I couldn''t see them as I was leading the charge, but the sound of hooves stomping through the wet, blood-soaked earth behind me was comforting. Partly because I was about to engage an enemy unit that was brazen enough to call themselves immortals, but mostly because I was racing through a blood-soaked field. One could only imagine the kind of horrors that made the verdant greens soaked in crimson.


    As we crossed into the vanguard''s forward positions, the sounds of clashing steel grated on my nerves. And as if that wasn''t enough to make my muscles tense, there was also the scent of blood that got much stronger as we passed through piles of dead bodies.


    "Man, it stinks so bad," I whispered to no one in particular.


    "Focus, Dean," Aura replied from my left. She and Starlight kept pace with me and Myth Chaser. "We have company!"


    From the corner of my eye, I watched Aura raise her Hearthwood staff forward with one hand while the other held tight on Starlight''s reins. A firebolt shot out of the red orb on the tip of the staff and struck the unsuspecting swifthart-riding elf who''d crossed our paths too early.


    His companion, the hobgoblin whose eyes widened at the sight of his ally getting blasted off his swifthart, had only a second to react before my falchion''s shadowblade slid neatly into his neck.


    I didn''t wait for his body to drop. I urged Myth Chaser to ride on. We were in the thick of it now, and the enemies had begun to surround us on our left and right.


    "Weapons ready!" I yelled.


    There was the soft buzzing sound that accompanied the awakening of shadowblades. It was quickly followed by Xanthor''s encouraging words of, "Go fast! Go furious!"


    While I thought about my centaur companion referencing a Mudgardian movie franchise, the rest of the centaur cavalry went to work skewering any Magesong soldier foolish enough to try and stop our charge. And there were more than a few people got run over like roadkill on asphalt.


    We were unstoppable. Although Aura and I had little to do but guide the cavalry through the weakest points in the enemy''s line.


    Wait, how was I able to achieve this in all the chaos surrounding us, you ask? I thought it would be obvious by now.


    You see, just as the centaurs drew their weapons, I did something one should never do while riding on top of a moving vehicle. I closed my eyes.


    No, I wasn''t being too scared to keep my eyes forward. And yes, I was shaking in my boots at the thought of fighting Azuma again, but that''s beside the point. No, I was just awakening the fairy gift inside me. After all, I''d kept it on reserve tonight just for this eventual clash.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I whispered, and immediately afterward, felt the rush of power flow into my eyes.


    When my eyes opened again, I was inwardly grateful that I hadn''t accidentally activated a strange new power like Eagle Vision¡ªyes, I knew I still had much to learn about using that. Luckily, it was just Fool''s Insight version one I switched on. For with its power to see even the tiniest movements, I hoped to speed run this seemingly endless spawn point in the battlefield and lead my cavalry right into the backside of an unsuspecting self-styled samurai warrior.


    But even with the aid of my fairy gift, by the time we were within range of Azuma''s Immortals, my sword arm was tired from all the hacking and slashing I had to go through. I''d gutted at least half a dozen elves and beheaded around three hobgoblins by then.


    Azuma''s infantry was parked around their boss in a circle formation that was reminiscent of the one the Foolhardies used just the other day when we attempted to break out of the enemy lines. Still, they were nowhere near as good as Ashley''s guys. So I didn''t think we''d have a problem breaking through. Not with the horsepower we were packing.


    At the center of their circle stood Azuma riding on top of a gray swifthart that looked just as menacing as its rider. His twenty or so cavalry stood close by. And by some stroke of luck, all of them, even Azuma, had their sights to the right of the battlefield and away from me and my troops.


    Seconds later, I realized why they weren''t paying me any attention. It was because they were watching Luca''s forces get swarmed by soldiers more than double their size. Even for Ashley''s Shield squad would have trouble with those odds.


    I spared another second just watching my brother hack away at an elven warrior''s sword-arm. But even after his opponent fell two more just took his place. It became very clear that Luca and his guys were running out of time.


    "Shit," I hissed. Then I glanced over to Aura. "Bless me. I''m going in!"


    I didn''t even wait to hear Aura start her spell casting. At that moment, I was Jon Snow rushing through the field in the hopes of saving his younger brother from the insane Ramsey Bolton''s arrows. I was Superman zooming through the air after Lex Luthor throws Lois Lane off the rooftop of his skyscraper. I was ¡ª well, you get the picture.


    My body grew incredibly hot. It was like I''d just spent an hour in the sauna while dressed in a thick sweater and jeans. My face glistened with sweat. My heart seemed to double in both size and beats per second. Basically, all the symptoms that came whenever I was wrapped in Aura''s Fiery Blessing had arrived.


    I was jacked and ready. But I didn''t get to try out that war cry I wanted to do. Nope, my spotlight had been stolen in that instant just before Azuma''s soldiers would turn their focus on me. They were stolen by Xanthor and the centaur cavalry who rode after me.


    See, I wasn''t Jon Snow . My guys didn''t wait for me to lose my brother before they too charged forward. My guys were crazy enough to charge in with me. And I was grateful. Why? Because as soon as I heard their yell of, "Ride or die!" the fear that seeped into me as my eyes locked onto Azuma''s dark stare disappeared immediately. All I could think to do was repeat the phrase, "Ride! Die!"

 89 Clash of Steel

    The starting clash of steel between my Foolhardies cavalry and Azuma''s Immortals was as epic as you''d expect. It had all the makings of a proper heroic fight which included add-ons like a damsel-in-distress, a perfect rival, wild-cheering-from-surrounding-onlookers, and unexpected-plot-twists. But don''t take my word for it. Let me break it down for you.


    Damsel-in-distress, that was Luca and his team who were neck-deep in Magesong enemies. Their situation was deteriorating by the minute despite valiant efforts from Ashley''s shield squad to keep the entire group from getting swarmed.


    Even Luca going berserker on gray-clad fairy soldiers with Shaqs'' war-ax wasn''t making much of a dent. Whenever he cut one of them down two more took its place as if Luca were facing off against a many-headed hydra.


    Sidebar, I am really glad to have never encountered dragon-type creatures in the Fayne. It would have been way too much. And salamanders didn''t count as they were all hot humanoids.


    Back to Luca and his forces¡ªthey were on a time limit. And the only way I could help them was if I defeated the leader of the unit whose forces they were up against before the buzzer rang. That brings us to the perfect rival, Mr. Bushido himself.


    The initial charge was just what you''d expect. The Immortals weren''t ready for the centaur cavalry bearing down on them and we may have hacked, stabbed, and stomped through three dozen black-clad infantry before they could prepare a counter.


    My falchion sang as it cut through the air and penetrated the leather shoulder pauldron of the very handsome elf who''d just ninja jumped to attack me. Elves were very spry. Too bad he''d also put himself within my range with no way to dodge my shadowblade.


    As the elf dropped back to the wet earth, I heard a yell of, "Dean, dodge!" so reminiscent of Luca that I didn''t hesitate to follow the order.


    But it wasn''t Luca who''d just saved my face from the javelin that came rocketing past me only a second ago. Not unless Luca''s voice had suddenly turned feminine. Nope. It was Aura who called out, but I had no time to thank her as the brown-haired visere who''d thrown the javelin came galloping toward me atop her dark green swifthart. In her hand was a second very sharp-edged javelin.


    She never had the chance to launch it at me, however. Just as she''d raised her hand for a second throw, she was smacked in the middle of her plated chest by one of Aura''s firebolts.


    Honestly, I had the coolest partner. Perhaps Aura really was the reason my enemies called me ''the boy touched by fire'' on account of having a fire-throwing elf magician as my constant backup.


    Aura rode up to me and we exchanged a high-five like I''d taught her. Sadly, that was all the celebration we could manage as even more trouble was coming. I did say things were getting hectic.


    "Here we go," I said. I took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"


    "Always," Aura responded.


    "Let''s ride." I raised my falchion forward in greeting to the incoming enemy cavalry. "Xanthor! Rally to me!"


    A dozen horse neighs reached my ears the moment I charged with my sword raised forward and Aura riding at my side. It was time for the main event.


    There were twenty armored knights led by a single black-clad warrior galloping toward me and Aura in what I can only assume was the Fayne''s version of a chicken car race. Only, I doubt either of our sides wanted to avoid the collision. Nope, we were most certainly speeding toward each other.


    "Aura, ready your flame shield. We''ll ram right into them," I ordered.


    "Just say when," she answered.


    Our charge continued. The enemy galloped ever closer.


    "Almost there," I said out loud.


    The distance between us shortened even more.


    I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. That''s just how much tension there was.


    "Get ready!" I yelled.


    I could see their narrowed eyes and the angry stares sent my way sent shivers up my spine. My grip tightened on my falchion.


    "Now, Dean?" Aura''s call was urgent. "We''re getting really close."


    Azuma raised his spear forward. It was obviously aimed at me. He was close enough now. A mere stone''s throw away.


    Sweat trickled down my cheek when I yelled, "Now, Aura!"


    Aura''s response was to a quick rendition of her chant. "Spirits of the sacred flame, defend me from those who mean me harm." she raised her staff forward. "Breathe life into my Shield of Flame!"


    The orb at the tip of her staff glowed a fierce orange, and an arcane pattern of molten lines blazed to life a meter in front of me which then expanded into a six-foot round shield that burned at the edges.


    Her Shield of Flame had appeared at just the right moment as Azuma was nearly within reach. I had hoped to slam into him and cause some damage but I settled for him being forced to launch his spear at me to block the spear while he pulled on his reins and jerked his swifthart out of harm''s way.


    As our swifthart''s passed each other, we each gave the other our own versions of the death stare. Then he was gone and rushing into the centaurs behind me.


    And while many of Azuma''s cavalry was able to follow their leader''s actions, there were some who couldn''t get out of the way fast enough. They smashed into Aura''s flame shield like flies on a moving car''s windshield, with the molten lines lighting up after each hit.


    The scent of burned flesh made my nose wrinkle. "Coming through!"


    Azuma lost five riders in that first charge. Seeing how few there were of them, it would have been my victory. Only, I''d lost more than a dozen riders myself in that first run.


    Once I was through their cavalry, I glanced behind me and watched as Azuma¡ªhis stupid magical spear back in his hand¡ªpierced through the last centaur in my cavalry''s line. His soldiers were no less skilled. By the look of the bodies lying in their wake, they''d each slain at least one of my centaur soldiers. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    As if to add insult to injury, the flame shield sputtered weakly. The flames at its tip fading as the molten lines that formed it dimmed. It seemed the spell had caused enough injury.


    "How long has it been?" I asked.


    "We''re past the three-minute mark," Aura said. Her voice was urgent. "You''ve got a minute and a half, maybe more, before Fiery Blessing runs out."


    "Alright," I ordered through gritted teeth. It was frustrating to admit that I might have the quantity but the enemy clearly had quality. We''re going again!"


    I turned my swifthart around for a second charge. My soldiers followed after me.


    Azuma and his soldiers also turned their swiftharts around for another pass at us. It was on like Donkey Kong.


    Beneath me, Myth Chaser''s powerful legs stomped through the wet earth, bringing me ever closer to the next clash of steel.


    They were fifteen yards away.


    On my left, Aura launched a firebolt at Azuma. He just cut it in twain with his spear. Deep down, his skill impressed me, and I wondered if I could ever do something so cool as to slice a fireball in half like that.


    The enemy cavalry was ten yards away.


    My back felt sticky with sweat. My forehead glistened with the stuff.


    Five yards away now. Azuma''s spear tip gleamed under the light of the golden moon. OR was it a red moon now? I wasn''t sure. All I could see was red.


    I pulled my sword arm back and readied myself to swing my falchion forward as fast as I could.


    Six feet between me and possible death. That spearhead was looking really menacing¡ªthe man wielding it equally frightening.


    Then, suddenly, without warning from either of us, Azuma and I pulled our mounts back at the last minute, forcing them to veer to the side and allow us to launch a deathblow at each other.


    The clashing of our shadowblades sent a loud and grating shriek across the battlefield, and all who passed us couldn''t help but glance our way. They all knew what was about to happen. It was the tried and tested tradition of military officers fighting in single combat.


    As my falchion''s shadowblade pressed on the black polearm of his spear, it gave us a moment to exchange words.


    "You''re finally here, Dean Dapper," Azuma said in a tone that suggested I''d made him wait.


    "Sorry, I''ve been busy while you were lounging away somewhere," I answered back.


    The pressure on my sword was huge, and if it wasn''t for Fiery Blessing, I might not have had the strength to withstand his push.


    "I assume you''re here to keep your word?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yes-yes¡­ I''m here to kick your butt and free you from your prison as promised," I answered through gritted teeth.


    "Good, good. It''s not bad¡­ wanting to challenge the impossible," Azuma laughed. The laughter died quickly and was replaced by a menacing glare that carried with it the most intense killing intent I''d ever felt in my life. "I hope you think nothing less than killing me will get the job done."


    I was so taken back by his murderous stare that I nearly broke the bind that held our weapons together. That would have been a very fatal mistake. Luckily, sense hadn''t completely left me.


    After taking a quick breath, I mustered my own killing intent and sent it back to him in a forceful shove of my falchion against his spear.


    "Don''t worry. I''m here to bring the pain¡­" better watch out, because if you haven''t heard, you''re not immortal anymore." I don''t know why, but I believe I was grinning this.


    Azuma mirrored my grin with one of his own, and plastered on that emaciated face, his was certifiable gruesome. The kind you see in serial killer movies.


    "Good," he whispered so that only I could hear him. "Finally, it''s a proper duel to the death then."

 90 Knights of Badassdom

    When we were kids, Luca and I used to pretend we were knights off to slay dragons in some mythical fairytale land hidden away in our backyard. We were always arguing about which of us was the white knight¡ªthe dude who slew the villainous dragons and won the beautiful princess¡ªand which one was the black knight, the self-important bastard who didn''t care about doing good as long as he got what he wanted. Usually, in our game, the black knight also doubled as the evil dragon.


    As the older brother, I always felt it was my role to be the white knight. But Luca, being the stubborn kid he was, always wanted to steal my thunder. As if a seven-year-old knew better than a nine-year-old about how to handle imaginary hottie princesses after we rescued them.


    Luca always demanded we flip a coin for it, and I was just generous enough to agree. But more often than not, I''d end up losing the stupid coin toss.


    I really had crappy luck back then, but now I suspect Luca''s fairy handlers were fudging things up for me to help Luca out. How else do you boost a seven-year-old''s confidence and prepare him for a life of servitude in a world that treated most humans as little more than cannon fodder?


    Why am I mentioning this now when I''m in a life and death struggle with my numero uno rival? Well, I always hated playing the role. I just didn''t think being the black knight was cool enough. But facing off against Azuma, a dude with incredible fighting skills, and whose fashion sense was limited to a monotone color scheme of black¡ªeven the long hair billowing behind him was shiny obsidian¡ªI was reconsidering my opinion of the black knight''s lack of coolness. Azuma was certainly showing off how much of a badass black knight he could be.


    Shadowblades hummed as they whipped through the air. There was an audible clang. Sparks flew. The swish of sharp-edged weapons being drawn back, and then, like lighting smiting the earth below, the booming thunder of two high-speed metallic objects crashing into each other for a second, third, and then a fourth time. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Fiery sparks¡ªbright even against the pale light of the Fayne''s golden moon¡ªflitted between my eyes as I repelled the pointy tip of Azuma''s spear with my falchion''s shadowblade.


    "You''re slower than I remember," I hissed through gritted teeth. Pain spiked up my sword arm as blocking just one of his blows felt like smacking my hand against an exploding rocket. Still, I held my sword up knowing death would come the moment I dropped my guard. "Guess losing your immortality''s made you weaker."


    That was a lie, of course. Although he seemed less reckless than our first battle back in the good old days, the Azuma I was fighting against now was way fiercer than he was before. Unlike the raging river he used to be, now he was like the calm surface of the sea that hid great currents underneath it.


    "And you''re a lot more chatty than I remember," Azuma shot back at me in that wispy, tired voice of his.


    He lunged forward, his spear whipping at me like a king cobra striking out against its prey.


    I pulled on Myth Chaser''s reins and urged him back. At the same time, I sent my falchion''s shadowblade down to swat away the incoming spear. Unfortunately, this left me leaning sideward just long enough for Azuma to, in a quick twist of his hand, send the butt of his spear twirling up to my face.


    The guy was just all finesse, chaining one move after the next. I couldn''t help but feel admiration for his skill. The surge of pain that shot up my brain from the attack to my jaw quickly erased that sense of awe however and all that remained was more pain.


    My head reeled back. My left jaw burned. There was a momentary disorientation. It would have been fatal if it weren''t for Fiery Blessing.


    I dodged a spear thrust aimed at my chest with a twist of my shoulder.


    Times like this one, you learn to appreciate the gifts fairies provide us non-magical folk. Too bad I had maybe twenty seconds left before it ran out and all I would have left was Fool''s Insight. If ever there was a now-or-never situation, it was definitely here.


    I urged Myth Chaser closer, pushing him to stand neck and neck with Azuma''s swifthart and allowing me to come inside his range. This wasn''t as easy as it sounded though. To ensure both my safety and that of my mount, I had to parry and block a succession of spear thrusts that would have been impossible to achieve without my two cheats. Still, I managed to get under his range with just a few dozen new scratches on me.


    Another audible clan rang out as his spear''s metallic pole slammed against my sword''s blade.


    "You''ve gained more experience in the time since we last fought, haven''t you?" he asked, his voice sounding almost impressed.


    "Didn''t you hear? I took down a general just the other night," I countered, although I didn''t really feel like bragging about it.


    "Yes, I heard," Azuma said, and there was a smile forming on his wraith-like face. "Jimmy was always too soft on kids¡­ and you''re not used to fighting on a swifthart''s back."


    After his obvious attempt to razz me, Azuma pulled his spear back and readied it for another pummeling of pincushions, but I had other plans.


    He was right. I had no real talent for this mounted fighting, and as soon as Fiery Blessing vanished, I''d be in deep trouble. But he wasn''t the only badass knight in this fight. So, it was time to level the playing field, or rather, time to return to the field.


    As soon as Azuma pulled his spear back far enough, I did something no one should ever attempt while on horseback, or in my case, swifthart-back. Using all the bonus strength Fiery Blessing gave me, I jumped off Myth Chaser and launched myself at Azuma. And with my falchion raised high with both hands, I sent my shadowblade slashing downward with all my might.


    Azuma blocked it. He raised his spear up with both hands and blocked my attack with the center of its shaft. I expected this. I''d be a fool not to think he could do at least this much even with all the strength I poured into my attack.


    However, this first attack was nothing than a feint. My real goal was to take advantage of our momentary struggle to latch onto the thing I knew would really twist his bonnet. While my sword hand kept its hold on my falchion, my other hand reached out and grabbed as much of Azuma''s annoyingly long hair as I could, right before yanking it down to the side as hard and as quickly as humanly possible.


    The howl of pain that reached my ears immediately afterward was music to my, well, ears. But even this move was a feint.


    Even as my momentum sent me down, I slackened my grip on my falchion and allowed it to fall to the ground beneath me while noting exactly where it would probably land. Then, with my now free hand, I reached out for Azuma''s exposed neck¡ªas I already turned his head to the side with my twisting of his hair¡ªand hook onto it. Finally, I let gravity take the lead and send me and a surprised Azuma off his mount, forcing us both to go crashing onto the wet grass underneath us.


    The ground beneath me was soft. It smelled of blood and dirt and fresh-cut grass.


    I spent a second and a half feeling the shock of falling off a horse-like creature explode into my body before the last dregs of Fiery Blessing kicked in and helped me get back onto my feet.


    A second or two passed before I felt Fiery Blessing leave me. My muscles tightened. Fatigue hit my bones like the splash of ice-cold water.


    I stumbled, and I would have fallen to my knees with zero gas in the tank if I hadn''t caught sight of the twin-headed falcon crossguard and the wooden handle of my sword-hilt a mere eight feet away.


    I got lucky. My Fool''s Insight was still active. This made catching sight of my sword-hilt easy. In fact, I also owed Fool''s Insight for the earlier opportunity to grab at my Azuma''s hair and neck without harming myself too badly. Seeing all of his minuscule movements in those few moments was really crucial.


    "Come on, Dean!" I whispered encouragement to myself. Then I mustered all the remaining strength and ran for my sword-hilt.


    Another five to ten seconds flitted by before it was in my hand again. Afterward, I felt the soft hum that came out of the falchion after the shadowblade had extended out of its hilt.


    With my weapon ready, I turned my gaze on Azuma. He was already up and waiting for me, his spear tip raised forward with both hands.


    "Ah, shit," I swore. "Guess it''s time for round two."

 91 Twister

    "Do you honestly believe dragging me down to the mud will give you an advantage?" Azuma''s eyes glinted with murderous intent as he moved his right foot back and made himself an even narrower target than one could imagine. "You only hasten the approach of death."


    "When did your words get so flowery?" I asked while feigning calm serenity. Even though deep down inside, my heart was racing like a drumbeat to a K-pop soundtrack. "Nothing''s set in stone¡­ It''s not over until the fat lady sings."


    Azuma smiled. It was the kind of smile that turned my blood icy-cold and sent the hairs on the back of my arms standing on end. A foreboding feeling was growing in me. The dude was up to something, and I wasn''t going to like it.


    My nemesis lowered the pointy end of his spear onto the wet grass. Then he spoke in a series of incoherent gibberish I assumed was a fairy dialect I hadn''t discovered yet. It sounded weird enough to come from the fay.


    You might be wondering why I didn''t take this chance to attack him while he focused on his weird chant. Honestly, there was no opportunity for a sneak attack. It was his eyes. They were like sharp daggers plunging into the depths of my courage, daring me to jump in.


    Once Azuma finished his chant, a predictably magical thing happened. Moisture from the wet grass began to rise up from the ground in the form of tiny water droplets which were clearly visible to my enhanced eyesight. These droplets gathered around the shadowblade of Azuma''s spear tip, covering it in a liquid coating that glowed like a pale reflection of moonlight against the water''s surface.


    I recalled my previous fight with Jimmy Jonas and how he used a similar skill to ignite his glaive in flames.


    My throat went dry. "Is that¡­  Augmentare ?" I gulped.


    Momentary surprise flitted across Azuma''s face before he replied with, "You know about Elemental Weapons?"


    The memory of Jimmy''s blood-caked faced flashed across my vision, forcing me to shut my eyes tightly in the hopes of stopping that rewind in my mind. "Y-yeah... I fought another commander who could use it." I cleared my throat. "So... you can use it too."


    "You would too if there was a master to teach you." Azuma raised his spear level with his shoulders. Both hands grasped tightly onto the pole as he pointed it toward me. "Sadly, you''re out of time."


    The few water droplets that didn''t get pulled into the spearhead''s shiny new liquid coating floated around it similar to those scenes when astronauts play with their water while in outer space.


    "Okay¡­ that''s cool," I whistled appreciatively. That appreciation was short-lived. My next words were, "Wait, we''re skipping the banter?"


    In a single leap, Azuma launched himself forward with his spear aimed to strike me down. He moved so quickly that I barely had time to jump forward before our weapons clashed against each other.


    Sparks flew as shadowblades met. The sound of metal raking across metal shrieked into my ears combined with an explosive pressure that was no doubt caused by the watery sheath of his spear''s tip.


    Although it worked well against most enemies at my level, my falchion''s absurd cutting power was practically useless against Azuma''s higher tier weapon. In fact, I''d go as far to say my sword lost out to his spear in terms of explosive strength. This was clear in how my shadowblade got blown away by the spear thrust boosted by the elemental power he''d harnessed earlier.


    Now, in this momentary opening, the old Dean might have gotten himself skewered in the gut. But I''ve survived countless life and death struggles since my last bout with Azuma, and I''d picked up a thing or two since. So, instead of fighting against my sword arm getting pushed away, I twisted my body and followed the momentum to a full three-hundred-sixty degree clockwise rotation that sent my sword slashing back at Azuma''s exposed abs.


    Azuma blocked it with the shaft of his spear, but I was prepared for this obvious outcome too.


    I twirled around again¡ªthis time counter-clockwise¡ªand attacked him on the other side. But Azuma parried this attack with a twirl of his spear, causing our shadowblades to rake across each other once more.


    Again, there was an explosive force of steam that pushed my sword arm back. I could feel hot water graze the skin on the back of my hand.


    "Argh!" I screamed.


    But neither the failed attack or the pain in my hand deterred me in the least. I simply gritted my teeth and continued to twirl around a third time¡ªback to clockwise¡ªwhile making sure each twirl pushed me forward and drove him back. My third attack was a one-handed downward slice that Azuma parried by raising the butt of his spear at the exact moment my sword came crashing toward him.


    This action broke his stance momentarily, and I used that time to reverse my sword grip by transferring my falchion from my right hand to my left. In the same breath, I twirled a fourth time¡ªcounterclockwise now¡ªand sent my reverse sword slashing toward Azuma''s chest. But the bastard blocked it again.


    Seriously, there was only so many times a guy could pull off such an amazing dance of swordplay that would have made even Geralt of Rivain proud, you know?


    My frustration stayed my hand and stopped the combo I was chaining, giving Azuma enough breathing room to raise his spear high and right back down on my head in a blow that would have cleaved me in two if I hadn''t raised my falchion in time to block it with both hands. Still, the impact was so powerful it drove me to my knees. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    My arms ached from the strain and I could taste blood in my mouth. My ears rang from the cheers of the dozens of Magesong soldiers who''d surrounded us. Above me, I could see Azuma''s maniacal face staring back at me. There was definitely murder in his eyes.


    The only good thing about this situation was that the Augmentare Azuma cast was finally gone. That last blow must have depleted it somehow. That and Fool''s insight was still active. I doubt I could have survived this long without its support.


    "Your fight with Jonas strengthened you," Azuma remarked in an almost happy tone marred only by his weak voice. "You''re a competitor too, deep down, aren''t you?"


    "I-I don''t know what you mean," I hissed through gritted teeth.


    Azuma shook his head. "We''re not so different." His smile was manic, almost crazy-like in the way it grew on his face. "I let you live last time for this very reason. Now I can truly enjoy our battle."


    "You''re really crazy, Azuma," I said, pushing back against the pressure he was shoving down at me. Even worse, I could feel his killing intent. It was smaller compared to Jimmy''s, but much sharper¡ªlike a honed blade eager to carve me up. But despite this obvious threat on my life bearing down on me, a grin was forming on my face. Perhaps, Azuma was right about me after all. This pissed me off so much that I just had to have the last laugh. "Don''t think you''re winning. I just need to keep you here until my general gets the job done."


    Azuma raised an eyebrow almost like he''d had an epiphany. His next words, however, erased the smug smile plastered on my face. "He really is incredible... he said you would say that."


    "W-what?" My mind was suddenly in turmoil. There were only a few ways I could interpret Azuma''s meaning. None of them good. "W-who said that?"


    Azuma sent me a pitying gaze, and for an instant, his forceful killing intent subsided.


    "It seems you were too inexperienced to contend wits with him, Dean," Azuma said. His voice was almost a whisper.


    "Oh, spirits..." The strength in my arms was being sapped by the realization dawning on me. "He figured out my plan¡­ He knew I would try to split your forces and keep you guys focused on me¡­"


    Azuma nodded in an almost reverent way. "The Lord of War knows all."

 92 Street Fighter

    As nicknames go, the Lord of War sounds a million times cooler than the Boy Touched by Fire. And if Azuma was hinting at what I think he was hinting at, then the name was well-deserved. It also meant I''d been outplayed. While I thought I was keeping the enemy busy, they were actually the ones keeping me away from supporting Great General Darah.


    "Th-that''s really high praise, you know¡­ I''m not that important," I reasoned.


    Even taking my last two contributions to the war effort into account, the attention they gave me seemed over the top. I was just a lowly hundred-man commander after all. Still, I needed to end this fight as quickly as possible and break through this trap they''d set for me.


    The effort of holding up Azuma''s spear with my falchion strained the muscles in my arm, and sweat dripped down my face while I pushed back against the pressure.


    "Some Lord of War¡­ your Great General Spellweaver''s got his priorities wrong," I said while trying hard for a grin that might have looked more like a grimace in Azuma''s eyes. "I''m not the one he should have watched out for."


    I believed this. Instead of me, someone like Roger Thors would have been a better choice. And the thought of our center army general still in play sent relief into my mind.


    "He may be an accomplished warrior, but Great General Spellweaver is not the Lord of War¡­ It''s his son who holds that title," Azuma explained. "Ardeen Spellweaver is a master tactician who productively uses his father''s martial strength. Their combination of raw power and tactics has given the Magesong clan''s army its current prestige."


    He momentarily raised his spear¡ªremoving the pressure on my shadowblade¡ªbefore smashing it right back down on me. Unfortunately for Azuma, he still hadn''t figured out how good my eyesight really was. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I saw his muscles tighten right before he lifted his spear, saw the twitch of effort on his face, and even the tightening of his fingers on his grip. These minuscule movements were enough to provide me with enough insight to know the exact moment for a preemptive attack.


    My left hand let go of my falchion''s sword-hilt and reached behind me for the shadowblade dagger I kept strapped to the back of my belt. I pulled it out in a reverse grip and sent it streaking into the narrow slit between the plates of Azuma''s leg armor.


    Blood splashed out of the wound, although I doubt it was deep enough to cause heavy damage. Still, it provided me the momentary break to roll to the side and out of his way right at the moment his spear came crashing down.


    Both shaft and spearhead slammed into the ground, causing the surrounding dirt to fly up. This forceful blow combined with the fresh wound on his leg forced Azuma off balance, giving me another opportunity to attack.


    I re-sheathed my dagger and then launched myself to my feet. I took that moment to counterattack with a move I once used to win the finals of Starlight City''s Under-Thirteen Kendo Championship¡ªa leaping sword slash that sent me charging at him with all the force my teenage body could muster. My falchion raised with both hands, I swung down on Azuma''s exposed back¡ªbut, being the monster that he was, he''d seen me coming and launched a counterattack of his own.


    His spearhead came hurtling at me like a deadly cobra''s kiss of death. It would have skewered me in the heart, too, if I hadn''t pulled my left shoulder back at the last second and dodged. Capitalizing on his failed attack, I followed through with the momentum of my shoulder moving back to spin around¡ªone foot in the air, mind you¡ªand with both hands still gripping my falchion, launched a sideward slash at Azuma like I was a batter about to hit an incoming fastball.


    Just as I thought I was about to connect on his left shoulder, the man suddenly vanished from my target lock. I watched him twist his own shoulder back in miming of my earlier escape, and just like I did, Azuma made a turn that would send his spear shaft rocketing toward me from the side.


    Sword and spear collided once again in a shower of sparks that spread out of the point of impact. Luckily, the explosive strength of his spear brought about by his earlier Augmentare was gone, and I wasn''t blown back like before. Still, the collision of our weapons sent a shockwave into my hands that rose up my arms, numbing them momentarily in such a crucial moment.


    Azuma capitalized on my sluggishness to show me he had more tricks up his sleeve than a magician at a Las Vegas Magic show¡ªnot that I really know anything about Las Vegas. I am still a minor, after all. The man push-kicked me in the stomach and sent me tumbling backward. Then he reached out to me with his left hand, grabbed hold of the back of my neck, and shoved me forward and down right into the path of his rising knee.


    Have you ever been hit in the head with a metal plate? No? Well, let me tell you, it''s no fun, and it hurts like nobody''s business. Even worse, smacked in the right spot, like say, on the nose, and you get disoriented so badly your eyes tear up. Obviously, this also meant Fool''s Insight was out for the count. Thankfully, the same couldn''t be said of me. Although I will be the first to admit that I may have screamed like a little girl even worse than the time Azuma had stabbed me.


    I staggered back, my eyes blinking with tears. My nose was stuffy. Something sticky and wet dripped down it. With two of my senses going wonky, my hearing suddenly rose up several notches, and I could hear the jeering coming from the enemies encircling me and Azuma. I even heard the groans coming from my own troops.


    I raised my sword forward in a vain hope of blocking whatever came next. Perhaps even a Hadouken . After all, Azuma did just unleash an insane Street Fighter combo on me. Whatever I expected, it didn''t come. Instead, Azuma''s voice rang clear from just a few feet away from me.


    "Well? Didn''t you say you would set me free?" There was no malice in his voice. No taunt.


    I blinked. My blurry vision cleared somewhat, and I could see the outline of my opponent back in his favorite fighting stance. I blinked twice more. Then a third time and fourth time. I blinked until my vision cleared well enough to see Azuma''s face as he patiently waited for me to reclaim my bearings.


    "I supposed I should thank you for nullifying the Curse of the Morrigan¡­ Perhaps after I best you I might find someone else in this battlefield who can finally put me to rest," he said, laughing as he did.


    Azuma arched his back down and lowered himself. His entire body was taut and ready to spring.


    "The Spellweavers set a trap for the Iron Fist. They''ve even accounted for the elites fighting alongside her," Azuma admitted. "Surprisingly enough, the Lord of War''s only concern was you. He called you a¡­" Azuma''s emaciated face sent me an almost respectful nod. "He called you a distortion, a random element who could overturn a battlefield."


    Azuma lowered himself even more.


    "Exchanging blows with you now, I can understand why he might think so¡­ I can understand why Jimmy Jonas might have lost to you," Azuma said in an amused tone.


    Honestly, all this praise was making me blush. Fortunately, my face was bloodied enough that my red cheeks just made me look more beat up instead of embarrassed. Weirdly, though, it wasn''t embarrassment at the top of the emotional hurricane swirling inside me. Sure, there was a worry for Darah and a fear for my life that were clear contenders, but neither of them was as strong as the pride I felt at being recognized by such legendary figures from this part of the Fayne.


    These myriad emotions were enough for me to dust myself off. Then I stood up as straight as I could despite the pain in my entire body and raise my sword with my right hand. "S-sorry¡­ I''ve made you wait long enough." I leveled the falchion at him. "It''s time I earned the praise you''ve given me."


    In my head, a single thought rose to the forefront. Round Two. Fight!

 93 The Medusa Touch Part 1

    "Ready player one," I whispered to myself.


    It was refreshing to hear the words I often used to boost my self-confidence a notch higher. Honestly, I wasn''t the most self-assured kid out there, so a little positive attitude went a long way in psyching me up. But even this very important phrase wasn''t enough to clear the doubt in my mind.


    Yeah, I had a simple dilemma. The Magesong bastards set a trap for my boss, Great General Darah, on the other side of the center armies battlefield¡ªfar, far away from where I might have made a difference. And although she was a brilliant strategist herself, more than likely, Darah had sprung their trap even if she''d noticed it just so she could get within a few more feet of the opposing enemy general.


    "The best defense is an unstoppable offensive strike that slaughters everyone in our path," Darah always liked to say.


    Now, as one of her retainers¡ªat least the one she loved causing the most trouble for¡ªit was my duty to break out of the trap set for me by the aptly named Lord of War and assist Darah in her goal of ending this war in our absolute victory. Simple, right?


    Wrong. It was far from simple as there was a gigantic obstacle in my way. Introducing the murderous looking thousand-man commander of the Magesong clan''s center army and my self professed rival, Azuma, the Immortal.


    Yes, I had, through a series of incredibly challenging adventures, been able to rid Azuma of that pesky unkillable zombie status that I once thought was his default fairy gift. Still, this didn''t make him any less manageable. The dude was strong and worthy of being placed upon a pedestal I reserved for guys like Darth Vader, Achilles, and All Might.


    Standing barely twelve feet away from me looking all cool in his deathly stance¡ªhis spear pointed menacingly in my direction¡ªthe emaciated body of Azuma stood as the biggest obstacle to reclaiming my footing in this war. Victory lay through him, and that meant now wasn''t a time for doubt or insecurities. If I wanted to help Darah, then now was a time for action.


    With my doubt pushed to the back burner and my resolve to put myself squarely in death''s crosshairs finally set, I pulled out the shadowblade dagger from my free hand, and with a reverse grip, raised it to my eye-level. Then I placed my falchion''s shadowblade over the dagger''s own shadowblade and kept it level against Azuma. I''d chosen this famous dual-wielding sword stance for its ability to maximize sword thrusts and combine them with sneaky dagger attacks that were geared toward catching a distracted opponent right in the gut. Not that I''d mastered dual-wielding, but I had to keep surprising my rival, right?


    Once I was fully prepared, I took one large gulp of air and then shuffled forward inch by inch with my lead foot sliding across the wet grass. In contrast, Azuma remained deathly still. But then he coughed.


    A second passed. He coughed some more. However, this coughing fit didn''t even break his stance.


    "Um, you alright there?" I asked in spite of myself.


    Azuma cleared his throat. "Come, Dean... I don''t have all night to kill you..."


    I shook my head. What the hell was I worrying for? The dude was intent on murdering me.


    I continued my slow approach. A mere ten feet separated us now.


    At this point, some of you might wonder why I hadn''t reactivated Fool''s Insight. Well, that''s because I couldn''t. Not if I wanted to use whatever ounce of fairy gift I had left for Basilisk''s Eye. It was my trump card, and it took a lot of juice to activate. Sadly, that was something I was currently struggling with. Even now I could feel the growing strain on my eyes similar to that feeling one gets when they spend all day staring into a brightly lit computer screen. So, no, I couldn''t use it¡ªyet.


    Eight feet between me and Azuma. I was basically in his range now. But he hadn''t moved an inch. No more coughing either.


    The atmosphere seemed to tense up, and you could feel the anxiety build up among the crowd of onlookers who watched me inch closer toward Azuma. Yet all was quiet. The gathered were waiting with bated breath for the upcoming exchange of blades. Even the wind had stilled.


    My fingers tightened on both my falchion and dagger. My arms tensed with the strain of anticipation. However, Azuma didn''t budge.


    A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, raced down my cheek, and then dropped from my chin. It was so quiet¡ªlike the pair of us was trapped inside a soundproof bubble¡ªthat I heard the dripping sound of the bead hitting the blade of grass beneath me. And like a starting pistol''s explosion, that drop of sweat became my cue to charge.


    I launched myself forward with my front foot and pushed my falchion forward like a rocket in flight.


    Azuma reacted instantly. He uncoiled from his stance and charged me as well, his spear reaching for me like death''s icy touch.


    One, two, three, four, five exchanges. Each one a miss that would have taken the other''s life. For every one of my sword swings blocked by Azuma''s pole, his spear thrusts were also parried. Yet, I drew first blood. It was the dagger. I managed to slide it across the inner side of his arm when he''d extended it to pierce me with his staff.


    Instead of a piercing scream, a stoic Azuma simply sent me another death glare and resumed his attacks as if I hadn''t just nicked him with my dagger.


    Blood gushed out of the wound on his arm same as the wound on his leg, but neither seemed to stop him. The man was relentless in his attacks. Even more so now than he was when our fight began. And I think I knew why.


    With each heavy blow of his spear, Azuma''s chest heaved harder. With each sweep of his pole, his breathing quickened. If I didn''t know any better, then I''d think the sickness that drained his life on Mudgard was finally catching up to him here in the Fayne now that he didn''t have the Curse of the Morrigan protecting him.


    More and more, it looked like Azuma was desperate for a quick finish, but being the annoying teenager that I was, the determination to disappoint him lit a fire in me that strengthened each of my attacks. Each of my blows carried more weight than before. Each of my attacks more daring than the next. It was the wrong move.


    As I tried to capitalize on him pushing forward with a forward rotation of my own that ended with a backswing of my sword, I was met by another block from his pole that quickly transitioned into a side smack from his backhand.


    I pulled my head back, and the sensation of another nosebleed nearly overwhelmed me. Thankfully, I was just fast enough to duck as his hand came reaching out for me, possibly in an attempt to push me into another knee strike.


    I may have dodged his knee, but Azuma came prepared with another surprise. So, instead of a knee to the jaw I got a spinning heel kick that smacked me in the left shoulder. The impact pushed me sideward, introducing me to a left-fisted haymaker that might have knocked my clock out if I hadn''t raised my right arm in time to block.


    "Yeow!" I yelped.


    Even more than the bruise I could feel had appeared on my forearm, the shockwave of his fist passed through my entire arm and forced me to drop my dagger.


    "Muddamit!" I yelled while launching another series of sword attacks at him. "Why won''t you just fall!"


    Azuma laughed, and it wasn''t the crazy laughter he sported during one of our previous exchanges but the wheezing, coughing laugh he''d had back in his hospital room on that night Aura and I promised to set him free from the Magesong clan.


    "I don''t want to stop! This is too exhilarating! This is what it feels to be alive!" He said in a voice that was half-whisper.


    He wasn''t unmotivated at all. In fact, it just seemed like the wounds that wouldn''t heal like they used to just invigorated him more. Fortunately, I''d already decided that I wouldn''t get fazed by any of his crazy antics. Now was a time for action.


    A lightbulb exploded to life inside my brain. A sick Azuma, no matter how skilled, could be beaten. The time was ripe to launch my trump card.


    After twirling his spear around in a vertical rotation, Azuma raised it high, and using the momentum he''d gathered, launched another downward swing at me that would have been a terrible blow if it had hit. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    But while he was laughing and spinning his spear around, I was actually whispering a sweet little incantation that went something like this, "Oh, great fool, let my sight turn deathly cold that I might turn my foes to stone."


    With the final word whispered, an almost searing heat shot out of my eyes, and I imagined it crushed Azuma with a pressure that made him feel like stone. Only, it didn''t work out like it should have.


    Azuma, who should have been momentarily paralyzed, just shrugged off my fairy gift and continued his attack. And although it clearly took him a great effort to do¡ªnosebleeds and popping neck veins among other signs¡ªhe still managed to do it. The man was just that frighteningly strong despite cancer eating away at him.


    His spear came crashing down, and I barely had a moment to raise my falchion up to block. The impact sent me down on my knees, but I held. My arms shook as they held my falchion up. Above me, Azuma, his nose bleeding profusely, glared down at me.


    "Neat trick," he said. "What else can you show me, Dean Dapper?"


    "Seriously, dude¡­ why won''t you just lose?" I hissed back at him through gritted teeth. "You''re half-dead already!"


    "But this fight only became more interesting now that you''ve revealed your fairy gift!" Azuma replied in a wheezing voice. "I dare you to try it again."


    Fear began to worm its way into my mind once more at the same time as my vision blurred. And yet, despite it, or perhaps because of it, my arms continued to hold. They did not shake. They stood firm. My breath, too, although ragged from fatigue, wasn''t the least bit uneven.


    I was reminded of a quote I''d heard long ago. "Courage isn''t the absence of fear¡­ it is the capacity to take action in spite of fear."


    "You truly are an interesting boy, Dean," Azuma said in response to my babbling. "Shall we begin round three?"

 94 The Medusa Touch Part 2

    Azuma standing above me while I knelt on the ground struggling against the weight of his black steel spear while his killing intent rolled off him in menacing waves brought a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu to my mind. However, this time I didn''t have Fool''s Insight to help me out of this predicament.


    My vision had already gone from strained to blurred. It was like putting on prescription glasses that belonged to someone with extremely terrible eyesight. Not only was I forced to blink over and over, but just keeping my eyes open made my head hurt. Such was the price for overusing Fool''s Insight.


    "Well," Azuma''s voice, raspy from fatigue yet strangely jovial, reached my ears. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve, Dean?"


    The truth, I had nothing left. The tank was empty. I was tired and in pain. I''d been outmaneuvered on every turn, and it was grating on the nerves to think that not even my fairy gift was enough for me to win. Yeah, I was done¡ªand yet, I didn''t feel like it was the end. Perhaps, after going through too many life-and-death struggles in this war I just couldn''t bring myself to give up. In fact, my brain, although extremely fatigue, was already in overdrive thinking of anything I could do to escape Azuma''s clutches.


    Above me, the pressure from Azuma''s spear increased, forcing my weary arms to buckle, and I barely managed to keep them half-raised. This attack only galvanized me into action.


    "It''s not over yet!" I yelled, and with herculean effort, I picked myself up from the floor and pushed on my falchion with every bit of my remaining strength.


    This worked somewhat, as Azuma too was forced to pull back from my effort. Still, his spear remained over my head even as I stood on two feet. The man was taller than me, after all.


    Our weapons remained locked together in fierce competition, and while the grinding of shadowblades screeched around us, neither side was willing to give in the tug-of-war we were playing.


    "You''re getting weaker, old man¡­ Might want to give yourself a time out¡­ Wouldn''t want you to die now that I''ve got you on the ropes," I taunted.


    You had to give me credit. Even in the worst moments, I could still manage to banter like I was ahead in the count. Although there was a particle of truth to my statement. He was getting weaker. The weight of his attack, which at first was like gravity pressing down on me, had lessened with each pushback.


    Azuma coughed hard. Dark blood leaked out the side of his mouth, and even through my blurry vision, I could see his face turn pale. However, this handicap wasn''t enough for him to drop his spear. In fact, it only renewed his desire to wipe me out as quickly as possible.


    The intense pressure returned as Azuma doubled his efforts. He sent his spear crashing toward me¡ªand pushing myself against him felt like wading against the tide of a roaring river.


    "Oh, come on!" I hissed through gritted teeth. "Don''t you have an off switch?"


    "It''ll take more than a second wind for you to best me, Dean," Azuma spat at me. "You are but a small pebble facing off against the mountain."


    I raised an eyebrow. "Small?"


    "You may have gained much fighting experience in this war, but it is still tiny compared to the number of battles I''ve survived," he boasted.


    I raised my other eyebrow. "Tiny?!"


    "A little effort¡ª"


    "¡ªlittle?!" I screamed. "Alright, that''s it! No one calls me a miniature hobbit!"


    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew he wasn''t talking about my height, and I could see from the fleeting surprise in his face that my outburst confused him. It''s just that my brain went to crazy places whenever someone directed the words small, and tiny, and little at me. This may speak more about my own insecurities over how much taller Luca and Ty were than Azuma''s choice of words, but I didn''t care. No one called me small.


    If Azuma doubled his efforts earlier, then I tripled mine now. I lashed out at him with the fury of a slighted teenager¡ªand it was refreshing! For those few minutes, I didn''t care about consequences or priorities. It was just raw emotion pushing me on, and I relished it. At least for as long as it lasted before my head cleared.


    I pushed outward with my falchion and created enough space between us for me to pull off a stunt I''d seen Azuma do only minutes before. With momentum sending me forward, I raised my left foot and sent it pushing toward his armored front. My push kicked didn''t reach him, however. Instead, he''d broken the blade lock and sent his spear''s shaft in the way of my foot, which meant I''d still gotten what I wanted.


    Now that we were separated, I pulled away to create even more distance which was really the only thing I could do considering my own handicap. Then I pulled out a red vial from one of the pouches hanging on my belt and raised it to my face.


    Swoosh!


    Air current violently slammed onto the skin of my face like a phantom of something sharp passing dangerously close to me.


    I felt the red liquid spill out of the vial whose top half someone had cut in twain. And the potion that would have returned my sight washed over my hand and dripped ominously down to the grass beneath.


    From beyond my hand, I spied through my deteriorating eyesight a black-clad figure with his spear stretched out to the side in one hand.


    "Um¡­ you missed," I said, almost hoping this was true. The alternative was frightening to consider.


    Azuma shook his head. "I didn''t miss."


    I sighed heavily. "I figured."


    Our dance of death came again, but this time it was infinitely harder to dodge, block, and parry with my eyesight as bad as it was. Still, I managed it almost like it was a miracle. No. I should have more confidence in my fighting experience.


    Somehow, I just knew how to react to each thrust and each swipe of his spear whenever it came. I could even dodge the kicks and punches he was so adept at dishing out. Although it wasn''t perfect. Six times out of ten, a glancing blow would connect with me, sending pain shooting into my body.


    Yet, despite the new bruises and cuts that appeared all over me, none of the fatal attacks hit. It was like some primal instinct was forcing me to work extra hard whenever death came knocking¡ªand in this brief clash that lasted seconds, death came knocking loads of times.


    Eventually though, after my fourth or fifth successful dodge of a spear shot aimed at my head, I felt a strange stirring inside me. It was as if there was another me in my mind asking me just how long I was going to run around like an idiot. I could hear myself ask, Why aren''t you attacking? to which my conscious mind answered, Because I''m at my limit!


    Azuma''s spear finally struck home. It pierced deep into my left shoulder, cutting through the leather fabric and breaking the skin underneath it.


    I pulled away from him half-screaming in pain.


    The surrounding onlookers roared. Some cheered for their master. Others groaned for their wounded commander.


    I felt the blood trickle down my arm from the hole on my shoulder. Sweat coated my back. My chest heaved. Still, my mind wouldn''t shut up. It continued to speak words of encouragement. No, it was more like a taunt as the imaginary voice had changed to someone I really didn''t want to hear inside my head¡ªLuca.


    Why not go past your limits? Imaginary Luca whispered.


    Varda''s chirpy tones followed up with, You can do it, Commander!


    Then it was Qwipp''s saying, Breakthrough, muddamit! Words mirrored by Edo''s deep baritone voice, Breakthrough, idiot!


    Finally, words spilled from the imaginary voices in my head that started out in Ashley''s familiar low whisper, Push past your limit and gain new strength , ending with Aura''s almost lyrical voice, You can do it, Dean. I believe in you!


    Hearing all their voices in my head, I was prompted to say out loud, "I must be going crazy..."


    Suddenly, I felt heat explode out of my right wrist, and as I glanced down, I saw a soft glow rise out from Aura''s golden bracelet. Afterward, a refreshing warmth climbed up my arm and into my chest, burning through my fatigue and slowly clearing the blurry haze from my sight.


    "Dean!" Aura yelled. The real one. Not the girl in my head. "Watch out!"


    Her dire warning was easy to understand as Azuma had just launched himself toward me, his pale face filled with the determination to end our officer''s duel. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Breakthrough! The voices in my head screamed at me.


    I stepped forward, my falchion raised high.


    Azuma''s spear streaked toward my electrum chest plate. No doubt, it could pierce my armor and skewer my heart, but I wasn''t worried. I was filled with confidence that I was either about to do something awesome or learn too late that I''d gone insane right before the moment I died.


    Breakthrough! The whispering voices called. Ashley, Edo, Varda, Qwipps, Luca, and Aura. Go beyond your limit!


    Azuma''s spear was mere inches from me now.


    "Breakthrough" I yelled myself the fire in my eyes came back. It glowed with a fierce but obviously temporary light as I could already sense the haze creep at my edges, seeking to return me to darkness. There was only one thing left to do. "Basilisk''s Eye!"


    As Azuma''s spearhead had just scratched the surface of my chest plate, there was no time for a chant. Instead, I summoned my fairy gift by screaming its secret into the sky¡ªand I was rewarded with that familiar searing heat burst out of my sight, showering Azuma with a pressure that I felt was much stronger than the earlier Basilisk Eye .


    Azuma''s body stiffened for only a moment before he himself broke through my power, but that moment was all I needed.


    While my vision darkened even worse than the blurriness of a minute ago, I dragged my falchion down with both hands and sent it crashing onto Azuma''s right shoulder. My sight vanished into blackness, but I smiled despite it because I could feel my shadowblade cut through metal and into the flesh underneath. In that final, desperate moment, I had finally cut down my rival.

 95 The Recrui

    The iron scent of blood permeated the surrounding air. It assaulted my sense of smell and forced my nose to cringe. I never liked the smell of blood. That might be another reason why I wasn''t entirely suited to the battlefield.


    The noise was deafening. The onlookers were screaming now. Mostly curses directed at me. Words like, "Mud-bastard"! and "Kill the pipsqueak!"


    That last one made my brows furrow. Unfortunately, I couldn''t react to any of it. Not even from Xanthor''s, "Save the boss man," although I appreciated that my guys were looking out for me. I certainly couldn''t.


    All I could see was a pitch blackness that sent a chill creeping slowly up my spine. I''d never gone blind after using Fool''s Insight before, but it seemed like I overdid it.


    The sound of clashing steel and enraged voices reached my ears. They were much closer now than the thirty-foot distance everyone had maintained during the duel.


    I raised my falchion in front of me, not knowing when the strike would come but believing that even blind I''d manage somehow. This wasn''t cockiness, but winning a deathmatch really made a guy more confident in himself.


    Only a few seconds had ticked by when I felt someone close the distance to me. I swung my sword, but then I heard a familiar voice scream, "Dean! Stop, it''s me!"


    "Luca?" I asked for confirmation.


    "Yeah, it''s me¡­ so put down the sword nice and slowly," he answered.


    I dropped my sword arm to my side and let out a relieved sigh.


    A long-fingered hand grasped each of my shoulders. "What''s wrong with your eyes¡­ why are they all glassy?"


    Instead of explaining to Luca that I''d been de-buffed with blindness¡ªnot really knowing if the condition was permanent¡ªI asked him if he still had a healing potion left.


    "Y-yeah¡­ hold on," he said.


    I heard my little brother rummage through his clothes, heard a bottle being uncorked, then felt the smooth exterior of something glassy in my palm as Luca dropped the minor potion of healing into it.


    "Thanks," I said gratefully. Then I raised the vial in my hand and tipped its liquid content into my mouth.


    Healing potions had the strange property of tasting vaguely like one''s favorite drink. Most of the time, its flavor was a bit like Coke Zero to me. Tonight, however, the taste in my mouth was undoubtedly that of freshwater. It had that same tasteless yet cool to the touch and refreshing on the lips kind of relish.


    Seconds after I drank the potion, my sight came back to me. Although still hazy at the edges like I was looking through an unfocused camera lens.


    I blinked. Then I blinked some more until my eyes could adjust to this new sight.


    "At least I can see again," I sighed.


    Although it was a relief that my vision returned, the scene happening around me almost made me wish everything was still black. At least then, I wouldn''t feel like I''d just survived my fight with Azuma only to die at the hands of some random mob unit.


    It was madness, mayhem, pandemonium, and every other word used to describe chaos.


    The onlookers had devolved into a frenzied skirmish of hobgoblin, elf, visere, centaur, dwarf, and one very surly half-ogre who''d made it his duty to prevent anyone from getting within ten feet of me, Luca, and the exquisite-looking golden-haired elf who was kneeling on the ground a foot away from me. She had a hand resting on the bloodied, black-clad chest of the man lying on the grass.


    Azuma''s face was pale as death. He wasn''t moving.


    "Is he alive, Aura?" I asked.


    It took her another second or two to nod her head. "It''s faint but there''s certainly a heartbeat, Dean¡­"


    Relief flooded into my system. It wouldn''t do to kill the guy I made a bet I''d save. Otherwise, how was I going to cash in on my winnings? And I had huge plans for Azuma.


    "Can you wake him up?" I asked Aura.


    "I can give him a potion¡­" Aura glanced uncertainly at me. "Are you sure that''s what you want?"


    I closed my eyes as they already felt strained just from those few seconds they were open. I took this time to really think about what I wanted. Nevermind that the battle continued around us. This was an important decision and a rather risky one to boot.


    After half a minute of arguing the pros and cons in my head, I opened my eyes and gave Aura my consent.


    She shrugged. Then she did what I asked and poured a small vial of healing potion into Azuma''s pale lips.


    "Are you sure about this?" Luca asked worriedly. "This might bite us back in the butt¡­"


    "Yeah¡­ well, I''m glad you''re here to pick up the slack." I patted his shoulder. "Took you long enough."


    "You serious?" Luca gave me an incredulous look. "I was up to my knees in enemies! You only had to deal with one."


    I sent him back his incredulous look. "Excuse me? Are you actually comparing your mobs to my guy?"


    Our argument over who had it rougher lasted until we heard Aura suddenly clear her throat. What followed was a series of coughing fits coming from the man who, until a second ago, was on his way to the river Styx.


    "Dean¡­" Luca began, but I cut him off with, "It''ll be fine. Say what you like about the guy, but we both know he''s a warrior of honor. Right, Azuma?"


    Aura stepped back and allowed Azuma to sit up. As close as she was to him, seeing her looking less tense than my brother beside me only increased my respect for Aura. She really was something.


    Shut up, hormones! My rational brain screamed in my head. Focus!


    Azuma continued his coughing fit for a few more seconds before his breathing finally calmed and he was able to look up at me.


    "Why didn''t you kill me?" he asked in a raspy voice.


    "Because we," I pointed my right thumb on myself then pointed my index finger at Aura, "promised to free you."


    Azuma glanced at me and then at Aura. Luckily, it didn''t seem like there was any malice in his eyes. Just confusion.


    "The only way to free me from my contract is death¡­ Mine or my contractor''s¡­" Azuma insisted. "Tell him, she-elf."


    "Actually," Aura glanced at me before continuing. "Dean figured out a way to bypass that."


    Azuma''s eyes widened at her words. He coughed a few more times. Then he said, "Impossible¡­ how?"


    Noticing the interest in his tone, my eyes glinted with delight. In fact, I found it difficult not to rub my hands together like a supervillain.


    "The same way we broke through the Curse of the Morrigan," I answered. "Well, it''s a little more complicated than that but¡ª"


    "¡ªLook out!" Luca yelled.


    He drew Shaqs'' battle-ax and swung it down on an incoming hobgoblin. The creature had rushed us after it noticed its commander was awake. Sadly, this meant Luca relieved it of its head.


    I waited for the severed head to flop on the floor before I pointed my falchion at Azuma''s chest.


    "As I said, it''s complicated, but we can do it. We can free you from your chains¡­" I glanced around me. More and more of Azuma''s immortals noticed their boss was alive. They would begin their suicidal assault to save him soon. This was going to turn bad if I didn''t convince Azuma sooner. "You don''t have to die. Your men don''t have to die. But I need you to surrender now."


    "A true warrior doesn''t surrender," Azuma coughed.


    His breathing turned ragged again. It seemed like Aura''s healing potion wasn''t enough to bring him to good health. Lucky for us.


    "A true warrior doesn''t get his men killed when he knows the battle''s lost¡­" I reasoned. "Azuma, I know you care about your soldiers especially since they''re mostly viseres. That''s why I want you on my side."


    But it wasn''t Azuma who responded to my crazy idea.


    "W-what?!" Luca asked in surprise.


    I raised my hand to silence him before focusing my gaze on Azuma, hoping to will him into submission.


    Azuma scrutinized my face. "That could never work¡­" He jerked a thumb back at the surrounding chaos. "You''ve killed many of my soldiers already."


    "And you''ve killed some of mine¡­ Maybe even more than we''ve killed yours," I reminded him.


    "So how will that work?" Azuma asked. "We could never trust each other."


    "Actually," Aura interrupted. "We have precedent¡­ those drow who were giving you so much trouble¡­ well, we tried to murder each other too before they joined us."


    I nodded my head. "Now we''re all just one big happy family¡­"


    "Why would you do that? Risk yourselves with an alliance without certainty?"


    I raised an eyebrow at him. "Because just like the drow who''ve made my Foolhardies stronger, I''m certain you and maybe your viseres will be of use to us too." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    I know, I know. This plan was crazy. Sure, got your big rival to join your cause. Good luck with that, Dean! But, just based on our previous conversations I could tell there was no deep-rooted loyalty between Azuma and his fairy masters. My offer just might be the push he needed to finally rebel.


    "At the very least, we wouldn''t impose a cruel cage like the Curse of the Morrigan on you," Aura added.


    "Plus, we''re foolhardy¡­ It''s in the name," Luca sighed.


    I wasn''t entirely sure if my brother was on board with the plan, but at least he was helping. I think.


    "So, what do you say?" I asked.


    It was very hard to keep my eyes trained on Azuma while his soldiers were trying really hard to get to him. I could hear them screaming insults at me while promising to save their commander.


    Azuma spent another few seconds in contemplation. As if we weren''t on a time limit. The battle would spill over our patch of quiet soon enough.


    "You''re sure you can break the chains that bind me and my viseres?" he asked again.


    I nodded. Aura nodded. Luca sighed.


    "Hurry up with your negotiations, guys¡­" Luca insisted.


    I ignored him and answered Azuma''s question. "Yes¡­ but it''ll get rough. Might even kill you."


    This actually made Azuma laugh. Another fitting cough ensued.


    Luca left my side so he could support Edo and Ashley who were busy keeping our enemies at bay to scold me about my reckless plan to recruit Magesong viseres while on a battlefield.


    Luckily for all of us, Azuma finished his coughing fit and yelled in a voice that barely had any strength in it but was crystal clear nonetheless, "Lee~~eroy!"


    There was a response from the young blonde-haired soldier who only a second ago had desperately dodged a swipe of Azuma''s glaive.


    "Yes, sir?" the soldier said.


    "Enough fighting¡­ we''re quitting this battle," Azuma said.


    Uncertain soldiers looked among themselves before lowering their weapons. It was as if hearing their master tell them to stop battling made them lose all their will to fight. It wasn''t just the viseres either. Even the elves and hobgoblins under Azuma''s command followed his order.


    And just like that, with only a few sickly words from a half-dead man, the conflict between the Foolhardies and Azuma''s Immortals ended suddenly.


    At the back of my mind, I wondered if I could ever get my own forces to be that unquestionably loyal to me. I thought about it, then I shrugged. Probably not.

 96 Ride Like the Wind

    Xanthor Xor was cool enough to retrieve Myth Chaser for me after I''d jumped Azuma and threw us both off our mounts. Once our fight with the Immortals ended, he led the swifthart to me before lecturing me with, "Jumping off your ride while in a high-speed chase is crazy dangerous, boss man."


    "Yeah... it was pretty reckless," I admitted as I took the reins from him. "Thanks for watching my friend here."


    I spared a few seconds to inspect Myth Chaser to ensure no harm had come to him during our cavalry battle. Luckily, even with my slightly blurred vision, I found no visible wounds, and my friend seemed cheery enough when I patted his neck.


    Placing one foot on the stirrup, I boosted myself up to my seat atop Myth Chaser''s back with all the skill of a wannabe cowboy. From this higher vantage point, I glanced down at Azuma, who, along with his men, had consented to remain under guard by some of my Foolhardies and the Darah soldiers who''d just arrived to reinforce us. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "My guys will escort you and your viseres to the back-line for processing." I pointed toward Thom who I''d tasked with leading Azuma and crew to Berrian to begin the process of emancipating them from the Magesong clan. "He''ll take care of you."


    Although Azuma nodded, his eyes warily eyed Thom and his fellow drow like he expected some kind of double-cross.


    Thom was no help either. That antagonizing grin of his, the one that made people want to punch him, was plastered on his face while he gazed mockingly back at Azuma.


    I sighed.


    Aura arrived at my right side on Starlight. Luca and his swifthart, Jade Shadow, took the empty spot on my left. Ashley atop her Dazzler with Varda riding shotgun took position behind me. Xanthor''s remaining centaurs and the few riders we had left gathered behind them.


    "Edo?" I glanced around until I could find Aura''s half-ogre bodyguard standing in front of a group of elves I''d recently dubbed the Inglorious Bastards. Beside him stood their elven leader, Theren Everleaf. Both fairies eyed me with something I''d never seen before, almost like respect. I wasn''t sure as my vision still wasn''t a hundred percent.


    "Why''re you looking at me weird?" I directed the question at Edo.


    Edo coughed and cleared his throat at the same time as he averted his eyes.


    "Don''t know what you''re talking about," he insisted. "It''s not like I was impressed with your victory or something¡­"


    His voice trailed off and I couldn''t hear that last bit.


    "Sure-sure¡­ no need to get so defensive," I shrugged while giving him a knowing smile I knew would slightly rile him up.


    Edo growled.


    I wisely chose to ignore him and set my sights on Theren instead. "Will you guys be able to follow us fine on your feet?"


    "We elves have light steps and our strides are swift," Theren answered. "You needn''t worry. We will keep pace, Commander."


    "Well, that was reassuring," I whistled.


    Finally, a team leader who sounded reliable. I was beginning to think I''d never come across one in the Fayne.


    I glanced back at Azuma for one final word, my eyes gazing into his. "You made the right choice. You''ll see."


    Azuma began another coughing fit while he waved me away.


    I pulled lightly on the reins to turn Myth Chaser''s nose westward toward the other half of the center army''s battlefield. But before we galloped toward danger, I looked over to all the Foolhardies who were intent on following me into the breach despite our lesser numbers. And seeing the determined looks on each of their faces made my chest swell with pride.


    "Ride¡­ Ride like the wind. Ride as if the devil himself were chasing us," I said.


    And then, without any more preamble, I urged Myth Chaser onward just as I heard Varda ask Ashley, "Who''s the devil?"


    We rode fast and hard, and on a swifthart''s back, our ride may have been a little too fast. Fast enough for the cold night air to repeatedly slap my face and give me windburn. However, irritated skin and chappy lips were the least of my worries.


    In front of us was a wave of blue and gray soldiers swaying forward and backward, tearing at each other with shadowblade weapons that turned the verdant grass underneath them dark with blood. And what little room there was for us to maneuver required a delicate balance of zigging and zagging through narrow spaces filled with walls of sharp-edged blades.


    Obviously, this was no place for me and my impaired vision to lead my cavalry so I relied on Luca to bring us all to Darah before it was too late.


    Don''t get me wrong. I had no illusions about riding in like some white knight to save the day. I knew better than that. I may have contributed my share to our recent victories but a battle among great generals was no place for a young hundred-man commander to interfere in. Instead of helping, I was almost certain we would only be spectators in this final act of this particular war, but that alone had great merit. To witness a fight among such powerful beings¡ªI knew it would help me and my crew become stronger, whatever the outcome.


    Of course, I didn''t tell Aura this. She still thought we were riding to rescue her aunt¡ªsure, as if Darah needed rescuing. But, stealing a glance at her face and seeing the worry hidden in her eyes, I didn''t need our mental connection to know just how frightened she must have been at the possibility of Darah actually losing, however unlikely.


    I took my left hand of my reins despite how dangerous that was at our current speed and placed it over the golden bracelet wrapped around my right wrist. I hoped our connection was strong enough for her to sense the happy thoughts I hoped I was sending her way through the bracelet. Well, I might even have hummed a Coldplay track too. Something Just Like You always made me feel good, after all.


    I stole another glance at Aura and found her smirking at me. I quickly turned away while feeling like I''d rubbed chili all over my cheeks.


    Seriously! Stupid teenage hormones making me lose focus like that. Almost made me miss the spear lancing toward me. It had been thrown by a rather ugly looking, beady-eyed, bald-faced elven warrior¡ªthe first one I''d ever seen¡ªwho''d aimed to skewer me through my ribcage.


    I ducked to the side on instinct. The spear zipped by me only to collide with something metallic close behind me.


    "Dammit, Dean!" Ashley yelled.


    I took a quick peek behind me.


    Ashley had her shield raised as if she''d just used it to defend against incoming projectile.


    "Sorry!" I yelled back at her.


    She responded with the finger, and not the Fayne kind, but the Mudgardian middle finger that we all knew meant, well, something derogatory. Yeah, I didn''t like to swear. Sue me.


    I faced forward and saw another spear lancing toward me.


    "Shit!" I hissed. I know, I know. I just swore.


    I unsheathed my falchion and despite my weakened sight parried the spear before it killed me or Myth Chaser.


    "Watch out for projectiles!" Luca yelled from in front of me.


    It seemed he''d been blocking most of them with the help of Shaqs'' battle-ax.


    "Could have said that half a minute ago!" I yelled at him.


    Luca didn''t respond as a hobgoblin rider had just crossed his path. He raised his ax and swung it sideward in one quick motion, catching the hobgoblin by surprise and, if you could believe it, sending its severed head bouncing toward me.


    I smacked it out of the way with the flat of my falchion. Right afterward, I glared daggers at Luca.


    "You did that on purpose!" I accused.


    Luca spared me a backward glance.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Dean!" he yelled back.


    "Then why are you grinning?" I replied.


    Luca quickly turned around and yelled, "Hard right, everyone," effectively ending the interrogation.


    A few more zigs and zags and we finally cleared the center half of the battlefield. In the near distance, perhaps a good sixty yards away, stood a mass of bodies gathered in a circle around something I couldn''t quite see.


    I spared another glance behind me, and with a quick count, I estimated that we''d lost a fourth of our riders during our mad dash across the field. Even worse, Edo''s group along with the rest of Ashley''s Shield squad were nowhere in sight.


    "Muddammit," I whispered.


    That was all the pity party I could manage however, as Luca and Aura had both called out to me at the same time.


    "Dean, look!" they both yelled.


    "Wh-what?" I asked as I turned my head back to the front.


    Luca had a hand pointed toward the blue and gray crowd ahead. Their constantly shifting positions allowed a partition to open up and reveal what was happening in the middle of all that chaos.


    We were around twenty-five yards away, but I could clearly see the worrisome scene beyond.


    Darah, her golden armor gleaming under the light of the golden moon, picked herself off the ground using her golden sword as a crutch like she was injured or something. Above her, maybe ten feet off the ground flapped a black pegasus. Its masked rider looking down at Darah like some supervillain relishing his victory.


    "Muddamit!" I whispered. "We might be too late after all."

 97 Clash of the Titans

    My cavalry and I rushed toward the gathered crowd of spectators while watching the battle between the two great generals unfold from atop our mounts.


    Darah, who had only just risen from the ground in what may have resulted from a fall from her own flying steed, dusted herself off with her free hand looking as livid as I''d ever seen her. If looks could kill then the one she sent her opponent might have done the job.


    The dark-haired elf riding the black pegasus gazed back at her without fear. In fact, I was almost certain there was a smirk on his face.


    We covered half the distance now. Close enough to reach the edge of the crowd. From here, Darah''s voice rang loud and clear.


    "You injured my peryton, you bastard!" Darah yelled. "You''ll bleed for that!"


    Peryton, a strange word for an even stranger creature. For those of you who don''t remember, it was that half-bird and half-stag creature she flew that first night of the battlefield. From what I understand, Darah doted on it almost as much as she doted on Aura. And if that was any sign, then Great General Spellweaver was in for a rough ride.


    The elf didn''t seem to care, however. His smile stayed plastered onto his face right up until the moment he and his pegasus dived for Darah.


    Darah reacted instantly. She dodged to the right just as the pegasus reached her. Then she lept forward and sliced off the poor creature''s left wing with a single swing of her golden sword.


    The pegasus struggled to stay in flight, failed, and then went crashing off to the opposite side of the encirclement and slamming into a sea of gray soldiers like they were a set of bowling pins.


    A cheer rang out from the soldiers in blue.


    "Darah! Darah!" they yelled as one.


    It wasn''t too difficult to cut in line as we were riding on swiftharts that could easily push the mob of soldiers aside. But on my way to the front, I glanced left and then right, and noticed how the gathered soldiers faintly reminded me of a crowd in a sports stadium. Their enthusiastic focus on the scene beyond, with some raising their fists reaching for the sky, brought an electrifying atmosphere to the surrounding air.


    I couldn''t blame them. I felt the same way. In fact, I''d ridden this far just to get a glimpse of this epic matchup.


    "Excuse me!" I said. "Coming through!"


    We''d made it past the crowd and forcefully opened up a spot for ourselves at the front of the encirclement right between our Darah compatriots and a group of heavily armed Magesong soldiers.


    Although I wanted to inspect this new enemy force I hadn''t encountered before, Darah''s taunting laugh stole my attention. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Get over here already, Spellweaver¡­ I''d like to kill you quickly," Darah taunted.


    I glanced over to Great General Spellweaver who had just finished extricating himself from the mess of pegasus and fallen Magesong soldiers, and I had to admit, the elf was impressive.


    Long dark hair framed a pale oval face before falling neatly over broad shoulders. His eyes were a bright amber beneath thin eyebrows. He had a prominent aquiline nose and thin lips, the latter of which, was set in a tight smile. Although covered from head to foot in black, the strips of armor shaped almost like leaves wrapped tightly across a lithe form that spoke of a fairy who indulged in the warrior''s way. An intricately designed sword-hilt hung on the black sash tied around his waist.


    As the great general of the Magesong army stepped forward, he pulled out the sword hilt from his sash and raised it forward. When the shadowblade launched out of its container, it took the form of a falchion almost twice the length of mine. But unlike the blue light mine emitted, his glowed with an almost golden aura.


    "Darah¡­ always so arrogant." Spellweaver''s voice was low yet it carried the same sing-song note of elf-speech. "Small wonder you fell so readily into my trap."


    "Your trap?" Darah''s eyebrow arched menacingly. "When will you stop taking credit for your son''s achievements? We all know this was his plot. You wouldn''t have thought up a plan to save your own life."


    There was an audible, "oo~~oh," from the crowd. Followed by, "Burnn~~n!" from me and Luca.


    Spellweaver scowled deeply at gathered onlookers, forcing many who weren''t prepared to hold back his killing intent to either faint or take several steps backward.


    Although Myth Chaser and I hadn''t moved from our spot, it took all my focus not to be overwhelmed. I patted my mount softly on his neck to calm him down as I could feel him shiver slightly.


    Satisfied that he''d shut everyone up, Spellweaver focused his attention back on Darah.


    "Certainly, Ardeen is a brilliant strategist¡­ he is the brain. Whereas I," Spellweaver draped his oversized falchion''s shadowblade across his right shoulder, "I am most certainly the brawn."


    Darah laughed again. "That''s certainly all you''re good for, Spellweaver."


    Spellweaver frowned. "You arrogant quim. It seems a lesson in death is necessary to carve out the difference between you and I."


    I wasn''t sure what ''quim'' meant, but I definitely caught the narrowing of Darah''s eyes as she heard the word.


    "I will use my own hands to rip your fool''s heart from your chest right after my men have had their way with you and I have crushed your pretty face under the heel of my boot," Spellweaver continued.


    My brow furrowed at his description. He was rather graphic.


    "I see toppling you off your high horse wasn''t enough." Darah raised her sword arm delicately, almost like a dancer''s movement. She pointed the pointy end of her golden sword at Spellweaver. "You won''t have hands at dawn. You won''t have feet or groin. You will wander the land of the dead crawling on your belly while screaming for your manhood, and all the spirits will know, this is Spellweaver, the charlatan who thought he could challenge Darah."


    There are just some people who can change the atmosphere by a simple exchange of words whether it be an empowering speech or a defaming taunt. Darah was exactly this type of person. Just hearing her flail Spellweaver alive with words was enough to life my spirits. And judging from the puffed-up chests and raised fists, I wasn''t the only one affected.


    In response to Darah''s scalding words, Spellweaver raised his falchion forward and pointed its sharpened edge at her too.


    "You will die for that insult¡­" he said in a low, menacing voice.


    Boom! The sound of thunder streaking across the sky exploded out of the ground.


    Darah was the first to act. She''d said enough. Now was a time for action¡ªand action came in a blaze of speed that would have given the Flash a run for his money. She launched herself forward with such force that the ground beneath her cracked at the strength of her push off.


    Kaboom! A second thunderous roar could be heard as Spellweaver launched himself forward as well.


    They met in the middle, oversized falchion clashing against a golden sword. Metal raked on metal. Not once or twice or even thrice. It was an exchange that lasted moments, but the number of swings and parries were almost too many to count.


    Enormous pressure flew off each sword swing in waves that could be felt by those of us who weren''t even their targets. More than once, I had to hold Myth Chaser steady to keep him from bolting away and taking me with him.


    Both combatants pulled back momentarily only to launch themselves forward again in a renewed onslaught of sword blows. This pattern would repeat once more, but by then it was obvious that Spellweaver was stronger as each of his swings pushed Darah back. However, Darah was faster and more graceful of the two, and with each attack, she proved she was the better swordsman. For every one of Spellweaver''s heavy strikes, she nimbly parried with a slight twist of her shadowblade.


    Honestly, it was like watching a fairy dancing under the golden moonlight. Darah was both graceful and beautiful in her dance, and I almost believed the brute I had to deal with on a near-nightly basis was just a figment of my imagination. Almost.


    A single monstrous punch launched from Darah''s left hand quickly shattered the illusion of the graceful dancer in my head. Her fist impacted on Spellweaver''s face, nearly pushing him off his feet with its force, and crushing my whimsical teenage heart while she was at it.


    "Oo~~oh, that''s got to hurt," Luca said beside me.


    Spellweaver pulled away to a safer distance with a bloody face. Blood dripped out of his aquiline nose. There was also a trickle of the red stuff coming out the side of his mouth. Yet, despite the obvious injury, the elf was smiling from ear to ear with bloodied teeth clear for all to see.


    He spat out a mouthful of bloody spit before looking back at Darah and saying, "That''s right¡­ that''s the kind of fight I want!"


    Spellweaver wasn''t the only smiling lunatic in that fight. Darah too was showcasing her pearly whites like she''d just won a point in a tennis match. She had such a smug look on that I face-palmed myself.


    "Great¡­ they''re both battle freaks¡­" I sighed. Then I glanced over to Luca and said, "I''m surrounded by battle freaks."


    He raised an eyebrow in response. "What are you talking about, Dean¡­ you''re one too, idiot."

 98 Battle Beyond the Stars

    The battle beyond Mudgard''s stars continued between these two titans, neither of them really claiming a true advantage over the other.


    Darah was faster and far more talented with the blade than Spellweaver was. This was obvious in the way she danced around him while launching a combination of sword attacks that I could barely follow with my strained eyesight. On the other hand, a single swing of Spellweaver''s oversized falchion was enough to push Darah back a step or two.


    Although neither of them was landing any lethal blows, the growing number of cuts and cracks appearing on their armor was slowly beginning to pile up, and I could tell that soon, one of these two monsters would give.


    Spellweaver swung his falchion forward with one hand. Darah countered with a sword swing of her own. Their shadowblades clash and ground against each other, forcing a blade lock that neither of them could pull away from less the other use that moment to take an attack of opportunity.


    Darah''s next action was predictable. Unfortunately, Spellweaver was thinking along the same lines as me. So, when Darah launched a haymaker from her left fist, he raised his left hand and sent it across to the right to catch the fist as it came hurtling at him.


    There was another thunderous roar that was immediately followed by wind pressure spreading out to the surrounding crowd. It was a phenomenon caused by the single action of Darah''s fist smacking into Spellweaver''s open palm. This seemingly awesome display of power was enough to give my arms goosebumps, and I wondered how a regular guy like me could ever measure up against such foes.


    As both their hands were now occupied, each one holding the other at bay, Spellweaver took this time to break the silence between them.


    "You truly are formidable, Darah," his tone was almost respectful. "Perhaps you''d like to change sides? With your assistance, my Magesong Army could easily sweep through Trickster lands and conquer their territory."


    I wasn''t sure about everyone else, but hearing Spellweaver''s proposition made me do a double-take in disbelief. Seriously?


    "Um, Dean¡­ I think he''s doing what you love doing," Luca noted from beside me.


    Luca was right. The dude was pulling off a recruitment drive in the middle of a battle. It''s what I just did with Azuma. Fortunately, unlike Azuma, Darah had a very convincing reason not to switch sides. One of those reasons was sitting on the yellow swifthart standing next to me.


    Darah laughed in Spellweaver''s face before she responded with, "Join you?" Darah pushed back against Spellweaver''s falchion, pushing him back by a step. "Why would a lioness share her place with antelope?"


    At her words, Spellweaver''s eyes narrowed. Aimed at anyone else, I''d have expected some flinching or cowering away, but Darah held his gaze. And the smile she sent him was like the maddening smile Thom gave most of his opponents.


    "You really are a fool." Spellweaver renewed his effort, and this time, he pushed Darah back a step. "You fight for a weak little upstart who didn''t have the sense to die when his time came¡­ one who is not worthy of the empty throne!"


    At his words, I could see Darah bristle. And it may have just been imagination, but I could almost feel her annoyance radiate out of her in waves. Strangely enough, I felt that same sensation radiate out of Aura beside me. It seemed neither she-elf liked it when someone dissed the patriarch.


    "And you think you''re better?" Darah''s face lit up in cold contempt. "You, whose victories these last decades can be attributed to another? You, who sought help from the Scarlet Moon to gain the seat you stole from your clan''s old patriarch?"


    Darah almost spat the words at him.


    "You do not know the meaning of strength, Spellweaver," she hissed. "You''re a bully masquerading as a leader. Nothing more. My nephew is a hundred times the elf you are."


    Hearing Darah speak so highly of the patriarch, I couldn''t help but think that she had a point. Imagine watching your family die around you while the poison that was slowly killing them was also in you, would you have the strength to endure it? I don''t know if I could. Not even to save Luca.


    Thinking of the patriarch sent my mind momentarily back to the past, to that time after he gave me my fairy gift and asked the others to allow us a moment to talk privately.


    It was my first time around royalty, and I wasn''t really sure how to act. Suffice to say, it was an awkward meeting.


    While the others left us, the patriarch asked me to come closer to where he sat on his chair by the edge of a cliff overlooking the city of grand trees and even grander wooden halls nestled between a roaring waterfall and a rocky cliff-side. This was my first real scenic view of Sh?rleden, a wonder of the fairy world.


    "Tell me, Dean Dapper¡­ what do you see when you look upon my city?" the Patriarch asked in his wispy voice.


    "I-it''s beautiful," I said, unable to hide the awe I felt for something that honestly took my breath away. "A place of magic and wonder¡­"


    Beneath me, the city that felt hewn out of the very forest surrounding it was alive and breathing with colorful lights and sounds that made this whole surreal experience even more magical than I could have imagined. Like the hammer striking the anvil, it brought home the point that I was in an entirely new world.


    "It is all those things, I agree," the Patriarch nodded. "But it is also a promise."


    I turned my head to look at him. "A promise¡­ sir?"


    "A promise of a better Fayne. A kingdom worthy of the heavens," he answered.


    "Is that your dream?" I asked surprised. How could I not be? Beside me sat a fairy was obviously struggling just to breathe. Yet he had such a lofty dream as this.


    "You have not seen the rest of my world¡­" he whispered. "You will find great darkness here¡­ and war¡­ and death¡­ but there is hope to be found as well¡­"


    At this, he patted my arm lightly with his hand.


    "And you shall meet others who fight for that same dream¡­" he whispered. "I hope you can be of use to them¡­"


    That was the first time I thought fairies weren''t all bad. Like the patriarch who stood on that cliff-side and discussed his plans for a kingdom worthy of the heavens, I saw in this battlefield a great general who fought for that very same dream, and I felt pride at being one of her officers.


    I stole a peak at Aura and noticed her face brimming with that same pride for her aunt. I smiled. She and I really were on the same wavelength.


    It was then that I noticed the commander of the enemy troops positioned next to mine. A dark-haired elf in an unremarkable black garb that covered him from shoulder to ankles sat on top of a dark gray swifthart. His pale, oval face, covered in a silver half-mask that was strangely similar to Aura''s own golden mask, was looking right at me, a smile growing on his thin lips. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    This elf glanced to the side and whispered something to the female beside him.


    My eyes widened at the sight of her. It was the masked rider I fought a few nights previously, the one whose single punch nearly broke my insides.


    The masked rider turned her gaze at me as well, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It was a sure sign that trouble was coming.


    After a quick discussion, the elf maneuvered his mount so that he could stroll over to me.


    By this time, Aura had noticed my agitation and she turned her gaze to where I was looking. I could see her body stiffen at the sight she saw. But neither she nor I did anything as the silver masked elf strolled to the other side of her.


    He lowered his head in greeting to Aura before turning to face me.


    "I was hoping we would meet at least once in this battlefield, Dean Dapper," Ardeen Spellweaver said.


    Of course, I knew who it was. Who else would be so brazen as to walk past enemy lines so he could come over and chat with his enemies? For sure, I was staring into the face of the brilliant strategist who nearly killed me with his plans. And now face to face with the Magesong clan''s Lord of War.

 99 Lord of War

    "There''s no need for that," Ardeen Spellweaver said after he noticed my hand reach down to my sword hilt.


    Reaching for my weapon was an unconscious action, but my body simply reacted to the pressure exuding out of this masked elf. It was like an uncomfortable heat grazed my skin¡ªas if I''d walked too close to a roaring bonfire in the middle of summer.


    Aura must have felt that same pressure as she''d maneuvered Starlight closer to Myth Chaser so that our legs were close enough to brush against each other.


    "There''s no need to be afraid either," Ardeen Spellweaver assured us. He raised both hands palms forward for emphasis. "I only seek discourse with you before this battle ends."


    The self-assured way he sounded when he mentioned that the battle would end soon like he was so certain of it, rubbed me the wrong way. Sadly, the sound of shadowblades clashing interrupted me before I could give a rebuttal.


    Both Ardeen Spellweaver and I turned our heads back to the fight that had restarted.


    I wasn''t sure which of them broke the blade lock, but it seemed both great generals were eager to cut each other up again. Neither of them held back with each swing of their swords.


    Great General Spellweaver leaped forward and swung his oversized falchion downward onto Darah''s face. She parried with her golden sword.


    Spellweaver swung sideward, almost reaching Darah''s chest, but she blocked it with her sword, her free hand clutching onto the flat of her shadowblade to reinforce it.


    With both hands on her sword, Darah pushed the weapon forward, forcing Spellweaver back a step. He, in turn, countered with a single-hand side slash that would have cut into Darah had she not dodged to the side.


    Both fighters were now a slight distance apart from each other, both eyeing the other like rival wolves vying for dominance of the pack.


    "Incredible, aren''t they?" Ardeen Spellweaver said. "They''re like calamities, the pair of them."


    As we felt each blow after blow from their sword swings reverberate out to the surrounding crowd like invisible waves, I couldn''t help but think his description of them was kind of accurate.


    "Of course, I thought Azuma had the makings of a calamity himself¡­" Spellweaver''s tone was contemplative, forcing me to glance sideways at him. He too was looking at me, smiling in that impish smile common to guys like Thom. "And yet I find you here alive despite the trap I set for you and the warrior I charged to kill you."


    His smile seemed to grow even wider.


    "You have surpassed my expectations, boy touched by fire," he said happily, as if he wasn''t at all upset that I ruined his evil plan to get me and my friends killed.


    "It wasn''t easy," I admitted. "If the failure of your stupid Curse of the Morrigan didn''t weaken Azuma so much, I might have been the one to die."


    Spellweaver''s smile wavered slightly. "So, he''s dead then?"


    "Yeah," I lied. Better he thought that I''d killed Azuma rather than figure out I could free him from Ardeen''s clutches. "You sacrificed your knight and failed to capture my king."


    Spellweaver''s eyes searched me, and I did my best to look stoic.


    "Well, it looks to me like your king''s still in a bind," he replied to my chess reference with one of his own.


    Another loud boom quickly followed by a sudden gush of force that whipped at my hair and made Myth Chaser shake beneath me.


    I turned my eyes back on the fight and felt them go as wide as Oreos. "What in mud''s sake¡­?"


    Darah''s golden sword was wrapped in flames. Opposite her, Spellweaver''s own falchion was covered in a sheet of air that was like a tornado shaped like a blade. Only, it must have been twice the length of Spellweaver''s already oversized falchion.


    "Augmentare!" Luca yelled excitedly.


    He was right, but not even Jimmy''s flames radiated the same golden hue as Darah''s sword did. Nor did I see Azuma wield a coating of water as dense as the wind wrapped around Spellweaver''s falchion. If anything, the generals'' elemental weapons had much more power poured into them.


    "Shall we make a wager, boy touched by fire?" Ardeen Spellweaver''s voice rang clear despite the clamor of the crowd. "My father or your master. Which of the two shall triumph?"


    I couldn''t respond. I couldn''t even spare him a glance as I was worried I''d miss the clash if I did anything but pay attention. Something in my gut told me this was the deciding clash.


    Both generals leaped forward. Darah sent her shadowblade in a sideward arc while Spellweaver swung his shadowblade downward. And in the seconds before their blades met, I asked Ardeen Spellweaver, "Your dad knows that air makes fire stronger, right?"


    Just as I''d predicted, the meeting of Darah''s flame sword and Spellweaver''s air blade caused a reaction any high schooler could have warned them about. Fire plus air equaled combustion. It was basic science. Sure air only had around twenty-one percent oxygen in it but that would have been enough for a blaze to come to life.


    The fiery explosion that spread out from the point of impact of their shadowblades might have blown any old visere or fairy away, but being a great general really had weight to it¡ªliterally. In fact, the surrounding crowd pulled back from both the outward surging heat and flames, but neither Darah nor Spellweaver seemed fazed by the extreme pyrotechnics happening around them. Their deadly dance continued.


    While fire and air combusted between them, Darah twirled around to dodge another of Spellweaver''s downward slashes. Her momentum sent her jumping upward in a spinning heel kick that would have smacked Spellweaver in the head if he hadn''t dodged in time.


    Darah''s sword came rushing down as she landed back on the ground, but Spellweaver raised his sword in time to parry it.


    They circled around each other.


    Spellweaver launched another attack but Darah caught his sword-hand mid-swing in an amazing show of martial talent.


    Then she pulled his hand and falchion to the side while rotating her entire body a hundred-eighty-degrees so that her back was to him. And while his sword arm was extended and incapable of harming her, she released an elbow strike at Spellweaver''s chest. Spellweaver blocked the attack with his free hand, but the impact was strong enough to swat his hand away, leaving his head open for a second elbow shot that struck him right on the nose.


    Darah released his sword arm, and her opponent pulled back while screaming obscene curses at her. The dude had a potty mouth to rival Deadpool .


    Spellweaver took several steps back, but Darah followed him, moving forward in a twirl that allowed her to smack him on the side of the head with another spinning heel kick.


    "She''s showing off now," I noted.


    "Yes," Aura agreed.


    "Uhuh," Luca added.


    Spellweaver was driven back but reclaimed his footing away from Darah''s reach. He shook off the pain and raised his head to glare at her¡ªbut she was gone from his line of sight.


    While he was disoriented, Darah had ducked to the side and skirted the corner to bridge the distance between them unnoticed by her opponent. And by the time Spellweaver spotted her, she was already at his side and launching the attack that earned her the monicker of Iron Fist.


    Darah stepped into range and slammed her left fist into his gut with the force of a wrecking ball, causing Spellweaver to double over in pain. Blood and spit came out of his mouth. Even his Augmentare was dispelled. However, this critical blow wasn''t enough to bring Spellweaver to his knees.


    Swift as lightning, he swung his falchion around, and I watched it finally break through her armor and cut into Darah''s shoulder as she barely pulled away.


    Blood trickled down to her heaving chest. Darah looked winded. Although she was still smiling like she was enjoying the fight.


    Then Spellweaver roared.


    It was a horrific scream that made my spine tingle with nervous anticipation as I realized I''d heard a similar berserker roar before. In fact, I was pretty sure Luca was equally unnerving to hear whenever he activated his Foolish Insight .


    "Ah, yes¡­ I wondered if she could bring it out of him¡­ that ridiculously wrathful side of his," Ardeen Spellweaver mused.


    Like a mad dog, Spellweaver forced Darah back with swing after swing even as Darah cut his flesh. Darah rolled away. Dodged. Ducked. Even countered. Still, Spellweaver stuck to her like a lizard on the wall. He did not give her a moment to breathe.


    "Hmm¡­"


    "What?" I glanced at Ardeen Spellweaver''s masked face. "What is it now?"


    Even behind his mask, I could tell that he looked bored. Somehow, I had this gut feeling that his father''s transformation annoyed the guy.


    "At this rate, your Great General Darah might not last much longer¡­" After he said this, Spellweaver looked over to the masked rider he''d left with his troops. He signaled her with his hand. "I can''t have that happening too soon."


    I don''t know why, but that signal sent my proverbial spider-sense tingling.


    The masked rider acknowledged his signal with a nod of her head. Then she was gone¡ªvanished into the Magesong soldiers like the shadow she was.


    Seeing her vanish sent a chill up my spine because this was the moment I realized that having everyone distracted with the generals'' fight made now the perfect opportunity to pull an underhanded scheme that could upset the battle.


    "Wh-what are you planning?" I asked. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    But behind his mask, I could already see the glint of triumph in Ardeen Spellweaver''s eyes. The smile he''d given me when we met was back too. As if to tell me that whatever I did now would be too little too late.


    "You really are surprisingly sharp-witted, boy touched with fire," Ardeen said. "I would love to match wits with you again ¡ª should you survive tonight¡­"


    My hand reached down for my falchion.


    "N-no..." Every nerve in my body told me I had to stop this elf before he could do anything to change the status quo. "S-stop!"


    I unsheathed my falchion. The shadowblade sprang out of the hilt.


    Beside me, Aura could sense the tension roll off me. Her eyes darted between me and our unwelcome neighbor.


    "D-dean¡­ what''s wrong?" Despite her confusion, she unslung her staff and held it aloft in her right hand, seemingly ready for anything. "Tell me."


    I didn''t answer her as it was already too late.


    Then came the sound of unfamiliar horns like a cacophony of wails unlike anything I''d ever heard before. Manufactured death rattles that were repeated over and over until all we could hear was this horrific wailing rolling onto the battlefield from somewhere beyond my blurred eyes could reach.


    "Damn¡­" I glared at Spellweaver. "What did you do?"


    He responded in a foreboding voice with a phrase I knew all too well. I''d read Dracula enough times to remember it. "The children of the night. What sweet music they make!"

 100 Julius Caesar

    The horrendous wailing swept across the battlefield, causing all who heard it to stop in their tracks. Everyone, from the lowest foot soldier to the dueling great generals, all stood still and listened.


    Then we felt the ground rumble beneath our feet. Not like an earthquake. More like the feeling of the earth-shaking as something heavy moved across it. You know, like when you''re walking along a track and a train passes by. Of course, there were no trains in the Fayne, and that realization made my whole body tense up.


    When we finally saw them, their purple banners unfurled and dancing in the wind, I felt my throat go dry.


    "Shit," I mumbled.


    There were so many of them. Soldiers of an unfamiliar army geared in cloaks of brilliant red marching down on our battlefield from whatever hell in the north they''d come from. Tens of thousands of them. Perhaps more. And soaring above these scarlet warriors was a battalion of dark-feathered birds that were like eagles. Enormous birds of prey with twenty-foot wingspans and long necks and talons as wide as minivans.


    "No," Aura whispered from beside me. "They''re here¡­ why are they here?!"


    I didn''t need to be psychic to understand the agitation in her voice. Those purple banners with their red crescent moons were recognizable to any soldier of the Fayne. Even a Mudgardian like me knew that symbol¡ªthe symbol of the Scarlet Moon.


    "Looks like we''re in deep shit now," I said.


    "Are they¡­ enemy reinforcements?" Luca asked.


    "Probably," I said uncertainly.


    It wasn''t hard to deduce that the Scarlet Moon was here to help the Magesong army out. They were official allies who both hated the Trickster Pavilion, after all. And yet, why did I feel like something was amiss? Maybe it was because of what Ardeen Spellweaver said earlier. That part about not wanting his dad to defeat Darah too soon like he had a plan in place that needed time to come together.


    I swiveled my head to question him only to discover he and his mount were no longer on the opposite side of Aura. Nope, Ardeen Spellweaver was already trotting leisurely toward the two great generals, who, like everyone else, had paused their battle to gape at the arrival of the third army.


    Seeing him unfazed by their arrival sent a stinging pain into my brain. Kind of like my visere-sense was tingling in a bad way.


    "Aura¡­ stay here and be ready to lead the men," I said as I glanced toward her. Then I nodded toward Luca and ordered him to follow me, "Watch my back, little brother."


    Without waiting for either of them to respond, I urged Myth Chaser to race after Ardeen. Only, by this time, he was already within range of both great generals.


    "Hurry, Myth Chaser," I stressed, tightening my grip on the reins and spurring him on.


    Not that I needed to worry too much as both great generals turned their heads toward him once he was close enough. Darah''s annoyed stare was expected, but seeing the surprised look Spellweaver sent his son was even more worrying.


    "Ardeen¡­ did you call these reinforcements here?" he asked, his voice half-angry and half-confused. "I told you we didn''t need the Scarlet Moon to win this war."


    Ardeen inclined his head to his father. "Forgive me for not informing you of this stage of the plan, Great General." Ardeen glanced up at his father. "But it is all for the sake of our total victory."


    I couldn''t put my finger on it, but something in the way he spoke to his dad didn''t sit well with me. Maybe it was the way he was glaring at his father despite bowing to him. That was definitely weird.


    Spellweaver also glared at Ardeen, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Fool¡­ be prepared for your punishment once this debacle is over."


    Ardeen inclined his head again in a showing of deference. Then he moved to position his mount behind his father. That''s when I saw her. The masked rider was back.


    She''d appeared on the other side of Darah, charging toward my great general with her katana in hand while Darah was distracted by the exchange between the enemy great general and his son.


    "General Darah!" From right behind me, I heard Luca yell Darah''s name as a kind of warning. Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect of having Darah swivel her head toward us and keeping her from discovering the assassin at her other side.


    I didn''t think. I just threw my falchion forward and hoped against all hope that I wasn''t about to mess this up. After all, my vision wasn''t exactly twenty-twenty anymore.


    It missed Darah''s head by a hair''s breadth, streaked past her, and would have struck the masked rider''s swifthart if she hadn''t swatted it away with her katana.


    Yes, I missed, but it wasn''t so bad that I did. Partly because I would have felt bad if I''d killed that swifthart. Partly because my roguish maneuver was enough to slow the masked rider down long enough for Darah to turn in her direction, and with a killing intent that would have made me whimper like a baby, swing her still flaming golden sword at her would-be-assassin.


    Darah''s single swing cut off the head of the swifthart I''d almost killed, wasting the relief I''d felt for it.


    Her second fiery swing was meant for the masked rider''s falling form, but the dark elf had launched herself up in the last second, jumping like a gymnast and rolling in the air until she landed feet first beside Darah. Stupid choice.


    Darah was too quick and the masked rider had barely turned to face her when she felt the iron fist hit her right in the solar plexus, launching her off her feet, just in time for a downward swing of Darah''s sword pommel to send slamming back into the ground.


    Luca, who had reached my side, was whistling now. "She kind of pulled off a sweet Tekken-like combo there."


    The super geek in me really, really wanted to tell Luca that Tekken actually meant Iron Fist in English which was ironic considering Darah''s monicker. Sadly, I wasn''t able to indulge my inner geek because that''s when we heard the scream of pain come out of Great General Spellweaver''s lips.


    "Seriously?!" My brow furrowed to its extreme. "What the F¡ª"


    "¡ªDean, why''d he do that?" Luca interrupted my almost-use of a swear word.


    Believe me, if you had seen what I just saw your mind would have been blown away too.


    The shadowblade tip of a knight''s sword was sticking out of Spellweaver''s chest similar to how those baby aliens from that really old movie, Aliens, burst out of people''s chests in that really gross way. Even more bizarre, the hand holding onto the sword that had just pierced the great general''s chest belonged to his son.


    Ardeen Spellweaver had gotten off his swifthart and pierced his dad from the back like in that game about assassins in white coats while he was distracted with Darah''s attack.


    When he turned his head to face his son, I half-expected him to scream, "e''tu brute?" which was this famous line from Shakespeare''s play which Julius Caesar said when he was stabbed by his friend Brutus. But blood gushed out of Spellweaver''s mouth, making him choke on whatever it is he wanted to tell his son. So, like the great parent he was, he opted to reach for his son''s neck with his free hand instead and tried to choke the life out of Ardeen.


    Geez, small wonder he was just betrayed by his own flesh and blood.


    "Forgive me, father," Ardeen Spellweaver said as he attempted to pull his father''s grasping fingers away from his neck. "But it is time for you to retire and for me to finally be free of you!"


    "A-ar-de~~en!" Spellweaver must have reached into himself and called out whatever gas he had left in the tank. For with the hand he used to choke his son, he lifted Ardeen Spellweaver off the ground and held him there with a vice-like grip that might have done lots of damage if the Masked Rider hadn''t gotten up and stabbed him again in the back with her Katana.


    Spellweaver let go of his son and stumbled to the ground on one knee. Dark blood poured out of his wounds and soiled the earth underneath him.


    My first thought was, How the hell was she back up after getting creamed by Darah just now? This was immediately followed by, Did these bastards just pull off a coup d''¨¦tat in the middle of this huge battle?


    A hand grasped my leg, and I looked down and found Darah looking up at me.


    Darah tossed me my falchion. "Focus, Dean!"


    "Ye-yes, ma''am," I answered almost by instinct.


    "I want you to figure a way out of this mess so we can regroup with Roger," she commanded.


    My brain must still be on loading. I didn''t understand what she meant.


    But then I heard the angry roar of the crowd surrounding us, and I turned my gaze at the hundred of Magesong soldiers who had just unfrozen after seeing their master murdered. And now they were charging at us with their hands raised even though we had nothing to do with this betrayal.


    "Oh, shit," I sighed. "Here we go again."

 101 Out of Time

    I thought Luca and I were going to die. That was the thought racing through my head as the hundreds and hundreds of angry Magesong soldiers ran for us.


    The death of their great general seemed to have caused them to snap, and like berserkers, they charged with no regard for the Darah army around them who had come to the defense of our great general. The result? A battlefield that was in complete chaos.


    My first instinct was to point my sword toward Ardeen Spellweaver, the crazy bastard who caused said chaos, but he wasn''t where I last saw him standing over his dying father after he and his Masked friend carved Great General Spellweaver up.


    Other than the twitching body lying on the ground, its life ebbing as I watched, Ardeen Spellweaver was nowhere in sight. He''d just vanished into the chaos while we weren''t looking. And this presented a new problem for me, Luca, and Darah. Every Magesong soldier present wanted blood and ours was the only one they could get to.


    "General, I think we have to go¡­" I offered Darah my hand. "We really need to go¡­"


    With her free hand, Darah grasped mine and pulled herself up so she could climb onto Myth Chaser and sit behind me.


    My hand was wet from her touch. I glanced down and found a sticky dark red coating my palm.


    "G-general¡­" I glanced behind me.


    Darah looked tired and paler than usual. Dark blood poured out of the wound on her shoulder. Still, there wasn''t an ounce of defeat written on her face.


    "Lend me your falchion, Dean," she ordered.


    I passed her my falchion with its shadowblade still drawn.


    With my falchion in one hand and her golden sword in the other, Darah swung to the sides and parried the attacks of the first Magesong soldiers to reach us. Her next swings relieved our attackers of their heads.


    "Dean¡­" Darah''s voice was weaker than I was used to. "I''ll deal with these fools. You lead us out of this deathtrap."


    "Y-yes ma''am," I said with furrowed brows.


    Sure, she''d take the easy job and leave me to work on the harder one. That''s what I thought, at first. But I couldn''t even see the attackers whose shadowblades came streaking toward us while Darah easily parried each one and then sent them a counterattack that was a deathblow four times out of five.


    In fact, Darah had fended off five enemies by the time I called on Luca to watch our backs.


    "Anyone got a plan?" Luca asked. He''d just finished chopping off a hobgoblin limb with his ax. "This is getting crazy!"


    I glanced left and then right. Despite the haze of my vision, I could tell our soldiers weren''t completely able to hold the Magesong soldiers back. And throughout all of this, my ears could still hear the wailing horns of the Scarlet Moon as they continued to blast and reverberate throughout the battlefield, only adding to the confusion.


    "General, the way I see it, our army can''t survive both the Magesong and Scarlet Moon attacking us," I reasoned.


    "Yes, although I believe we could make them bleed for every inch they claim on Trickster land," Darah answered.


    "But that''s just a¡ª"


    "¡ªa waste of lives," Darah finished for me. "I know, Dean¡­ so what is your recommendation?"


    "A strategic retreat, ma''am," I answered quickly. I already knew what we had to do hard as it was to swallow. "We need to get all our forces out of this theater of war so that we can regroup at a more defensible position¡­ maybe even prepare for a long siege. It''s the only way we''ll survive against such overwhelming odds."


    It took her a few more seconds to respond than I would have liked, but once she''d decided, Darah called on one of her nearby guards to signal Thors and the other army commanders for a full retreat.


    "What are you waiting for?" Darah demanded of the guard who was looking at her with surprise in his face. "Fly, you fool!"


    Half-startled, he nodded. Then he unfurled the gossamer wings hiding under his midnight blue cloak and flew into the sky where he was met by other pixies who seemed to have been waiting for him. They had a brief conversation in the air before dispersing in all directions. No doubt to relay Darah''s orders to the other army commanders.


    I looked up impressed. "Airmail, huh?"


    "Focus, Dean," Darah chided.


    "Um, yeah, sorry ma''am," I answered. "Whoa!"


    I pulled on Myth Chaser''s reins to avoid the trio of elves who''d appeared to attack us. Each one of them fell off their mounts, not to Darah''s swords, but to the firebolts that hit them squarely in the backs.


    "Dean!" Aura yelled. She reached into her pack and tossed me the item she took out of it.


    I caught the metal cylinder with both hands as it might have been disastrous if I''d failed to catch it and it fell to the ground and broke without warning.


    A few months ago, I''d asked Zarz to make me a weapon that we could use against Thom''s drow clan during that confusing debacle at Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. The heavy metal cylinder that he''d cooked up was a total dud, but we''d never given up on making it work. The new and improved version in my hands was about the size of a Coke can. It had a similar metallic casing riddled with holes systematically placed across the metal surface.


    Luca''s brow furrowed at the sight of the cylinder. "Um, is that what I think it is?"


    "Break in case of emergencies," I said happily.


    I glanced behind me and grinned.


    More enemy soldiers were coming, their faces red from anger.


    Seeing their desperation only made me grin wider. It was the perfect opportunity to test whether or not we could use Mudgardian tools effectively in the Fayne.


    I pulled out the metal pin at the top of the cylinder and threw it over Darah''s back. Then I pulled on Myth Chaser''s reins and urged it forward.


    "Cover your eyes, Darah soldiers!" I yelled, hoping anyone who heard me would pay attention and follow my suggestion.


    There was a loud popping sound that pierced through the noise of the battlefield. This was followed by a searingly bright light that I could see even through my shut eyelids.


    Screams ensued. Voices of all kinds crying out that the light had blinded them. Suckers.


    One second passed. I kept my eyes closed. Two seconds passed. I took a quick peek.


    The chaos had only intensified with momentarily blind fools lashing out those around them out of fear. there was a lot of friendly fire.


    "Time to go!" I yelled while silently thinking of giving Zarz a raise for the spectacular craftmanship that may have just saved all our butts.


    We ran, pushing our mounts to wade through the sea of grays and blues and race out of the encirclement of spectators. Those soldiers who saw their great general riding behind me cheered before falling in behind us like an honor guard following their master to escape.


    To my Foolhardies fell the responsibility of guarding our sides. Aura led the group on the right while Luca led the team on the left of our procession of Darah soldiers. And they had their job cut out for them.


    As if possessed by demons, the Magesong soldiers continued their attacks on us. They harried us every step of the way so that we were forced to veer off course several times, moving further and further away from our own front lines.


    It was at this moment that I decided to take a risk.


    "Please take the reins, general," I said, offering Myth Chasers reins to Darah.


    "Should I scratch your back while I''m at it, Dean?" Darah asked jokingly while she accepted the reins from me. "Or would you prefer a cup of tea while you laze about and leave me to do all the hard work?"


    "Hilarious," I said. "Just keep us alive while I keep watch from on high, ma''am."


    Hearing my plan, Aura, who was now riding at our side, said, "But, Dean, you''ve already overused Fool''s Insight, haven''t you?"


    I heard the worry in her voice and knew I should just lie to her. It would have been easier to just lie about it. But I never could lie to Aura. It wasn''t just our bond, I just thought that I needed to always be truthful with her so that she would always be truthful with me.


    "It''s okay, Aura¡­ I think I have a bit left in the tank for one more look," I reasoned.


    "But the risk¡ª"


    "¡ªwould be less than the risk of not using it," I reasoned. "Can''t you tell, Aura? Something''s wrong here, and we can''t make the best decisions without seeing the whole board."


    Aura went quiet. She knew I was right. But her concern for me was touching. Even made me blush and fidget in my seat. stupid teenage hormones at work again.


    ''Do it, Dean," Darah ordered. "Find us a way out of this mess before we''re out of time."


    "Yes, ma''am," I answered.


    I closed my eyes and spoke the words floating in my mind''s eye, "Oh great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," and felt the magic stir. Then came the pain, and right afterward, the screams began.

 102 The Great Escape Part 1

    "Dean!'' Aura''s voice cut through the white-hot pain lancing through my mind, allowing me a moment of clarity.


    "I-I''m alright," I answered with a little difficulty. It was hard to speak when my throat felt like I''d just poured hot lead into it. ''I''m alright¡­ I think."


    "What happened?" Aura asked.


    Although I couldn''t see her, I knew she was riding alongside us. I could also feel Darah''s arms holding me tight. She was most likely keeping me from toppling over.


    I felt weak. My entire body was in shock like I''d just placed my hand on a live wire and got myself electrocuted. It was worse in my eyes. White-hot pain surged into them like the timed tapping of feet against the beat of some unknown song.


    "Backlash, I th-think¡­" I answered. "Overused Fool''s Insight too many times tonight¡­ P-pain all over¡­"


    The next voice I heard belonged to Darah. "Concentrate, Dean. Knowing the cause of your pain is not enough. Find the will to break through the pain and do what you need to do."


    Her words gave me a chance to focus my mind. Now was not a time for giving into pain. It was a time for action.


    I sighed. "You could make a killing selling fortune cookies, ma''am¡­ Hold on¡­"


    With every ounce of willpower I could muster, I forced my mind to focus on the pain in my eyes, forcing that pain back into the recesses of my mind and turning it into a dull, manageable roar.


    Once the pain had receded, I took a deep breath. Then I opened my eyes.


    I was a bird in flight looking over a battlefield that was the very definition of chaos.


    Darah, who''d felt me relax under her embrace, whispered into my ear, "What can you see, Dean?"


    "Everything," I answered breathlessly. "I see everything¡­ and we''re about to drown under a deep pile of mud, ma''am."


    I described to Darah and Aura the scene beneath me to the best of my understanding, and every second I spoke I knew I was sapping the hope out of them. Things were that dire.


    From my vantage point in the sky, I could see how all the forces were arrayed. Our Darah army stood in a straight line from north to south and faced off against the Magesong host which formed an opposite line to our east. The newly arrived Scarlet Moon army which had numbers that dwarfed ours had come at us from the north. Their formation was shaped like a crescent moon with its eastern tip touching the back of the Magesong clan''s center army while its western tip was flanking Commander Vardoom''s left army.


    In my mind, I thought they were like an open maw of some wild beast threatening to devour our armies whole. It brought a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the dull pain that still racked my body.


    How such a huge army escaped anyone''s noticed was beyond me, but I suspect Ardeen Spellweaver had something to do with hiding them so completely. That was another reason I had to sock that fairy hard on the face.


    The tale begins with the new arrivals, the Scarlet Moon Clan''s army of at least a hundred-and-fifty-thousand strong drow and their monstrous allies. That number might be larger. I couldn''t accurately tell. Not with my insight feeling like it was being forced to do overtime. More than once I felt like my brain was getting fried by a combination of painful spikes and info dump.


    At first, I thought that the Scarlet Moon had arrived as reinforcements to the Magesong army that had lost at least half of their original forces. But I was wrong. The Scarlet Moon wasn''t there to help at all. No, their soldiers were already in the midst of slaughtering the Magesong clan''s rear line.


    The Magesong soldiers thought the Scarlet Moon had arrived as allies too. So they didn''t stop the approaching army, and by the time they realized their mistake, their forces were already under attack from the new arrivals. It probably helped that Great General Spellweaver and his son weren''t around to lead them.


    This wasn''t just happening in the center armies battlefield, but even our left army and the Magesong''s right army were experiencing a similar struggle. Vardoom''s remaining fifteen thousand forces were neck and neck against the Magesong right army''s own soldiers, and so they couldn''t form a defensive formation to block the attack aimed at their left flank.


    I watched in horror as the left army''s flank was crushed under the attack of a Scarlet Moon heavy cavalry, and I could only imagine what kind of curses were coming out of Vardoom''s mouth while this was going on. However, it wasn''t all doom and gloom. Vardoom''s forces were slowly veering south toward our center army.


    "I think Commander Vardoom got your message, General," I deduced.


    I heard Darah chuckle softly behind me.


    "Yes, he''s always been the reliable one despite his attitude¡­ and appearance," Darah commented.


    While Vardoom''s forces were struggling desperately, our right army seemed to have an advantage over the Magesong''s left army. The duo of Three-Thousand Man Commander Unna Ra Lara and Three-Thousand Man Commander Tyrox Xor was doing an amazing job leading their diminished eighteen thousand right army against a smaller Magesong force.


    Seeing their success sent a spark of an idea into my brain, the makings of a plan that might save us from the mess we were in.


    "In the middle of chaos lies opportunity," I whispered the words of the great Bruce Lee.


    "Indeed," Darah answered. "What opportunity have you found?"


    "There''s a slim chance, but I think if we can gather south to where the right army is, we might be able to secure an escape path," I explained.


    "There''s nothing south of the Calmlands, Dean¡­ no place to keep our enemies from pursuing us," Darah argued. ''Unless you plan to veer southwest and make our way to Clowntown."


    I shook my head. "No ma''am. We need to go all the way south first. That should bring us near enough to¡ª"


    "¡ªBroken Sellsword''s Canyon!" Aura finished. "But, Dean, that''s Lover''s Embrace territory."


    "Exactly," I said, feeling myself grin. "A neutral clan would respond to the arrival of our Darah army by sending out their own forces."


    "How does that help us?" Aura asked confused.


    "As long as we don''t actually enter into their territory, they probably won''t attack us," I reasoned. "But having the Lover''s Embrace forces just come out would be enough to make some parties reconsider pursuing us. The thing about neutral clans, you never know who they''re allied with."


    "A ruse¡­" Darah noted.


    I nodded. "Reforming our army in this battlefield under these circumstances is only asking our soldiers to die a useless struggle. But like you said¡ª"


    "¡ªIt would be a senseless waste of life and talent¡­" Darah finished.


    "Yes, ma''am," I agreed.


    I felt Darah shift in her seat. "Very well, Hundred-Man Commander Dapper¡­ lead our forces out of this mess and I''ll take care of the rest."


    That was way easier said than done, but I did my best even while the pain kept shooting up my eyes like a heartbeat that was only increasing in its pace. Still, I managed to switch from the overview mode of Fool''s Insight to the zoom-in function that was better for close encounters. Now, instead of a bird soaring alongside the clouds, I was a bird of prey gliding above the heads of our column, leading us through the sea of enemies.


    For each battalion of Darah soldiers we met in the center army, Darah gave the orders of a slow retreat south while keeping our backs protected from the enemy. her orders were mostly followed, although there were way too many groups out of our reach or surrounded by enemy forces they couldn''t break through.


    I averted my eyes against these as I knew there was no way I could help them short of sending more people to their deaths. Darah was relying on me to lead us out of this mess and that was the only thing I needed to focus on.


    Often, I would find myself yelling, "Turn right here!" or "We''re heading to the left!" so our main column could avoid a patch of dense gray soldiers who would have held us up if we engaged them.


    Sometimes I would call on either Aura or Luca to lead their vanguard left or right and engage the enemy so the rest of the column could move forward without slowing down. Always I would remind them to break off from the fighting once they''d ensured our soldiers had passed the enemy.


    Every time either of them left to follow this order, I felt my heart tighten out of worry, and not until they were riding alongside us again did that tightness lessen.


    It helped that Darah ordered her personal guard to join up with Luca''s or Aura''s squads. Although the Foolhardies were well trained for hit-and-run tactics, the strength of Darah''s main unit was like sending a Tomahawk missile as reinforcements to our swords and bows.


    In fact, things were going very smoothly for a time, and we''d nearly reached the right flank of our center army when I noticed trouble coming our way.


    There was no mistaking the silver mask covering half his face or the heavily armored soldiers following him. Ardeen Spellweaver had popped out of the shadows and was leading those soldiers I noticed with him earlier in a charge that would intercept us before we reached the right army. The bastard had read my plan once again.


    "Muddamit!" I hissed. "We''ve got company!"

 103 The Great Escape Part 2

    Tonight was one for the books. I started it by taking on an enemy force almost ten times as large as my own, defeated my rival by overexerting my fairy gift, witnessed a superhuman battle between two gods of war, gasped over the gut-wrenching betrayal that came after, and now¡ªnow I was leading a large group of soldiers away from the literal maws of death while being chased by a silver-mask wearing elf and his over-geared followers.


    Yup, tonight was definitely one for the books. And all I could think about was how badly I wanted it to be over.


    "Give me liberty, or give me death," I whispered.


    "What was that, Dean?" Darah asked. "I didn''t quite get¡ª"


    I saw from my eagle-eyed view how the arrival of an elf in dark chain mail armor and his equally armored swifthart interrupted Darah''s inquiry. He''d slipped past Luca''s entourage and rode neck and neck with me and Darah.


    Now, I was all for taking the initiative but there was a fine line between bravery and stupidity, because, no matter how good you thought you were, you never take on a great general alone. That was just the basics. Case in point, this elven warrior lasted all of three seconds before Darah cleaved him shoulder to sternum with my falchion which she''d swung sideways in an almost nonchalant manner almost like she was simply swatting away a fly.


    "I like your weapon, Dean. It has a certain charm to it," Darah noted. "Highly unstable, mind you, but certainly fun to wield."


    "Um, thanks, general," I replied distractedly.


    I would have loved to discuss the benefits of my falchion''s experimental build, but I my mind was preoccupied with watching the action happening on our sides.


    Luca on the left and Aura on the right were both doing a good job holding back the enemies who were trying to claw their way into our column''s ranks. Aura, in particular, was managing her forces well. It might have helped that all of Darah''s elites knew who Aura actually was and that made it easier for her to lead them. On the other hand, Luca was losing more soldiers than I would have liked.


    More than once, I wondered why I had taken our column between the Darah center army and the Magesong army front lines instead of trying to reach our back line to escape. I knew it was partly because I wanted our soldiers to see their great general pass them by, and although in retreat, all who saw her knew Darah hadn''t given up. But perhaps it was really because I wanted to give the Magesong soldiers a bigger target, allowing the rank and file of Darah''s army a chance to escape west.


    Darah knew I''d made her bait. She didn''t seem to mind. In fact, after she''d noticed my hastily thought up plan, she simply said, "You really are an audacious one, Dean. There aren''t many young commanders who''d use their great general like this."


    "Just trying to keep everyone alive, ma''am," I answered back.


    My plan, however flawed, was working to a point. Sadly, the arrival of the heavily armored elven soldiers meant the vanguard of Ardeen Spellweaver''s forces had reached us.


    How I wished the rest of the Magesong army had heard how he betrayed his dad and abandoned them all to the Scarlet Moon. Maybe then they''d mob him instead and leave us free and clear to escape. But word hadn''t gone out and most of the Magesong clan still thought he and his troops were one of theirs. Life was unfair like that.


    Speaking of the Scarlet Moon, it was about time I checked on them.


    A quick zoom out allowed me to see an expanded version of the battlefield. Admittedly, this simple action caused intense pain to lance into my eyes like I''d just been poked in the eyes by sharp-nailed fingers. But the pain was fleeting and the information I gained in exchange was worth that much agony.


    "No pain, no gain," I whispered.


    I swept my sight across a large portion of the northern battlefield and saw that the Scarlet Moon had all but devoured the Magesong clan''s right army. They had also pierced our own left army in its leftmost flank, but Commander Vardoom was keeping the bulk of his forces intact, leading them in an orderly retreat west and toward Trickster territory.


    "Damn," I said. "Vardoom won''t be able to join us in the south."


    "That''s General Vardoom, Dean," Darah chided. "I gave him a field promotion, remember?"


    "Um, y-yeah¡­ general," I repeated.


    I couldn''t imagine the spitfire dwarf like anything as dignified as a general. I just couldn''t. Probably because his face and clothes were always streaked with patches of dirt like he was a toddler rolling around the sandbox all day.


    After explaining to Darah what was happening to the left army, I then told her about the incoming heavy cavalry being led by Ardeen Spellweaver. The bulk of their force was less than sixty yards away now, and they would certainly cross our paths and cut us off at the head.


    But Darah just laughed. "Haven''t you heard the old saying, Dean? Cut off one head and two more will take its place."


    "We''re not a hydra ma''am," I countered.


    I focused my vision back on our column of soldiers, my sight soaring over them like an eagle gliding just above their heads. The pain I felt at switching modes caused tears to streak down my face. At least I hoped they were just tears. As intense as the pain was, they might as well have been tears of blood.


    Naturally, the pain combined with the uncertainty of not knowing how much longer I could maintain Fool''s Insight almost made me miss the anomaly that had popped up in our vicinity.


    "No freaking way," I said out loud.


    "Ah," Darah chuckled softly. "It seemed they didn''t need to cut us off for a new head to sprout."


    An all too familiar banner had been raised right between us and the approaching Spellweaver cavalry, bringing with it renewed hope.


    "It''s the Flag of Fools!" I yelled excitedly.


    My sight flew toward them, allowing me to see Edo''s brute form holding our blue banner high. Beside him were the remaining members of Theren Everleaf''s Inglorious Bastards. A good fifty to sixty of them left. All of them carrying bulwark shields they must have stolen while on their journey to follow after us.


    At first, I couldn''t help feel pride at the sight of them preparing themselves to block against the enemy''s heavy cavalry charge. Then I realized that they were actually preparing themselves to block the enemy''s heavy cavalry charge, and it was like ice-cold fingers were caressing my spine.


    "Are they insane?!" I hissed.


    "They''re brave¡­ don''t belittle their efforts, Dean," Darah chided.


    "B-but¡ª"


    I felt Darah squeeze my shoulder. "For many of us who trade in warfare, a heroic death is its own reward."


    "You said a senseless waste of life and talent¡ª"


    "¡ªis not the case here," Darah interrupted. "Listen well, Dean Dapper. There are moments where once destiny is not to lead an army into battle but to lay down on the coals so that their allies may walk unscathed through the fire."


    "The sacrifice play," I said in almost a whisper.


    Darah''s explanation might have sounded logical to me, but we were talking about Edo here. The ogre had kept me and Luca and Aura alive far too many times than I could count. Not to mention Theren and his group who had finally returned to the Foolhardies after they''d recognized my leadership. How could I abandon them now? How could I watch their fires snuffed out just so I and a few hundred soldiers might have a chance to escape?


    And yet that was exactly what I did. I let it happen, and all I could do was watch as the reaper finally swung his scythe down on my fellow Foolhardies.


    I watched from on high as they formed lines and locked their shields together and then stared down an enemy all too eager to ram into them. I watched as Edo continued to raise the flag, and in a roaring voice, strengthen the men with words of encouragement that should have sprung from my own lips.


    Our column of soldiers had just passed behind them. Likewise, Ardeen Spellweaver''s cavalry had slammed into their bulwark shields.


    I watched them hold the line and break the enemy''s momentum. I saw shields fly and bodies fall. I saw Edo swing his glaive to cleave one, two, and then three riders in twain. Then I watched as Ardeen Spellweaver''s own spear pierce the half-ogre''s muscular shoulder.


    Edo cried out in pain, a low roar that reverberated down to my bones, and in my mind, I wondered what Aura would have thought if she saw her friend in pain.


    As the bulk of our column passed them, I watched our banner fall only to be raised again. This time, by Theren''s hand. He raised it high and called for his soldiers to rally around him. enemies approached. Theren''s sword arm swung down and his shadowblade cut down an unseated rider.


    But now Theren seemed alone in a sea of enemies.


    I watched as four riders converged on him. I watched them pierce his lithe elven form with their lances. Then, like a discarded toy, I watched Theren Everleaf fall lifeless to the ground, the Flag of Fools falling with him.


    I turned my gaze from the sight of this slaughter, and through it all, I could feel my face wet with tears.

 104 Survivor

    Of the twenty thousand soldiers remaining in the Darah center army, maybe a quarter of that was able to follow our column down to join the fifteen thousand survivors of the right army. The rest were scattered to the wind, fleeing west like Vardoom''s left army, or more likely, dead as dead could be. So, in a way, I guess you could say that my great escape plan was successful. Despite the heavy cost it took to make it work.


    Theren Everleaf''s death was just one of many. And the sting of all the sacrifices made to get Great General Darah out of the Scarlet Moon''s trap was akin to a shadowblade spear tip piercing my heart, an icy wound that drained me of warmth.


    As soon as Darah arrived in the right army, she took command of our combined forces, and following my recommendation, ordered the retreat south to the borders of Lover''s Embrace.


    I was pretty much useless by then. I''d over used Fool''s Insight to the point where just keeping my eyes open was painful, and with our healing potions depleted or reserved for the gravely wounded, I would have to remain an invalid for the rest of the trip south.


    Perhaps it was a good thing that the last thing I saw before Fool''s Insight finally crapped out was the final death rattle of the Magesong clan''s army.


    Their entire right army and center army had been devoured by the hungry maw of the Scarlet Moon forces and what remained of their left army had decided fleeing for their lives was the best option.


    Darah sent me along with my Foolhardies ahead of the army fleeing south. Aura and Luca had taken command while Berrian Berrygrove tended to my many wounds.


    The scent of herbs floated up to my nose as I watched him swab my injuries in healing paste.


    "You''re in luck, Commander," he said as he found another cut on my arm to bandage. "There won''t be any scarring after these wounds have healed."


    "Sure¡­" I said distractedly.


    I hadn''t meant to sound unappreciative of his efforts to keep me from dying of sepsis or any other number of diseases brought about by festering wounds, but my mind was adrift, numb to most things besides the counting of our dead.


    This was the part I hated most after a battle, the survivor''s guilt. It was even more intense now than that time on the hilltop where I kicked Azuma''s butt. This time, I had been responsible for three hundred souls, and now, barely a hundred had survived. Even worse, many of the dead had been with me when I kicked Azuma''s butt.


    Ashley had come around to the wagon they stuffed me in and given me a rough count.


    "Luca''s Ravagers are mostly intact, but they''ve always been a small insertion team. We only lost Wiggs and Bedge, the two dwarves in Varda''s magician unit," Ashley glanced down at the paper she was reading from. "Qwipps is back on his feet and as loud as ever. His Talons are still around too," Ashley was shaking her head, "But that would be due to Pike''s leadership. Girl''s got talent."


    "Remind to promote her," I replied in a deadpan voice. "I''m assuming that was the good news. Give me the bad."


    "We''ve lost more than half my shield unit. I''d sent those who couldn''t ride along with Edo when¡­ when he and the Bastards went up against that heavy cavalry¡­" Ashley sighed.


    "Aw, man¡­ I''m sorry Ash¡­ if I was a better leader¡ª"


    "¡ªnone of that now, you here me, Dean," Ashley pointed a finger warningly at me. "Those soldiers gave up their lives. The least we can do is be proud of them."


    "A heroic is its own reward, huh?" I sighed.


    "Exactly," Ashley nodded.


    It took a while longer for Ashley to compose herself before she continued with the breakdown of our losses.


    "Oh, here''s some more good news," she chirped. "Xanthor Xor''s crew didn''t lose too many centaurs."


    I breathed in a sigh of relief. It was one thing to be thankful for. I wouldn''t know how I''d face the ghost of Commander Kadash if I told him I let the survivors of his Dash Kadash unit die after they joined up with us.


    "Thom''s Hazy Moon unit lost a few drow but sending them to the backline to escort our prisoners kept most of them alive," Ashley noted.


    "Hazy Moon?" I asked confused. "Didn''t we call them the Bats?"


    Ashley looked up from her piece of paper to tell me, "Well, now that the Scarlet Moon is on our tail, he''s requested we change his unit''s name to that of the dead clan he was part of. You know, just to piss the Scarlet Moon off in case they find out they hadn''t actually wiped out all the other drow clans."


    "Great," I said, shaking my head. "Yet another reason to make the target on our heads bigger¡­"


    I sat up straighter and locked the fingers of my hands together.


    "And the prisoners?" I asked.


    "We''re fine¡­" answered the frail man sitting on the cot opposite mine. "Wondered when you would get to us."


    Ashley rolled her eyes at this .


    "He says they''re fine," Ashley said dryly.


    Azuma, looking like a mummy with his many bandages, sat up and glared at me. "You failed to kill Spellweaver¡­ I''m still bound to him."


    "Yeah, well¡­ you didn''t warn me he was a backstabbing lunatic who was planning to commit patricide," I fired back.


    Azuma chuckled softly. "So he really did gut his old man? I thought that was just a rumor."


    "Uh, no¡­ we were there. We saw it happen," Ashley reported.


    Azuma sat back and leaned on the wooden wall of the wagon''s interior.


    "I knew he wasn''t happy with how his father cast a shadow on him¡­ despite his many achievements, Ardeen Spellweaver was only ever the son of a Great General," Azuma revealed.


    He went on another one of his coughing fits. But once he was finished coughing his lungs out, he set his sights back on me.


    "Doesn''t change the fact that I and those viseres who followed me are still bound to the Magesong clan, boy," he hissed.


    I waved the threat in his voice away with my hand. He wasn''t as scary when he wasn''t holding onto his spear. Especially not in our current setting where we were both considered unfit for combat.


    "Cool your jets, old man," I answered. "We''ll get to that once we''re free and clear of pursuers."


    I glanced out through the wagon''s opening and back to the procession of soldiers making their way south to the golden general riding atop a fresh swifthart mount.


    "Darah''s agreed to contract with you herself," I admitted.


    "Seriously?'' Ashley asked.


    Even Azuma looked surprised.


    I nodded. "Yeah¡­" Then I leaned forward and patted Azuma on his bandaged leg. "Congrats. You''re about to contract with a Great General."


    "Just like General Thors did¡­" Ashley added.


    Both Ashley and I lowered our heads at the mention of Thors.


    There had been no news about the commander who led our center army. Not since we decided to escape south. Last I heard, Thors had rallied a few hundred soldiers to hold the line and keep the Magesong and Scarlet Moon from hounding our butts.


    Of course, I should have had more faith in the lone visere of the Trickster Pavilion to ever be honoured with the title of general.


    It was hours later, and we were well on our way south to Broken Sellsword''s Canyon, when Thors appeared behind us at the head of five thousand more Darah soldiers.


    The cheers rang out in waves that cascaded down the rear, all the way to our vanguard units.


    I watched from my spot in the wagon as Great General Darah clasped Thor''s shoulder and laughed as she greeted him. And as far as I was, I could still hear her loud voice when she proclaimed, "I knew they couldn''t kill you, Thors. You''re like one of those Mudgardian insects that just won''t die when you step on it!"


    As if hearing Darah admit out loud that she''d been to Mudgard and lost a battle with a cockroach wasn''t surprising enough, Thors brought back with him an even bigger bombshell.


    Standing behind the general, bloodied shoulder and all, his face a mess of bruises and cuts, his once braided black hair now a mess behind him, was Aura''s half-ogre bodyguard.


    Seeing Edo alive, I couldn''t even begin to explain the swirl of emotions that burst out of my chest in that moment. It was like stumbling blind in the dark, afraid of every shadow, and suddenly, a small flame lights up to banish the dark.


    Edo, that giant oaf, had survived and brought back hope¡ªthe hope that things might be alright after all. Just in the nick of time too as dawn was peaking over the horizon and my time in the Fayne was nearly over. At least now I could go back to Mudgard feeling a little lighter in the chest.

 105 A New Hope

    "Then what happened?" Ty asked as he leaned over the counter, eagerly pressing me for more information about a world he could only hear about. "Did the army have trouble with the Lover''s Embrace after all or¡ª"


    ¡ªTy''s questions were interrupted by an elbow in the shoulder courtesy of Arah.


    "Calm down, Tiberius," she scolded. "Give the guy some breathing room to tell his story."


    I sent her a grateful smile and then leaned back in my seat.


    The smell of fresh-cooked meat wafted out of the plate in front of me, and I breathed in like I hadn''t had bacon in years. Ah, bacon, nothing else quite like it in either world I''d been to.


    I picked up a slice of bacon and tossed it into my mouth, enjoying that savory taste in my tongue before I chomped it into tiny bits.


    Ty was frowning at me now. He probably thought I was stalling¡ªwhich I was. These small moments of pleasure were now far and few between in my life. I at least wanted to enjoy breakfast before I recounted my last seven days in the Fayne.


    Yeah, you heard right, it had been a full week since our escape from the clutches of the Scarlet Moon''s betrayal of the Magesong clan, and what happened afterward seemed like a stream of images fast-forwarding across the surface of my brain. It hadn''t sunk in yet; the fact that we''d escaped death and arguably won the war despite the cost of many lives.


    I took one final sip of my Diet Coke before I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and continued the tale my friends were eager to hear.


    "By the time I came back the next night, Darah''s army had already arrived at the border of the Lover''s Embrace''s territory, about ten leagues away from Broken Sellsword Canyon," I explained. "And the first thing I saw after I landed next to my anchor was an army nearly three times the size of ours. Soaring above this display of force was a giant sapphire flag with two embracing skulls-and-crossbones coat-of-arms painted over it."


    "Seriously?" Ty asked, looking nervously back at me. "You guys didn''t fight them, right?"


    Arah rolled her eyes at him. "Of course, they didn''t fight, Ty. Dean wouldn''t be sitting opposite us otherwise."


    Then she looked back at me with a bit of uncertainty clouding her otherwise confident expression. "You didn''t, right?"


    I shook my head. "Nah¡­ by the time I got there, negotiations had already wrapped up."


    After another sip of Diet Coke, I told my friends that Darah with Aura in tow had already made a deal with my favorite salamander auctioneer, Kallista, who apparently was higher up in the Lover''s hierarchy than we were led to believe. Kallista had agreed to give our army safe passage through their territory under three conditions. First, Darah had to sign a non-aggression pact of one year with Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. Second, The Rings of Fortune Auction House would get a three-year exclusive contract to trade with Fort Darah. Third, the Foolhardies were promised to complete a single task for her, no questions asked.


    "How''d she bargain that last condition from Aura?" Arah asked.


    I sighed. "She promised aura a big discount the next time we shopped at her place¡­"


    Arah laughed. "Well, that would do it."


    I picked up another slice of bacon and bit into it. That savory taste was a welcome distraction to my recent troubles.


    "Um, then what happened?" Ty asked, eager to continue the tale.


    I looked at him then, wondering where all the energy was coming from.


    He was paler than usual. Dark circles wrapped around his eyes which were redder than usual.


    "You okay, Ty?" I asked.


    Ty looked down. "Y-yeah¡­ haven''t been sleeping well, that''s all," he said hurriedly.


    "Why not?" Arah asked.


    Seeing as they were always together when I wasn''t around, I was surprised she hadn''t noticed how tired he looked like he hadn''t had a good night''s sleep in a while.


    "J-just bad dreams," he said, waving off our concern. "Nothing as crazy as yours though, right, Dean?"


    He gave me a wink that wasn''t convincing at all. But I relented. Everyone had issues to work with, and whatever Ty was dealing with, it surely wasn''t that bad. It wasn''t like anyone was trying to kill him nearly every night. Besides, he''d tell us if it was something to worry about.


    Arah didn''t seem as eager to drop it as I did, but she let Ty stir the conversation back to my tales of the Fayne.


    "Even with the Lover''s Embrace protecting our backs, it still took us two nights to reunite with Vardoom''s group, and with nearly fifty thousand soldiers, we returned to the safety of Fort Darah," I told my friends. "The Great General wasn''t satisfied though. She had us all prepared for a siege in case the Scarlet Moon decided to test their luck."


    "Less than half of the soldiers you went to war with," Arah noted.


    I nodded. "Yeah¡­"


    I didn''t feel the need to tell Ty and Arah about the hours before dawn, where, after realizing the enemy wasn''t coming, Great General Darah had a huge pyre built in honor of our fallen dead.


    There were no bodies to burn. Only wooden effigies the magicians claimed would ease the passing of both fairy and human souls.


    I myself carved the name of Shaqs and Theren Everleaf on the two branches of redwood we''d taken from our barracks platform. But I didn''t have the heart to throw them into the fire along with rest as I could still feel the sting of their loss in my chest. Luca did it for me.


    And as we stood there, watching the fire grow higher and higher, Aura passed me a wooden branch. On its surface was the name of Jimmy Jonas.


    "I thought you might want to pay your respects," she said.


    I hesitated for a few seconds before I took the branch from her hand, our fingers brushing against each other as I did.


    "I won ''t forget my promise, Jimmy¡­ I''ll change things," I whispered right before tossing the wood into the pyre.


    Luca elbowed me in the shoulder. "We''ll change things together, Dean."


    I elbowed him back. "Sure. Whatever."


    We each landed a few more elbows on each other before a loud "Ahem!" from Ashley who was standing behind us shut us up.


    No, I didn''t tell Arah or Ty this. It seemed too personal an experience, too tragic for the daytime. It was definitely not a story for such a bright place like Ed''s Chocolate Bar.


    "Dean?" Arah called me back into the now. "You were saying something about a rewards ceremony?"


    "Um, yeah," I replied sheepishly. "Three nights after the bonfire, we arrived back at Sh?rleden after being called in by the Chancellor of the Sun."


    I scratched my head and felt a little uncomfortable explaining what happened next to my friends.


    "Um, the Trickster''s big wigs gave a few officers rewards for their contributions in battle," I began.


    "And you were one of those officers, right?" Ty asked, looking all eager to hear that I''d won a Playstation Five or something equally grand.


    "You better have after all the crap you had to go through," Arah said.


    She pointed at the brand new prescription glasses covering my eyes, forcing me to blush slightly. I wasn''t sure they looked good on me yet. I certainly wasn''t used to them¡ªonly got them earlier today, after all.


    Yeah, I had glasses now. In the span of a week, my vision had gone from twenty-twenty to include pretty strong astigmatism on both eyes. And if you''re wondering if this was due to me overusing Fool''s insight, dear reader, then you guessed right.


    I didn''t need them in the Fayne as my vision was fine over there, but here on Mudgard, I was now required to use glasses for reading. It might seem like a small price to pay for all the use I got of Fool''s insight that night, but these small things usually piled up. It wasn''t like I wasn''t going to overuse them again.


    Trying them on now was kind of like my penance for not being a better soldier I had to rely on my fairy gift too much.


    I removed the glasses from my face and set them on the table.


    "Never going to get used to that," I said.


    "Quit stalling, Dean," Ty complained. "Tell us about the ceremony already."


    I scratched the top of my head. "Fine¡­ chill."


    The memory of that great hall filled with fairies was something I don''t think I would ever forget. They were all so regal, dressed in robes of blue that shimmered gold under the light of the Fayne''s moon.


    All those beautiful faces looking down at us underdressed soldiers in our dirty gear and scarred faces, it really was like finding yourself forced onto a stage full of characters from Tolkien''s Lord of the Rings.


    As our leader, Great General Darah received the highest praise. She''d been lauded as the victor of the war, but just looking at the deep scowl on her face told me she didn''t believe the propaganda.


    Indeed, no one really believed we''d won that war, but they were all happy we didn''t lose everything. Everyone liked pretending anyway. And Darah was forced to play her role.


    She was given a large piece of land in the eastern territory that even included my hilltop, several chests of Leprechauns, and a brand new peryton mount from the Patriarch''s own stables. This last gift made Darah smile at least.


    Both Commander Thors and Commander Vardoom were given an equal reward. They were allowed to keep their battlefield promotion and were now officially generals of the Trickster Pavilion.


    Vardoom''s praises reverberated throughout the hall. And although there were many fairies who frowned at the idea of a human visere making general, there were a few loud cheers for Thors too. My own voice was maybe one of the loudest.


    The fourth person to be rewarded, believe it or not, was me. Apparently, there were a few higher-ups who thought I''d contributed a lot to the war effort. No doubt Aura had burned her brother''s and the Chancellor''s ears off with all the undeserved praise.


    As I walked up to the Patriarch''s platform, all those gazes following me made me feel a little too shabby in my worn-out coat. Even the electrum chest plate seemed dull in comparison to all the twinkling jewelry around me.


    However, any insecurities were quickly swept away by the sight of a maskless Aura smiling down at me as she stood next to her brother. At that moment, I felt like Luke Skywalker at the end of Episode IV: A New Hope.


    The craziest thought struck me then, how glad I was that Aura wasn''t my twin sister like Leia was Luke''s. And while I chided my stupid teenage brain, an even crazier statement came out of the Patriarch''s lips.


    "Congratulations, Dean Dapper," he said in a weakening voice that still felt like there was a hidden strength to it. "As of today, you are now a Five-Hundred Man Commander."

 106 Overkill

    Three months after the award ceremony in Sh?rleden, right about the time Halloween was just around the corner back on Mudgard, my newly reformed Foolhardies was in the midst of our first battle since that fateful war Fayne historians now dubbed the Fall of the Magesong Saga.


    It was an apt name depicting one of the biggest betrayals since the Scarlet Moon betrayed and slaughtered the other moon clans. Ironically enough, the previously mentioned Scarlet Moon was also responsible for this most recent act of treachery. Never mind that they weren''t supposed to be part of the conflict between the Magesong clan and the Trickster Pavilion. They were still able to steal Great General Darah''s thunder and pull the wool over everyone''s eyes.


    As for the Magesong clan, well, without their lone great general leading them they lost everything. What few soldiers survived the battle returned to the Spellweave River Valley only to later lose their lives in defense of the Magesong capital of Caster''s Peak when the Scarlet Moon arrived to sack the city.


    They didn''t just sack it though. They razed it to the ground, and only its central sorcerer''s tower survived the onslaught, blackened beyond recognition and surrounded by a dark pit of inky black earth and the bare boned ruins of a dead city. Many argued that it was now cursed, a shadowy plot of land that only the undead now dared to walk.


    The rest of the Magesong territory quickly fell to the Scarlet Moon who in the these three months expanded their territory to encompass their lands in the north to the former Magesong borders of the Gemsea Coast in the east.


    Thus came the untimely demise of the Magesong, the first of the twenty-two major clans to fall in the Fayne''s five-hundred year conflict to fill the empty throne left behind by a dumbass king who failed to take into account that his would-be successors were all willing to murder each other over his seat.


    As for that duplicitous, father-killing son of a whore, Ardeen Spellweaver, well, word on the street was that he and his followers were granted asylum into the Scarlet Moon. They''d even given him the rank of general or some equally bloated title to suit his ego.


    But I''ve spoken enough about the Scarlet Moon and Magesong debacle. This is the tale of the Foolhardies, after all. It was time to get back to the more important stuff.


    Where was I? Ah, yes, I was regaling you, dear reader, with how awesome my unit''s become since I got promoted to five-hundred man commander, wasn''t I?


    Well, this part had to do with one of Darah''s promises to Kallista, the one where the Foolhardies were required to perform a single task for her, no questions asked.


    Kallista''s task had us sieging a bandit''s hideout north west of Lover''s Embrace''s territory and about south of the Westmarch gates, the contested area between the Trickster Pavilion and another of their rivals, the Sunspire Dominion.


    Incidentally, the Foolhardies were now undergoing operations west of Sh?rleden, far from the protection of Darah, and pretty darn close to the area under Great General Garm''s control.


    For those of you who don''t remember, he''s Aura''s half-elf uncle who lost the Patriarch seat to his sickly nephew. So we might as well have been in enemy territory. At the very least, we came here fully expecting no chance of reinforcements.


    "Your soldiers seem better trained than last time I saw them, Five-Hundred Man Commander Dapper," Kallista said in her usual sultry tones.


    Just hearing her say my title in that husky voice of hers was giving me the weird teenage boy kind of goosebumps. I kind of liked it.


    "Um, th-that''s because we''re better armed thanks to you, Kallista," I said quickly. It was hard to not blab on when you were next to such a sensually appealing salamander like her.


    To keep her from commenting on the obvious blush on my cheeks, I turned my attention on the structure fifty yards away from where she and I sat on our mounts.


    Under the light of Idunn, the Fayne''s golden moon, the ruins of the lone tower that made up the centerpiece of the thieves hideout seemed like the tip of some misplaced iceberg. It had a wide circular base, jagged in some places like it was roughly hewn out of an outcropping of alabaster rock that had reached out its lone middle-finger to the sky. Its white walls had been covered in faded leaf-like geometric patterns indicative of elven architecture, but the near-perfect linear shapes of its entryway and windows were clearly dwarven designs, right down to their equal measurements in length and width. Even the broken down walls, a loose ring around the tower were the same kind of dwarven style common in places like Broken Sellsword''s Canyon.


    The tower and its surrounding wall were located on the eastern shore of a small lake called Titania, named after the consort of the last fairy king. Legend claimed she''d wept this lake into life with her tears after her king vanished from the Fayne.


    At the tower''s east, north and south was an expanse of grassy slopes and a spattering of poplar trees which were common in the western regions. These particular grounds served as the battlefield for the Foolhardies and the pitiful thieves who had the unfortunate luck to be on our crosshairs tonight.


    Our newly formed cavalry had gone in first.


    When he officially joined the Foolhardies after the war, I ordered Xanthor Xor to lead a group comprised solely of swifthart riders as well as the centaurs formerly of their old Dash Kadash unit. Rechristened as the Dash Riders, the seventy-member cavalry was in charge of sweeping the surrounding field and driving the thieves back into their lair, and they got the job done really quickly too.


    The hundred or so thieves group fled to the safety of their broken down walls that were effective enough to force our cavalry back. But unknown to these self-assured criminals, their safety was just an illusion. There would be no safety from me and mine.


    I took a quick glance behind me to my quartermaster astride her boarhound mount. "Varda, signal the Talons and Hazy Moon to get started, will you."


    Varda gave her boar a good pat on its big head before she replied, "Roger, Commander."


    After saluting me like she always did, Varda glanced sideways at Jensen who she instructed to, "Light the fires and start the tires, Jensen. Mission Bat Droppings is a go."


    And Jensen, after rolling his eyes at the command words I''d forced on Varda, gave instructions to his own signal crew. My commands relayed, they finally raised the neon green signal flag that would have been noticeable enough from the sky.


    I sighed. The new system was incredibly convoluted. There were too many working parts to get that one thing done. Even if this was how the big boys did it, I was going to have to find an alternative to bypass all that crap.


    Still, my commands were received by those they were given to, and seconds later, like a lightning bolt crackling down from the sky, more than a hundred drow and pixie warriors descended from the air.


    As if he was channeling Batman, Thom, in his shadoweave cloak, landed hard on one of the hooded thieves who hadn''t immediately noticed the enemies from above. After he''d taken one down, he reached into the pockets of his new leather utility belt¡ªcourtesy of Kallista''s auction house¡ªpulled out two throwing stars, and fired them into the chests of the two thieves nearest to him.


    Surrounded as he was, Thom''s annoyingly confident grin was still plastered on his face. He had cause to look smug though. For no sooner had they charged toward him with weapons raised when they were suddenly peppered with dozens of black-feathered arrows, each one finding its mark and incapacitating the thieves. Drow after drow landed then, securing the area for our side.


    "Huh, they''re not killing them," Kallista noted.


    "On my orders," I explained.


    Kallista raised an eyebrow at me but didn''t say anything else.


    If I''d intended a slaughter, things would have been quick and easy. Our forces were overwhelmingly better than our opponents. Not just because there were more of us now, but because many of my troops were survivors of the previous war, and they had obviously gained experience from that.


    I felt a slight chill in the air, as if the wind was a little colder now after it had passed through the lake. I took a deep breath and shrugged it off.


    Things would heat up soon enough, I thought. Then I raised my hand and formed a fist.


    The effect was instantaneous and much better than using the signal flags, but it was really only useful when the troops were close enough to see me.


    Ashley''s revamped Shield squad, eighty soldiers strong and mostly comprised of humans and elves of similar height, hefted their new bronze shields, and like the Spartans of myth, proceeded to stroll up the hill in turtle formation.


    Just watching them move in unison was giving me goosebumps. They were the linchpin of my new infantry force, after all.


    Behind the Shield Squad were three other infantry squads, each one a fifty-man unit led by their new squad leaders.


    For precision strikes and hit-and-run tactics, there was Luca''s Ravagers. They were a group of veterans from the first days of the Foolhardies and boasted the highest survivability rate in the entire unit.


    Luca himself, decked in his new electrum chainmail and midnight blue tabard with the Foolhardies logo splashed across its chest, was standing at their head. Strapped behind him was his new silver-rank broadsword, a gift from the patriarch for his achievements in the last war.


    The second infantry unit, the Bastards, was a specialized unit that could perform a myriad of important functions like building ditches and barricades for defense. They served under the command of Edo who I promoted to lieutenant once he''d healed from his injuries and returned to active duty. It was a fitting name, not only because their leader was a bastard himself, but because many of them were the elves leftover from Theren Everleaf''s old squad.


    Believe it or not, Edo was wearing a steel-rank chest plate now. I''d convinced him to wear armor after reminding him he''d almost died after getting skewered in his bare shoulder.


    The final infantry unit was more conventional than the other two and was solely comprised of former viseres of the Magesong clan. Their leader was none other than Azuma, who, after breaking his bond with Ardeen Spellweaver and contracting with Darah, had agreed to serve under me. Partly because Darah asked him to, but mostly because, and this is my own opinion, I think he''s grown rather fond of me.


    At the very least, the dude who''d traded in his black armor for a much lighter padded gambeson dyed in midnight blue colors had agreed to train me, and I was now spending half my time in the Fayne getting floored by his lessons.


    Whatever had happened between him and Darah, Azuma''s body seemed to have been revitalized. He still had cancer, but he didn''t look like he was dying anymore. There was more meat to him these days.


    "Ah, I see your plan now," Kallista said approvingly.


    She''d noticed what the thieves hiding in the tower, who in their growing fear of the marching soldiers, failed to notice. And that was the Talons who''d landed on the Tower''s roof.


    "Hail Mary successful, Commander," Varda chirped.


    I looked skeptically up at Qwipps'' troops.


    "They''ve got this, right?" I asked.


    "I have faith," spoke the masked elf beside me. "We sent Pike to watch Qwipps'' back just in case."


    "She has become reliable¡­ more reliable than Qwipps, at least," I agreed, turning to look at Aura and admiring the confident look she sent me. "Are you ready?"


    Aura raised her staff forward and saluted me playfully. "Foolhardies new Mage Hand Squad reporting for duty, Commander."


    I sighed. "Just make sure to remind Donar not to raze the tower to the ground." I jerked a thumb toward Kallista. "Wouldn''t want her to charge us for repairs¡­"


    Aura laughed her brilliant laugh that never failed to make me feel all warm and tingly inside.


    "Alright, let''s begin phase two." Aura raised her staff high, its red orb glowing a fierce orange. "Oh mighty servant of the Pillar of Flames, I beseech you, come forth and rampage across this fairy plane!"


    At her command, a giant fireball came to life in the air above us. It expanded and exploded outward, spraying us all in a scorching heat reminiscent of the sun on a beach at high noon.


    Then, like an egg that had hatched, the flames gave birth to a fiendish creature formed of shadow and flame.


    "I know I''m just a guest, Dean, but isn''t all of this bordering overkill?" Kallista asked while she gazed enthralled by the efreet hovering over Aura.


    "Yup¡­ but I wanted the unit to stretch its legs, you know," I answered nonchalantly, as if I wasn''t at all disturbed by Aura''s display of power. "Incidentally, I named this entire op, Operation Overkill."

 107 Isle of Dogs

    The battle was over in a flash. Embarrassingly quick even for side quest standards. Although I wasn''t sure if it was the frighteningly powerful efreet lobbing car-sized fireballs at the tower''s walls or a large number of infantry troops charging right through the front lawn that did the trick. Hell, maybe even the Talons infiltrating the enemy lair helped¡ªmaybe. I still had reservations when it came to Qwipps Daggerby.


    Whichever path opened the way, the end result was me and Kallista strolling up to the rough-hewn steps leading up to the tower entrance with zero worries of getting attacked.


    As an added intimidation measure, I''d asked Aura to ride behind us so that her summon could float above like some demonic honor guard ready to scorch the butt of any who challenged our entourage. Also, it was just easier having the dark spirit behind and not front and center where its shadowy form could give me goosebumps.


    Our soldiers stood to the side and let us pass. They were mostly members of Ashley''s Shield squad. Ashley herself, decked in her silver shieldmaiden armor and white robe, was in deep conversation with Azuma near the top of the steps.


    I got off Myth Chaser and handed the reins to Jensen. Then I helped Aura down from Starlight, not because she couldn''t do it herself, but just because I wanted to.


    Varda and Kallista joined us at ground level, and together, we walked the few steps up to Azuma and Ashley''s position.


    Azuma glanced my way after he noticed us coming close. He waited for me to be a step below him before finally saying, "Do you know what this place reminds me of, Dean?"


    I looked up at the white tower. The geometric leaf-like designs were similar to Ashley''s former home, but they were worn-out to the point of disappearing. The other half of its fa?ade was like naturally formed jagged grooves that streaked up to its domed peak.


    "Definitely a mix of elven and dwarven design," I said out loud.


    "Looks like¡ª"


    "¡ªThe tower of Orthanc!" I finished Azuma''s thought. Then I glanced behind me to the ring of broken walls with similar architectural designs as the tower before me. "It''s like¡­ Isengard."


    "What''s Isengard?" Aura asked confused.


    Anyone with a passing appreciation for classic western cinema or has a general love for high fantasy would know what Isengard was. And it kind of stung that Aura didn''t.


    I sighed, reminding myself in my head that it wasn''t her fault she lacked the necessary pop-culture experience. Fairies just didn''t get the good stuff.


    The next two and a half minutes were spent with me and Azuma taking turns explaining the Lord of the Rings to Aura. And we would have gone through all three books too if Ashley hadn''t ruined the fun and said, "Nerds!" in a really annoying tone.


    I coughed embarrassedly and proceeded to change the topic before Ashley could embarrass me further.


    Ashley jerked a thumb behind her. "Rounding up the bandits inside. We kept most of them alive like you asked."


    My eyebrow rose slightly. "Most of them?"


    "Your new sidekick here," Ashley pointed at Azuma, "and Edo blew off some steam."


    I turned my raised eyebrow on Azuma.


    "They came at me¡­ I showed them no mercy," he answered nonchalantly. "Would you have me do any less?"


    I sighed again as the memory of me promising Azuma he could be as much of a warrior as he wanted in my unit was now biting me in the ass. Thinking that I should rethink promising the moon to potential recruits, I walked away from my new headache and proceeded through the open entryway.


    "This place needs a door," I noted, thinking it was part of the reason my guys got in so easily.


    "Indeed," Kallista nodded beside me. "I''ll add it to the bill."


    I stopped abruptly and glanced sideways at her. "Wh-what bill?"


    "Renovations, my dear," she caressed me softly on the cheek with her long-nailed hand, "what else?"


    I gulped. I did not like the sound of that, and I wondered if there was more to their agreement than Darah told me about.


    We found Luca''s and Edo''s squads encircling a ring of forty thieves, most of whom had their hands tied behind their backs, all except for the thieves'' leader. This fairy was still standing, his short sword extended and pointed toward Luca.


    "What''s going on?" I asked, worriedly, after I''d approached Edo from behind.


    He glanced down at me.


    "The kobold challenged Luca to a duel," he answered with a shrug. "Winner take all."


    I face-palmed myself before I asked the question I already knew the answer to. "Let me guess¡­ Luca said yes?"


    There was a tiny ray of hope that my little brother did not just mess up my well-thought-out plan just so he could continue to be Superman, but that was a false hope. Edo confirmed as much after he shrugged a second time.


    I covered my face with my hands to stifle the groan that escaped my lips.


    "You should have more faith in Luca," Edo nodded toward Luca. "You''re not the only one who''s gotten stronger, Dean."


    Hearing the reprimand in Edo''s tone forced me to peek through the space between my fingers, and I spent the next few seconds observing the duellers.


    Luca looked confident. More confident than I''d ever seen him be before. It wasn''t just the easy smile or the intensity in his gaze, you could see it in the straightening of his back and the way he held his broadsword¡ªits shadowblade tip touching the stone floor while both his hands rested lightly on his new round silver pommel.


    His armor was a snug fit too. The chain mail wrapped around his arms like they were a wet suit. Even the new Foolhardies tabard fitted him well. And gone were his worn leather boots. Luca was sporting supple leather half-plate boots now like he''d traded in his old trainers for Jordans.


    Observing my brother forced to realize an uncomfortable truth. He''d gotten taller again, possibly two inches taller than before.


    Damn, this depressing thought pierced through the wailing of my frustrated mind. More and more I was losing the authority of the big brother.


    To pull myself out of this sneaking depression, I set my gaze onto Luca''s opponent and scrutinized the first kobold I''d ever seen up close.


    He had a long wolf-like snout that was currently snarling in Luca''s direction, showing off perfectly white and very sharp fangs. His face was covered in white fur but the fur on the upper part of his head was gray and fashioned like a devil''s helmet. His eyes were the blue of the sky when the sun was up, and despite his intense glare, I could see a hint of warmth.


    This, more than anything else, made me think I''d chosen my candidates right.


    The kobold was about a head taller than me but shorter than the freak, Luca. It was muscular though, its thick white-furred arms sprouted out of the bronze breastplate it sported. Like all kobolds, the thieves'' leader wore a cloth skirt, not unlike the popular Scottish kilts of Mudgard. In fact, I had it on good authority that this particular style was originally kobold in nature and was inherited by the Scotsmen who had a one time ran hand in hand with these particular fairies.


    Soon enough, the duel for the tower began, and it started with the kobold howling its murderous howl at Luca. Then it pounced at him, short sword raised in what might have been a killer blow to some unprepared human boy, but this was Luca. He''d survived enough deathmatches to easily sidestep his opponent''s attack.


    Luca dodged to the side and in the same instant, raised his sword high with both hands, and immediately afterward, swung the flat of his broadsword down the back of the kobold''s outstretched neck.


    It wasn''t much of a fight. More like an experienced fighter showing off his skills against a novice during an exhibition match.


    The kobold fell to the floor unconscious. Luca, at least, was following my orders of non-lethal attacks to the letter.


    "Way to go, little bro," I said as I walked over to him and patted him on the arm. I frowned afterward, realizing I could no longer reach his shoulder without effort.


    Luca glanced back at me and grinned. "Luck. This guy was already tired from the battle."


    I smiled. Luca may have gotten stronger. He may have gotten taller. He may even be unbeatable at sparring now without the help of Fool''s Insight. But Luca would never be anything but the good kid I helped raise. At least, I hoped so.


    I glanced down at the white-furred kobold then looked back to Aura who was standing beside Edo, her efreet still floating in the air above her.

 108 A Dogs Purpose

    As the flames from Aura''s efreet caressed the furry white tail of the lead kobold, a panicked yelp escaped its snout that was loud enough to bounce off the stone walls of the tower''s interior.


    The kobold blinked its sky blue eyes to waking and found itself staring up into the not-so-handsome mug of my half-ogre squad leader.


    Edo growled in that intimidating way he loved to do. It was highly effective.


    The kobold let out a whining squeak, its eyes darting left and right, looking for a path of escape. His gaze fell upon his bound friends, all their faces looking forlornly back at him.


    Seeing them tied down like that must have struck a nerve for a sudden visible change appeared in the kobold''s face. His fear had shrunk, replaced by a manic determination that might have made things messier if I hadn''t stepped in at that exact moment to de-escalate the situation.


    "Whoa there," I pushed past Edo and raised my free hand to stop the kobold from launching what might as well have been a suicide attack on the half-ogre. "The fight''s over. Now''s the time to deal."


    Kobold didn''t have eyebrows, but the confused tilting of its head was unmistakably one of confusion.


    I kept my hand raised in a gesture of peace. "You can understand me, can''t you?"


    The kobold did not reply. Yet its eyes narrowed. Confusion replaced with suspicion.


    "Listen, friend, my guy here," I jerked a thumb toward Edo, "would love any excuse to turn you into dog paste, but I''m more magnanimous if you cooperate." I pointed at the kobold. "What''s your name?"


    Seconds ticked by while I allowed the kobold to ruminate and glance back and forth between me and Edo. But as I expected, it opted not to attack and instead answered my question in a husky voice, "I am Thor, son of Arthor."


    "Nice to meet you Thor, son of Arthor," I said. Then I pointed to myself. "I am Dean, son of Desmond, and I''ve got a proposition for you?"


    Thor repeated the word, "proposition," awkwardly like he couldn''t pronounce it right.


    I stood up straight and raised my arm to the side, moving my fingers back and forth like I was calling someone over. Varda arrived soon afterward and handed a scroll of parchment to my waiting hand. I unfurled this scroll and read aloud some of the more interesting parts written on it.


    "The White Howling Gang¡­ Wanted by the Sunspire Dominion for highway robbery and attempted theft of priceless artifacts¡­ successfully infiltrated the Adamant Fortress¡­" My eyes momentarily went wide at the mention of the Dominion''s unconquerable fortress located in the Westersand Desert on the western side of Westmarch. "Rumored to have given away their stolen loot back to lowly kobold villages along Westmarch¡­ The reward for capture or proof of death: three thousand Leprechauns¡­"


    I whistled before I wrapped the scroll around again and tossed it back to Varda.


    I glanced behind me and found Aura''s smirking face looking back at me.


    "Of course, you didn''t last very long against us," I reasoned.


    "We were ill-prepared," Thor growled, his fangs appearing for the first time since Luca knocked him out.


    Edo growled and then hefted his glaive menacingly in Thor''s line of sight. The kobold cowered instantly. His fear had come back after I''d stunted his earlier adrenaline rush.


    "Maybe you were ill-prepared to face us," I admitted. "But you''ve done quite a few interesting things¡­ did you really give the loot you stole back to other kobold villages?"


    "W-we stole only what was taken from us first, what the Dominion stole from kobold tribes," Thor answered hotly.


    I raised a hand to stop Edo. The dude was raring to go.


    "A real-life robin Hood, huh," I commented.


    I glanced over to Luca and mouthed, this dude''s got a hero complex too. He''s so much like you its creepy!


    Shut up, Dean! I don''t have a hero complex, Luca mouthed back.


    I let out a low chuckle that others might have misunderstood as an evil laugh that promised evil things were coming. In fact, there was a sudden uptick in kobold whining right afterward.


    "You''re in luck, Thor, son of Arthor," I said. "I''ve got need of a crew with your particular skill set."


    "We do?" Varda''s question came at the same time as Thor exclaiming, "You do?"


    I nodded and then pointed to the soldiers surrounding the kobolds.


    "Great General Darah didn''t send the Foolhardies to the west just to help out our trading partner." I looked over to Kallista with a smile on my face before turning my attention back on Thor. "We''re here to investigate certain troubling rumors regarding this war between Great General Garm and the Sunspire Dominion."


    There were too many ears listening for me to reveal more of our mission. But the truth was that Darah had sent us west to see if there was truth to the rumor of Garm making use of Scarlet Moon forces in his war against the Dominion. The Patriarch had declared the Scarlet Moon our enemy and any friendly ties with them were an act of treason. Of course, Darah hadn''t put all her eggs in one basket as ours wasn''t the only unit she''d sent this way.


    "Which means¡­ I''m in need of thieves who know their way around the area and can get in and out of hard to crack places," I explained. "And it just so happens I''ve got about forty slots to fill in my five-hundred man unit."


    So that''s why you didn''t complete our roster back in Fort Darah," Varda realized. Her fist pounded on the open palm of her other hand. ''You must have been planning this for a while now, Commander.


    I glanced back at Darah and quoted Sun Tzu once more, "Victory usually goes to the army who has better-trained officers and men."


    Then I swiveled my head back to Thor and offered him my hand.


    "I''m simply making sure we''re prepared for whatever comes our way," I said knowingly.


    It took a few seconds, but the kobold eventually reached out to take my hand with one of his furry ones, and I helped him rise to his full height, which admittedly, was at least a head taller than me.


    No, it doesn''t count. He''s not human, my brain whispered inside.


    "So, I guess this means you''re in?" I asked, still holding onto his hand.


    Thors glanced toward his fellow kobolds who looked just as surprised as him at the strange turnaround of events. When he turned his snout back at me, he said, "We will join you¡­ Foolhardies, if you promise to help the kobolds of this region."


    I glanced over at Aura and saw her nod silently. In the next second, she ordered her efreet away. Just like that, the tension surrounding the tower''s interior faded away as well.


    Thor and I shook hands, a concept which perplexed the kobold until I explained this was how humans struck a binding deal with each other.


    "Well, now that this is over," I turned my attention on the thirty-nine other kobolds, "what say we get your friends looked at by the Foolhardies healers."


    Thors bowed his head low and barked, "Please do."


    I left Varda, Edo, and Berrian in charge of the situation and led a small party comprised of myself, Kallista, Aura, Ashley, Varda, and Zarz deeper into the tower''s interior.


    The space we''d left behind was more like a rather large entryway with three sets of stairs. Two found by the walls directly east and west of the tower entrance and a central staircase that rose up twenty feet to a second-floor landing. My party walked up these central steps and found ourselves at the entrance to an even wider circular hallway than the one we left behind.


    "Looks like a¡ª"


    "¡ªthrone room," Aura finished my thought.


    "It''s a great hall for supplicants," Ashley explained, her eyes scanning the interior wall and the relief sculptures carved on nearly every surface of it. "This tower must have belonged to the shieldmaidens at one point."


    Her point was valid. The wide circular hall with its high ceiling and its stained glass window did resemble the shieldmaiden tower we''d visited once before. Except, some of the designs, like the windows themselves, were dwarven, not elven which was the shieldmaiden default.


    Ashley pointed to the nearest wall which was on our right.


    "That depicts the first meeting of the lost monarch and the Mab, the shieldmaiden''s high priestess," she explained.


    I hadn''t forgotten that old sculpture I''d seen of a fairy babe rising out of a dead man''s insides. Just remembering it made my face cringe.


    "So, what? The shieldmaidens just up and left?" Luca asked.


    "Maybe," Aura agreed. "Although it doesn''t seem like they were the first ones here."


    It was Aura''s turn to point her finger, directing all our attention to the raised dais at the end of the circular hall. On it stood a chair carved out of a large chunk of what looked like¡ª


    "Silver!" Zarz chirped. "That throne is made entirely of silver!"


    While Zarz raced toward the boulder-sized chunk of metal and the chair carved out of it, I spent the time raising an eyebrow.


    "The silver throne?" I said, shaking my head.


    "Dean," Luca called my name. "It kind of looks like Daenerys'' throne in Dragonstone, right?"


    I nodded after taking a second to agree that it really did look like that throne in that groundbreaking HBO TV series about dragons and ice zombies which Luca and I could only watch whenever mom wasn''t around to scold us for ogling too many nude women.


    "You know, it kind of does," I said.


    From across the hall, we could all hear Zarz exclaim, "This is no elven work. Only dwarves could craft something this beautiful out of such malleable metal!"


    "Whoever made this place, I think it would make a suitable headquarters. Right, Dean?" Kallista noted.


    "Headquarters?" I turned to look at her and saw the knowing smile on her face. "Whose?"

 109 Battle Royal

    It was utter chaos, at least for the enemy''s side. But that''s what happens when you''re an arrogant fairy who doesn''t prepare for the unexpected.


    I sensed a shade of my former captain, Rosalind Roselle, in the two-thousand-man pixie commander, who, as he watched invading forces break through the meager defenses he''d placed behind himself, looked like he was turning paler and paler by the minute.


    Behind me, Edo and Shanks had caused a storm of hurt on the fairy soldiers who just couldn''t manage to stop their unstoppable onslaught.


    I heard the smashing of bones which I knew instinctively was caused by the slamming of Shanks'' war hammer. I also heard the familiar whirring sound¡ªlike that of a helicopter''s blades coming to life¡ªand I knew without a doubt that Edo was twirling his glaive around, something he loved to do when steeped in enemies.


    Although I kept my focus forward, I understood that my two tanks were doing their job well as the forces in front of me were thinning out more and more. Meaning the enemies on this side of the oasis had obviously been distracted by Edo''s and Shanks'' performance that they were drawn over to try and stop them.


    However, this didn''t mean there was zero resistance before me.


    A kobold warrior, its mouth hanging open to reveal sharp canines and copious amounts of drool, charged at me with a kite shield raised forward in one hand and a khopesh sword on the other.


    \"Like a bolt of lightning, carve away all defenses with a single glistening blade,\" I whispered as I met his charge.


    It was the mantra I''d been using the last few months whenever I needed to quickly activate Augmentare. I made it up after I figured out that a chant was the best way to make the skill work for me.


    I still couldn''t manage to keep it active for more than a few seconds at a time, but that didn''t stop me from using those precious few seconds to my advantage.


    Case in point, I swung my falchion¡ªcoated in the devastating aura of a lightning elemental¡ªforward with lightning speed toward the kobold''s shield. The falchion''s shadowblade sank into the enemy''s steel shield, penetrating past it and into the arm holding onto it. Then it continued its sweeping arc all the way to the other side, ensuring that both shield and arm were severed.


    Understandably, the kobold screamed in surprise and pain, but what it should have done was send its khopesh slashing forward to deflect my follow-up attack.


    A simple twist of my wrist and my shadowblade reversed course. It continued its momentum in a sideward slash that bit deep into the exposed abdomen of my target.


    Blood and guts spilled out of the kobold by the time I finished my cross slash combo and the lightning coating wrapped around the shadowblade disappeared back into the ether.


    From what I understand, not many viseres or fairies could call on spirits of air that were able to harness the awesome power of lightning, which might mean that I was awesome too.


    This thought raced across my mind as I dodged the spear thrust of a second kobold warrior. I ducked underneath him and hurried onward, not bothering to turn around to counter as I just heard a familiar berserker''s roar right behind me.


    There was a second kobold scream, and I knew Luca''s attack was successful.


    \"Don''t stop! Keep going!\" I ordered.


    We needed to get to that dumbfounded pixie commander before Al Sheridan did.


    To my far left, I heard Varda''s chant almost like an echo in the wind.


    \"Spirits of earth, to this offering of stones please descend and awaken to me as my stone friend,\" she chanted.


    Then I heard the sound of something heavy coming to life, and I was reassured that my plan was going smoothly so far.


    An elf appeared on my left with daggers in both hands. Behind him, a malevolent shadow was screeching toward him, her own katana rising out of the darkness wrapped around her.


    I flipped the elf with the Fayne''s version of the finger which in human terms would be a reverse peace sign before ignoring it completely.


    There was no need to worry as the dark shadow, which was Enna Blackthorn, was already within reach of slitting that elf''s throat.


    I pressed on with Luca right behind me. Two elves and a kobold were in our way. Then they were gone as if they were nothing more than road kill on the path of a much larger stone golem than I''d ever seen Varda summon before.


    My eyes were wide with surprise as I watch this massive creature, which was nearly twenty-feet-tall, lumber toward the kobolds that were clustered together to my immediate right.


    A giggling Varda was seated on the shoulder of her stone golem. She turned toward me and pointed toward her stone golem while mouthing, \"My spell''s gotten so much stronger, Commander!\"


    I spared her a thumbs up before continuing my dash forward.


    This small diversion caused Luca to get ahead of me which was just as well as there was a line of defenders between us and the commander in his turquoise robe on his bright green swifthart.


    Boom!


    A second explosion rocked me from behind, the wind pressure passing right through my back and nearly causing me to stumble.


    \"A little too close, Shanks!\" I yelled into the sky.


    Luca reached our opponents first. His broadsword''s shadowblade swept forward in what I often described as the reaper''s scythe swinging down on unlucky fools who were never aware that my brother''s gift tripled his strength, giving him what was arguably a giant''s power ¡ª assuming one believed the legends that giants once roamed the Fayne too.


    Luca''s one slash swept away the line of defenders like he was some legendary hero in a Dynasty Warriors game using his Musou power on the mobs before him.


    This was the chink in the armor that I needed to breeze past the defensive line.


    I left Luca there to deal with the enemies. I wasn''t worried for my brother though as I was sure Pike would be flying to his side soon enough. Those two were ridiculously clingy in a battlefield which would have made me barf if I wasn''t similarly attached to Aura at the hip.


    Speaking of Aura, she was probably going to get mad at me again for not bringing her along on this dangerous mission. But that was the thing; I didn''t want her doing something too reckless because she was such an important figure in the clan. Plus, I could only trust her to lead the unit when I wasn''t around to do it. Everyone respected her. Sure, Azuma was the better commander, but there are more than a few veterans among the Foolhardies who hadn''t forgotten that he was once our most dangerous opponent.


    While all these little things were popping up in the non-battle focused part of my mind, the part of me that was absorbed in the fight readied itself for that critical moment that would determine my victory, not just against a two-thousand-man enemy Commander, but also against my fellow young commander and arguably my biggest rival among the young commanders of the clan.


    So imagine my frustration when I saw Al Sheridan and his swifthart breaking through the encirclement of defenders to the right of me.


    \"Shit!\" I huffed as I increased my pace even more.


    Ten feet between me and the boss, and although he was further behind, there was no doubt Al would reach him at nearly the same time. Stupid swiftharts could bridge short distances with a single long leap of their powerful hindquarters after all.


    \"Like a bolt of lightning, carve away all defences with a single glistening blade,\" I whispered.


    Then I leapt forward with my falchion raised high. I aimed directly for the side of the enemy commander who looked disbelievingly between me and Al Sheridan who also had his glaive pointed forward.


    I swung my falchion sideways. Al Sheridan thrust his spear forward.


    Predictably, the pixie commander spread his wings to dodge our attacks which both I and Al expected. So, it really was no surprise when we both threw daggers toward him at nearly the same time. It was even less surprising when both our daggers hit each of his wings.


    I''d taken Al''s position into account and reasoned he would go after the left wing while I struck the right wing. No doubt he thought the same thing too.


    \"You know this is my win, right?\" I hit him first,\" Al commented.


    The enemy commander''s swifthart panicked and ran away, clearing the space between me and Al.


    \"The deal was whoever took his head, first,\" I reminded him. \"And you''re blind. I obviously hit him first.\"


    We watched the pixie scream in pain while desperately trying to keep afloat despite his wounded wings. This proved unsuccessful and he plummeted to the ground just outside the circle of white stones that separated the mana pool''s secret garden from the rest of the world.


    But I couldn''t spare a second to survey my surroundings. I only knew I had to get the enemy commander in time before Al did.


    It turned out both Al and I were the losers for as we scrambled toward the fallen foe a shadow appeared in the sky above it.


    I looked up just in time to watch Verania Folkor zooming down toward the enemy, her reaper''s scythe slashing forward in an arc.


    A second of disbelief, my breathing turned ragged at the sight. Then, without any fanfare, she cut off his head.

 110 Requiem for A Dream

    \"So¡­ basically what you''re saying is you''ve got a secret base now?\" Ty confirmed.


    He''d scratched his nose with a hand caked in glitter and accidentally swiped his face with a spattering of gold dust.


    Arah and I laughed heartily.


    We were in my dad''s study which in the recent months had become my study and something of a secret base for me, Ty, and Arah mostly because aunt Lena still didn''t like coming in here.


    The open window behind dad''s desk brought in that cold October breeze that felt cool on the skin. That cold seeped into the tiled floor and made it a comfortable spot for us to sit in and laid out our materials.


    The three of us were currently in the midst of finishing our Halloween costumes so they''d be ready in three weeks for that most favorable of holidays. This time, we''d decided to go as the big three of the DC. Ty was going as Superman because he was like Luca in his sense of justice. Arah would be Asian Wonder Woman right down to that skimpy skirt from the movies. Me, well, I was already a dark knight in the Fayne. Might as well be Batman in Mudgard too.


    After I''d finished laughing at Ty and he''d cleaned his face a bit, I answered his question with, \"Yeah, and it''s right beside a nice lake too. Although we''ll need to make a lot of repairs to really make it work.\"


    \"Sounds like quite the task,\" Arah said distractedly as she was busy pinning glittery, paper-mach¨¦ stars to the short blue skirt in her hands. \"I imagine thinking about the upkeep and managing your resources is just as challenging.\"


    ''Which is why I didn''t want it at first after Kallista dropped the bomb on me¡­ I had enough problems to deal with, you know?\"  I complained. \"But the idea eventually grew on me. I mean, our growing unit does need a base of operations to work from in the Westmarch.\"


    I was gluing bits of foam muscles onto my Batsuit when I looked up and noticed Arah''s narrowed eyes staring back at me.


    \"What?\" I asked.


    \"This Kallista, she''s that busty fire fairy you told us about, right?\" Arah confirmed.


    I nodded. \"Yup, and they''re called salamanders... so what?\"


    Arah sighed. \"Nothing.\"


    Then she went back to her work and ignored me for a whole five minutes. Eventually, though, she looked up from her costume and cocked her to the side, and said, \"You know, my mom''s an architect and my dad''s an engineer¡­\"


    \"So?\" I asked warily. I didn''t like where this conversation was headed. I can already see it as if I could see into the cogs moving around inside Arah''s brain.


    \"Maybe¡­\" she paused, breathing deeply before continuing to ask the question I already knew was coming, \"Maybe this would be the perfect time for Ty and me to join you in the Fayne. We could help with renovations for starters?\"


    \"¡ªtoo dangerous, I know, I know,\" Arah said, rolling her eyes. \"But if you can do it, Dean, and you''re not exactly the most athletic guy out there¡ª\"


    \"¡ªOi!¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI''m just saying,\" Arah raised her hands up in surrender, \"that if you can hack it, who''s to say we can''t too? Right, Ty?\"


    Ty hadn''t answered so both Arah and I turned toward him and found him lost in thought. His eyes looked glazed over.


    \"Tyberius!\" Arah snapped.


    Still, Ty hadn''t responded, and it wasn''t until I grabbed his shoulder and shook him that he began to stir.


    \"Wh-what?\" Ty blinked. Then he massaged his brow like he''d just had a huge migraine. \"S-sorry. I was¡ª\"


    \"¡ªSpacing out?\" Arah finished. \"Yeah, we know.\"


    I looked at my friend with concern. ''You okay, dude?\"


    Ty dropped his hand and nodded. \"Y-yeah¡­ just tired, I guess. Not sleeping so well recently.\"


    \"Why?\" I asked, offering him another can of Diet Coke.


    Ty looked down at the can in my hand and shook his head. \"Dude¡­ you''re the only one who drinks that. Regular Coke is fine¡­\"


    Arah laughed at me before tossing Ty a regular Coke can.


    He popped it open without bothering to let the air out slowly, causing it to fizz up and drench his hand in soda.


    Ty spent the next ten seconds lapping it up with his mouth while Arah and I laughed heartily once more.


    Eventually, after things had calmed down, I returned to the topic of Ty not getting much sleep and asked him what it was about, and he responded surprisingly with, \"Hey, Dean¡­ do you ever get nightmares? About the Fayne?\"


    My brow furrowed. \"Um¡­ I already live in that nightmare. I don''t think I''d want to dream about it too.\"


    \"Not that you dream at all these days,\" Arah added. \"Do you even get any sleep done between here and the Fayne, Dean?\"


    I wracked my brain and thought about it. Seconds later, I enumerated, \"Mostly in school. Half an hour in English Literature before Mrs. Garcia notices me drooling, an hour during Free Period, an hour during lunch, and another half hour in Physics because Ms. Ramirez is nice enough to let me¡ª\"


    \"¡ªthat woman dotes on you,\" Arah rolled her eyes again.


    \"That she does,\" I answered happily. \"But that''s because I ace all her exams even without needing to study too hard.\"


    \"Show off,\" Arah smirked.


    \"Don''t hate the player, hate the game.\" I laughed.


    \"You only get three hours of sleep a day?\" Ty asked uncomfortably.


    I nodded. \"But enough about my poor sleep routine. Why were you asking me about dreams and the Fayne?\"


    Ty lowered his head and didn''t speak, prompting me to throw one of my paper-mach¨¦ Batterangs at him.


    \"Speak, Superman!\" I ordered in a low, growling voice that emulated how I thought Batman spoke.


    Ty scratched his head. He scratched his head some more. And after seconds of the obvious back and forth going on inside his mind, he finally said, \"I''ve been having these nightmares¡­ I think they''re about the Fayne because a lot of the stuff you talk about¡­ well, it''s like I can see them in my dreams.\"


    Both Arah and I looked at each other. Then our eyes darted back to Ty.


    \"What do you mean, Tiberius?\" Arah asked in a serious tone.


    \"Um, maybe it''s because Dean describes them really well, but sometimes, in my dreams, well¡­ my nightmares, really¡­\" Ty looked sheepishly back at us. \"I can actually see fairies vividly in my dreams. I think. I think I''ve seen that dwarf Varda and your pixie friend, Qwipps¡­ and they''re exactly how you describe them¡­ except¡­\"


    \"Except?\" I asked, my anxiety slowly building in my gut.


    \"Th-they were covered in blood¡­\" he finished. \"Like they''d lost a fight and were dying¡­ or close to it.\"


    But Ty wasn''t done. He told us more of the things he''d seen in his nightmares like he couldn''t stop now that he''d begun.


    \"I saw Aura too.\" And after saying this, Ty sent me a wan smile. \"But not like when she''s here. More war-like.\" Ty frowned.


    Then he went on to describe Aura''s mask in perfect detail as if he''d actually seen her wearing it, something I''d never discussed with either of them.


    \"Ty''s eyes looked hard into mine. \"Dean¡­ there was blood on her robes, and she was holding onto someone and crying. Tears streamed down her face and onto a shock of red hair. I couldn''t see his face, but I think it was you¡­\"


    There was an awfully long silence while Arah and I absorbed Ty''s words which were only broken after Arah finally snapped.


    \"Geez, Tiberius,\" Arah said. \"Morbid, much?\"


    \"Um, Ty,\" I added. \"Maybe I should stop talking about my time in the Fayne. Seems like that stuff really gets to you, dude.\"


    For some reason, Ty''s dream worried me, which made no sense to me at all. Dreams meant nothing. Especially dreams from someone whose only connection to the Fayne was me.


    \"I saw a white tower behind Aura¡­ It was half-carved out of white rock and designed like those Christian temples that were co-opted by the Muslims after Constantinople was sacked,\" Ty explained. He was a history buff. \"It was set against a stormy sky. Its battlements were torn apart like something had ripped half of it up into the air¡­\"


    Ty sighed.


    \"I think I''m going crazy,\" he finished, glancing between me and Arah afterward.


    My heart was pounding like a jackhammer. How the hell did Ty know what my new tower looked like when I hadn''t told him anything about its design apart from the fact that it was a tower.


    My mind reeled, and I was in no condition to tell my friend he was just having bad dreams. Thankfully, Arah managed to save the afternoon by informing Ty that he was wuss and that his dreams were just that, dreams. In fact, she was so confident about this that I started to believe her words too. It couldn''t be possible, after all, Ty dreaming about the Fayne when he''d never been there. And yet¡­


    Hours later, just before sunset, I waved goodbye to Ty and Arah as they drove as in his car, wondering just what the hell Ty was on about. Maybe he''d started smoking pot and this hallucination was the end result. I''d have to ask Arah just to be sure. Still, it didn''t make sense that he knew and described things he''d never seen before.


    That thought gave me goosebumps, and I shivered uncontrollably while I stared up at the Fall sunset. It was almost time to return to the Fayne.


    \"Maybe I''ll ask Aura about humans dreaming of the Fayne,\" I whispered to myself.


    I was about to head back into the house when I noticed something odd in the neighbor''s yard on the opposite side of the street.


    A man stood there. He was dressed all in black with a deep hood covering his face, but it was his ears that caught my attention. Even from where I stood, I could tell they were long and pointy.


    At first, I thought he was looking right at me, but based on the way his hood was turned, he might have been looking at Ty''s Camaro instead.


    A gust of wind sent dust floating up to my glasses and into my eye, causing me to take the glasses off and rub furiously at my eyes. And by the time my vision cleared and I''d put my glasses back on, the strange hooded figure was gone.

 111 Problems

    The following nights in the Fayne almost made me forget about Ty''s dreams or the incident of the disappearing man outside my house as my brain was full trying to absorb all the training Azuma was drilling into me.


    There was no chance to ask Aura about it either as she''d been recalled by Chancellor Orryn back to Sh?rleden because her brother''s conditioned had worsened.


    I''d only just heard from her last night through a message from Nike that Auranos was in recovery and that she would travel throughout the day via peryton to reach our nameless tower before the coming of dawn.


    Maybe then I could ask her about Ty''s dreams. But for now, my brain was completely preoccupied with finally getting the stupid Augmentare to work.


    We were on the fourth floor of the seven-floor, circular tower. I''d designated it the training hall as it had a similar high ceiling as the audience hall below, but with slightly lesser breakable stained-glass windows. It was also the first hall my troops finished setting up.


    The hall size must have been at least fifteen hundred square feet of space with newly installed wooden partitions to separate the different training areas. There was a weight room for those bruisers who liked to keep their muscles trained, a mat area for unarmed and armed training, a small locker area that sat right next to a weapons locker, and finally, a small infirmary for minor injuries. More of a triage room really. We hadn''t finished setting up the main infirmary on the third floor yet.


    So, there I was standing on one of the training mats with my falchion raised forward with both hands, sweating buckets for pushing my mind into an intense concentration that resulted in nothing. For all my effort, not a tiny spark of fire or even a droplet of water appeared on my shadowblade.


    In frustration I lowered my hand kicked at the mat, brushing my feet across its leathery surface.


    \"This is hopeless,\" I groaned.


    Around me, I could hear the snicker of onlookers, and I sent my death stare at the closest ones. Two kobolds who needed to be reminded who was boss. They cowered back and then scampered away, bringing a satisfied grin to my face.


    Azuma had followed my line of sight, and sighed, \"You mind too much¡­\" He shook his head. \"Listen, Dean, you''re not here to live up to anyone''s expectations. Just yours.\"


    I looked my new martial arts instructor up and down, noting how his body hidden under training gear seemed less frail than it used to be, even if his skin was still sickly pale and his eyes were still the same bloodshot they always were.


    \"Easy for you to say,\" I countered. \"You gave up being command.\"


    Azuma nodded. \"Yes, but that''s because I found one worth following¡­\"


    I blushed. It wasn''t everyday one got a compliment from someone everyone viewed as a true warrior.


    I took a deep breath then raised my falchion forward once more.


    \"Any more tips?\" I asked.


    Azuma thought about it. His eventual response was, \"I can only use myself as an example.\"


    He raised his spear in my direction. Seconds of deep concentration passed where Azuma mouthed a phrase I''d heard him speak before. The man wasn''t actually speaking in some obscure fay dialect. He had simply spoken too fast for me to understand before. But as he slowed down his speech, I heard each word as clear as day.


    \"I am shapeless, formless, like water,\" he quoted. \"When you form water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in the bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in the teacup, it becomes the teacup. Water can drip and it can crash, and so, I must become like water.\"


    Immediately after he''d said those famous lines that had first been said by the most famous martial artist of the previous generation, water burst to life around Azuma''s shadowblade spear tip and coalesced around it to form a liquid coating.


    \"Did you just steal that line from Bruce Lee?\" I asked, my eyebrow raised.


    \"I simply followed the recommendation of a great warrior,\" Azuma said. \"It has become my mantra whenever I wished to call upon the elemental spirits to bless my weapon.\"


    He pointed the water spear at me.


    \"You see, Dean, that''s the secret,\" Azuma explained. \"A prayer or wish to the elemental spirits to augment the tool.\"


    \"B-but I don''t know which element to call out to?\"  I reasoned.


    Azuma swept his spear to the side and splashed water onto the mat.


    \"Well, that''s what you''re doing now, right?\" he said. \"You''re figuring that part out.\"


    \"I know,\" I said, slightly annoyed.


    \"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do,\" Azuma quoted again.


    \"Dude, stop quoting Bruce Lee to me,\" I snapped. \"It''s not helping.\"


    We were interrupted by Luca''s voice singing a song from our childhood.


    \"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain, can you paint with all the colors of the wind,\" he sang in a soprano voice that reminded me how good a singer my little brother was.


    As Luca''s voice echoed around us, the silver broadsword in his hand began to glow a different color from its usual charred-orange lines.


    The air seemed to thin around us as if it were being sucked right into Luca''s sword which slowly, but surely, summoned to it a soft sheet of air floating around the shadowblade like a much smaller sword-shaped tornado than the one Great General Spellweaver had used.


    A spattering of applause from the onlookers, and although I hadn''t joined in with them, I felt a swell of pride for Luca''s natural talent to do anything he set his mind to. But, also, a tiny twinge of jealousy sprouted in my chest, leading me to joke, \"You''re using a Disney song as your mantra?\"


    Luca blushed and lost his concentration, resulting in the coating of air around his blade to disperse suddenly, spreading out around him and making Luca''s hair stand on end.


    \"I wasn''t going to use it,\" Luca countered, blushing even more furiously now that he''d noticed Pike among the onlookers. \"I was just practicing¡­\" Luca glared at me. \"I''ll think up an even cooler mantra, just you wait and see.\"


    I shrugged. \"Whatever you say, little bro.\"


    Still grinning, I turned my attention back to Azuma who was looking back at me with something akin to pity.


    \"That was petty,\" he chided.


    I shrugged again, smiling sheepishly while I did. \"Couldn''t help it. Just doling out some brotherly love.\"


    Azuma and I spent another thirty minutes of training where I finally managed to create a bluish spark that was definitely not fire or any of the four basic elements in fairy magic.


    \"Wh-what was that?\" I asked, surprised.


    \"Interesting¡­ you keep surprising me more and more, Dean,\" Azuma laughed.


    Before Azuma could explain further, Zarz and Varda strolled into the training hall, each carrying a stack of scrolls that were no doubt intended for me. Walking between them were my two favorite sprites, Fila and Nike, the latter holding onto a scrying orb.


    \"Crap,\" I breathed. \"Any chance you can teach me how to turn invisible?\"


    \"We''ll tackle stealth some other time,\" Azuma said, coughing as he did. He cleared his throat. \"Looks like duty calls, Commander.\"


    Azuma saying commander sounded the same as when Thom did it. Like it was a tease more than a sign of respect. I had just enough time to give him a fake laugh before my quartermaster and artificer bombarded me with more work.


    I spent the next hour back at the entrance hall where we''d put a long table meant for meetings regarding the renovation of the nameless tower. Honestly, I was going to have to think up a name for this place.


    Kallista, in her wisdom, left that for me to do as well, along with a list of upkeep and renovations issues that she happily said she''d supply us materials for. She failed to mention that the materials would cost me much of the Foolhardies operation budget plus a sizeable chunk of my own savings. Hell, the newly installed double front doors alone cost us at least five-hundred Leprechauns.


    Zarz, who doubled as our chief architect, insisted on pure iron for the doors, a mineral which was cheap on Mudgard but highly expensive here in the Fayne. Then he insisted that they be crafted to his specifications, three meters in height and about a foot thick.


    I glanced up at the iron surface of the doors with their unfinished relief sculptures and wondered just how much more I could have saved with a simple wooden door.


    \"Um, Commander, were you listening?\" Varda''s voice sent my mind back into reality.


    \"What was that?\" I asked.


    \"I said,\" Varda replied in a slower tone, \"That there''s no way we can find enough Leprechauns to pay for all these renovations Zarz thinks we need.\"


    ''I don''t think, girlie, I know we need em,\" he said, poking at Varda''s chain mail shirt through the new Foolhardies tabard she wore over it with his pencil. \"The living spaces aren''t livable. Kitchen needs a chimney. Doors are non-existent, and don''t even get me started on that broken-down wall. Hell, we might as well invite invaders up to the tower with this piss poor showing.\"


    Varda glanced back at me and mouthed, What a diva, right, Commander? To which I responded with a shrug and a shake of my head.


    \"Zarz, we''re already over budget,\" Varda insisted. \"Soon enough, we might not even have enough for basic necessities like food.\"


    \"What now?\" Qwipps called from across the hall where he and some kobolds were installing luminescent stones on the walls. \"What''s this I hear about us not having food, Varda?!\"


    \"Never you mind, Qwipps!\" Varda called back. \"Just finish installing those lights already.\"


    Varda turned her attention back on our meeting.


    \"As I was saying, Commander,\" she glanced between me and Zarz, \"we''re in desperate need of more treasure¡­ maybe you can send some troops out to raid Dominion camps around the area?\"


    I shook my head. \"Can''t¡­ I''ve got Edo and Xanthor''s squads patrolling our area so we don''t get blindsided. Plus, we don''t have permission from Garm to join combat operations here in Westmarch yet.\"


    I glanced down at Fila who was sitting cross-legged on the table.


    \"Any word on that, Fila?\" I asked.


    He shook his head.


    \"None yet, sir¡­ it''s like their stone walling our application over at Western Headquarters,\" he piped in that spritely voice of his.


    I sighed, looking over to the other two in the room. \"Anyone else got any suggestions.\"


    It was a while later, but Nike chirped a suggestion that actually had merit.


    \"Why not ask merchants to set up shop here, sir?\" she asked, looking up at me from beside Fila with her big doe eyes. \"for a profit.\"


    I nodded slowly, an idea forming in my head. \"Other than rent, we can claim sales taxes and even export and import taxes.\"


    If I was a cartoon character, my eyes would be reflecting huge dollar signs by now. Of course, both Darah, being a dwarf, and Zarz, as an inventor and former shopkeeper himself, understood where I was coming from. And in my mind''s eye, I could see that dollar sign reflected in their eyes too.


    We had a quick brainstorming session where Varda and Zarz would call on their merchant contacts and see which one bit on the bait, but before we could send Nike and Fila out with the message, another crisis seemed to happen.


    Xanthor Xor burst into the entry hall, his hooves spattering mud on the recently cleaned stone floor.


    I cringed. Couldn''t he have cleaned himself off first?


    \"Boss, we''ve got trouble!\" he said, as if his sudden disheveled appearance wasn''t a dead giveaway already. \"Someone''s coming!\"


    \"Enemy?\" I asked.


    Xanthor cocked his head to the side. \"Um, I''m not sure, boss.\"


    I raised an eyebrow. \"They''re either friendlies or their enemies, Xanthor.\"


    \"Well, that''s the thing, boss,\" Xanthor said, shaking his head. \"They''re definitely Trickster troops but, well, they''re not any units we''ve worked with before.\"


    \"Units?\" I asked, alarm bells raised in my head. \"As in more than one?\"


    \"Yeah, boss¡­\" he nodded profusely. \"Heard of them too. Five-hundred man units with famous young commanders like you.\"


    \"Huh,\" I said, wondering just which of us was more famous. \"Guess we should go say hi.\"


    Then I got up from my seat and walked toward the double front doors.

 112 Rivals

    We had twenty minutes to prepare for their arrival. In that time, I had Ashley''s entire Shield squad line up in two neat rows on each side of our iron double front doors like an honor guard awaiting guests.


    Of course, we made sure their brand new bronze shields and electrum-grade chain mails underneath their midnight blue Foolhardies tabard were spick and span, shining brilliantly under Idunn''s light.


    Luca''s Ravagers lined up in ordered rows on the grounds east of the steps leading up to the entryway. Azuma''s Immortals were lined up on the west.


    I had Thom''s Hazy Moon man the twelve-foot tall broken walls. At least the ones that still had solid footing.


    Twenty of the new kobold unit¡ªthe ones I hadn''t sent out with Thor to acquire intel around the Westmarch¡ªmanned the tower''s battlements alongside Qwipps'' Talons.


    I stood by the doors while flanked by Varda on my left and Xanthor on my right.


    \"What if they want to fight, Commander?\" Varda asked worriedly. \"We''ve only just begun renovations¡­ I''d hate to think what that would do to our coffers if a fight broke out.\"


    I glanced down at my Quartermaster and saw the bead of sweat dribbling down her forehead. Her pretty face twisted in a worried look that didn''t suit her usual happy-go-lucky attitude.


    \"It''ll be fine,\" I said, patting her on her broad shoulder. \"I''ll ask them to not hit the scaffolding.\"


    \"They better not,\" Varda grumbled. \"Even temporary scaffoldings cost Leprechauns.\"


    I smirked at Varda while thinking I might need to get her some help. This nameless tower was in need of a Seneschal at least.


    It wasn''t more than five minutes later, when I gazed out past the makeshift tents we''d made for the soldiers'' temporary barracks, that I saw several dozen riders approaching.


    They must have been at least a two-hundred cavalry with another three hundred on foot following far behind them. The riders all wore a similar padded doublet like the one Azuma wore. Only, theirs were a lighter shade of blue than ours. It was weird as bright azure wasn''t usually standard for any standing army serving under the Trickster Pavilion.


    Above them rose the Trickster''s banners along with a second banner I didn''t recognize. On its azure field, two sapphire fairy wings shaped like double-sided blades gleamed like they''d been made with lines of glitter. Although it was similar enough in design to Great General Lavinia Folkor''s Fairy Flag that I assumed this unit was working for her.


    \"Sheesh, these guys are making my guys nervous¡­ their formation''s a mess,\" Xanthor observed.


    To the right of this new army was Xanthor''s Dash Riders, and compared to the uniformity of the group they trailed behind, Xanthor''s guys really did look like a rabble of amateurs.


    \"Remind me to push more formation training for your squad,\" I said to him.


    The swifthart rider at the head of the unit suddenly dashed forward, forcing the soldiers around the fairy to rush in after it. This small group of soldiers made quick work navigating our meager wooden barricades and broken walls, and not until they''d arrived right at the tower steps and between our row of shields did the lead rider stop.


    \"Water,\" she said in a lyrical voice that reminded me too much of Qwipps. However, the fairy looking up at me with such pretty eyes¡ªthe left one red and the right one violet¡ªlooked nothing like Qwipps. Here was someone of beauty and authority to rival even Aura.


    Her command seemed to drill into my brain, pushing me to move before I even noticed that I''d walked down the steps with my canteen in hand.


    I reached up my hand and offered the canteen to her while she sat on her pale green swifthart smiling down at me in that flirty way pretty girls often did.


    She had an angular face with long bushy eyebrows, high cheekbones, a long straight nose, and heart-shaped lips that oozed sex appeal. Her hair was long, dark, and plaited. A wreath of flowers rested on her head.


    A pale long-fingered hand took the canteen from me, and as she placed it on her lips and drank her fill, I couldn''t help feeling that every movement she''d made was meant to stimulate something inside me.


    When she was done drinking, she tossed me back my canteen and said, \"I expect your hospitality.\"


    She smiled at me, showing off perfect white teeth.


    \"You have it,\" I answered, almost half in a daze.


    Jensen led her and her entourage to our makeshift stables, and only then did I feel the fog lift from my mind. But maybe it had something to do with Luca appearing at my side to smack me hard on the shoulder.


    \"Get a grip, Dean,\" he said, shaking his head.


    \"Wh-what was that for?\" I asked, defensively.


    \"You were drooling,\" Luca said, rolling his eyes. \"When are you going to stop letting fem-fairies glamour you so easily?\"


    \"I wasn''t glamoured,\" I answered hotly.


    \"Uh, yeah¡­ you were,\" he replied, shaking his head again.


    I smacked Luca on the shoulder. \"Was not.\"


    He smacked me back on my shoulder. \"Was too!\"


    We smacked each other a few more times before Varda came down and told us we were causing a scene with the new arrivals.


    I glanced over to the stables and the pixie commander of this new group. She was looking back at me with a smirk on her face.


    \"Geez¡­ if she''s my rival then I''m way out of my league,\" I sighed.


    \"She''s five-Hundred Man Commander, Verania Folkor, niece of Great General Lavinia Folkor,\" Darah revealed. \"I hear she''s quite the vixen, Commander, so better watch out.\"


    While her forces settled in and pitched tents on the grounds closer to the Titania, the pixie commander and her entourage opted to stretch their legs inside the tower''s entryway.


    I asked Luca to guide them in to see if he''d get charmed by her too. As they walked up the steps, I saw the hop in his step and the redness in his cheeks and felt a satisfying feeling settle in my stomach.


    Ha! As if you weren''t charmed too. Wait until Pike sees you like that, Luca, I thought happily.


    \"Heads up, Commander\" Varda announced, pointing one of her stubby fingers eastward. \"Here comes the next group.\"


    Although they were about equal in size, the second unit to arrive wasn''t nearly as flashy as the first. They''d strolled into the ground leisurely while Edo''s Bastards walked alongside them as their escorts.


    The leader, a tall, lean young man with messy, sandy-brown hair had gotten off his mount and led it by the straps while he walked alongside Edo, chatting merrily as he did.


    Edo didn''t look like he was answering the man with anything more than a grunt, but he didn''t seem annoyed by the new arrival, not like he usually was with me.


    Once they were close enough, the young man glanced over in my direction and raised his hand in greeting.


    Instinctively, I raised my hand as well.


    Smiling, he left his brown swifthart with Edo and took the grounds two steps at a time until we were face to face. Then he wiped his left hand on his elven-designed leather vest and offered it to me.


    I shook it, immediately thinking he wasn''t so bad.


    \"No need for us not to be friends,\" he said happily. \"We shed the same blood on the same war after all.\"


    \"We have?\" I asked, uncertainly.


    I looked up at the smiling face¡ªpossibly the one bad thing about him, being tall and all¡ªand saw the piercing green eyes appraising me just as I was appraising him.


    He had a handsome rugged face with a small pointy nose and a light fringe covering his square jaw, which at first didn''t make sense to me, as his knife ears were a clear sign he was an elf. But elves can''t grow beards which led me to the obvious fact that I was staring at a half-elf.


    The half-elf introduced himself as, \"Albert Sheridan, Five-Hundred Man Commander of the Millennium Hawks. But you can call me Al.\"


    We shook hands.


    \"Millennium Hawks¡­ the name sounds familiar¡­\" I said.


    \"You might have heard of our independent unit from General Thors,\" Albert said. \"We used to work for him.\"


    A light bulb turned on in my head. \"Ah, you''re the hundred-man commander that took out the Magesong''s spell cannons.\"


    \"A meager accomplishment compared to yours.\" Albert''s eyes trailed over to Azuma who was yawning in front of his troops. \"Still, my Hawks will overshadow your Foolhardies in the next war.\"


    I raised an eyebrow. \"The next war?\"


    Albert chuckled. \"Isn''t that why we''re all in the west now?\"


    \"All of us?\" I asked. \"There are more of us?\"


    \"Verania''s already here right? She''s a fire cracker, that one.\" He nodded toward the tower''s entry way. \"There are a few others, but the one you really have to watch out for is that pompous git, Dain Hammerhand.\"


    \"Dain¡­ Hammerhand?\" I repeated. \"Never heard of him.\"


    \"Genius scion of House Hammerhand, the biggest of the dwarven houses under the Trickster Pavilion, Commander,\" Varda piped in.


    \"Genius is right,\" Albert chuckled. Then he patted me on the arm. \"But you and I can take him. Show these purebloods what scrappers from Mudgard can do, yeah?\"


    Albert started walking up the steps like he wasn''t the guest, and I hurried to follow him so as not to look like I wasn''t in charge.


    \"You''re from Mudgard?\" I clarified.


    He nodded.


    \"Born here but raised over there. Brooklyn,\" he answered assuredly.


    \"Cool,\" I replied.


    We''d reached the open doors.


    \"Well, aren''t you going to invite me in?\" he asked wryly.


    I chuckled. As if I had a choice. So I raised a hand in welcome.


    \"Welcome to Hoodwink Tower,\" I said, the name coming to me at that exact moment like it had been waiting for me to say it all along.


    \"Cool name,\" Albert said right before stepping over the threshold.


    I was about to follow him in when a winged shadow blocked the light of Idunn momentarily, forcing me to look up. A wide smile appeared on my face afterward. I may be out of my league here with these two new guests but at least Aura was back to help me through it.

 113 Dinner for Schmucks

    The first thing I did after I rushed into the tower after Albert Sheridan was to ask Varda to find rooms for our guests on the fifth floor that was befitting of their ranks. And although Albert said not to bother, it seemed like Verania would very much have bothered if I didn''t at least show them the proper courtesies.


    Regardless, I avoided eye contact with the pixie after realizing how easily she had duped me when we first met and left her in the care of Luca who didn''t seem to mind the attention. At least until Pike saw him acting like a doofus.


    I smiled at the thought of seeing Luca squirm uncomfortably before forcing my mind to focus back on the bigger issue at hand¡ªfood.


    There were now roughly fifteen hundred humans and fairies gathered around the tower, an unmanageable number for us as we were already bleeding funds just from the renovations.


    Luckily, Albert had thought ahead and brought supplies along.


    \"This is Riardon, my lieutenant,\" he said, pointing a hand at the haughty looking elf with the long locks of golden hair flowing down his back standing behind Albert. \"He''ll coordinate with your quartermaster on handing over the food supplies we brought over from Fort Darah.\"


    Riardon, who at first glance looked like a snooty version of Legolas from the Lord of the Rings, gave me the once over with his forest green eyes, and after deciding to be rude to me might have consequences, gave me a curt nod that was all kinds of snobby.


    I chose to be magnanimous and ignored the elf¡ªI''d had enough practice, suddenly remembering Theren who I now thought of fondly¡ªand thanked Albert for his donation.


    \"You''re a lifesaver, dude,\" I said.


    He waved off my thanks with a hand.


    \"That''s courtesy of General Thors. He figured you''d be having logistics issues after Great General Darah failed to mention to your, um, new assignment,\" Albert answered, grinning sheepishly.


    Ah, It seemed I was talking to a kindred spirit. Glad to know I wasn''t the only one Darah liked to mess around with. I thought.


    The food problem solved, I made my excuses and left the new arrivals at the entry hall and made my way up the tower. I popped into the third floor, which we''d designated the dining area and kitchens, and left word with Alfie Monroe, our unit chef, to prepare a feast with the ingredients coming his way.


    \"I could have used more notice, sir,\" Alfie complained while he continued kneading a circular piece of dough I assumed were the beginnings of a pizza. \"I don''t have enough hands helping me prepare as is.\"


    \"I''ll ask Varda to send you reinforcements, Alfie¡­ Promise!\" I said, right before I zoomed out of there and made my way up the steps to the next floor.


    I''d just popped out of the land of the rooftop when I found Aura leading the winged creature she''d ridden from Sh?rleden to the makeshift stable we''d set up on the corner of the roof for just this type of situation.


    Jensen''s crew, my flag bearers, was there to assist her and the two burly fairies who''d accompanied her.


    Both of them were elves who wore the silver armor and black tabards that were the standard for the Patriarch''s personal guard. One had shoulder-length, plaited silver hair while the other had long, plaited golden hair. Ironically enough, they were named Aurum and Argentum which in the old fairy tongue, and ancient Latin, meant Gold and Silver.


    I walked over to them, earning myself another wary look from both elves. But neither of them stopped me from reaching Aura, who, after patting her peryton on its feathery front quarters, looked back at me and smiled.


    \"I see we have guests,\" she said.


    \"Yup¡­\" I frowned. \"Courtesy of your aunt, no doubt.\"


    \"She does love to keep you on your toes,\" Aura noted.


    She patted me on the shoulder, and together we made our way back to the roof''s entrance.


    I pointed a thumb over my shoulder. \"Those two staying?\"


    There was an audible guffaw behind me. Possibly one or both of the knights were choking on something. A boy could only hope.


    Aura shook her head. \"Only for the night. They''ll be traveling back to Sh?rleden in the morning¡­ the Patriarch still isn''t in his best condition.\"


    The unspoken part of that sentence was clear enough to understand. Auranos being sick meant he could be in danger from outside or even inside forces yet again who might seek to take advantage of the situation. It was best to have his personal guard close around him.


    I nodded. \"Well, we''ve got enough excitement here¡­\" I stole a glance at her before we stepped back into the tower and watched her golden hair get brushed back by the wind. \"Do you know anything about our guests?\"


    Aura''s brow furrowed. \"Only that they could be trouble.\"


    That was an understatement¡ªa fact that would later prove true after the festivities had begun.


    Varda had the foresight to choose the second floor''s great hall as a temporary dining space, and with the help of whoever she could nab to assist, was able to bring in enough tables and chairs to accommodate all officers and a small chunk of soldiers for each unit. The rest would have to take their dinner either in the entryway or the tower grounds.


    Aura and I walked into the great hall and found ourselves in a weird version of a high school cafeteria.


    There was a long wooden table right below the dais where I assumed us officers would sit. But everywhere else was a spattering of mismatched chairs ranging from comfy divans to stone benches. The tables were also of all shapes and sizes. Some were hardwood while others were stone.


    I shook my head and ignored the little voice in my mind that wanted to know how Varda was able to conjure stone benches and tables into this hall. I''d rather not stress about something obviously Fayne-weird.


    People filed in after us, and we took our seats at the big table alongside Luca, Ashley, Varda, our two guests, and their lieutenants. Edo, Thom, and Xanthor opted to sit with their soldiers. Qwipps was banned from the table by Varda as she didn''t want our guests thinking we were all like him.


    Dinner started out well enough. Alfie Monroe had outdone himself and made enough Fayne versions of Italian-style pizza for everyone. And there were also choices of vegetables and fruits to satisfy the vegan fairies. Drinks were a range of salamander whiskey, dwarven rock beer, and elven moon tea for those of us underage.


    I probably should have banned alcohol, knowing full well what it did to even the sanest people. Funny story, I remember having to drag a kicking and punching aunt Lena up to her room after she''d drunk herself under the table because she and her girlfriend had been fighting.


    Well, salamander whiskey had a similar effect to Aunt Lena''s favorite brand of whiskey. It tended to bring the fiery side out of people. Added to rock beer, the drink that made even the most docile fairies act like the most stubborn of dwarves, and you had a recipe for disaster. So, obviously, a fight broke out fifteen minutes into dinner.


    In typical fashion, the fight had been started by one of mine¡ªThom.


    The drow had annoyed some of Verania''s soldiers, which to be honest, wasn''t very difficult for him to do. All you had to do was hear his voice and you might have thought he was taunting you.


    In this case, Thom really had called them names ranging from, \"mud eaters and cross-eyed pixie trash\" to more colorful words I''d rather not type here.


    Anyways, that riled them up enough to get up from their chairs and walk over to his table. Obviously, the other drow had come to the defense of their clan leader, and the rumble quickly came after.


    To his credit, Thom didn''t start the fight on a whim. In fact, he''d caused it because he''d come to the defense of Azuma, whom Albert''s soldiers were actively picking a fight with. Apparently, they had a grudge against him for how his former unit trashed Albert''s unit in the previous war. But Azuma being the peerless warrior that he was, ignored the taunts and jibes sent his way, causing Thom, who hated bullying as it reminded him of the Scarlet Moon, to step in for Azuma.


    How he''d riled Verania''s troops more than Albert''s soldiers was beyond me. But like I said, the rumble started with these guys. And seeing Thom and his drow in a fight after he''d defended their boss'' honor, Azuma''s soldiers joined in on the fisticuffs, prompting Albert''s own stubborn group to attack too.


    Chaos ensued, and it would have lasted much longer if Edo hadn''t gotten up from his seat, and in a single swing of his glaive, cleave the table he''d been eating into two. There was a loud crashing boom that reverberated around the stone walls, causing everyone to pause suddenly.


    Edo sent a steely-eyed glare at all his eyes could see, and with a voice that was like thunder, boomed, \"Sit your asses back on your seat and finish your dinners, muddamit!\"


    The terror of Edo was enough to still the rowdy idiots, causing everyone to follow his demands.


    There was a peal of tinkling laughter on my left side, and right afterward, Verania Folkor was whispering in my ears, \"You have interesting soldiers, Dean Dapper. Maybe after you die I''ll make them mine.\"

 114 Double Trouble

    Those of us who had something to discuss stayed behind after the dinner was over, including my squad leaders and the other officers of Albert''s Millennium Hawks and Verania''s Moonlight Marauders. Thankfully, the head table was just long enough to accommodate all of us. Still, I''d moved to the other end of it and stayed far away from the pixie that had prophesized my death earlier.


    I glanced over to the other end of the table where she sat, keeping in mind not to stare into her eyes less she try and charm me again.


    \"So, shall we get this discussion in order?\" I looked over to Albert Sheridan before turning back to Verania and pointing out, \"Both Albert and I were sent here by Darah, probably for the same reason, but why did Lavinia send you to the Westmarch?\"


    \"Great General Folkor,\" she said, placing emphasis on her aunt''s title, \"must feel you two are incapable of fulfilling the task set to you.\"


    Verania''s lyrical voice was literally like music to anyone''s ears even when the words she spoke were scathing to the listener.


    \"Based on your,\" Verania''s eyes scrutinized both me and Albert, \"trifling achievements, she and the other generals must feel like someone with more accolades to their name be more fitting for the task.\"


    \"Hold on¡ª\"


    \"Wait a minute¡ª\"


    Both Albert and I started to speak but were interrupted by Aura''s honeyed voice, which, once heard by all around her, easily dispelled Verania''s charm.


    \"It''s not nice to use your siren''s call on your own allies, Verania,\" Aura chided.


    Verania looked innocently back at Aura. \"I was just having a bit of fun, your highness.\"


    Both Verania''s and Albert''s officers gazed back at Aura in puzzlement. Most of them probably hadn''t heard that Aura was actually Aurana. It was a gigantic secret that wasn''t divulged to just anyone in order not to put an even larger target on Aura''s head.


    Luckily, the fact that no one recognized her meant the secret was still safe. But it had obviously served Verania''s purpose of causing tension around the table. The pixie really was a vixen.


    Although the two girls were smiling at each other, no one bought the act. We could all feel the frigid cold radiating off them both.


    It was at this point that Albert, who''d chosen to sit beside me as he didn''t want to be near Verania either, whispered into my ear, \"I hear those two have known each other since they were children¡­ rivals from the moment they laid eyes on each other.\"


    Somehow, I felt a really strong Mean Girls vibe from Albert''s statement.


    A thought occurred to me.


    \"Wait, so you guys found your own bases too?\" I asked, wondering if there were other thieves'' hideouts waiting to be conquered.


    Both of them had really uncomfortable looks on their faces.


    \"Then why the hell did you come here all of a sudden?\" I asked.


    \"Scout out the competition,\" Albert answered at the same time as Verania said, \"To see what type of squalor her highness was living in.\"


    I think Aura and I actually sighed at the same time.


    \"You can come to visit me anytime, Dean. I''ll show you Hawks hospitality,\" Albert said, cheerily. \"We''ve set up in an old fairy fort out west that we''d taken from Dominion lackeys.\"


    \"A derelict fort sounds very you, Albert,\" Verania commented.


    \"And where are you based, Verania?\" Aura asked in an icy tone I''d never heard come out of her mouth before.


    Verania was still smirking when she answered, \"The Moonlight Marauders are based inside Jester''s Court.\"


    My eyebrow rose at that statement, but it was Ashley who spoke out. \"You''re based in Great General Grimthorn''s own city?\"


    I kind of hated how Ashley sounded so impressed.


    \"That is the job, isn''t it?\" Verania shrugged coolly. Then she turned her gaze on me and Albert. \"I wonder how you two will accomplish our shared task from so far away?\"


    It was a fair question, and to be honest, I didn''t have an answer yet. I was hoping Thor and his kobold crew would get me enough good intel to figure that out myself.


    \"He won''t always be hiding behind his city walls,\" Albert said, confidently. \"Not when a big war with the Sunspire Dominion''s brewing.\"


    \"Do you really think the Dominion will invade, Albert?\" Aura asked.


    \"Wait, what?\" Luca interrupted, his head leaning past Aura on my left to glance over at Albert who was on my right. \"There''s another big war coming?\"


    \"Coming?\" Verania chuckled. \"It''s already here, Luca dear.\"


    Albert nodded. \"Verania''s right. It might not be as large as the last war, at least not yet, but there have been more and more skirmishes recently¡­ both out in the open and in the shadows.\"


    \"This is why the Trickster Council is so concerned¡­\" Aura explained. \"Apart from the Chancellor of the Moon, Great General Garm doesn''t really inform the others what actions he''s taken¡­ all we know is that the west is now a powder keg that''s one fuse short of exploding.\"


    \"And when that happens¡­\" Albert began.


    \"War¡­ one that would rival the Magesong-Trickster war,\" Verania finished. \"Which one could consider small in comparison to what''s coming.\"


    \"Why are you so sure it''ll be bigger?\" Luca asked.


    Instead of Verania, I answered my brother''s obvious question. \"The Magesong clan was one of the small ones, but the Sunspire Dominion is the largest fairy clan in the central region.\"


    \"They''re not someone our Trickster Pavilion can take on carelessly,\" Albert admitted. \"Perhaps not even without help from another clan.\"


    \"Which is why everyone''s so concerned with Garm''s allegiance¡­ He''s holding his own here in Westmarch without asking the other great generals to help him¡­ It means he''s probably already getting assistance from an outside source,\" I finished.


    As the meeting went on, the one thing the three of us could agree on was to get out of each other''s way. Although Albert and I did promise to exchange information from time to time, Verania begged off and claimed it was every fairy for herself.


    \"Luckily, Dean and I aren''t full-blooded fairies,\" Albert chuckled.


    And with that self-deprecating statement, our meeting was at an end.


    With Verania in the lead, the others began to file out of the great hall while Aura, Luca, and I stayed behind. There was another sensitive matter I wanted to discuss, and I preferred no one but the two of them heard it.


    I spent the next ten minutes detailing Ty''s dreams to them, only stopping to take a sip of elf tea.


    Their reactions after I''d finished my story were typical. Luca had gone in panic mode, wondering if Ty had gone crazy from all my stories or if my proximity to him has somehow allowed Ty to tap into something distinctly Fayne in origin. Strangely enough, that latter one made a bit of sense. Perhaps it was my fault my friend was getting nightmares. Aura seemed to think so.


    \"The Fayne''s energies could somehow be leaking out of you and affecting your friends, but,\" Aura began.


    \"But?\" I prompted.


    \"Well, it hasn''t affected Arah, has it?\" Aura pointed out.


    \"Um, that might be because she''s been handling whatever it is¡­ that girl is hardcore,\" Luca explained.


    I nodded. Compared to Ty, Arah was a tigress.


    \"Still, I''ve never heard of a non-marked human ever receiving prophetic talents,\" Aura reasoned. \"Even you and Luca didn''t receive fairy gifts until after you''d arrived here.\"


    I sighed. \"You sure there''s nothing else?\"


    Aura looked away from me. \"I¡­ I don''t know. Maybe, but¡­ I''ll have to look into it before I can say more,\" Aura said, turning her gaze toward me again. \"What about the elf who was watching your house. Are you sure he wasn''t scouting you out?\"


    Even with glasses on Mudgard, I was fairly sure of what I saw. I nodded to Aura.


    \"If that elf wasn''t there for you then perhaps he was there to scout out one of your friends,\" Aura answered worriedly.


    It was a very worrying statement. I''d lost Luca to the Fayne. Arah and Ty catching a fairy''s interest was my second-worst nightmare scenario.


    \"Um,\" Luca interrupted my thoughts by voicing out one of his. \"If anyone''s being scouted, wouldn''t it be Arah instead of Ty?\"


    Aura agreed. \"Arah does seem like the better choice of the two.\"


    \"Still doesn''t explain why Ty''s getting these weird dreams,\" I pointed out. I wasn''t sure why I felt the need to defend Ty as a candidate for abduction, but it might be because I didn''t like how they automatically thought only Arah was worthy.


    At the end of it, the three of us couldn''t come to an agreement, although Aura did promise to look into it for me.


    \"There might be something in the lore¡­ but I''ll have to check first,\" Aura finished in ominous fashion.


    The very next night, Albert and his forces were getting ready to depart to their own secret base, and I''d arrived early from Mudgard to see him off.


    He and I were standing at the bottom of the tower''s steps.


    \"Verania''s gone?\" I asked.


    Albert nodded. \"Yeah¡­ she left during the daytime.\"


    \"Honestly, I thought you''d have left with her,\" I said laughing. \"But I''m glad I got to say goodbye.\"


    Albert offered me his hand and I shook it only to find that he actually passed me a small packet.


    I glanced down at it. \"What¡ª\"


    \"¡ªIt''s just something to help you,\" Albert scratched his cheek with a finger. \"Sorry, I overheard you and your friends talk about premonitions last night, and I remembered something Roger told me about your fairy gift.\"


    \"Um, you and Thors discussed my fairy gift?\" I asked, surprised. That was a no-no even between allies. Fairy gifts were our trump cards after all.


    \"It''s not what you''re thinking. He just mentioned that you had good eyesight and I put two and two together based on what I''ve learned about you since,\" he said, raising both hands in surrender. \"Don''t worry¡­ I''ll keep it secret that you''ve actually got a sense gift.\"


    I raised the packet he''d given me eye-level.


    It was a leaf wrapping elves liked to use for their medicines.


    \"That''s something to help you see even clearer,\" Albert explained as he turned around and mounted his swifthart.


    I glanced up at him. \"How much clearer?\"


    He held tightly on his swifthart''s reins, and then looked all serious at me, \"I''m not sure, but I''ve heard this particular medicine can help you sense users have an out-of-body-experience like no other.\"


    With that final word, Albert led his soldiers out of the grounds, leaving me with another mystery to discover literally in my hands.

 115 Astral Projection

    \"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,\" I quoted from my favorite poem, and for some reason, it really did seem to work, this mantra thing. \"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!\"


    Like static electricity raking across the edge of my shadowblade, a more brilliant, bluish light exploded out of it and rotated along the edge, following the path of its vibration up and down my falchion like a chainsaw. Errant sparks flew out of the blade every once in a while like bolts of lightning streaking out at the nearest metal surface. It was certifiably cool.


    Unfortunately, as soon I thought that and lost my concentration, the intense light blinked out and my shadowblade''s edge returned to its regular blue-veined default.


    \"Damn,\" I hissed. \"I almost had it.


    Sweat dripped down the tip of my nose. My entire body heaved from fatigue.


    Smack!


    A sharp wooden object struck the back of my shoulder, sending a piercing pain streaking down my arm.


    \"Wh-whoa!\" I darted away before turning around to complain, \"What was¡­ that for?\"


    \"You lost concentration,\" Azuma explained.


    He smacked me again with the butt of his spear.


    \"Stop minding. Focus,\" he instructed.


    It had been a few hours since all our visitors had left, and after looking through the scrying orb Nike gave me and confirming nothing big was happening in the greater Fayne, I spent the rest of my night in the training hall with Azuma and Luca. I left the more mundane stuff, like tower management and renovations, to Aura and Varda who both seemed to have a knack for it.


    \"Time out,\" I said, flopping down on the matt in a heap. \"Too¡­ tired¡­\"


    I was out of breath, feeling like I''d just run a marathon, and yet, for all my effort all I could manage to do was let loose a few sparks.


    Azuma stood over me, his eyes scanning my face.


    \"Mastery of the elemental weapon isn''t easy, Dean,\" he said, almost comfortingly. \"It''s not for everyone, but what you managed to do now was already impressive considering the elemental spirits answering your call isn''t one of the four basics, but a hybrid.\"


    \"An advanced¡­ form of fire elemental,\" I repeated the words he''d revealed to me earlier. Apparently, I''d called to the spirits and lightning was the one to answer my call, which was completely bonkers for me as I''d always believed in science more than the mumbo jumbo that was a fairy''s arcane arts.


    I breathed slowly and reclaimed my breath.


    \"It still doesn''t make sense,\" I said.


    \"It isn''t supposed to,\" Azuma chided. \"Your science may work on Mudgard, but the Fayne¡ª\"


    \"¡ªis a whole different ball game,\" I finished his lecture for him. \"I know¡­ and it''s YOUR science too, man.\"


    Azuma chuckled. \"Ten minutes¡­ then you''ll try again.\"


    I''d only just closed my eyes when Luca plopped his butt next to mine and offered me a cup of water which I took gratefully.


    \"How come you''re not having such a hard time with this?\" I asked sincerely.


    It really did come naturally to Luca, this Augmentare thing. In fact, what takes me hours to conjure for a few seconds only takes him a few seconds to conjure and make last for at least an half an hour.


    \"Azuma''s right¡­ you think too much. I don''t. I just let the spirits flow,\" Luca advised.


    \"Well, you sound like a hippie,\" I countered.


    Luca and exchanged some more playful banter before he asked me about what Albert had given me.


    I reached into my pocket and handed him the leafy packet. \"See for yourself.\"


    Luca unwrapped the delicate leaf packaging to reveal the three yellow marbles underneath it.


    \"What are they?\" he asked.


    \"Aura said they''re called Idunn''s Tears,\" I answered. \"Crystalized mana left to bathe in Idunn''s golden light during the full moon¡­ I think¡­\"


    I glanced toward the marbles and gingerly picked one up between my forefinger and thumb.


    \"More fairy mumbo jumbo if you ask me,\"  I joked.


    \"But what''s it supposed to do?\" Luca pressed, picking one of the marbles up himself.


    \"Aura''s not sure¡­ but she and Albert think these things can help me temporarily see better when I use my fairy gift,\" I answered.


    It was a while later, almost two minutes before Azuma would call me up again, when Luca finally said, \"Why haven''t you tried it yet?\"


    It was a good question.


    \"Um, you want me to stick something I know nothing about into my mouth?\" I asked incredulously.


    \"You''ve done it before,\" he reminded me, harkening back to the old days when he and I would sample whatever bizarre food dad and mom brought home from their trips overseas. \"Just one, come on.\"


    I glanced over to my little brother. Then I glanced over to Azuma who was still in the corner meditating. Finally, I looked down at the yellow marble in my hand. Seconds ticked by when I finally made the decision and ate Idunn''s Tears.


    It tasted at first of cheese, the hard kind. But the longer it was in the mouth the more I could feel this wet and salty taste, like a ball of actual tears, on my tongue. I unconsciously swallowed. Then¡ªnothing.


    \"I don''t feel any different,\" I said.


    \"Um, maybe you have to shout out an incantation for it to work,\" Luca suggested.


    I shook my head. The answer was probably simpler like maybe I needed to activate Fool''s Insight first. I did just that, and as soon as the final word escaped my lips, an explosion occurred.


    I am not shitting you, I literally felt like my body had exploded into a thousand, thousand pieces. And like the big bang, my consciousness detonated outward, spreading into the sky in a slightly similar fashion to that moment whenever I arrived at the Fayne. Only this time, my body wasn''t whole, and I found myself spreading across the Fayne like a swarm of angry lights moving this way and that with no clear direction in sight.


    Wishing for clarity to return, I screamed the first name to pop into my pained brain, \"Darah!\" and like a snap of a finger, I was zooming past my tower below, past barren lands to the lush greens of Trickster territory, and finally, to the great forest of redwoods that Fort Darah called home.


    Next thing you know, my consciousness is floating inside Darah''s quarters right beside Darah who was seated on her golden throne while talking with Thors who was standing opposite her.


    \"I wish I could have seen the look on that boy''s face when he saw the presents I sent him,\" Darah laughed.


    Thors sighed. \"You do realize that sending other young commanders into the Westmarch without prior warning could be disastrous for Dean and his Foolhardies?\"


    \"Oh, grow a pair, Roger,\" she chided. \"Don''t coddle the boy too much or he''ll end up useless. Better we give him competition and see what he''s really made of.\"


    Thors sighed again. \"Patriarch''s not going to be happy that you let Lavinia send her niece. That girl is more likely to harm Aurana than compete with Dean.\"


    At the mention of the Patriarch, my consciousness exploded into tiny lights again, and it wasn''t until I was high above his cloister and descending did I feel myself become whole again.


    My consciousness drifted down to Auranos Trickhaven while he was tended to by his servants. They were reapplying new bandages to his wounds that didn''t seem to heal.


    Just seeing him in his weakness felt like an invasion of privacy, but I had no control over what I saw.


    \"Letting him keep his command in the west is very dangerous,\" Orryn Timbers whispered. \"He''s already consolidated so much power there. What if he seeks to start a rebellion?\"


    He was sitting in the seat opposite Auranos'' lounge chair.


    \"He wants no such thing,\" argued the wraith-like creature sitting next to Orryn. \"The general has proven his loyalty to house Trickhaven time and time again. Even now, he holds back the tide of the Dominion less it reach our central region.\"


    Orryn looked over to his fellow chancellor and scowled, almost managing to look disgusted while he did.


    \"You give him too much credit, Kairon,\" Orryn said.


    \"And you give him too little, Orryn,\" Kairon spat back.


    \"My uncle will not betray us¡­ not while I draw breath,\" Auranos said, his voice even weaker than before, and yet I couldn''t help hearing a chuckle in his tone. \"Great General Garm knows that I am getting weaker. He will wait for me to waste away before he tries to claim my seat¡­\"


    Orryn had said something else, something important. But I hadn''t heard it because at the mention of Great General Garm, my consciousness was already drifting away.


    When next I found myself, I was floating in a dark room that even this new ghostly vision couldn''t penetrate. I could only tell that it was a large space covered in deep blackness, and also, I wasn''t alone. There were two others in that room with me.


    \"The boy is special¡­ he can be used to our advantage,\" whispered a silky voice that was definitely feminine. Perhaps even elven, but there was a slight accent to it. Almost like an Asian woman speaking English when it wasn''t her first language.


    \"The boy has attracted a lot of attention¡­ we''ll have a hard time acquiring him¡ª\"


    The voice that had spoken was definitely male. Part gruff and part lyrical in that way elven voices tended to be. But it had stopped abruptly as if it had been alerted to something.


    Catching on, the female voice spoke up. \"What is it?\"


    \"We''re not alone,\" the male voice whispered.


    And then, just as suddenly, I felt a scarred hand streak toward my face like it had meant to swat at me but succeeded only in making me lose form again.


    My consciousness drifted away, into the sky, into that glass ceiling I often talked about separated the two worlds, and past that glass ceiling, then down, down, down into Arah''s front yard.


    Suddenly, I was watching my two friends, Arah and Ty, looking at each other in a weird way I''d never seen them do before. But while Arah looked at Ty with skepticism and wariness, Ty was looking back at Arah like I often looked at Aura.


    \"Look, Arah, I mean it¡­\" Ty said, his voice unusually quaking. \"I li-like you as more than a friend.\"


    Holy shit! This was the absolute worst time to drop in and spy on my friends.


    \"I know you like s-someone else¡­ always have,\" Ty admitted. \"But he doesn''t appreciate you like I do.\"


    \"Ty, I, you''re making this awkward,\" Arah sighed.


    She turned around from him which is what I should have done too. All my willpower was spent on making this happen and I''d just managed to do that while pretending not to have heard Ty profess his love to Arah a second time when I noticed I wasn''t the only peeping Tom.


    There, by the bushes on the opposite street, crouching so neither of the distracted pair could see him, was the hooded elf who was outside my house.


    Weirdly enough, it looked like the elf could see me too.


    Its dark eyes widened momentarily as it registered my presence. Then, with a flick of his wrist and a series of whispers I assumed was an arcane chant, he sent what I could only describe as a mental shockwave straight at me, causing my head to reel back in pain.


    I screamed. I screamed all the way into waking from that bizarre out of body experience.

 116 Abduction

    I woke up with a start and felt the sweat pour down my cheeks like I''d been standing underneath rain.


    Luca was at my side, shaking my shoulders as if that could help me relax from the pain that had sparked inside my brain after the elf forced me back into my body.


    Azuma was there too, his eyes flitting between my and Luca in a questioning manner. Then his eyes drifted to the leafy packet between me and Luca and I heard him sigh in recognition. This sound was what brought my consciousness floating up to the surface of my mind.


    Panting, I glanced up at Azuma and said, \"Y-you know what this is?\"


    Azuma nodded. \"I''ve seen Ardeen Spellweaver use it before whenever he wanted to enhance his senses before a battle began. It''s very expensive. How did you get it?\"


    \"Albert,\" I said. \"He gave it to me.\"


    \"Without telling what it was used for?\" Azuma asked skeptically.


    \"He hinted¡­ but I didn''t think it would be that cr-crazy¡­\" I answered, placing both my hands over my face. \"There was just so much happening¡­\"


    I felt a hand tap on my shoulder.


    \"You have a sense gift, Dean¡­ Even I know how beneficial it is¡­ but using a drug to enhance it without understanding the consequences¡­ how very foolhardy of you,\" Azuma chuckled.


    I glanced at him through the space between my fingers. There was a warm smile playing on his pale lips. One I hadn''t seen before in my sick instructor.


    Azuma told Luca to help me up and that we would resume practice tonight as dawn was approaching.


    Again, his choice of words jump-started my brain into working, and I got up quickly without Luca''s help while my eyes darted for the nearest window facing west.


    Yes, west not east. In the Fayne, the sun rose in the west and set in the east like a mirror opposite of Mudgard.


    The western sky was turning purple. The sun would rise very soon.


    \"Luca¡­ I don''t know what, but I think something''s happening to Ty¡­\" I whispered.


    Luca worriedly asked, \"Do you think¡­ do you think they''re going to abduct him like they did me?\"


    He voiced the question that was also in my head.


    \"He''s not fourteen,\" I said.


    \"Does that matter?\" Luca asked.


    \"I¡­ I don''t know,\" I answered hesitantly.


    There was only one way to resolve this. We needed to find Aura.


    Luca and I trailed down the steps of the tower until we''d reached the first-floor entryway and found Aura seated on the lone wooden table there while in a heated discussion with Zarz and Varda about renovations.


    When she saw the look on my face, she immediately dismissed the other two so we could have a private discussion.


    Aura offered me a cup of elf tea before asking, \"What''s wrong?\"


    A full ten minutes had passed between us before they both asked questions, and I did my best to answer. Eventually, Aura''s face turned paler. Her brow''s furrowed when she said, \"You don''t need to be fourteen to be taken. That usually only happens to kids whose parents gave up their children during child birth.\"


    I glanced quickly at Luca and saw his face crunch up like he was in pain. I''m certain he was¡ªat least the mental kind. It wasn''t every day you get to hear confirmation from someone that your parents traded your life for someone else''s¡ªmine.


    \"Th-then what about Ty?\" Luca asked, ignoring his own pain in concern for our friend.


    I felt another swell of pride for my little brother. He really was one of a kind.


    \"You told me that Ty was having dreams¡­ like premonitions, yes?\" Aura asked for confirmation.


    I nodded. \"They were about the Foolhardies¡­\"


    \"Well¡­ I''ve heard of something similar happening before¡­ a very long time ago when humans could still use¡­\" Aura hesitated.


    Her brow furrowed even more and I half-expected her to reveal some monstrous truth about Ty. I was right.


    \"It''s been decades since the last recorded occurrence happened, mind you,  and that was a single instance that hadn''t been seen in hundreds of years, and never again in this era,\" Aura explained quickly. \"Not since Aleister Crowley¡­\"


    I''d heard that name before. It belonged to a 1900''s occultist and self-professed magician who many believed was a fraud or, if you believed in the occult, was a dabbler in the dark arts.


    \"What does Crowley have to do with¡ª\"


    I stopped myself, suddenly seeing the connection Aura was suggesting.


    \"No way¡­\" I whispered. \"Not Ty¡­\"


    \"Prophetic dreams are the first sure sign of it¡­\" Aura countered. \"If they''re real¡­ and you said he described the tower and our other members perfectly?\"


    \"Sure¡­ but, Ty?\" I nodded but remained skeptical. \"And people said Crowley was a fraud¡­\"


    \"Fairy propaganda to keep your human public from learning about the Fayne,\" Aura answered, dashing my one final hope as she did.


    There was a hard slam on the wooden table, and we both turned to see Luca frowning at us.


    \"Can someone please explain to me what you two are babbling on about?\" he asked, looking annoyed.


    I shrugged. \"Aura thinks Ty can do magic¡­\"


    That big reveal followed me all throughout my trip back to Mudgard.


    My head reeled at the possibility of ancient humans actually possessing the gift to use the arcane arts and that Ty was some kind of chosen one who was blessed with this possibility. It was an insane thought to have because, well, because it was Ty. He was so ordinary, so normal, and it was insane to think such a huge thing was happening to him.


    I opened my eyes to another weekday morning. The sun filtered in through the gaps in my window curtains, unusually bright compared to Idunn''s golden light.


    My mattress creaked as I got off it.


    I rubbed my eyes clear and then put on the eyeglasses I still wasn''t used to. Then I spared a second to glance around my room.


    It wasn''t as bare as when I''d first found myself in the Fayne. Sure, there was barely enough stuff for someone to figure out who Dean Dapper was, but slowly, things were beginning to reappear.


    The bookshelf wasn''t empty anymore. Although it was filled with the old manila folders and reference books my dad used for his research on the Fayne. Now it was my research. I''d taken up the calling that was once his, and for a really oddball reason, I felt like we connected somehow.


    The one chair in my room that once housed my lone photo had been replaced by a small beside table whose surface was crammed with a few more memories. My family trip to England, Luca winning his rookie of the year award, a photo of my first triumphant quiz bowl, and a recent shot of me, Arah and Ty after we''d finally seen Endgame together.


    I picked up the photo of me and my friends and prayed to the spirits that they weren''t about to get caught up in the mess Luca and I was in.


    The door to my room flew open and aunt Lena stood there in her favorite blue apron.


    \"Breakfast''s ready,\" she said.


    She normally never came in to announce such a normal part of our day. Not unless she wanted to have a chat first, and breakfast was her way of preempting me.


    \"I can''t¡­ I promised to meet Ty and Arah before school,\" I lied.


    Technically, it wasn''t a lie. Meeting Ty and Arah before school was part of my daily routine.


    Aunt Lena didn''t look like she was backing off though.


    \"We need to talk, Dean,\" she said the words most teenagers dreaded. It was just so open-ended. Then she followed up with, \"It''s about your mom¡­ come down to the kitchen when you''ve finished cleaning up, yeah?\"


    After dropping that bomb on me, aunt Lena vanished into the hallway.


    It took me fifteen minutes to get ready, but once I had sufficiently mentally prepared myself, I scampered down the steps two at a time feeling eager to get this over with so I could look in on Ty.


    The smell of cooked sausage wafted out of the kitchen, and an involuntary grumble came out of my stomach.


    I sighed. \"Guess it won''t hurt to have breakfast, Dean¡­\"


    Aunt Lena was waiting for me by the tabletop counter. She directed me to sit on the opposite side of her so we would be faced to face with whatever she wanted to say.


    Food was already on my plate. Scrambled eggs, toast, and a helping of sausages, all combining to create a smell that made my mouth water in anticipation of that first bite.


    But instead of digging in, I picked up the glass of apple juice beside my plate and downed it in one gulp. Nerves had crept up on me, and the taste of apple juice often served to calm them a bit.


    \"So¡­ what about mom did you want to talk about?\" I asked.


    \"Well,\" Aunt Lena hesitated. \"Well, she''s not getting any better, Dean¡­\"


    I knew that. Aura and I had visited enough times during the last few weeks to check mom''s condition, and she''d hinted that mom seemed to be getting worse.


    \"The doctors think she might not get better¡­\" aunt Lena said.


    \"They don''t know everything¡­ she might,\" I reasoned.


    Aura had promised that she''d tasked the clan''s best healers to help find a way to cure mom. She promised we''d figure out what was wrong with her.


    \"She might,\" aunt Lena conceded. \"But the hospital doesn''t think she will. They don''t know what''s happening to her and they don''t think they can help her anymore.\"


    Aunt Lena''s hand reached out for mine but I pulled away. I stood up abruptly. I suddenly didn''t want this conversation to continue.


    She sighed. \"I know a place that might be able to help her¡­ or at the very least, keep her comfortable¡­\"


    \"Keep her comfortable while she slowly dies inside, you mean¡­\" I said hotly.


    \"It''s not like that, Dean¡ª\"


    ¡ªBut I''d heard enough. I stormed out of the kitchen and made my way to the front door. Only, as soon as I opened it, I found Arah already in the motion of knocking on it.


    My eyes searched her face and registered the distress on it.


    \"Arah, what''s¡ª\"


    \"¡ªTy''s missing¡­\" she said quickly. \"His mom called and said he didn''t come home last night¡­\"


    I think I would have turned red at that moment as I remembered exactly where he was last night. Luckily, Arah seemed too distracted to notice my discomfort.


    \"I found his car idling on my street, Dean¡­\" she revealed, her eyes bloodshot and frightened. \"The driver''s door had been left open...\"


    \"No,\" I whispered.


    It seemed I was too late to save someone again.

 117 The Missing

    I didn''t think I would go through all this all over again. The pain, the stress, the anxiety, the general frustration of the situation¡ªI didn''t think I would have to go through it all again. Isn''t that why I''d chased after my little brother and had to put myself in danger over and over again, so I wouldn''t feel like this ever again?


    Yet here I was, chasing after Ty''s ghost like I did Luca''s. Fate just couldn''t give me a break.


    Luca''s disappearance shattered my family. I didn''t want that to happen to Ty''s. Plus, Arah, who was riding on her bike alongside me, looked like she was blaming herself for what happened to Ty. But their little spat last night didn''t have anything to do with it. It wasn''t her fault. It was mine.


    We stopped pedaling once we''d reached the end of the street and found ourselves staring into an evergreen field and the dark forest beyond it.


    \"Why are we here, Dean?\" Arah asked although she was probably smart enough to know the answer herself. \"We should head back and help the police form a search party for him¡­\"


    \"They won''t be able to find him.\" I answered a little too quickly. \"There are some things the police can''t help us with¡­\"


    I pointed toward the Elfwood.


    \"This is the closest place they could go if they wanted to take Ty to the other side,\" I explained, as I got off my bike and tied it to a bike rack on the side of the road.


    I glanced over at Arah who hadn''t moved.


    \"The Elfwood Circle Stones,\" I clarified. \"It''s a gateway, remember? You have to pass through it at least once in order to visit the Fayne¡­\"


    \"I know that¡­ but why are we headed there?\" Arah asked. \"Ty has nothing to do with fairies!\"


    That wasn''t entirely true and Arah knew it which is why she''d bit her lip to stop herself from speaking. The frustration on her face was clear for anyone to see.


    \"Let''s go,\" I said, and forged ahead without looking back.


    It was a relief to hear Arah''s footsteps follow me into the grass. Having her at my side made this whole ordeal a little more bearable. Then she asked a question that sent the guilt careening up the surface of my anxiety.


    \"Why do you think fairies took Ty, Dean?\" Arah''s voice wasn''t accusatory but I could feel her eyes burning a whole into my back.


    \"Because,\" I hesitated for a moment before finally caving. \"Because I think he was being followed by a fairy¡­ no, I''m definitely sure he was.\"


    I glanced back at Arah who was looking at me like I''d slapped her face.


    ''Let''s hurry,\" I said. \"I''ll explain on the way.\"


    We trekked through the woods while I told Arah everything I learned after Ty told us about his dream. I even told her about the elf who was stalking Ty. But I left out the part where I eavesdropped on their conversation. That was a conversation for another day, preferably one where tensions weren''t so high.


    For some reason, I took offense at that. Yes, it might be my fault but I had warned them against knowing about the Fayne. It was a fact I pointed out to her, and I even added, \"You two wanted to know more even after I told you how dangerous knowing about fairies was!\"


    \"Well, if you had brought us along like we''d ask then maybe¡ªl\"


    \"¡ªMaybe you and Ty would be dead, Arah!\" I countered.


    \"Or maybe we would have been better prepared!\" she spat back at me.


    Arah broke down and sat on the grass, laying her head on her knees to keep me from seeing the tears falling down her face.


    I knelt beside her and hugged her lightly.


    \"I''m sorry I didn''t warn you guys,\" I said. \"I thought I''d have time to sort it out before it became a problem¡­\"


    Arah looked up at me and wiped the tears from her eyes with the jacket sleeve of her left arm.


    \"Yeah, well, you suck at problem-solving, Dean,\" she said in a tone that suggested she wasn''t as angry as I thought. \"We have to find him¡­ we can''t let him end up like Luca¡­\"


    My brow furrowed. That really would be a worst-case scenario. Just saving Luca from the Fayne was hard enough and I knew who took him. Finding Ty after he was taken would be like finding a needle in a very large haystack.


    \"We''ll find him I pro¡ª\"


    I was interrupted by the sound of people talking in the clearing beyond. It was eight in the morning. No way anyone would have been at the Circle Stones before us unless they had something to do with Ty''s disappearance.


    I pulled out the iron dagger from its strap on my belt and silently ordered Arah to take out the iron chains I''d given her for protection in case we were attacked by fairies here in Mudgard. Although I didn''t believe most fairies could stand the sun, and that meant we might be dealing with someone of the human variety instead.


    Together, Arah and I made our way as stealthily as we could through the bushes until we could see the clearing ahead. From our vantage point, I could clearly see two identical-looking, sandy-haired teenagers arguing with each other just south of the ditch surrounding the henge. It was the McCord twins.


    I jumped out of the bushes and called to them. \"What are you two doing here?\"


    Both boys jumped at the sight of me but they calmed down once they realized who I was.


    \"We got a message from that git, Qwipps,\" Collin said, annoyed.


    \"Right at the crack of dawn too,\" Connor added, sounding as equally annoyed as his brother. \"It was a lot of trouble trying to hide that sprite you sent us.\"


    I frowned. Aura must have asked Qwipps to send the twins a message, but the fact that they received it right before dawn means we didn''t come back to Mudgard at the same time like I assumed, but that the sun had to actually rise wherever you were in the Fayne for one to return home. It was an interesting discovery I made sure to log for later.


    By this time, Arah had followed me out of the bushes, the iron chain raised like she was ready to fling it at the twins.


    Seeing a mad Asian chick about to pelt them with a heavy iron chain sent both McCords jumping into the ditch to avoid her.


    It would have been hilarious to witness in better circumstances. Sadly, all I could do was prevent Arah from actually hurting my spies. I held her at bay while explaining who they were, and we waited for them to get out of the ditch before we got down to business.


    \"Well, why are you here?\" I asked the twins.


    \"Like I said, man, your pixie friend said you needed our help, Collin said, patting away the ditch''s dirt from his jeans.


    \"So you know why we''re here?\" I clarified.


    \"Yeah-yeah¡­ some friend of yours is missing and you think he''s been abducted,\" Connor answered. \"You''re right.\"


    Connor looked over to his brother who reached into his jean''s pocket and pulled out a stem of something half-burned. On closer inspection, I knew it had obviously been a flower with red petals. Bits of red still clung to the burned plant.


    The scent of something rank wafted out of the flower and assaulted our nostrils, causing the twins and myself to cringe our nose in disgust.


    \"That''s red valerian,\" I exhaled.


    \"Fox''s brush,\" Collin agreed, calling it by its other moniker.


    \"Devil''s beard,\" Connor added. \"Someone or something''s been smoking it near the center of the rings¡­\"


    \"Shit¡­\" I hissed. Sometimes I really hated being right.


    We all heard the clang of metal as it hit soft grass, and we turned around to find Arah staring dumbfounded at us.


    \"Can someone please explain to the uninitiated what that flower means?\" she asked, her voice retaining that half-hysterical tone she''d had all morning.


    \"It''s confirmation¡­\" I turned to her with wet eyes. \"The flower''s unusual scent is used in a ritual to push someone unwilling into the Fayne¡­ they''ve¡­ they''ve taken him.\"


    \"No¡­ Dean,\" Arah''s voice was a whisper. \"This can''t be happening¡­ this is your world, not ours¡­ you said we''d be safe here¡­\"


    Ironically enough, I preached that same thing while Arah and Ty insisted I tell them more about the Fayne. Even after meeting Aura who did her best to seem normal, I didn''t think it was really real for Arah until Ty was taken.


    I couldn''t look at my friend who was always the strong one in our trio break down like she did. So I turned away from her and glared at the twins.


    \"What do you know?!\" I yelled. \"Did the Scarlet Moon cause this?\"


    Both boys raised their hands in surrender, and just looking at their clueless faces, I knew they had nothing to do with this, which meant their boss probably wasn''t involved this time.


    \"W-we don''t know anything, but we''ll try to find out what we can,\" Collin promised.


    His brother nodded in agreement.


    I sighed and thanked them. Then I walked over to my friend. My hand reached out for hers, but Arah pulled away. And I honestly couldn''t blame her because she was right. If I hadn''t gotten them involved in the Fayne, maybe Ty wouldn''t have had his nightmares and maybe the fairies wouldn''t have noticed him.


    \"I''ll find him, Arah,\" I said. \"I promise¡­\"

 118 Rumors

    My feet touched ground on the smooth stone of the tower''s top floor. Waiting for me there were Aura, Luca, and Varda.


    All three of them looked like they had something to say, but I raised my hand before any of them could speak up, and said, \"Me first.\"


    I went on to explain to them what had happened in Mudgard, how my friend Ty had been abducted by a person or group I suspected of being fairies, and how the McCord twins had arrived at the Elfwood Circle Stones and found evidence that Ty may have been taken to the Fayne.


    \"May have?\" Aura asked, her arms crossing over her chest. \"You believe this could be a ruse?\"


    I nodded. \"I''m not sure¡­ it could very well be an elaborate smoking gun to keep us off their trail¡­\"


    \"But you''d like to make sure all the bases are covered?\" Aura prompted.


    I really loved how we were both so in sync during a crisis.


    \"I made a promise to Arah that I would find Ty,\" I said quietly. It was all I could do to keep a calm face. But deep inside, I was boiling like a volcano ready to explode. \"So, any suggestions on how we can make sure I keep my promise?\"


    Luca advocated we storm the Trickster capital and threaten Kairon to divulge where he''d stashed Ty.


    His obvious hatred for the fairy who stole away his future was peeking out there, but I wasn''t sure Kairon had anything to do with Ty''s abduction. Otherwise, Aura would have been in the know. It was a fact she pointed out to Luca, deflating his hopes of an early revenge, or at least a chance to make that old bastard quake in his boots.


    Still, I agreed to send Nike back to Orryn tonight so we could get information on human kidnapping directly from the horse''s mouth as soon as possible.


    Varda suggested we send out the kobolds with new orders to gather information across the Westmarch. When I asked her why it had to be the Westmarch, she responded with, \"Because we''re here. It''s likely whatever bad situation is happening is somehow connected to you and to us, right?\"


    Somehow, I found her logic infallible. Leave it to the dwarf to suggest connecting all my misfortunes into one big giant mess just waiting to explode on all of us.


    I laughed. Although it was bordering hysterics, it was the first real bout of laughter to come out of me since learning of Ty''s abduction, and not for the first time was I glad I had Varda on my team.


    \"Okay, send Fila to Thor so he can relay the new orders,\" I said after I''d calmed down. \"And have the rest of the kobolds in the tower head out as soon as they can.\"


    After a second or two had passed, Varda raised her hand. \"And the orders are¡­?\"


    \"I want any news on recent human abductions and slave auctions happening in the region,\" I instructed.


    Varda nodded. She prepared to head down to find Fila, but then stopped in her tracks to look back at me.


    \"Yeah?\" I asked.


    I furrowed my brow. \"What merchants?\"


    \"The ones who are here to interview for renting space in the tower grounds¡­ you do remember you asked to meet prospects, right?\" she explained in a tone that suggested she didn''t think I remembered.


    I vaguely recall a hurried discussion about inviting merchants to visit the tower to see if we could do business together way back when my rivals visited.


    \"And they''re here now?\" I asked, annoyed this sudden interruption.


    Varda nodded. \"Should I tell them to come back another time?\"


    I had half a mind to say yes, but seeing the worried look on Varda''s face cooled my head somewhat. It must have taken a lot of haggling for her to get these merchants to come visit.


    I sighed, shaking my head as I did. \"It''s alright. We''ll meet them.\" I glanced at each of them in turns. \"But I want to stress that getting news about Ty is our priority for the foreseeable future.\" My gaze lingered on Aura. \"You okay with this? It''ll mean putting Darah''s orders on the back burner.\"


    Aura didn''t even hesitate when she took my forearm and lightly squeezed it with one of her delicate elven hands. \"Finding Tiberius comes first.\"


    With my orders relayed,  Luca went in search of the sprites while Varda, Aura and I made our way down to the second floor of the tower in order to meet our latest batch of guests. Not knowing what to expect, I found myself gazing out at a larger gathering of fairy merchants than I expected.


    \"What''s going on?\" I asked, my brow furrowing once again. As if my nerves weren''t frayed enough by the whole Ty situation.


    \"There was quite a lot of interest among the local merchant guilds when we let the word out we were considering opening shop here, Commander,\" Varda chirped in, sounding very pleased with herself. \"Apparently, a lot of people aren''t satisfied with the huge number of taxes and regulations inside Jester''s Court and Broken Sellsword''s Canyon is just too far south from the greater Westmarch region.\"


    \"Making the possibility of a new shopping hub an enticing invitation for these merchants,\" Aura added.


    Both girls were smiling at each other, making me recall the few times I''d gone shopping with Aura and remembering how she seemed like a different person, like someone possessed by the spirit of bargains.


    \"Get in line, you rascals!\" Qwipps screeched. \"We''ll get to you as soon as we get to you!\"


    My eyes found him at the center of the gathered merchants, fending off their advances and demands to be recognized first.


    \"Oops, looks like I should go and help Qwipps, Commander,\" Varda said, before jogging off to assist her friend who looked like he was drowning in fairies.


    I sighed. \"Let''s get this over with then¡­\"


    Aura and I took our seats on the long table we''d moved to the top of the dais at the end of the hall. We were joined by Edo who was there to look appropriately menacing, and Zarz who was there to make sure I didn''t sound like an idiot when talking to these seasoned hagglers.


    Varda and Qwipps were responsible for the first stage of the screening, asking people to answer a few standard questions before they let them through to speak to us. All in all, it was a really tiring process.


    I had to explain sales tax repeatedly to the first few bozos we interviewed and it was grueling.


    \"Why''s this sales tax sound like it''ll cost me Leprechauns?\" squealed a gray-haired gnome in overalls.


    \"Well, it actually doesn''t cost you anything,\" I reasoned, pointing again to the piece of parchment spread out on the table. \"If we consider sales tax to be five percent of your product''s cost, then all we do is add that extra five percent to your pricing. Get it?\"


    The dumbfounded look on the cherubic face told me he didn''t.


    I sighed. This happened a few more times, and it was interesting to see that dumb look on so many different types of fairies. Unfortunately, it was also taking time from what could have been a search for Ty.


    Luckily, three merchants stood out from the pact. The armorer Shanks, the weaponsmith Kal Duenne, and the potions master Lilipold Loomingale. Ironically enough, none of them were what you''d expect fairies with these types of occupations should be. Lilipold was an undine like Five-Thousand Man Commander Unna was, Kal Duenne was a fiery-haired, yellow-skinned hobgoblin which was something as rare a human albino, and Shanks, well, Shanks was a troll whose features were very similar to someone I knew.


    His skin was rock gray and probably twice as hard as stone. He had wide blood-red eyes hidden behind square-rimmed spectacles. His hair was short and parted to the side. But it was the nose and that downward pointing mouth set in its default frown that really showed off their resemblance.


    Shanks raised a massive hand and offered it to me.


    \"So you''re the human I need to thank for bringing my big brother''s body back from the war,\" he said briskly.


    Wow, it was my turn to look dumbfounded. Not only did Shaqs have a younger brother, but apparently, this younger brother was a fast-talking, coat-wearing merchant with enough smarts to run his own business.


    \"Your brother saved a lot of lives... I owed him at least that,\" I said quickly while trying to reform my face into a mournful one. An entirely difficult task as my mind couldn''t get over how different the troll brothers were.


    Shanks bowed his head politely. \"You honor him.\"


    Finally, I shook his hand which was about five times the size of my hand.


    \"So,\" he began. \"I just heard that you''re looking for info on slave traders?\"


    I raised an eyebrow at him, but it was Aura who answered, \"How do you know this?\"


    Shanks placed a finger on the rather large lobe of his left ear. \"I listen... I also deal with information so maybe we can come to an arrangement.\"


    More and more I wondered if this confident-sounding troll was actually related to the ever-bashful Shaqs.


    \"How about you throw us a bone first,\" Aura suggested, already in a haggling mood.


    Shanks appraised her for a few seconds before finally nodding his head. \"I wouldn''t mind having the princess of the Trickster Pavilion and the boy touched with fire owe me over this.\"


    Everyone stiffened.


    Shanks raised a hand in surrender.


    \"Don''t worry... I know which information to keep close to my vest,\" he said, tapping heavy fingers on his actual vest, right where the heart would be. \"So, you still looking for a hint?\"


    Aura and I both nodded.


    Shanks leaned over the table, his massive form casting a shadow over me. He leans as close to me and Aura as possible, and then whispers, \"I hear there''s a trade caravan that''s recently received new stock from your mudball of a world... and they passed through a certain canyon earlier in the day to visit an auction house where a maiden of fire holds court...\"

 119 Bedtime Stories

    With Idunn''s warm glow shining down on the tower, I gazed out at the surrounding landscape from atop its rooftop while thinking about all the things I would create here if I were ever given a reprieve from one crisis to the next. Once the battlements were renovated, once the walls were up again, what wonders we might build here.


    Over by the lake, I would construct an inn with a wharf that pushed out into the water, perfect for those visitors who like to fish. I''d build an aqueduct next to the inn too, ensuring fresh lake water to an entire city.


    Yes, a city. I honestly hadn''t planned it when I first arrived at the tower, but now after speaking to so many merchants, the possibility of building something that would last appeared inside my mind''s eye.


    I could imagine the stone houses rising up from the ground around the reinforced circular wall. I could see fairies and humans walking along the cobblestone paths paved around the many shops and merchant stalls. I could even see the tower growing ever higher as more floors were added to it until at last, it reached the sky, a shining beacon of hope in the Fayne where all were welcome¡ªa literal kingdom of heaven.


    My eyes shut themselves to the sight. No use thinking of the what-ifs when there was an uneasy feeling already creeping up my back. Ty was still missing.


    I felt Aura''s hand on my shoulder. I didn''t have to glance behind me to know it was her. The warmth flowing out of her hand, pushing its way into my body and calming my nerves was already a dead giveaway.


    \"Leprechaun for your thoughts?\" she asked playfully.


    I didn''t need gold to tell her about my vision.


    After a short time of contemplation, she spoke up, \"It seems you''d build a new Sh?rleden here¡­\"


    There was no mockery in her words. In fact, it sounded more like she believed I might just be able to achieve it.


    \"For Luca,\" I said thoughtfully. \"In case he never leaves the Fayne¡­ I at least want to give him a home here¡­ one where he won''t ever be alone again.\"


    \"You''re a good brother, Dean,\" Aura said. \"But I think you can stand to be a bit greedier too. There''s nothing wrong with building the greatest city in the Fayne and saving Luca from his prison.\"


    \"Maybe¡­\" I replied, wondering inside if my Sims and Civilization Six experience was enough to make me a city builder.


    \"So which of them got you thinking of this new dream?\" she asked thoughtfully. \"Besides Shaqs'' brother.\"


    I glanced back at her and found her smiling at me in that way which always filled me with the good kind of vibes. I grinned as well; although I was half-sure my smile wasn''t nearly as nice as hers.


    \"Luc, the material goods merchant, and the artifacts appraiser, Fantasimo,\" I said.


    \"One can get us imported goods not found in this central region and the other one brings with him a prestige found only in those who cater to nobility,\" Aura noted, getting my answer down to the letter. \"They''ll pair nicely with Shanks, Lilipold, and Kal Duenne.\"


    I nodded. Still, I couldn''t fully appreciate the possibilities we discussed. Something else needed to be done first.


    \"Saving Ty comes first,\" I said.


    Aura nodded. \"Yes, let''s go visit Kallista now.\"


    That was when Luca showed up to let us know that our caravan was ready.


    \"All aboard the troll train,\" he said.


    Other than the agreement we''d made with him starting his new shop at Hoodwink Tower, returning his brother''s body from the frontlines also earned a second request from Shanks. He would let a small team of Foolhardies join his caravan as it made its way across the Westmarch and back southeast to Broken Sellsword''s Canyon.


    This was necessary because I didn''t want anyone¡ªparticularly a well-informed salamander auctioneer¡ªto know that we were coming for a visit. Of course, I didn''t think Kallista was the mastermind of Ty''s disappearance, but I would be a fool not to take precautions.


    We set off from the tower that very night, but it would be an entire three nights later before we reached the great iron gates of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. In between that, especially during the daytime, I''d spent the time skipping school in lieu of researching fairy abductions with Arah at my dad''s study.


    To be exact, I''d reread and reviewed all materials we''d already covered during our search for Luca hoping there was something we''d missed. Sadly, we couldn''t find anything else apart from the clue the McCord twins had given us. This meant Arah had gone increasingly more irate with our lack of progress, and more often than not, this seething irritation was directed at me.


    It had gotten to the point that I''d begun dreading the days spent with her, making me wish more and more for my nights in the Fayne. At least there, I was actually doing something. Plus, Aura had decided to spend the nights telling me more about the lost monarch, and our nights with the caravan served as the perfect cutscene moment for her storytelling.


    \"The lost monarch was a great king, fair and strong, loved by all who served him,\" Aura began. \"He brought order to the Fayne, bringing together the scattered clans to repel the invaders from beyond, triumphing over dragons and giants, and demons.\"


    \"Dragons, giants, and demons¡­ I''ve never met a dragon in the Fayne before,\" I said as I patted the back Myth Chaser beneath me.


    \"Neither have I,\" Aura admitted.


    Riding atop Starlight, her head, like mine, hidden under an inconspicuous green hood, I could imagine her with a sword in hand, off to slay Smaug, the Terrible, or some other fantasy creature not found in the Fayne.


    \"But they were real once¡­ a very long time ago,\" Aura explained. \"So did the giants. There are enough artifacts left over from the age when they terrorized us to prove it.\"


    \"So~~o, we had dinosaurs and you guys got dragons,\" I noted. \"What about demons?\"


    Aura shook her head. \"We don''t speak of them much¡­ and I once thought them nothing but myth and legend¡­ but\" Aura glanced over at me. \"The poison that killed my family¡­ I was told by the shieldmaidens that it was an infernal concoction born of a demonic recipe.\"


    Just like that, Aura had dropped several big reveals that made my head feel woozy.


    I glanced behind me, to Luca riding Jade Shadow and was dressed in a similar getup of green hood and cloak, and said, \"Hear that, Luca¡­ there''s a chance you and I might get to see some dragon bones, after all.\"


    Luca smiled wanly. He hadn''t been feeling a hundred percent since hearing of Ty''s abduction. Probably because it reminded him so much of his own. -


    \"But if he did all that¡­ then why did he disappear?\" Luca asked.


    It was a question I''d had forever. I mean, some fairies age to be thousands of years old. They were practically gods to us mortals, and this lost monarch sounded like the kind of dude who had enough power to reign for centuries. So why would he give it all up?


    \"No one knows,\" Aura said, glancing over to Ashley and her pearl white swifthart, Moonray. \"But the shieldmaidens believed that he''d been betrayed by someone dear to him right before he disappeared¡­ perhaps even one of his Sense Knights.\"


    \"Sense Knights?\" I''d nearly put my foot on the proverbial brakes at hearing that term for the first time. \"What exactly are these sense knights?\"


    Aura glanced back at Ashley. \"Would you like to take over?\"


    Ashley nodded, but just for dramatic effect, it would take her another five minutes to continue the tale.


    \"Even back then, viseres were common in the Fayne,\" Ashley said, wrapping her white cloak around herself like she''d felt the cold night air touch her. \"Although there weren''t any human slaves then¡­ that practice didn''t start until fifty years after the lost monarch disappeared.\"


    Ashley patted Luca on the shoulder. Like me, she was attuned to his mood. This was most definitely because she''d been sold off like he was.


    \"Back then, serving the fay nobility was something of an honor for humans¡­ and there were none more honored than the chosen five,\" Ashley revealed. \"Five knights, handpicked by the lost monarch to serve him as his elite warriors.\"


    \"Why were there five?\" Luca asked, looking up from the gloom of his thoughts.


    \"One for each of the five senses,\" Ashley said. \"Touch, Taste, Smell, Hearing, and Sight¡­\"


    \"Sight¡­\" I repeated while thinking what was up with this night and all these freaking bombshells


    Aura laughed, possibly because she''d felt the turmoil in my mind.


    \"Yes, it''s not certain, but Fool''s Insight could very possibly be the lost fairy gift of sight,\" Aura admitted. \"That''s one of the reasons the Pavilion values your work with us.\"


    \"You shouldn''t have said that,\" Luca sighed. \"His ego is big enough as it is.\"


    The three of them laughed. I didn''t join in. I was too busy imagining it in my head, the thought of five incredibly cool warriors in multicolored costumes facing off against giants and dragons like the Power Rangers.


    Another thought occurred to me. \"There are other sense viseres around, aren''t there? Wonder when I''ll get to meet one of them.\"


    In hindsight, I really wished I hadn''t said that. It was basically tempting fate to send one of these badass sense warriors my way.


    Well, with all that talk of Fayne history, I didn''t even notice that we were in sight of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. Some sense knight in training I was.


    A short distance beyond loomed the famous iron front gates surrounded on either side by cliff-sides and their carvings of giant stone sculptures depicting the wicked act of slavery. My insides boiled just looking at them, especially now considering Ty was the third human I knew who''d been spirited away.


    But as I got closer and closer to those iron gates, the clearest thought crossing my mind was a simpler one, \"Huh, I kind of get now why Zarz wanted iron gates for the entrance of Hoodwink Tower. They''re appropriately imposing, aren''t they?\"

 120 Ren

    Sneaking into Broken Sellsword''s Canyon was relatively easy thanks to Shanks and his merchant caravan. The troll had procured all the necessary documents in advance and he knew all the right people to grease.


    Case in point, when it was our turn to be inspected by the dwarven guards in their orange tabards embroidered with the broken sword insignia, Shanks smooth-talked his way into getting four unlisted members of his caravan a pass into the city.


    \"Always appreciate doing business with you, Smithers,\" Shanks said, his voice an octave higher than his fallen brother.


    One hand was raised to high-five the dwarf while the other hand was dropping a few Leprechauns onto the dwarf''s open palm.


    \"These friends of yours better not cause any trouble, Shanks,\" the dwarf answered gruffly.


    \"They''ll answer to me if they do,\" shanks growled right before he glanced toward me and winked.


    A while later we parted with Shanks and his group with a promise to meet up later. They were heading over to the market district straight away but we had other business to do first before we went to the auction house.


    Ashley wanted to visit the Shieldmaiden''s Tower first to pay her respect and get aid from the shieldmaidens there while I wanted to visit and inspect the vilest place in this entire city in case Ty had been taken there. Luckily, both could be found in the same place.


    With Idunn''s golden glow lighting our way, we walked the main cobbled street of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon in the direction of a very busy district west of the central way and eventually arrived at our destination, the Slave Quarter.


    Looking out at the mass of bodies packed tight in cages stacked over one another, I secretly wished I wouldn''t find Ty here. It was just too depressing to imagine my mundane giant of a friend stuck in one of these cages.


    \"Luca¡­ why don''t you go ahead with Ashley to the tower,\" I said, thinking how Luca''s skin was probably crawling just standing at the entrance of this decadent place. I know mine did. \"Aura and I can handle this?\"


    Luca gazed back at me with a hesitant look.


    \"A-are you sure?\" he asked.


    I patted his shoulder and nodded. \"Yeah, we got this.\"


    ''Good, because I don''t¡­ Great Mab, the smell, I''ll never get used to it,\" Ashley interjected, covering her nose with the side of her hood with one hand while the other grabbed onto Luca''s arm. \"Let''s go young Dapper¡­ I''ll introduce you to some pretty dryads.\"


    Luca spared me one final glance while Ashley dragged her further down the main path, his face unable to hide the relief on his face.


    \"You''re a good brother, Dean,\" Aura said, smiling at me in that way that gave me the good kind of goosebumps.


    Aura and I spent a good hour browsing through the wares of slaves owned by the slave merchants looking for one lanky buzz-cut human who might have been Ty. It was hard to tell faces when they were covered in grime.


    There were a few clean slaves though, but these were usually the pleasure slaves who were meant to look pretty for prospective buyers. I stirred clear of them because I didn''t think Ty had what it took to be one. Plus, I didn''t want Aura seeing me ogle boobs.


    Finally, when I began to think this whole thing was an exercise in futility, Aura, who''d never loss focus, managed to strike a conversation with a bald-headed dwarven slaver named Ex. short for Extremities, a moniker he gained because apparently his private extremities were very well endowed, or so he claimed.


    Aura managed to charm the gray-eyed dwarf into giving us some interesting information.


    \"As I was saying,\" Ex continued, purposefully flexing his biceps for Aura, \"There''s a rumor going around that a foreign slaver company dropped by these parts a few days ago to hawk some special product to the rich people up in the central district. Might have been the kind of special you''re looking for, sweet cheeks.\"


    Sweetcheeks? I repeated in my brain. I had half a mind to smack the dwarf upside down for being disrespectful, but Aura held me back with a glance.


    She turned her focus back on the dwarf. \"You wouldn''t happen to know where these slavers went, would you, Ex~~x?\"


    Aura said his name like it was rolling off her tongue. I thought it sounded kind of awkward but the dwarf seemed to lap it up.


    Ex grinned toothily back at her. \"Rings of Fortune Auction House¡­ proprietors some uptight vixen named¡ª\"


    \"¡ªKallista,\" Aura finished.


    Damn, more and more it seemed like all roads pointed toward our salamander benefactor. And here I was just thinking that some fairies could be trustworthy after all.


    Aura and I left Ex in front of his cages with her promising to drop by again if she ever got the chance. On our way to the Shieldmaiden''s Tower, I had to ask, \"You''re not really planning on dropping by again, are you?\"


    She glanced at me, and the first time since we met, she actually rolled her eyes at me. \"What do you think, Dean?\"


    We walked up the tower steps, and as we were about to knock on the front door, it opened inwardly all on its own. On the other side of it were Luca, Ashley, and standing between them was a dwarf whose golden hair was tied in a bun like Varda''s. Only, she looked older and far more mature compared to Varda''s child-like features.


    Aura inclined her head. I hastily followed suit.


    \"Greetings princess,\" the Shieldmaiden''s Mother Superior nodded toward aura. Then she nodded toward me. \"And you, Five-Hundred Man Commander Dapper¡­\"


    I glanced back at her with surprise.


    \"You know who we are?\" I asked.


    She patted Luca''s arm. \"I''ve heard a bit more about you from Luca here, although I must confess that your accolades in the previous war have caught my interest long before meeting you here on my doorstep.\"


    \"Huh¡­ okay,\" I frowned, uncertain if catching the shieldmaiden''s attention was a good thing or bad one.


    She walked closer to me, her short legs quickly bridging the short distance between until she was close enough to touch the hem of my cloak. And from her vantage point just above my belly button, she looked up into my eyes and gazing into her amber ones, I think I saw a hint of recognition.


    \"Interesting, interesting,\" she breathed. \"You have quite the gift, child of man¡­ I wonder if you have been using it well?\"


    This whole situation felt like I was being interrogated by a nun, and for some reason, I couldn''t help but answer her as honestly as I could.


    \"I try,\" I said.


    \"That''s all we can ask ourselves to do,\" she replied, patting me on the arm in a motherly way. \"Perhaps you can strive a little harder¡­\"


    Her other hand came up and it wasn''t empty. She''d been clutching a scroll.


    \"What is that?\" I asked as I reached out for it.


    The Mother Superior pulled the hand away before I could grab the scroll.


    \"Let''s call it a renter''s agreement,\" she said smiling. \"You are aware your tower belonged to the shieldmaidens?\"


    I frowned. This was a shakedown. \"Abandoned, you mean¡­\"


    \"Only temporarily,\" she conceded, her smile never wavering. \"Don''t worry, Commander. We don''t ask for much¡­ just a welcome door to any shieldmaidens who drop by and just a tiny donation for the needy.\"


    I frowned even more. A shakedown was a shakedown no matter how lenient it was.


    \"Besides,\" the Mother Superior glanced back at Luca, \"Your friends have returned to you with something more valuable than any of my meager requests\"


    Luca raised the bag of holding he''d taken from Edo and pulled out a mana potion from inside it.


    As their demand had increased after the last war, and with most mana pools hibernating before the arrival of Winter Solstice, having a few bottles of mana potions were likened to a small chest of Leprechauns.


    I realized that she could have asked Luca to pay for the potions if it was just money she wanted. No, there was something else, something deeper, and I understood what that was. By officially recognizing that we had received the tower from the shieldmaidens, we were in effect creating a connection with them. In this world, the proper connections mattered more than any chest of gold.


    Why she wanted a connection with me probably had something to do with my fairy gift and the legend of these sense knights I''d heard about before. I guess. Still, it wasn''t such a bad deal for our unit to be recognized as friends of the shieldmaidens, as if having one on the team wasn''t a dead giveaway already.


    The mother superior offered me back the scroll. My hand hovered around it, but before I could accept the scroll, there was one last thing to ask of her.


    \"You''ve probably heard this already, but I have a missing friend¡ª\"


    \"¡ªAlthough we do not normally deal with slavery,\" she spared a glance at Ashley, \"We can help you acquire information regarding your missing friend.\"


    Finally, I took the scroll from her hands. \"Thanks¡­ and I accept, um, your conditions.\"


    \"Wise choice,\" she chuckled, elbowing me in the gut as she began to turn away. \"Perhaps there is hope for you yet.\"


    The mother superior gave Ashley her blessing and then waved goodbye to the rest of us, before disappearing into the hallway beyond, her footsteps echoing on the stone stairs.


    \"So, you guys find any clues?\" Luca asked.


    \"A bit, yes,\" Aura responded.


    I tossed Luca the scroll and instructed him to drop it into the bag of holding. Then I turned around and proceeded down the steps.


    \"I think it''s time we said hi to Kallista,\" I said.

 121 Where the Truth Lies

    \"You look like an elf who''s lost his wooden bow, Dean,\" Aura whispered, glancing over at me from the opposite couch with concern on her face.


    \"You realize I have no idea what that reference means,\" I answered wryly.


    I leaned back on the lavish couch trying to feel comfortable, but my mind just wouldn''t let me forget the stress that''s been hounding me for days.


    \"Um, ancient elves love their bows, you see, so when they lose it¡ª\"


    \"¡ªThey also lose their shit,\" I finished for her. \"I get it¡­ and I''m fine, Aura. Really.\"


    \"Right,\" she said, picking up a satin pillow on her couch and throwing it at me. \"You realize I feel your emotions through our bond, right?\"


    I caught the pillow and squeezed it between my arms and chest.


    \"I''ve never asked you how that works¡­ do you actually sense the emotions or just pick up a vibe\" I mused.


    \"The latter,\" Aura answered. She raised a finger to her lips in that way she sometimes did when she was thinking of an answer to my questions. ''Yours is like the weather. Sometimes, when you''re feeling proud about something, often Luca, you''re a warm summer''s day. When you''re sad¡­ it''s like a heavy downpour of rain. More often than not it''s cloudy, that''s when I know you''ve got your thinking cap on.\"


    \"The weather, huh,\" I repeated. It was an interesting way to describe emotions. \"What''s the weather in me like now?\"


    \"Black clouds and thunderstorms,\" she said quickly. \"Is it just about Ty?\"


    My eyes took in the view of the room the auction''s staff had asked us to wait in. It was so similar to the first time we''d visited, the same atmosphere of wealth and indulgence. It didn''t feel like the kind of place that would trade in slaves.


    \"Yeah¡­ and no.\" I sighed. \"Did I tell you that Arah and I went to see his parents today?\"


    Aura shook her head. \"That bad, huh?\"


    \"His mom was understandably upset¡­ but it was really his dad who¡­ well, he was always the loud one in the room, you know? Always the first one to crack a joke and invite us to a smash Bros bout,\" I locked my fingers together as if in prayer. \"Today the man barely spoke¡­ he was like my mom.\"


    As my eyes were turned downward, I didn''t see Aura get up, but I felt it when she sat next to me on that soft cushioned couch. I felt her arm wrap around my shoulder, and suddenly, I found myself feeling even more emotional.


    \"Arah blames me, you know,\" I whispered. \"She doesn''t say it out loud but I can feel it¡­\"


    \"She''s just lost too, you know,\" Aura said, placating. \"You and her, you''re both just desperate to find Ty... and when you do, I bet you''ll be right as rain again.\"


    After what felt like an embarrassingly long time, I pulled away from Aura''s half-embrace and recomposed myself. Then I glanced sideways at her.


    \"You think Ashley and Luca are in yet?\" I asked.


    Aura shrugged. \"I''m honestly not sure. They''re not exactly the stealthy types, are they? It would be better if we''d brought Thom or Qwipps along instead.\"


    I scratched my head. The task I''d set for Luca and Ashley to infiltrate the auction house and search Kallista''s office for clues while we kept her distracted was a long shot at best. Aura was right; the current team wasn''t exactly suited for that particular kind of stealth mission.


    But no alarms had rung yet so the pair of them might just pull it off. Maybe.


    Kallista arrived while I contemplated bringing more suitable troops the next time, greeting me and Aura with a big smile plastered on her face.


    \"I expected you sooner, Dean,\" she said, sitting on the couch opposite ours and crossing her legs, making her rather short dress ride up an inch higher.


    I gulped and forced myself to look away. It seemed the game was already afoot.


    \"You already knew we were in the canyon,\" I guessed, thinking that things had changed and it was now time for a more direct tactic than we''d initially planned.


    \"Not when you arrived,\" her eyes twinkled with impish delight. \"You''ve made a capable new friend.\"


    \"When, then?\" Aura asked.


    \"A beautiful elven maiden in a golden mask and her dourly human companion were seen wandering the Slave Quarter asking around about something that would normally pique the interest of my little birds,\" she answered nonchalantly.


    Kallista uncrossed her legs and leaned back on the couch.


    \"I assume you didn''t come to me first because you believed me involved?\" She was smirking, but the brightening tips of her red hair kind of gave her irritation away. \"And here I thought I''d earned your trust.\"


    I cleared my throat. It was time to take charge.


    \"You have¡­ that''s why I didn''t come with my army,\" I said, leaning forward. \"But we''ve received intel from two different sources confirming you''d recently met a slaver company looking to sell a special kind of product¡­\"


    Kallista''s smile wavered, but I stopped her from talking with a wave of my hand.


    \"To be clear, nothing in our past dealings makes me believe that you trade in slaves¡­ even if you did, if you discovered a slave with a connection to us, I''m assuming you would have informed me,\" I reasoned. \"Like I said, you''ve earned our trust.\"


    I glanced over at Aura who nodded her head in agreement.


    \"The fact that you haven''t sent word suggests you never met Ty or learned who he really was,\" I added. \"But I think you did meet with that slaver company, so I''m guessing you turned them away?\"


    \"I did meet a group of slavers claiming to be in possession of a child of magic,\" Kallista admitted. \"And I did turn them away as you guessed. If what they had was the real deal, a true chosen one, then I had no desire to be anywhere near it. Such creatures brought misfortune to those who seek to misuse them.\"


    Hearing the word ''chosen one'' describe Ty was blowing my mind, but I did my best to keep my composure. I cleared my throat and soldiered on, storing this info about Ty until I could unpack it properly later.


    \"So you never saw him?\" I asked.


    Kallista shook her head. \"As I''ve said, creatures chosen by faith are very hard to manage. They''re never good for business.\"


    Hearing proof that Ty really wasn''t hidden behind those scarlet drapes at the back of the room wasn''t as cathartic as I''d hoped. Sure, it helped to clear the misunderstanding between me and Kallista but now the search was at a standstill.


    \"And the slavers?\" Aura picked up the thread for me. \"You wouldn''t happen to know where they went after you turned them away, would you?\"


    Kallista procured a pipe from some hidden pocket behind her dress and lit it using the spark of fire released from the ends of her hair.


    \"There are few places one can trade such a rare product. It''s why they came here, first. The name of the Rings of Fortune Auction House guarantees not only a higher payoff but also security of the goods until it is sold,\" Kallista explained. \"Anywhere else and the chosen one would most likely get stolen from them before they saw even a single Leprechaun.\"


    She took a long puff of her pipe, and then breathed out a deep cloud of violet smoke from her nose.


    \"After I turned them down, they would most likely seek out our biggest rivals in the central region, the Sunrise Auction in Westersand Desert,\" Kallista explained. \"But that is further west than you''re allowed to go, too deep in¡ª\"


    \"¡ªDominion territory,\" I finished.


    Kallista nodded, taking another puff of her pipe.


    Damn, it was another tough hurdle to jump in what was already beginning to feel like a dragged out quest.


    \"We would need to ask for Great General Garm''s permission to cross the Westersand,\" Aura added, sounding like the prospect of meeting her estranged uncle wasn''t one she was keen on.


    \"You think he''ll let us through?\" I asked.


    Aura bit on her lower lip before answering. \"We can only ask, but I wouldn''t get my hopes up, Dean¡­ my uncle has a grudge against me and my brother. He''s not likely to agree if he thinks it helps me in any way¡­\"


    \"Well,\" Kallista interrupted. \"Should you fail in getting permission, I may have another way for you to get to where you need to go.\"


    Before I could ask Kallista more about this other way, a loud banging cut across the silence of the auction house''s walls, assaulting our ears with the beating of tribal drums that sounded a lot like the drums in Jumanji.


    \"Ah, it seems your friends have been found,\" Kallista smiled wryly back at me. She got up from her seat and said, \"Shall we go get them before the security troll do?\"

 122 A Confession

    \"Chosen one¡­ really?\" Luca asked for the fifth time since I told him what Kallista told me which hadn''t been more than an hour ago. \"How is Tiberius Cruz a chose one and I''m an indentured servant?\"


    After Kallista had saved Luca and Ashley from the heavyset trolls who''d caught them trying to break the locks of her door, she''d ushered us out of the auction house with a promise from me that we would be increasing our purchases from her company considerably over the next month as an apology for the little misunderstanding. In exchange, she''d promise to help find a way to spirit us away to the Westersand Desert in case our next gamble didn''t pan out.


    This brings us back to Luca badgering me about Ty''s new social status.


    \"Seriously, Dean, how is Ty the chosen one?\" Luca asked as we rode our mounts along the sandy road a few miles northwest of Broken Sellsword''s Canyon.


    Honestly, I was kind of feeling just a little bit of jealousy too. I was an ordinary dude in extraordinary circumstances while Ty, well, Ty was apparently really special.


    \"I know¡­ it''s weird for me too,\" I admitted.


    Luca and I continued to discuss Ty and Ashley who''d been listening in suggested something that made me laugh out loud.


    \"You say he''s a hardcore gamer, right?\" Ashley had pulled on Moonray''s reins so she could slow her pace and chat. \"Maybe that''s why¡­ aren''t there a bunch of books and anime about gamers traveling to other worlds and turning into overpowered characters\"


    I wasn''t the only one. Luca was laughing alongside me. Ashley, after a second of narrowing her eyes at us, joined in on this laughter too. Aura was the only one who couldn''t relate so we decided to fill her in.


    \"Why would someone who didn''t or earn it suddenly become all-powerful? Aura asked, her eyebrows furrowing.


    The three of us shrugged.


    \"Wish fulfillment,\" Ashley answered. \"Everyone just wants it the easy way¡­\"


    \"But based on your stories, doesn''t that mean Ty have to die on Mudgard before he gains power?\" Aura reminded us.


    The thought of one of my childhood friends getting killed sobered me up really quickly. The same was true for the other humans in my party. Luckily, none of us had to answer Aura''s searching gaze as we''d just arrived at the rendezvous point.


    Yes, I''d planned ahead just in case we''d need assistance lickety-split. It''s why I''d had the bulk of the Foolhardies waiting for us just at the edge of Westmarch territory.


    We led our swiftharts to the nearly four hundred soldiers gathered in a loose ring formation of hastily raised nondescript tents. There were zero banners in sight too like I''d instructed just in case Kallista''s little birds noticed.


    However, as soon as they spotted us approaching, the Flag of Fools was unfurled along with the banners of the pavilion.


    As I''d expected, Edo and Qwipps came out to greet me.


    I got off Mythchaser, stroked its furry neck in appreciation, and then handed the reins over to Jensen so he could lead him to some delicious fay greens, my swifthart''s preferred brand of food.


    \"Varda and Thom okay being left behind?\" I asked.


    \"She barely had time to see us off,\" Edo answered, Afterward, he walked over to Aura who''d just gotten off her mount, and stood at attention behind her.


    I chuckled. Edo was still playing bodyguard even after his promotion.


    \"At least she''s safe from whatever Foolhardy plan Dean''s going to have us pull off, next,\" Qwipps complained.


    \"Nothing too hard,\" I said. \"We''re just heading off to see old Garm.\"


    Qwipps eyes widened. \"Why in muds would we want to go to him?\"


    \"Because we can''t travel west without his permission,\" I answered sighing.


    \"It''ll be dangerous,\" Edo noted. \"Garm is nearly as bullheaded as Grimthorn and not as pleasant¡­\"


    Aura reached behind her to squeeze his right forearm which admittedly made me feel a little jealous of the half-ogre even though I knew they didn''t have that kind of relationship.


    \"We have to try¡­ it seems Dean''s friend has a strange destiny,\" Aura said. \"We have to make sure he isn''t taken by our enemies.\"


    The way Aura said it, like Ty wasn''t just a person who needed saving, worried me. She''d never made it a secret that she would do anything to help the Trickster Pavilion triumph in this war. Hell, that''s why she recruited me, but I hated to think she''d use Ty to further her ambitions too.


    \"What are you on about, Aura?\" Qwipps asked, his eyebrow rising skeptically. \"What''s so special about another mud-boy?\"


    \"He''s special,\" Aura said, not meeting my eyes when she did.


    \"You''re surrounded by weirdos, boy,\" Azuma noted right as he opened the tent flap and walked out to greet us.


    At the same time, Luca and Ashley had just ridden their mounts to us too. Behind them was Xanthor.


    \"Looks like everyone''s here,\" I said. \"You guys go make sure your squads are ready to fight or flee if the need arises¡­\"


    \"What will you be doing?\" Aura asked.


    I nodded toward the tent. \"I saw the kobolds among the soldiers. I assume the sprites are back in the tent?\"


    Edo grunted a nod and Azuma translated with, the girl-sprite has a message for you.\"


    \"Alright, go see to your men,\" I said, and then walked into the tent.


    Nike was there waiting for me. She''d brought a message from Orryn, and hearing his voice come out of her lips wasn''t as eerie as it used to be. Man, I''d gotten used to the weirdest shit.


    It was a rather long winded message about etiquette and proper channels and how I shouldn''t disturb him over trivial things as he was very, very busy, but after he was done with his tirade, he actually did answer my question.


    Apparently, the patriarch had recently put a stop to the practice of kidnapping humans for the clan, and according to Orryn, my successes had something do with it. Now they''re trying this thing where they actually just recruit the person by inviting them. It seemed to work with me and I was doing alright. At least that was the argument being made to shut down the evil practice Kairon began.


    \"But¡­ I have heard tell of a strange rumor¡­ that of a Mudgardian boy showing a talent for the arcane being readied for a slave auction out west,\" Orryn revealed through the mouthpiece that was Nike. \"Strange times, indeed¡­ and here you are asking about this exact thing¡­ what kind of trouble are you placing our princess in now, boy?\"


    I didn''t think he was expecting an answer because he''d immediately replied to his own question.


    \"You better not be thinking of doing something foolhardy again,\" Orryn reprimanded. \"You''ve put her life in danger enough¡­ That''s it! I''m sending Grimthorn to check in on you, you hear me, Dapper!\"


    Interestingly,  I''d just received a third confirmation that Ty was in the Westersand Desert. And now Great General Grimthorn was coming west too. A light bulb had turned on in my head over a way to take advantage of this bit of news.


    That was apparently the last thing Orryn had to say to me as Nike huffed out a long breath and then plopped her little sprite butt back on the table she''d been standing on. Beside her, Fila had offered her a sip from his tiny cup of water.


    \"I know you just got back, Fila, but are you up for another mission?\"


    Fila nodded happily.


    I gave him instructions about what to say and who to say it to, and then I sent him off with a smile growing on my face.


    Garm, you''re about to get more company than you expected, I thought.


    \"The evil mastermind face doesn''t suit you, Dean,\" Luca said.


    He''d just walked into the tent with Aura right behind him.


    \"You guys done with your inspections?\" I asked.


    \"My guys are always ready,\" Luca boasted.


    \"Glad to hear it,\" I said right before my gaze fell on Aura who''d just removed her mask from her face. \"Um,\" My tongue gets tied at the worst times. \"You okay?\"


    Aura was hesitant to respond at first, but eventually, after she''d dropped her mask on the table and allowed Nike to shake her finger, Aura turned to me and said, \"I saw your face when I talked about Ty¡­ and I want you to know that I didn''t¡ª\"


    \"¡ªWhen we find Ty, that choice will be up to him,\" I said firmly. \"If this chosen one business does pan out and he really has the power to help you, I won''t interfere¡­ I''ve said this a dozen times already, but I''m in it to win it too.\"


    \"But?\" Luca prompted knowingly.


    I sighed. \"Ty is like a brother to me. It''s hard enough that my actual brother is in danger, so if we do recruit him after we save him then I''d like for him to be in less danger than the three of us are always in.\"


    \"That''ll be impossible if he joins the Foolhardies,\" Luca said wryly.


    I sighed even more heavily this time. \"Probably true¡­\"


    Both of us noticed that Aura hadn''t said a word. We turned to face her and saw that her sheepish look hadn''t abated.


    \"There''s more?\" I asked, feeling sudden dread creep up my back.


    Another few seconds of hesitation, and then, \"It''s about Arah¡­\"


    \"What about Arah?\" my eyebrow was raised now. \"She can''t be another chosen one, right? There can''t be that many of them.\"


    This time, Aura did crack a smile, although it was fleeting.


    \"The last time I saw her when we''d gone shopping, I''d given her the means to contact me,\" Aura said hesitantly.


    \"You gave her a sprite orb?\" I asked surprised.


    Aura nodded. Her eyes wouldn''t meet mine. \"Just for emergencies.\"


    \"Which this is,\" Luca agreed.


    \"Shut up, Luca,\" I rounded on him before I turned my gaze on Aura. \"She contacted you, I guess. What did she want?\"


    This time, Aura''s eyes met mine, and for the first time, there was defiance in them. It had been a while since we hadn''t seen eye to eye.


    \"She asked to meet,\" Aura answered. \"And I said yes.\"


    That was the very worst thing she could tell me. It was basically Betty and Veronica meeting over something Archie did, and that never ended well, something I was about to find out for myself.

 123 Barbarians at the Gate

    Aura had dropped that bomb on me just before sunrise which meant there was no time for me to convince her not to do anything crazy like invite Arah over to the Fayne. Not that it was what Aura was planning to do but I didn''t want to take any chances.


    Sadly, dawn''s light peeked through the curtains just as I was pleading with her not to meet Arah later, and I found myself whisked back to Mudgard with my argument stuck in my throat.


    Back on this side of the world, I''d resolved to convince Arah not to even consider anything remotely like journeying to the Fayne to help with the search for Ty. We had it covered. In fact, we''d already kind of found out where they were keeping him.


    But Arah was ghosting me, ignoring my calls, seen-zoning my texts, and just disappearing on me for the entire day. She even cut classes so we wouldn''t run into each other in school, and for Arah, that was beyond extreme.


    Short of camping out at the Elfwood Circle Stones and waiting for Aura to arrive¡ªwhich incidentally was my last resort¡ªI didn''t know what else I could do as even that plan was flawed.


    It was that stupid sprite orb, a fairy tool that mimicked the abilities of a sprite, allowing messages to be sent back and forth between two people through vast distances. Essentially, it was the Fayne''s answer to Mudgard''s telephone.


    This meant the pair of them could have set a rendezvous somewhere out of my reach.


    Sunset eventually arrived while my anxiety levels were at their peak. I''d just gotten home from school, intending to stay awake for the night, a fact that was apparently impossible without permission from your contractor which I obviously wasn''t getting.


    So it was with a very heavy heart that I gave in to sleep after barely ten minutes of enduring the Fayne''s lullaby wondering if I was about to get another headache.


    I landed in the Fayne moments later, exchanging the scenery of my living room for the wagon they kept my anchor in.


    With hurried steps I rushed to the back of the wagon and jumped out of it, wondering if I had enough time to stop Aura on this side. But then my feet landed on a patch of green grass that was different from the craggy earth I''d been in only last night, and I just knew it was too late.


    The Foolhardies soldiers behind the wagon were standing at attention, although some of them looked at me with surprise as if these fairies weren''t used to viseres dropping in suddenly.


    \"Where''s Luca?\" I asked the nearest soldier to me, a pixie I recognized as one of Qwipps'' Talons.


    The pixie pointed forward and past the wagon I just jumped out of.


    \"Thanks,\" I said, before bolting for the other side of the wagon, screaming, \"Out of my way!\"


    My pace slowed, and by the time I''d squeezed my way to the front, I was moving at a crawl while my eyes took in the imposingly high walls whose battlements must have been nearly thirty feet up.


    \"Hey, there''s our fearless leader right now,\" I heard Qwipps say off to my right.


    I glanced toward the sound of his voice and saw him standing at the front of our soldiers alongside Luca, Ashley, and Edo. Predictably, Aura was nowhere in sight.


    Opposite the trio was a small group of soldiers I didn''t recognize, although all of them sported the same midnight blue cloaks that Darah''s knights liked to wear. It was only the symbol of their tabard that was different. It was a red, upward-facing, double-bladed scimitar a bit like Darth Maul''s famous lightsaber but with a ring surrounding it.


    \"Shit,\" I whispered while thinking in my head that I just couldn''t catch a break.


    I walked over to the group while forcing myself to remain calm at the sight of this new complication.


    \"Greetings, knights of Great General Garm,\" I said, feigning cheerfulness.


    None of them responded. They all just looked at me like I was some kind of bug they wanted very badly to smash into pulp. The fact that they were all way taller than me and that most of them had curved horns sprouting at the sides of their foreheads made that image extra intimidating.


    Still, I held my ground and kept walking until I was finally between my guys and these surly satyrs because that''s what they were, freaking satyrs.


    The leader, a bearded dark-skinned satyr with horns that curved twice as much as his fellows glared down at me with emerald eyes.


    \"State your business, boy,\" he snarled.


    \"We already did state our business,\" Luca answered back.


    He turned his glare on Luca.


    \"Slaves don''t speak unless spoken to,\" he said with as much contempt as he could in such a short sentence.


    Luca''s hand twitched. Beside him, Edo''s shoulders tightened. Even Qwipps looked like he was raring to go, which to me was the surest sign that these gate guardians had been very difficult.


    I raised a calming hand toward my guys right before I turned to face this arrogant satyr and stepped right into his hit zone looking like I wasn''t the least bit threatened by him and his creepy horns.


    To be brutally honest, once I''d gotten over the initial shock of their appearance, I really wasn''t in the least bit frightened of these satyrs. As horned fairies go, Edo was five times as intimidating and Azuma behind me was maybe ten times that.


    Plus, I was already in a bad mood because of what was likely happening in Mudgard at this very moment. Now was not the time to mess with me, dude.


    \"Listen here,\" and I pointed to the shiny bronze commander''s badge on my chest, a five-pointed star with two bronze wings rising up from behind it in a circular pattern, the symbol of a five-hundred man commander. \"I''m here to pay my respects to Great General Garm, One-Hundred Man Commander.\"


    I noticed that his own badge, a bronze star without the wings, labeled him as my subordinate, and I decided to stress this fact.


    After finally seeing the badge on my chest, this arrogant satyr visibly deflated. There was a second of panic appearing in his eyes, then in a respectful tone he hadn''t shown previously, he said, \"Greetings, Five-Hundred Man Commander¡­ my men and I would be, glad, to take you to our liege.\"


    I''d never used my status to show off before. It was kind of a nice feeling.


    \"However,\" the satyr continued, \"I cannot let you go before my master so armed.\"


    As he said this, the satyr commander gazed out at the nearly four hundred soldiers standing at attention as if we were barbarians about to storm his gate.


    What he wasn''t aware of was by Foolhardies standards, standing at attention for this long without a single fairy or visere breaking ranks or being overly loud was as rare as a blue moon back on Mudgard.


    I glanced back at my soldiers, and then with a wink to my little brother, I turned to face the satyr once more.


    \"Alright,\" I''ll leave my soldiers just outside the city gates, but me and my officers,\" I made a show of counting with my fingers, \"and about twenty of my guards are coming in.\"


    I didn''t wait for the satyr to agree. I simply turned around and issued my orders to Luca.


    ''Tell Azuma and twenty of his viseres to join us, and have Xanthor come upfront so he can lead the men while we''re away. Sargeant Pike will assist him\" I ordered.


    Luca, after grinning at the mention of his not-girlfriend, saluted me in that Fayne military way and then trotted off to relay my commands.


    \"The rest of us?\" Edo asked.


    \"You''re all with me,\" I said.


    \"Wait¡­ even me?\" Qwipps asked surprised.


    \"You''re one of my best warriors, Qwipps,\" I said, stroking his ego, a tactic that worked very well with Qwipps Daggerby.


    It wasn''t a lie though. He was one of my best killers. But my choice was also a calculated one.


    Me, Ashley, Luca, Azuma and twenty other humans meeting a fairy who was notoriously biased against our kind was my way of showing off that I wasn''t the least bit afraid of Darah''s rival. It also helped that Azuma had a reputation even here in the west. Having him as my subordinate really made me look good.


    As for Edo, well, he was just so intimidating. It was always a card I liked having around. Qwipps was around to be his annoying self. His participation in the proceedings might help to keep Garm off his footing.


    Once all my selected soldiers had been assembled and I''d given the reins figuratively to my centaur lieutenant, only then did I turn around to face the satyr who looked like he was desperately holding back the irritation from his face.


    For the first time that night, I was glad Aura wasn''t around. Her being here might have made things worse regardless of who outranked who. It was one small mercy that she wasn''t going to be placed in danger despite whatever it was she was talking about with Arah.


    I sighed and tried my best not to think about it. Luckily, the satyr was proving to be a good target for venting my frustrations on.


    \"Alright, One-Hundred Man Commander,\" I said in a way that would have made Thom proud. \"Let''s go meet your master.\"

 124 Broken City

    As we crossed into the now open portcullis, I found myself staring up at a city whose grandeur was nothing like that of Sh?rleden or Broken Sellsword''s Canyon, although it definitely held its own beauty.


    The streets were paved blocks of sandstone. So were the walls and houses around them. The greens which were so common in Sh?rleden were sparse, a potted plant here and there or a lone tree cropping up from the stonework was all I could see.


    What caught my attention, however, was the myriad of colorful tapestries and banners that could be seen from nearly every angle of the street we''d just walked into.


    I assumed it was a bazaar of some sort. The hawkers and merchants chanting out prices of their products were sort of a dead giveaway, although many of these fairies gave us a wide berth. Possibly this was due to the surly faces of our guides. As if the horns sprouting out of their foreheads didn''t make them look evil enough.


    But no sooner had we left one bazaar, our guides taking us through a side street with narrow steps down and then up and then left and then, well, next thing you know, we''d found ourselves in an even bigger marketplace where even street performers, many of whom looked like the jesters and harlequins of old Europe, entertained the throng of shoppers with their silly performances.


    It was quite a sight. In fact, Luca and I had walked over to the edge of a gathered crowd. Toward its front, a miniature theater had been set up for the sprite performers on the tiny stage.


    \"What do you think it''s about?\" Luca asked.


    We would find out soon enough as the play had started.


    Apparently, it was a tragedy, like Shakespeare''s Macbeth, only, with its own fairy twist.


    The lead sprite, a rather big one for his kind, played Garm. He was discussing palace etiquette with the sprite whose harshly painted face reminded me of Kabuki theater. I think it was their way of pointing out he was the bad guy and Garm, who had pristine white teeth, was the good guy. Of course, this evil sprite was Garm''s nephew, Auranos, and the vixen looking sprite beside him, the one with the fishnet stockings and the black dress, apparently that was Aura.


    I glanced behind me to the satyr commander escorting us to Garm. He''d simply gazed back at me with a shrug.


    \"We allow our performers to exercise artistic license, to interpret history the way they see it,\" the satyr said.


    I rolled my eyes at him before turning back to the stage and nudging Luca with my elbow.


    \"More like propaganda,\" I whispered.


    Luca nodded. \"Definitely.\"


    We continued watching the street play, which, in the entire fifteen minutes of the first act, portrayed my friend, Aura, as a harlot who craved power over anything else. Her brother was no less evil, plotting behind their uncle''s back and seeking to steal the Patriarch''s seat from his rightful ass.


    Fake Aura handed fake Auranos a sharp sprite-sized knife. He looked down at it with a wicked gleam in his eye.


    \"This is just wrong, just wrong¡­\" Luca''s fists had tightened into knuckles. \"Good thing Aura isn''t here¡­\"


    \"Yeah, Good thing¡­\" I said, remembering the reason for Aura''s disappearance. It was the other big headache of my night. \"Come on¡­ I''ve seen enough.\"


    We turned around and walked away with Luca and Ashley needing to pull and prod Edo away from the play. I couldn''t fault the murderous vibes he was giving off after seeing his charge defamed like that.


    The Jester''s Court was true to its name, filled with all sorts of attractions and shops hawking wares from all over the central region. The packed streets turned into dead-end corners, widened and narrowed suddenly, or went up or down uneven steps with seemingly no rhyme or reason to them. It was like a giant maze, and I was certain it was meant to be this way to keep intruders out or, even more likely, in.


    But one thing that struck me more than the colorful sights and sounds were the deadpan faces of its citizens. Even a smile was quickly replaced by a seemingly melancholic mood that spread out from the gathered crowd. More than looking dejected, the citizens of Jester''s Court seemed broken somehow.


    Eventually, our guides led us to a final wide stone street that led straight to the massive fortress that loomed over the city.


    Surrounded by thick walls whose battlements were taller than the city gates, half a dozen pointy towers rose up to meet the night sky like spears defiantly aimed at whatever heavenly prank had been played on its owner. The portcullis beyond was the same type as the entrance to the city, but the bars were thicker.


    \"Place giving off a creepy vibe to you?\" I asked Luca.


    \"Yup¡­ thought it was just me,\" he responded almost immediately. \"It''s kind of like how I imagine Dracula''s castle to look.\"


    \"You know¡­\" I elbowed my brother''s arm. \"I didn''t need that image¡­\"


    The keep even had a moat, and upon inspecting said mote after we ''d crossed its wooden bridge, I saw that the water below was filled with scaly creatures whose names I did not know. But they definitely seemed like they were at least relatives to alligators, the oversized kind.


    We crossed into the keep''s courtyard, an expansive space that was roughly the size of a basketball court. Training implements littered the yard, from straw dolls to racks and racks of weapons. Past the courtyard, massive steps led up to two thick wooden double doors.


    The doors were ajar, filtering out the light from the entry hall beyond. However, there was no need for us to go to them as my quarry was sitting on a wooden seat twenty yards away while observing his soldiers as they performed training drills with a sword.


    The man, for he looked more like a man than any fairy I''d ever encountered, was massive. Muscular arms bulged underneath a sweaty shirt. A thick neck supported a square-jawed face that wouldn''t have looked out of place in a Superhero movie. His golden hair, the same color as Aura''s, was parted neatly to the side. He was no Edo, but he was definitely in his category when it came to the imposing-stature-vibe.


    Yes, he looked very human. In fact, the only part of him that distinguished him as a fairy were the long, pointed ears on the side of his head.


    \"Azuma,\" I whispered. \"Time for a show of force.\"


    At my command, Azuma yelled, \"Form ranks.\"


    His soldiers, all of whom were former visere elites of the Magesong clan, diligently followed their squad leader''s command, spreading out behind us in two neat rows of ten, their bronze armors impeccably shiny underneath Idunn''s light.


    \"Forgive the interruption, master,\" the satyr commander said in what was unmistakably a quaking voice. \"But this five¡ª\"


    I stepped forward and saluted Garm. \"Five-Hundred Man Commander, Dean Dapper, here to greet Great General Garm of the Trickster Pavillion''s Four Generals.\"


    Garm''s ears pricked when he heard my name. He turned to face me, his deep blue eyes searching my face.


    He raised a massive hand, and immediately afterward, his soldiers dropped their training stances and formed ranks behind him as if in mimicry of my own troops. Only, there were many more of them on his side.


    Garm rose to his feet, his tree-trunk legs bulging underneath thin trousers, and made his way to me. In his right hand, he hefted a great sword that would have made Luca''s weapon seem tiny in comparison.


    When he was within striking distance of me, Garm lifted his sword and planted its pointy end deep into the ground. Then he placed both hands on the pommel of his sword and showed off a rather relaxed stance that reminded me of Azuma when he was baiting me.


    Garm''s eyes trailed the length of my party. He frowned at seeing Luca, grunted when he saw my shieldmaiden companion, smiled when he saw Edo, and then narrowed his eyes at the sight of Azuma.


    \"Such an interesting party the Patriarch has sent me,\" he said in a voice that was all gruff with no warmth. \"Has he finally decided to come for my head, Edo?\"


    Garm''s address of Edo was a proverbial slap in my face. It meant he hadn''t recognized me as worthy of speaking to.


    \"No, Great General,\" Edo said, shaking his head. He pointed a hand at me, deferring to me as he should have. \"We have traveled a great distance so that my Commander could speak with you.\"


    Garm spared me another look of contempt. The guy already didn''t like me and I hadn''t even opened my mouth yet. Still, I wasn''t about to be intimidated by this muscle head. Not with Ty''s life hanging in the balance.


    \"I''m here to ask you if the Foolhardies could¡ª\"


    \"¡ªDenied,\" Garm cut me off quickly.


    \"But, you haven''t even¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI don''t need to hear it. I refuse to help Aurana''s pet,\" he said, grinning mischievously back at me. \"Go back to your tiny tower, boy¡­ You''re not strong enough to play in this arena.\"

 125 Duel

    Of all the idiotic things to say to me¡ªwho cared about some macho-man drivel like that when I was trying to save my friends?


    I narrowed my eyes at the muscle-bound idiot in front of me, determined not to let him push me around. I''d had enough of that, really.


    \"I''d like you to hear me out, sir,\" I said, feigning calm despite the simmering annoyance I felt inside. \"My unit needs¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI don''t care what your unit needs¡­ You''re an eyesore. Go away now, boy,\" he replied in a tone that said this conversation had just ended.


    I''d faced off against great generals before. Darah, in particular trained me on almost nightly basis when I was still living under her roof, a routine she''d passed on to Azuma who had a fighting spirit to match hers, so I wasn''t the least bit afraid by this half-elf who was disrespecting me out of spite for his relations.


    \"Will you please listen to me!\" I said, raising my voice.


    It got the reaction I''d hoped for.


    Garm narrowed his eyes at me, the kind of narrowing that would have once caused me to take steps back. Behind him, his soldiers had suddenly shifted formation, stepping closer toward us with their training weapons at the ready.


    In hindsight, I might have gotten more than I''d bargained for, but there was no use backing down now. I''d faced men like Garm before. Strength could only respect strength, not that I had much of that.


    I stood my ground and didn''t flinch as he glared back at me.


    \"Well?\" Garm asked after a minute of glaring had passed. \"You asked to speak, now speak.\"


    I breathed in a sigh of relief before saying, \"I would like your permission to allow the Foolhardies to cross past your blockade and into the Westersand Desert so¡ª\"


    \"¡ªDenied,\" he interrupted again.


    I expected this type of pushback once I''d mentioned the desert so I was at least prepared to bargain, but not even getting to that point was frustrating beyond reason.


    \"You haven''t heard my reasons¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI don''t need to hear your silly reasons for wanting to break the fragile peace we''ve manage to create in this region by crossing over into enemy territory and getting yourself killed,\" he explained. \"What would my poor niece say if let her pet die?\"


    \"I''m not going to die!\" I fired back.


    \"Oh, really?\" There was a spark of interest in Garm''s eyes now, the kind a lion has when its prey tries to fight back. \"How about we test this vaunted strength I''ve been hearing a lot about recently.\"


    Garm hefted his broadsword over his shoulder. Then he turned around and walked away from me, stopping only after he''d made ten long strides. Then he turned me face me again.


    \"You''re surrounded by warriors,\" he said, glancing once more to my companions, ending with Azuma. \"Surely they follow you because of this strength of yours?\"


    \"I''ve definitely gotten stronger since I first came to the Fayne,\" I said, admitting something out loud that I''d only been considering in my head for so long.


    All my near-death fights with all those opponents who''d tried to take my life had certainly helped to make me feel more confident in my abilities.


    \"A test of strength then¡­\" Garm said, grinning. \"If you survive my attack, then I may consider listening further to your request.\"


    \"Dean¡ª\"


    \"Dean¡ª\"


    Both Edo and Luca called for me, but I raised my hand for quiet. It wouldn''t do to show hesitation now.


    \"Just to be clear¡­ you''re going to attack me and if I successfully block or endure it then you''ll seriously consider my request?\" I clarified.


    Garm nodded. \"I am a fairy my word.\"


    \"Alright, Great General Garm,\" I said, reaching down for my falchion. \"Let the bullying commence.\"


    I pulled my falchion from its sheath, and the shadowblade sprang forth, emanating its unique blue glow.


    Garm raised an eyebrow at my sword.


    \"Interesting weapon you have there, boy.\" Garm raised his greatsword forward with a single hand, showing off a strength that could rival Edo''s, maybe even Darah. \"I think I''ll keep it after I cut off your arm.\"


    \"Yeah-yeah,\" I said, before glancing back at my friends. \"You guys step back. This might get a little dangerous.\"


    Azuma, being the teacher he was, spared me a verbal lesson before he joined the others in stepping back.


    \"I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times,\" he quoted.


    \"Bruce Lee?\" I guessed. \"Thanks¡­ not that I get it.\"


    He placed a hand on my shoulder.


    \"You''ve been training very hard these past few weeks on learning a single thing. You may only be able to use it for a moment but that''s all you''ll need,\" Azuma explained. \"Watch for that moment, and when it comes, show him how you''ve grown, Dean.\"


    \"That really does help, you know,\" I said, smiling back at him. \"Get going. I got this.\"


    When Azuma had finally left my side, Garm asked, \"Are you done with your pep talk?\"


    I nodded. \"Let''s do this already.\"


    The honest truth, I was certain Garm was more powerful than me by several degrees. That was no question. But if it was just a matter of stopping a single strike, well, I had a reason to be relatively confident, right?


    Garm''s soldiers moved together to form a loose square around us, leaving my back to my own comrades.


    \"Good, time to see what all the fuss is about.\" With that final word, Garm unleashed his killing intent, and it was like running headfirst into a brick wall, huge and indestructible.


    I endured it by the skin of my teeth, although the warning bells were screaming inside my head. My feet dug into the ground, I gritted my teeth, and then I too let out a killing intent that I''d been honing in training for a while now.


    While Garm''s own force was an unbreakable wall, the intent I''d envisioned was that of a single blade, like a knife in the dark, thrusting forward for maximum penetration.


    Believe it or not, I saw the great general''s flinch in surprise, which was liberating to see considering he''d already caused sweat to pour down my brow just by his intent.


    Then, with zero warning, Garm pushed forward, his blade folding back above his head in what was likely to become a downward slash filled with all the power a single arm of his could make.


    There were seconds between us¡ªseconds for me to make use of the hint Azuma had given me.


    Alone, I didn''t have enough raw power to block such an attack, but with a little help from the spirits, I just might be able to endure it.


    \"Spirits, give me strength!\" I roared.


    Not exactly the poetic mantra I''d first envisioned, but it did the trick as the intention was clear in those four words. Also, I''d pretty much remembered the feeling already, that pull in your gut as something otherworldly brushed your cheek.


    Electricity crackled at the edge of my shadowblade, a bluish light that exploded outward and rotated along with the edge, giving a clear visual of the falchion''s oscillation.


    Not a moment too soon as Garm had stepped into range. His greatsword came swinging down.


    With both hands, I raised my sword in an upward slash because I didn''t think blocking it would have been enough. I needed to meet his shadowblade with my own momentum.


    Our shadowblades collided in midair. There was a boom. Then the pressure from our forceful collision spread outward, bringing with it a numbing electrical pain that had no doubt come from the spirits dispersing from my falchion.


    I whispered thanks to them even as my arms felt numb. That single attack took all I had.


    I glanced up and saw that Garm''s greatsword had been blown back. His face was livid. I doubt he''d expected such a riposte from me.


    \"Too bad, boy,\" Garm hissed. \"I never said it would be just a single strike.\"


    Garm''s sword slowly began its descent.


    I tried to lift my arms to block but they were numb from the shock of Garm''s previous attack. They were practically useless now.


    Shit, I''d miscalculated. The dishonest bastard had no intention of honoring my request. While these frustrated thoughts floated to the surface of my mind, Garm''s shadowblade inched toward me in unbearable slowness. It was like I''d been given time to reflect as death charged down at me.


    \"Dean!\" I heard Luca yell.


    I heard the drawing of weapons.


    They would not make it in time.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, a war hammer cut through the space between me and Garm, forcing the great general to pull away.


    Then, as if by magic, the flying hammer zoomed back the way it came, right into the hands of the dwarf who''d tossed it.


    Both Garm and I gazed at the dwarf with opposite feelings. If Garm''s was annoyance, then mine was definitely one of relief. I honestly hadn''t expected him to arrive in time.


    \"That''ll do, Garm. You''ve scared the boy right and proper.\" Great General Grimthorn stroked his braided black beard like a villain in a cartoon show. \"I''m here with orders from the Patriarch to assist you in the west.\"

 126 Mission Impossible

    Having two great generals in the same spot in a situation just waiting for a match to be lit was potentially explosive, but strangely enough, Garm actually backed down. He didn''t even hesitate when he turned his back to me and walked away.


    Garm was already by the steps leading up to his fortress when he glanced back at me and said, \"By the way, you failed so your request is denied.\"


    \"Wh-what?!\" I asked flabbergasted. That was clearly not the case. \"I blocked your attack!\"


    \"You blocked one attack,\" he said, turning back around and climbing up the steps while his forces gave way to let him through. \"Not enough to satisfy me.\"


    \"You said to block your attack, as in singular!\" I countered, taking a step forward.


    \"Go back to your tower, boy, you''re not welcome here,\" he said, still climbing up the steps.


    \"And what about me?\" Grimthorn''s booming voice echoed across the courtyard. \"Surely, you won''t deny me a sip of your vaunted wine casks?\"


    \"I don''t have any hospitality to give you either, Brom,\" Garm answered. He''d reached his doors, but before he went through it he said, \"Go back to central and tell my nephew all is well. Garm has no need for babysitters.\"


    Garm shut the door behind him in a loud thud, signaling the audience was over. His soldiers, following their master''s lead began to return to their training, while the few that hung around us were clearly in a rush to get us off the premises.


    It must have sucked for them that they couldn''t do that as Grimthorn had just patted me in the shoulder and praised me for the earlier duel.


    \"I saw the moment you took his blow, lad,\" Grimthorn said, punching my shoulder heavily as he did and causing me to get pushed sideways a step. \"That was quite the skill you''ve shown¡­ gave old Garm a second guess at what to expect.\"


    Grimthorn glanced over at my companions and gave them an approving nod.


    \"Well, if you''re traveling with this bunch, I expect the praise I''ve been hearing about you isn''t underserved,\" he guffawed, not at all caring that the satyr commander and his fellows were eyeing us with that look waiters give guests who''ve overstayed their welcome.


    Grimthorn reached up and tackled my shoulder with one of his stout arms and then squeezed my head down toward him.


    \"Follow my lead, lad,\" he whispered. \"Best we get out of here before Garm decides he has more men than either of us brought.\"


    Grimthorn led me away in that awkward position¡ªmore like dragged me away¡ªwhile waving off our satyr guides with a single raising of his bushy eyebrow.


    \"We''ll find our way fine, thanks,\" Grimthorn said.


    Without stopping, he led me past the portcullis and out onto the drawbridge where we were met by what must have been a hundred dwarven warriors.


    \"See that, lad,\" he whispered. \"That''s what it looks like when you''re regarded as a living symbol of the state''s martial prowess. I hear you want to be one someday?\"


    Even with my five hundred soldiers, I couldn''t bring out that level of authority that Grimthorn nonchalantly threw my way. You could tell that all his soldiers were devoted to fighting for this single dwarf to their very last breath.


    \"You''ll have some competition, I think,\" he said, pointing toward the young dwarf officer waiting in front of his troops. \"This is Dain Hammerhand, my recently promoted five-hundred man commander.\"


    Dain Hammerhand was a name I''d heard before, back when Al Sheridan and Verania Folkor had visited Hoodwink Tower. It was the name of another one of my would-be rivals.


    The dwarf in question was stout like all other male dwarves, but looked younger than the ones I was used to seeing, with curly red hair even brighter than mine and a matching braided beard that reached past his chest. He wore a dwarven chain mail shirt like Varda did and resting in his hand was a double-sided ax with a strange red glow to its shadowblade edge.


    \"Lead the way, Dain lad,\" Grimthorn ordered as he finally released me from his lock. \"Let''s get out of this spirit-forsaken city before we discuss business.\"


    He turned his gaze briefly back at me and winked. \"I brought a friendly she-elf along, fresh from her travels abroad.\"


    \"Is she¡­ alone?\" I asked.


    \"Not likely. I left her with an army, laddie,\" he said jovially.


    The first time I saw Great General Grimthorn was during the council meeting where all the generals seemed to be posturing and measuring each other''s, well, swords. So I wasn''t completely prepared to meet this laughing less tense version of the dwarf who''d stared Darah down a few times.


    I glanced over at Luca and the rest who''d followed behind us and saw my brother shrug back at me as if to say, \"At least we''re getting out of this place and not imprisoned in some dark dungeon.\"


    Of course, I shrugged back at him. And although I was seriously disappointed about not accomplishing what I came here for, even though I knew it was a longshot, I counted my lucky stars that Garm really hadn''t held me and my friends captive.


    With Garm''s soldiers marching ahead of us and clearing the main streets of bystanders, we managed to quickly make it out of the city in double the time it took going in.


    Outside, we were greeted by my Foolhardies which had been surrounded by what must have been about five thousand of Garm''s personal soldiers. A mostly dwarven regiment bolstered by trolls, salamanders, and cat-like creatures I''d never encountered before.


    I managed to spare them a passing glance, the strategist in me keeping check on my surroundings, while my eyes searched for her. There, she was sitting on Starlight at the front of our soldiers, and there was no human girl at her side.


    I sighed in relief. Finally, one thing went well tonight. I hoped.


    Grimthorn and I made our way toward Aura, and when we were within shouting distance of each other, we both spoke at the same time.


    \"I couldn''t get Garm to give his permission,\" I said.


    \"I managed to convince Arah not to go to the Fayne for now,\" she said.


    We both blinked. Then we both rolled our eyes at each other.


    \"Perhaps these are conversations to be had in less open circumstances, my lady,\" Grimthorn said, rolling his own eyes at the pair of us. \"Kids these days¡­ follow me and bring your officers.\"


    Grimthorn led me, Aura, and the rest of my officers further into the lines of his forces and to a pitched pavilion at the very center of his formation. He ushered us all inside, packing us in with his own officers, and after he''d shut the opening flap turned to face all of us and said, \"Well, aren''t you lot lucky I happened to pass by, otherwise you''d all be prisoners of Garm''s by now.\"


    Grimthorn''s sudden change from friendly uncle to the dour old dwarf was unexpected, but at least I''d seen this before.


    I raised a hand and pointed out, \"I called you here, sir.\"


    \"I was already on my way here, lad,\" he countered. \"Good that I was, too, or I wouldn''t have seen our lady here,\" he pointed at Aura, \"charging through the Westmarch on her own without a guard in sight!\"


    After he''d said this, he glared at Edo whose job it was to be watching over her.


    \"It''s not their fault, Great General¡­ I simply finished my errand ahead of schedule,\" Aura reasoned before turning to me, \" And I rushed ahead here without waiting for my escort to join me so I could report that my mission was a success.\"


    \"Your mission?\" I asked at the same time as Grimthorn said, \"What mission?\"


    \"I''d traveled to Mudgard earlier this night to speak with an informant who pledged to assist our investigation over there.\"


    She''d emphasized those last two words for my benefit which was most likely her code for Arah wasn''t coming to the Fayne, at least for now.


    Grimthorn eyed me and Aura like he knew there was something we weren''t telling him. But he decided to change tact and demanded to know why I was even dueling Garm in the first place.


    \"I needed his permission to cross the blockade into Westersand Desert and he wouldn''t listen until I agreed to his duel,\" I explained.


    \"You dueled my uncle?\" Aura asked.


    \"He won too,\" Luca added.


    \"Didn''t matter as Garm wasn''t planning to honor the bargain,\" I whined.


    \"What did you expect?\" Grimthorn raised an eyebrow. \"Crossing the blockade might as well be an act of war on our side. Seeing as you lot just survived one war, I didn''t think you''d be so eager to start another.\"


    \"It''s not like that, sir,\" I said. \"Our intel on a slave caravan we''re chasing points toward the city to the west of Westersand Desert.\"


    \"I''ve heard about this quest you''re on¡­\" Grimthorn stroked his beard as the expression on his face hardened. \"These rumors of a ''chosen one'' have made its way even to your brother''s court. And we are all of a mind not to pursue it.\"


    \"But, General¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI''ve heard the boy is your friend, lad,\" Grimthorn said, his hardened expression softening for a moment before hardening again. \"But need I remind you that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?\"


    That was it then. There would be no help from the Pavilion. I gritted my teeth and lowered my head while feeling drained for the first time in a long while.


    \"Officially, the council does not condone this quest,\" Grimthorn continued.


    I raised my head and glanced over at the dwarf whose hardened expression was in danger of cracking.


    \"Your unit will return to its base of operations and await further orders,\" Grimthorn said, his eyebrows twitching. \"I will personally arrive in two weeks to see that you have complied with the council''s instructions.\"


    I glanced over at Luca and wondered if he was thinking what I was thinking. He must have because there were the beginnings of a smile across his face.


    Grimthorn wasn''t giving us permission but he certainly wasn''t stopping us. In fact, he''d given me a clear deadline. Two weeks. That was the time I had to infiltrate the Westersand Desert and rescue my friend.


    \"No resources shall be provided whatsoever to this quest as there is no quest,\" Grimthorn finished, as if anyone there hadn''t realized it already.


    So, no resources and a time limit, meaning very little time left for planning and preparation. This was sounding a lot like a Mission-Impossible scenario. And I think, just to be absolutely sure, it was time for another out-of-body spiritual journey.

 127 Prisoner

    As the Foolhardies increased our pace over the dirt road, I glance behind me one final time for one last glimpse of the unfriendly city we''d just left behind, its towering walls and gates and those spires that reach high into the sky. I also saw the encampment of five thousand warriors under Great General Grimthorn''s command. This far away, I could imagine them as some small army besieging Jester''s Court.


    It was a fitting analogy, I think. Grimthorn had been sent by the council not just to assist Garm but also to keep him in check, possibly until proof was found that he really was in cahoots with the enemy.


    Weirdly enough, I think I already found circumstantial evidence. Not that anyone would believe my previous out-of-body experience or that fact that I''d seen a massive hand grasp at me in my vision, a hand that looked remarkably similar to the one that held that great sword in my last duel. Not that it was enough. Maybe if I could figure out who he was talking to, maybe then I could bring this information to the council. Sadly, I had other concerns to deal with.


    \"You''re not under Darah''s shield anymore, laddie. So keep your wits about you and your blades sharp,\" Grimthorn said to me before we parted.


    With that final reminder, I turned my back on Jester''s Court and led my forces home.


    The journey back to Hoodwink Tower would take us only the better part of two nights as the unit was ordered to march even during the day.


    In that time, I''d sent Fila off to send word to Kallista that our gambit had failed and that we would be needing her help after all. I''d also instructed Fila to introduce Kallista to Shanks. Perhaps the two of them together could help speed us on our way faster.


    On that first night, Aura and I finally got to exchange notes and finally learned why she went to Mudgard to have a chat with Arah.


    Apparently, Arah had contacted her through the sprite orb Aura gave her to ask if she could assist Arah in reaching the Fayne. This stung as it kind of meant Arah didn''t think I could handle finding Ty on my own.


    \"She went so far as to say she would summon a different fairy if I refused to meet her,\" Aura admitted, looking back at me with big doe eyes that made it difficult to feel angry with her. \"So you see, I really had to go.\"


    \"You really went to Mudgard just to convince her not to come here?\" I asked while we rode at the front of our column.


    Aura nodded. \"It warranted a face to face¡­ and I did manage to convince her to trust us. I also promised her we''d find Ty.\"


    \"We will¡­\" I said, looking down. Now I felt bad for accusing Aura of betraying me in my head. \"You could have just said all this to me before you''d gone then I wouldn''t have had to lose my mind over what was happening in your¡­ talk.\"


    I rolled my eyes at her.


    \"Let''s hope you get to keep that promise about finding Ty too¡­\" I glanced sideways at her. \"Speaking of¡­ I''ve got an idea.\"


    \"No one ever likes hearing that when it comes out of your mouth, you know,\" Luca butted in from my other side.


    That brilliant idea of mine was implemented the next night as soon as I''d returned to the Fayne from another day of Arah not talking to me. At least she''d gone back to school and sat next to me in classes. But there was a barrier between us that just wouldn''t go down, at least not until Ty was back.


    Luca, Aura, Donar, and Berrian had all joined me in one of our covered wagons so they could witness my second out-of-body experience first-hand. Donar and Aura would see if the could glean anything from my trip, perhaps information or arcane knowledge. But Berrian was there to make sure I came back.


    Berrian checked my wrist for the third time.


    \"Your pulse is stable, but I''m not sure about this, Commander.\" He said. \"We don''t know what side effects the drug has on you.\"


    He picked up the yellow marble from the leafy packet on the wooden floor and raised it to his eye level.


    \"Idunn''s Tear is a mysterious medical remedy that dates back to the days before the empty throne¡­ Sadly, information on its usage and effects are scarce anywhere outside Potion City,\" Berrian explained.


    \"Potion City,\" I repeated. \"That''s in Soma Tribe''s territory, yeah?\"


    \"Yes, all the way in the southern region,\" Aura answered.


    \"The Hub for all healing arts including pill making,\" Berrian added. \"That''s where I learned my trade.\"


    I asked because I was curious about the place where all sorts of potions were born.


    \"Remind me to ask you to bring me there, Berrian,\" I said while plucking the yellow marble from him. \"And don''t sweat this. I''ve already done it before. Right, Luca?\"


    \"Yup, but you also went poltergeist on me, kicking and screaming and speaking in audible verses before waking up screaming,\" he shrugged. \"So¡­ relatively safe¡­ I think.\"


    \"That''s the spirit,\" I said right before putting the medicine in my mouth and swallowing. \"Now shush, people¡­ have to concentrate.\"


    I had a theory which I''d taken from my first experience. Two things were necessary in order to steer this crazy astral rollercoaster, willpower and a target. A person I was connected to or felt strongly about, which was the case with Garm, plus the willpower not to get distracted by other thoughts, which is probably why I kept jumping around the last time.


    So, like Dorothy clicking on her red shoes, I clicked on the imaginary boots in my brain and activated Fool''s Insight while saying out loud, \"I want to see Ty¡­ I want to see Ty¡­ I want to see¡­\"


    The effect was immediate and I found myself exploding out of my body, my consciousness swirling in a thousand little pieces, each one vying to maintain control.


    Ty, I thought. Take me to Ty.


    It was a thought echoed a thousand times, forcing my will to keep control, steering me in the direction I needed to go. West.


    A thousand glowing lights zoomed past familiar roads and beyond it, to a line of wooden barricades that stretched from north to south, past this blockade to the great desert in the west. Finally, the shattered pieces of my consciousness floated down into a place deep within the desert, to a city hewn to life from the massive cavern underneath a dry oasis.


    Ty, I thought again.


    My consciousness stitched itself back together above a stately house whose courtyard overlooked a very deep chasm. In this courtyard, dark-furred creatures with long snouts were messing around with a human teenager about the size and height of my friend.


    I pushed myself to travel down and as close as I could get.


    No, it was definitely Ty. It wasn''t just the buzz-cut but the same goofy face I''d stared at since we were kids.


    \"I-I can''t do it¡­\" Ty whispered in a voice that was about to crack.


    \"Hooman is weak¡­\" one of the Doberman pincher type kobolds said as it bared its fangs on Ty.


    Yeah, they were kobolds alright, but a different kind from Thor''s breed.


    \"But hooman is chosen,\" a second kobold continued.


    \"So hooman must learn to be strong,\" a third kobold added. \"They must see that you can do it.\"


    \"Th-they?\" Ty glanced up at the kobolds looking down at him. \"Wh-who''re they?\"


    Without prompting, the first kobold lashed out at Ty and kicked him in the shoulder with one of its monstrous feet.


    Ty crashed onto the dirt, kicking up dust as he fell.


    He coughed. Then coughed some more. \"Please¡­ I really can''t.\"


    The second kobold threw a bucket''s worth of water on him.


    \"The water is on your skin now. It''s in your clothes. It''s in your hair. You can wield it better now,\" the second kobold barked in an accent that was like the natives from those old Pirates of the Caribbean movies.


    The third kobold struck Ty too, kicking him right in the gut.


    Ty coughed again.


    I screamed, \"Stop hurting him!\"


    No one heard me. At least, I thought no one heard me, but at the sound of my voice, Ty actually raised his head in my direction.


    He didn''t say it out loud. It was a whisper that only I could hear. \"D-dean?\"


    \"Ty!\" I yelled. \"It''s me, man!\"


    \"D-dean¡­ help me,\" Ty cried.


    \"Who is this Dean?\" the first kobold asked, raising its eyes to the same spot Ty was looking at.


    Thankfully, it couldn''t see me.


    It turned its attention on Ty again and said, \"Perhaps we have hit you too much and your weak hooman mind cannot take the pain.\"


    Despite saying that, it hit Ty again.


    \"Perhaps you need a further lesson in pain,\" the second one added.


    And he joined the first in kicking the hell out of Ty.


    \"St-stop it!\" I yelled, the anger flowing through me.


    But no one heard me except Ty who screamed my name again and again while all three kobolds kicked at him. \"Dean, save me!\"


    \"We''re coming, man! We''re coming!\" I yelled.


    \"No one will save you but yourself, hooman,\" the third kobold said. \"Show us you are truly chosen.\"


    \"Show us,\" the other two repeated like a chant they timed with each kick.


    I couldn''t bear to watch what was happening to Ty, but watching was all I could do for not my voice was reaching him now.


    \"St-stop!\" Ty said again and again until finally, he screamed in a voice filled with something I''d only heard come out from Aura when she''d summoned a djinn. \"Stop it!\"


    An explosion of icicles erupted out of Ty, born from the parts of him that had been blasted earlier by water. It spread out in a circle around him like an icy barricade.


    But none of the kobolds were hit as they''d jumped away in time.


    \"Holy shit¡­\" I whispered. \"Ty, you are a chosen one¡­\"


    The last thing I saw before the dream vanished was Ty looking up at the icy spikes jutting out of his arm and clothes with a bewildered face.


    The last thing I heard was the resounding clap of someone who had been hiding somewhere behind me and out of my line of sight.


    \"Well done, Tyberius. Well done.\"

 128 Be Prepared

    It was a minute to sundown when Arah and I finally reconciled. I told her about finding Ty in my vision and how he was being treated. I left nothing out. It was better that she heard the whole truth.


    \"You''ve got to save him,\" she said while looking down at her feet. \"You know he has such a low pain threshold¡­\"


    \"Yeah, I know,\" I answered in a steady voice. \"I''m going to save him. Then you can go back to scolding both of us when we come home.\"


    At last, she looked up to face me, tears pooling underneath her eyes. Arah wiped them down with the back of her hand and then she said, \"I''ll be waiting¡­ and Dean, tell Aura, thanks for coming to talk me down¡­ I don''t think I''m ready for the Fayne¡­ yet.\"


    \"No one ever is,\" I sighed.


    My return to Hoodwink Tower later that night was met with the sound of clanking steel and cracking stone.


    I gave my greetings to Jensen who''d been waiting for me at the roof and walked over to the edge of the roof''s battlements so I could look down below.


    Scaffoldings covered a large portion of the tower''s surface on the south side while a blue tarp stretched across the western side. Recently hired workers were already hard at work on the defensive walls which I''d designated as a priority. And by the lakeshore, the foundations of a new building were slowly coming into being. On the downward slope east of the tower entrance and close to our troop encampments, four temporary stone dwellings had also been raised for the merchants we''d approved to do business here.


    I grinned while remembering Aura''s words, \"It seems you will build a new Sh?rleden here.\"


    The renovations had well and truly begun thanks to Varda and Zarz''s combined efforts. It was something to be thankful for. The fact that at least one thing was going well.


    \"Gather the officers in the Great Hall, will you, Jensen,\" I instructed. \"It''s time to finish preparations¡­\"


    It had been two nights since my vision of Ty and we were waiting at the tower for the ride Kallista had promised to send. Other than that, it was all about choosing roles for everyone in the team and giving the rest of the unit its final orders.


    My officers gathered around the great wooden table that we''d placed at the top of the dais. It had become our regular spot for most of our planning.


    I''d created a system to managing our business, usually starting with reports on different aspects of the unit, from tower renovations, finances, supplies, training, unit-wellbeing, patrols, and Fayne intel. The mission always came last so everyone could focus.


    As always, Varda began her report on tower renovations first.


    \"Most of the reconstruction is focused on the walls for now. Our newly hired chief mason, Musk Brimborn, has whipped his fellow dwarves into shape rather nicely, Commander. He estimates it''ll take another month to fix the defensive walls,\" she reported.


    \"Nice,\" Luca added. \"I''m tired of feeling defenseless.\"


    \"Or unwanted guests dropping by with their whole units,\" Qwipps added.


    This got him a few table bangs. Not everyone was keen on the recent visits of Al and Verania.


    Aura''s report on our finances came next. It was depressingly short as there wasn''t much to tell. Apparently, the renovations were costing us all the wealth we''d gained from the last war and then some.


    \"We''ll be in the red until the merchants finally move in and we start profiting from them or until another battle breaks out for us to earn some plunder,\" Aura answered.


    \"Doesn''t Fort Darah send us monthly funds? Is that not enough?\" Ashley asked.


    It was a rare thing as the shieldmaiden was rarely curious about anything other than battle, spreading her newfound faith, or training her units. But now she was curious about unit funds and I suspected it had something to do with my promise of donations to her Mother Superior.


    Aura answered Ashley''s question with a shake of the head. \"We use that exclusively for unit maintenance. Everything else comes out of our spoils and other earnings.\"


    Aura glanced my way for a second.


    \"I''m kind of hoping the coming quest will earn us some spoils,\" Aura shrugged.


    \"I agree,\" Qwipps said, turning to look at me as well. \"There better be some plunder to share after this mission, Dean.\"


    On that depressing note, we moved on to other business.


    We were doing alright on the supply front. Mostly because of the discounts Kallista had previously given us. As for unit training, well, Edo had some concerns over the assimilation of the kobolds, who, as former thieves, weren''t really fit for formation combat.


    \"Why not just train them the same way as the drow?\" Luca asked.


    What Luca meant was how we mostly used Thom''s unit as scouts, ambushers, or inserts who could deal damage while moving separately from the rest of the unit.


    \"Think you can take them under your wing, Thom?\" I prompted.


    Thom leaned on his chair and waited several seconds before answering, \"It''s not impossible¡­ but are you sure you want to dye them in my colors?\"


    \"As long as they don''t turn out like you too much then I''m fine with it,\" I said.


    I''d gotten used to Thom''s insinuations, and despite them, he''d never once shown an inclination to betray us. So I really was beginning to trust him.


    Unit-wellbeing was a big deal for me as I''d read a lot of books on management. So it was important for me that everyone was getting along or had their heads screwed right. This was, after all, a very stressful business we were in.


    Luckily, Azuma and Edo had nothing to report on this apart from a few drunken brawls which were an almost daily occurrence in this kind of environment.


    Xanthor had nothing new to report on patrols either. It was another stroke of luck that we weren''t getting any new visitors other than new merchants wishing to get set up shop here, at least not in this crucial stage of our preparations to head out.


    The last thing we had to discuss before we could get down to strategy was Fayne news which Aura had compiled from a few nights worth of scrying orbs. There were really only two things of note that were worth mentioning.


    \"Since our unit has focused on rescuing the Chosen One, we''re being outshone in the Westmarch by both the Millenium Hawks and the Moonlight Marauders. They''ve won several small skirmishes against the Dominion,\" Aura reported.


    \"Should we care?\" Ashley asked.


    \"The more achievements a unit racks up the more prestige they earn, translating into favor, spoils, and promotions,\" Aura answered.


    \"Hopefully, this mission gets us enough credit to jump past them,\" I said. \"Anything else, Aura?\"


    \"Actually, there''s one interesting intel I got from Darah you might find interesting,\" she said, pausing for effect before her big reveal. \"Reports have indicated that the Lord of Stars has arrived in the central region¡­\"


    My eyebrows were suddenly in danger of vanishing above my hairline.


    \"The Lord of Stars¡­\" I repeated. \"He''s one of this generation''s Sense Knights, right?\"


    Aura nodded. \"He''s also the only human who wields absolute power in a fairy clan.\"


    There was a whistle from Qwipps.


    \"So¡­ avoid at all costs,\" Luca commented.


    \"Definitely,\" Ashley added.


    \"Unless we''re all suicidal¡­ or you know, foolhardy,\" Varda finished, prompting everyone to look right at me.


    And although most of them seemed to agree that there was no way in hell they were going to let me meet the Lord of Stars, both Edo and Azuma seemed to have a twinkle in their eyes.


    Finally, with all business settled, it was time to talk about more important things. Namely, how we were going to rescue Ty from a place we cannot go to.


    \"Kallista''s smuggler''s should be getting here tonight,\" Aura reported. \"The soldiers who are coming along are ready too.\"


    \"You guys really want to go to enemy territory with just a hundred soldiers?\" Qwipps asked. \"Muddamit¡­ sounds like suicide.\"


    \"You realize that you''re going too, right?\" Ashley reminded him.


    \"Muddamit, Ash¡­ I was trying not to think about that¡­\" Qwipps replied, shaking his head.


    \"Without Garm''s consent, the unit can''t go past the blockade. We''ll have to make do with smaller numbers, which is why we''re bringing the best,\" I explained, buttering up my people as I did.


    I looked over to the map on our table and pointed a finger at the mark I''d placed on it right after I''d had my vision.


    \"The Undercroft, the oasis city beneath the sands,\" Luca read from the map''s elvish script. \"Great¡­ another ominous-sounding deathtrap.\"


    \"Come on, little brother,\" I said, glancing toward him. \"It''s an adventure.\"


    Luca smirked. \"I knew you''d say that¡­ geek.\"


    \"Before these two can get into another round of brotherly brother banter,\" Azuma cut in before we could escalate. \"Are we all in agreement with the plan?\"


    \"I don''t like it,\" Edo growled.


    \"We need you here leading the men, Edo,\" Aura insisted. \"Dean and I believe this is a role only you can fulfill.\"


    \"My first role is to protect you, Aura,\" he countered.


    Aura wrapped an arm on me and Luca sitting on opposite sides of her. \"These boys will protect me. They always have.\"


    \"More like you''ll protect them,\" Edo grumbled, but relented anyway.


    \"So it''ll be me, Edo, and Xanthor holding down the fort,\" Azuma repeated. \"While Dean, Luca, Aura, Ashley, Varda, Qwipps, and Thom will be heading out along with nineteen members from Hazy Moon, eight from Mage Hand, nineteen Talons, nineteen from Shield, nineteen from Ravagers, and ten kobolds.\"


    \"A hundred-and-one members in all,\" I agreed. \"All specialists who excel in close quarters combat, agile maneuvers, and explosive escapes.\"


    \"Ah¡­ so that''s why we''re bringing Donar along,\" Varda noted. Then she turned to me and asked, \"Sure you want me with you? I''m worried about renovations, Commander.\"


    \"Zarz can handle that for now, Varda. I need you on this one,\" I said.


    Varda saluted me like usual. But afterward, she said something that a superstitious mind would have found creepy. \"Still, an operation on the week of Samhain feels rather ominous¡­ don''t you think?\"


    The fairies around the table nodded in agreement, but I wasn''t sure why the Night of Samhain, which to Mudgardians was Halloween, was such a big deal. Sadly, I wasn''t able to ask as, at that moment, the doors to the great hall opened with Zarz appearing on the other side of it, jumping up and down like he''d heard some good news at last.


    \"Your ride''s here, Dean!\" he yelled.


    And you know what? That was good news.

 129 Omen

    \"It''s a good plan¡­ seems like you''re finally starting to think first before you act!\" Darah''s voice came out loud and clear from the mouth of the burly sprite sitting opposite me inside the wagon I''d just appeared in. \"I may be able to get you reinforcements in the area in case you need it but don''t count on my help, Dean.\"


    Darah praising me was a very rare thing so I was pleasantly surprised. But, to be honest, I was even more surprised by the sudden change in the tone of her next sentence. She almost sounded like she cared.


    \"You better come back alive from this latest fiasco¡­ and, Dean, if you''re going to fight against the slave trade then give them hell,\" she instructed. \"Oh, and you can keep Vans in your unit for now. He''s one of my top spies in that area.\"


    \"Yes, ma''am,\" I whispered, more out of habit. Then I spared a glance at the sprite who''d given me the message. \"Why do you look so familiar?\"


    The foot-tall, blonde creature, his golden gossamer wings flapping behind him, bowed his head at me in such a regal way that I remembered where I''d seen him before.


    \"You played Garm in that play I saw back in Jester''s Court,\" I realized.


    Vans raised his head and looked back at me with glittering, amber eyes. Then he patted his own chest with one of his tiny hands. \"I am humbled that you remembered my performance, Commander Dapper.\"


    \"Yeah¡­ well, that''s because that show was really bad¡­ no offense.\"


    \"None taken, sir. But I hope you do not judge me on just that as you will find I can be useful,\" he explained. \"People only really notice us, performers, when we''re on stage. Once in a while, I get invited into the best parties where a little charm and a glass or two of spirits help loosen lips.\"


    I nodded in agreement. This little sprite might be useful in getting us information later on.


    \"Alright, I want you to attach yourself to a theatre troupe when we get to the Undercroft and get me intel on the city''s movers and shakers,\" I ordered.


    \"Ah, I''m already in contact with a group based in that city. I will join them as soon as we arrive,\" he answered, bowing again.


    \"Cool, rest here for now,\" I said, right before I pulled open the wagon''s flap and jumped out of it.


    The sight that greeted me brought a smile to my face.


    A caravan stretching back as far as my eyes could see was steadily making its way forward through dunes that were the size of small hills. On the outside, it looked like a group of merchants coming to trade in the Undercroft, but my soldiers were disguised and spread out across the column, some acting as merchants while others were mercenary guards.


    The desert wind arrived just then and sent a chilly touch to my face.


    \"Guess I should find the others now¡­\" I whispered.


    \"What''s that about the moon?\" I asked as I climbed up Myth Chaser''s back.


    Ashley, who was riding opposite Aura on my left, raised a finger to the sky.


    I looked up and noticed for the first time that Idunn was nowhere to be found.


    \"Idunn''s light hastens away as the Darkness returns, bringing with him the arrival of the long night,\" she rhymed.


    \"Happens every year in the week preceding Samhain,\" Aura added. \"Idunn vanishes from the sky and the nights grow darker and longer in the Fayne as winter draws near.\"


    \"Doesn''t the same thing happen on Mudgard?\" Luca asked. \"Halloween marks the beginning of winter too. At least it used to before they turned it into the best holiday ever.\"


    I nodded in agreement. \"It was a festival even when they called it Samhain, Luca¡­ but I wasn''t aware that fairies celebrated it too.\"


    \"We don''t,\" answered the gruff voice of Shanks.


    I glanced behind me.


    The troll merchant was seated on the passenger''s side of the lead wagon. Pike sat beside him with her hands holding onto the reins.


    \"Most fairies consider the nights without Idunn''s light a bad omen,\" he added. \"Especially this week... on the eve of Samhain''s return.\"


    \"You make it sound like Samhain is an actual person,\" Luca said.


    \"He is¡­ at least the legends claim he is,\" Ashley answered.


    Of course, a shieldmaiden would be familiar with the fairy legends. Even one who wasn''t born in the Fayne would have been grilled to remember the lore.


    \"Samhain was an ancient fairy king who loved Idunn, but did not want to share her light with other fairies,\" Ashley repeated the lines she''d been taught. \"So he stole her from the sky and kept her imprisoned for seven whole nights. But on the night Samhain planned to wed her, a human visere who worked for him pitied Idunn and set her free which is why she returned to the sky the night after Samhain.\"


    \"From then on Samhain would be called the Lord of Darkness, and the time he stole Idunn would be known as a time of ill omens,\" Aura finished.


    \"Sounds bleak,\" I said, glancing up at the sky. \"Not fun at all like Halloween is supposed to be.\"


    The moonless sky that night didn''t seem like a place of omens. In fact, I''d never seen the Fayne''s stars shine so brightly as Idunn had always stolen the spotlight. But now they were a canvas of twinkling stars that made my chest beat with wonder.


    As I continued to watch the sky on that second night of our journey across the Westersand Desert, not for the first time did I think that the Fayne was a beautiful place full of wonder.


    \"Well, let''s just hope the omen thing is just part of the fairy tale,\" Luca said.


    His comment caused me to shut my eyes in frustration because I knew better than to tempt fate in this godforsaken world.


    And as if right on cue, the ground beneath us began to rumble.


    I didn''t need Qwipps riding to the front of the column to tell me what I already knew was coming¡ªtrouble. In what form trouble would appear, well, we''d learn that bit in a minute later.


    A short distance away to the left of us, one of the sand dunes began to sink as something very large seemed to be moving underneath it.


    \"Please do not be a giant worm,\" I hissed right before I gave out my orders. \"Qwipps, you and Pike take to the air and support us from there. Luca, you''re with me. Ashley, I want your unit protecting the caravan, but keep them moving forward. Aura, have your unit support us with buffs.\"


    As I pushed Myth Chaser toward to intercept the thing coming our way, I heard Aura begin the chant for Fiery Blessing.


    \"Oh spirits of the sacred flame, I call on you to ignite the fire inside these warriors!\" she yelled. \"Lend them your will of fire and send them your Fiery Blessing!\"


    With Aura''s talent, she could enchant at least four people. Based on the vicinity, these were me, Luca, Qwipps, and Pike.


    I felt my body go hot as I rode Myth Chaser forward. So hot, in fact, that the desert''s chilly air barely cooled my skin as it passed me.


    \"Luca, your Ravagers better be following us!\" I yelled.


    \"We''re here, Dean!\" he yelled back. \"What do you think it is?\"


    He''d asked that question because we were about twenty yards away from it now and whatever it was had disappeared behind the sand dune in front of us. No doubt it would burst out just before we reached it.


    Then there came a second and even stronger rumbling than the previous one.


    I hated it when I was right.


    \"What do you think it is?!\" I yelled at the same time as I drew my falchion from its sheathe strapped to my belt.


    Next, I closed my eyes and once more summoned my fairy gift to waking.


    \"Whatever it is, I hope it''s not an Ashworm,\" Qwipps piped in from above me.


    \"Geez, tempt fate more, why don''t you!\" I screamed.


    With Fool''s Insight activated, I opened my eyes again at exactly the same moment as the sand dune ahead of me burst upward, and a long snaking form rose up from out of the chaos.


    It was massive. A shell of dark gray scales covering its back while its inner side was like the surface of molten rock. The head was that of a cobra''s, with an open mouth that was layered with rows upon rows of shark-like teeth.


    \"Yup, it''s an Ashworm alright,\" Qwipps noted. \"Muddamit, what rotten luck.\"


    What rotten luck indeed. Maybe there was something to this whole omen business.


    The ashworm shrieked a mighty roar that made Myth Chaser falter in its steps.


    But as if in defiance of the fate that greeted me, I roared back at the creature, \"Prepare for battle!\"

 130 Monster Hunter

    One, two, three, and dodge, insight screamed into my brain. And I did. I veered Myth Chaser to the left just as the ashworm''s head struck the sand where we''d been only moments ago.


    In the same movement, I drew my falchion to my right and slashed at the creature''s exposed right side.


    There was a shower of sparks as my shadowblade¡ªwhich Zarz, after tuning it up, claimed had risen to silver tier¡ªgrazed the hard scales of the ashworm''s body, barely leaving a scratch despite its vibro-sword function.


    I pushed Myth Chaser to continue forward so we could escape its range, but even that was difficult as the monster''s thrashing tail¡ªwhich had come out of the other side of the dune¡ªcaused the sand beneath us to shake.


    We traveled the length of its body¡ªat least the part of it we could see¡ªand veered further left just before the tail could take a swipe at my head.


    Just to be clear, I didn''t just jump into the fray to get myself eaten by a giant worm. But a closer inspection was necessary so Fool''s Insight could do its job.


    Thanks to that close encounter, I was able to estimate that the ashworm was roughly thirty feet long with a diameter bigger than Shaqs'' height. So around ten-foot, give or take.


    The creature''s head, a giant eyeless thing with a cobra''s hood and a mouth that looked like it belonged to a great white shark, turned in my direction as if it was following my scent or something.


    And only now did I realize that my initial command to my unit might have been a little foolhardy.


    \"Wait for it to come for me,\" I''d said, turning myself into the bait.


    But now that the ashworm was coming after me, I expected an imminent attack from my friends was coming. Luckily, Luca and Qwipps did not disappoint.


    From the skies above came the fluttering of arrows in flight, and soon afterward, more than a dozen charred arrowheads fell across the surface of the ashworm''s body. Sadly, only three of them actually stuck. The rest were repelled by the creature''s hard scales.


    Although that poor showing dismayed me somewhat, gone were the days where I panicked over every little thing. So, instead of screaming for someone to save me from the incoming jaws of death, I screamed, \"Now, Luca!\"


    Luca''s ravagers were all mounted on swiftharts now, kicking up dust as they rode toward the ashworm. They were split in two with ten warriors to each side of the creature.


    \"Let''s do some damage, Ravagers!\" Luca drew his greatsword from the sheath behind his back. \"Come on!\"


    Twenty shadowblades sang in unison, each one slashing across the monster''s hard scales with just about the same damage as my own attack did.


    \"Too weak!\" I yelled.


    \"I know!\" Luca yelled back.


    At this point, the ashworm was ten yards away from me and Myth Chaser. Despite our ambush, it had quickly caught up to me with the probable intent of swallowing me and my mount whole.


    Luca might have sensed this danger also which is why he did what he did.


    He roared in that way he did whenever he activated his Foolish Strength. Then he jumped off Jade Shadow, and with both hands, plunged his greatsword into the ashworm''s body.


    Luca''s shadowblade broke through hardened scales and pierced into the flesh hidden underneath, unleashing a spray of dark blood as he did.


    The ashworm shrieked. Its head rose up to the night sky with its huge mouth opening into a ten-foot gaping hole.


    Luca, who''d held onto his greatsword with both hands, was dragged up with the creature.


    \"Reckless attack,\" I whistled, at the same time as I turned Myth Chaser around.


    Luca hadn''t just wounded the creature. He also exposed its underside which I assumed was softer than the scales on its back. And while it thrashed its head in the air, it left itself open for another attack.


    I raised my falchion forward. \"Go, go, go!\"


    Two winged forms zoomed past either side of me and headed straight for the ashworm.


    Qwipps and Pike flew low so they wouldn''t get noticed by the monster. Each of them carried a steel lance used specifically for hunting big game.


    Yes, we''d come prepared. None of my guys had traversed the desert before but Shanks had and he''d informed us of possible dangers while crossing through the sands, of which, the ashworm was one of them. In fact, I remembered Shanks briefing me that an ashworm encounter was very rare as the creatures usually stayed underground.


    Just how unlucky were we that we were in a fight for our lives with one right now, I wondered in my head as I watched the pixies attack.


    Qwipps reached the creature first and plunged his lance straight into its inner side.


    The monster screeched a second time, nearly drowning out Qwipps own scream of, \"Muddamit!\"


    Pike arrived next, but she seemed bolder than her squad leader as she hadn''t targeted an easy to hit spot like he had. She''d flown the length of its underside and up to its neck area. Then, Pike slammed the lance in there and wigged out just as the creature screeched a third time.


    Despite the success of the pixies, the ashworm didn''t die after that last attack. Instead, it continued to thrash in the air like a wounded beast that was raring to go for round two.


    Luca''s greatsword was still stuck to its side but my brother was nowhere in sight, and it wasn''t until the creature reared its head toward me that I saw Luca on top of it.


    \"What the hell are you doing?\" I asked, looking on in horror.


    \"I have an idea!\" he yelled back.


    Luca stretched his arms wide and then grabbed onto the scales on the back of the ashworm''s neck. Then he took a huge breath and then began to squeeze.


    I stood there transfixed, just watching my brother heave with effort as he tried to squeeze harder and harder at the creatures back.


    No way would this plan work. Not if you take into account the ashworm''s ten-foot diameter. Luca was just too small. He''d barely managed to get his arms across the top of its back.


    \"Dean, get out of the way,\" I heard Qwipps yell from somewhere above me.


    Only then did I register that I could see Luca clearly because the blind ashworm had just lunged for me and myth chaser.


    My swifthart and I were just about to leap out of the ashworm''s range when something unbelievable happened.


    I saw the scales underneath Luca''s hands crack. Then I watched my brother let out a caveman''s roar, and with a supreme effort, pushed his hands deeper into the creature''s back.


    Only then did I realize that his Foolish Strength combined with Aura''s Fiery Blessing might just give him enough boost to get the job done. And you know what, he did.


    The creature screeched a fourth time. Its head lurched upward once more with Luca riding it, continuing to squeeze the life out of it.


    The ashworm''s maw opened wide, and then a second uncalculated thing happened. Fire rained down from the sky.


    The fireball¡ªwhich was about the size of a car¡ªexploded onto the ashworm''s open maw, showering the surroundings in fiery sparks and momentarily lighting up the night sky.


    I glanced in the direction it had come from and saw Aura on a nearby dune. Beside her, astride a swifthart of his own, and with both of his glowing hands raised forward, was the Foolhardies resident pyromaniac, Donar Firemonger.


    \"Nice pitching!\" I yelled.


    Then I turned my focus back on the ashworm and was just in time to watch it topple forward.


    \"Shit, Luca, you better be alright,\" I said, as I urged Myth Chaser onward.


    As we approached, Luca rose from underneath the ashworm''s dying form. His face was dark with soot, but he was smiling all the same.


    \"Congratulations, little bro¡­ you are officially a monster hunter,\" I clapped.


    Luca''s grin got even wider.


    Pike appeared at Luca''s side and gave him a high five. Qwipps landed beside me.


    \"You two realize that thing''s still alive, right,\" he said with a shake of his head.


    Luca and Pike glanced down.


    Qwipps was right. It was faint, but the monster''s body was still going up and down.


    \"It''s barely breathing though,\" I noted. \"Still, quite an achievement considering all our attacks¡­\"


    \"It''s a freaking ashworm, Dean,\" Qwipps pointed both hands at the creature''s blackened maw. \"We''re lucky it went down at all.\"


    I glanced over at Qwipps. \"Quit your worrying. We managed it fine.\"


    \"Three nights left to Samhain and we face off against this thing?\" Qwipps shook his head. \"It''s a muddy omen, I tell you¡­\"


    I chose to ignore the superstitious pixie and ordered my brother to finish off his kill.


    Luca went looking for his weapon. After he''d found it lying nearby, he climbed the back of the ashworm''s head. Then he raised his greatsword high right before plunging it down into the ashworm.


    The creature gave one final jerk and then the breath finally left it, stinking up the air around us with the smell of dead worm.


    Thus ended our first true monster encounter in the Fayne.


    \"Um, guys,\" Pike called to us. \"Anyone know which parts of an ashworm we can make use of?\"

 131 The Descen

    \"Is that it?\" I asked, my hand pointing toward the deep chasm where the pool of an oasis should have been.


    Yet, instead of a bright pool of freshwater surrounded by palm trees and other healthy plants, all we could see was a wide gaping hole leading downward.


    \"Yes,\" Shanks answered from his spot at the front wagon. \"We should hurry. The gates to the Undercroft close at dawn.\"


    \"We would have gotten here faster,\" I pointed a thumb behind me, \"if you guys didn''t insist on carving up that ashworm for parts.\"


    \"An ashworm''s carcass sells pretty well, Commander,\" Varda repeated the benefit she''d given before to convince me. \"The fangs along would be ten Leprechauns each to the right buyer.\"


    \"Your quartermaster''s right,\" Shanks chuckled. \"Besides, the tale of defeating an ashworm might even open a few more doors for you in the Undercroft¡­ people love a good story.\"


    I sighed. \"Alright, let''s get this over with¡­ so, who wants to go into that black hole first?\"


    \"Looks kind of ominous,\" Luca noted.


    Despite his words, he urged Jade Shadow forward.


    \"Did you really have to say that?\" I complained.


    Not that I believed in this omen stuff, but there really was no need to tempt fate.


    \"You coming?\" Luca asked as he glanced back at me.


    I smirked while thinking my little brother was growing up.


    Luca had changed somewhat in the last few months. He was more confident now and far less whiny about his circumstance. Maybe even a little more reckless like me, a fact clearly exposed in that fight against the ashworm.


    I urged Myth Chaser forward while wondering how we were going to get the entire caravan down into the city when Luca called out again and told me there was a path that spiraled down the edge of the chasm.


    \"It''s big enough for a wagon to go through, I think,\" he reported.


    \"Of course it is¡­ how else do you think we merchants get to the Undercroft?\" Shanks smirked.


    With me, Luca, Varda, and Shanks'' carriage leading the way, we journeyed down the chasm in a single wagon line, traversing a path on the western wall that continued to spiral deeper and deeper into the hole.


    Only a bit further in and the wall began to glow at intervals with the luminescence of the light-emitting gemstones common in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon.


    They lit up one by one and traced the path ahead of us, turning what would have been a perilous journey into just another stroll down a strange fairy highway.


    We''d journeyed about fifteen minutes down when I finally saw a much brighter light source below me, although I couldn''t tell what exactly I was looking at.


    \"Luca,\" I called. \"Send word to Thom in the rear that I want him to send scouts down there before we arrive. Observe and be ready, just in case.\"


    \"Are you expecting a fight?\" Luca asked.


    I refused to tell him that Qwipps'' earlier rants about omens had slightly gotten to me.


    We continued our journey, and after roughly half an hour, the front of our convoy finally landed on flat ground.


    Ahead of us stood two giant stone braziers, each one filled with light-emitting gemstones piled on top of each other in the shape of Christmas trees.


    The braziers lit up the bottom of the hole, revealing the two massive double doors at the opposite side of our path.


    Enna suddenly appeared at my side as if she''d been spit out of the mist. Three other drow warriors accompanied her.


    \"Kobolds ahead, Commander. Guards by the look of them,\" she said in a voice that was almost a whisper.


    I glanced down at Thom''s cousin, impressed with her stealth skills and how the shadows seemed to cling to her as she stood there. More and more, it seemed she and her friends were turning into the ninjas of the fairy world.


    \"Should we end them quietly?\" she asked.


    \"Let''s hold off on that¡­\" I said quickly. \"We don''t want to leave a bad first impression.\"


    \"Very well,\" she said, nodding. \"My team and I will keep out of sight in case a sneak attack is required.\"


    That said, she and her three fellows vanished into the shadows.


    Luca whistled.


    \"Aren''t you happy the mess I caused ended with the Hazy Moon joining our side?\" Luca asked jokingly.


    I smacked him lightly in the back of his head. \"Lucky for you Thom was reasonable. Otherwise, we''d have made really bad enemies¡­\"


    Having Shanks along on this quest was proving to be quite a boon for us. The easy talking troll deftly managed the kobold guards protecting the entrance to the Undercroft. He greased a few paws with a bit of Leprechaun gold and shared a bit of info about our cargo, which he claimed included, \"The biggest ashworm carcass you''ve ever seen!\"


    He''d playfully elbowed the leader of the kobold guards right before dropping an ashworm tooth in its paw.


    This act secured our entire convoy a path into the city beyond.


    Looking up at the double doors as they opened to let us pass, I took note of their morbid carvings of skulls piled on top of each other, as if warning all who were about to step through that they should abandon all hope. Only death could be found here.


    Although not as poetic, Luca shared my sentiments. He summed up my thoughts in four simple words, \"Well that''s just creepy¡­\"


    \"The place is called the Undercroft, dude,\" I replied.


    While the entrance certainly exuded an air of creepiness, the city beyond didn''t share that atmosphere. It had a different kind of evil vibe.


    The very wide sandstone street led into a city hewn out of the obsidian cavern''s inner walls. Obsidian mansions that would rival Broken Sellsword''s Canyon rose up like works of art which were interspersed between rough-hewn stone dwellings piled precariously atop one another like uneven Lego blocks. It gave off a beehive type feel to the place.


    The cavern''s ceiling high above us was full of hanging stalactites that had been embedded with the now-familiar glow of light-emitting gemstones. For those who looked above, it gave off the illusion of a brightly lit starry night sky.


    These same gemstones could be found at intervals along the city streets and alleyways, and like spotlights, they lit up what seemed to be the city''s number one trading product¡ªslaves.


    Wherever we looked, we found slaves. Some in cages piled on top of each other like in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon. Others were lined up along the street like they were wares from a stall. Men, women, children, fairy, human, whatever slave one might ask for, they were there.


    As we rode our swiftharts along the main street, I could visibly see Luca bristling at my side. It was all he could do not to reach for the hilt of his greatsword.


    \"Luca, remember why we''re here,\" I whispered. \"We can''t cause a scene¡­\"


    \"I know, he answered through gritted teeth. \"Doesn''t mean I have to like it¡­\"


    I take back what I''d said earlier about my brother whining less about his condition. And I honestly couldn''t blame him. Not when a sight like the one we could see all around us made my own blood boil.


    There was very little time left in the night to search such a large city, so once Shanks had led our convoy into the wide courtyard of an obsidian mansion he called the merchant''s guild, I decided it was time to order people around.


    Luca''s and Ashley''s squads would remain at the merchant''s guild with Shanks and our convoy. They would continue to act as Shanks'' mercenaries and help with whatever he needed like unloading cargo.


    I''d tasked Ashley with getting info from the merchants inside the guild. Perhaps we''d get info on a special kind of product like Ty apparently was.


    This was assuming he hadn''t been sold yet to someone outside the city, although it did seem in my vision that he was somewhere in the Undercroft.


    It also helped if Luca could calm down while inside the merchant''s guild. At the very least, he''d be away from all the slaves.


    \"What of us?\" Thom asked after I''d relayed my instructions to Ashley.


    \"You guys do what you do best,\" I said, pointing up. \"Take to the shadows and be my eyes and ears in this city. I want to know everything that''s happening within the next forty-eight hours.\"


    \"We can do that,\" he chuckled softly.


    Then he stepped back and literally vanished into the shadows behind him. His eighteen other comrades followed suit.


    Chills went up my spine as I watched them disappear one at a time.


    Honestly, they weren''t this adept at it before, but ever since the last war, you could say Thom''s Hazy Moon had gotten way stronger. Gliding in the air wasn''t their only forte now. Not that they weren''t good at stealth to begin with, but their shadoweave cloaks just made them way more awesome at it than the rest of our unit.


    Enna was the last to vanish, and unlike her cousin who always liked to make fun of me, she actually nodded her head to me before she disappeared.


    After the drow left, I told Qwipps to send his talons around the city posing as potential buyers in shops and inns.


    \"Anything in particular you want us to shop for?\" Qwipps asked in a lazy tone.


    \"Detailed maps, supplies, and interesting items you come across, I want to know what they are,\" I glanced from Qwipps to Pike who I trusted more to get the job done. \"Mostly, I want you to familiarize yourself with the streets¡­ their quirks, shortcuts, stuff like that. In case we need an escape route.\"


    Pike spared a glance at Luca''s retreating form, frowning as she watched his slumped shoulders. Then she turned her gaze on me and nodded.


    \"We''ll get the job done, Dean,\" she said.


    Quick as you please, she grabbed onto Qwipps'' arm, leaving him barely any room to stutter, and lifted off with him in tow.


    I could hear him yell, \"Muddamit!\" while the rest of his forces joined him.


    \"And us?\" Aura asked, nodding toward Varda and the remainder of the forces gathered which included both magicians and kobolds.


    \"You lot are with me. I want to try using Eagle Vision while we tour the city, and I''ll leave a few of you behind to scout out any points of interest we come across,\" I explained.


    \"Sounds good to me, Commander,\" Varda nodded.


    \"With me as well, sir,\" Thor barked.


    \"Good, now let''s¡ª\"


    My line of thought had been interrupted by the sight of two lanky, identically looking teenage boys stepping out of the merchant guild''s front doors. It was the McCord Twins.

 132 Cloak and Dagger Part 1

    \"What the hell are you doing here?\" Collin asked as he and Connor approached.


    The lanky teenager was visibly nervous. For even as he spoke to me, his eyes darted left and right, searching for unseen eavesdroppers that might have been lurking in shadowy corners.


    His brother looked equally tense.


    \"We can''t be seen here talking to these guys, Collin,\" Connor hissed.


    \"Why not?\" Varda''s fingers tapped on her chin. \"It''s not like we''ve got a petrificurse on us.\"


    Connor spared Varda a glance and an eye roll before his gaze swept the entrance to the courtyard.


    \"The Black Hand has eyes and ears everywhere,\" he finished ominously.


    His brother, Collin, handed me a slip of paper.


    \"Meet us here in an hour,\" he whispered. \"We have some intel for you.\"


    I glanced down at the slip of paper and read the three words written on it.


    \"Cold Steel Brew¡­\" I recited. Then I glanced up and found the McCords already making their way out of the courtyard.


    Both guys had pulled the collars of their coats up as if that made them any less conspicuous.


    \"What now, Dean?\" Aura asked, looking certifiably mystified by what had just transpired. \"


    I passed her the note.


    \"Change of plans, I guess,\" I answered.


    We left the courtyard with Varda and Thors each taking lead of smaller groups so they could find and scout this Cold Steel Brew and scout it out before Aura and I arrived for the meeting.


    Should there be enough space, Varda and her fellow mages were instructed to find seats and pretend to be customers. Thor and the kobolds would keep watch over the front and back alleyway from a nearby vantage point.


    As for me and Aura, we took a leisurely stroll through the packed streets, avoiding eye contact with slavers which wasn''t as difficult as trying to ignore the suffering of the slaves around us.


    At one point, I saw a fairy child, an elven girl no taller than Zarz, get poked and prodded by a bald, fat-bellied hobgoblin who felt nothing like the warriors I''d faced off against.


    I reached down for my falchion''s hilt but stopped once I felt Aura''s hand on top of mine.


    She pulled my hand gently away from my sword and held onto it while whispering in my ear, \"There''s nothing we can do for them right now, Dean. But, I promise, when the time comes, my hand will join yours in the liberation of slaves.\"


    I glanced sideways at her, and even through the golden mask, I could see the clear intent in her gaze. Aura would keep her promise.


    So I let it go and lowered my eyes to the sickening sights around me while I let Aura dragged me along by the hand.


    My first thought, I am so glad Luca wasn''t around or else a repeat of our first night in Broken Sellsword''s Canyon was a likely scenario.


    To say that my face would be red for the rest of the journey to the Cold Steel Brew was an understatement. In fact, I was almost certain steam was blowing out of my ears by the time we''d arrived at the front porch of what appeared to be the seediest tavern in the entire city.


    At some point during our wandering of the city streets¡ªwith me forgetting to activate Eagle Eye due to the blank state my mind was in¡ªThor had arrived to lead the way, although he kept his distance from us while he signaled for us to follow him.


    He led us past a series of side streets and into an alleyway that dead-ended into a large outcropping of obsidian rock that had been roughly carved into a one-story block. It had a single opening which had been covered by saloon styled swinging double doors.


    Unfortunately, there were no windows so we couldn''t see inside, but Thor assured us that Varda''s crew was already waiting inside.


    \"No sign of those hoomans you were talking to, boss,\" Thor barked.


    He nodded upward.


    I followed his gaze and found half a dozen wolfish eyes gazing back at me.


    Our kobolds were lined up along the edges of the many roofs looking down into the narrow street.


    \"We''ve got this passageway covered, boss,\" Thor barked again, pointing a paw at the tavern. \"I sent three guys to watch the alley behind this fleapit.\"


    I patted him on the head. \"Good job.\"


    Sadly, it didn''t elicit the response I''d hoped for. There was no wagging of the tail nor the satisfied smirk of a dog who''d just gotten a treat. All I got was a curt nod and a look that clearly said, \"Please stop touching my fur now.\"


    Feeling strangely defeated by my new canine compatriot, I strolled into the nearly packed tavern, took one glance at my surroundings, noted the positions of Donar and Berrian by the bar as well as the table of rowdy dwarven mages near the lone fireplace, and picked the last empty table at the farthest corner.


    Aura followed behind me.


    She gave a quick smile at the rough-housing dwarves as she passed them, earning herself a grin from Varda before she sat on the seat wooden seat beside mine.


    Another thirty minutes and three elven moon teas later, the tavern''s doors swung open and two lanky teenagers walked in.


    This time, they wore matching gray hoods that helped them blend in with the tavern''s shady crowd.


    I raised a hand in greeting, and the McCords made their way to us, both of them stopping only once to raise eyebrows at Varda who was chugging down a tankard of rock beer. The fact that there were ten empty tankards on the table in front of her made this feat more impressive.


    Collin sat down on the chair opposite me half a minute later, glancing back at Varda as he did.


    \"She going to be able to get up after that?\" he asked.


    His brother sat down beside him while answering Collin''s question, \"Got to love that dwarven constitution. Stomach made of iron, that one.\"


    Connor laughed and clapped along with the others as Varda finished another mug.


    \"Can we focus, please,\" I sighed.


    Neither of the McCords pulled down their hoods, but they''d each asked for a glass of salamander whiskey.


    \"You guys are underage,\" I reminded them.


    \"Nothing worse than a ''goody two shoes'', Collin,\" Connor said, raising his glass for a toast.


    His brother toasted him. \"Ah, too be young and innocent.\"


    They chuckled.


    \"Didn''t you two walk in here looking like a pair of frightened sprites?\" Aura reminded them, causing both McCords to sputter over their drinks.


    \"Let''s get down to business,\" I insisted. \"Why are you in the Undercroft?\"


    The McCord exchanged looks. Their nerves had returned. But as always, Collin found his courage first. \"A large squad of Black Wand soldiers arrived here the night before last. We were with them¡ª\"


    \"¡ªWhich is why we didn''t inform your sprite about it,\" Connor added in a whisper. \"We didn''t know where we were headed until we arrived.\"


    \"It''s all hush-hush,\" Collin agreed.


    \"How many of you are there?\" I asked.


    \"About two hundred, give or take,\" Collin answered.


    \"Another hundred Scarlet Moon troops arrived earlier tonight,\" Connor continued. \"Not ours. Soldiers of the Dark Wing, a unit that also serves the Black Hand¡­\"


    \"Your two squads didn''t arrive together?\" Aura asked, her eyebrows bunched.


    Collin shook his head. \"No, we marched here from the northern regions, but these guys had come from some city in the east¡­\"


    Both Aura and I glanced at each other. It seemed both of us had the same idea. Excluding the Dominion''s Adamant Fortress, which was more to the north than directly east, there was only one other prominent city east of the Undercroft.


    But neither Aura nor I spoke out loud the name of this city. It was premature. We needed more proof before we even dared point a finger at a great general.


    \"Why are you gathering here?\" I asked.


    Collin took a swig of his glass. Then he leaned over the table to me and said, \"There''s a slave auction happening on the Night of Samhain¡­\"


    \"That would be normal in a city like this,\" Aura interrupted.


    \"Nothing normal about it, princess,\" Connor said, leaning in as his brother had done. \"Rumor has it that a bunch of big wigs from several clans are arriving just for this auction¡­\"


    \"Big wigs from several clans,\" I repeated.


    Collin and Connor both nodded.


    \"Yeah, and they''re all looking to possess something they can only get at this auction,\" Collin said, pausing for dramatic effect, and then, \"A human who can use magic¡­\"


    \"Ty,\" I breathed.


    Finally, proof that Ty really was in this hellhole of a city. It meant my own visions weren''t some figment of my imagination which was a possibility I was considering too.


    \"Where''s this auction going to be held? Where''s Ty¡ª\"


    Another interruption, one loud enough to drown even Varda and the other dwarves'' half-drunk chanting.


    Four figures in scarlet cloaks had just walked into the tavern, and from the way their hoods turned left and then right, they were definitely looking for something I was very intimate with¡ªtrouble.

 133 Cloak and Dagger Part 2

    \"We have to get out of here¡­\" Collin whispered as he shrank into his cloak. \"If they see us¡­ if they figure out who we are¡­\"


    \"Don''t even joke about that Collin,\" Connor hissed at his brother. \"If they figure out we''ve been spying for the other team¡­ it won''t just be us¡­ the Black Hand will murder anyone connected to us.\"


    \"Grandpa,\" they both said together. Then Collin added, \"Mom¡­ uncle Pat¡­ Shit.\"


    \"Relax,\" I said in a calming voice. \"We''ll escort you out the back way.\"


    I glanced over to Varda, who, despite the number of rock beer she''d consumed, was alert enough to notice the exploding fist I made with my left hand.


    \"Aw, muds!\" she yelled really loudly. \"Here I am kicking back for the first time in ages after I''d finally gotten away from my slave driver of a boss,\" she winked at me as she said this, \"and what do I find, a bunch of Scarlet Moon bastards walking into this dinky tavern¡­\"


    At the mention of Scarlet Moon, two things happened. The dudes in red, all of them drow, turned their arrogant faces at Varda, and, as if galvanized by Varda, the patrons of the Cold Steel Brew began glaring daggers at the new arrivals, some of them even reaching for their weapons.


    Here was another clear sign that hatred for the Scarlet Moon was nearly universal.


    Varda, noticing she had more allies now, bellowed out a peal of laughter. Then, as if she''d rehearsed it beforehand, she picked up the mug she''d just emptied and threw it into the direction of the Scarlet Moon.


    It sailed high over the heads of other patrons before it crashed on the floor five feet to the right of the nearest target.


    Her poor aim aside, it did the job of rousing all parties involved in beginning that timed honored tradition known as a bar fight.


    Chaos erupted around us.


    Wooden plates and metal tankards went soaring, crashing onto drunk fairies and viseres who''d risen to the call of madness. Projectiles of fruits and meats slapped laughing faces. There was even the lively singing of a gnome bard spurring the chaos on with his song of fairy private parts.


    I took this as our cue to exit. I led my three companions to the bar, stopping to drop a Leprechaun in the bartender''s hand and winking over at Donar who was already in the midst of casting a spell, before walking into the kitchen. From there, it was a short walk to the back door and then out into the fresh cavern air.


    Only, instead of that fresh air I expected, the scent that assaulted my lungs was distinctly familiar. I''d smelled it enough on a battlefield to recognize that stifling metallic odor. It was the scent of blood¡ªlots of it.


    Another kobold lay dead on the ground about four meters away. This one''s body had been savagely hacked into a furry mess too.


    \"You guys stay back,\" I whispered to the McCords. I kept my eyes forward and staring at the moving shadows near the end of the alleyway. \"Aura, don''t interfere unless you absolutely need to.\"


    Aura held onto my word arm. \"There are seven of them, Dean¡­\"


    I shrugged her off. \"They should have brought more¡­\"


    Why was I suddenly so angry? It wasn''t like I knew the kobolds that had been mutilated in this alleyway apart from them being part of Thor''s crew. But that was just it. They may have been new to the unit but they were Foolhardies nonetheless. And I loved dogs so these two at least needed to be avenged. Besides, the two McCords were right behind me, and under no circumstances could their identities be revealed.


    I took two steps forward. The shadows mirrored my movements.


    In hindsight, if I hadn''t seen Enna blend so well with the shadows earlier that night, I might have been a little more alarmed at the enemy drow getting ready to attack me.


    \"I''ve been training nonstop under Azuma for weeks, and he''s a really good teacher,\" I said, placing a hand on my falchion. \"Now I get to test just how much I''ve grown.\"


    I closed my eyes and willed my fairy gift into waking. \"Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable.\"


    As my vision adjusted to account for the darkness of the alleyway, the half-visible drow forms were fully revealed to me. Fool''s Insight battle mode had activated.


    Fearless, that''s how I felt at that moment. Like Daredevil readying to face off against thugs in a narrow hallway.


    I took in a deep breath and exhaled it in one go.


    The shadows stirred.


    But I jumped forward first.


    I drew my falchion forward just as a drow assassin leaped out of the shadows with twin shadowblade daggers in hand.


    It launched an attack that would have cut into both of my shoulders if my quick draw wasn''t faster.


    I drew a red line across the drow''s abdomen in one quick slash. My momentum continued, and with a quick dextrous flip of my fingers, I reversed my grip on the falchion and sent it slashing in a backward line across the one I''d already drawn in the drow''s stomach.


    Dark elf blood gushed out of the gaping wound. The drow toppled forward in a wordless scream.


    I was already rushing past it.


    Another shadow dashed toward me.


    The glint of a shadowblade sprang forth as the drow drew its katana forward.


    With my falchion still in a reverse grip, I parried her attack. Then I twisted my wrist to the right and sent my shadowblade slashing across the drow''s chest, cleaving through her light armor like it was nothing more than Swiss cheese.


    Spirits, I really loved my falchion''s vibro-sword enhancement.


    But even a deep gash in the chest failed to kill this drow¡ªperhaps because her ample bosom had protected her heart¡ªso I followed up, and keeping that reversed grip, stabbed right into the drow''s open mouth.


    As death took her, a third drow launched an attack at me.


    This one was male, bald, with pale eyes that were almost white but had a shade of violet in their irises.


    The drow held his katana high and ready to slash down at me.


    Honestly though, after seeing me dissect his companions in the chest, it might have served the drow better to be defending his front instead. I guess he hadn''t thought about that.


    I took a single step forward and parried the downward slash just before it could gain momentum.


    Our shadowblades ground against each other as my falchion trailed the edge of his katana.


    Next, I grabbed onto my sword hilt with my left hand and used it to switch my right hand back to an upright grip. In the next breath, I slashed upward and claimed the life of a third drow assassin.


    In my head, I wondered why it had become so easy. Not the killing part. Each deathblow still sent a guilt-ridden pressure into my chest. But the fighting, that had become much easier now.


    This may well have been because Azuma was a really good master. And not to toot my own horn, but perhaps I really had leveled up to the point that anyone who wasn''t at least a mini-boss was now small fry to me. Maybe.


    A sudden chill made the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end.


    An arrow zoomed toward me. It was death on wings, and yet, it was pretty easy to block with my sword.


    \"Holy crap,\" I whispered. \"I didn''t just do that¡­\"


    A fourth drow came charging at me. He was way bulkier than the rest of those who''d challenged me. Behind him, the fifth drow had just finished notching a second arrow to her bow.


    Man, Fool''s Insight really was a cheat, I thought just as I stepped forward and stabbed the macho-man drow in the right leg.


    While he screamed in pain, I spared a second to feel impressed with how Fool''s Insight broadened my field of view as well as my options. What did I mean by that? Well, you''re about to find out.


    I kicked at the drow''s other leg, forcing him to sway to the right just as the other drow assassin launched her arrow. Obviously, it hit him in the back instead.


    He screamed in pain a second time, distracting him long enough for me to slide my shadowblade across his throat at the same time as I pulled his katana away with my free hand.


    No, I wasn''t planning to dual wield. I just wanted something I could use to throw at the archer who was already notching a third arrow onto her bow.


    Unfortunately for her, by the time she drew her bow and pointed it at me, the katana I''d borrowed from the other guy was already sailing toward her.


    The katana''s shadowblade''s charred edge embedded itself into her chest. She left out a single gasp before crumpling to the ground.


    \"Five down, two to go,\" I whispered.


    The two remaining drow were near the end of the alleyway. Neither of them had moved to help their comrades out.


    Looking at how laid back their postures were, I assumed these two seemed like they were confident they would succeed where their friends had failed.


    The closest drow was a pale-skinned, gray-haired male with a track star''s build. In his hands was a nodachi, a curved sword with a much longer reach than a katana.


    His companion, the one standing behind him, was a female whose face was covered in a mask. One I recognized instantly. It was the mask rider who''d helped Ardeen Spellweaver slay his father.


    In that moment, alarm bells rang inside my head, and I was suddenly very glad that the twins hadn''t stepped out of the door or else she would have recognized them instantly.


    \"You,\" I growled. \"I owe you a punch in the gut.\"


    She didn''t respond. She simply continued to stare daggers at me while her companion stepped forward.


    He moved much quicker than the four others I killed, and in one quick motion, had already raised his nodachi high with both hands.


    If only the distance between us hadn''t been too big. If only he''d rushed forward while I killed his friends. Perhaps then, he might have injured me.


    However, he was too far away and too easily caught within the boundary of my Basilisk''s Eye.


    \"Oh, great fool, let my sight turn deathly cold that I might turn my foes to stone,\" I whispered.


    The number of times I could use the skill had jumped to a total of three before I used up my gift for the night, and that wasn''t the only improvement. Basilisk''s Eye now managed to keep even strong opponents like Azuma locked in place for three whole seconds. Now, that may not sound like much but three seconds is a lifetime in a life and death struggle.


    In this case, three seconds was enough for me to bridge the distance between us and plunge my falchion through the drow''s neck, all while it struggled helplessly under my gaze.


    The sixth drow fell in an almost slow-motion-like manner and leaving the way open for the final boss of tonight''s encounter.


    I tightened my grip on my sword hilt as adrenaline coursed through me. Tonight, I didn''t think I could lose. And there was no better way to test my new limits than to face off with an opponent who''d beaten me once already.


    The masked drow uncoiled her arms. She unsheathed her katana with her right hand and then raised her left hand toward me in a gesture that clearly said, Come at me, bro!


    \"Alright¡­\" I raised my falchion forward. \"Round two.\"

 134 Blood Alley

    Round two against the Masked Rider was something I didn''t think I''d be doing anytime soon. Yet here I was about to throw down with the sneaky little drow who''d supported Ardeen Spellweaver in killing his father.


    I spent a few seconds scrutinizing my opponent and noticed that she''d changed her look somewhat.


    She still wore that same ebony mask and hooded cloak she had during the last war, but she''d traded in her blackened steel chest plate for a snug leather vest and pants that showed off her lithe form.


    I fixed my stance into the high-guard¡ªboth arms raised high over my head with both my hands gripping on the falchion''s sword hilt in order to keep the shadowblade upright.


    The masked rider mimicked my movements.


    I exhaled a long breath and then did something I hadn''t done in any of my previous duels, I sent out my killing intent first.


    Well, it might not have actually been killing intent, more of a milder version really. Something like, I''m not going to kill you but I am going to hurt you badly.


    Still, I think my message came across, and as the pressure of my not-so-killing intent reached the masked rider, I could see the surprise in her eyes. I don''t think she''d expected me to have a much keener blade in the few short months were apart.


    However, that was all the reaction I got. And in return, the killing intent she sent back at me certainly gave an I-will-see-you-dead kind of vibe.


    But I held my ground as well. I wasn''t the Dean of old. I was Dean Two-point-oh.


    I gripped tighter on my falchion''s hilt and waited for that instant to strike.


    A bead of sweat dripped down my forehead.


    My opponent stood unmoving save for the calm rising and falling of her chest.


    It seemed our battle of wits had begun. But I really wasn''t the type to wait around.


    I inhaled another deep breath, and after releasing it back into the night air, I took a long stride forward.


    In that same instance, the masked rider pushed forward as well.


    Our blades formed an arch as they came down ahead of us in that instant that we''d reached each other''s range.


    We each released a single stroke that promised death to one of us it hit properly.


    I heard the swooshing of shadowblades, felt the wind of my falchion''s passing caress my face, felt my weapon bite into something soft, and then the pain exploded out of my left arm as a gash was cut into it.


    With grinding teeth I continued forward, passing my opponent as I did. Despite the pain, my concentration peaked, and in the next half-second, I pivoted around and sent my falchion slashing sideways.


    The masked rider had once again mirrored my movements, and our swords clashed in the space between us, shadowblades grinding against each other''s edge.


    Sparks flew.


    Our shadowblades flew past each other.


    I twisted my grip to the right and sent my falchion slithering back where it came from.


    Our shadowblades met again in the center, once more grinding against each other with sparks flying more violently than before as the vibration of my sword increased its pace.


    I felt like if we''d stayed in a sword-lock, my falchion would have come out on top. She must have sensed it too because she''d pushed her blade to break contact.


    There was a third slash from the both of us. This time, my falchion had come slashing in on a more upward arc while hers leaned downward.


    Sparks flew yet again.


    The sound of steel grinding on steel like a chainsaw to a steel beam assaulted our ears.


    Yet neither blade broke through the other.


    Then there was a fourth slash but this time, it was my falchion that came down from above and hers that rose from below.


    This time, though, we''d stepped into the attack and drew closer to each other.


    I looked at her face, saw the minuscule movements of her drawing back, giving me insight into her next move. So when she came back in for a head-butt, I''d already pulled back.


    Spirits, I love Fool''s Insight, I thought, although my inner monologue might have been premature.


    Pulling away had the double effect of unbalancing me for a second, and the masked rider failed to capitalize on that.


    She kicked out at my inner leg, forcing my left leg to buckle and I found myself suddenly in a kneeling position.


    I raised my falchion forward just in time to block her next katana slash. Then I pushed myself back up and pushed back against her sword.


    She didn''t resist my push. Instead, she''d let me move forward while spinning her own body around in order to catch my neck in a backward slash.


    Luckily, Fool''s Insight showed me it was coming, and so I ducked and avoided the attack that would have decapitated me.


    I took this opportunity to switch to a single grip and then slash at her, but she''d pulled her stomach back before my shadowblade could reach her. At the same time, she''d sent the butt of her katana crashing down onto my head. I blocked this with my injured forearm.


    \"Yowzah,\" I hissed as she grazed the wound on my arm.


    While I had her there, I reversed grip on my falchion and sent it slashing back the path it had come from.


    Unfortunately, she''d used her other arm to slam down onto the arm holding onto her sword like a hammer, breaking my stance and forcing me to withdraw my attack.


    I was suddenly bent over, a position that would have been dangerous for most people. But, as my Fool''s Insight was still active, even her flickering shadow was enough visual information for me to see guess her next move. So when her next slash came, I was already rolling away to the opposite side.


    The sound of her blade crashing against the stone floor reached my ears, and with another exhale of breath, I leaped to my feet and raised my falchion high in preparation for another attack. But when I gazed out into the alleyway, I realized that I''d lost my opponent.


    The earlier maneuver had forced us to switch places, and now I was at the far end of the alleyway and she was deeper inside it with nothing to stop her from attacking the people who were previously behind me.


    This is exactly what she did. Instead coming back toward me, she''d run the opposite direction and toward Aura and the twins hiding just inside the back door.


    \"Coward! Come back here and fight me!\" I roared.


    My challenge fell on deft ears.


    \"Shit,\" I began to run toward them. \"Aura, watch out!\"


    Not that I needed to warn her as there was no way she''d miss the murderous drow charging at her.


    \"Spirits of the sacred flame defend me from those who mean me harm,\" Aura chanted as she placed her Hearthwood Staff before her. \"Breathe life into my shield of flame!\"


    An arcane pattern of molten lines blazed to life in front of her and expanded itself into a round shield whose edges grazed both sides of the wall.


    \"That''s brilliant, Aura,\" I called to her.


    \"Spirits of hardened earth turn my rage into power,\" the masked rider chanted in accented common. \"And make my fist into a Mighty Hammer.\"


    Her left fist began to glow a bright green color.


    \"Holy Sh**,\" I breathed.


    Instead of stopping to avoid Aura''s fiery shield, the masked rider pulled back her left fist, and as with a mighty heave, launched it forward right as she collided with Aura''s shield.


    There was a resounding boom as both fairy magics collided against each other. The air pressure of the impact exploded outward, cracking the walls on either side, and rushing through me as it passed through the alleyway.


    I fell to my knees as the pressure of the impact hit me. When I tried getting up again, I heard a second boom, and I glanced up to find that the masked rider had punched Aura''s shield a second time.


    The wind came rushing out toward me, and I covered my face with my arm to protect myself, but not before seeing the spidery cracks form across the surface of Aura''s shield.


    \"Dammit!\" I yelled. \"Move, Dean!\"


    I jumped to my feet just in time as a third resounding boom exploded out of yet another impact between Aura''s flame shield and the masked rider''s magical fist.


    This time, however, Aura''s shield flickered weakly. It was losing out in power against the hammer being struck against it.


    Air rushed toward me again.


    I raised my falchion high, and in the next breath, I sliced downward.


    The pressure of my swing negated the pressure from the air rushing toward me, and I was finally free to run forward.


    However, by the time I''d closed the gap, Aura''s shield had already sputtered its last breath. There was now nothing between her and the masked rider.


    How quickly I forgot that it was Aura who''d first trained me in the art of fighting fairies. And as she twirled her staff around, unleashing the shadowblade hidden on its other end, I realized that I was panicking like a fool for nothing. Aura could most definitely handle things herself.


    She thrust her spear forward, but the masked rider managed to dodge her attack by a hair''s breadth.


    She sliced down toward Aura with her katana while pulling her fist back at the same time.


    Aura blocked the katana with her staff.


    The masked rider began to launch her fist forward.


    \"No, you don''t!\" I leaped forward with my falchion raised high.


    I slashed downward; catching the masked rider''s left arm mid-flight and cutting a deep gash into her triceps area.


    She screamed in pain, but at the same time, sent her katana slithering toward me.


    Now, the old Dean would have been unprepared for this counterattack, but Dean two-point-oh was more experienced now.


    I''d raised my sword just in time to parry her attack, and in the next breath, launched an attack from on high.


    Fool''s Insight had proven useful yet again, showing me within that short exchange the tiny cracks forming along the middle of her katana''s shadowblade.


    I didn''t hesitate to capitalize on this. I sent my falchion careening down the flat of her blade and finally broke it in half.


    As if she were in tune with my thoughts, Aura took this moment to attack. She stabbed her speartip into the masked rider''s right leg, forcing the drow to scream a second time.


    \"You know, if you hadn''t run away from our duel, you would still be just be fighting me,\" I joked.


    She spat a mouthful of spit and blood into my face.


    \"Whoa, gross!\" I yelled as I dodged the projectile.


    It was my mistake. The masked rider had taken that time to back away from Aura and me.


    Aura stepped in to stop her from running away, but the masked rider threw the broken katana at Aura, forcing her to stop and block the shattered blade.


    This gave the masked rider enough time to turn around and run to the other end of the alleyway.


    \"Stop running away from me!\" I yelled.


    I began to chase after her but it was too late as she''d just melded into the shadows and disappeared from my sight and not even Fool''s Insight could find her again.


    \"She ran away from both of us, Dean,\" Aura reminded me.


    I glanced over to her and noticed that her cheeks were flushed.


    \"I lack training,\" she complained. \"Remind me to ask Azuma for some pointers.\"


    \"Sure,\" I said, grinning. \"What''s say we grab our dead and get out of here.\"

 135 Rest Area

    Right after the masked rider''s escape, Varda and her crew dashed out into the alleyway where the McCord twins, Aura, and I were gathered.


    \"Commander, we drove those nasty drow away¡ª\"


    Varda took one look at the gore in the alleyway¡ªthe numerous dead bodies lying under a pool of their own blood¡ªand she leaned on the wall to her right and puked her guts out.


    The stench of dwarven rock beer suddenly permeated the air.


    \"Spirits¡­\" She wiped at her mouth with the sleeve of her arm. \"What the mud happened here?\"


    \"Long story,\" Aura answered wryly. \"Can someone call Berrian out here. Dean''s wounded.\"


    I glanced down at my forearm. It was definitely bloodier than I last checked.


    \"Someone grab our dead too,\" I ordered. \"We leave no one behind.\"


    Later, after our fallen kobold had been taken away by Thor''s crew, and after Berrian had applied a healing salve to my arm and bandaged it right and proper, I found myself continuing my earlier discussion with the McCord brothers. However, they were a little too preoccupied with their covers possibly being blown to tell me more about Ty.


    \"You¡­ you let her get away¡­\" Collin slumped against the wall behind him. \"She''s going to kill us if she finds out we''re your spies.\"


    \"Relax, you''re safe,\" I said, leaning on the wall opposite him. \"She was too busy running away to see you guys.\"


    \"But¡ª\"


    \"¡ªYou''re safe,\" I repeated, cutting Connor off from his protest. \"You''re safe¡­ but Ty isn''t. He''s still imprisoned somewhere in this city.\"


    I crossed my arms and looked pointedly at the twins.


    \"So I need to know where this auction''s going to be held at,\" I said.


    The twins gave each other worried looks.


    Aura walked over to them and took their hands in hers.


    \"We promised you we''d protect you,\" she said, her voice a calming note to their ears. \"We will. Trust us. And help us find Tiberius.\"


    Just like that, whatever worries that McCords felt was washed away, and by the growing blush on each of their cheeks, I guess they were willing to be cooperative again.


    After she''d let go of their hands, a part of me wondered if Aura hadn''t just used her empathic abilities to calm the McCords down like she''d often done with me whenever I was a little too riled up. And if this was the case, I was surprised to find that I didn''t like it. It felt manipulative somehow even though I knew she was only doing it to help me find Ty.


    Aura turned her gaze on me and I quickly reformed my frown into that smirk that had recently become my default.


    \"So,\" I said quickly. \"What else can you guys tell us?\"


    Collin sighed. \"They call it the Wailing House¡­ an auction house that deals exclusively in quality slaves¡­ You can find it in the Gold Quarter of the city.\"


    The twins nodded at each other before they both turned to face me.


    \"That''s all the intel we have for you,\" Collin said. \"We''re leaving now.\"


    He bowed his head toward Aura and then turned back toward the Cold Steel Brew. Connor followed after him, but glanced over his shoulder to say one final thing, \"We''re laying low for now so don''t expect our help anytime soon¡­ gotta keep the heat off us first.\"


    The twins entered through the tavern''s backdoor and disappeared on the other side.


    \"We should go to, Dean,\" Aura suggested. \"Don''t want the local guards to catch us around this mess.\"


    She narrowed her eyes at the nearest dead body, a she-drow who looked no older than she did.


    \"We''ll need to be extra vigilant now that we''ve clashed with the Scarlet Moon¡­ There will be many more of them,\" she said.


    I took one final glance at the slaughter I''d caused, and despite my earlier elation at having triumphed over my enemies with my own martial skill, I couldn''t help feeling that slight pain in my chest.


    I breathed a sigh of relief and then put my hands together.


    \"I hope I never go numb to all the death we see¡­ and cause,\" I whispered like a silent prayer to whichever great spirit was listening.


    Our entire group made our way back toward the courtyard of the merchant''s guild where we would rendezvous with Luca and Ashley''s group who were waiting for our return.


    \"Why''re your clothes bloody? And why is your arm bandaged?\" Luca asked once I was close enough for him to scrutinize.


    He turned his gaze on Aura, Donar, Berrian, Thor, and then finally, the wobbling Varda who was being held upright by two dwarves on either side of her. It seemed all the liquor she''d imbibed had finally gotten to her.


    \"What in mud have you guys been up to?\" he asked in obvious confusion.


    Aura and glanced at each other.


    \"Barfight,\" we said together, which was immediately followed up by Varda who added, \"I started it¡­ he-he.\"


    \"Someone put her in a wagon so she can sleep it off,\" I said with a shake of my head.


    \"No need for that,\" Ashley interrupted. \"Shanks hooked us up at a nice inn nearby. Enough rooms for our entire mercenary group.\"


    Shanks, who''d been watching all this from the side-lines, made his presence felt by rising up to his full nine-foot height.


    \"Owned by an old acquaintance of mine named Zephyra. She''ll take good care of your crew, boss,\" he said jovially.


    \"Much appreciated, Shanks,\" I said, keeping my eyes fixed on Varda. \"We''re going to need it.\"


    \"I don''t suppose you''d mind if I tagged along for now?\" Shanks asked. \"I''ve already unloaded my shipment so I''ve got nothing else to do but wait for Samhain to end.\"


    There was that word again, and for the life of me, I couldn''t understand why hearing it now just gave me the chills.


    \"You''re welcome to join us, Shanks,\" I said. \"We could use the muscle.\"


    Shanks raised his burly arms into the shape of an X. \"Sorry, boss. I''m a pacifist¡­ Best I can do is give you discount on potions and other things you might need.\"


    As he said this, Shanks patted the bag slung around his shoulder. I guessed that it was probably a bag of holding like the one Luca was carrying.


    \"The more the merrier then,\" I finished.


    We were making preparations to head over to the inn Shanks got us when Luca caught sight of the two bodies Thor''s group was lifting into the wagon.


    \"That must have been some crazy barfight,\" Luca said solemnly.


    \"One of the kobolds is missing¡­\" I said. \"Didn''t find his body with the other two.\"


    Luca placed a hand on my shoulder. \"Did you avenger them properly?\"


    I raised my bandaged arm to his eye level. \"What do you think?\"


    The inn Shanks led us to was a three-story stone building that had seen better days. Fay graffiti had been painted over much of its front walls and part of the craved designs had been weathered off.


    I looked up at the sign and read, \"The Nowhere Inn.\"


    I assumed that''s what it said as the sign was missing a few letters.


    As we''d paid to leave most of our wagons in the merchant guild''s parking lot¡ªa whopping thirty Leprechauns¡ªwe didn''t have much with us except for the packs we each carried. Hopefully, that meant enough room for all my soldiers.


    \"Thor,\" I called.


    The kobold dashed to my side.


    \"Yes, Comma¡ªum, boss,\" he said, lowering his head apologetically for the verbal snafu.


    \"Put some bodies on either side of the street. I want them looking out for Thom''s group as well as unwanted guests,\" I ordered.


    \"Alright, boss,\" he began to salute me, thought better of it, and then walked away while shaking his head.


    \"Well, Shanks,\" I said, glancing over to our troll guide. \"After you.\"


    The interior of the Nowhere Inn was a homely common room that didn''t give off the same rundown feel like the outside. Sure, the paint on the walls was peeling in some places and the upholstery scattered around the room needed a good scrubbing, but the fireplace in the far corner was warm and inviting, and the smell wafting out of a door in the corner was that of cooked bacon.


    Somehow, it reminded me of home, and if we were going to be in this godforsaken city for longer than a night, I wouldn''t mind a base like this one to operate from.


    To the right of the entrance was a wooden counter. A beautiful woman with long, flowing silver hair sat behind it. She had a faraway look on a face that seemed to be winking in and out of view almost as if her skin was nothing more than a mirage.


    \"Zephyra,\" Shanks called jovially.


    The silver-haired woman blinked like she''d just woken up from a waking dream. Then her gaze moved over to us.


    \"Hello, Shanks,\" she said in a wispy voice. \"It''s been a while since your last visit.\"


    Zephyra''s gaze focused on Aura before finally landing on me.


    \"And you bring important guests with you,\" she said.


    \"You know who we are?\" I asked surprised.


    \"Whether I want them or not, the wind carries all secrets back to me,\" she said cryptically. Then she nodded toward the fireplace. \"Also, your friends have been waiting for your arrival for quite some time.\"


    \"My¡­ friends,\" I followed her gaze, and only then did I notice the shadows lounging next to the fireplace.


    One of these shadows was grinning back at me. It was Thom, and by the knowing smile he sent my way, I guessed he had a lot to tell me.

 136 Nowhere Inn

    \"What are you doing here?\" I asked Thom after he''d made his way over to us.


    \"And hello to you as well, Commander,\" he chuckled, his eyes glancing over my bandaged arm. \"I see you''ve been busy.\"


    \"Busier than some, apparently,\" I countered. \"I suppose there''s a reason you''re getting cozy by that fireplace?\"


    \"Indeed, there is. My squad and I were just following up on a rumor regarding the proprietress of this establishment,\" Thom inclined his head toward the woman behind me, \"having secret knowledge of many things that happen within the city.\"


    \"That''s Zephyra, alright,\" Shanks laughed. He leaned down and whispered conspiratorially into my ear, \"Sylphs are all gossips.\"


    \"I heard that,\" Zephyra said.


    \"I know,\" Shanks chuckled.


    Seeing the easy-going, smooth-talking way Shanks interacted with the people around him once again reminded me how opposite he was from his warrior brother.


    Zephyra walked through the counter she''d been sitting behind so she could stand in front of me. And if I hadn''t heard earlier that she was a sylph, I might have thought she was a ghost.


    She had long silver hair that was like fluffy gray clouds. The features of her angular face were hard to describe as they seemed to flit and change constantly like wispy clouds. All except for her eyes which were like two constant silver points in a cloudy sky.


    Despite this, I could tell she was very beautiful.


    \"Welcome to the Nowhere Inn, Five-Hundred Man Commander Dapper,\" Zephyra said, inclining her head toward me.


    She was close enough now for me to notice that the skin of her bare arms and legs was the same ethereal complexion of her face. Only the blue summer dress she wore seemed like it was solid.


    \"Thanks,\" I said. \"I''m hoping you have enough room for us. We''re a big party.\"


    \"There are enough rooms for the hundred warriors you bring with you.\" She spared a gleaming eye on Varda who''d been placed in an empty couch. \"Fresh baths and warm meals as well for those in need of it.\"


    \"You''re very well-informed,\" I said cautiously.


    \"Whether I ask for them or not, the winds often carry many secrets my way,\" she replied in a wispy voice.


    \"And how does one listen to the winds, I wonder?\" Thom asked, a curious expression on his face.


    \"Anyone who listens may hear the voice of the wind,\" she answered mystifyingly.


    My brow furrowed as an idea struck me. \"Could some of these secrets be shared with others?\"


    \"Only among friends,\" she smiled playfully. Then she tiptoed up so she could reach the upper part of Shanks'' arm. \"Luckily for you, I do count Shanks here among friends. Perhaps we can do business¡­ after I''ve seen to your other needs.\"


    \"See to our guests, Zeru, Sora,\" she said.


    It took the better part of an hour to get all my people lodgings in the Nowhere Inn, but once that was done and Varda had significantly sobered up, Zephyra loaned us a function room so my officers and I could finally get to the matter of planning our rescue.


    \"Bought some healing potions from the local apothecary, nabbed a few vials of befuddling fog too,\" Qwipps reported.


    He and his Talons had arrived after we''d checked into Nowhere Inn rowdy as ever.


    \"Found some interesting weapons materials you might find interesting, Dean, but,\" he sent sideways glance at Pike who was sitting beside Luca, \"I was prevented from procuring these rare items by, ahem, unimaginative minds.\"


    \"I doubt the Commander has a need for manticore spinal fluid or phoenix tail feathers, Qwipps,\" Pike shot back at him.


    Although she was right about that, I did think that these things sounded interesting enough to warrant a look, and I took note of asking Qwipps to take me around the shops if we had a chance.


    \"We did get a map of the city as you asked.\" Qwipps got up from his seat and unrolled a large parchment onto the table we were all gathered around.


    The map was a detailed woodcut of the Undercroft, complete with tiny descriptions in common of the different city quarters and important locations. In fact, the far right corner of the map had ''The Gold Quarter'' written across it. At the northern end of this quarter, in what looked like one of the larger buildings in the woodcut, the words ''Wailing House'' was written next to it.


    \"Here,\" I said, pointing to that spot on the map. \"This is our target¡­ wish we had schematics of this place¡­\"


    Qwipps and Pike gave each other a somber look that I caught.


    \"What?\" I asked curiously.


    \"Never told you where we got that map, huh,\" Qwipps began, \"Actually, Pike and I stumbled into a cartographer''s shop operated by the Pilgrimage¡­\"


    For some reason, the word ''Pilgrimage'' evoked a strange reaction among the fairies in my group. Most of them had stiffened visibly. Even Thom looked momentarily unnerved.


    Luca, who''d noticed the change in atmosphere, pointed this out in a very direct manner, \"What''s wrong with you all?\"


    \"The Pilgrimage is a human-centric organization that has shown considerable antagonism against the fay clans,\" Aura explained.


    \"They''re terrorists,\" Thom added. \"I''m surprised you weren''t gutted right then and there, Qwipps¡­\"


    \"Ain''t that the truth,\" Qwipps chuckled nervously. \"They were actually very helpful¡­ the clerks even gave us maps we didn''t ask for¡­\"


    Pike rose from her seat beside Luca and pulled out four rolled-up maps she''d been keeping her pack.


    \"This is a map that details the city''s catacombs,\" she unfurled a map and placed it on top of the first.


    Under the glow of the ceiling''s light-emitting gemstone, the two maps seemed to combine into one, providing an overview of both the city above and the catacombs that ran underneath it like a sewage system back on Mudgard.


    \"Interesting,\" Varda said.


    Yes, she''d sobered up enough to be able to stand on her feet. Dwarves had remarkable resilience after all.


    \"And this,\" Pike unfurled the third map and laid it on top of the others, \"Is probably what you''re looking for¡­\"


    The third map was a schematic of an impressive five-story building with a built-in auditorium inside it with seats in the gallery just like an opera house would have.


    \"Why would they give you this¡­?\" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.


    Qwipps shrugged. \"How am I supposed to know the minds of homicidal humans?\"


    \"It was almost like they knew exactly what we were looking for and who we were working for,\" Pike added as she sat back down.


    \"That''s a worrying thought¡­ although certainly a possibility,\" Aura admitted.


    I glanced toward. \"Why would you think that?\"


    \"You''re a human officer in a fairy clan,\" Aura explained. \"That''s bound to catch their notice, especially after your defeat of Azuma and Jimmy, two humans who were gaining prominence in the central region.\"


    \"But is that a good thing or a bad thing?\" Ashley asked.


    Aura shook her head. \"I don''t know¡­ but it''ll depend on whether they see Dean as a threat or as someone they can make use of.\"


    That was a worrying thought. I had enough fairy enemies. I didn''t need other humans on my tail as well.


    \"Great¡­ as if we didn''t have enough enemies,\" Luca said, saying out loud what I thought inside.


    I took in a deep breath and rose from my seat. \"Nothing we can do about that right now¡­ whatever and whoever they are, we''ll deal with them if they come our way.\"


    I placed my hands and straightened out the final map on the table.


    \"This right here is our priority,\" I said. \"I want everyone to focus on this now so we can figure out a way to rescue Ty before this auction takes place on the night of Samhain.\"


    I glanced toward Thom who was twirling a knife between his fingers.


    \"Got any intel to share on this?\" I asked.


    \"Isn''t that why we''re here?\" Thom pointed the tip of his dagger lazily at the door. \"We''re here to gather intel.\"


    Zephyra stood just at the threshold of the door. Behind her was the very large Shanks. Both of them were obviously waiting for my invitation to enter.


    I nodded.


    Shanks, who didn''t fit in any of the seats in the room, opted to lean on the wall opposite me while Zephyra walked over to the table and inspected the maps laid out there.


    \"I see the Pilgrimage has done good work exploring the city,\" she said approvingly. \"They have certainly made it easy for anyone seeking to cause harm to the Undercroft to do so without much difficulty. I assume that''s not what you''re planning?\"


    She turned an inquisitive eye on me.


    \"No,\" I promised. \"We only want¡ª\"


    \"¡ªto save your friend, Tyberius Cruz,\" she finished for me.


    \"How do you¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI know his name because he is in the city just as I know all your names,\" she answered flatly. \"If you have spoken it once while in the Undercroft then I know it or will learn of it soon enough.\"


    \"That sounds useful,\" Ashley commented.


    \"Yes, it can be,\" she answered with a smile.


    \"The question is,\" Luca butted in, \"are you willing to share what you know with us?\"


    \"If you answer my request¡­ then I might be able to provide you with enough information to make your plans a success,\" she said.


    \"What do you want then?\" I asked, sounding a little too eager.


    Zephyra tapped a finger on the table. \"Shanks tells me that you plan to build an inn by a lake in your territory.\"


    A light bulb turned on in my head. I knew what she wanted.


    \"A cavern beneath the earth is no place for a sylph,\" I reasoned. \"Help us save my friend, and I wouldn''t mind letting you run the inn outside our tower. It''s in a good spot too. The wind often passes by the lake.\"


    Zephyra smiled an impish smile. \"You must be psychic, Dean Dapper. It seems you''ve read my mind.

 137 The Infiltrators

    Despite our efforts to stay in stealth, the sound of our footsteps racing across the flagstones resounded and echoed around us.


    We were even deeper underground now, in the catacombs beneath the Undercroft, running through narrow passageways which were a series of interconnected tunnels that was like one giant maze underneath the city.


    Lucky for us that Qwipps and Pike found the map that helped to navigate it fairly easily.


    It had been thirty minutes since we''d separated from Thom and his second group of infiltrators. They''d taken a different route than the one we were speeding across.


    \"You don''t think there are alligators down here do you?\" Luca asked as he ran beside me.


    \"This isn''t Mudgard, Luca¡­\" I reminded him.


    \"Still feels like I''m jogging through sewage,\" he countered. Then he sniffed. \"Smells like it too.\"


    I couldn''t disagree. The smell was definitely overpowering. Like rotten eggs left to dry out in the sun for days and then thrown into a pile of shit to fester in a dark pit.


    We turned left at the corner, our feet taking us right to a dilapidated iron gate that blocked the way to the rest of the passage beyond.


    Qwipps was the first to reach it. He placed a finger gingerly over one of the iron bars and quickly pulled his hand away after a spark of pain flashed across his face.


    \"Muddamit¡­ it''s iron alright,\" Qwipps said, looking over his shoulder to me. \"One of you humans should deal with it.\"


    \"Luca,\" I said quickly.


    Watching my brother pull out his broadsword from its sheath behind his back and then begin to hack away at the weakening iron bars of the gate, my mind flashed back to the previous night when we were planning our little rescue operation.


    It was after Zephyra and I had come to an agreement and she''d been nice enough to explain who exactly we were up against.


    \"The Under Ring is the largest of the slave cartels in the city. They''re well connected with both the city guard and the underground syndicate, and rule with impunity over the slave trade here in the central region,\" Zephyra explained. \"All the big slave trades happening in the Undercroft go through their fortress in the Wailing House.\"


    She pointed a wispy finger at the map that showed the house''s schematics.


    \"Make no mistake, this is a fortress protected by the Under Ring''s own private army¡­ it''ll be very difficult to infiltrate,\" she continued.


    \"But not impossible,\" I guessed.


    She nodded in agreement. \"No, not impossible at all.\"


    Zephyra set aside the Wailing House''s plans so we could all see the maps of the city''s catacombs. She traced a line across the catacombs until her finger was directly underneath our target. Then I pointed to two spots in the map that seemed to lead up to the Wailing House itself.


    \"These are our way in,\" I said.


    \"Point A is right underneath the cellar,\" I explained. \"Point B leads to a drainage opening by a Cliffside that leads up to the courtyard.\"


    \"Two infiltration points means two teams,\" Luca guessed.


    \"Three,\" I corrected. \"We''ll need a third team above ground to cause a distraction.\"


    \"I glanced over at Ashley and patted her shoulder.


    \"Think you can keep the enemy distracted while we go rescue Ty?\" I asked.


    She nodded. \"My squad and whoever you can spare should be enough.\"


    I spent another few seconds thinking about the composition of the other two teams. But I realized that there was only one other person I could ask to lead the second team.


    \"Thom, pick six guys from your squad,\" I said. \"You''ll take point B and you''ll clear us a path leading to it. That''s our escape route.\"


    \"We''re not coming out the way we come in?\" Aura asked, already assuming I was going to bring her along.


    I shook my head. \"In case we''re caught while on the mission, better to leave the escape route undetectable.\"


    \"So who''s in this first team then? Who''s in your suicide squad?\" Luca asked.


    The sound of metal cascading down to the ground sent my mind back to the present, and I was just in time to watch Luca cut through the last of the iron bars.


    I glanced back at my chosen team members; the people Luca had dubbed the suicide squad. There was Aura, of course. Never leave home without your fire-starting elven warrior princess I always say. Next were Qwipps and Varda, the latter for her ability to shape stone and the former for his ability to mess with locks. Our group was rounded out by Pike and Enna who would be useful for this particular stealth mission.


    \"Alright, let''s keep going,\" I said.


    We continued on through the maze of passages that led forward until we''d finally reached a square room that I''d marked last night on our map to be right underneath the Wailing House''s cellar.


    I glanced up at the smooth earthen surface of the ceiling above.


    \"Varda, you''re up,\" I said.


    \"Yes, Commander,\" she said, rubbing her hands together and licking her upper lip with her tongue like she was preparing to do something dangerous. \"One giant hole coming right up.\"


    Varda raised her arms upward and began to cast her spell while the rest of us moved to the corners of the room in case she caused a cave-in.


    \"Wakey, wakey my friend, the earth. It''s time to shake, shake and burst,\" she chanted in a sing-song way. \"Awaken to my joyful call and push yourself to break and fall! Rupturing Earth!\"


    Like a playful melody, Varda''s chant reverberated along the walls, causing the ceiling above us to shake and shake and then finally fall.


    Earth and stone fell down into the room, kicking up a dust storm that momentarily clouded our field of view. But once the earth had settled, I saw the sizeable hole Varda had made above.


    \"It''s nowhere near that mudslide I made for you before but this should do, right, Commander?\" she asked, grinning back at me.


    \"Well done,\" I patted her on the shoulder. \"How many spells can you still use? Two?\"


    \"You know I''ve gotten stronger since you last asked me that, Commander,\" she reminded me. \"I''ve got a total of five¡­ so I''ve still got four.\"


    \"Good, we might need you to use them all tonight,\" I said while glancing up at the hole. \"Qwipp and Pike, go see what''s up there and secure us a rope while you''re at it.\"


    While Qwipps and Pike went to secure our entry point, I thought about the other teams and what they were doing, sending my mind back to the previous night, back to that moment we were planning stage two of the rescue operation.


    \"Shanks, I know you said you were a pacifist, but I''d really appreciate it if you joined Ashley''s distraction team,\" I said.


    \"You just want me for my bod,\" he said jokingly.


    \"You probably have something in your merch that can help Ashley''s team from getting overwhelmed,\" I explained. \"But yeah, your big body will do too.\"


    Shanks laughed heartily. \"I can''t swing an ax like Shaqs could but I can punch really hard at stuff... alright, Commander, but it''ll cost you.\"


    \"Add it to the bill,\" I said readily.


    I pulled out the first map, the one that showed the Undercroft city''s streets and pointed to two alleys on opposite sides of the square where the Wailing House was located.


    \"Set up at these points, Ash,\" I said. \"Use Donar and the other mages to draw the Under Ring''s forces into these two alleyways with their magic¡­ if you have ten members of the shield squad in each alleyway then¡ª\"


    \"¡ªA shield wall to keep them at bay while leaving our rear free and clear for our escape,\" she finished for me. \"I get it, Dean. It''s not a bad plan.\"


    \"You''ll have Luca''s Ravagers, Talons, Hazy Moon, kobolds, and mages besides your Shield squad,\" I added. \"But don''t get cocky. You''re not going to war. Just keep them distracted long enough to clear them out for a while.\"


    \"What''s the signal going to be, Dean?\" Ashley asked.


    \"I believe I can assist you with this,\" Zephyra answered.


    She clapped her hands together and her two sylph children zoomed into the room like mini tornados.


    \"Zeru and Sora can accompany each of your squads. Once you are ready for your distraction, they will fly back to me and I can let your other team know,\" she said.


    \"That means you''ll be joining us in this rescue operation?\" I asked, uncertainly.


    She nodded. \"I must protect this new investment. After all, you have promised me and my siblings the freedom of the world above.\"


    After a few seconds of ruminating over it, I figured the extra elemental support wouldn''t hurt so I agreed.


    \"All clear, Dean!\" Qwipps yelled, breaking my recollection of the previous night and sending me back to the present.


    I looked around me until I found Sora peeking out of the passage we''d come from and called him over.


    \"Let Zephyra know that they can start immediately,\" I instructed.


    The ghost-like child nodded once, then after a salute, he''d flown back through the passage. No doubt zooming to where the mistress of Nowhere Inn could be found above.


    \"Feels like child endangerment if you ask me,\" Luca commented.


    \"Shut up,\" I countered, and then elbowed him on the shoulder as I passed him.


    Then I reached a hand toward one of the two ropes Qwipps and Pike had sent down to us and glanced over my shoulder at Luca.


    \"Race you,\" I grinned.

 138 Prison Break

    Obviously, my head start ensured I got to climb up into the cellar before Luca could and being the competitive sibling that I was, I sent him a satisfied smirk that I knew would rile him up.


    \"Cheater,\" he said.


    \"Loser,\" I countered.


    Ah, even in these trying times, I always managed to find moments that helped uplift my spirits. Often enough, there was nothing better to put a smile on my face than showing Luca once again that I was the big brother.


    While the rest of my team made their way up the ropes, I spent that time surveying the room we''d arrived in.


    We were in a wide earthen space with stone walls and an arched ceiling. But it wasn''t the kind of cellar I knew about because instead of the row upon row of wine bottles I was expecting, I was treated to what was basically a torture chamber.


    There were torture implements of every kind, from stretching beds and iron maidens to racks upon racks of torture tools like serrated knives. Thick chains hung down from the ceiling, and blood, pools of dried blood could be found all around us.


    It was a small wonder that none of these torture devices had fallen into the hole Varda had created. Maybe then we would have been prepared and not looking wide-eyed at what we saw, our minds imagining all sorts of horrors.


    \"Holy crap,\" Luca said as he strolled to my side. \"What kind of place is this¡­?\"


    \"The kind we don''t want Ty to be in one-second longer,\" I said, my voice hardening at the thought of Ty inside a room like this one.


    I turned my gaze to each of my friends, all of them looking a bit uneasy at the d¨¦cor around us.


    \"Steel yourselves,\" I hissed. \"And show no mercy for the bastards living here¡­\"


    Qwipps walked toward the lone door at the far end of the room.


    \"Locked,\" he reported.


    \"Can you pick it?\" I asked.


    He pulled his lock picking tools out of his trousers. \"Give me a minute.\"


    Qwipps took two minutes to get the job done, but once he was finished, he opened the door and it swung outward to reveal a set of stone steps that led up.


    \"Lead the way, little brother,\" I said.


    Luca nodded, and then proceeded up the steps with his broadsword in hand. I followed right after him. Then came Aura, Varda, Pike and Enna. Qwipps covered our rear.


    At the top of the steps, Luca took a peek at the passageway beyond.


    \"There''s a hallway ahead of us that goes left and right. The right path''s got two Doberman-type kobolds guarding it,\" he reported.


    I glanced behind me. \"Enna, take out the guard on the right. Once he''s down, Pike can slay the guard on the left.\"


    \"I can do that,\" Luca protested.


    I wasn''t sure if it was because I didn''t ask him to do it or because I was sending Pike out into danger.


    \"You''re noisy and you''ll make a mess,\" I said, shaking my head. \"We require finesse now.\"


    I recall giving those steel-grade serrated shadowblades to her as a reward for her promotion as a sergeant.


    I moved up myself and peaked out into the hallway so I could watch the action happen.


    Although she was certainly still solid, Enna blended very well with the shadows of the passageway, almost like they clung to her like some dark coat. Anyone who didn''t know she was there would never see her, not until that final moment when her shadowblade flashed at their throats.


    This is exactly what happened.


    Enna drew her blade, and in a series of swift movements, jumped behind the kobold on the right and plunged her shadowblade into the back of its neck.


    At the same time, Pike launched herself into the passageway, flying low enough that the other kobold ¡ª distracted by his partner gushing out blood from the wound that had suddenly appeared on his neck ¡ª didn''t see her in time to react to Pike''s serrated shadowblades cutting a cross pattern into his neck.


    The kobold''s severed head barely had time to fall quietly onto the sandy ground before me and the rest of my party raced forward into the passageway.


    I passed my assassins and pushed at the iron gate the dead kobolds were guarding. It swung open at my touch.


    \"Weapons ready,\" I said right before I crossed the threshold and stepped out into a familiar sandy courtyard whose left side was a cliffside overlooking a deep chasm. \"I''ve been here before¡­\"


    Another flashback of the previous night appeared in my mind''s eye.


    \"This courtyard here leads into the slave pens here,\" Zephyra said, pointing toward to the large one-story outhouse that was separated from the main building by a wide-open space whose edges overlooked empty space.


    Zephyra turned a kindly look my way.


    \"I''ve heard your friend''s voice before¡­ Dean, will find me. Dean will save me,\" she revealed. \"Like a ward that keeps his mind safe amid the horrors surrounding him. He believes in you.\"


    I could feel the tears pool at the bottom of my eyes and lowered my head so that the others couldn''t see. As if they hadn''t noticed it already.


    \"You''ll find him here. Zephyra pointed to the far room at the end of a long corridor. \"From what I understand of his worth, he will be heavily guarded.\"


    I wiped at my eyes with my jacket sleeve. Then I raised my head and thanked Zephyra for the warning.


    \"We''ll be ready,\" I said.


    Just as I spoke this, the sound of a faraway explosion reached my ears and sent my thoughts careening back into the now.


    Immediately afterward, warning bells began to resound across the estate.


    I glanced to my right and watched as a platoon of kobolds, about fifty of them, rushed past the courtyard and into another passage that led into the house.


    They didn''t even see me duck back into the passageway I''d come from.


    \"Looks like Ashley''s team have started,\" I explained.


    At the exit on the opposite side of our passageway, the sound of barking and loud voices reached our ears.


    \"I think it''s time we moved on from here,\" Aura recommended.


    \"I think you''re right,\" I said, grinning.


    The teenager in me who loved the old James bond movies couldn''t help feeling excited at what we were attempting to do.


    We charged back out into the courtyard about the same time as seven kobold guards charged out of the outhouse.


    Both groups spared a second to look surprised at each other''s arrival, and then, as if a flag had been raised, we all charged at each other.


    Aura was the first to strike. The firebolt she''d launched struck the kobold to the right of the one I''d targeted.


    An arrow lodged itself into the chest of that same kobold, killing it just as I''d reached its companion with my sword drawn.


    It wasn''t like I was underestimating my new opponent, but as I was riding high on last night''s victory in the alleyway against drow assassins, the kobold before me really didn''t stand a chance.


    As proof of this recent boost in confidence, a single swipe of my falchion was all I needed to cut it from one side of the stomach to the other.


    I didn''t even stop to watch it fall dead at my feet. I''d already moved onto the kobold behind it.


    At the corner of my left eye, I saw Luca overwhelm the kobold guard he squared off against. It wasn''t as clean as my own attack, but he managed to sever the kobold''s head clean off its shoulder in two to three strikes.


    My own target launched itself into the air using its powerful hindquarters and sent its scimitar crashing down at my head.


    I parried this attack, of course, but just as I managed to redirect him to my right, setting him up for a slash to his back, I was beaten to the punch by Pike dropping down from the air.


    She landed with her legs mounting the kobold''s shoulders, and in the next instant, Pike plunged her shortswords into the kobold''s head through its eyes.


    It was a really brutal attack that made me wonder about Luca''s tastes in females. But then I saw a half-burnt kobold run past me ¡ª a failed encounter with Aura''s Hearthwood staff, no doubt ¡ª and I guess my own preferences were just as weird.


    Qwipps dealt with the kobold who''d run away with an arrow to the back of its head. Enna and Varda each took down a kobold of their own. Just like that, our battle was over.


    \"Let''s hurry¡­ more enemies will be coming our way soon,\" I said.


    The others followed me through the open door of the slave pens and into the hallway beyond.


    It was another narrow stone hallway that was wide enough to fit two trolls walking side by side. Iron bars that served as doors for what must have been the slaves sleeping quarters ran along the walls at intervals.


    At a quick glance, I counted twelve to each side.


    At the far end of this hallway, the room at the end had been opened. And coming out of this room were two kobolds who were half-carrying, half-dragging a struggling Ty between them.


    \"Ty!\" I yelled.


    Id'' finally found him, and it was like a weight had suddenly lifted off me.


    Ty turned his in the direction of my voice.


    \"Dean!\" he screamed my name. \"Dean, help me! Please!\"


    I didn''t wait for my team to follow. I jumped forward with all the speed that I could muster while in my head I thought of how quickly I was going to end the lives of those two kobolds manhandling my friend.


    But just as I''d made it a quarter of the way along this long hallway, three gates with thick steel bars dropped at intervals between me and Ty, each one closing my path toward him with a miserable and resounding thud.


    I stared up at the nearest gate, scrutinized the thick metal bars it was made of, and hacked at it with my falchion.


    But my shadowblade barely made a scratch on it.


    \"That''s not going to work, Mr. Dapper,\" said a familiar voice in a familiar drawl that I absolutely hated.


    I glanced up and saw him looking at me from the other side of the farthest gate. There was an annoying smile plastered on his face.


    \"Mother f***er,\" I breathed.


    But it was Luca who''d said the cursed name out loud. \"Are you kidding me? Is that our good-for-nothing former Commander Roselle?!\"

 139 The Plan that Failed

    \"Muddamit, I think you''re right, Luca,\" Qwipps exclaimed. \"What is that shit stain doing here?\"


    He walked over to join me and Luca as we stood next to the first gate that had blocked our way to rescuing Ty.


    \"He''s probably here to give us a headache just like when he was failing to command us,\" Varda joined in.


    She''d moved over to Qwipps'' other side, and like the rest of us, the disbelief on her face was loud and clear.


    \"Guys,\" Aura wasn''t one to join in on the wisecracking but even she couldn''t help herself as she joined us by the bars. \"It''s not nice to make fun of an idiot¡­ they''re to be pitied.\"


    Despite the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of total failure, I really couldn''t help the unbidden smirk appearing on my face. Still, I wasn''t past the point where I could joke around. Not with Ty in danger so close by.


    \"What the hell are you doing here, Roselle?\" I asked through gritted teeth.


    \"That''s Commander to you, boy,\" Roselle sneered.


    \"Nope,\" I answered, my hands gripping onto the steel bars. \"Seriously, what is a piece of trash like you doing here?


    \"I''m here because of you, Dapper,\" he narrowed eyes at me. \"Because you didn''t have the sense to die when you were supposed to.\"


    \"That''s probably our fault, Roselle,\" Aura answered coolly. \"We tend to work well when we''re under the command of someone competent.\"


    \"Oo~~oh, scorch,\" Qwipps added.


    Roselle''s eyes, one red iris on the left and one grey iris on the right, turned their attention toward Aura.


    \"You¡­\" he spat that word out like it was bile stuck in his throat. \"You burned my lair and subordinates down, girl¡­\"


    Aura inclined her head toward him. \"Sadly, I didn''t get to burn you too.\"


    The fact that Roselle hadn''t shown a hint of fear against Aura meant he still didn''t know who she was. Thank the spirits for small mercies.


    But after a second of more posturing, he finally continued his tirade, \"I am glad you''re both here along with the obnoxious slave you call a brother.\"


    \"Dean! Help¡ª\"


    The sound of a whip cracking against flesh reverberated across the long hallway. It was immediately followed by Ty''s cry of pain.


    \"You mother fu¡ª\"


    But I didn''t get to finish cursing Roselle as he cracked the whip a second time against Ty''s arm.


    \"Argh!\" Ty screamed.


    \"Interruptions will not be allowed while I speak, Dapper,\" he lectured.


    He sent a smile my way, obviously relishing in the frustrations he caused.


    \"As I was saying, I am here tonight because of you lot,\" he continued. \"After fleeing Broken Sellsword''s Canyon, I made my way to the Westmarch¡­ And while you fools played at war, I joined the Under Ring and climbed my way up to its ranks, eventually landing myself as overseer to new slaves.\"


    Varda nodded in agreement. \"People finally recognize you for the piss-poor slave driver that you are. Congratulations, former Commander.\"


    \"Guys, you shouldn''t praise the psychopathic megalomaniac,\" Aura chided. \"It might make his head even bigger than it already is.\"


    \"Shut up!\" Roselle snarled, pointing a finger toward Ty. \"I hold the power here, you degenerates!\"


    There was a loud clanging sound as shadowblade met metal bars and the grating chink of steel breaking.


    I glanced to my left and learned why Luca, who''d hated Roselle more than the others, had gone quiet while the razzed him.


    Luca''s broadsword had bent one of the metal bars to near-breaking point toward the top of our heads.


    He pulled out his broadsword, and in the same motion, slammed down its shadowblade against the bars once more. But this time, at a spot just above our knees.


    A loud ringing assaulted all our ears as the bar he''d hacked at twice fell to the ground.


    Luca didn''t stop. He continued hacking away at the other bars while the rest of us pulled away out of caution.


    \"Stop that!\" Roselle roared.


    A second metal bar fell ringing onto the ground.


    \"I''m warning you!\" Roselle raised a whip, ready to strike Ty a second time.


    A bright orange glow appeared on my right, and then, like a missile launched from a rocket, Aura''s firebolt zoomed past the space between the bars. Flares sparked as the magic grazed the metal. It''s glow seemed to weaken with each pass through the gate, and by the time it passed the third gate, the firebolt was nothing more than an orange wisp.


    \"Hah! Did you think these bars wouldn''t be warded, foolish she-elf!\" he said, laughing in a self-important way.


    His laughter died in his throat, however, after a third metal bar fell to the ground.


    Without even waiting for Luca to pull his sword out of my way, I jumped through the opening in the first gate and charged forward with my sword raised.


    I wasn''t as physically strong as Luca, but my determination was at its peak. So, as I reached the second gate, I poured all my strength into that single slash, and ¡ª all I managed was a deep gash across the three bars I''d attacked.


    \"Shit!\" I hissed.


    \"Dean, move!\" Luca yelled from behind me.


    I did as he asked.


    And I was just in time too because Luca had launched himself forward with broadsword in both hands, and with a single sweep and a cry of, \"Wild Strike!\" he''d cut into the gashes I''d made along the three bars and sheered them in half.


    There was an \"Oo~~oh!\" from the audience behind us. Hell, even I was impressed at my brother''s reckless attack although I didn''t react aloud.


    \"Now, see here,\" Roselle began, but he was quickly silenced by Luca''s second Wild Strike cutting into the lower half of the three bars, effectively opening a second hole I could jump into.


    However, before I could go through the gate, a loud howl from behind reached my ears.


    I glanced over my shoulder and watched as kobolds came flooding into the entrance we''d come from.


    Enna and Pike were the closest to the door, and so they were quick to react, but I could tell that they would be overwhelmed by the new enemies if the rest of us didn''t help them.


    We were trapped, caught in a hard place between two very aggravating situations.


    I turned my attention back to the rear of the corridor and watched as the kobolds were once again manhandling Ty and dragging him through a side door.


    \"Dean!\" Ty screamed. \"Help me!\"


    \"Ty, I''m coming!\"


    \"Dean!\" Aura yelled behind me. \"We need you and Luca now!\"


    \"Shit,\" I said, hesitating.


    But Luca, after one final glance at Ty, had already turned around and doubled back to our team.


    I cursed inside as I knew there was no way I could break through the third gate without him. To choose between my friend and my party, Luca had taken that choice away from me.


    I watched Ty''s head disappear through the side door, and I knew we had failed.


    \"Roselle!\" I screamed. \"I swear you''re going to pay for this!\"


    I sent Roselle an angry glare that made the pixie take a single step back, his eyes with apprehension.


    \"N-now you know what it feels like to have your things taken from you!\" he yelled through the bars of the third gate.


    I turned my back on that fool of a pixie ¡ª promising myself that I''d make him regret crossing us a third time ¡ª and ran back toward my comrades.


    \"Luca, Pike, clear us a path,\" I ordered as I ran back to the front. \"Enna, Qwipps'' watch their back. Aura, Varda¡ª\"


    \"Spirits of the sacred flame, I call on you to ignite the fire inside these warriors.\" Aura raised her staff high above her head. \"Lend them your will of fire and send them your fiery blessing!\"


    Aura''s fiery blessing wrapped around Qwipps, Luca, Enna, and Pike like a glowing red aura, helping them intensify their attacks against our enemies.


    At the same time, Varda pulled out a large pebble from her pocket and raised it forward.


    \"Spirits of earth assist me in breaking bone, empower this pebble into a fist of stone!\" she chanted.


    A dim yellow light radiated out of the space between Varda''s fingers, and when she released the power from her hand, the pebble shot out of it, growing in size and turning itself into a boulder shaped like a fist.


    \"Duck,\" Varda yelled.


    As the others followed her suggestion, the fist of stone soured past their heads and slammed into three of the frontline kobolds, launching them back toward their allies behind them.


    \"Muddamit, Varda! That almost hit the back of my ehad,\" Qwipps yelled at her.


    \"I warned you to duck,\" she countered.


    \"Enough talking,\" Enna interrupted.


    She shoved her katana down on the chest of one of the fallen kobolds.


    Then she glanced over her shoulder. \"You people talk too much.\"


    She stabbed another downed kobold in the chest before the rest of them regained their footing, but by then, my team was already within range and we made short work of them.


    Once the dust had settled and we were the only ones still standing, I glanced over my shoulder one last time to look back at the side door they''d taken Ty through.


    \"Dean, we have to go¡­ There are more enemies outside now,\" Aura said. \"We''re out of time¡­ we can''t rescue Ty if we''re going to get caught here.\"


    I felt like I''d been robbed at the very last second. The frustration of it grated on my nerves. But, I wasn''t about to give up. Not yet. I had one more trick up my sleeve.


    \"I know¡­\" I said. \"Let''s get out of here.\"

 140 Escape Plan

    Running back out to the courtyard was basically jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.


    The enemies numbered in the upper twenties. Most of them were kobolds but there were a few pixies in the mix.


    \"Muddamit,\" Qwipps cursed.


    He notched an arrow to his bow and aimed.


    \"What now, Dean?\" Qwipps asked.


    The enemies surrounding us had their weapons drawn but they didn''t come charging at us. They were cautiously observing us, and I suspected it had something to do with the seven kobold bodies lying cold on the grass between us and them.


    They''d also blocked the way back to the main house and to the only exit out of the estate.


    The sounds of explosions and yelling reached our ears. The battle outside was on-going it seemed, and the enemies at the courtyard were thinking they were keeping us away from our rescue. How wrong they were.


    I faced right and turned my gaze on the cliff''s edge.


    \"Any second now,\" I whispered.


    Any second turned into a full minute and still nothing was happening.


    \"Dean, our hosts are getting restless,\" Aura said.


    I sighed right before I raised my falchion forward.


    \"Enna, remind me to kick your cousin in the butt for taking his sweet time,\" I said, pointing my shadowblade''s tip at the enemies in front of us. \"We''ll have to hold out until Thom''s team gets here.\"


    \"Easier said than done,\" Luca answered, pointing his own broadsword toward our enemies.


    \"We can do this,\" Pike piped in. \"Four for each of us.\"


    \"Someone''s optimistic,\" Qwipps added dryly.


    \"Better than being too negative, Qwipps,\" Varda added.


    She pulled out her one-handed war hammer and raised it aloft in one hand while her other hand had reached into her pockets and produced another smooth pebble.


    \"Four each sounds doable,\" Varda agreed.


    \"No, it isn''t,\" Qwipps shot back. \"Not in this enclosed space.\"


    \"You people talk too much,\" Enna reiterated as she raised her katana forward.


    We hadn''t planned it, but Enna''s banter-ending-counter was the moment we all decided it was time to attack.


    Luca and I both rushed forward. Enna and Pike followed close behind us.


    At the same time, a firebolt and arrow flew past us and reached our enemies before we could get in range.


    Aura''s firebolt flew straight into the mouth of the lead kobold just as he was barking orders at his companions.


    Let''s just say he won''t be barking any orders after that.


    Qwipps arrow, on the other hand, struck the arm of one of the archers at the back of the enemy formation. Just in time too as that pixie was about to fire an arrow aimed at me.


    Luca reached the enemy first. I''d like to think it was because Aura''s fiery blessing was giving him a boost because I just didn''t want to admit that he had longer legs than me.


    Blood gushed out of the fatal wound, spraying Luca''s face in red.


    Pike was right beside him and hacking at the arms of a kobold who''d raised its halberd to attack Luca.


    And while this kobold who''d just lost his arms screamed in pain, the rest of his fellows quickly recovered from our surprise attack and launched a counteroffensive that would have overwhelmed Luca and Pike if Enna and I hadn''t reached them in time.


    I plunged my falchion''s shadowblade deep into the chest of another kobold warrior, but the bastard wouldn''t die and instead tried to bite my head off with its canine fangs.


    So I pulled my falchion out of his chest, and with my next move, I cleaved his Doberman head off his shoulders with a sideswipe.


    As the head rolled to the ground, I spared it a momentary glance, and despite my frustrations over failing to save Ty, I still felt that painful pang in my chest at taking another life.


    \"Dean, focus!\" Aura yelled.


    I raised my head in time to watch a firebolt slam into the shoulder of the pixie that had flown down toward me with its sword raised.


    \"Your attacks sting but don''t actually hurt me!\" It roared in mid-air.


    A second firebolt struck it in the gut, causing it to double over in pain.


    \"Stop that!\" It screamed.


    A third firebolt streaked toward him. It was so fast that the pixie didn''t even have time to dodge. It struck the pixie''s face and knocked its lights out.


    It fell from the sky at the same time as Luca and I sent our shadowblades snaking across the chest of the same kobold. And after its top half fell to the ground, we argued on who exactly made the finishing blow.


    We''d stopped arguing after we heard Varda''s scream, \"Duck!\"


    A stone fist zoomed past the space our heads had been only a second ago and smashed squarely onto the chest of another pixie archer. The impact not only caused the archer to get thrown back, but it also broke the fist into tiny little pieces. These sharp pieces of rock struck bystanders with such force that they were akin to a shotgun''s scattershot, injuring two and killing at least one more kobold.


    By my count, that was at least ten enemies down. So, for just a moment, I thought that Pike might have been right all along and we would manage to take out all the enemies in the courtyard.


    But just as I was beginning to feel optimistic, a new wave of enemies excited the other end of the courtyard, effectively filling the space around us in hostile forces.


    \"Back,\" I called to my team. \"Move to the cliffs.


    As one, we disengaged from our enemies and moved in the direction of the cliffs.


    \"What was that about four foes each?\" Qwipps asked to no one in particular.


    \"Quit your whining and fire another arrow at them, Qwipps,\" Varda shot back. \"You probably can''t miss with this many guys.\"


    \"Hilarious,\" Qwipps countered.


    \"Should I summon the efreet?\" Aura asked.


    I shook my head. \"It''s better to not use the nuclear option while Ty is still somewhere in this complex. But I may need an Earth Wall to separate us from them¡­\"


    Varda gave me the thumbs up.


    \"I can use one final spell for the night, Commander,\" she said.


    \"Get ready,\" I ordered.


    I turned my eyes downward and noticed the shadows that surrounded us were lengthening.


    \"Qwipps,\" I called. \"Fire an arrow into that mass of bodies, will you.\"


    \"I don''t see the point beyond starting another fight, but what the hell,\" Qwipps shrugged.


    He notched an arrow to his bow, aimed, and fired in one swift movement, giving our enemies zero time to react.


    Qwipps'' arrow launched into the air, and when it landed onto the shoulder of an enemy kobold, it didn''t land alone.


    Several black-feathered arrows had embedded themselves into many more enemy bodies.


    I looked over my shoulder and grinned.


    \"You''re late,\" I said.


    \"It was difficult to find our way through the catacomb''s maze and set up the rope and pulley for your escape,\" Thom explained as he and his troops climbed up from the cliff''s edge. \"Not all of us have eyes that see beyond what others can.\"


    \"Hah,\" I laughed. \"I don''t need my eyes to read a map, dude.\"


    \"There will be time for boasting later,\" he said as he notched another arrow to his bow.


    Thom fired the arrow into the enemies, who, after seeing the arrival of our reinforcements, decided now was the time to charge at us.


    \"Now, Varda!\" I yelled.


    Varda was already kneeling with her hands touching the sand beneath her.


    \"I call on sand and rock and soil, won''t you wake for me and start to toil,\" she chanted. \"Wakey, wakey and stand tall, build for me a mighty Earth Wall!\"


    The sand beneath us shook. The very earth rumbled. Then, just before our foes would come within range, a wall of sand and stone spanning the length of the courtyard rose up twelve feet high and blocked us from those who would harm us.


    \"Shall we make our escape now, Commander?\" Thom asked.


    \"Let''s go,\" I agreed.


    The seven drow passed each of us a coil of rope which we quickly tied around our waists.


    We moved over to the edge and saw the glow of the light-emitting gemstone Thom had left there to signal the opening of the path back into the catacombs.


    \"I''ve never done spelunking before,\" Luca noted.


    \"First time for everything, bro,\" I said, tapping him on the shoulder.


    After one final check that the ropes were secured to the nails Thom''s group had hammered into the cliff''s edge and making sure Thom was holding onto the other end of my rope, I glanced over to my companions and said, \"No accidents, please. I''d prefer this night ended with none of us falling horribly into the abyss.\"


    Then I jumped down first and rappelled my way to safety.

 141 The Sponsor

    \"Muddamit!\" Qwipps growled as he plopped his butt on the chair. \"That was a stupid way to fail¡­ losing to Rosalind Roselle of all bloody people¡­\"


    The fairies and humans gathered around the table shared his frustrations. At least to those of us who''d served under the incompetent former commander, this felt like a slap in the face.


    Zephyra walked into the room we''d turned into our war room during our stay at her inn and laid out a tray of food for us to munch on.


    \"Best to eat and get your strength up,\" she said, turning a sidelong glance at me. \"Shall I bring your guest here when they arrive?\"


    I nodded my head. \"Thanks.\"


    After our failed attempt at rescuing Ty, our party along with Thom''s party escaped the Wailing House via the catacombs underneath the city. We hooked up with Ashley''s group outside of the Gold Quarter.


    We returned to the Bone Quarter and to our lodgings in the Nowhere Inn in sour moods and even worse tempers.


    The post-mission briefing was especially frustrating as there was very little to be happy about.


    Luckily, Ashley reported that there were zero fatalities on her end although a lot of our troops were injured and some of the wounded would be out of commission for the rest of our stay.


    \"You don''t look more frustrated, Dean,\" Aura noted.


    \"I''m definitely frustrated¡­ Ty was right there in the same room with us and I still failed to save him,\" I corrected her. \"But, this was never our only plan¡­ we still have a chance.\"


    \"It''s not?\" Luca asked.


    \"Care to enlighten us then?\" Ashley added.


    \"The auction starts tomorrow on the Night of Samhain which means we''ve lost our chance to rescue Ty before then,\" I said. \"That leaves us with only one choice¡­ we''ve got to outbid everyone else and win him at the auction.\"


    \"Um, I hate to break it to you, Commander, but we don''t have nearly enough in the coffers for an auction like this one,\" Varda explained.


    Everyone turned their gaze on Aura.


    \"I¡­ I''ll need to ask permission from¡ª\"


    I held up a hand to stop her. \"It''s okay¡­ we can''t keep running to your brother whenever a problem like this crops up.\"


    \"Then how do you plan to finance this endeavor?\" Aura asked.


    For the first time since our earlier failure, I actually managed a smile. \"I''ve found us a financier.\"


    That financier arrived not an hour later.


    Zephyra guided Kallista into the war room, her red cloak billowing behind her as she walked in.


    \"So, it seems you have need of my services yet again,\" Kallista said smiling at me and Aura, the only two other occupants sitting around the table.


    Pleasantries were exchanged, an inquiry to each of our journeys was given, and when we were finally done with the opening act, the real discussion finally began.


    \"In essence, you would like me to sponsor your undertaking to win the auction of your friend, and in exchange,\" Kallista began.


    But I finished for her, \"In exchange, we''ll give you exclusive trading rights with the Foolhardies for three years plus provide you with space to set up an auction house at Hoodwink tower that''ll be excluded from taxes we plan to charge merchants trading in the tower grounds.\"


    \"This is assuming you make something out of the tower more than the derelict fort that it currently is,\" Kallista added with a smile.


    \"You''ve seen our capability to make the impossible possible, Kallista,\" Aura continued, smiling back at the salamander auctioneer. \"And you''ll also continue receive the favor and patronage of house Trickhaven for more than the year we''d previously agreed on.\"


    Kallista picked up the teacup that Zephyra had left for her and took a sip of elf tea. She spent another minute or so with the cup in her hand, ruminating the deal we''d just given her.


    \"The investment required to purchase a chosen one would be considerable,\" she explained.


    Both Aura and I agreed.


    \"That''s why we''re offering you a three-year exclusivity contract plus a thirty-five percent share of any items we auction through your outfit,\" I reasoned. \"You should see your investment return within that time frame.\"


    \"Assuming you fulfill your end of the bargain and rise to the level of a rank close enough to general,\" Kallista countered.


    \"Dean will make general in three years,\" Aura said with a conviction that made me want to blush.


    \"Indeed,\" Kallista smiled her merchant''s smile. \"I have no doubt that your unit is talented, and their commander has shown remarkable growth in the span of months you''ve been active in the Fayne¡­\" She put down her teacup. \"But you offer me promises that may not come to pass. War, after all, is never a straight path.\"


    Inwardly, I couldn''t fault her logic. She was right. We were promising her something that may not happen after all. I could very well die tomorrow night.


    My brow furrowed due to my brain racking itself for a way to push the conversation where I needed it to go.


    \"What do you want?\" I asked.


    Dammit, I didn''t want to sound desperate but I was. There was no chance to free Ty after he''d been sold as that would mean going to war with a third party I knew nothing about.


    \"You wouldn''t have come knowing what I would ask if there wasn''t something you knew I could give in exchange for your sponsorship,\" I reasoned.


    Kallista laughed, and this time, it was genuine laughter and not the merchant bullshit she gave everyone else.


    \"You are intelligent, Dean,\" she said, leaning over the table so that she could peer into my eyes much closer. \"There is something I want more than the offers you''ve given me¡­ I want your fairy gift.\"


    If I was a cartoon character, my eyes would have popped out of my sockets after hearing what I just heard.


    \"Wait¡­ what?\" I asked.


    Kallista leaned back on her chair and crossed her chest.


    \"I want your fairy gift, Dean,\" she repeated.


    \"Dean, no,\" Aura whispered urgently into my ears. \"Your gift¡­ it''s not like most fairy gifts.\"


    I knew that. We''d talked enough times about the Sense Knights of the old Fairy King for me not to know just how much potential my fairy gift had. But it was Ty we were talking about. I couldn''t just abandon him, not if all I needed to do was give an eye. At least, I hope that was all I needed to give.


    \"How would you take it from me?\" I asked.


    \"Dean¡­\" Aura began, but I turned to her and said the exact same thing I''d been thinking just now.


    \"Dear spirits, I won''t cut out your eyes, boy,\" Kallista laughed again. \"Although it is interesting that you''d think so¡­ No, all I want is for you to bless my talisman with your gift.\"


    Kallista pulled out a rectangular case she''d hidden underneath her well-endowed breasts and dropped the case onto the table.


    I reached out and took it, inspecting the wooden case that was roughly the size of an iPhone.


    \"Open it,\" she urged.


    I did as she asked and separated the two halved of the wooden case. Inside was a blank card that was strangely similar in proportion to the tarot card I often saw in my mind''s eye whenever I activated Fool''s Insight.


    \"It''s a gift card,\" Aura breathed. \"But those are incredibly difficult to create.\"


    Kallista nodded. \"They are indeed hard to procure, but I have my ways.\"


    \"Someone clue me in¡­ what is this gift card?\" I asked confused.


    Aura plucked the card from my fingers and inspected it herself.


    \"Gift cards are created from mana-infused tree bark, which gives them the ability to hold the power of a fairy gift for later use,\" she answered.


    \"Wow¡­ that''s amazing,\" I said, plucking the card out of Aura''s fingers and inspecting it again.


    \"But the power stored in them can only be used once and then the card becomes useless,\" Aura explained. \"Creating a single card is very expensive which is why many have deemed gift cards a wasted investment.\"


    \"And yet,\" Kallista interrupted. \"With the right gift, such a card would hold great value. Indeed, I imagine a gift of the senses would fetch as high a price as what you''d ask from me for your friend.\"


    I placed the card down on the table.


    \"I never told you about my gift,\" I said, raising an eyebrow.


    Kallista raised an eyebrow of her own when she replied with, \"Is that really so surprising? I make it a point to learn whatever I can of those I choose to have dealings with, especially young human commanders who''ve shown incredibly speedy growth in the short time since his arrival.\"


    There was a smirk on her face that I couldn''t help but copy. I would have done the same in her shoes. In fact, I did do the same which is why I had so much faith in this salamander auctioneer.


    \"If the gift card is temporary, I assume you won''t take all my power from me,\" I guessed.


    Kallista nodded. \"A night''s worth per card, I believe.\"


    \"A night''s worth?\" I glanced down at the card on the table.


    There was only one there, but then I noticed that there were more cards in the case, a total of three.


    Both Aura and I glanced at each other. No Fool''s Insight for three whole nights with one of those nights being the night of Samhain itself. That was a scary proposition. After all, I''d relied on my fairy gift so much that I''d feel naked without it even for a single night.


    Luckily, Aura was quick on the uptake which is exactly why I asked her to stay with me for the meeting. She was the haggler after all.


    \"If we agree to this, then we''d prefer the trade happens after we rescue Ty and escape the desert,\" Aura insisted. \"Preferably when we''re all back at Hoodwink Tower.\"


    Kallista shook her head.


    \"That simply won''t do, princess,\" Kallista disagreed. \"I can agree to a little risk but I would need proof that this investment will not turn sour.\"


    She raised one finger to our eye level.


    \"One card tonight and we can defer the others once we''re all in a friendlier place,\" Kallista insisted.


    Aura and I gave each other another worried glance. But eventually, I had to agree to Kallista''s demand. There really wasn''t another option.


    \"Fine¡­\" I picked up the card I''d placed on the table. \"How do I use this thing?\"

 142 The Late Show

    \"Welcome to the Special Samhain Auction hosted by the Under Ring, proprietors of the Wailing House.\" A pixie in fine livery bowed his head to us. \"Might I see your invitation?\"


    Kallista, gorgeous in her tight red velvet dress, passed a card to him.


    He spent a brief second looking at the card before turning his gaze on each of us in turns.


    \"Welcome, Madam Kallista of the famed Rings of Fortune Auctioneers,\" he said in welcoming tone. Then he addressed us, \"And these are?\"


    \"My guests,\" Kallista said in almost imperious manner like she wasn''t about to be questioned by the doorman about who she brought with her.


    She pushed the pixie aside and walked in. And while he looked on at her with half of a protest stuck in his mouth, Aura, Luca, Shanks, and I followed her through the threshold of the Wailing House''s front entrance.


    It was ironic that we were walking in through the front door when we''d infiltrated and caused mayhem inside the estate only the previous night. Of course, this time we were disguised to keep the guards from noticing who we were.


    Not that the masquerade-styled mask that covered Shank''s face could hide his massive physique. The garish blue coat he wore did nothing to make him look any less conspicuous either.


    Luca, on my left, was dressed in a similar style. He wore the same masquerade mask and coat Shank''s sported as they were both playing the role of our bodyguards.


    But Aura, who was on my right, well, she''d quieted down an entire lobby full of self-important fairies and human viseres just by entering the hall in a golden gown that only served to highlight her beauty.  Indeed, it was as if Idunn, the golden moon, had come down from the heavens for a single night to walk amongst the mere mortals.


    Weirdly enough, that was exactly what happened in the fairy version of the legend of Samhain.


    Aura''s chin-length golden hair had been parted to one side and held together by a crystal hairband. Her beautiful face was uncovered, yet painted in the style of the old druids, swirls of leaf patterns forming across her cheeks.


    I did my best not to steal a glance at her for fear that my brain would crash. After all, I needed my wits about me tonight and.


    Ironically enough, Kallista said the same thing as she led us up the Wailing House''s central staircase.


    \"Keep your wits about you,\" she whispered. \"There are many vipers here tonight.\"


    The party made our way up the red-carpeted steps but were stopped just as we''d reached the second floor by a bald dwarf whose own cheeks had been painted with the word ''Leprechaun'' written across his rather large nose.


    \"Gorgeous Kallista,\" he called to her, raising his hands forward in greeting. \"I didn''t think I''d expect you at my auction. Didn''t you always hate trading in slaves?\"


    Kallista was a master at the fake laughter.


    The dwarf named Qarta stroked his rather impressively long beard. \"Count Oculus, you say? Don''t think I''ve heard of you before?\"


    This was my cue to step forward. And I did exactly this while ensuring to whip my black cape back with a flourish.


    I inclined my masked face to the dwarf while thinking in my head that my costume looked too much like that of The Phantom of the Opera.


    Qarta''s initial skepticism of me vanished almost immediately after he''d noticed the finery of my clothes and the jewelry that adorned my neck and fingers. All pieces Aura had lent me to complete the look of a wealthy slave owner looking for something new to play with.


    \"I hope you find what you''re looking for in our auction,\" he whispered conspiratorially to me. \"We of the Under Ring pride ourselves in providing our clients with every kind of pleasure or sin they could ask for.\"


    I felt my skin crawl as we walked away from him. I was certainly going to need a shower after this whole night was over.


    On the second floor landing, an usher guided our party to a private room that opened into its own balcony that overlooked the right side of the auditorium.


    The three of us took our seats in the balcony while Luca and Shanks stood behind us like the guards they pretended to be.


    \"I feel naked without my broadsword, Dean,\" Luca complained.


    \"You fight just as well with your fists, little brother,\" I countered. \"Take this as an opportunity to polish your skills.\"


    I ignored Luca''s sigh of protest and gazed out at the packed seats below us.


    \"Big crowd,\" I said.


    Just like your typical movie theatre showing the next big summer blockbuster, the seats were full to bursting with eager faces¡ªthe sleazeballs. After all, this was a slave auction.


    \"Promise me you won''t go crazy and try to free every human you see down there?\" Aura pleaded.


    \"Almost sounds like you think I''ll do something crazy and jump down to rescue all the slaves down there,\" I countered.


    \"You do strike me as someone who''d do that,\" Shanks added from behind.


    \"He''s definitely someone who''d do that,\" Luca agreed.


    I turned around in my seat to glare at him.


    \"I''m not suicidal, you know,\" I reasoned. Then  gave my brother the once over and noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. \"You sure you want to be here, Luca?\"


    Luca''s hatred for anything that had to do with slavery was legend in our unit, which is why I didn''t get why he insisted on joining us in this excursion tonight.


    \"I''ll be fine,\" Luca said. \"For Ty.\"


    \"For Ty,\" I nodded, before returning my focus to the audience around us. \"Anyone in this group we should be wary of?\"


    \"Plenty,\" Kallista admitted, pointing a finger to the front row of the seats beneath us. \"All those fairies are buyers serving some fairy lord or clan who couldn''t be bothered to attend this gathering.\"


    Kallista moved her finger to the opposite balconies on the left side of the auditorium.


    \"That lot, however, they''re VIPs that have come to this auction to attain its biggest prizes,\" she revealed. \"Tonight, they are the rivals we must best.\"


    \"Which one of them would likely give us a headache?\" I asked.


    Kallista pointed to the balcony straight and to the west of us.


    There, seated alone was a fiery-haired salamander who looked more lordly than any fairy I''d ever encountered, even more than the patriarch or Garm. He wore a golden robe that was the same color as the golden halo that sprouted behind him like a high collar of some kind.


    \"That is Lord Rah of the Sunspire Dominion,\" she said. \"Prime Minister of the Solar Conclave, second only to the Sun clan''s Patriarch.\"


    \"Can we beat someone that big in an auction?\" I asked worriedly.


    \"You have the interests of both the Lover''s Embrace and the Rings of Fortune backing you,\" she chided. \"Do not worry. Our coffers tonight are quite deep.\"


    From Lord Rah''s balcony, I glanced over to the right because that balcony had an interesting group of people in it.


    I saw a brown-haired man sitting in the center of a crowd of very beautiful fairy women who all seemed to be in different stages of undress. Or maybe they were all just dressed provocatively. I wasn''t sure.


    But I would have averted my eyes right away for fear of Aura thinking I was some kind of voyeur if I hadn''t just seen the brown-haired man send me a Mudgardian soldier''s salute.


    \"What the¡­?\" I whispered in surprise.


    \"Of all the people whose attention you could catch. It had to be his,\" Kallista smiled.


    \"Who is he?\" I asked.


    \"He''s the Lord of Stars,\" Kallista revealed.


    That was a rather big bomb to drop, and I would have followed up on it too if Aura hadn''t just tapped on my shoulder and pointed to the balcony directly to the right of us.


    \"Guess who''s here,\" she said in a tone that was half jest and half worried.


    I followed her gaze and immediately did a double-take, and all thought of meeting the Lord of Stars vanished from my mind.


    \"Hey, Luca,\" I called. \"Your favorite chancellor''s here¡­\"


    Luca narrowed his eyes after he saw Chancellor Kairon sitting snugly on the balcony right beside ours.


    \"He''s alone¡­ it would take just one leap from here to assassinate him here,\" Luca joked.


    Although, by the dark look plastered on his face, I wasn''t entirely sure he was joking.


    \"He''s not alone, Luca,\" Aura reproached. \"He only likes to look vulnerable but you can bet he''s got his guards hiding around behind him.\"


    \"I thought you said your brother didn''t want anything to do with the chosen one?\" I complained.


    Aura''s brow was knotted worse than I''d ever seen it. \"My brother and Orryn aren''t but Kairon tends to go off-script if it benefits him. And they can hardly manage to suppress his actions¡­ not when he has a great general backing him from the shadows.\"


    Yup, the Trickster Pavilion had a very Game of Thrones vibe whenever it came to the council and its generals.


    I patted Aura reassuringly on the shoulder. \"We''re going to spoil whatever plans he has for coming here so don''t¡ª\".


    I''d been glancing sideways at Aura this whole time and so I accidentally noticed the group of people on the balcony directly to our left. So, when I say my eyes went wide with shock then there was a pretty good reason for it.


    \"Mother f***er,\" I hissed.


    \"What?\" Aura asked.


    I pointed a finger toward the balcony on the left and watched as Aura''s own face change to one of recognition and surprise.


    \"Oh,\" she said.


    Oh was an understatement. After all, it wasn''t every day we ran into our rival. Yup, Ardeen Spellweaver was in the house, and he wasn''t alone.

 143 The Late Late Show

    \"Who is that?\" I wondered aloud as I stared at the female drow sitting beside my enemy.


    She had short white hair that was shaved at the sides which complimented the chiseled jawline of a fierce, but beautiful face. Her skin was so dark it was almost blue, and her pale eyes hidden underneath white brows were silver in hue.


    But what made this drow stand out more than all the other guests I''d seen tonight¡ªeven more than the Lord of Stars and his harem¡ªwas how she was dressed. Everyone else was decked in evening party outfits but this female had arrived for battle in a snug black vest that was layered with black scales on the chest and shoulders.


    To me, at least, this was a clear statement. She wasn''t here to party. She was here to go to war.


    The drow turned her gaze on me¡ªmaybe because I''d been gawking at her for way more than I should have¡ªand gave me a steely-eyed glare that nearly made me want to shrivel into myself like a turtle.


    She nudged Ardeen Spellweaver with her elbow and he turned to look at me and Aura too.


    I don''t know how he knew it was us but I could see the light of recognition on his face. He knew it was me hiding behind the mask as sure as he knew who it was sitting beside me. Not Aurana, princess of the Trickster Pavilion, as not even our own Chancellor of the Moon knew her secret identity. But he did recognize the she-elf mage who''d helped me in the previous war.


    Ardeen Spellweaver raised a hand in greeting, and for some unknown reason even to myself, I found myself greeting him back.


    This act earned me a raised eyebrow from my companions.


    \"Kallista,\" I called. \"You wouldn''t happen to know who that is, would you?\"


    \"Ah, that''s General Morrigan of the Scarlet Moon,\" Kallista explained. \"An up and comer among the Scarlet Moon''s military who has earned herself the title of the Black Hand of the Patriarch.\"


    I''d heard that name mentioned to me before in tones of equal parts awe and fear. The twins were especially worried about the title, and now I had a face to the name. There she was, the big bad general who''d interfered in Darah and Spellweaver''s war.


    There were more questions to ask but it was at this point that the lights dimmed and the curtains on the stage parted.


    All our eyes turned to the stage, and to my great annoyance, the host who appeared before us was none other than Rosalind Roselle.


    More proof for me that the Night of Samhain really was a night of misfortune. Here I was surrounded by enemies and I didn''t even have my falchion with me because weapons weren''t allowed.


    \"Greetings, honored guests, to this very special Samhain Auction brought to you by the faithful masters of the Under Ring,\" Rosalind said in a booming voice loud enough to reach even the farthest seats of the auditorium.


    His attire fit his role too. I didn''t think I''d ever seen such a colorful robe before, but Roselle was all about the peacock. Thus I dubbed him the clown in the gaudy rainbow robe. It was a joke I shared with Luca.


    My brother laughed. It was a laughter that quickly died in his throat after Roselle officially opened the auction with a teaser for the main event.


    \"Once in every blue moon, a child of Earth shall awaken to magic''s sweet tune¡­ A child that was once as weak as a flower shall blossom into one who holds great power,\" he recited. \"Beware vile fay who laugh in your tower, for here comes the one who exists to devour¡­ One chosen by fate''s red loom, who''s coming may yet herald the hour of your doom.\"


    I''d heard it only once before when Kallista had recited it to me on our way to the Wailing House, and I was surprised then that an actual honest-to-god prophecy had been made just for Ty. It really brought home the idea that he was a chosen one.


    After Roselle''s rendition of Ty''s prophecy had satisfactorily wet the lips of all who heard it, the slave auction finally began and it was as abominable as advertised.


    The first slave to be taken up on stage was a human girl no older than me. Blonde, blue-eyed, and very beautiful, she was naked and exposed for the audience to enjoy.


    The bidding for this, \"Exquisite human pleasure doll,\" as Roselle put it, began at one-hundred Leprechauns, the equivalent of four thousand US dollars.


    That price immediately rose to double in mere seconds. Then tripled and quadrupled in the short amount of time it took for me to feel sick in the stomach.


    Behind me, I could feel Luca vibrating with anger, and I was very glad for once that he didn''t have his broadsword within arm''s reach.


    Aura, thank the heavens, seemed just as mortified as I felt. That might have been the only reason why I didn''t lose my cool. At the very least, the one fairy that mattered wasn''t a monster like the rest of them.


    Well, that was a bit unfair as Kallista hadn''t even shown a bit of interest in the girl too. So I guess that there were at least two good fairies in that auction.


    The sale of the girl went as high as a thousand leprechauns, which from my recollection was all I had stored in my bank.


    Her new owner was none other than the Lord of Stars who, in my humble opinion, had too many females around him already.


    I felt bad for her. I really did, and I could even imagine Ashley or Arah in her shoes. But in their case, I would have given my leg and an arm to save them, just like I would for Ty.


    At least it was a human who won her¡ªa pervert, no doubt, but definitely better than the alternative. From what I understand about fairies and their habits in bed, there were a lot of fetishes, and not all of them were good for whoever ended up on the receiving end.


    The auction continued, and just like the blonde girl, all of them were human, all of them were despicably showed off like prized breeds in a dog show, only without the treats.


    There were so many of them being auctioned off, but a few would forever be etched into my mind. There were the twins, two boys much younger than Luca who''d been sold to a rather sadistic looking hobgoblin woman I would have nicknamed as the hag. She''d won them for twice the price of the blonde girl.


    Lord Rah of the Sunspire Dominion bought himself four new slaves of varying ages, ethnicities and sexes. I wondered why he needed so many until Kallista told me that he was into orgies.


    That really dampened Luca''s spirits. Mine was a little less fragile, but my hands had balled themselves into fists.


    Kairon had won four slaves himself. All of them athletic-looking humans who he no doubt planned to use as indentured soldiers similar to how Luca was.


    Each sale Kairon won required me asking Shanks to hold Luca back whenever he moved in the direction of the balcony to our right.


    After noticing that he''d spent nearly six thousand Leprechaun on his purchases, I had to ask Aura if the guy was spending the Trickster''s money, but she responded with, \"Kairon is one of the wealthiest fairies in the central region¡­ all the Leprechauns he''s spent tonight are nothing more than a glass of wine from an otherwise full barrel.\"


    Weirdly enough, neither Ardeen nor his companion bid for any of the slaves. That meant they were only here for one thing, Ty.


    Eventually, after more slaves were sold off to the shadiest fairies I''d ever seen in the Fayne, the big unveiling of the auction''s main attraction had finally arrived, and Roselle certainly did his best to make things seem festive.


    Ty was brought in amid a cascade of magical fireworks and beautiful half-naked fairy usherettes.


    My friend was naked too except for the iron collar they''d wrapped around his neck. It had been attached to a chain that was carried by one of the showgirls.


    My blood boiled, and it took all I had not to jump from my seat and rush down to the stage to wring Roselle''s neck and save my friend.


    It probably helped that both Aura and Kallista had hands-on pressing on my shoulders.


    As part of the act, Roselle took out the whip hidden in the folds of his robes and used it to strike Ty on his arms and legs, all the while screaming at Ty to, \"Show off your great power, chosen one! Show these fairies the might of the devourer! The magic of our doom!\"


    Ty screamed and screamed until he couldn''t scream anymore. With a weeping face, Ty raised his hand forward and the whole room shook like the world was ending.

 144 Bidding War

    Have you ever had that feeling where it kind of felt like you suddenly didn''t know who your friends were? Like they''d showed you a side to them that you never knew existed and it freaked the hell out of you? If you have, then you probably know exactly how I felt at that moment Ty showed off his powers.


    \"Holy shit,\" I whispered.


    And I believe that sentiment was shared by the entire audience. Ty had just whipped out a big one and everyone was staring.


    \"Spirits,\" Aura breathed beside me.


    Even Kallista''s eyes were glittering, and not in an ''I''m impressed'' kind of way. No, what I saw reflected in her eyes was more akin to worry or fear.


    \"Who or what is that?\" Luca asked, pointing a finger at the black thing floating just a few inches in front of Ty.


    \"That''s no ordinary elemental spirit,\" Shanks whistled.


    \"It''s not,\" Aura answered in a voice that was almost a whisper.


    \"It''s a dark elemental,\" Kallista added. \"Something far stronger than anything I''d ever seen before.\"


    \"You guys don''t understand¡­ you don''t see it,\" Aura''s voice was changing into one of alarm.


    And as I heard the murmurings around us, I deduced that she wasn''t the only one beginning to panic.


    \"Aura, what''s wrong?\" I asked in concern.


    \"Ty,\" Aura said. \"He summoned him of all spirits¡­\"


    \"Who did he summon?\" I asked.


    Aura''s eyes were bright with fear, and I could feel that fear seep into me from the bracelet she''d given me.


    \"Aura,\" I whispered her name. \"Who is it?\"


    \"Ty has summoned the Lord of Darkness,\" Aura''s voice was now so low we could barely hear her. \"He''s called on Samhain himself¡­\"


    Now, I often left the weird magic stuff to Aura''s management as I barely had a thorough understanding of it on account of not actually being able to use magic myself. But this time, I worried that my partner had somehow gotten her wires crossed. And I said as much to her.


    \"Didn''t you  say Samhain was a fairy king?\" I asked confused. \"Are you telling me Ty can summon the dead?\"


    Aura shook her head. \"There are two tales. One where Samhain is a fairy king and the other¡­ the other speaks of him as the literal elemental representation of darkness¡­\"


    I turned my gaze over to the stage.


    Ty was alone on that stage as the fear emanating out of the creature floating above him had driven away all the showgirls as well as the showboating host who''d forced him to conjure up the spirit in the first place.


    It wasn''t like Aura''s efreet which was already frightening to look at in itself. This dark spirit Ty had summoned, well, it was far more terrible.


    But the worse thing about this thing floating in the air wasn''t what it looked like but what was flowing out of it, a pitch-black aura that was making the hairs on the back of my neck and arms stand on end. It was obviously radiating fear in waves that not a single one of the audience could shake off.


    \"There was an old story of the lost monarch summoning the Lord of Darkness one Samhain night so that they could discuss matters of the Fayne,\" Kallista shared. \"I''d thought that was just another legend surrounding our fabled sovereign but it seems there was some truth to it.\"


    A third figure appeared on stage. It was the dwarf, Carta. Draped over his shoulders was a sword three times his size. It was made of stone and was intricately carved in fairy runes.


    \"Is that?\" Aura looked on.


    \"Yes, it must be Claiomh Solais, the sword of light which conquers darkness, the weapon of the lost monarch,\" Kallista explained. \"So, the Under Ring had it all along.\"


    \"It would explain why Samhain''s power has no effect on him,\" Aura agreed.


    Although the legendary sword wasn''t actually related to Ty''s situation, the fact that it had been revealed to still exist on the same night as Ty''s unveiling hammered home just how much of a big deal my friend was to fairies.


    I suddenly realized that even if we managed to rescue him, Ty''s life would never be the same. Even if he came home, he would never get to be just Ty ever again.


    That realization sent a biting pain to my chest, and I wondered just what I was going to tell Arah if Ty couldn''t come home as Luca couldn''t.


    Carta, unencumbered by the fear radiating out of Samhain probably thanks to the stone sword he carried, strolled over to where Ty sat shaking in the middle of the stage. He picked up Ty''s chain and pulled at it. Then he whispered arcane words that caused the chain and collar around Ty''s neck to glow bright gold similar to the golden light of the magical chains that bound Luca.


    Ty screamed, and then he passed out. And with its summoner unconscious, the creature floating above Ty glared once at Carta before vanished back into whatever void it had come from.


    Immediately afterward, the heavy and dark atmosphere permeating the auditorium dissipated and we could all breathe a sigh of relief.


    Quick to capitalize on Ty''s showing, Roselle jumped back on stage and yelled, \"Summoning the Lord of Darkness on the only night he can be summoned. Such power¡­ bidding starts at ten thousand Leprechauns!\"


    There was an audible murmur of discontent from the crowd. Ten thousand Leprechauns was certainly no joke. In Mudgardian currency, that was roughly four hundred thousand US dollars, which made Ty about equal in worth to a high-end Lamborghini.


    A hand was raised in the air. It belonged to General Morrigan of the Scarlet Moon. It was the very first time she bid for something in the entire auction.


    \"Ten thousand for the Scarlet Moon,\" Roselle called excitedly. \"Will anyone raise the price?\"


    \"Fifteen thousand!\" offered the attendant standing behind Lord Rah.


    \"Twenty thousand!\" yelled one of the companions of the Lord of Stars.


    \"Twenty-five thousand!\" Kallista counter-offered.


    Finally, our side had joined the bidding and the battle had well and truly begun.


    \"Are gift cards really expensive enough to balance twenty-five thousand Leprechauns?\" Luca asked.


    \"Off-hand, I''d say they''d cost five thousand Leps, easy,\" Shanks revealed, his brow furrowing as he thought about it. \"Price would increase exponentially depending on the gift though, and a sense-gift like your brother''s, if it really was linked to the legendary Sense Knights¡­ I''d say Kallista could make way more than twenty-five thousand Leprechauns at an auction just for one of those.\"


    I couldn''t quite believe what I was hearing. Was that really the value of Fool''s Insight? And here I was just thinking it was just natural to have alongside me, like a third eye. Sure, I''d heard both Orryn and Auranos tell me my gift was special a number of times, but to rival Ty''s power to summon a dark lord, that was a bit mind-boggling.


    Suddenly, I imagined making a bunch of gift cards and selling them wholesale to vastly increase the Foolhardies coffers, but then I remembered that my gift hadn''t returned since I gave it away last night, and I was worried that there could be lasting effects to such a transaction. I wasn''t even sure Fool''s Insight would come back to me despite reassurances from Aura that my figurative blindness was only temporary.


    Thinking about just how long temporary would last made my head woozy enough that I didn''t quite notice the bidding had reached the upper fifties until Kallista yelled, \"Fifty-five thousand!\"


    There was an audible, \"O~~ooh,\" from the audience who at this point were basically onlookers in the battle between the five high-rollers.


    \"Fifty-five thousand Leprechauns to the vivacious Madam Kallista of the Broken Sellsword''s Canyon Alliance!\" Roselle screamed in the air. \"Going once, going¡ª\"


    \"¡ªSeventy thousand Leprechauns!\" Chancellor Kairon interrupted in  a smug voice.


    My ears were just about ready to pop. Seventy thousand Leprechauns, the slimy turd had that much money?


    I could literally feel the frustration roll off Aura.


    \"Imagine what that kind of wealth could do if it was used to support the growth of our clan rather than serve the needs of one selfish fairy,\" she said.


    My response to her was interrupted by Lord Rah''s yell of, \"Eighty thousand Leprechauns!\"


    \"Ninety thousand Leprechauns!\" Kallista countered.


    \"One hundred thousand!\" the Lord of Stars shouted to the stage.


    It was the first time I''d heard his gruff voice out loud, but those familiar with him looked up at his balcony with unease. Here was a man who was a literal incarnation of this generation''s Sense Knights. He was so strong that he, a human, ruled over what was once one of the most powerful fairy clans.


    \"One hundred and fifty thousand!\" Ardeen Spellweaver countered for his team, escalating the price of Ty to astronomic proportions.


    From the obvious hesitation to offer a counter, even the other big bidders seemed to think that the last bid was a truly outrageous number.


    \"Kallista,\" I pleaded. \"I''ll make it up to you, whatever price I have to pay later, I promise¡­\"


    Kallista glanced back at me, and seeing the determination in my face, she sighed. \"Very well¡­ but we will have to renegotiate our agreement later.\"


    I nodded, knowing that I was effectively selling my soul to save my friend. I just trusted that Kallista would prove me wrong after all and that there were really fairies besides my crew that weren''t evil.


    However, before Kallista could make another bid, someone unexpected beat her to it.


    \"Two hundred thousand Leprechauns!\" called an individual sitting toward the very back of the regular seats in the stalls area.


    Silence from everyone present. Not just because the bid was so high it was bordering insanity, but because the individual who made the bid was a human, perhaps the only other human besides me, Luca, and the Lord of Stars in the entire auditorium.

 145 Any Number Can Win

    That moment of silence didn''t last long, however, as the crowd began to murmur to each other.


    The man¡ªfor indeed he was a man with tanned skin, slanted Asian eyes, and dark, curly hair¡ªrose from his seat and repeated his bid of, \"Two-hundred thousand Leprechauns!\"


    He wore a simple white robe, the kind you''d find non-combat viseres wore in the Fayne. So at first glance, you''d think he didn''t actually have the money to match his bid, but then people noticed the red cross painted on the front of his robe, and immediately the mood of the crowd turned.


    A single word spread across the seats, \"Pilgrimage¡­\"


    That word was enough to create a tense atmosphere in the auditorium. People fidgeted in their seats and craned their necks back to get a glimpse of this unwanted guest in their midst.


    In my head, I wondered why the Pilgrimage would want Ty badly enough to put that much money on the table, and if they were a human organization that supported humans and took care of them while they were in the Fayne, would it be so bad to let them take Ty?


    \"Dean, the Pilgrimage isn''t an altruistic organization¡­ they would likely use Ty to further their ends¡­\" Aura whispered like she''d sensed where my thoughts were going. \"He would become their weapon against the fairies.\"


    \"Aura''s right, you know. They''re terrorists, and your friend is the biggest bomb around,\" Shanks agreed.


    \"But why did they help us?\" I asked.


    \"What?\" Aura''s eyebrow arched.


    \"Remember what Qwipps said?\" I reminded her. \"They knew he was with the Foolhardies so they gave him all the maps he would need¡­ why would they give us the means to rescue Ty if they were planning to buy him tonight?\"


    \"I¡­ I don''t know,\" Aura admitted. \"Perhaps they were planning to take Ty from us or maybe they thought he was better off with you.\"


    \"Exactly¡­ they wouldn''t mind if I saved Ty, right?\" I explained, and then I swiveled my head toward Kallista and said, \"Make one more bid, two hundred thousand and one.\"


    This earned me furrowed brows from my team. But I ignored them.


    \"Luca,\" I turned to my brother. \"Run down to the stalls as quickly as you can. Inform the Pilgrim that Kallista is bidding on our behalf. Go!\"


    Luca may find fault with my orders but he never hesitated to follow any of them, and this latest one was no exception. He dashed out of our balcony and disappeared behind the door leading back into the second-floor landing.


    \"Dean, are you sure about this?\" Kallista asked.


    While we were in discussion, Roselle had already begun his countdown. \"Going once!\"


    \"Kallista, I promise, you''ll benefit from this as well, so please,\" I pleaded.


    Kallista let out a long sigh. \"Very well¡­ I do have something in mind that can balance out this debt.\"


    Kallista raised her hand. \"Two hundred thousand and one Leprechauns!\"


    A burst of delightful laughter came out of Roselle''s lips. So much for professionalism.


    \"Two hundred thousand and one Leps from Madam Kallista!\" Roselle repeated. \"Any other offers?\"


    I rose from my seat and looked down from the balcony to where the pilgrim was standing. Luca hadn''t arrived yet.


    \"Going once, going twice,\" Roselle repeated in a much faster beat than earlier. \"Going¡ª\"


    \"¡ªTwo-hundred thousand and two Leprechauns,\" the pilgrim countered.


    A light bulb lit up inside my head. The pilgrim had noticed my signal after all.


    It would have been strange for anyone who noticed it, the bid I asked Kallista to make which was an obvious attempt to buy time. And if he was willing to play with us, then that meant he was curious as to why we were buying time. No doubt, he would be expecting a message from me soon, leaving me to think that I was dealing with someone who was quite sly.


    Kallista made another bid of, \"Two-hundred thousand and three Leprechauns!\"


    The pilgrim responded much slower this time when he raised his voice to say, Two-hundred thousand and four Leprechauns.\"


    My ears picked up the sound of doors creaking open, and I looked down. I saw Luca rushing into the stalls of the auditorium and quickly making his way to the Pilgrim''s side.


    They exchanged words. Luca pointed upward. The pilgrim followed his gaze to me, and I knew it was time for that big gesture.


    I pulled off the mask I wore and revealed my face, not just to the pilgrim, but all present there.


    There was an audible chatter from the balcony on our right as well as tinkling laughter on our left. I ignored them both and forced all my will to bear down on the pilgrim gazing up at me.


    A moment of recognition later, he bowed his head in greeting. I copied his gesture. Then the pilgrim sat and I let out a sigh of relief.


    \"Two-hundred thousand and five Leprechauns,\" Kallista finished.


    Roselle, who had seen me pull off my mask, showed mixed feelings on his face, and I could guess what was going on through his mind.


    He loved the idea of me paying that much for Ty but he hated that I would get what I want. Still, it wasn''t up to him to decline such a big offer and he knew it too.


    Perhaps that was why his face turned sour when he finally yelled, \"Sold! To Madam Kallista and her¡­ companions.\"


    \"You realize this is just the beginning, right?\" Aura asked as the auction ended and we began to leave our balcony.


    \"Are you referring how interested parties will come after Ty once we''ve got him, you mean?\" I guessed.


    \"Indeed,\" Kallista laughed. \"It''ll be quite the battlefield the moment you step out of Undercroft¡­\"


    \"Why wait?\" I asked.


    \"The laws of Undercroft forbid stealing from a legitimate sale while in the city,\" Shanks explained as he opened the door for us. \"Failure to comply comes with very strict sanctions against the transgressors.\"


    He glanced outside toward the hall.


    \"Huh, perhaps some people wouldn''t mind the sanctions,\" he said in surprise.


    Waiting for us in the hallway were two groups of people, Chancellor Kairon and his lackeys as well as Ardeen Spellweaver and the general of the Scarlet Moon.


    \"Well played, Dean Dapper,\" Ardeen called in greeting. \"Getting the Lover''s Embrace and Rings of Fortune to back you tonight¡­ well played.\"


    \"I didn''t expect to see you so soon, Ardeen,\" I answered in greeting.


    \"Well, I found something interesting enough to require a trip back to the central region,\" he smiled. Then he nodded toward his companion. \"I don''t believe you''ve met General Morrigan Ravencroft of the Scarlet Moon.\"


    The general stepped forward.


    \"So¡­ you''re the child that gave my lieutenant a good thrashing the other night,\" she said, eyeing me from head to foot.


    General Morrigan let loose her killing aura, no doubt intending to scare me, but I stood my ground despite the biting chill rising up my spine.


    Warning bells sounded off in my head, a clear message that this drow was very dangerous.


    Then she smiled in that teasing way Darah often gave me.


    \"I like this one, Ardeen,\" she said with a glance behind her. \"Perhaps you''re right and we should try to recruit him to our side.\"


    \"I did tell you he was interesting,\" Ardeen Spellweaver replied.


    \"Wait¡­ what?\" I asked confused.


    Morrigan focused her icy gaze back on me.


    \"What about it, visere? Wouldn''t you rather be on the winning side of this great war?\" she asked.


    I was dumbfounded. I expected threats to hand Ty over but not a recruitment offer. I was so dumbfounded by her question that I failed to give a proper reply, and it took Kairon stepping in to save me.


    \"Enough with your jokes, General Morrigan,\" he said in a cold tone. \"Commander Dapper serves the Trickster Pavilion.\"


    The two parties glared at each other, and the tension rose a few notches up. Thankfully, Ardeen continued to be levelheaded.


    He whispered into his fellow general''s ear, and what he said must have convinced her as she turned away from Kairon.


    But as she stepped away, she turned one final glance on me and said, \"When you''ve grown tired of losing, child, I will listen to your request.\"


    Then she walked away.


    Before following her, Ardeen sent me an amused grin and said, \"I imagine we''ll be matching wits again very soon. I can''t exactly have you acquiring such a gift so easily, can I?\"


    As he turned away to follow his companion, I wanted to scream to him that none of the things that led up to tonight was easy at all.


    Sadly, someone else demanded my attention, and I turned to face the Chancellor of the Moon who gazed back at me with narrowed eyes.


    \"You will hand over the chosen one to me now,\" he commanded.

 146 Veiled Threa

    The response I wanted to give him was, \"F**k you!\" or, \"Go eat turd, slimeball!\" Perhaps even just the finger would have sufficed. Unfortunately, his standing in the council meant I couldn''t be rude to the fairy who was so obviously being rude to me.


    \"You will hand over the chosen one to me,\" he repeated, his hand out like he''d expected Ty was some small thing I could literally hand over.


    \"I can''t do that, sir,\" I answered. \"Tiberius Cruz isn''t just some prize. He''s my friend, and I mean to bring him home to Mudgard.\"


    If anything, this just made Kairon''s eyes narrow even more.


    \"You will do no such thing,\" he hissed. \"With the power he displayed tonight, it is the height of foolhardiness to think that boy will not be stolen again when you return him to Mudgard.\"


    I frowned. Kairon had voiced out the exact thought I''d been thinking in my head, and that was the fact that Ty was no longer free regardless of who rescued him.


    Kairon shook his head.


    \"No, his only chance at an acceptable existence is serving the clan,\" Kairon insisted. \"So, you will hand him over to me.\"


    \"If he''s to serve the clan like you insist, then why can''t he stay with my Foolhardies?\" I asked.


    \"You would not know how to use him,\" Kairon scoffed at me. \"You would be weighed down by your human sympathy and guilt. In your hands, he cannot be the weapon we need him to be.\"


    \"Ty isn''t a weapon,\" I growled. I was beginning to lose my cool. \"He''s a human being.\"


    \"Sentiment,\" Kairon sneered. He stepped forward and invaded my personal space. \"Very well, you leave me no choice but to pull rank.\"


    He stood to his full height, which for a spriggan was considerably tall.


    \"Five-hundred Man Commander Dapper,\" he began. \"In my capacity as Chancellor of the Moon for the High Council of the Trickster Pavilion, I order you to relinquish your rights over the human, Tiberius Cruz, to me. He shall serve the clan''s greater cause.\"


    I expected this underhanded bastard to pull off something like this, which was typical of spriggans, a fairy race known for being mischievous and thievish people. Why this kind of creature served on the council was beyond me. But I wasn''t about to let him have his way.


    Shaking my head, I said, \"No.\"


    \"You would disobey a direct order from a member of the council?\" he snarled.


    His three lackeys behind him began to draw the shadowblade knives they''d hidden in the folds of their robes.


    In response, both Shanks and Aura stepped forward. Shanks cracked his knuckles menacingly while Aura had raised a hand that was glowing at the fingertips.


    \"You will call off your attack dogs now, Commander Dapper!\" Kairon yelled, his eyes widening.


    \"Chancellor Orryn was the one who sent me here with the blessing of the Patriarch,\" I said calmly. \"It seems they''re fine with me taking Ty under my wing.\"


    Technically, this wasn''t a lie. Orryn didn''t order me to go, but he didn''t stop me either even though he knew exactly that I was going. At least, that was the message I understood from Grimthorn. Besides, I figured he''d let this slide if it meant foiling Kairon''s plans.


    \"Lies,\" Kairon hissed. \"I would have known about this.\"


    \"Like they know that you''re here, you mean?\" I asked. \"I was under the impression Chancellor Orryn had sent me without backup.\"


    Kairon''s eyes narrowed into slits. \"Careful, human¡­ you do not want to make an enemy of me.\"


    Um, that was too late. We were enemies the moment he stole my brother from my world. But I feigned politeness nonetheless.


    \"I mean no disrespect, sir, but I am here under orders relayed to me by Great General Grimthorn, and I''m sure both the Chancellor and Patriarch will back me as well,\" I said, smiling impishly, a trait I''d learned from Thom.


    The mention of the Patriarch along with Grimthorn changed Kairon''s tune somewhat. He knew I already had Darah''s and Aura''s backing. If Grimthorn sided with me too, then I was someone even he couldn''t boss around.


    He raised a hand to his lackeys, and they sheathed their shadowblades.


    \"Besides,\" I shrugged. \"This was a joint venture between the Tricksters and two neutral clans¡­ Would you even have the funds to repay them for Ty''s sale?\"


    Aura said he was rich, but even a rich fairy would have to think twice about shelling out that much from his own personal coffers, and Kairon didn''t strike me as someone who was fast and loose with his cash.


    \"You play a dangerous game here, young commander,\" he said. \"I say this again, give me the boy¡­ and I will forget this exchange ever happened. You do not want to cross me¡­\"


    This time, it was me who stepped forward, putting us within inches of each other.


    \"You crossed me the moment you stole my little brother away,\" I growled. \"Go away now, Kairon¡­ or you find out why the other council members think I''m worth their time.\"


    This was obviously a bluff. Not only did I not have my cheat of a sword, but I couldn''t even activate my cheat of a fairy gift. But I imagined Kairon had heard enough about me to be wary of the young visere from Starlight City.


    Kairon raised a hand in an action that might have ended with slapping my cheek, but the Chancellor of the Moon stopped himself before all hell broke loose.


    Instead, he leaned down so he could whisper a threat in my ear.


    \"Be careful, Dapper. Not all of us are enamored of you, and not all of us will stand by while you attain power beyond your station,\" he hissed into my ear. \"The nail that stands out will eventually find itself hammered back into the wood.\"


    With his threat finished, Kairon turned around and walked away from me. His lackeys followed after him, but not before giving me the evil eye.


    I breathed a sigh of relief when they were finally gone.


    \"I''m sorry, Dean,\" Aura said with a shake of her head. \"I should have stepped in before he got a chance to try and intimidate you.\"


    I shook my own head at her. \"This isn''t the time to reveal yourself to him¡­ that would cause more headaches for us, believe me¡­ Besides, if he didn''t recognize you when he was this close to you, then that''s his own fault.\"


    \"I believe he was too focused on you to even consider the princess,\" Kallista interrupted. \"That is one powerful enemy you''ve made, Dean.\"


    \"He was always my enemy. Now he knows it too,\" I said, shrugging. \"So, how about we go pick up our prize now.\"


    We''d made it all the way down to the first-floor lobby when we were waylaid by another visitor.


    She was a gorgeous, redheaded elven maiden with broad shoulders and a bust that could rival Kallista''s. I recognized her as one of the half-naked females who were hanging around the Lord of Stars. Only this time, she was fully dressed in a red party dress.


    \"My lord sends his greetings,\" she said smiling.


    When she offered me his letter, I had a whiff of a flowery scent. It was quite a nice smell.


    Weirdly enough, the she-elf had come and gone but I was still thinking about how nice she smelled. This prompted Aura to slap me lightly on the back of my head.


    \"You are too easily charmed,\" she scowled.


    \"Sorry,\" I said sheepishly.


    Then I opened the letter and read its contents.


    Congratulations on the win. I''ll let you have this one.  So let''s meet soon and discuss which fairy race has the hottest looks.


    - Chris Pint, Lord of Stars and Starfall


    \"What did he want?\" Aura asked as she read over my shoulder.


    I passed her the note. \"Not much.\"


    \"He certainly is¡­ an eccentric one, isn''t he,\" Aura said, her brow furrowing.


    Luca joined us on our way to pick up Ty. He wasn''t alone.


    \"Hello,\" said the pilgrim at his side. \"I am Liu Xiang, a representative of the Pilgrimage in the Undercroft.\"


    He offered me an honest-to-god business card as if we were in a business meeting at a fancy hotel.


    I raised the simple white card to my eye level and inspected it. On one side was the red cross that was also on his robe. It reminded me of the Knights Templar symbol that was popular in the movies. On the other side were his name and designation.


    Liu Xiang


    Logistics and Communications Officer, Undercroft Division


    The Pilgrimage


    Beneath the Pilgrimage was a quote.


    \"Not all those who wander are lost.\"


    It was a line from a poem in the Lord of the Rings, the one regarding the prophecy of the return of the king.


    \"We did not mean to intrude in your business, but as your rescue mission had failed, we thought it best if Tiberius Cruz did not end up in the hands of the other fairy clans,\" he explained.


    \"So that''s why,\" I said, my eyes narrowing. \"What does the Pilgrimage want from me?\"


    I might as well ask now that we were face to face. At the very least, I could glean some insight from his response.


    \"We wouldn''t presume to ask anything of you,\" Liu insisted. \"But we would be very glad if you keep rising up the ranks. Your growing prominence does have a positive effect on your fellow humans in the Fayne, you know.\"


    I didn''t quite believe his words.


    After he''d said his piece, Liu Xiang bowed his head and left us alone, promising that he would offer us aid if we needed help while in the Undercroft.


    \"What do you think of him?\" I asked Luca.


    \"He seems okay, but¡­\" Luca hesitated.


    \"Go on,\" I insisted.


    Luca sighed. \"Anyone willing to work in the Fayne, no matter how altruistic the goal, I don''t know¡­ it feels kind of shady, doesn''t it?\"


    I patted my brother on the shoulder. \"It''s good that you''re using your brain one in a while, Luca.\"


    He shrugged me off and laughed. \"Whatever, Dean¡­ Jerk.\"


    \"You''re the jerk,\" I countered.


    Our banter continued all the way to the acquisition room where we were greeted by Carta himself.


    After he''d confirmed receipt of payment from Kallista, he ordered his men to, \"Bring in the merchandise! I want that brat out of my house before anyone has thoughts of tarnishing this auction.\"


    After about a minute or so, the kobold guards brought in Ty. He was battered and bruised all over but they at least gave him normal clothes to cover himself with.


    He saw me, and a smile appeared on his bloody lips. A tear fell down his blackened right eye.


    \"About time you got here,\" he croaked in a hoarse voice.


    I walked over to Ty and gave him a hug.


    \"Sorry I''m late, man,\" I said in a voice full of emotion.


    I felt Ty shake in my arms, and I knew he was crying. I couldn''t fault him for it. He deserved to let it out.


    \"Sorry¡­\" he whispered.


    \"It''s all good, man,\" I said. \"Let''s get you cleaned up and ready for home, yeah?\"

 147 Mystery Road

    \"We''re surrounded,\" Luca proclaimed as he gazed out at the street from our second-floor window.


    His proclamation was more or less the same report I received from Thor''s kobolds and Thom''s drow.


    \"Can we expect their number to thin by dawn?\" Ashley asked.


    \"No such luck,\" I responded while I checked the map of the city laid out on the table. \"Mostly fairies out there.\"


    \"Um, I know I''m new to this and all, but, now that you''ve taken off my collar¡­ won''t dawn take me back to Mudgard?\" Ty spoke up from the chair furthest away from the window. He caressed his neck which was probably a response from remembering the collar that bound him to the Fayne. \"That''s how it works, right?\"


    I glanced over to my friend, freshly healed by Berrian less than an hour ago, and noticed he still had a scar on his left cheek. I had no doubt that a lot of his physical scars remained as not everything was healed by magic or potion.


    Even worse, the emotional scarring caused by his tortures was definitely still there. Just seeing how he was desperately trying to smile confirmed this fact for me.


    \"True, you''d get to go back to Mudgard, but when you return at dusk, you''ll arrive right where you vanished which would be here,\" Aura answered him.


    She''d been sitting at his side, acting as a proxy for Arah and just made him feel like he was safe among friends. Her caring nature just made her seem more incredible to me.


    \"You don''t have an anchor so they wouldn''t be able to bring you along even if they left, and buying you one right now won''t serve our purposes,\" I added. \"Because even if they left the city your anchor could still be stolen and you and I wouldn''t be around to help at all¡­\"


    \"Oh, yeah, you''re right¡­ Stupid question,\" Ty said dejectedly.


    I couldn''t really help Ty now so I left Aura to console him while I returned my focus to the map.


    \"There''s no other way out of this city, is there?\" I asked for confirmation. \"Just this one entrance that leads up to the oasis above?\"


    Zephyra pointed a finger toward the right side of the map which was opposite the entrance we''d entered. \"There''s a shaft here that leads to a cavern on the surface. But it''s a perilous path filled with unseen dangers¡­ which is why it was closed a few years ago.\"


    \"I know that shaft. Smugglers who couldn''t get in by normal means used to use it to get into the city,\" Shanks added.


    \"Used to?\" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Shanks scratched his head. \"Well¡­ I heard a lot of them never made it into the city¡­ got done in by whatever lives there.\"


    \"Muddamit,\" Qwipps swore. \"You just had to say it¡­\"


    \"Sounds quite foolhardy, Commander,\" Varda piped in. \"Which is probably why we''re going that way.\"


    \"You know me so well,\" I said. Then I turned to Ashley. \"Are you up for another decoy mission?\"


    \"Have I become your go-to sacrificial pawn?\" she asked wryly.


    Ashley noticed Ty staring at her with his jaw slightly hanging open.


    \"What?\" she asked.


    \"Y-you''re really A-ashley J-johnson?\" he asked tongue-tied.


    It was then that I remembered that Ty had a crush on Ashley back on Mudgard. This brought another smile to my face.


    \"You can ogle her later, Tiberius,\" I said in a very Arah like way.


    I rose to my feet and tapped on the map.


    \"Alright, here''s the plan,\" I began.


    The plan I cooked up went like this. Ashley would lead most of our forces along with Shanks'' caravan and Kallista''s retinue out of the city with all haste and flare. It was their job to get noticed and followed. Zephyra''s two children would join Ashley''s band for quick communication. Zephyra herself would join me and a smaller group of hand-picked fighters on our journey through the perilous shaft. Shanks'' would come along too in case we needed some heavy lifting.


    \"We have a few hours before dawn arrives so ideally, we''d all be out of the city and on our journey home by then,\" I answered.


    \"Once we''re out of the shaft, we can take a little-known southern trail to cross the desert while the other group takes the eastern road caravans usually take,\" Shanks suggested. \"It''s a more roundabout way but there should be fewer encounters.\"


    I nodded in agreement right before I turned to Ashley and gave her one final instruction.


    \"No fighting. Run if you can, but if you can''t then surrender and let them inspect your cargo. Once they''re sure Ty isn''t there, they''ll probably leave you alone and assume we stayed behind,\" I ordered.


    \"In case they don''t leave us alone?\" she asked.


    \"Then the message I sent Edo should come in handy,\" I chuckled.


    \"You do think of everything, don''t you,\" she laughed.


    \"I try to,\" I answered.


    With that bit of levity done, my instructions were quickly relayed to the rank and file and our exodus out of the city began to proceed.


    Our first step was to return to the Merchants Guild and reclaim our caravan, and after bribing the gnome official with an extra twenty gold for quick processing, we were on our way through the packed city streets full of slaves and fairy oglers.


    Of course, we were being followed by at least four groups of scouts, which I assumed were under orders from Ardeen Spellweaver, Lord Rah, Chancellor Kairon, and the Lord of Stars.


    Yup, we were a popular bunch.


    Halfway through the main thorough fare and our plan to split from the caravan ensued.


    The lead wagon stopped as if there was a problem with one of its wheels. At the same time, the wagon we were stashed positioned itself right next to a narrow alleyway that led to the catacombs.


    Quick as you please, my chosen party members jumped out of our wagon and dashed into the alleyway. We made sure we were undetected before we proceeded on to the grate at the end of this alleyway which was the entrance to the catacombs below.


    Shanks pulled open the grate with brute strength, and then one by one and with a torch in hand, we filed into the passageway beyond.


    Down at the catacombs, we made our way swiftly through the many turns with much more ease than the other night''s visit. Mostly because Zephyra had taken the lead, and it was all we could do to follow her as she zipped through one corridor into the next like a ghost in the wind.


    Eventually, we found ourselves taking an inclining path that ended in an opening that led to what was most definitely the side of the cliff similar to the one we''d used to escape the Wailing House.


    Along the cliff''s edge was a steep and narrow path. It was the kind of goat trail that skirted the mountainside.


    \"I''m kind of wishing we brought a few more drow with us,\" I said as I gazed down at the darkness below me.


    \"Don''t worry, Dean,\" Qwipps said, patting my back unnecessarily hard like he was making me lose my balance. \"I''ll catch you if you fall.\"


    \"Wow¡­ I feel so reassured,\" I whined.


    We continued to take this path in a single file with Shanks at the rear as he had the most difficult time navigating the very narrow path.


    It was a half hour later when we found ourselves standing at the opposite end of a stone bridge that led across the deep chasm below and into the other side of the cavern wall. At the far end, we could see narrow steps that led up into the cavern''s ceiling.


    There was one problem. This stone bridge had no railings nor did the foot space seem wide enough for anything less than a single person crossing one at a time. It reminded me so much of that Bridge of Kazad Dum where Gandalf faced off against the Balrog that I was imagining a scene where one of us, if not all of us, would fall down into the depths below.


    Luckily, we were way more fortunate than the cast of the Lord of the Rings as we all made it safely through to the other side of the bridge.


    \"So¡­ that wasn''t nerve-wracking at all,\" Ty said in obvious jest as the dude was sweating buckets.


    An equally anxious Luca glanced over to him and said, \"You get used to it¡­ I think.\"


    \"Man, I don''t ever think I''ll get used to that,\" Ty responded after a quick glance back at the bridge behind us.


    \"Let''s keep moving,\" I said.


    I shoved my torch forward to bring light into the passageway beyond the hole carved into the cavern wall.


    \"My visere senses are tingling,\" I whispered as I felt the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end.


    \"You and me both, Commander,\" Varda agreed.


    \"Don''t worry,\" Aura said.


    She raised her Hearthwood staff high so that the glowing orange orb at the top of it shed golden light in front of us.


    \"I''ll light the way,\" she said confidently.


    Then she stepped into the opening.


    Strangely enough, her show of power didn''t do anything to ease my apprehension.


    \"Yeah, I''ve got a bad feeling about this,\" I said right as I walked into the breach after her.

 148 Spiders

    The hole went into was the entrance to a round corridor that ended in what could arguably be called a shaft leading up to an even darker emptiness than the chasm we just left behind.


    \"I can''t see anything up there,\" Pike said, voicing out what we were all thinking.


    We could see nothing beyond the light of Aura''s Hearthwood staff. Our own torches seemed to be withering away by the second.


    \"Do we just climb up these stairs?\" Ty asked.


    He was referring to the rough stone-cut steps that zigged and zagged upward along the shaft''s four walls.


    \"You sure this is the way?\" I asked Zephyra.


    She nodded. \"It is the only way if you would like to avoid your pursuers.\"


    If the main entrance down into Undercroft via the oasis was a massive round hole with a declining ramp that was easy to walk across, then this side entrance was the exact opposite.


    A narrow shaft that I could liken to a chimney with a jagged wall and roughhewn steps that seemed just as perilous to walk on as the bridge we''d left behind.


    \"Well, we expected this kind of scenario to happen, didn''t we?\" I asked.


    I walked over to Luca and pulled out the rope we''d stashed into his bag of holding. Then I showed it to the rest of my crew.


    Ty took one look at what was arguably just a thin thread of silver yarn and said, \"I don''t think that can hold my weight,\" he spared a glance at Shanks'' direction, \"or anyone else''s¡­\"


    \"Relax,\" I said while unspooling the rope and passing its other end to Luca. \"This is elf-rope. It''s strong, durable, long-lasting, and even mold resistant.\"


    \"Plus, it''s cheap,\" Varda added approvingly.


    \"Luca will wrap this around his waist as he''ll take lead. I''ll go next as I''m coming after him,\" I instructed. \"Then Aura ties this on her waist. Then Enna, Ty in the center, then Varda, and then Shanks takes the rear.\"


    I looked over to the other three remaining members of my party.


    \"Zephyra, Qwipps, and Pike won''t be roped so you guys can fly and catch us if we fall,\" I ordered, and after a glance at Ty and Shanks who were our biggest members, I added, \"Work together if you need to.\"


    After we finished tying ropes on our bodies, we began to move in a single file, climbing up the steps as quickly as we could while not sacrificing our safety.


    Yes, I did say we were climbing. This was due to how uneven some of the steps were, some no bigger than rough purchases our hands and feet could barely hold onto, which made the whole exercise kind of like rock climbing.


    Up and up we went with barely any light to guide us as most of us had thrown our torches away because we needed both hands to find purchase. Even Aura had to strap her staff to her back so she could have her hands free.


    \"Hey, Dean,\" Luca whispered. \"This climb reminds you of anything?\"


    I wish he hadn''t said that. Of course, it reminded me of something, several things, in fact. But most clear to my mind was a scene from one of our dad''s favorite movies.


    \"You''re talking about the Stairs of Cirith Ungol, aren''t you?\" I sighed. \"The one Frodo and Sam took to get into Mordor?\"


    \"Uhuh,\" Luca glanced over his shoulder to look at me. \"You remember what was hiding at the end of it?\"


    \"Luca,\" I growled. \"Can you not think about that at a time like this?\"


    \"I''m just saying¡­ there are an awful lot of spider webs the further up we go¡­\" he replied as he continued on his way up.


    Luca was right. There were a lot of spider webs the higher up we climbed, some so dense that we had to cut them away with our shadowblades which, thankfully, didn''t get tangled in the webs due to their charred edges.


    Based on the evidence that we saw and our extensive knowledge of western cinema, I knew Luca''s unspoken theory was going to be right. I just didn''t want to admit it right away and feel even more unsafe. Sadly, fate was a cruel, cruel son of a b***h.


    Only a few minutes after Luca''s forewarning, we were suddenly beset by a sound that was similar to that of running water. It was coming from the walls both above and below us. As the noises came closer, the awful smell of something rotten assaulted our noses.


    My mind quickly put two and two together, forcing me to speak out loud, \"Luca, I hate it when you foreshadow something bad happening!\"


    \"What?\" Luca replied. \"You seriously blaming me for this?\"


    Draw your weapons, guys,\" I ordered. \"We''ve got company!\"


    \"What company?\" Ty asked. Then he added, \"And I don''t have a weapon!\"


    \"That''s because you are the weapon, Tiberius,\" Qwipps remarked just as he notched an arrow to his bow.


    \"He''s not a weapon, Qwipps,\" I growled. \"Ty just stay back and follow our lead.\"


    \"Enough talking!\" Enna scolded. \"They''re here¡­\"


    As the rotten stench began to overpower my sense of smell, the first of the creatures appeared within the boundaries of Aura''s light above Luca.


    \"Oh my God,\" Ty whispered. \"I hate spiders!\"


    It was the sound that caught my attention. In Mudgard, there was a type of spider that had specialized organs that produced a sound similar to that of running water. So it was easy for me to deduce that we''d be facing something that looked like a tarantula. And although Luca had definitely foreshadowed this conclusion, I couldn''t imagine the size of what we were up against. Not until we were face to face with them.


    The first of the giant spiders did look like a tarantula with black and red hair all over its bulbous body. Only, it was the size of a Great Dane. Poison leaked out of its jaws and the eight hairy black legs were tipped in jagged claws.


    \"Holy sh**!\" Luca exclaimed.


    \"Language,\" I replied in an appeal to brevity over our dire situation. No such luck. We were all feeling the fear. \"Qwipps! Kill this ugly thing!\"


    Qwipps launched his arrow. It struck the creature in one of its eight eyes but it didn''t kill it. Instead, it just enraged the creature enough to charge us. Behind it, a swarm of giant spiders followed its lead.


    \"Shoot it again!\" I yelled.


    Qwipps fired another arrow just as the giant spider arrived within range of attacking Luca.


    A second arrow pierced it in another one of its eyes.


    \"Stop shooting the eyes! It has too many spares!\" I ordered.


    \"Hit it in the mouth, Qwipps,\" Varda added.


    \"Everyone''s an archer now, huh?\" Qwipps complained.


    Not waiting for Qwipps to finish the giant spider off, Luca slashed upward with his broadsword, slicing at least two of the creature''s front legs.


    A loud screech escaped its mouth and it pulled away, suddenly wary of Luca.


    \"I don''t think they''re used to food fighting back,\" Luca guessed.


    \"Only merchant smugglers used to pass this way. I doubt soldiers needed to,\" Shanks explained. \"And they''re coming from down here too!\"


    \"Where are they all coming out from?\" Ty asked.


    Just as he''d said that the hole in the wall directly above him and Enna produced the same running water sound we could hear coming out of the spiders attacking us. Soon afterward, a giant spider peeked its bulbous head through the hole.


    Enna reacted instantly. She jumped forward and thrust her katana up into the spider''s head. And just as it began to screech in pain, she pulled out her katana and quickly decapitated the creature.


    Black ichor fell from the severed neck down onto Ty who was right below it.


    \"It''s all over me!\" he screamed.


    \"You''re not much of a chosen one, Tiberius,\" Qwipps laughed.


    Then he launched an arrow at a giant spider climbing up to us from down below.


    \"Muddamit, there''s more of them down there now,\" he called.


    I glanced down and saw four to five spiders climbing the walls directly below us. A few more of them were on the steps below Shanks. I saw one jump up to attack him and I saw his fist flying out to smack it away.


    \"Dean, look out!\" Luca yelled.


    I glanced up, a giant spider had just jumped down to attack me, and there was barely enough time for me to raise my sword to block it. However, I needn''t have worried about how I was going to repel and destroy this thing because something awesome happened next.


    Possibly because he was afraid his friend was about to die an agonizing death¡ªas if I''d be killed by a giant spider that was a mob monster at best¡ªTy''s fears awakened the power hidden inside him.


    It began with a biting cold that chilled the skin on my face. Then came the ice spikes I''d seen Ty us in my vision, but these were much more refined than before. Not simply a move that reeked of desperation, but a controlled show of power that really brought that whole ''chosen one'' thing to the forefront of our minds.


    These ice spikes scattered across the wall all around us, covering the very stone itself into a sheet of ice.


    Of course, anything caught by Ty''s untrained magic was either covered in ice too or worse, impaled in half a dozen ice spikes. This included the spider that had launched itself to attack me.


    Perhaps a dozen spiders had been caught in his area-of-effect attack, and the rest of them who weren''t caught quickly backed away in obvious fear.


    \"Whoa,\" I said in awe.


    \"What was that you said about him not living up to his ''chosen one'' status, Qwipps?\"


    Just as Varda said that, Ty lost consciousness and slipped. He fell sideways and would have fallen back to the ground dead if not for two things; the elf rope that kept him lined to us and Qwipps catching him before he could truly fall.


    \"Muddamit, this kid is heavy¡­\" Qwipps said.

 149 The Dark Stairway

    Ty''s little display of power had scared off the giant spiders. Honestly, it had scared me a bit too.


    I was used to seeing that level of power from Aura when she summoned her efreet but that thing was a spirit. Ty was human, and yet the traces of his magic were all around us. From the cold that chilled my face and hands to the numerous ice spikes jutting out of the rock.


    Like me, the rest of my team took a few moments to process what they''d just seen, and I was reminded that they hadn''t been around for the summoning of Samhain. Man, their jaws would have dropped to the floor on that one.


    \"Dean, we have to keep moving,\" Aura insisted, although her eyes were glued to the icicle right above her head.


    \"Alright, let''s move out,\" I agreed.


    An unconscious Ty was saddled over Shanks'' shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I assumed his current condition was due to him overtaxing his magic, and I made a mental note to ask Aura to at least train him in the basics so he could manage his power and be more useful to us.


    That thought made me hate myself. Here I was saving Ty from fairies who wanted to exploit him, and yet, I had the same thoughts of using him as a weapon like they did.


    \"You okay?\" Luca asked after he''d noticed the anger stamped across my face.


    \"I''m fine,\" I answered. \"Lead the way¡­\"


    We continued up the staircase after Luca had shattered a few ice spikes that blocked the way. And our trip had turned relatively safe for the most part as the giant spiders kept their distance, although we still heard them close by.


    Eventually, after what was a very long hike, we saw light above us that was a different shade from Aura''s Hearthwood staff. Nothing so great as moonlight peeking into a cave opening, but definitely the light of open sky.


    The sight of that dim light spurred us on, encouraging our tired legs to a second wind. It was also around this time that the giant spiders decided to make a second appearance. They came at us from below looking desperate now to keep us from escaping.


    Their hunger must have overwritten their fear of Ty.


    Unfortunately, Ty was still out cold so we couldn''t expect another spell from our new glass cannon. Luckily, we didn''t need him. Turned out, sylphs were also very powerful elementals like salamanders were.


    With a wave of her hand, Zephyra turned the air into a weapon and sent it crashing into the closest spiders, sweeping them off the walls and slamming them against their comrades behind them.


    If only that was enough to keep them away, but it seemed they weren''t as frightened of the wind as they were of the ice.


    More spiders spilled onto the stairway and walls behind us, climbing over their brethren that had been knocked over.


    We doubled our speed up the steps without a care for falling back into the pitch blackness below. But the damned spiders were hot on our heels despite the occasional airstrike from Zephyra or arrows from Qwipps and Pike.


    Aura couldn''t attack as her magic was focused on illuminating our way. But Varda had already begun preparations to cast her Earthen Wall spell for the exact moment I needed it.


    \"Just a bit more!\" Luca yelled to us from the front.


    \"Go, go, go!\" I ordered.


    It was the last leg of the climb and we were barely holding onto our lead.


    Giant spiders were crawling over the walls around us now. Very soon, we''d be surrounded again.


    \"Dean,\" Aura called, but I quickly responded with, \"No, Aura! We need your light or we''re all going to die!\"


    \"Muddamit!\" Qwipps yelled from his spot in the air adjacent to us, his gossamer wings flapping behind him. \"Who told us this route was safe?!\"


    \"No one said that!\" Varda yelled back. \"We were all very clear on how dangerous this route was going to be!\"


    \"Yeah, well, I don''t recall¡ª\"


    \"Qwipps watch out!\" Pike yelled from a position slightly above him.


    But Qwipps hadn''t seen the spider webs launching at him in time and he was quickly covered in the stuff. This was very bad as his wings were pinned to his back, and without them flapping behind them, Qwipps was about to drop.


    Quick as a panther, Enna launched herself from the staircase with her katana raised. As she crossed the air space to Qwipps, she managed to make several well-placed cuts that freed him from his bonds.


    With his wings free, Qwipps was able to pull up and escape the clutches of even more spider webs launched at him.


    \"Eugh¡­ this white stuff is all over me,\" he complained.


    Enna, on the other hand, continued to cross the gap to the wall on the other side. Her feet landed on the wall, and without missing a beat, she ran across it and made her way back to us with a second jump.


    To say that I was very impressed with her ninja-like movements was one hell of an understatement, and I resolved to have her along more often now.


    We finally reached the final step and found ourselves climbing up into a small cave with an opening that led straight into desert sand.


    \"Varda, now!\" I yelled.


    Varda slowed her pace. She allowed Shanks to get ahead of her before she turned around and planted her hands firmly onto the ground right at the edge of the opening of the steps.


    A giant spider launched itself up to attack her but it was repelled by a well-timed firebolt from Aura.


    \"I call on sand and rock and soil, won''t you wake for me and start to toil. Wakey, wakey and stand tall, build for me a mighty Earth Wall!\" she chanted.


    Like a lid of stone, Varda''s earth wall shut the opening tight with barely enough space for the giant spiders to peek through.


    I heard their angry cries from the spaces between Varda''s door and walked over to one just so I could flip them the finger.


    A spider web shot upward, but I dodged it just in time. Then I pulled out a canister from my pack, pulled on its pin, and then dropped it into the hole.


    I walked away feeling immensely satisfied as the sound of an explosion hit my ears.


    \"Was that a black powder grenade, Commander?\" Varda asked.


    \"Yup,\" I answered, still feeling satisfied. \"Extra power too. Zarz designed it.\"


    \"You couldn''t have used that earlier, Dean?\" Qwipps complained.


    \"Like I said, it had an extra punch I wasn''t comfortable having us be close by to witness,\" I reasoned. \"But we got out anyway.\"


    I glanced around at my party mates and their sweat-stained, dirt-streaked faces and thought they were a reliable bunch. Zephyra and Shanks too, and I was going to have to figure out a way to enlist them into the Foolhardies while they fulfilled their duties to the tower.


    \"Alright, let''s take five before we head out of this hell hole,\" I said as the smell of sandy cave air filled my lungs.


    We spent the next thirty minutes tending to any cuts and bruises we earned during our speed run out of the giant spider shaft. Then we had a midnight snack of elf tea and elvish wayfarer bread, both delicacies that helped to energize a person for another long journey.


    Incidentally, the bread tasted a lot like baked toast but with a hint of something fruity in it. Elf tea was always good, relaxing and warm to the throat as one chugs it down.


    Ty woke up sometime during midnight snack. No doubt, his growling stomach had something to do with it.


    He couldn''t believe me when I told him how awesome his magic was. Of course, I left out the part where he scared us shitless.


    \"I really saved everyone?\" he asked as he looked at the palm of his hands.


    \"Yup,\" I said, slapping him playfully on the back with my hand. \"But maybe you don''t pass out next time.\"


    Aura came over and offered Ty a vial of one of our precious mana potions.


    Ty reached out for the vial whose liquid content glowed faintly with its own inner light.


    \"What is it?\" he asked.


    \"You''re about to get a kick out of this, Ty,\" I said, laughing. \"It''s a mana potion like in those RPGs you love to play so much.\"


    \"For real?\" he asked as he gazed down at the vial in his hands. After a few seconds, he looked up at Aura from where he sat beside me and asked, \"Do I just drink it?\"


    \"Whoa-whoa, hold on!\" I said, raising my hand to stop him. I also glanced over at my partner. \"Does he really need to, Aura?\"


    She nodded her head. \"Ty''s been overtaxing the magic inside him. That''s why he lost consciousness¡­ I''m actually surprised you could still manage an ice spell of that magnitude despite summoning such a powerful spirit earlier¡­\"


    \"So I just drink this and it refills my mana? Just like that?\" he asked.


    \"It does refill your mana somewhat but it''ll take time for you to regenerate your own magic, Ty, so don''t overuse it anymore tonight,\" she warned.


    \"What happens if he does use magic again tonight?\" I asked concerned.


    Aura''s brow furrowed.


    \"Ty has no control of his magic so he''s using mana in excess even for the simplest spells,\" she explained. \"If he overburdens himself again¡­ I''m afraid he could die.\"

 150 Battle Oasis

    After stage one of our journey was finally over, stage two started out fairly unremarkable.


    We left the cavern that hid the shaft leading into the Undercroft an hour after midnight and stepped into the cold night air of the Westersand desert.


    Idunn, the golden moon of the Fayne was nowhere in sight. Although that was expected as it was still the Night of Samhain or what we Mudgardians would call Halloween.


    But we didn''t need it. We had our torches and Aura''s Hearthwood staff to light the way.


    As we trekked across sand dunes, I began to wish we had taken our swiftharts along because this journey promised to be a very long walk.


    After Ty complained of being thirsty, Luca reached into his bag of holding and pulled out a water flask which he tossed to Ty.


    He popped the flask into his mouth and took a long swig of water. When he was done, he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and asked, \"Do you have everything in there?\"


    \"Almost everything,\" Luca patted the bag appreciatively.


    \"Dude, that is so cool,\" Ty said admiringly.


    \"Wish it could fit a wagon,\" Qwipps complained.


    \"Who would pull it?\" Varda asked as she walked alongside him. \"Elkins wouldn''t survive inside a bag of holding. No living thing can¡­\"


    \"How about you conjure up some golems to pull it?\" Qwipps asked.


    \"Wouldn''t work¡­ they wouldn''t last for the whole journey,\" Varda pointed out.


    \"Then maybe Aura can have her efreet pull it?\" Qwipps added in a tone that suggested he thought it was some smart, out-of-the-box thinking.


    To which Varda replied with, \"That''s dumb, Qwipps. A fire spirit would burn anything it touches.\"


    \"Muddamit, you''re right,\" he said, his shoulders slumping.


    \"I always am,\" Varda replied satisfied.


    That exchange was about all the entertainment we''d get for the rest of the journey.


    We traveled in a southeast direction through the desert while hoping to make the rally point I''d set for the meet up with other friendly forces on this same night as I didn''t want to leave my party shorthanded while they waited out the day for my and Ty''s return.


    It took four hours of walking but we did manage to reach the designated meet-up location. It was a little-known Oasis that travelers rarely visited due to being out of the way from the Eastern Road commonly taken to get to the Undercroft.


    \"There''s no one here,\" Luca pointed out the obvious.


    \"We must be early,\" I said. \"Don''t worry, they''ll be here.\"


    I walked ahead of Luca and made my way over to the single small pool of freshwater surrounded by sparse bushes and trees native to the region.


    \"If you guys need to refill your water then now¡ª\"


    I almost missed it, the unnatural redness at the far edge of the pool, almost like it had been splashed with dark red paint.


    A dozen scenarios played across my mind''s eye ranging from my reinforcements arriving early and getting killed to an enemy ambush that had somehow been foiled. One thing was sure though, a battle occurred here not too long ago. And if my deductions were right then we were in deep trouble.


    I turned around and caught Aura''s eye. \"The water''s a little too hot¡­\"


    Aura''s eyes lit up with understanding. The others stiffened too. It was a good reaction as I had just given them the prearranged warning signal for an ambush.


    According to our drills, in an ambush against unknown assailants with little chance of escape and limited options, an outward-facing circle formation, was our go-to strategy. This would keep our backs protected from outside attacks while providing a three-hundred-sixty degree view of our surroundings.


    Of course, there were issues at hand. One, this formation worked best when used in tandem with Ashley''s shield squad. Second, Ty, Zephyra, and Shanks weren''t aware of the maneuver.


    Despite of this, the rest of my team performed admirably. They got themselves into position without any panic. Luca, Aura, Qwipps, Varda, Pike, and Enna formed their circle around Zephyra and Ty.


    Shanks, who noticed the formation, opted to join the line.


    It would have been perfect if I wasn''t ten feet away from everyone. But I opted to stay by the pool of water while they got into formation so my backing away wouldn''t draw attention.


    I would just have to move quickly when the ambushers came out, and that didn''t take very long. In fact, we''d barely managed the formation when they came out of their hiding places underneath the sand.


    What I thought was simply the closest sand dune on the other side of the oasis was in fact a camouflage of sand created by a fairy magician who wore a robe dyed in the blood-red colors of the Scarlet Moon Clan.


    It was an impressive bit of magic that I would have applauded if it wasn''t the fact that we were now faced with at least a hundred soldiers under the command of my rival, Ardeen Spellweaver.


    The one good thing about that big reveal was that he wasn''t accompanied by his more frightening companion, General Morrigan ¡ª not that Spellweaver wasn''t intimidating enough on his own mind you.


    My party had already drawn their shadowblades, but I knew this was a force we couldn''t beat with just ten of us.


    \"What gave us away?\" Ardeen asked in a curious tone.


    I nodded toward the pool at the same time as I drew my falchion from its sheath and pushed its shadowblade into waking.


    \"You didn''t clean up after yourself,\" I said.


    \"Ah, my mistake,\" he said, glancing around to his men. \"I''ve yet to drill my new soldiers into my style of tactics.\"


    He urged his swifthart forward, and following his lead, his men moved to spread out in a loose semi-circle. This served to cover our entire front.


    My eyebrow arched when I saw two familiar twins among the soldiers closest to Spellweaver. But while Connor did his very best to pretend like he didn''t know me, his brother, Collin, sent me an almost imperceptible nod.


    It was a sure sign that he, at least, was still on our side.


    I watched his mouth form words I couldn''t hear, but I was pretty adept at reading lips. He said, \"Stall for time.\"


    Now, I didn''t quite trust Connor McCord, but his brother Collin had shown me he was dependable. So I decided to follow his lead for now.


    I took slow deliberate steps backward.


    \"So¡­ how''d you figure out our route?\" I directed this question toward Ardeen.


    \"I asked myself,\" he raised a finger in my direction, \"what would Dean Dapper do?\"


    Ardeen''s swifthart had brought him to the opposite side of the pool of water now.


    \"There was really only one safe route out of that city, but I wondered if you would use a more perilous path to escape.\" Ardeen drew his saber out of its sheath and laid its shadowblade over his right shoulder. \"Based on your previous tactics, I deduced you would indeed try the more dangerous way. After all, you have shown a tendency for recklessness.\"


    He flashed me pearly white elven teeth.


    I continued to back away and was now close enough to my party''s encirclement to feel less like a solo target.


    \"I wonder what you found guarding that secret path?\" he asked, his face showing off mild curiosity.


    \"Spiders,\" I answered. \"Big ones.\"


    \"Ah, I see,\" he responded feigned politeness.


    I pointed the tip of my falchion toward the watering hole. \"Who does the blood belong to?\"


    Ardeen raised a hand, and after a quick moment, the McCord brothers came forward while carrying something between them. They dropped the dead body of a  fairy I recognized as one of Kairon''s underlings who I saw with at the auction earlier this night.


    \"I don''t suppose you dealt with our Chancellor of the Moon the same way?\" I asked hopefully.


    I mean, if someone else offed him, I wouldn''t cry tears about it. Sadly, Ardeen Spellweaver shook his head.


    \"He was not among his soldiers, although they had deduced the same thing I did and were lying in wait here for you,\" Ardeen explained.


    Aura and I shared a glance. Looks like we were right in thinking Kairon had plans of his own. This information needed to get back to the council somehow. It was another reason to stay alive.


    \"Pity,\" I replied. \"But I guess I should thank you for dealing with them.\"


    \"It was my pleasure,\" he said smiling. \"Well, I supposed you''ve seen enough danger tonight. I would appreciate it if this did not have to be a fight.\"


    At his words, I cocked my head to the side. \"Why not?\"


    It took him a few seconds to answer, but when he did, he said something that I didn''t expect.


    \"I enjoy matching wits with you, Dean Dapper,\" he answered truthfully. \"I would see us do so again on a much larger battlefield.\"


    \"But you want Ty,\" I answered quickly. \"And I won''t give him to you.\"


    \"Dean,\" Ty called from behind. \"If this is the¡ª\"


    I stopped him with a shake of my head. Then I glanced back at Ardeen Spellweaver and his men, but I really wanted to see was what Collin was doing.


    The brown-haired teen was facing north and staring off into the near distance.


    At a guess, I assumed he was looking toward the north because that was where the Eastern Road lay.


    I followed his line of sight to a spot on the horizon that seemed to be some kind of growing dust cloud. It took me a long moment to realize that the dust cloud wasn''t created naturally. Something was kicking up a storm over there, and if I had to guess, whatever it was on its way to us.


    \"I think you''ve got more problems besides me and my crew, Ardeen,\" I said knowingly.


    I pointed toward the north.


    \"Get ready, guys. Our chance to escape is coming,\" I whispered. \"Because it looks like we''ve got more company.\"

 151 Three Kings

    There was no other choice but to wait for the new guests to arrive as starting a fight now would only make either of us vulnerable to getting bit in the ass.


    But while Ardeen Spellweaver''s focus was turned elsewhere, I took the time to send Collin McCord an inquiring look that I hoped he understood to mean, \"Did you do this?\"


    He gave me another almost imperceptible nod which I understood as, \"Hell yeah.\"


    In turn, I sent him my own nearly imperceptible nod of approval which I hoped he took to mean, \"That''s brilliant! You couldn''t warn us about Ardeen''s plans in time so you found another way to foil it.\"


    He sent me one final nod as if to tell me he received my praise.


    Of course, this entire exchange was all in my head, but I could see the logic in Collin''s actions. Sending word to other interested parties of Ardeen''s predictions to bring chaos to an otherwise one-sided battle was the best chance we had to escape Ardeen Spellweaver''s clutches. It really was a good move to increase our chances of survival, although a highly risky one too.


    Things depended on who was coming. And as there were only a few people in that auction who could match up to the Scarlet Moon, I could easily guess who these new guests were. It was a few minutes later when that answer revealed itself.


    Now, I expected at least one of them to arrive, but I honestly didn''t think to see two flags rising high over the plume of smoke in the near horizon.


    The flag on the right was that of the red sun and yellow field of the Sunspire Dominion. Underneath it, a company of kobolds and elves led by a small group of salamanders had come into view.


    The second flag on the left was floating much higher in the sky than the first as it was being carried by a pixie at the front of a small army of pixies gliding above a second, much larger group of soldiers of all kinds of fairy races. Riding at the front of this group on a dark green swifthart with the largest antlers I''d ever seen was a visere with chin-length brown hair.


    Based on the flag above them ¡ª the falling six-pointed silver star at the center of a blue field ¡ª I knew immediately that the Lord of Stars had come himself.


    An odd thing that struck me about these new arrivals was their small numbers. Each had brought around a hundred only which was roughly the same size as Ardeen''s group.


    I pondered this while we waited for them to get closer, and I deduced that there was a chance none of them, not even Ardeen, was certain I and my crew would choose this route. If that were so, it meant that Ashley''s team was currently in a similar situation as us but with much larger forces to contend with. It also meant we had a time limit. Once those other forces realized we weren''t with Ashley''s group, they would immediately race their way here to reinforce the companies at this site.


    \"I assume the McCords had something to do with this?\" Aura asked.


    \"Yup¡­ It really is a gamble. This tactic Collin thought up, but at least we don''t have to deal with Spellweaver all on our own,\" I answered.


    \"There are enough swiftharts for us to steal, Dean,\" Qwipps added. \"Once the chest pumping gets underway¡­\"


    \"Yeah, I think so too¡­ But let''s sit back and watch the show for now,\" I answered. \"Enna, be ready to vanish¡­\"


    \"Understood, Commander,\" she answered.


    Their arrival was much more orderly than I would have thought it would be. I expected some arrow shots, a few sword clashes, even some name-calling at least. But no, they simply kept their distance from each other and lined up their forces to surround the other sides of the oasis.


    From a bird''s eye view you would have us to the right entrance of the small oasis with Ardeen Spellweaver''s unit to our direct east, Lord Rah''s company to our north, and the Lord of Stars'' troops to our west. Basically, we were in the eye of what promised to be a storm of shadowblades and blood.


    While the rest of their soldiers maintained their line, the other two leaders strode forward on their swiftharts, and I finally got a close-up view of my rivals back in the auction house.


    Lord Rah, astride his white swifthart, wore the same golden robe and halo collar he had on during the auction, but now he carried a golden spear in his right hand that had a shadowblade tip that leaked vapor from its edge.


    The tips of his flowing red hair smoldered as if they were a second away from combusting into flames. He had a sun-kissed face with reptilian eyes that were a deep crimson. The scale markings on his skin seemed to burn with their own inner light.


    The other rider who''d stepped forward was none other than the Lord of Stars himself.


    He was a big, muscular man who was shirtless underneath his leather coat. On his back were two identical-looking swords that were both as longer than my height.


    His wavy brown-hair was an unruly mess in the night breeze. He had a pale, scruffy face with bushy eyebrows hanging above wide amber eyes. His nose was straight like a movie star''s and his smile was the kind you''d see at a red carpet.


    Out of the three leaders, only the Lord of Stars seemed at ease. He moved his swifthart all the way to within six feet of our party''s encirclement. Then he sent me the same soldier''s salute he''d given me earlier in the night.


    \"You look like you''re in a bind, man,\" he said heartily. Then he leaned forward and said, \"Want me to bail you out?\"


    I took a few seconds to consider his proposition, but I couldn''t just accept without probing him some more.


    \"That letter you sent me¡­ you said you''d let me have this win,\" I reminded him.


    He leaned back in his seat. \"And I meant it, too¡­ but after I saw these guys mobilizing, I figured I''d come and see if you needed my help.\"


    \"I''m assuming there''s a catch?\" I asked.


    \"You assume correctly.\" He rubbed his thumb and fingers together. \"There''s something I want that''s in your power to give.\"


    He spared a knowing glance at Aura beside me.


    Thinking back on all the ladies around his arm, I was already prepared to reject his proposal. No way would I give Aura away to this lecher. But then he said something that was really quite astonishing.


    \"I want the scent of the fairy who survived the deadliest toxin known to the Fayne,\" he said.


    Before I could even finish processing that strange request, the other two lords arrived to join the discussion.


    The Lord of Stars turned his attentions on the other two, sending each of them an intense glare that they returned right back at him. It seemed these three weren''t about to back down from each other.


    After what was a tense non-verbal exchange of sizing each other up, the first to speak was Lord Rah.


    \"I''m surprised to find you outside of a brothel, Christopher,\" Lord Rah said, in a quiet voice that belied the intensity of his gaze.


    \"The south was getting a little too quiet for me,\" Lord of Stars replied in the same relaxed tone he''d given me. \"I thought I''d come up and see what kind of trouble I could get into.\"


    \"Liar,\" Lord Rah spat. \"You were lulled into my domain by the same thing that brought so many other fools.\"


    The three pairs of eyes focused on Ty, and he seemed to visibly shrink from their gaze.


    \"What will it take for you two miscreants to leave?\" Lord Rah asked.


    \"Excuse me?\" Lord of Stars asked with a raised eyebrow.


    \"You want to bribe us?\" Ardeen Spellweaver confirmed with a similarly raised eyebrow.


    \"You''re an elf who murdered his own father to attain power while this one,\" Lord inclined his head toward the Lord of Stars, \"is known to overindulge himself in all manner of pleasures¡­ Yes, I assume you can be bribed.\"


    The Lord of Stars laughed a long and hearty laugh that ended with the drawing of one of his swords.


    \"Those are fighting words, fire-eater,\" he said still in his jovial tone.


    The Lord of Stars brandished his weapon menacingly at Lord Rah who had pointed his spear tip back at the Lord of Stars.


    \"And here I thought we were in the middle of negotiations,\" Ardeen Spellweaver sighed.


    And while the three of them resumed another bout of death stares, Aura tapped on my arm to get my attention.


    \"I think I know what the Lord of Stars wants,\" Aura whispered.


    \"What is it?\" I asked in an undertone.


    \"He has the gift of sense like you¡­ his must be related to smell,\" she revealed. \"And the scent he wants¡­ I think he means the scent of my brother¡­ and if so, then we can give that to him.\"


    \"Seriously?\" I asked with a furrowed brow. \"You''re not worried about whatever perverted thing he plans to do with Auranos'' scent?\"


    \"We''ll deal with it then, isn''t that what you always say?\" she reminded me. \"What matters is that we now might have a definite exit strategy.\"


    I sighed. She was right. All other concerns were secondary to escaping.


    \"Alright, Chris Pint,\" my voice was loud enough to interrupt the argument of the three lords. \"I''ll bet on you. Get us out of here and you''ve got a deal.\"

 152 Star-Lord

    I honestly, didn''t like it. There were too many unknowns in this scenario, but given the circumstances, Aura had the right idea. This was our best chance to escape although I wasn''t entirely sure about what we were giving away. I mean, what use was the Patriarch''s scent to this man we were about to make a deal with?


    Chris Pint, the Lord of Stars, spared me a glance.


    \"What guarantees do I have that you''ll come through on your end of the bargain if I help you now?\" he asked.


    \"The same way we''re going to have to trust you not to stab us in the back when we escape,\" I said. \"The Law of Equivalent Trade!\"


    His eyebrow shot up. Then he laughed.


    \"A visere''s bargain, huh¡­ You''ve got some big cojones, man,\" he said approvingly. Then he took a big whiff of air into his lungs and after he exhaled, he addressed the other two lords present, \"Ah, you smell that, friends? That''s the smell of victory.\"


    \"You think I''ll let you take my prize from me?\" Lord Rah asked, his own eyebrow rising up.


    In response, Chris Pint pulled out a tiny vial from one of the many pockets on his belt. He raised this minuscule thing to the others'' eye-levels.


    Surprisingly, they reacted to it as if he was holding an explosive device. Both fairies pulled away from him. Both of them raised their weapons as if to repel whatever he was about to do.


    A quick glance at the clear vial confirmed that it had black powder inside it, more commonly known in the markets as boom dust. It was the same stuff inside that canister I used to blow up those spiders earlier.


    However, my canister was the size of a Coke can whereas the vial in Chris Pint''s hand was a small as my pinkie finger. It was a firecracker at best. So I didn''t understand why the other two lords had reacted in such a wary way.


    \"That''s right¡­ You two know what happens if I pop this cork,\" Chris Pint said confidently. \"I know you don''t want that¡­\"


    Ardeen Spellweaver said nothing, but he continued to keep his sword pointed at Chris Pint while maintaining the distance between them. Lord Rah, however, seemed about ready to pop at the obvious provocation. In fact, the ends of his hair were already smoldering.


    \"You think I''m afraid of you?!\" Lord Rah looked livid as he spat those words. \"Preposterous¡­ a measly mudman thinks himself my better?\"


    He raised his spear forward, and as his killing intent exploded out of him, the black vapor leaking out of the spearhead turned a fierce reddish hue.


    Those of us between them had to brace against each other as that killing intent brushed past us, and I was reminded of the heavy weight of Darah''s own intent whenever she sent it my way during training. It was more proof that despite his different title, Lord Rah was equal to a great general in power.


    A grin showed up on Chris Pint''s face. \"Oo~~oh, I''m shaking in my boots.\"


    He spared me another glance and winked.


    \"Go ahead and move over to my guys,\" he said still confident. \"I''ll keep Rah and Spellweaver here company.\"


    \"You will not move!\" Lord Rah hissed, his hair finally catching fire.


    \"Dean,\" Luca whispered.


    \"Do as he says¡­ go!\" I ordered.


    My team began to withdraw toward Chris Pint''s side while maintaining our formation, but Ardeen Spellweaver was quick to react. His swifthart bounded toward us, keeping us within range of his saber which was already swinging toward me.


    The sound of clashing shadowblades rang in the air as Chris Pint blocked his attack. And their swords locked only for a second before Chris easily pushed Ardeen back with overwhelming strength.


    \"Rude of you to attack them when I said I would play with you¡­\" Chris Pint uncorked his vial with a thumb and then raised it to his nose. He inhaled the black powder''s fragrance and then breathed out the words, \"Starry Savvy.\"


    Although there was no visible change to him, I could tell that he was suddenly different. So it was no surprise to me when I watched him easily dodge the spear thrust Lord Rah had aimed at his blind side. In the next instant, I saw him move his swifthart to the side so he could slash at Lord Rah.


    The force of the impact of his swing against Lord Rah''s spear sent Rah backward and almost knocked him off his swifthart.


    Ardeen appeared to attack Chris Pint''s flank, but Chris parried the attack by quickly unsheathing his other sword with his left hand and slashing it toward Ardeen.


    Both of the identical broadswords had shadowblades that were four to five feet in length with hilts that were as black as the charred edges of their shadowblades.


    Chris Pint used these broadswords to repel, parry, and block all attacks that the other two lords sent toward him with the ease of someone who, like me, had the knowledge of insight backing each and every move he made.


    Starry Savvy, he''d called it. I assumed that was his equivalent for Fool''s Insight. And by his earlier actions, I guessed that his gift was related to the sense of smell. If so, I wondered how it worked exactly. I would have to ask him this if we got out of here alive.


    By this time, my friends and I had reached Chris Pint''s soldiers. We were greeted by the broad-shouldered, red-headed elven maiden that had given me his letter back at the auction.


    \"Quickly now,\" she urged. \"You don''t want to get in his way!\"


    None of the other enemy companies had made a move to stop us, and after glancing back at the fight by the watering hole, I realized it was because none of them could.


    The fight between the three lords was so intense that their dance of death repelled all thought of interruption. We were merely spectators now, and all we could do was watch.


    \"Dean, he''s a sense knight, right?\" Luca asked from my side.


    Like me, he watched the match with eyes filled with awe.


    \"Yeah¡­ gift of smell, I think,\" I replied.


    \"Why can''t you do that then?\" he probed.


    \"Shut up,\" I growled. \"He''s been at this longer than I have.\"


    Although that was true, I couldn''t help but wonder at the gap between Chris Pint and me, how easily it was for him to fight two general class opponents as if he was playing around with them.


    Don''t get me wrong. Both Ardeen Spellweaver and Lord Rah were impressive. They were clearly at Darah''s level.


    Ardeen Spellweaver used a combination of deft swordplay and swifthart riding to give him near-perfect opportunities to deal a blow against Chris Pint.


    Lord Rah wielded his spear even better than Azuma did, with each attack a seeming killer blow against the Lord of Stars.


    However, no matter how perfect the setup or powerful the strike, neither of their attacks would become clean hits. In fact, Chris Pint was laughing as he dodged or parried their attacks.


    \"You can do better than that, my lords,\" He taunted his enemies. \"Show us poor Mudgardians what you fairies are capable of!\"


    He said this right before he''d slashed at each of them with his broadswords. The ferocity of his slashes was so explosive that neither Ardeen Spellweaver nor Lord Rah could completely block the attack, resulting in the first blood being drawn from both of them at the same time.


    \"It''s good that you''re getting to see this match, Dean,\" Aura said.


    I swiveled my head to look at her and found her eyeing me as well.


    \"Now you get to see the true potential your gift holds¡­ what it really means to be called a sense knight,\" she finished.


    We turned our focus back to the battle just in time to watch Lord Rah unleash a fireball at Chris Pint from his left palm.


    Now, I know chantless spells were weaker than spells cast through proper respect of the elemental spirits, but Lord Rah''s fireball was huge, and he''d fired this fireball at near point-blank range from Chris Pint''s head.


    On the other side of Chris Pint, Ardeen Spellweaver had also cast as a spell of his own. He''d bent the water from the oasis to his command and water-bended it into a high-pressure shot that streaked toward Chris Pint''s head too.


    With their obvious egos, I doubt either of them realized they were working together to beat the Lord of Stars. But even this combined effort wasn''t enough to stop Chris Pint.


    In that span of time it took for the magic to reach him, Chris simply urged his swifthart forward so that the two opposite elemental attacks would collide with each other instead.


    We all know what happens when a high-pressure water-beam collides with a charging ball of fire, right? Let''s just say a full stick of boom dust wouldn''t nearly be as explosive enough to match.

 153 Blood and Sand

    I braced myself for the shockwave that rushed out at us from the explosion caused by the collision of two opposite elemental magic attacks.


    As the wind pressure passed through us, a spray of heated water splashed over the skin of my face like I''d stepped into a hot spring.


    A cloud of vapor covered the battlefield, obstructing everyone''s view of the combatants. And yet, we could hear the sound of shadowblades clashing against each other within that cloud.


    \"Oh, great fool, turn all truths into one of color that all their secrets I might uncover,\" I whispered.


    Intense heat flared out of my eyes, but once this feeling passed the world that I could see had been drained of color, changed into shades of gray.


    The people were glowing white outlines which is how insight viewed my allies. The hostile soldiers of the other two armies glowed a fierce red. These were the basic colors that came about when the Eagle''s Eye was active.


    I focused my sight on the swirl of gray cloud at the center of the battlefield, and within its depths, I found three figures bathed in an eerie golden light.


    From what I understood of this new power Fool''s Insight granted me, the ghostly golden glow symbolized a truth or fact I wanted to know about. In this case, I wanted to know how the fight was going on within the obstructive cloud.


    Three figures danced a dance of death inside the cloud, their weapons clashing against each other over and over. It was no longer two against one but a free for all. Each one of them tried to take each other out while their visions were impaired.


    I knew Chris Pint had a similar gift to mine and this was probably how he was accurately pinpointing his opponents'' locations. However, the other two were able to keep up with him, managing to block his attacks while launching attacks of their own at each other. I was curious to know how they managed that.


    One of the three glowing figures, the dude with the long stick, started glowing brighter and brighter to the point that his golden light had turned into a fierce red.


    I translated that as trouble for me too, so I said, \"Brace yourselves!\"


    With a mighty swing of his spear, Lord Rah swept away the steam cloud surrounding him, and the force of that swing spread out and reached even us, spectators, a short distance away.


    Wind pressure past through us once more, and it was strong enough to cause my hair to get blown back.


    After the wind had gone, I quickly deactivated Fool''s Insight so that my vision would return back to normal. Luckily, the strain from using Eagle Eye hadn''t come as I barely used it.


    \"Geez, he''s a monster that one,\" Luca noted.


    \"Aren''t they all?\" I asked wryly.


    At the sight of their commanders on the ground, the red lights of soldiers from both armies began to stir.


    I think they might have even charged at each other if it weren''t for that third imposing presence who was still riding on his swifthart. Mounted, he clearly had the advantage over the other two were now on their feet.


    \"Hey, hey, hey!\" Chris Pint called. \"Why''re you two having fun without me?\"


    He jumped off his swifthart so that he too could join them at ground level, but seeing him giveaway his advantage made me want to facepalm myself.


    \"Why would you do that?\" I asked him, though as far as he was, I didn''t expect an answer.


    \"Our lord likes to have his fun,\" the red-headed she-elf answered.


    The other two combatants looked over to him, both of them eyeing him warily.


    Chris Pint thrust one of his swords onto the ground and used his free hand to pull out another vial from his belt pockets.


    I couldn''t see the contents of the vial from where I was but I did notice the red vapor the came out of its opening after Chris Pint popped its cork.


    Chris breathed in these red fumes like a junkie inhaling the smoke from a bong. And after this long breath, red veins began to appear across his face. They disappeared a moment later, leaving behind a reddish hue to the pale man''s skin tone.


    The Lord of Stars grinned, and then he picked up his other sword and leaped forward like a lion pouncing on its prey.


    Both of his opponents dodged his first strikes, but the space they''d left behind exploded with the weight of his attacks.


    Sand rose up to the air like a mine had just detonated.


    Ardeen Spellweaver flung himself headfirst into a counterattack, but as his saber came arcing forward it was easily stopped by the broadsword on Chris Pint''s right hand.


    In the same breath, the broadsword on Chris pint''s left hand was already slashing down toward Ardeen Spellweaver''s head. He managed to dodge it by veering off to the right at the last second.


    Sand exploded into the air once more as his shadowblade connected with the ground.


    Ardeen Spellweaver managed to get out of harm''s way in the nick of time, or so we all thought. But the Lord of Stars was relentless in his pursuit. He''d already stepped into his next attack immediately after his last one, and an elbow came straight at Ardeen Spellweaver''s head, smashing into his face and knocking him back.


    Chris Pint''s lead foot continued to step forward, and following the momentum of his elbow, the rest of his arm continued to sweep forward in a backward slash that might have been a mighty blow on Ardeen if Lord Rah had not intervened with a spear thrust to Chris Pint''s left flank.


    The spearhead missed Chris Pint by a hair as he managed to rotate his body just in time to dodge it.


    Ardeen, on the other hand, was driven back by the impact of Chris Pint''s elbow. He placed a hand on his bloody nose to staunch the bleeding.


    Like a starving beast, Chris Pint turned his glare onto Lord Rah next. He leaped the short distance between them with both his broadswords raised high.


    Lord Rah moved to repel him with a sweep of his spear but the force of Chris Pint''s attack knocked it away.


    He used one blade to parry the spear''s sweeping arc, and after successfully knocking it out of his way, the Lord of Stars sent his other sword slashing downward on the now unprotected body of Lord Rah.


    It would have been a fatal attack if a shield of flame hadn''t sprung to life between them in that exact moment that his sword came crashing down on Lord Rah''s form.


    Lord Rah himself hadn''t cast the spell. He couldn''t have as he was in no position to have cast a spell, even a chantless one.


    No, I knew it hadn''t been him, and I was proven right a second later as Chris Pint roared in the direction of Lord Rah''s troops, \"Don''t get in the way of our duel!\"


    An enraged Chris Pint swung his sword forward and threw it with blinding speed. It flew off like a rocket in flight and impaled itself onto the chest of a salamander magician from Lord Rah''s army who had his arms raised in spell casting fashion.


    The salamander coughed up blood right before he toppled over.


    Lord Rah screamed the name of his subordinate, \"No, Rafah!\"


    But he could do little else as Chris Pint renewed his assault on Lord Rah. All Rah could manage was block one attack after another.


    Seeing their comrade fall in front of them, I saw the murderous rage overwhelm Lord Rah''s troops, and like a dam bursting at the seams, they spilled forth into the battleground.


    From around me, the soldiers under Chris Pint''s command charged too as if they were waiting for this exact moment to occur. They at least seemed ready for the upcoming fight.


    \"What about us, Dean?\" Luca asked.


    \"Muddamit, we''re going to join in, aren''t we?\" Qwipps added.


    \"What do you think, Qwipps?\" Varda asked. \"Commander''s not the type to shy away from a fight.\"


    \"Dean,\" Aura whispered urgently.


    I ignored their questions. My focus was glued onto Ardeen Spellweaver who, despite the bloody face, seemed pleased with what was happening. In fact, he looked like he was disinterested in joining this free for all.


    It was definitely the smart play. Keep his troops at bay and wait for the battle to resolve itself and then take on the weakened winner afterward.


    However, I wasn''t about to let Ardeen Spellweaver of all people have his way. I required more chaos to set my plan into action.


    I turned my gaze on Collin McCord who was also gazing back at me in that exact moment. The dude really was reliable.


    \"Incite your guys to fight,\" I mouthed.


    To my relief, he nodded despite knowing he was about to willingly put himself in danger to help us.


    I didn''t hear what he said to his fellow soldiers, but I did hear the cheer rise out of them afterward.


    Ardeen Spellweaver turned around too late. His men were already charging forward. As he realized that they would not head his command to stop, the smile on his face faltered.


    Of course, he couldn''t ask them to stop. He himself told me earlier that he hadn''t trained these men in his tactics yet so I was certain he didn''t have a secure enough hold on them to dampen the bloodlust that grew in them as they watched the fight from the sidelines.


    Nope, Ardeen Spellweaver wasn''t smiling anymore. That smile belonged to me now. Only, my smile didn''t last long either. For as I turned to tell my comrades that we wouldn''t be joining the fight but instead escape south amidst this chaos, the sound of war horns filled the air.

 154 Home Again

    The sound of war horns in the air reverberated across the oasis, quickly bringing an end to the chaos that had just begun.


    Soldiers in attack poses were forced to hold themselves back as no one was certain which reinforcements had arrived first.


    For me, the horns were the final nail in the coffin of my plan to escape undetected while the three companies battled it out.


    Although I did trust the Lord of Stars to hold his part of the bargain, I was still in favor of escaping without owing him anything, least of all the scent of the Trickster Pavilion''s Patriarch. Especially now that I knew he was this generation''s sense knight of smells.


    Sadly, the incoming reinforcements now made that impossible. If they were aligned with the other two lords, then we would need Chris Pint''s help to breakthrough them. If they were his reinforcements then there would be no escaping either. It was a lose-lose scenario either way.


    \"Dean, I see their flag,\" Luca said, pointing behind us, toward the cloud of dust being kicked up by the hundreds of swifthart riders heading to our oasis. \"It''s the Starfall clan.\"


    \"Well, that settles it,\" I said. \"We''ll wait here then.\"


    Soon enough, all combatants became aware that the reinforcements belonged to the Starfall clan. Cheers rang out from the soldiers on our side.


    A mad rush to reform lines began among the other two armies.


    When the dust cloud had finally settled, only three people remained at the center of the Oasis and these were the same three people who were duking it out earlier.


    \"Looks like I win this round,\" Chris Pint taunted his two rivals.


    Lord Rah kept his spear pointed at Chris Pint. \"This is not over¡­ not until I kill you!\"


    It sounded like he''d lost interest in Ty and had now placed all his attentions on the Lord of Stars.


    \"Sure, we can keep fighting if you want,\" Chris Pint agreed. \"But then my guys will kill more of your guys and you''ll be too busy defending against me to help them.\"


    Lord Rah glanced around at his forces, and then at the army that had just arrived to bolster Chris Pint''s forces.


    I too followed his line of sight and glanced over my shoulder, and what I could see was fairly impressive. At a quick glance, I guessed that there were at least five-hundred, probably more.


    The first group from the Starfall clan was a mix of fairy races. This second group was an armored cavalry comprised solely of human viseres. Like stars set against the backdrop of black canvas, their polished silver armor glinted even under the moonless sky. The tips of their spears also seemed to glow with their own inner light.


    The sight of these newcomers seemed to deflate the rage brewing in Lord Rah. In fact, you could visibly see the fire go out at the tips of his hair.


    \"You''re welcome to try again anytime, Rah,\" Chris Pint called his swifthart over. And as he readied to mount it, he turned his gave toward his other opponent. \"You cool with walking away, Spellweaver?\"


    Ardeen Spellweaver sheathed his saber. \"For now. We''ll see each other again before long.\"


    Chris Pint laughed as he mounted his swifthart. \"I guess I''ll see you two later then. Looking forward to it.\"


    And with that final word, he turned his back on them and rode over to his troops, signaling the end of the battle at the oasis.


    ---


    Our time in the oasis had eaten up most of our night so it was no surprise when an hour later, Ty and I were greeting the rising dawn as we walked across the wet grass of the Elfwood Circle Stones.


    I breathed in the smell of trees and earth and Mudgardian air while thanking my lucky stars that we survived the night. No, it wasn''t over. This was simply a reprieve for Ty and me while the others waited for our return to the Fayne at night.


    Chris Pint had promised to take care of my team, and I found myself believing in him despite the fact I''d just met him.


    During that last hour where we were in his company, he revealed to us that he''d actually bet I would decide to take the more troublesome route, and so he''d sent all the forces he brought with him to the oasis.


    \"So that''s why they arrived at our backs and not from the north,\" I realized.


    \"Misdirection, my friend¡­ that''s how you win battles,\" he said, laughing.


    \"But why not just take all your soldiers with you? Wouldn''t that have been easier?\" I asked.


    \"Where''s the fun in that?\" Chris Pint asked with a raised eyebrow.


    To prove his point, within that hour, three more five-hundred man companies joined our journey south. The sly dog had been hiding a total of two-thousand soldiers in the desert ready to ambush Lord Rah and Ardeen Spellweaver if they chose to be stubborn.


    \"Our lord likes to have his fun,\" repeated the red-headed she-elf whose name I now knew was Thea. \"It''s all a game to him, you see.\"


    I could believe that. After all, the man did gamble on my insistence to pursue more reckless plans. In a way, we were alike. Bet high, win big and all that.


    \"We''re really home, right?\" Ty asked.


    His question sent my mind back to the here and now, and I joined him in glancing back at the center of the circle of stones where we''d magically popped out of.


    \"Yeah, we''re home, man,\" I said, patting him in the back.


    \"All your stories about the Fayne¡­ It was all so out-of-this-world that a part of me never really believed it, you know?\" he admitted, lowering his head as he did. \"And there I was, a slave¡­\"


    My brow furrowed. I couldn''t let Ty spiral down into a depression similar to Luca. He, at least, got out, even if he does have to come back every night from today onward.


    \"It''s not all bad, dude,\" I said placating. \"You can use magic. You''re like the only human in both worlds who can.\"


    Ty turned his face toward me and I could see the sheepish grin on his face. The sight of it made me laugh which in turn made him laugh, and we continued to laugh until our stomachs hurt.


    \"If you forget the bad stuff¡­ like the whole torture and slavery bit, it kind of feels like we''re in one of those transmigration novels that are super famous now,\" Ty said.


    \"Sure¡­ if we forget the bad stuff, I see that comparison,\" I laughed again.


    Ty scratched his head. \"Yeah¡­ you think I''ll get a harem?\"


    I smacked him in the shoulder.


    \"Why would you get a harem before me, dumbass,\" I countered. Then my mind drifted off to that special place where I kept a mental image of a pretty blonde elf with blue eyes and a smile that lit up any room she was in. A lopsided grin formed on my face. \"Definitely a lot of pretty fairies to start a harem with.\"


    \"Definitely,\" Ty agreed. \"But you know they make them fine over here too.\"


    His words reminded me of that scene I saw in my vision of Ty confessing his feelings for Arah, and I suddenly realized that we had zero time to lounge on the grass.


    \"Ty,\" I called. \"We gotta go tell everyone you''re safe, dude.\"


    \"Um, yeah¡­ sure¡­ but, you think it''ll really be okay?\" he asked.


    \"Aura assures me that this is how it''s always been done whenever people get abducted and then return from the Fayne,\" I assured him.


    \"People are just supposed to forget that I was gone for more almost a month? Just like that?\" he asked.


    I pointed to the rune Aura and Varda had placed on Ty''s forehead. \"The Jinx of Disremembering is a powerful spell that alters the minds of anyone who sees you into thinking you weren''t gone at all.\"


    \"Why is it a jinx again?\" Ty asked as he touched his forehead.


    \"Because it''s like a curse that is passed on from those who meet you to others who haven''t,\" I explained. \"Basically. You''re the virus carrier and you infect a few people who will eventually infect everyone in town with Ty-titus.\"


    I laughed at my own explanation. Ty didn''t.


    \"That''s some powerful magic,\" Ty gulped.


    \"Don''t worry¡­\" I pulled out the pebble that Varda had given me. On its surface was another rune that held the Curse of Remembering. \"There''s one person who won''t forget.\"


    Ty and I made our way out of Elfwood Forest, but neither of us went home. No, our first stop was three blocks away from my house, on a cul-de-sac where one could find an ultra-modern home.


    I rang the doorbell while Ty hid from sight.


    When she answered the door, Arah''s eyes were red with recent tears.


    I sighed and then offered her the runestone. \"It''s okay now. I promise. Just hold onto this for a bit.\"


    Arah took the stone in my hand while looking confused. She turned it over and saw the rune on its surface.


    I watched as it flashed once like a blinking LED light. Satisfied that she wouldn''t forget, I called Ty over.


    He arrived with both his hands in the pockets of the breeches we''d given him back at the Undercroft. In fact, he looked like a cosplayer who was lost on his way to some fantasy-con. His reddening face, however, showed all the worry of a teenage boy about to meet the girl.


    Arah looked at Ty in surprise and then with sudden recognition. Then she looked over to me. And finally, after weeks of coldness, I saw the anger melt away from her face.


    There were no words. She simply grabbed the both of us with her hands and gave us the biggest, warmest hug you could imagine. And for those few moments, all was right in the world again.

 155 Join the Club

    \"Reunion went well earlier today?\" Luca asked as he joined me inside the tent that the Starfall soldiers set up for our use.


    \"Yeah, laughs, gut-punches, buckets of tears, the usual,\" I said jokingly, although deep down I was feeling relieved that Ty had come home and Arah wasn''t angry anymore.


    \"And¡­ no one wondered where Ty''s been this whole time? They just accepted he was back out of the blue?\" Luca asked for confirmation.


    I glanced sideways at my little brother who was looking back at me with a very serious face.


    Of course, his unease was understandable. Luca was probably wondering what to expect after we freed him from a life of slavery. Perhaps walking home to find that everyone hadn''t missed him and simply thought he''d been around this whole time could be his best-case scenario.


    \"Don''t worry¡­ it''ll happen for you too,\" I assured him.


    \"I''m not worried,\" Luca said, turning away from me. \"I believe in you¡­\"


    Well, that was possibly the first time Luca had ever admitted that to me. Perhaps the success of Ty''s rescue mission had reinforced my brother''s belief that I would free him one day. He needn''t have worried. His freedom was my priority number one after all.


    I patted Luca reassuringly on the shoulder and nodded toward the scene in front of us.


    \"Someone looks nervous,\" I laughed.


    \"You were probably just like him the first time you met Aura,\" Luca reminded me.


    I recalled my first meeting with my fairy partner on that night we made a pact to fulfill each other''s wishes. Compared to that magical encounter, I thought Ty''s was kind of lame. Still, I was happy Aura agreed to be his contractor. I couldn''t trust his power to anyone else.


    Ty was kneeling on the floor in front of Aura as they were surrounded by me and my team members with the exception of Qwipps who was guarding the front of our tent.


    He raised a hand and offered her a small golden charm that was shaped like the a six-pointed star.


    \"Please take this, um, golden star, as a sign of my fealty and, um,\" Ty had forgotten what came next so he got a helpful nudge from Varda who whispered in his ear, \"my desire to serve as a visere for the Trickster Pavilion.\"


    \"Y-yeah¡­\" He gulped visibly. \"My desire to serve as a visere for the Trickster Pavilion.\"


    Aura took the charm from his hands and clipped it onto the necklace I''d given her so now there were two things hanging from it.


    \"I, Aurana, princess of the Trickster Pavilion, recognize your resolve, Tyberius Cruz,\" Aura answered in an uncommonly serious tone that was a contrast to the warm smile on her face. \"And I accept you as my visere.\"


    Varda passed Aura a five-foot-long tree branch ¡ª taken from one of the desert firs in the battle oasis ¡ª which Aura then offered to Ty.


    Ty took the branch awkwardly from her hands. Afterward, he rose to his feet while the rest of us applauded.


    \"Welcome to the Trickster Pavilion,\" Aura said, clasping him on his forearm as she did.


    As I clapped along with everyone, my mind went back to that night I became Aura''s visere and I noted how my own joining wasn''t nearly as serious as Ty''s. There were no oaths to take with her, just a simple promise that we would both get the job done. Ours was far more intimate and that thought made me smile.


    \"Come with me, Luca,\" I said.


    Then I turned around, opened the tent flap and walked out to my second viewing of the night sky.


    Above me, Idunn was back in her place above the heavens, a new moon that shone down across the desert sands. Around me, a sea of tents covered our surroundings, many of them sporting the banners of units that serve the Starfall clan.


    \"If I didn''t know any better, I''d say we were sitting in the middle of a sea of enemies,\" I commented.


    \"Muddamit, I didn''t need that image in my head,\" Qwipps replied.


    He was standing next to the open tent flap and sipping on a cup of elf tea.


    \"This came for you,\" he said.


    Qwipps passed me the glass ball in his hands. I took it with both hands and activated the object that I knew was a scrying orb.


    From inside its murky depths, I saw a gathering of storm clouds that dissipated like theatre curtains to give way to the news hidden within.


    It was a bit like my visions when I astral projected, but instead of moving scenes, I was treated to a series of 3D snapshots of important moments happening in the Fayne at that exact moment. Of course, these images came with their own floating texts like that of a magic eight ball.


    The headline caught my attention.


    FIRST HUMAN MAGICIAN IN A HUNDRED YEARS JOINS THE TRICKSTER PAVILION


    The accompanying image was one of Ty sitting on the auction house''s stage while a dark, unrecognizable entity floated above him.


    It wasn''t a very flattering image and it didn''t properly convey the terror of that thing Ty had summoned.


    \"We''re not mentioned here,\" I noted. \"It just says he''d been purchased by Madam Kallista of the Three Rings Auction House as a third-party representative for the Trickster Pavilion¡­\"


    \"That''s a good thing, right?\" Luca asked. \"At least no one''s going to immediately come after us to try and steal Ty.\"


    I nodded in agreement. \"Yup¡­ saves us the hassle¡­\"


    Although it really was good that the Foolhardies hadn''t been revealed, it kind of annoyed me that we weren''t mentioned. This was the kind of thing that helped to increase our unit''s popularity after all.


    I sighed, letting go of my disappointment and opted instead to swipe the orb to see what other news had occurred in the Fayne.


    \"Interesting,\" I said.


    \"What is?\" Luca asked.


    He glanced down at the orb in my hand. Inside of it was a 3D image was a walled castle with half a dozen spires being invaded by a group of soldiers. The headline of this image read; PILGRIMS INVADE ORDER OF JUSTICIAR ARCHIVES AND ESCAPE WITH PRICELESS RELICS FROM THE PERIOD OF THE LOST MONARCH.


    \"I never realized how active the Pilgrimage was before,\" I told Luca.


    \"They''re the good guys though, right?\" Luca wondered. \"I mean, they even wanted to help us free Ty¡­\"


    I shrugged. \"The way I see it, little brother, believing some big secret organization is altruistic is just going to bite us in the ass¡­ the only ones we can really trust are us.\"


    Luca stared thoughtfully at the orb. By the glint in his eyes, I assumed he didn''t heard my last statement. But I guess for a slave soldier like Luca, the sound of a human-centric group fighting for human rights in the Fayne was very appealing.


    I swiped the orb a few more times, but the rest of the news I received was your typical increase in hostilities among fairy clans which were the norm in this age of warring states.


    \"Looks like the Scarlet Moon picked a fight with the Hermitage up north,\" I reported.


    \"That''s Varda''s former dwarven clan, right?\" Luca confirmed.


    I nodded. \"Man, these Scarlet Moon guys just don''t let up¡­\"


    \"Those bastards definitely put the ''war'' in warmongering,\" Qwipps agreed. \"And we''ve brushed swords with them three times now, Dean¡­ what kind of messed up luck do you have?\"


    I almost laughed at his statement as I was wondering the same thing too. Still, I''d rather our enemies kept coming because beating them all was the fastest way to get recognized by the clan''s leadership.


    \"Oh, looks like Garm lost another oasis to the Sunspire Dominion,\" I reported after swiping the orb one final time. \"It says here that the oasis was one of the largest in the eastern region of the Westersand desert and that it had a mana pool too.\"


    \"Losing a place like that''s one heck of a fail on Garm''s part,\" Qwipps laughed.


    Qwipps was right, of course. The battle in the Westersand Desert between the Sunspire Dominion and the Trickster Pavilion was all about acquiring and controlling the many oasis found in the desert. These were highly strategic areas that could control the flow of supplies and trade in the area, and losing one with a mana pool in it was a big loss for our side.


    \"Looks like we''ll get to see some action in the Westersand Desert after all¡­ no way the Council won''t deploy more units to take back what we lost,\" I reasoned.


    \"That means a ramp-up in military power in the region,\" Luca added, sounding almost like he didn''t much like the idea. \"Which means another big war is coming¡­ doesn''t it?\"


    I smacked my brother in the shoulder.


    \"What? Are you losing your nerve, Luca?\" I joked.


    He responded with a hard smack on my shoulder.


    \"You wish¡­ I''m ready,\" Luca said, although his voice didn''t sound so resolute.


    \"Good,\" I answered. \"Remember, we''re¡ª\"


    \"¡ªFighting to rack up as many accomplishments as we can to attain a wish from the clan leader,\" Luca finished the line I''d drilled into him months ago. \"I know, Dean¡­ I''m ready.\"


    \"Good¡­ let''s go then.\" I gave the scrying orb back to Qwipps. \"Give this to Aura for me, will you.\"


    Luca and I began walking away from our tent, but Qwipps called me back to ask where I was going.


    I looked over my shoulder at him and said, \"I''ve got a meeting with the Lord of Stars.\"

 156 Tall Tale

    It wasn''t difficult to find Chris Pint''s tent. All we had to do was look for the biggest and most extravagant ones, the kind you''d see at an outdoor wedding party.


    Luca and I were let in through the double-doors-sized tent flap by two viseres in their resplendent silver armor.


    The sight of them made me jealous of the wealth that their master flaunted. I would love to outfit the entire Foolhardies in similar gear.


    As expected, the interior space was huge, enough for a dozen people to lounge about while maintaining their social distance. The flooring was fur carpets of all kinds of Fayne beasts. Plush couches and divans filled the space. And that bed at the far end was at least two king sizes big.


    At the moment, only three people occupied the tent, but signs of a recently concluded party were evident. Bowls of half-eaten fruits and mugs lay scattered on the floor.


    \"I invited your friends to join me for lunch but they declined,\" Chris Pint said as he lounged on the plushest couch in the tent. \"I don''t think they like me much.\"


    There was an easy smile on his face as he invited me and Luca to join him.


    The red-headed she-elf Thea was attending Chris Pint, feeding him grapes with her hand while she sat next to him. There were also two other females lounging on seats behind him, a dark-haired pixie and a human blonde. Both of them, like Thea, were dressed in the skimpiest, most revealing outfits I''d ever seen.


    My cheeks burned at the sight of these scantily clad women, and I was almost certain they''d turned the color of apples. Luca was no better. His own face looked flushed as he tried his best not to stare. We were quite the inexperienced pair, my brother and I. It was a fact that made the Lord of Stars laugh out loud.


    \"You two really are kids, aren''t you?\" he asked as he caressed Thea''s shoulder.


    \"Um,\" I racked my brain for a way to change the mood, \"You said you wanted to talk, right?\"


    Chris Pint nodded. Then he took his arm off his companion and leaned toward me and Luca.


    \"First thing''s first, I like to know who I''m dealing with¡­ Is it true that you jumped into the Fayne of your own free will,\" he glanced first at me and then Luca, \"so you could save your little brother, here?\"


    I nodded wordlessly.


    \"Like I''ve been saying, you''ve got cahones, kiddo,\" he said, leaning back into the embrace of Thea. \"Now, you two tell me a story, a good one, and maybe I might just tell you what you want to know.\"


    \"What kind of story?\" Luca asked while looking uncomfortable with the intimacy being displayed in front of him.


    \"I want to know your story¡­ the story of the fiery brothers'' Dapper, who, from what I hear, are the Trickster Pavilion''s prodigies of war. The genius strategist older brother and the fearless warrior younger brother,\" Chris Pint revealed.


    \"Ha,\" Chris Pint laughed. \"Bet you two didn''t know you were getting famous, huh? Well, that''s to be expected¡­ at least among viseres, your names are starting to spread. So let me hear your story and I''ll tell you mine.\"


    Luca and I glanced at each other. He shrugged, and I agreed. There was nothing to lose by telling our tale to this extravagant man since he promised to share information we wouldn''t learn from anywhere else.


    So, I began the tale while Luca butted in to correct my embellishments, and we were well into the night before we finished.


    Weirdly enough, at the end of our long story, Chris Pint was on the verge of tears.


    \"Man, I love that underdog story. Really shows your strength of character,\" he wiped at his eyes with the back of his arm. \"Especially about that part with your mom getting cursed like that¡­ rough, bros.\"


    \"Wait¡­ what?\" My eyebrows rose up, up, and away. \"You think our mom was cursed?\"


    \"Oh, yeah, for sure,\" he said, glancing toward Thea for confirmation. \"Those symptoms definitely sound like a fay curse, right, love?\"


    Thea nodded.


    \"There are elements of mind flaying and enchanted sleep in your description¡­ at a guess, I would say some advanced form of thrall curse has been done to her to keep her in that near-vegetable state,\" Thea explained. \"Although I''m uncertain¡­ such things are very hard to diagnose.\"


    \"B-but none of our healers in the Pavilion could figure it out¡­\" Luca reasoned. \"They never said it was fairy-related¡­\"


    \"They never ruled it out, either,\" I said, sounding defensive of Aura''s attempts to cure mom. I turned my gaze on Thea. \"Would you¡­ would you know how to cure her?\"


    Inside me, the spark of hope was growing. If there was a chance these people knew how to help mom, then this entire arrangement would prove worth it after all.


    Thea shook her head. \"As I''ve said, curses are hard to diagnose much less cure¡­\"


    Both Luca and I deflated at her words, and seeing us upset softened the features of the pretty red-head.


    \"But,\" she continued. \"More often than not, the cure has to do with what caused the curse¡­ Perhaps the return of your brother to Mudgard would break it.\"


    That was something I''d been mulling over for ages now, the fact that Luca coming home might cure mom. Hearing another person say it out loud just made this sound more like a realistic option for me. As if I didn''t have enough reasons to bring Luca home. Now, he might actually be the only chance to saving mom from the prison of her own mind.


    Chris Pint sniffed, \"Man, you guys got it rough¡­ but you''re still hanging in there. F**king big cahones, I tell you.\"


    He gave us a few slow claps to emphasize how impressed he was with us brothers. Then he offered us each a glass of spirits which we declined.


    \"You said you''d tell us your story if we told you ours,\" I reminded him.


    Chris Pint spent the next few seconds eyeing me and Luca. But, eventually, he began to tell us his story.


    \"My story''s not so different from yours, to be honest,\" he started. \"I came here as a slave too¡­ although I chose to be one over my life in Mudgard.\"


    Both Luca and I spared a glance at each other before we urged him to continue.


    Chris Pint revealed to us that he was an orphan from Los Angeles City in the good old US of A. He was down on his luck, penniless, and being chased by the police for minor misdemeanors such as robbery and grand theft auto.


    \"Those are minor?\" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    \"You want to tell my story, kid?\" he countered.


    I shook my head and apologized for my interruption.


    \"I was approached by a fairy who asked me if I wanted to rewrite my own stars¡­\" He glanced fondly at Thea. \"The best deal I made in my life¡­ even if sh*t happened afterward.\"


    Chris Pint would reveal that after Thea brought him into the Fayne, he was turned into an indentured soldier much like Luca''s, but unlike our honorable Patriarch and his council, the lords of the Starfall clan were, in his words, \"The worst scum in the universe.\"


    In many of the southern clans, the practice of gladiatorial combat was a big deal. The Starfall Clan was no exception, and Chris Pint was a gladiator, and according to him, the very best there was. But even a champion like him couldn''t escape the abuses laid on him by his masters, the depraved bastards who forced him into every little vice imaginable.


    \"Is that why you''re so¡­ quirky?\" Luca asked.


    Chris Pint laughed. \"You know, little brother, that might actually be the reason.\"


    Eventually, with the support of his fellow viseres and like-minded fairies like Thea, Chris Pint began a rebellion.


    \"This was the real reason Thea picked me up, you see,\" Chris admitted. \"She thought I had cohones big enough to overthrow the lords of Starfall, and I did.\"


    For emphasis, he grabbed the edge of his pants, and I rolled my eyes at him. He laughed again.


    Chris Pint told us how he and his rebel army of more than a hundred thousand slaves of different races obliterated the forces of the Starfall Clan. He even told us how he personally cut off the heads of the clan Patriarch and his lackeys and then placed them atop spikes that still decorate his castle gates to this day.


    \"They deserved no less,\" Thea agreed. \"Those indulgent greedy, hateful fools nearly caused the ruin of our clan¡­ if Chris hadn''t come and rescued us, the Starfall clan wouldn''t exist today.\"


    The two of them embraced after that. Then they kissed, and it was so intimate that Luca and I averted our eyes.


    Chris laughed at us, and then, with a knowing gaze at me, he said, \"But that''s not what you want to here, is it? There''s something else worming inside that big brain of yours¡­\"


    \"I appreciate you telling us your origin story, though, kind of gives us hope that things won''t be so dark for us too,\" I admitted before my face turned into one of determination. \"But I want you to tell me¡­ I want an explanation¡­ what the hell is a sense knight?\"

 157 Tale of Tales

    \"You sure you want to know about that ghost story?\" he asked me again. \"Don''t want to put too much pressure on your underdeveloped shoulders.\"


    \"I¡­ I need to know what all the fuss is about,\" I answered.


    Luca, sitting next to me on the couch, had accepted a bowl of fruit from the pixie that had stood up from her chair to place elf tea on the table in front of us. I didn''t touch it. My attention was focused entirely on the Lord of Star''s amused face.


    I''ve heard rumors about you, kiddo¡­ unsubstantiated rumors about you wielding a sense gift,\" he said, his eyebrow arching. \"I guess those rumors are true if you''re so desperate to hear about the old knights.\"


    I nodded. There was no point hiding it. Being a wielder of a sense gift himself, Chris Pint could probably tell if I was lying.


    He proved me right by sniffing the air in front of him and then saying, \"I smell the truth on you.\"


    Chris Pint tapped on his nose with a finger.


    \"My gift is called Starry Savvy. It''s the power of the sense of smell,\" he revealed.


    \"Last night, in the fight against those other two generals, you took a whiff of scents from your vials,\" I remembered.


    Chris Pint nodded. Then he pulled out a vial from his pocket and showed it to me and Luca.


    The tiny vial contained black powder inside it.


    \"Ever heard of the influence of fragrance to the brain?\" he asked.


    \"Fragrance can affect brain activity and cognitive function. What a person smells can affect mood, stress, and even physical capabilities,\" I answered quickly.


    Chris Pint raised an eyebrow at me. \"Are you some kind of a nerd, Dean?\"


    \"You have no idea,\" Luca answered between gulps of berries and grapes.


    Chris Pint laughed while my face flushed red.


    \"You''re right,\" he answered after he was done laughing at my expense. \"Scents have the power to affect brain chemistry, and that is exactly how my gift works. Different scents have different effects on me.\"


    He dangled the vial of black powder in front of me.


    \"The scent of boom dust jumps my brain into overdrive, helping me to predict my enemy''s actions like I can smell their intentions,\" he explained. \"Flight or fight responses give off their own scent¡­ fear, anger, killing fervor, I can smell all of it.\"


    He pulled out another vial from his pockets, and I recognized it as the red vial from last night''s fight.


    \"This is ogre''s blood,\" he revealed. \"A whiff of this temporarily removes my physical limiter, giving me a hundred percent control over my body''s physical strength.\"


    \"How does that work?\" Luca asked.


    \"The brain puts a natural limit on the body so we don''t overstress it and it doesn''t break down,\" I answered almost automatically.


    \"Nerd,\" Luca said at the same time as Chris Pint replied with, \"Nerd!\"


    \"Your gift doesn''t function in the same way mine does,\" I said in an effort to change topics.


    \"You have the gift of sight, don''t you?\" he guessed.


    \"How''d you figure that out?\" I wondered aloud.


    He picked up the pipe on the table and lit it. Then he took a long puff before answering my question.


    A blue-tinged smoke billowed out of his mouth when he said, \"Easy. I''m smell. That prude, Dany, is taste, and that bastard whose name I refuse to speak less he hears it is obviously hearing. And everyone knows that the boy who could touch is dead and gone. So it just makes sense that you''d be sight.\"


    \"You''ve met the other sense wielders?\" I asked curiously.


    \"Met them. Fought them. Sipped cups of friendship with them and then beat them up,\" he said with a guffaw. \"We tend to run each other a lot. You''ll meet them soon enough so don''t ask me about those idiots. I''d rather not spoil the surprise.\"


    \"Why are we such a big deal, though?\" I pressed. \"Why do people speak about sense knights with such awe and reverence?\"


    \"Besides the fact that we can trounce anyone who picks a fight with us, you mean?\" he reminded me.


    \"Y-yeah,\" I replied with a sheepish grin of my own. \"Besides that.\"


    \"Well, it all harkens back to the empty throne and the story of the lost monarch and his five sense knights, protectors and keepers of the five keys,\" Chris Pint began in a voice that reminiscent of old movie narrators.


    Chris Pint explained that the story of the lost monarch and his sense knights was scattered in bits and pieces throughout the Fayne. No single clan had the complete set, but conquer enough cities and you''d get to collect more facts about the time before the warring states period.


    During his early days as the Lord of Stars, Chris Pint was obsessed with the legend, and he scoured the Starfall clan''s repository of knowledge for whatever information he could find.


    \"The sense knights were humans handpicked by the lost monarch to serve two purposes,\" Chris revealed. \"Their overwhelming strength earned them a place as his royal guard as well as the keepers of the five keys.\"


    \"Overwhelming strength¡­ the royal guard,\" I repeated.


    \"Keepers of the five keys¡­\" Luca said again.


    \"Don''t mistake me, Dean,\" Chris Pint warned. \"These five knights didn''t gain overwhelming strength from their gifts. According to the legend, they were incredible already. That''s why they were chosen. The five sense gifts only made their individual talents shine out more. So the story goes.\"


    \"What are the five keys?\" Luca asked.


    \"That''s where the tale gets a little wonky,\" Chris Pint sighed.


    He went on to tell us that the five keys were special keys that could open doors to places beyond the Fayne. What those places were, where these doors could be found, and what happened to these keys, Chris Pint couldn''t tell us as that information was lost to time.


    \"All I can tell you was that these keys were such important relics that each knight was sworn to protect them and keep them apart. In fact, each knight was given an army of tens of thousands to ensure these relics would never be brought together,\" he revealed.


    \"Why?\" My eyes were glued to him.


    \"Apparently, if all five keys were in the same place, it would herald the coming of Ragnarok,\" he answered in an ominous tone.


    \"Ragna¡­ rok?\" Luca repeated the word that was foreign to his tongue.


    \"It''s the Norse word for the end of days,\" I answered, once more bringing my knowledge of random things to the forefront of our conversation. \"There are some similarities to Norse myths and fairy lore¡­ I mean, they even call their golden moon Idunn, which is also the name of the Norse goddess of Spring.\"


    \"My god¡­ you are a nerd,\" Chris Pint joked.


    \"Told you,\" Luca added.


    After they finished laughing at my expense¡ªthe two of them were really hitting it off¡ªChris Pint continued with his tale.


    When the lost monarch vanished from his throne, he took his five sense knights with him, and with them went all knowledge of these secret keys and their purposes. Hundreds of years later, the first human to wield a sense gift was born among the slaves of the Moon clan. This meant that at least the sense knight of touch was dead.


    The rise of a new sense knight brought about the fracturing of the Moon clan and the rising of the Scarlet Moon. That was part of the reason why so many living fairies both feared and revered the powers of those who wielded sense gifts.


    \"Within the last thirty years, the three of us who wield the gift of senses managed to do some pretty amazing stuff,\" he boasted. \"The old man''s now the most feared creature in the entire Fayne. No one even wants to speak his name aloud. I rule one of the wealthiest clans in the south. And that girl who came before you was recently elevated to the rank of Inquisitor by that nosy group of Justiciars.\"


    Chris Pint took another puff of his pipe and then let out a cloud of blue smoke from his nostrils.


    \"You''ve got a lot to live up to, kiddo,\" he finished.


    ---


    Later that night, after our conversation with the Lord of Stars was over and I''d gathered my troops at the southern edge of his camp standing by a wagon he''d sold us. I found myself lost in thought, wondering just what kind of legacy fate had pushed me into.


    I wondered inwardly if I would I be as successful as those who came before me. Or would I fail to live up to the expectations that Chris Pint shoved onto my shoulders?


    As I pondered these questions in my head, Aura stood watch over me. Of course, I''d told her everything Chris Pint had shared with me, even the part about my mom. I didn''t blame her though as I knew she was trying her best on that front.


    Aura hadn''t said anything about the sense knights. It was possibly because she didn''t know about them, or if she did, she wasn''t willing to tell me right then and there. I suspected it was the latter as she seemed nervous throughout my telling as if I''d stumbled onto a secret she didn''t think I was ready to hear. But I didn''t press her for answers. I trusted she would tell me once she thought I should know more.


    Minutes of rumination later, and the convoy we''d been waiting for had finally arrived.


    Azuma, along with several centaur riders from Xanthor''s unit had arrived to escort us out of the Westersand Desert.


    And as we readied to depart, I glanced behind me one last time and found the Lord of Stars standing in front of the last tent. He waved his hand at me in farewell, his face almost sad as if he thought that we would never see each other again.

 158 The Sand Dune

    It''s been five months since we rescued Ty. In that time, the Foolhardies had been assigned as an independent unit for an auxiliary military force commanded by Great General Grimthorn who was spending his days supporting Great General Garm in his conflict against the Sunspire Dominion.


    It wasn''t a full-blown war yet, but the dozens of daily skirmishes for control over the eastern oases of the Westersand Desert which borders both clan''s territories was becoming a bloody and costly mess.


    \"Dean, get down!\" Luca yelled at me.


    I ducked just in time as a shadowblade slashed through the space where my head was only a moment ago.


    Glancing up, I saw the wispy black vapor trailing the shadowblade''s path mere inches from my face. The sight of it sent a familiar cold shiver running up my spine, reminding me that death had just brushed my cheek yet again.


    \"Dean, keep moving!\" Luca yelled.


    His warning wasn''t necessary like that time when we foolishly climbed up the hilltop without backup to carry out a surprise attack against our enemies. As familiar as this situation was, I was a different Dean from that na?ve fifteen-year-old boy.


    Yup, sixteen-year-old Dean knew that right now wasn''t a time for fear. It was a time for action.


    I dodged a second shadowblade slash that came my way. Then I drew my falchion from its sheath and sent it snaking forward, and it bit into the neck of the kobold that attacked me. Thanks to its vibrating edge, my falchion''s shadowblade cut neatly through the kobold''s muscular neck from one end to the other, resulting in instant decapitation.


    I kicked out at the kobold''s body to avoid the blood splatter that came with losing one''s head. Then I watched the lifeless form topple over just as the fairy''s head rolled to a stop at my feet.


    The sight of it sent a familiar sickening feeling into the pit of my stomach, bringing to the fore of my mind the guilt that came with murder.


    I know it''s been nearly a year since I first came to the Fayne and yet here I was feeling sorry for the long-snouted, fanged-creature that gazed up at me with lifeless eyes. I couldn''t help it, and my brain refused to be wired any other way.


    \"Commander?\" Pike called my name to grab my attention away from the dead kobold.


    I glanced toward her and noticed the dark red splatter decorating the front of her leather chest piece. Her sword dripped with the red stuff too. Even that familiar metallic aroma clung to her.


    \"Are you wounded?\" I asked.


    Pike glanced down at herself before assuring me with, \"It''s not mine.\"


    I nodded at her before my gaze turned away from Pike so I could survey the battle happening around me.


    Ten feet to the right of Luca''s location, Edo had also just finished dispatching the elven archer who thought he had run to call for help. Kneeling on the ground a foot away from Edo, Varda was cleaning off her hammer on the vest of the elf she''d taken out.


    I turned my gaze below me so I could watch Ashley and half her Shield squad climb their way up to our position while their boots sank into the ripples of sand, slowing them down more than I''d anticipated.


    Admittedly, climbing the steep incline on very soft footing was a challenge even after I ordered my soldiers to drop all non-essentials to lighten their loads. So I couldn''t really get mad at their sluggish pace.


    We were fighting about half way up on the southern side of a massive sand dune that might as well have been a low, circular, barren hill.


    On the dune''s opposite side, a battle was being waged between a two-thousand strong Sunspire army and the independent five-hundred-man units of the Foolhardies and the Millennium Hawks.


    Don''t get me wrong though. We weren''t working together. This was a competition between our two units. In fact, Al Sheridan and I had made a bet on who would be the first unit to conquer the sand dune and the oasis at the top of it.


    Yes, there was an oasis at the top of this sand dune. A rather well-placed oasis that was strategically located at the edge of a series of oases skirting several chasms along the desert floor. Whoever held this oasis theoretically had the doors to shut or open the way to all those other oases.


    If that wasn''t reason enough, the oasis above this massive sand dune was the same one Garm had lost to the enemy many months ago. It was an oasis with a young mana pool at its center, making it a vital resource in a region that was scare with life if you didn''t count the numerous monsters hiding underneath the sand.


    \"All enemies silenced, Commander,\" Pike reported.


    \"Good,\" I said, feeling relief flood into me. \"Otherwise, taking this long roundabout way to reach the top before the Hawks do would have ended in a disaster if even one of those guards alerted the fools above.\"


    A loud thud reached my ears, and I turned around to see Shanks'' war hammer lying headfirst on the sand. The troll himself was taking his time to looting the bodies of the three kobolds he''d singlehandedly taken down.


    I was reminded that he agreed to freelance for us if I gave him looting rights to any enemy he defeated. Of course, he got to keep anything he found himself, no matter the worth of an item.


    \"Find anything good?\" I asked.


    Shanks was stuffing two bronze khopesh into his personal bag of holding when he looked over to me.


    \"Bits and pieces¡­ nothing much of worth,\" he answered.


    Despite his statement, the troll was grinning from ear to ear, and I''d seen it enough times to know that it wasn''t because he''d found treasure but because he liked spoils even if it was junk. To Shanks, loot was loot.


    I shook my head. \"Best wrap it up then. We''re on the clock.\"


    Shanks grunted an affirmative and went back to his work.


    I glanced up at the sky.


    Idunn was partially clouded by clouds which was ideal for our particular stealth mission.


    \"Luca, tell everyone to get ready,\" I ordered. \"I''m going to check on Aura''s progress.\"


    I decided it was time to pull out my winning card, and so I knelt on the sand and closed my eyes. My hands tapped onto the coarse sand beneath me. I breathed in the chilly desert air. After a few deep breaths, I reached deep inside me and called forth the power of my fairy gift.


    It appeared in my mind''s eye like it always did, that floating tarot card wrapped in the silver light of fairy glimmer¡ªthe Fool''s card.


    \"Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable,\" I whispered.


    Heat concentrated on the surface of my eyes like I''d rubbed them all over with chilly powder. Seconds of painful stinging passed into the familiar warm sensation that enveloped my sense of sight. And when I opened my eyes, it was like I was soaring just below the clouds with a clear view of the battlefield below.


    As was the case with all locations that held a mana pool, not even my Fool''s Insight could pierce through the veil of power hidden there. But the rest of the sand dune was a high definition map to my sight.


    The northern side of the massive sand dune was sloped gentler than its southern half which is why there were scarce patrols to watch over it. The enemy probably thought no one would be foolhardy enough to scale that steep slope. Well, they were wrong. But that also meant that the northern side was well defended by two thousand highly-trained fairy soldiers.


    Still, our two independent units were doing fairly well despite the disadvantage in numbers and terrain.


    Back in the old days, my first unit used to struggle to get up a hillside, but now that they were under Aura''s command, they gained ground after ground up the ripples of sand and took advantage of the chinks in the armor of the defenders.


    Aura, breathtaking in her elven armor, stood at the head of our frontline formation. Her Hearthstone staff burned a bright crimson each time she launched a firebolt at her targets.


    Beside her, acting like a force field that kept all enemies at bay, Azuma swatted away enemies who were foolish enough to try and attack Aura. And behind them, the power of the chosen one reached out to turn the sands above into a field of ice.


    Ty was certainly pulling his weight, although I still thought he looked like a spaz in his flowing blue magician''s robe. His Gandalf-like attire notwithstanding, Ty was basically a Sherman tank firing liberally at the defenders who just couldn''t defend themselves from his power.


    I was happy to see that they were following my recommended tactic in climbing up the sand dune. They formed a triangle formation with our heaviest hitters at the front to pierce through any enemy line.


    It was working. I could see that clearly. Sadly, their tactics weren''t working fast enough. At least not fast enough to get ahead of Al Sheridan''s forces.


    I turned my gaze on the Millenium Hawks and watched as they used several turtle formations to bulldoze their way up the dune''s slopes.


    The defenders arrows and javelins were no match against the hardened scutum shields¡ªthe large rectangular shields that were curved inward at the edges¡ªemployed by the Hawks'' turtle formation.


    \"Damn, Al''s going to beat Aura to the top at this rate,\" I realized. Then I noticed something else. \"He''s not there¡­\"


    A bead of sweat dripped down my face as a worrying thought passed through my mind.


    \"What is it?\" Luca asked, his voice seemingly echoing around me.


    \"Al''s not with his unit¡­\" I said.


    There was a growing suspicion in me that I needed to confirm.


    My vision zoomed toward the southern slope where I could see our sixty soldiers in a loose circle formation around me and Luca. I''d only just noticed that we were positioned more to the southwest.


    Above us, the few scouts employed by the enemy on this side of the sand dune still couldn''t see us. This was partly due to the chaos happening on the other side as all attention was focused there.


    Then I saw movement on the southeastern side of the massive sand dune which was just far enough from our location that we wouldn''t be able to see them either.


    It was a group of similar size to mine but with one big difference. These were mounted soldiers on swiftharts that could¡ªand I couldn''t believe it myself¡ªtraverse the steep incline as if they were mountain goats.


    \"Shit!\" I hissed as I realized that I was about to lose the bet. \"We need to move¡­ now!\"

 159 Climb to Conquer

    \"Let''s go!\" I ordered.


    My legs ached in protest as I pushed them onward an uncomfortable heat spreading out from my knees to the muscles in my thighs.


    \"Dean, slow down!\" Luca warned. \"Or they''ll notice the sand you''re kicking up.\"


    It wasn''t easy running up a steep sand dune while doing our best not to get noticed by the defenders on the oasis above. In fact, those of us who managed to speed up had to leave those who couldn''t behind.


    That meant the entirety of Ashley''s squad wouldn''t be there when the fighting started. It was a shame as I was really hoping a shield wall would make things less harrowing than the last time Luca and I tried this kind of stunt.


    Edo and Shanks pulled ahead of the rest of us with Pike and Enna close on their heels. That meant us slowpoke humans were dead last in the race up the sand dune''s southwestern slope.


    I glanced to my right. A little ways above me and far to the right of us, a group of riders were climbing up the south-eastern slope. There were climbing parallel to Edo and Shanks.


    I counted twenty riders with Al Sheridan at the front.


    \"Hey, Luca,\" I don''t think we have to worry about the enemy not noticing us anymore,\" I said wryly.


    Luca was climbing the sand dune a little ahead of me now. He followed my line of sight and noticeably groaned when he saw the sand being kicked up by the swiftharts'' hooves.


    \"So much for a surprise attack,\" Luca grumbled. \"I didn''t think there''d be another crazy bastard who would think up reckless plans as you do.\"


    \"Don''t compare me to him,\" I huffed as we continued our climb. \"We haven''t been noticed yet, have we?\"


    \"What''s your point?\" Luca asked.


    \"Maybe we can use them to our advantage,\" I reasoned.


    A plan was forming inside my head at the same time as the enemy defenders above were taking notice of Al''s riders.


    \"Edo!\" I called.


    Edo glanced over his shoulder at me. I pointed left. Then up. He got the picture.


    My half-ogre team member veered to the left, leading our group up the side of the slope and as far from Al''s riders as we could manage in the short time it took for the defenders to sound the alarm.


    Shouts and yells of \"Enemies on the southern slope!\" reached our ears, but a quick glance up told me that my ploy was successful and that the enemies were focused only on Al''s team.


    It was very sloppy defensive tactics if you asked me. If I''d been in charge of these defenders, I''d have lookouts at intervals around all four corners of the oasis. Luckily, whoever was in charge hadn''t played a dozen strategy games like I have.


    My breath was slowly turning ragged as my lungs were beginning to protest at our fast pace. Still, I pushed myself onward because I didn''t want my guys hitting the enemy''s defenses without me to lead them.


    But, instead of backing away, the swifthart riders increased their pace, abandoning subtlety in favor of reaching the summit.


    I thought it was a good idea. The faster they climbed, the less the archers above could fire at them.


    My team and I were now past the halfway point of the sand dune further west than where we started. It was here, on a bit of incline that leveled out like a ledge, where I ordered everyone to gather around me.


    I glanced down below me. Although they managed to get out of the enemy''s line of sight, Ashley''s squad was far below us now. We couldn''t expect them to arrive on time to support us. Not if we were going to beat Al Sheridan''s group to the top.


    \"Enna and Pike keep watch of the slope above us¡­\" I ordered right before I took a deep breath of cold night air. \"You see something moving up there, you dispatch it with an arrow¡­\"


    I took in another gulp of air before I laid out the plan to the members present.


    Edo and Shanks will tank the front,\" I said as I drew a circle on the sand and pointed to its southwest edge. \"Your job will be to clear out any barriers they''d set up there and then keep the attention of their defenders.\"


    I drew a line that led from that dot on the southwest edge diagonally toward the front of the oasis.


    \"I only got a brief glimpse of the top¡­ most of it was obscured by the mana pool''s weirdness,\" I admitted. \"But I did see the commander here.\"


    My finger pressed down on the sand near the north edge of the circle.


    \"He''s surrounded by guards. Kobolds. Elves. A salamander or two¡­ but we can take them.\" I pointed at myself and then at Luca. \"You and I will handle that.\"


    My eyes turned toward Varda who looked the most winded out of all of us.


    \"I''ve got a job for you,\" I said.


    \"Distractions,\" she huffed.


    I pointed to the western slice of the circle and grinned at Varda.


    \"Mana pools only exist inside a fairy fort¡­ So what''s the most common feature of a fairy fort regardless of its terrain?\" I asked.


    Varda''s face lit up with sudden realization, and for a moment she''d forgotten her fatigue. \"Circle stones!\"


    I nodded right before raising two fingers from my left hand. \"It''s about time your golems made an appearance and I want them causing as much chaos as possible.\"


    Varda rubbed her hands together like an evil villain relishing the moment. \"Roger, Commander.\"


    \"What about us, Commander?\" Pike asked.


    \"You''ll make sure Varda gets to where she needs to go then I want you and Enna to support Edo and Shanks,\" I instructed.


    I watched Pike turn to Luca with a worried look, and he reassured her with a smile I rarely see him give anyone else. I had to roll my eyes at them.


    \"Luca and I can handle whatever comes our way,\" I reasoned. \"Otherwise, the last few months of training with Azuma would have been worthless¡­\"


    \"I hope not¡­\" Luca said with a shake of his head. \"Or he''ll crank up the training even more¡­\"


    It was one of the few times my brother and I agreed on anything. Azuma''s training was hellish enough as is. We certainly didn''t want him getting even more extreme.


    \"Seven of us against a hundred or more soldiers, huh,\" Shanks whistled. \"I don''t like those odds, boss.\"


    Edo snorted. \"Nothing new here¡­ Dean''s strategies always have us up against a much larger number than ourselves.\"


    \"Yup,\" Varda nodded in agreement. \"It''s our Commander''s trademark tactic.\"


    \"Death by a thousand cut,\" Luca added.


    \"Shut up, guys,\" I frowned. Then I pointed to our immediate right where the sounds of battle were beginning to intensify. \"It won''t be seven against a hundred or two, Shanks. Not for long anyway.\"


    I glanced down one final time and raised a fist toward Ashley''s direction. It was the sign we agreed on that signaled the attack was imminent.


    Ashley raised her own fist back toward me to say she understood. Then she glanced over her shoulder at the loose gathering of shield soldiers below her, and I could almost hear her telling them to pick up the pace or in Ashley''s words, it would probably be more like, \"Move it or lose it!\"


    I turned my attention back on my team and eyed each of them before I gave the order to move out.


    We continued on our way up a little less subtly than before in a two-line formation that allowed us to climb in pairs, all except for Varda who stayed at the rear. It was a scramble to the top now to claim the head of a two-thousand-man commander.


    I half expected the enemy to notice us and sound the alarm, but our luck seemed to have held long enough for Edo¡ªhis glaive raised and poised to swing at unlucky fairy heads¡ªto clear the summit and step into the oasis.


    Shanks was close behind Edo, a black powder grenade in each hand.


    And although Luca and I hadn''t reached the top yet, from the lack of yelling at Edo and Shanks'' presence, I assumed that the enemy hadn''t discovered them yet, or more likely, that Edo had already killed the defenders within his reach. I would find out a few seconds later after Luca and I had finally climbed up to the oasis, that it was the latter.


    Four bodies dyed the sands of the oasis red with blood while the smell of death lingered in the air.


    I drew my falchion while my eyes took in the sight of a wall of shields faced off against Edo.


    The enemies had noticed him now, and they were smart enough to know not to approach him head-on. Sadly, they didn''t account for the grenades in Shanks'' hands.


    I saw several faces look up as the first canister sailed over their heads. And then, with a satisfying boom and an ensuing explosion kicking up a truckload of sand into the air, the shield wall that would have troubled Edo was no more.


    \"Foolhardies!\" I yelled.


    I charged only to find myself stumbling as I heard a different kind of war cry directly east of us.


    \"Hawks to me!\" Al Sheridan yelled as he and his swifthart finally arrived at the edge of the oasis.


    His glaive''s shadowblade edge cut a path against the gathered enemies who seemed just as surprised as me at his arrival.


    \"Not again... he''s too early,\" I hissed. Panicking, I glanced behind me. \"Luca, let''s go!\"


    Then, without waiting for my brother''s response, I raised my falchion high and renewed my charge into the fray.

 160 Bloody Birthday

    From the top of the oasis'' northern slope, I surveyed the ending of the bloody conflict below and witnessed the unquestionable surrender of the enemy forces.


    They didn''t have much of a choice after Verania impaled the head of their commander on a spike and then placed it where all could see the bloody thing.


    Right afterward, she threatened the defenders below with the execution of their other officers we managed to capture in the oasis.


    The soldiers of the Sunspire Dominion had no choice but to capitulate. They lowered their weapons and surrendered to my Foolhardies, the Millenium Hawks, and Verania''s Moonlight Marauders who had arrived too late for the start of the fight.


    In fact, except for Verania and her crack troopers made up entirely of pixie flyers, the rest of her unit was lazing around at the back of our two units'' defensive lines. They didn''t even bother to join the battle until it was over.


    All in all, it really was a bloody affair, one I didn''t wish to have on this particular night of all nights.


    \"I can''t believe she did it again¡­\" I sighed. \"Things can''t get any worse than this¡­ right?\"


    \"I''m not so sure about that¡­ anything''s possible whenever Verania appears,\" Al Sheridan replied, sighing as heavily as I did.


    \"So¡­\" I glanced sideways at him. \"Should we consider this a draw?\"


    Al shrugged. \"I guess¡­ you can hold onto your Leprechauns for now.\"


    \"Funny,\" I countered. \"I was about to say the same thing to you.\"


    \"So, what are you two incompetents whispering about?\" Verania interrupted in a mocking tone whose sting wasn''t any less dampened by her silky smooth voice. \"Are you discussing which of you is more irrelevant or would you like me to point that out for you?\"


    Both Al and I turned to face her, our faces wary and worried in equal measure.


    \"Why are you even here, Folkor?\" Al asked. \"You must be tired of stealing our kills?\"


    \"Yeah,\" I nodded in agreement. \"This is the third time you''ve screwed us over.\"


    Verania''s flashed us an indignant face, but neither Al nor I believed she was in any way hurt by our accusations. We were proven right seconds later after Verania''s frown morphed into her devilish grin.


    \"Steal your thunder?\" she asked innocently. \"Whatever do you mean? I am simply here to provide aid as instructed by Great General Grimthorn who,\" she flashed twinkling eyes at both of us before she turned around and walked away with one last stab in our guts, \"who didn''t feel like the pair of you could accomplish such a simple task as reclaiming the oasis.\"


    As she strutted away from us, I could tell that Al was imagining the same thing I was¡ªstrangling Verania''s throat with my bare hands.


    She stopped and glanced over her shoulder at us as if she''d forgotten one more thing.


    Verania was out of earshot when Al''s head finally exploded.


    \"I''m going to kill her,\" he said with gritted teeth. His hand had even reached out to the glaive strapped to his back.


    \"Don''t bother,\" I said with a shake of my head. \"Just wait for Aura to climb up here. That''ll rile Verania up for sure.\"


    True to my statement, the moment Aura reached the oasis, Verania''s mood visibly soared.


    But Aura ignored the cross-armed posture and pouting face of her childhood rival and made her way to Al and me who were waiting for her by the entrance of the mana pool.


    As Aura was secretly the highest-ranking member of the Trickster Pavilion present, it was her right to enter the mana pool first. Of course, this meant I would get to go in with her.


    \"Good work to the both of you,\" she said in almost a whisper.


    It wouldn''t do if Verania''s or Al''s officers wondered why Al and I were being submissive to the clan''s disguised princess. It was a very Mulan-type situation. And I supposed Edo was a stand-in for the loveable pet dragon, Mushu. They both had horns after all. That joke made me laugh inwardly.


    \"Shall we enter together?\" Aura asked.


    \"Shouldn''t you be offering this boon to the officer who won the field, princess?\" Verania asked in a louder voice than I would have liked.


    This pixie was really looking to get punched in the gut or something equally demeaning.


    Aura turned to face Verania for the first time since their last encounter a few weeks ago. The sparks flying between them then was a little less smoldering than the gazes they gave each other now.


    The staring match lasted a while and only ended after I cleared my throat in audible fashion as if to say, \"Please continue with your stare down while we patiently wait. Not like I have better things to do.\"


    \"Of course, Commander Verania¡­\" Aura said after the long staring match was over. \"Would you accompany us into the mana pool?\"


    \"Us?\" Verania raised an eyebrow. \"Why do they get to go?\"


    \"They,\" Aura glanced warmly back at me and Al, \"cleared the way for you to¡­ achieve victory. Shouldn''t they share in the spoils?\"


    The subtle implications in Aura''s statement were not lost on any of us, causing me and Al to smile at this reverse of fortunes. Make no mistake, no matter what world one was in, knowing the right people was the best way to get ahead in life.


    Verania bit her lip and I was almost certain she had something nasty to say but wisely chose not to say anything.


    Wordlessly, she followed Aura through the circle of stones which symbolized the fairy fort that guarded the secret garden of the mana pool.


    Al went in next, but not before looking back toward me to ask, \"Are you coming?\"


    I looked over to Edo and Luca who were in the middle of managing the surrender of the hundred and forty surviving enemy soldiers in the oasis.


    Many of these enemies were clustered together as they sat on the sand with their hands tied to their front.


    After Verania''s proclamation that she would slaughter all who didn''t surrender, Al and I had a hard time dialing down the tension. We each promised safety and freedom to return to the Dominion''s territory for all who surrendered.


    As a whole, my group and Al''s had slain a total of sixty enemies with only three casualties for Al''s riders and one from mine.


    A visere from Ashley''s Shield squad had been struck down by an arrow to the throat while they made the climb. His name was Wren Lokai. He was thirty-two and the father of three.


    It was a sore spot in the otherwise flawless victory we might have had if Verania hadn''t swooped in to steal the show.


    I made a note in my head to make sure his family back on Mudgard received proper compensation for his sacrifice, and I would ask Varda to add that to the list of priorities for the rest of the night.


    Later in the night, I would learn that there were more casualties among the Foolhardies from the northern slope''s battle, but that would be after the trip to the mana pool. Right now, I was feeling devastated enough with the loss of one soldier.


    Luca noticed the scowl on my face and gave me the thumbs up as a kind of reassurance. The cheeky brat thought I needed comforting even though he was still bleeding from another wound on his left arm, and there was a cut on his cheek too. It was another reason to feel bad, putting my younger brother in enough danger to get injured.


    Luca didn''t seem to mind though. In fact, his new wounds were just the excuse he needed to make Pike fuss over him¡ªthe little turd turned Casanova.


    \"Be right back,\" I mouthed.


    \"We''ll be here,\" he mouthed back.


    Then I turned around and followed the others into that secret world within the fairy fort of circle stones.


    A step past the circle stones and I found myself transported into a place of verdant grass and trees much like the first fairy fort I''d ever visited.


    There was a myriad of colorful flowers scattered among healthy shrubs that would have been unable to grow in a desert.


    The smell of lilacs, thyme, rosemary, and roses filled the surrounding air that was like a soothing balm to the weary warrior in me.


    I glanced above me and saw that the sky was different from the clear starry sky I''d just left behind. In its place was an aurora of green and blue and purple hues. It was a reflection of the light coming from the small glowing pool at the center of this otherworldly place.


    As most fairies knew, this was the secret that all fairy forts held. This garden of Eden that could survive even the harshest climates as if it were separate from the rest of the Fayne, and more importantly, the pool within this garden that filled this space with magical energy.


    Ahead of me, Aura stood beside the pool while my two rival commanders fidgeted in front of her. I could guess why as I noticed that Aura had taken off her mask and hood. That was natural as there was no reason for her to hide who she was in this place.


    Possibly, like me, they were both enamoured by her otherworldly beauty. Yes, even Verania, who was gorgeous to look at herself, seemed captivated by Aura who I likened to the goddess of love.


    Aura beckoned me over with a regal hand, and I quickly hopped to follow.


    \"The mana pool here will be used for the clan, but each of you may take a jar''s worth of mana for yourselves to share with your warriors,\" Aura instructed.


    She offered each of us a jar that was the size of a large pitcher of water.


    This might seem small to the uninitiated but us experienced people knew better. A single sip of mana was enough to provide all kinds of benefits to a fairy or human, things too numerous to mention now.


    \"I give you this boon as thanks for your recent achievements for the clan as well as to prepare you for what comes next,\" Aura explained.


    \"What comes next, princess?\" Al asked in a voice that was all reverence and respect.


    Aura offered him a smile. Then she turned it on Verania and frowned.


    \"Care to explain the news to them,\" she asked politely.


    Verania frowned herself but relented to Aura''s request.


    \"The Council has acquiesced to the proposal of Great General Garm,\" she revealed. \"Very soon, the Trickster Pavilion will declare war on the Sunspire Dominion to reclaim the entirety of the Westersand Desert from their grasp.\"


    We all knew it was coming, but I had to ask the question in all our minds, \"Why now?\"


    Verania turned her cold stare on me. \"Besides the increasing hostilities over the past few months, you mean?\"


    I nodded. \"That''s not enough to go to war, right?\"


    \"It''s always been the plan to expand our borders and slowly consolidate our power in the central region,\" Aura reasoned, glancing meaningfully at me as she did. \"Although we achieved this expansion on our eastern border, reclaiming much of the Calmlands from the Magesong Clan, there are those who believed we failed to achieve much as the Spellweave River Valley itself was stolen away by the Scarlet Moon from right under our noses.\"


    \"And now that the Scarlet Moon is in a protracted war with the Hermitage up north, now''s an ideal time to strike without fear of them interfering again,\" Al guessed.


    Aura nodded. \"The elders seem to think so, and my brother approved of Great General Garm''s plan.\"


    \"So¡­ war is coming once again, huh,\" I confirmed.


    Aura nodded.


    She stooped down toward the pool and dipped an Erlenmeyer flask into its waters. She filled it up to nearly full before pulling it out of the water and corking the flask.


    Aura stepped aside for the other two to fill their jars. Then she walked over to me and pushed the flask into my free hand while she whispered into my ear.


    Her breath smelled of mint and honey and all good things, addling my brain enough that I almost missed what she''d said. But I heard that last part well enough.


    \"Happy sixteenth birthday, Dean,\" she breathed.

 161 The Tomorrow War

    It was decided after our trip to the mana pool that Vernaia and her Moonlight Marauders would remain behind to manage the defenses of the oasis while she awaited reinforcements from Garm''s troops who were on the way.


    \"And I''m expected to mind this spot like some lowly watchman?\" she complained in protest.


    \"Well¡­ you did claim victory over it, right?\" I reminded her, a smile playing on my lips as I did.


    \"Yeah, yeah¡­ the responsibilities of the victor,\" Al said in a voice that dripped suppressed humor.


    The truth, with the revelation of another war coming very soon, neither of us wanted the responsibility of babysitting the oasis while there were four to five more oases nearby that needed conquering.


    For me and Al, the successful capture of more oases would allow us to increase our reputation and standing in the western army right before the war started. After all, just like in the Olympic games where only the best athletes get to compete, in a war between fairy clans, only the best units are called to the front.


    \"See you later, Verania,\" I teased.


    Now, despite Verania''s prissy attitude, Al and I felt compelled to at least help her manage her prisoners who would outnumber her unit once we left. So, we each took seven hundred enemy troops with us when we marched away from this central oasis and its fairy fort¡ªAl to the north and me to the south.


    I let my prisoners loose outside Foolhardies territory without weapons or rations of any kind, hoping this would encourage them to run back to Dominion territory without thinking of reinforcing the oases I was planning to take over.


    Also, you might be wondering why our three independent units were in charge of reclaiming such an important oasis with its high strategic value. That''s because we weren''t assigned to it by Garm who held the bulk of the western army under his control. In fact, those reinforcements heading toward Verania were supposed to be the ones conquering the oasis we''d just left behind. But as we were independent units under Grimthorn, we decided to steal this glory from the other army after we learned that the Dominion troops stationed in the oasis only numbered two thousand. In short, it was the enemy''s fault for making it such an easy steal.


    After marching to the south, my nearly five-hundred-man unit pitched tents on a location that was just north and between two of the Dominion-controlled oases previously mentioned. Both oases were currently under siege by Garm''s troops but haven''t been conquered yet.


    Once the unit was settled for the rest of the night, I hung out at the command tent, sitting on my chair and browsing over the eastern desert map which was laid out on my war table. Azuma and Edo were there with me.


    \"One week seems kind of rushing it,\" Edo commented.


    \"We don''t have a choice¡­ the war might begin anytime and we need to solidify our position with the western army before it begins,\" I reminded him.


    Azuma read from the unfurled scroll in his hand. \"Intel reports show both oasis carry roughly five-thousand enemy troops each¡­ more than half the number of the central oasis in this region.\"


    Edo''s eyebrow rose at Azuma''s words. \"Why did they leave fewer troops in the most important location on this region of the map?\"


    For answer, I pointed to the other four oases surrounding the one we''d already taken over. All of them, including the two we were considering formed around the conquered oasis in a loose circle.


    \"Common war tactics would assume these outlying oases would manage to protect the central one from invaders. That''s why there were fewer troops there,\" I answered.


    \"They moved the bulk of their forces to defend the others with the assumption it would shield the middle one,\" Azuma agreed.


    I nodded.


    \"However,\" I pointed at the larger space between the oases on the northeast and direct east where the gap between them was much larger than the others. \"They failed to take into account this space here.\"


    \"And with these two oases already under assault from Garm''s troops, it would leave them little room to maneuver and close the gap,\" Azuma continued.


    \"Leaving a smaller unit like ours ease of access into the central area¡­ It''s the exact exploit we used,\" I finished.


    I raised my hand to Azuma for a high-five but it took the much older man to recognize the gesture. Still, there was a satisfying slap at the end of the wait.


    \"I fail to understand why the enemy didn''t notice this tactic?\" Edo pressed as he glowered over the points in the map I showed him.


    Azuma spared each other a knowing glance before I answered Edo''s question. \"That''s easy¡­ the Dominion has no visere commanders on their roster.\"


    \"And that''s relevant?\" Edo asked, his eyebrow rising once more.


    \"Possibly because of your longer lifespans, fairies are rigid in their thinking¡­ they tend not to think outside the box and therefore can''t come up with tactics that make use of revolving situations, and you rarely take the choice with obvious risks,\" Azuma explained.


    \"Isn''t that why Aura hired me in the first place?\" I added wryly.


    \"Don''t remind me,\" Edo sighed heavily. \"You''re arrival was the beginning of my headaches¡­\"


    I laughed.


    \"That wasn''t a joke, Dean,\" Edo growled.


    \"It''s still funny,\" I countered.


    The last six months have made me immune to Edo''s smoldering gaze. Plus, as tonight was my sixteenth birthday, I just feel manlier because of it.


    \"We''re getting off-topic here,\" Azuma reminded us.


    He pointed to the two southern oases again.


    \"Which one do we tackle first?\" he asked once more.


    I picked up another roll of parchment from the makeshift war table and unfurled it. Then I read parts of its content out loud to my advisors.


    \"Two three-thousand-man commanders from Garm''s army are currently in siege operations in the right oasis,\" I read. \"General Red Bull, one of Garm''s satyr aides, and four-thousand soldiers from his personal unit, the Bull''s Barragers, have taken the task of conquering the left oasis.\"


    \"I''ve met the Red Bull¡­ nice guy. Easy to work with,\" Edo revealed. He scratched his head afterward. \"Don''t know why he''s working for a bastard like Garm though.\"


    \"Is he competent?\" I asked as I put the scroll down on the table.


    \"Very,\" Edo answered as he sat back on the wooden chair that seemed to groan in protest at his weight. \"Even with only four thousand men. He won''t need us to conquer that oasis.\"


    I grinned mischievously.


    \"We can''t have that¡­ don''t think he''ll mind a team-up, do you?\" I wondered aloud.


    \"Not if we let him know we''re coming¡­ he won''t mind it at all. Won''t even mind if you steal the glory¡­ he''s got enough of it,\" Edo chuckled.


    \"That''s our first target then¡­\" I said, leaning forward in my seat. \"If he''s as competent as you say, he''ll pair well with whatever we plan to do.\"


    I looked over to the scroll again and reread its contents. I frowned after I noticed one key point in the report.


    \"These units attacking the oasis to the right won''t win the right oasis so we''ll have time,\" I reasoned.


    \"Why do you say that?\" Azuma asked curiously.


    I referred to the report on the table.


    \"The enemy commander''s pretty famous¡­ the Knight of Morning himself,\" I answered.


    \"The Dawn Breaker?\" Edo sat up suddenly. He whistled. \"Well, that''s going to be trouble for us.\"


    I nodded in agreement. Then I pointed back to the left oasis.


    \"So here''s what I''m thinking¡­ we assist the Red Bull in conquering the left oasis then gain his help in taking over the right one,\" I explained. \"No matter how famous the warrior, we just need to come at them with overwhelming force.\"


    Both Edo and Azuma sat back almost reflexively like they were suddenly at ease.


    \"More and more I''m beginning to realize why an annoying boy like you defeated me,\" Azuma smirked.


    \"The little commander should be at least this useful after all,\" Edo added, a similar smile playing on his lips.


    \"You guys really know how to butter up a dude, don''t you,\" I said with a shake of my head.


    It was at this point when Aura and the rest of my officers walked into the command tent. While the rest of them carried what was arguably a bamboo-type shot glass in their hands, Luca was carrying what was obviously a birthday cake in her arms.


    My eyes went wide with surprise as I didn''t expect a cake until the morning back in Mudgard. Aunt Lena had planned a breakfast with Ty and Arah.


    \"Celebrating the day you were born, I like this tradition,\" Varda admitted as she sat on the chair next to Edo.


    \"Sounds like a bother to me,\" Qwipps countered as he took his seat on her other side, \"Having to remember dates for all your acquaintances¡­\"


    \"Don''t worry, Qwipps,\" Ashley added as she sat next to Azuma. \"No one expects you to remember anything. We''re used to it.\"


    Qwipps'' sent Ashley the Fayne''s version of the finger and she sent him back a flying kiss.


    \"Ah, revelries, this is the stuff I like about you guys,\" Shanks looked around for a chair that could fit him, but finding none, he opted to stand behind Ashley and lean on the tent''s central pole. He raised the very tiny wooden cup in his hand. \"You didn''t scrimp on the good stuff too.\"


    As he said this, Luca placed the birthday cake down on the table in front of me while Aura put a cup down beside it. Then they each took their respective seats on opposite sides of me with Pike claiming the seat next to Luca and Ty sitting on Aura''s other side.


    Thom and his cousin, Enna, took their seats next to Qwipps and Ashley respectively, with Thor and Xanthor rounding out the full roster of officers opting to stand at the other end of the table from me.


    \"You''re going to enjoy the gift I got you, dude,\" Ty told me. \"Left it in your house before we ported.\"


    \"Sweet,\" I said, still feeling overwhelmed by this unexpected gesture from my team.


    \"We''ve distributed most of the mana to the soldiers who performed well during tonight''s mission,\" Aura explained.


    \"The rest were promised a slight increase in pay like you wanted, Commander,\" Varda added.


    I nodded gratefully at them for handling the task for me. It was appropriate I think, that everyone gets rewarded for their efforts which over the last few months showed a vast improvement from the last war.


    \"So, shall we begin?\" Thom asked. \"I believe our Commander,\" that smirk of his didn''t annoy me as much tonight, \"requires we sing him a¡­ what was that, Luca?\"


    \"A birthday song,\" Luca reminded them before turning to me with a grin and saying, \"They actually practiced it first.\"


    \"Extra points to Varda for hitting those high notes,\" Ashley laughed.


    There were a few more jeering at everyone''s expense, and as I paid attention to their fooling around, I wondered if this warm feeling I felt in my chest wasn''t similar to those good old days when the family table was set for four when my dad wasn''t just a memory and my mom hadn''t gone cuckoo yet.


    And I never really imagined that I would feel this way again in a battlefield of all places while surrounded by such an eclectic cast of weirdoes, who, despite my bias against fairies, have become as close to family as Luca and I have ever had.


    I blinked away the tears that would have fallen from my eyes and earned me a new wave of jokes at my expense, and just sat there, waiting for the others to finish so we could get down to the business of eating cake.


    Eventually, Aura, as our proverbial matriarch, clapped her hands together for quiet. Once all noise had died down, she ordered the others to sing. And together, in a variety of tones that were a horror to my ears, they sang me a happy birthday.

 162 Over the Hedge

    \"Looks like you''re having a much harder time than I thought, General,\" I deduced.


    It was the night after our toast in the command tent. After I, Ty, Azuma, and other viseres clocked out for the day, the remaining Foolhardies under Aura''s leadership marched the rest of the way to the oasis in the southwest that I''d designated as our first target. Their pace allowed them to arrive at the location just before dusk.


    So tonight, I found myself staring down into a desert valley where a fierce battle was being waged between the forces of General Red Bull and a much larger enemy army than previously reported.


    \"Well, I didn''t really expect that bastard to get in my way, you know,\" Red Bull answered as he sent me a sidelong glance. \"So you''re the commander who beat Azuma and Jimmy Jonas, huh¡­ thought you''d be taller.\"


    I frowned. There was one thing I hated about meeting new people and it was always this unfair comment on my height. After all, height had nothing to do with talent in battle strategy.


    \"Don''t sweat it, Commander Dapper,\" he said reassuringly. \"I measure a human''s worth by their ability to be useful in battle.\"


    Red Bull playfully smacked the shoulder of his lieutenant, the one-thousand-man commander, April Valentine.


    \"Look at April here,\" he pointed a thumb at her. \"She looks like a gust of wind would blow her away but you won''t find a sharper mind anywhere else in Garm''s army.\"


    I glanced over at the pair of them and couldn''t help but notice how opposite they looked from each other.


    While April seemed like a frail, short-haired, fair-faced angel, her general with his two large horns and muscular physique wrapped in sun-kissed flesh was almost like a demon. Both of them wore similar style scale mail armor, the kind that hugged one''s figure like a superhero''s outfit.


    \"I''m surprised Great General Garm even has human officers,\" I admitted. \"He didn''t strike me as the type who associated with us Mudgardians.\"


    Red Bull guffawed loudly, drawing attention from the people around us.


    \"Old Garm''s a purist, but he''s not a great general for nothing,\" Red Bull said. \"He''ll recognize talent and reward those who prove valuable.\"


    He sent me another sidelong glance.


    \"The big boss hates your guts though,\" Red Bull smirked. \"Something about you not having the proper sense to die when he hit you.\"


    The sound of explosions rocked our ears and turned our attentions back to the battle below.


    The oasis, an extra-large watering hole surrounded by desert firs and shrubs, sat cozily in the center of this small desert valley. It had been heavily barricaded by the enemy with what I assumed was a magically formed fifteen-foot hedge formed around the oasis like a maze.


    A black plume rose up from the front of the maze. Flames licked the corners of the hedge that hadn''t been blown away. It worked. Or so we all thought.


    But, as if time was being reversed, the hedge rapidly grew itself back in a matter of seconds, thereby closing the hole that had been created. Unfortunately, some of Red Bull''s men had already crossed into the other side and were stuck over there.


    Pretty soon we heard the war cries and death rattles that told us our soldiers had been slain.


    The satyr crossed his arms


    \"Well, shit,\" he scowled. \"That was a muddaming disaster¡­\"


    He turned his piercing gaze on me, the guy who''d suggested the failed tactic.


    \"What else you got?\" he asked.


    There was no accusation in his tone, and I could tell he was giving me another chance to prove myself. In fact, I guessed that he and his lieutenant already had a plan on standby but they were waiting to see if I could deliver first.


    I sighed inwardly and wondered why everything in the universe seemed to be one big fat test.


    My gaze moved down to the maze once more.


    On first inspection, the maze itself seemed harmless apart from the myriad of directions one could get lost in. It wasn''t tall enough to impede a pixie''s flight either, but strangely enough, not even the birds that passed into this valley would fly over the hedge maze.


    Within the hedge maze, the glint of metal revealed several large units patrolling inside it, ready to take out any unsuspecting intruders who stumbled inside. By the maze''s size alone, I suspected there were thousands of soldiers hiding within, way more than one could see even from our vantage point above.


    At the center of this artificial maze, an army that seemed equal to the size of its attackers was waiting. However, a mist covered this central space, making visibility of what lay inside extremely difficult.


    \"This is definitely magic,\" I reasoned.


    \"Nature magic,\" Aura explained.


    She''d been kneeling on the ground in front of us with a crystal in her outstretched hands. The crystal, which was initially as clear as glass, was now glowing a verdant green.


    \"A powerful nature spell envelops this entire valley¡­ I would assume that there''s a master magician at the center of the maze, and if not, then at least a dozen magicians casting the same enchantment,\" she explained further.


    I took into account the information Aura gave me while I surveyed the maze below.


    Defenders and attackers clashed at the edge of the hedge as some of the enemy units braved the outside of it to test our own defensive capabilities. A remarkable thing about this maze was how it seemed to open up whenever their side chose to attack almost as if it was aware of who was good and who was bad.


    \"How powerful do you think this spell is?\" I asked Aura.


    \"An area of effect spell like this one is most often a high-tier one,\" she answered.


    Aura got up and dusted off her knees. Then she stood to full height and pocketed her crystal.


    \"You want to see if it''ll stand up to a bombardment, don''t you?\" she guessed knowingly.


    I nodded.


    \"Want me to summon the efreet?\" She locked her fingers together and stretched them forward. \"I can''t promise my power will be enough though.\"


    I shook my head and patted her shoulder.


    \"No need to worry yourself, partner¡­\" I raised the peace sign high in the manner of a football player after he''d scored a goal. \"Let''s see if these master magicians can hold their own against the chosen one.\"


    The call came down to the very front where I had Luca waiting on standby with Luca and his Reavers.


    I''d seen the maze hedge before meeting General Red Bull, and I already assumed then that I would need the power of the chosen one to break through it.


    Red Bull walked closer to me and Aura.


    \"So that''s him, huh?\" he said. \"Are you sure he''s the one? Seems almost as flimsy as April.\"


    We watched the tall figure walk over to the edge of the hedge.


    \"He''s the one,\" I said, a hint of pride escaping my lips.


    It had been five months since Ty officially joined the Foolhardies, and we tended to use his powers sparingly as the situation rarely called for the nuclear option. Tonight, however, I imagined Ty could finally get to show off a bit.


    We watched Ty stretched his hands out to the maze. We saw his form shimmer, bathed in a blue aura that I always likened to Captain Marvel when she was flying in the sky.


    Then we felt the night turn cold as if father winter had suddenly come upon this valley and let out a long, chilly breath over it. Quickly afterward, that which was once a wall of verdant green was transformed into the snow-white wall that spread out from the place where Ty''s hands rested on the hedge.


    The entire front side of this hedge and several layers beyond it was now covered in a sheet of ice, proving once more that Ty''s magical talents were an overpowering cheat of a gift.


    Ty stepped aside so that Luca and his Reavers could begin their job of destroying the ice before them.


    A single swing of my brother''s broadsword brought down a large portion of the front wall like it was nothing more than a shattered ice sculpture. And just like that, the hedge had been breached.


    Then he looked over his shoulder to address his men, and I wasn''t there, but I could guess what orders he was giving. \"Stick together, team,\" or \"Go, go, go, go!\"


    The Reavers shattered wall after wall of ice that barred their way while at the same time dealing with the enemy forces that appeared to stop them.


    If it was just Luca and his unit, they might have had a chance against them, but by this time, Edo and his Bastards had joined the fray along with other units from the Red Bull''s forces.


    It was a veritable free for all inside the hedge now, although it was no longer a maze for my Foolhardies led the way forward in a straight line that would take them to the oasis.


    The hedge did not grow back, and the places that were still verdant were quickly dealt with by Ty, who, alongside Luca, was at the very front of the growing column of our warriors.


    \"Not bad,\" Red Bull noted. \"I would have done it differently, but I like this overwhelming show of force too.\"


    I felt a swell of pride for my brother and my friend and the rest of my unit. They were always managing to execute my crazy vision in the best possible way.


    \"So¡­ how do you plan to deal with him?\" Red Bull asked.


    He was referring to the Dawn Breaker, of course, the Sunspire Dominion''s famous fairy knight who was supposed to be over at oasis number two. And yet, when we arrived here, I was told who exactly was giving Red Bull and his troops such a hard time.


    \"As I said, you ain''t seen nothing yet,\" I repeated, and unlike those past days when I faced off with other famous military officers, I actually felt confident.

 163 A Song of Ice and Fire

    The battle had gone pretty straightforward so far, and I meant that literally.


    Thanks to Ty''s efforts, the Foolhardies led by Luca''s Reavers marched a straight line toward the center of the hedge maze unencumbered by the magical hedge as Ty''s power proved stronger. The Red Bull''s forces followed in after us, cheering us on like we''d already won the battle.


    Enemies arrived on both sides of our column but Ashley''s shield squad managed to keep these troublemakers at bay long enough for either Edo''s Bastards or Azuma''s Immortals to lay waste to them. And if that wasn''t enough, Aura''s Mage-Hand squad currently under Varda''s command dealt the finishing blow courtesy of flame arrows from Donar or a fist of stone from one of the dwarven mages in the unit.


    At the front, Luca''s squad barely had to work hard on slaying foes as Ty''s spell, the area of effect spell I dubbed Winter''s Breath, was overpowered magic that didn''t choose between fairy or shrubbery. All were turned to ice. All Luca and his Reavers had to do now was play the role of ice breakers.


    How long Ty could keep this spell up was debatable as humans, even a chosen one, didn''t have much mana inside us for spell casting. And Ty''s physical talents were average at best even after Azuma''s Spartan training regimen.


    Still, he was holding out for now, and that really made all the difference. A battle that was at hard-level difficulty was suddenly changed to easy. At least for now. I expected things to change as soon as the famous enemy commander made a move.


    Spirits, I hated it when I guessed right.


    I didn''t need Fool''s Insight to feel that change in the air as if something unexpected like an earthquake was about to occur.


    Sure enough, the Foolhardies were three or four hedge walls away from the center of the maze when the ice formed from Ty''s spell began to slowly melt.


    \"Smells like trouble''s brewing,\" I guessed.


    \"You''re stating the obvious now, huh,\" Red Bull commented.


    The two of us, along with Aura and Red Bull''s lieutenant, April Valentine, watched from our vantage point above the valley as the mist the enemy army hiding at the center of the maze started moving into position opposite our march, readying themselves to repel the invaders who had the gall not to walk into their maze properly.


    Despite the mist that covered the very center of the oasis, we could see the soldiers at the edge of it, their armor glinting under the light of Idunn.


    At the very front of this enemy force, a fairy knight, resplendent in plate mail armor and an awesome looking helmet with an officer''s crest¡ªthat line of red brush sprouting at the top¡ªstood with its glowing greatsword planted on the sands in front of it.


    Steam rose up from the point where these two invisible forces collided which was two shrubs away from my unit, and even from this high up, I could tell my guys were starting to feel the heat.


    From my vantage point, the collision of opposite magics was a sight to behold, especially with Fool''s Insight giving me a unique point of view. To me, they were like two songs, one high-pitched and the other low-pitched, both competing to grab the attention of a captive audience.


    \"The Dawn Breaker''s a magician¡­\" I noted.


    \"An Arcane Knight actually,\" Aura corrected.


    \"Those are real?\" I asked with furrowed brow.


    \"Magicians with the physical talents for close-quarters combat and can manage this dual role well often take up this profession,\" Aura explained while her own brow furrowed. \"Dean¡­ don''t underestimate this opponent. He''s strong.\"


    I chuckled as I glanced sideways at her.


    \"I train nightly with a magician who can hold her own in close combat to, you know,\" I said knowingly. \"Maybe you should consider becoming an Arcane Knight¡­\"


    I saw Aura blush visibly as I walked forward.


    \"Anything else I should know?\" I asked as I mounted Myth Chaser.


    \"The sword¡­\" Red Bull answered.


    He too mounted his swifthart, a blood-red beast that was much bigger than Myth Chaser but not quite big enough to be considered elkin.


    I mentally took note of it, and wondered if Edo would like a mount of his own.


    \"The sword is an arcane artifact¡­ you need to have one to be called an Arcane Knight,\" he explained.


    Aura and April were mounted now too, and along with them, the Red Bull''s cavalry stood ready and waiting. Xanthor''s Dash Riders were present too.


    \"The knights take up the weapon''s name as their monikers,\" Red Bull raised his battle-ax, the shadowblade sparking to life as it rose in the air. \"Thus the Dawn Breaker.\"


    I thought that was kind of cool, and I said as much.


    Red Bull chuckled. \"If you think that''s cool, then you should meet the Seven Swords of the Justiciars.\"


    My eyebrows were suddenly in danger of disappearing above my hair line. That was a cool name. Sort of like the Seven Samurai of Mudgardian cinema legend.


    \"Focus, Dean,\" Aura said with a shake of her head. \"You can fanboy over fairy culture later.\"


    \"You know, I really think you''ve been hanging out with Arah too much recently,\" I scowled. Then I turned to Red Bull and gestured for him to go ahead. \"Please begin the charge, general.\"


    He grinned. Then he dropped his battle-ax forward.


    The forces behind him, nearly a thousand strong, let out a mighty roar, one strong enough to alarm all those below the valley.


    Now that was the power of a general''s charisma, I thought, and I wondered just when I would bring that level of confidence and strength out of my Foolhardies.


    \"Ride! Ride now! Ride to death and a red dawn!\" Red Bull screamed.


    We charged down the valley with the general in the lead and me and Aura flanking him on either side. Our trajectory led us down the sands following the same line that the Foolhardies created.


    However, any commander worth his salt would know that charging straight in there would be impossible as hundreds of soldiers were already marching into the hole Ty had made.


    So it was no surprise to me that the Red Bull veered to the left at the last second right before we collided with the flanks of our own forces. This kind of sudden turn would have been disastrous if we were riding on anything other than a swifthart.


    My heart pounded inside my chest as I pulled on Myth Chaser''s reins and steered him left.


    \"Cutting it a little close there, general,\" I said from his left side.


    He guffawed. \"You asked me to make it look like we were going in there. I did exactly that.\"


    I sighed, realizing suddenly that I was paired with another reckless higher-up. And here I thought I wouldn''t have to deal with someone like Darah for a while.


    \"Well, get to it, Commander,\" he ordered. \"Do that thing you promised you could do.\"


    I sighed again. Then I glanced over at Aura on his other side and yelled, \"Are you ready?\"


    Aura, after a moment of doubt flashed across her face, nodded determinedly at me. Then she raised her staff high and began her chant to summon the most awesome spirit of fire.


    \"Oh mighty servant of the Pillar of Flames, I beseech you, come forth and rampage across this fairy plane!\" she entreated.


    A giant fireball came to life in the air above her, following her around like a giant floating pointer. It expanded and then exploded outward, spraying those of us around her in a scorching heat reminiscent of a sun glaring down on the beach at high noon.


    Moments later, like a beast hatched from a golden egg, the creature of shadow and flame awoke from its slumber in the spirit plane. It let loose a roar that made the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end.


    I patted Myth Chaser reassuringly on the neck as even he was vibrating with fear underneath me.


    Beside me, I heard Red Bull swear, \"Muddamn¡­\"


    It was the appropriate response whenever one first encountered Aura''s mighty efreet who I recently dubbed with the nickname, Flamethrower. A little on the nose, I know, but it was a very apt name considering Flamethrower''s predilection to launch fireballs from his clawed hands the moment after it was summoned.


    The spirit darted forward, and moments later, an explosion rocked the hedge wall a short distance ahead of us as flamethrower did his thing. With the help of Fool''s Insight I could see the ambient magic of the hedge burn away at his power proving once again that Aura didn''t exactly lose out to Ty in raw power.


    \"That''s our way in!\" I yelled.


    Red Bull grinned.


    \"I''m really liking your style, human,\" he guffawed. \"Maybe you should consider transferring to my army.\"


    \"No thanks, general,\" I replied quickly.


    He guffawed again and then led our cavalry into the hole in the hedge that Flamethrower made for us.


    Ahead of us, the efreet continued to burn away the hedge wall, ensuring that there were now two paths where our forces could break through the magical maze.  Although the wispy fumes floating out of the scorched plants made me cough as I passed through it.


    Red Bull heard me and laughed out even louder. Then he switched gears and turned all business-like when he commanded that we pick up the pace.


    \"To victory and a red dawn!\" he yelled.


    I believe I wasn''t the only one screaming my lungs out as I joined the throng of war cries raised into the heavens.

 164 The Fast and the Furious

    Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy''s strategy. That quote from Sun Tzu raced through my head as Myth Chaser raced through the openings in the hedge maze that Flamethrower had burned for us.


    Honestly, it was a good plan, turning an otherwise indefensible oasis in this sand valley into a nearly unassailable piece of land protected by a magical hedge maze. It was nothing short of brilliant and something I wished I''d thought of too which is probably why I chose the counter-tactic that I used. Just so I could poke a hole into this brilliant strategy.


    My counter plan wasn''t all perfect though. The heat generated by being the efreet alone was bordering uncomfortable and slipping into scalding territory. There was the smoke caused by the burning hedge wall too. It got into my nose and was slowly murdering my lungs, causing me to cough again and again.


    I glanced over to my right, to the other side of Red Bull where Aura rode on Starlight.


    Aura, being the gorgeous elven maiden that she was, rarely sweats, so seeing her brow glisten with sweat worried me a little. It was a sign that she was beginning to struggle with her efreet summoning, which was a powerful spell, but also had a lot of drawbacks such as losing control of a mighty fire spirit and letting its rampage across the valley where both friends and foe were gathered.


    I did not want a repeat of that Broken Sellsword''s Canyon Debacle so I called to her and said, \"Release the summon as soon as he burns through the lash hedge wall¡­ we''ll handle the rest.\"


    Aura didn''t even turn my way. She simply nodded as her attentions were focused on keeping her efreet on its leash.


    Luckily enough, the efreet just burned through the maze''s last hedge wall. However, waiting for it on the other side were half a dozen fairy magicians, who, at the moment of its appearance erected a Shield of Flames to keep it at bay.


    Using the same element to render the spirit ineffective was another smart move on their commander''s part. More and more I was enjoying this matching of wits.


    \"Aura, release the efreet,\" I ordered.


    Aura raised her staff forward, and whispering words I couldn''t hear that canceled the summoning spell.


    As the efreet exploded into a shower of sparks and flame, it overloaded the Shield of Flames and caused its own implosion, a strategy I''d learned during my first encounter with Azuma''s forces during that faithful night when my journey truly began.


    Through the smoke and embers, we galloped, and as we cleared the hedge, our shadowblades sang in the air, swishing toward the surprised faces of fairies who were too confident in their magic.


    I felt my falchion''s shadowblade sink deep into the left shoulder of the fairy before me, but I didn''t stop to check if it had fallen from my attack. I urged Myth Chaser onward and toward the next target.


    Suddenly, as if by some invisible hand, Red Bull''s mount skidded to a stop, forcing its rider off its back and sending Red Bull sailing forward like he was in a car crash.


    The sight of wooden spikes piercing the red swfthart in places at its front caused me to veer Myth Chaser to the right, and I was just in time to avoid the spiked wooden barricades that were in the way.


    \"Turn right!\" I warned.


    But I wasn''t Red Bull. I didn''t have the strength to command his men, and although some heard my warning and followed my lead, many more followed their master into the arms of the trap that had been placed there and hidden in the mist.


    \"Aura!\" I yelled.


    She appeared at my side.


    \"General Red Bull?\" she asked.


    I glanced over my shoulder and saw him rise groggily to his feet. Blood poured down from a deep cut on his face.


    \"He''s alive,\" I answered, and then I saw his predicament and swore. \"Sh**!\"


    Enemy soldiers carrying tower shields were beginning to surround Red Bull and those of his men who''d join him in the plunge down to into the sands.


    \"They''re using an inverted phalanx formation to pen him in,\" I explained to Aura at the same time as I urged Myth Chaser to turn around.


    April Valentine cut in front of me, causing me to pull Myth Chaser back.


    \"I''ll go back for the general¡­ you continue with the plan and break through the enemy''s defenses,\" she said with a face full of steely-eyed determination. And as she turned around to lead a second charge to where her boss had fallen, she glanced over her shoulder and said, \"Kill the Dawn Breaker if you can. We''ll catch up.\"


    April Valentine left me my Foolhardies cavalry while she took the rest of her riders off to rescue their general.


    A quick count told me that I had fifty riders including me, Aura, and Xanthor. And a quick survey of my surroundings told me we were between a healthy side of hedge wall and defensive barricades hidden in the mist with enemy soldiers most likely mixed in there.


    Sadly, I realized that this situation wouldn''t even make the top ten of worst-case scenarios my Foolhardies and I had stumbled into so I wasn''t paralyzed with fear.


    \"Quickness is the essence of war,\" I repeated another beloved Sun Tzu quote before I made my decision. \"Let''s ride!\"


    \"Roger that, Commander,\" Xanthor answered. \"Put the pedal to the metal, centaurs!\"


    As one, our squad skirted the narrow space between the hedge maze and the enemy''s defensive formations¡ªliterally making it the space between life and death¡ªrunning along their line and back to where I guessed Luca and the rest of the Foolhardies had broken through.


    A few enemy soldiers were brazen enough to leave the safety of the mist and barricades to try and attack us. Our centaurs'' arrows turned their choice into a very fatal mistake.


    Arrows shot at us too, but the speed of our passing was all we needed to dodge. There were a few hits but those centaurs or swifthart riders that were wounded pushed onward. They knew what was at stake.


    For my part, I did my best to lead them safely through the path as quickly as possible, zigging and zagging past clumps of defenders who jumped out at us and cutting off limbs of those fools who were too eager to nab my head.


    Eventually, we''d circled long enough and found what we''d been looking for, although I didn''t really expect to see the large ice spikes poking out of the ground like some enormous geyser had frozen over the valley floor.


    \"Ty''s power really is impressive,\" Aura noted.


    I nodded disbelievingly as my bias over my eight years of friendship with the guy wouldn''t allow me to go past the old Ty to see this new and improved and highly useful version two-point-oh.


    Ahead of us, Ashley''s shield squad was front and center. They were in a clash of shield walls against the enemy''s own formation.


    To the left and right of the shield wall, Azuma''s Immortals and Edo''s Bastards took up arms against large clusters of enemies who''d failed to get around Ashley''s shield wall.


    As I rode, I watched Edo cut through soldier after soldier like the war machine that he was. On the other side of the wall, Azuma was performing deathblow after deathblow on all challengers. And in my head I thought that I was so lucky these two warriors had chosen to follow me.


    Ashley herself was proving once again how useful it was to have a shieldmaiden in the unit as she led our forces forward inch by inch.


    \"Push forward, fairies and viseres!\" she commanded in a very gender-neutral kind of way.


    Her shield wall slammed into the enemy''s own wall, and with a timed and mighty heave, they pushed against their enemy, forcing the less-trained shield wall to step back another inch.


    Arrows from behind both shield walls flew over the night sky, peppering the other side with the promises of death from above.


    Death cries and war cries could be heard in equal measure, and as we approached them, the thrill of battle was beginning to take its hold over me. This would no doubt be marred later after I''d taken a life and regretted it, but for now, I relished in this heart-pumping feeling of clashing fates.


    Then I saw my brother on the far side of Ashley''s shield wall, further back than Azuma''s position, and watched him struggle against his opponent.


    Luca had parried another attack from the Dawn Breaker''s greatsword, but it was clear that he was on the back pedal. He looked winded and I could see why. His opponent was relentless. Each attack transitioned to another again and again in what I could only describe as some kind of infinite combo.


    My brother managed to dodge, block, and parry most of the attacks well enough, but it was clear that managing this barrage of attacks was draining him.


    \"Sh**!\" I hissed. \"Aura, take command and follow me in if you can. Stay by Edo if you can''t¡­\"


    I snapped Myth Chaser''s reins and urged him to gallop faster, almost leaving behind Aura and Xanthor behind me.


    \"Ashley! Make a hole!\" I ordered.


    Ashley glanced to her left and saw me galloping toward their clash of shield walls. Her eyes went wide. Then, with barely any hesitation she yelled, \"Step off in three, two, one¡­ now!\"


    As one her squad took a coordinated two steps back while maintaining formation. This opened up a narrow path through at the same time as confusing the enemy that had at that point been pushing against Ashley''s Shield squad for all they were worth.


    The result was that many of these enemy soldiers fell forward, some toppling over completely. It wasn''t a problem however as Myth Chaser simply jumped past some of them and stepped on others, bulldozing his way through the narrow tunnel Ashley had created for me.


    As my Foolhardies saw me pass, a loud and raucous cheer rang out.


    \"Foolhardies!\" they yelled.


    And, fortunately, I had the presence of mind to raise my falchion high in salute as I passed by, earning me an even louder salute.


    No, I wasn''t just showing off. I was boosting my soldiers'' morale like any proper Commander would.


    I pushed past the shield wall, the lone swifthart rider to reach the other side of it. Then I was moving past Azuma''s Immortals who all cheered me on while their squad leader, my instructor, was shaking his head, and I was almost certain I was going to get reprimanded later for going reckless.


    But could you blame me? Luca was the main reason I was in the Fayne, and seeing him struggling, something that was such a rare sight, sent the big brother in me into protective mode. I needed to help my brother. I needed to beat the Dawn Breaker.


    I was ten feet away. Luca was on one knee and clearly out of breath. His opponent had his greatsword raised high, ready to deliver a blow that might have injured Luca.


    Five feet of distance separated us when the enemy suddenly turned my way, and I knew thanks to Fool''s Insight that he had baited me in and was going to attack Myth Chaser instead of Luca in an attempt to unseat me.


    \"No, you don''t!\" I yelled.


    I launched myself off my mount with my falchion slashing sideward just before the Dawn Breaker swung down.


    Our shadowblades collided in mid-air in a resounding shriek that scratched at my ears. But the force of his attack sent me crashing backward and I found myself falling luckily onto the soft sand.


    I tumbled backward and reflexively rolled away to protect my spine. This had the added effect of getting me back on my feet, and not a moment too soon as a broadsword was already snaking its way toward me.


    Our shadowblades clashed a second time, but this time I held my ground, the soles of my boots digging into the sand as the weight of his weapon bore down on me.


    At the corner of my eye, I glimpsed my mount slowing to a stop next to Luca, and in my head, I thought that he was such a smart swifthart who deserved a treat later. That was the last errant thought I had before my mind went into battle mode. It was time for some serious enemy officer hunting.

 165 Red Dawn

    As my falchion clashed violently against the Dawn Breaker''s greatsword, I realized that the hesitation I usually felt when facing off against strong opponents had vanished.


    Gone was that troubling feeling of the rookie going one-on-one with the veteran. Gone was the nervous shaking of my hands or the second-guessing of my chosen course of action. Although I doubt the guilt of taking a life would ever leave me which was fine in retrospect. I needed it to remind me that I was still human.


    The Dawn Breaker swung his greatsword at me, and it had such a heavy-looking shadowblade that it actually seemed like he was telegraphing his attacks, making it easy for me to dodge to the left.


    As my left foot touched soft sand my sword arm swung down, bringing my falchion crashing onto the Dawn Breaker''s helmet.


    His greatsword came up and he blocked my slash with the flat of the shadowblade which was wide enough to double as a shield.


    His steel-clad foot rose up and I pulled away just as the push kick came within inches of my groin. Seriously, the bastard had aimed and just barely missed my crown jewels.


    \"Dude¡­ that''s low¡­\" I hissed as we circled around each other.


    I heard a high-pitched chuckle that was nowhere near the low baritone I envisioned was the voice of a fairy knight with the monicker of Dawn Breaker.


    Glancing behind me for a quick second, I called, \"Luca, are you good?\"


    Luca had already risen to his feet and caught a bit of his breath back. He nodded wordlessly.


    \"Use Second Wind and rejoin the fight¡­ clear that shield wall for me, will you,\" I instructed.


    \"But I¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI''ve got this,\" I interrupted him. \"You''re better at breaking through enemy formations than I am¡­\"


    It''s not like I didn''t believe in my little brother''s capability to fight this opponent, but as the big brother, putting Luca in more danger than me was a definite no-no. Not that breaking through a shield wall wasn''t crazy dangerous in itself, but just those few clashes against the Dawn Breaker made me realize that he was the most dangerous element in this battle.


    It was a few seconds before he replied, but Luca eventually conceded to my order, \"Alright¡­ I''m borrowing Myth Chaser then¡­\"


    \"Go,\" I said.


    \"Don''t get hurt too badly, Dean,\" Luca said just before he and my mount galloped away.


    \"Are you done?\" Dawn Breaker asked in a voice that was too high-pitch to belong to a bulky swordsman.


    \"Um, thanks for waiting¡­\" I replied uncertainly.


    We began to circle each other again and I took this time to observe my opponent while keeping our surroundings in mind.


    My eyebrow rose at the sight of it. It was a weird fashion choice as I was facing a dude, right?


    Now, since my falchion barely left a scratch on the right shoulder pauldron when I hit it earlier, I assumed his armor was at least platinum-grade. Its shiny silver coating also lent weight to this assumption. This meant that random hits to the body just won''t do and I would need to be very precise in my attacks, aiming for the chinks between pieces.


    The sounds of battle continued around us; a cacophony of voices trying to outshout each other, loud explosions that deafened the ears, and even the occasional rhyming of a magician''s chant. And yet, despite the distractions, my focus didn''t waver.


    Seconds past as we continued to circle around each other, each of us looking for that single opening in the other''s guard we could exploit.


    I spent another moment inspecting that huge greatsword he kept level in front of him, suggesting that the fairy knight was pretty strong.


    The sword itself was huge. It was the kind you''d find Cloud Strife carrying in Final Fantasy VII. The shadowblade had that familiar charred edge all shadowblades had, but there was a distinct golden hue to the molten veins streaking across the flat of the blade.


    I guessed that the greatsword which shared the name of his monicker was at least a gold tier, one tier higher than my falchion''s current grade. This meant my falchion''s vibro-sword skill would be useless against it.


    In the background, I heard Ashley''s yell of, \"push forward! We''ve got them on the ropes!\"


    The possibility of them winning brought a smile to my face which I guess translated to the Dawn Breaker as me being distracted because he chose that moment to strike.


    It was remarkable how quickly he was despite the weight of his greatsword and armor, and with a single leap, he bridged the distance between us and put himself with range of striking me down.


    I leaped back to avoid his forward thrust, not because I was afraid, but because I was gearing up for a charge of my own.


    As my back foot touched the sand, I pushed off it, leaping forward again in the hopes of catching my opponent unaware.


    My falchion came snaking forward with blinding speed, and although I succeeded in catching the Dawn Breaker off guard, he managed to block my attack with his greatsword.


    We exchanged blows in one, two, and then three successive strikes, all of which we managed to parry or block.


    But I was painfully made aware of our differences in strength for each blow that I blocked pushed me back a step or two.


    I leaped back a second time, and then, with the distance between us widened, I decided it was the moment to use one of the sword techniques Azuma taught me.


    I bent down to my left side and moved my falchion back into sheath position which was the basis for the quick-draw style.


    Azuma explained to me that the syncing of your breath and your body was the most important factor in finishing moves. The next instruction was to force your body to tense up like a bow, ready for that single moment to spring forward.


    That moment wasn''t mine to choose. It was my opponent''s decision to make. And while I waited for him to attack, I tensed myself up even more.


    It wasn''t long, perhaps a fraction of a second before he made his move.


    He went into a sword stance of his own. The tip of his greatsword pointed forward as he carried it in both hands while the rest of his body was pulled back to the side in a similar fashion to a Muay Thai fighter''s stance.


    One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. And then, as if someone had just fired a starter gun, the attack commenced.


    The Dawn Breaker charged forward in a thrust that might have skewered me dead if I hadn''t struck at the last second.


    Here''s the thing, Azuma named this awesome move the ''Dragon devouring the sky'' which he claimed was far more powerful when one called it out at the top of his lungs right before execution.


    Seriously though, just imagining me shouting it out where everyone could hear me made my face go as red as an apple, and so I always imagined I would skip the special-move-calling that was often done in anime and manga.


    So imagine my surprise when I did actually shout out the name right before my body uncoiled itself in what I embarrassingly assumed was an unconscious action.


    \"Dragon devouring the sky!\" I screamed at the same time as I let out that long breath that I held in this whole time.


    I must have been imagining because I really did feel like my breath was even better now than all those times I practiced the move without shouting out its name. Perhaps that was the point of it.


    My body uncoiled and I shot outward in a rising slash that arrived just as the Dawn Breaker''s sword thrust reached me.


    I pivoted my right foot forward and to the right. The rest of my body followed this movement, allowing me to dodge to the right as the sword thrust came my way.


    I felt the shadowblade graze my left shoulder and cut deep into its shoulder guard, eliciting a hiss of pain from my lips.


    But not even the pain of this new wound was enough to stop my momentum, and with a mighty heave, I sent my shadowblade soaring upward.


    At this point, the distance between us was non-existent. Perhaps an inch or two was all that separated us which surely meant I would hit him. But as my falchion continued its upward arc, I could feel the distance between us increasing, almost as if time itself was reversing.


    \"You''re not getting away!\" I yelled.


    And although my proclamation was certainly true, he''d pulled away far enough that I barely manage to knock off his helmet off him.


    Long, red hair was blown back by the wind as it was exposed to the desert air. A face shimmering with sweat looked back at me with angry gray eyes and pouty lips.


    \"Holy sh*t¡­\" I cursed in surprise. \"You''re a girl!\"

 166 Clueless

    No, I wasn''t imagining it. The infamous Dawn Breaker was indeed a woman. She was, in fact, a tall redhead with high cheekbones and a spattering of freckles over her perfectly straight nose.


    \"You''re a girl¡­\" I repeated still surprised.


    Piercing gray eyes glared back at me underneath s-shaped eyebrows.


    \"So, what?\" she growled. \"Looking down on me now?\"


    Holy crap, I knew her voice was an octave higher than normal but I didn''t think it actually was a girl''s voice I''d been hearing all along.


    She lunged forward with her broadsword swinging sideways at me.


    \"Whoa! Hold on! Time out!\" I screamed as I dodged to the left.


    That was unfair. I needed time to process this sudden reveal and she wasn''t giving me any.


    \"What? Can''t fight a woman now that you know who I am?\" she hissed.


    No, I could fight girls. I trained with several every night. But I couldn''t exactly tell her that what was throwing me off was the fact that she was very pretty. Not like Aura who was perfect in her otherworldliness, but more like Ashley in that pretty next-door-neighbor vibe. And she was on the youngish side too, and possibly just two to three years older than I was.


    I dodged a second attack, a thrust that would have skewered my head if I hadn''t moved away at the last second.


    \"Time out already,\" I pleaded.


    At the same time, I launched a counterattack with my falchion that forced her to step away, giving my warrior''s heart a chance to sync back with my stupid teenage brain.


    \"Look, I don''t mean to sound insulting¡­ I don''t think being a girl makes you weak at all. In fact, I think most girls are seriously dangerous opponents,\" I babbled on in an effort to explain my sudden change in attitude. \"But you''re called the Dawn Breaker so I admit that I was caught off guard by your, um, pretty face¡­\"


    That last part ended terribly, and it caused my cheeks to feel extra hot.


    She raised an eyebrow at me.


    \"Are you dumb?\" she asked. \"You''re letting my looks distract you in such an important fight?\"


    Well, that was harsh. And here I was trying to be nice. But she had a point, and I conceded that I might actually be a bit dumb when it came to the opposite sex.


    \"You realize we were just trying to kill each other, right?\" She pointed her greatsword toward me once more with one hand while her other hand went to the side of her face to hook her hair over her extra-long ear. \"And now I don''t feel an ounce of fight left in you¡­\"


    \"Whoa¡­ you''re a half-elf,\" I blurted out.


    It was the ear. It was too long to be a human ear which was a contrast to her face that most definitely had human features. Elves don''t get freckles or pimples for that matter.


    My realization made her eyes narrow into deadly slits, and I knew she was just about ready to murder me which I understand was a trait among half-breeds, how they get riled up whenever someone mentioned their mixed heritage.


    But before she could blow up on me, I raised a hand in a gesture of peace. \"I''m not trying to make you angry¡­ it''s just, I''ve never met a half-elf before nor was I expecting to fight a pretty girl tonight¡­ so could we please just chill for a bit and discuss the possibility of not trying to kill each other?\"


    My latest nonsensical outburst actually made her eyebrow rise even higher.


    \"Oh my God¡­ you''re flirting with me in the middle of a battlefield,\" she rationalized.


    \"I''m not!\" I protested.


    She giggled. The freaking Dawn Breaker actually giggled like she was watching a funny movie.


    \"Stop that!\" I yelled. \"I wasn''t flirting¡­ I was just trying to be nice¡­\"


    \"Well¡­ I know I''m good-looking but this is a first,\" she continued.


    I glanced to my left and right in the hope that Aura wasn''t around to hear this obviously deluded person. Who actually compliments themselves and says that they''re good-looking?


    Luckily, Aura was far away from my position. In fact, while I acted out the part of the lead in a rom-com, Aura was leading a charge of our Foolhardies cavalry deep into enemy territory. And she wasn''t the only one doing her job too.


    Luca had successfully managed to disrupt the enemy''s shield wall by harassing its left flank. This made it easier for Ashley''s shield squad to break the enemy''s wall in two and push her squad forward through the breach.


    Closer to me, Azuma was showing off his war-god skills and reminding everyone around him just why he was so feared on the eastern borders of Trickster territory back in the day. I had no doubt that Edo, who I couldn''t see, was doing a fine job reaping lives too.


    In fact, my guys were doing such a good job that the enemy''s formation on this side of the battlefield was in danger of yielding to us. Their success made me feel remorseful that I wasn''t doing my job at all.


    I glanced back at my opponent who was still rambling about how she''d never experienced getting hit on in a battlefield, and the sight of her acting like a teenage girl evaporated all the remaining fight I had in me.


    \"W-why are you looking so intensely at me?\" Her greatsword actually shook in her hand as she asked this. \"A-are you having perverted thoughts about me?\"


    Oh, man¡­ this girl was seriously deluded. And just as I was about to suggest something stupid like a cease-fire because I really wasn''t in the mood anymore, I caught something strange from the corner of my eye. A second of realization later, and I hurtled myself toward the half-elf.


    I dodged the much weaker slash she aimed at me¡ªpossibly because she''d lost her will for battle too¡ªand tackled her to the ground. We hit the sands with me on top of her, and just as she protested that I was a pervert, I shoved her down by the shoulders and pushed my face closer to hers.


    No, I wasn''t performing perverted acts on a battlefield. What do you guys think of me? I was simply saving her life from the familiar-looking battle-ax that had been thrown at her.


    That battle-ax probably meant General Red Bull had escaped the enemy''s ambush, and I wondered inwardly how I was going to explain this situation to him later.


    I felt the swish of a shadowblade cutting through the air above me and knew we''d escaped danger by a hair''s breadth.


    The nice scent of lavender wafted up to my nose, and I realized I was actually sniffing the Dawn Breaker''s hair.


    \"Get off me, you creep!\" she snarled.


    As I stared at her scandalized face, I realized what this might have looked like. So I rose to my feet and tried to explain, but she cut me off with a swing of her shadowblade.


    \"Look, I wasn''t trying to do anything creepy, alright!\" I reasoned. \"I was just¡ª\"


    \"¡ªWhy did you save me?\" she asked in a less combative tone than previously.


    She must have seen the battle-ax fly over us too and realized I wasn''t actually a pervert. Still, her narrowed eyes told me that she wasn''t about to lay down her weapon and thank me.


    \"I¡­\" I thought about her question, and it took me several seconds to come up with a response. \"You know¡­ I don''t actually know why¡­\"


    I didn''t know why I was being truthful either. It''s not like I was actually falling for my opponent, but it just felt like I couldn''t watch her die in front of me, at least not while she babbled on like a normal girl.


    \"Have you ever been to Mudgard?\" I asked suddenly.


    \"What?\" she asked, her face transitioning from suspicion to confusion.


    \"There''s this restaurant in Starlight City called Ed''s Chocolate Bar¡­ best milkshakes on the planet,\" I blurted out.


    Her face changed from one of confusion to one of sudden realization. \"Are you¡­ asking me out?\"


    \"Wh-what? N-no! I''m not!\" I said quickly. \"I''m trying to explain¡­ I was at Ed''s after school today with my friend, Arah, and you sort of remind me of her which is possibly why I saved you¡­\"


    \"So¡­ you have a girlfriend? Weren''t you just hitting on me?\" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me as if to say I was some kind of a douchebag.


    \"N-no! I don''t have a girlfriend. Arah''s just my friend,\" and as I said this, a flash of memory hit me, a beautiful girl cutting off her golden hair as proof or our partnership.


    The memory of that moment brought a warm, soothing feeling to my chest which must have translated to my face as the girl told me that I was blushing.


    \"You are a strange boy,\" she said.


    \"I-I am not strange!\" I countered.


    I saw the hint of laughter in her eyes and knew for certain that the fight had left me. And in my head, I wondered what I could do to make her go away without having to fight her.


    That answer was provided to me seconds later when I heard two distinct calls aimed at both of us.


    \"Get out of the way, Dapper!\" Red Bull yelled at the same time as someone from the Dawn Breaker''s side yelled, \"Commander, we''re here!\"


    We both glanced in the direction of the commotion and watched as Red Bull, a sword in his hand, was charging toward us. But he''d been waylaid about ten yards away by a group of enemy riders who were obviously there to distract him while one of their numbers rode to the Dawn Breaker''s side.


    A fairy in similar armor as hers reached a hand to her. She took it wordlessly and climbed up to his swifthart with him.


    An audible explosion rocked my ears, and I glanced to my left and watched Red Bull break through the enemies surrounding him so he could renew his charge.


    Seeing that display, I thought to myself that his name was very on the nose.


    \"Dawn,\" the girl said, forcing my focus back on her.


    She was sitting behind her teammate and looking down at me with eyes that were more curious than hostile.


    \"My name is Dawn¡­ I lived in Starlight until I was eleven, and I remember Ed''s Chocolate Bar¡­\" she said in almost a whisper.


    Then she was gone and being chased by Red Bull who was being chased himself by her own guards. They left me standing there in the middle of all the chaos more than a little feeling confused about what the hell just happened.

 167 Never a Dull Momen

    With Dawn the Dawn Breaker chased away by Red Bull, I was left alone in the middle of a chaotic battlefield wondering just what the hell happened to me that I actually saved my enemy''s life.


    And while I stood there feeling clueless about the sudden turn of events, a few enemy soldiers thought to take advantage of my appearance and attacked me.


    I was thankful to them because their charge required a simple answer, and that at least returned my focus on current events.


    The first attacker, an elf with a spiral face tattoo wielding a pike in both hands, thrust his weapon toward me.


    I slapped it aside with a single swipe of my falchion, and in the few moments where he was unbalanced after his attack, I drove forward and shoved my falchion deep into his gut and felt the blade pierce the other end of him.


    Normally, this kind of deathblow wasn''t encouraged in a fight between one against many as there was a moderate chance of your weapon getting stuck between flesh and bone long enough for another enemy to take advantage, normally.


    However, my falchion''s vibro-sword skill made this irrelevant as it could easily rip through any bone or flesh that clung to my shadowblade. But my enemies didn''t know that. So I let one or two of them think I was defenseless. I even let them get in close while I pretended to struggle with pulling my sword out.


    The first guy lunged at me with his long sword swing down from an upward arch. His companion, an elf like him and the guy I''d just defeated, had chosen to attack me from the safety of the other side of the dying elf stuck to me.


    In response, I pulled out my sword and push kicked the dying elf toward the guy behind him. And in that crucial last second, I pivoted around on my back foot, easily dodging the other elf''s attack, and catching him at a very vulnerable sideward angle.


    My falchion''s shadowblade came crashing onto his side and cut up a chunk of elf flesh and leather vest.


    I heard the scream before I smelled the blood, but neither of these two awful, awful things distracted me from the fourth attacker who had just finished notching his bow and aimed it at me.


    In the future, when historians spoke of me¡ªif that kind of awesome thing ever came to pass¡ªthey''ll probably reveal to the entire Fayne that I was, in fact, this generation''s sense knight of sight. And I imagined future fairies and viseres coming to a sudden realization that taking me on with a bow and arrow from within ten feet was a stupid way to die.


    The arrow had already flown toward me when I sent my falchion flying toward the elven archer.


    I easily dodged the arrow with a simple pivoting of my body to the right but the archer didn''t have the same kind of sight I did so it was no surprise to me when my falchion embedded itself deep in his chest.


    Finally, the elf that had been pushed back by the dying body of his companion was able to disentangle from the now lifeless body. But seeing his friends die around him and finding me standing just a few feet away without my weapon while giving him a death stare I''d learned from Edo, he chose the sensible course of action. He dropped his weapon and ran away.


    I pulled out my falchion from the dead body on the ground while feeling that gut-wrenching guilt at slaying another fairy.


    \"Get over it, Dean,\" I chided myself. \"Lots more death tonight¡­ you can regret it later¡­ mourn later¡­\"


    Last thing I thought before I rejoined my unit in their attack against the center of the oasis defenses was of a redheaded half-elf who''d gazed down at me from her swifthart with something like charmed curiosity.


    We won the battle an hour before dawn. It was hard-earned for sure, but the enemy defenses had become less sharp after the Dawn Breaker escaped the battlefield, and without her leadership, it seemed the remaining enemy just couldn''t rally together and counter our offensive.


    I learned later that the reason she never came back was because Red Bull had chased her out of the valley and kept on chasing her and her entourage for miles and miles before he and his soldiers finally quit. The satyr was certainly true to his name, a bull that charged with little regard for anything else.


    This left me in charge of conquering the valley, and with the help of April Valentine who was an excellent adjutant, we managed to route the enemy forces with less deaths than I''d previously predicted.


    Luca ended up with another wound on his chest. It was another scar to join the half-dozen others he''d accumulated since.


    I watched my shirtless brother being tended to by Berrian Berrygrove while Pike fidgeted around them and frowned at the wound. It was another reminder of how dangerous Luca''s life had become, and while I was off flirting with the enemy, he was getting hurt.


    \"Stupid Dean,\" I hissed under my breath.


    \"Stupid Dean, what?\" Aura asked.


    She found me sitting on a pile of sacks and offered me the elf tea in her hand.


    I took it gratefully while avoiding her eyes and prayed to whichever spirits were listening that Aura''s bracelet couldn''t share with her the sense of guilt creeping up my mind.


    Nothing was going on, I repeated in my head. We were just talking and I wasn''t on top of her because I wanted to¡­ honest.


    Why I felt the need to sound defensive when Aura and I weren''t in any sort of romantic situation was making me cringe inside.


    That''s because you want to be in a romantic situation with her, my brain told me.


    To which I answered, Shut up, brain! There are far more important things to worry about than getting a girlfriend, idiot!


    Unsurprisingly, my brain had the perfect counter that just made my cheeks feel hotter. Luca seems to be juggling life and death situations and girl issues just fine.


    \"Shut it,\" I finally said aloud.


    \"I''m sorry?\" Aura asked unsurely.


    \"Um, not you,\" I said quickly. \"Just quieting the voices in my head¡­\"


    Aura tapped my hand with the fingers of her hand, and that lingering touch threatened to boil my cheeks past their usual redness.


    \"Are you feeling guilty again?\" she asked with a concerned tone.


    I shook my head. \"I always feel guilty but all the deaths don''t give me waking nightmares anymore¡­\" I glanced over at Luca who was just finished with first aid. \"There''s a lot at stake¡­ I don''t have time to second guess myself.\"


    Aura nodded approvingly. \"But you can talk to me if things get too difficult for you¡­ you know that, right?\"


    I offered her a wan smile which she returned, and I swear to God, I''d never seen anything more beautiful. All thought of pretty redheads vanished from my mind in that instant.


    \"Oh, right,\" she reached into her pocket and pulled out the intel scroll she kept there. \"Got this from Nike¡­ she''s out of breath so I asked her to jot it down¡­ Do you want the good news or the bad news first?\"


    \"There''s good news?\" I asked wryly.


    \"Bad one first, then,\" Aura said with an eye-roll. \"It looks like Verania managed to conquer the oasis to the east of here.\"


    I self-palmed myself. \"Dammit¡­ she stole another one from us.\"


    \"Yes, but I understand General Red Bull is giving us full credit for this oasis victory¡­ which means it''ll be recorded that you defeated a highly regarded fairy knight of the Sunspire Dominion,\" Aura laughed.


    The thought of Dawn and her long red locks made my face go red again. Dammit, Dean.


    Luckily, Aura hadn''t noticed as she continued to give me the news, the so-called good one.


    \"We''ve received a message from the council regarding the Starfall clan,\" she explained.


    My ears pricked up.


    \"Chris Pint has agreed to the conditions of the alliance proposed by Chancellor Orryn.,\" Aura revealed.


    \"He must have really liked the scent your brother sent him¡­ Eau de perfume of the Patriarch,\" I chuckled.


    Aura rolled her eyes at me but there was a smirk on her lips too. \"A formal meeting for finalizing the alliance will be held in Sh?rleden in three weeks'' time.\"


    \"That means¡­ no war until the alliance has been formalized,\" I reasoned. \"Garm must hate that.\"


    \"Indeed he does. In fact, he''s already complained to the council about the timing, Aura chuckled. \"Oh, and there''s more.\"


    \"Chris Pint wants us there at the meeting, maybe as guards or something like that,\" I guessed.


    Aura nodded again. She eyed me with a curious look. \"I sometimes forget that I sought you out because of how your mind works.\"


    \"You''re making me sound like a weirdo,\" I joked.


    \"That''s because you are a weirdo,\" she teased as she got up and then offered me her hand. \"Come on. General Red Bull wants to see us.\"


    As I reached out for her hand, I wondered if these little moments between us could last forever.

 168 Fools Parade

    After the battle in the Sand Valley Oasis was over, General Red Bull officially commended my unit for a job well done in leading the charge. He even went so far as to declare his own forces mere support for our offensive.


    \"You Foolhardies possess insane firepower, that''s for certain,\" he chuckled.


    Red Bull''s praise ensured my unit''s name would reach the ears of the clan''s higher-ups, which hopefully helped in ensuring our future selection as members of the upcoming war.


    \"So many eager young ones in the clan now¡­\" Red Bull noted. \"But that''s usually how it goes in this warring clans era¡­ young commanders who compete with each other and rise quickly up the ranks in the hopes of securing the title of our next generation''s four Great Generals.\"


    As we sat there around the table of his command tent, I thought about what Red Bull just said and wondered just how much higher you had to climb to be recognized in the same vein as Darah or Grimthorn, warriors renowned throughout the Fayne.


    \"Was that how it was before?\" I asked.


    Red Bull nodded. \"These days feel a lot more stable, actually¡­ but thirty or so years ago, the battles were more constant, the wars more bloody with death tolls that threatened to wipe out many fairy races¡­\"


    The general chugged down his mug of salamander whiskey before he continued with his reminiscing of the past.


    \"Some of us old guard believe these times are nothing more than a reprieve,\" he admitted. \"The calm before the great storm that might finally wipe us fairies out for good, heh.\"


    \"I was barely twenty then¡­ just at the edge of my sprout years and clueless of the politics happening around me,\" Aura added.


    Once again, I was reminded of the gulf between me and Aura. In her fifty years of living, just how many accumulated experiences had she gone through to be the amazing person she was now I wondered.


    \"Heh,\" Red Bull eyed the she-elf beside me who face was still hidden behind her mask. \"Your parents would have kept you far away from all the dark stuff, I''m sure.\"


    I wasn''t sure, but I guessed that he had an idea of who she really was. The grin on his face hinted as much. But neither Aura nor I seemed to be worried about it for despite being a direct subordinate of Garm, Red Bull has earned the benefit of the doubt.


    He turned his beady black eyes on me next, and after offering me a sip of his salamander whiskey¡ªwhich I couldn''t well decline under the circumstances¡ªhe gave me one more piece of advice.


    \"You keep doing what you''re doing, Commander Dapper¡­\" He glanced over at his lieutenant and there were crinkles around his eyes when he did. \"Find yourself even more people you can rely on, people who can get the job done no matter how hard the task¡­ that''s what my boss and those other three did.\"


    He chuckled loudly.


    I looked fondly back at that night which also marked the first time I''d ever gotten drunk, especially now in this stuffy place I found myself in, sandwiched between two people I wasn''t very fond of.


    \"Stop fidgeting and stand straight, mudborn,\" Dain Hammerhand growled from my left. \"You want the Starfall folks looking down on us?\"


    \"Sloppy is Dean''s default, dear Dain,\" Verania replied wryly. \"You can take the boy out of the mud but you can''t take the mud out of the boy it seems¡­\"


    \"Can you two shut up,\" I sighed.


    \"I second that,\" Al said from the other side of Verania.


    The summit to secure the alliance between the Trickster Pavilion and the Starfall clan began a week after Aura mentioned it to me. And the Foolhardies were recalled back to Sh?rleden to provide extra security. Sadly, we weren''t the only ones among the new generation of officers to be called.


    Most of our four units'' soldiers were taking shifts patrolling outside the walls of the city, but some, like Luca''s and Qwipps'' squads, were part of key posts that supplemented the city guard.


    The heightened security had been ordered by Chancellor Orryn who feared that some third party would take this chance to sow chaos in Sh?rleden.


    And although many of the officers thought he was being overly cautious, I wasn''t among them. I was pretty worried about assassination plots or sabotage, particularly because Aura, who''d dropped her disguise and was currently back to being Aurana for the duration of the summit, would be in the crosshairs of any attempt at foul play.


    It was why I felt so restless and kept on fidgeting while I stood in that line of young officers standing at attention behind Great General Darah and Grimthorn, both of whom were waiting for the Lord of Stars and his party to finish their parade along Sh?rleden''s main street.


    A crowd of Trickster nobles and common people were gathered on both sides of the street, eager to get a glimpse of the audacious human who''d conquered one of the oldest and most prestigious fairy clans in the Fayne.


    For his part, Christ Pint didn''t disappoint. His bright red cloak billowing behind him like he was Superman, the Lord of Stars cut an impressive figure as he gazed out at the scenery with a toothy grin while waving a hand at the crowd.


    And don''t get me started on the open carriage he rode in. That thing was bedazzled to such an extreme that gazing too long at the glittering jewels covering the carriage surface put one in danger of getting blinded by all the lights flashing off them.


    If that wasn''t enough, the high number of scantily clad females joining him in his carriage was enough to make a teenage boy like me feel more than a little uncomfortable.


    I averted my eyes from his display and instead trained my focus on the rest of his entourage.


    There were twenty swifthart riders to each side of his carriage, and like stars set against the backdrop of a dark blue canvas, the Star Knights'' polished silver armor glinted under the proverbial spotlights trained on them.


    But what caught my eye was the knight riding toward the rear of the right line. She had long braided blonde hair, had blue-eyes, and was very beautiful¡ªand she wasn''t naked like the first time I met her. Yeah, I did recognize her. It was the human girl Chris Pint bought during the auction. I guess he saved her after all.


    \"Someone go down there and demand that showboat hurry his Mudgardian behind up here already,\" Darah growled.


    \"Must you always sound so muddamn vulgar, Darah?\" Grimthorn complained.


    \"Shut it, dwarf,\" Darah turned her ire on him. \"Or I''ll rip you to shreds.\"


    \"You shut up, she-elf witch,\" Grimthorn countered. \"Or I''ll cut you down to my eye level.\"


    The two turned their heads toward one another, their eyes staring daggers at each other.


    This sort of thing happened pretty often whenever two or more of the great generals were in each other''s immediate vicinity. I guessed that rivalry from their younger days never really went away.


    \"Humph¡­ no way my liege would lose to that elf-witch,\" Dain Hammerhand whispered under his breath.


    Lucky for him Darah was too preoccupied with his master for her to hear him. Under normal circumstances, she would have punched him into the sky with a single hit. So it was left to me to defend my great general.


    \"Dream on, dwarf,\" I countered in an equally low whisper. \"Darah could punch anyone''s lights out¡­ anyone.\"


    Dain and I glared at each other, almost as if the old rivalry of our seniors was spilling over onto us.


    I don''t know how long we growled at each other like two pit bulls sizing each other up, but by the time I realized it, Al was whispering my name in a rather urgent way.


    \"Dean,\" he called.


    It was only then that I realized that everyone was looking at me. Rather, they were looking at me because of the person standing before me. For some reason, he''d ditched his convoy below and climbed up the steps to where I was in the short time I was distracted by stupid Dain.


    \"Yo, fellow sense knight,\" Chris Pint said in a louder voice than I would have liked. \"Fancy meeting you here.\"


    I groaned visibly. I can''t believe he just outed me in front of so many people especially when I once told him that only a few members of the council knew what I could do.


    Chris didn''t wait for me to reply. He simply wrapped a shoulder around me, and after a quick nod toward Darah and Grimthorn, he pronounced to the people around us, \"I''m borrowing this guy for a bit.\"


    Next thing I knew, I was being dragged up the stairs via neck lock while my fellow young commanders looked on with mixed emotions of pity, annoyance, and even envy.

 169 A Different View

    \"How''s it hanging, kiddo?\" Chris Pint asked me.


    We were standing on the western battlements of the Palanquin Palace''s living wood walls. Right above the thousand step rise that led from the city''s main thoroughfare up to the palace grounds.


    From this vantage point on the eastern edge of Sh?rleden, one had a breathtaking view of the City of Smiles. Its wooden halls and giant canopy of redwoods and the great waterfall descending down from atop the mighty cliff on the far west end of the valley whose life-giving waters formed into numerous pools and river paths across the city.


    \"Hey... you didn''t bring me all the way up here as an excuse to see the city''s fortifications right?\" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    He laughed out loud as his eyes looked upon the city''s breathtaking nightscape while the green-tinged lights of fairy fire and the golden tinge of light-emitting gemstones twinkled before us.


    \"This place could rival my Milkyway,\" he said breathlessly.


    \"Sorry¡­ you named your city after the Milky Way?\" My tone was a little skeptical.


    \"I am called the Lord of Stars, you know,\" he chuckled. Then he turned around to look at the scene behind us while saying, \"And no¡­ I''m not here to spy on your clan¡­ Besides, you''re the one with the gift of sight, boyo.\"


    Chris Pint''s eyes slowly trailed upward. \"Breathtaking¡­ You know, we can see the Bloodsword Mountain even all the way down south.\"


    I followed his line of sight and found myself staring up at the Palanquin Palace''s wooden spires that trailed up to the sheer cliff face of Bloodsword Mountain''s western slope. Above, the snowcapped peak seemed to glow under the watchful eye of Idunn''s light.


    \"What do you think of this alliance, Dean?\" Chris Pint asked.


    The change of tone in his voice made me turn my head sideways at him, and I saw the way his demeanor had turned serious.


    He spared me a glance that told me he was expecting an answer.


    The truth was I had been thinking about this very topic since the night Aura mentioned it to me. The timing alone was significant as it was right at the cusp of another bloody war.


    \"I''m not familiar with the details of the alliance,\" I admitted.


    \"Even with the princess of the Trickster Pavilion following you around?\" he asked jokingly.


    At least, I assumed it was a joke. Otherwise, I would have had to duel him for Aura''s honor¡ªnot. The dude would wipe the floor off me if we ever tangoed.


    Still, my respect for the guy didn''t erase the frown that had appeared on my face.


    Chris Pint laughed. \"Don''t go falling in love with fairies, kiddo¡­ that''s just a recipe for a broken heart.\"


    As he said this, I could almost sense a great sadness in him, and I was certain there was a story behind it. I just didn''t think it was appropriate to ask. Not at this moment, at least.


    I thought about it again and it felt like an awfully long time before my lips moved.


    \"An alliance means a ceasefire,\" I reasoned.


    He nodded. \"But what does a ceasefire mean for two clans who aren''t even close enough to go to war with each other right now¡­\"


    \"That''s irrelevant,\" I countered. \"Just knowing that we''re safe from an attack by the southern region''s clans is a load off the council''s back¡­\"


    \"What makes you assume that?\" he asked with a raised eyebrow.


    I also raised an eyebrow at him when I said, \"I''m assuming this alliance has a defensive component¡­ an agreement to watch each other''s back while the alliance is in effect. Otherwise, this timing wouldn''t have made sense.\"


    The Lord of Stars chuckled.


    \"Yeah¡­ that''s true. We help you guys with the big bad Sunspire Dominion while you help keep the other southern clan''s from ganging up on me and mine,\" he admitted in such a nonchalant manner.


    \"The southern clans are gunning for you?\" I asked curiously.


    \"They don''t like that a fairy clan is under the rule of a mudborn like you and me,\" he laughed again. \"Chokes them up to know I beat their kind.\"


    \"But the southern clans are afraid of you, right?\" I pressed.


    \"That''s true¡­ but fear can only hold people down for so long¡­\" he revealed. \"Fairies will rise up against the oppressor¡­ at least that''s what the propaganda is saying about me.\"


    He turned toward the view of the city again and there was an unusually warm smile on the older man''s face.


    \"But ask anyone in my clan what they think of me and you''ll know the truth¡­ I''m the goddamn Breaker of Chains, man¡­ I''m the Spartacus of the Fayne,\" he laughed to himself, but somehow, his smile never reached his eyes.


    \"So it''s like that in the south, huh,\" I noted. \"Well, thanks for the insight.\"


    \"Don''t you think it''s even worse here in the central region?\" he corrected me.


    \"What do you mean? There''s conflict everywhere in the Fayne,\" I reasoned.


    \"And yet, this is the only region in the Fayne where a fairy clan met its end,\" he reminded me. \"Hasn''t happened since the fracturing of the Moon clan, and even that wasn''t complete destruction like what happened to the Magesong.\"


    I gazed out at the scenery before me and thought about the implications of what he just said. It was true. In the five hundred year history of the warring clans era, this was the very first time a clan was destroyed.


    \"Do you know how it looks to the rest of the clans?\" he asked.


    I could guess. \"It means the Trickster Pavilion is serious about unification¡­ claiming the empty throne.\"


    He nodded. \"It means you''re going to have more enemies than the Sunspire Dominion¡­\" he patted me on the shoulder. \"Well, you and the Scarlet Moon.\"


    I felt the shock appear on my face. \"B-but we weren''t allies in the last war!\"


    \"Everyone knows that,\" Chris Pint responded. He leaned over the railings and narrowed his gaze at his own procession that was finally at its tail end climbing up the steps. \"But whether or not you were allies, together, the two clans were responsible for the death of another¡­ that has consequences that are only now beginning to reverberate around the Fayne.\"


    \"So that''s why Orryn was so eager to jump into this alliance¡­ we need backup,\" I realized. \"But what do you get out of this? Besides getting us to back you up too?\"


    \"Just being in an alliance with the clan that destroyed the Magesong is enough to reassure my people that you guys aren''t about to take a swing at us,\" he admitted. \"That''s enough of a morale booster for us to keep fighting in the south.\"


    \"And if you win in the south¡­\" I hesitated to ask my next question. \"You''ll eventually want to come to the center¡­ won''t you?\"


    Chris Pint frowned right before that big fat grin appeared on his face. He glanced at me and said, \"I''m liking this view a lot.\"


    That ominous statement sent chills rising up and down my spine.


    Just the thought of crossing swords with the Lord of Stars, a sense knight who was leagues ahead of me, was giving me a headache. But, a very tiny part of me, the arrogant Dean that sometimes showed up on a battlefield, well, that Dean was feeling chills for a completely different reason. It was as if my inner warrior was screaming out at the top of his lungs, \"Bring it on, dude!\"


    Of course, I said none of this out loud, and only said, \"I''ll stop you.\"


    \"Heh! Bring it on, newbie,\" his grin got even wider. \"But first you''re going to have to beat the Dominion in the desert.\"


    \"We''re going to do just that,\" I said confidently.


    \"And you''re going to have to claim the biggest prize to get to within my shouting distance, boyo,\" he challenged. \"You''re going to have to claim the head of Lord Rah, at least, if you want to tango with me.\"


    \"Um, that''s a really high hurdle, you know,\" I complained with a baleful eye at him. \"There is such a thing as level progression¡­\"


    The Lord of Stars laughed out loud and long, long enough for a visitor to arrive and clear her throat for him to shut up.


    She was dressed in a sky blue gown that ended just above her ankles. A midnight blue cape was draped over her shoulders held together by an emerald brooch shaped into a four-leaf clover. There was no jewelry on her except for the gold necklace and locket hanging from her neck. Her face was painted underneath her left eye with the flowery patterns commonly done in elven nobility.


    Also, I wasn''t sure if it was an illusion or not but her golden hair, which was usually cut just above her shoulder, was now long enough to flow gracefully down to hair waist.


    Princess Aurana inclined her head to Chris Pint in a gesture of respect.


    \"Greetings, Patriarch of the Starfall clan,\" she said in a stately voice I wasn''t at all used to. \"My brother, the Patriarch of the Trickster Pavilion sends you his warmest welcome, and asks that I escort you into the Patriarch''s hall so we can begin tonight''s revelries.\"


    Chris Pint, being the dude he was, whistled at the sight of her. Then, as if he was trying to out me, the idiot elbowed me in the ribs and whispered in my ear, \"Damn, now I get why you''re in this clan, you son of a dog, you.\"


    He chuckled at my expense then returned her greeting, stating in as loud a voice as possible that Aura was the very visage of the golden moon come down to bless us, mere mortals.


    It warmed my heart to see that Aura didn''t bat an eyelash at his compliment, and instead she said something she knew would annoy him, \"It should please you to know that the Inquisitor of the Justiciar herself is arriving tonight.\"


    \"Wait¡­ what?!\" Chris Pint stepped back all of a sudden. \"That brat is coming here? Why?\"


    \"As you know, an alliance between fairy clans is always conducted under the watchful eye of the Justiciars to ensure the Law of Equivalent Trade is observed in the agreement,\" she explained. Then she shrugged. \"It seems our alliance was interesting enough to warrant her appearance. After all, there are two Sense Knights among our two clans.\"


    \"Shit¡­\" he hissed.


    \"Um, sorry, princess,\" I interrupted. \"But who is the Inquisitor?\"


    Aurana turned her gaze on me and I could swear she was laughing inside. You could tell from the twinkle in her eyes.


    \"The Inquisitor will certainly interest you as well, Commander Dapper,\" she said. \"After all, she is the Sense Knight of Tastes.\"


    \"And the worst glutton in all the damn Fayne,\" Chris Pint growled.

 170 The Kings Speech

    Aurana told me to go back to my post while she escorted the Lord of Stars away from the battlements and onto the path that led to the Palanquin Palace''s main doors.


    I could hear him muttering under his breath the whole time she dragged him away, but he did turn around once to remind me not to get tricked by the glutton.


    His exact words were, \"Don''t let that wily fox sink her fangs into you or she''ll rip off your manhood!\"


    After the strange pair of the dignified princess and brutish lord finally left me alone on the palace walls, I spent a bit more time just standing there and taking in the view before me.


    The sight of the cityscape below had a calming effect on me, allowing me to absorb all the information Chris Pint had given me.


    \"I could get used to this,\" I whispered. \"A moment of peace in a chaotic world, how far and few between these moments were for a soldier like me. Heh.\"


    As the night breeze swept my hair back, I wondered just how many sixteen-year-olds could say something like that where I came from. Then I thought about the fact that there were a lot of human teenagers who''d been swept off into the Fayne like me, Ashley, and Luca was¡ªlike that blonde girl Chris Pint had rescued at the slave auction¡ªthat I started feeling sheepish for my earlier thoughts.


    The sound of bells chiming reached my ears like a stark reminder that I was about to be late.


    I rushed down the steps as quickly as I could and made my way through the walkway that led to a side door into the Palanquin Palace.


    My last view before reaching the door and stepping inside it was that of the palace''s domed roof and the spiral towers on its four corners that reached up to the sky with their canopy of leaves.


    By the time I reached the Patriarch''s Hall, the Lord of Stars and the chief members of his entourage were already inside it. So I had to stealthily squeeze my way through the crowd of officers, officials, and noble fairies to reach my spot next to Al Sheridan which was exactly behind Darah and Thors. And while Thors and Al offered me a sympathetic smile, their boss, who was unfortunately also my boss, had given me the cold-eyed stare that told me I was going to get it later for coming in late.


    Behind me, a familiar voice whispered in my ear.


    \"Why don''t you ever just do things the right way, Dean,\" Luca whispered.


    \"I didn''t ask to get dragged away,\" I whispered back.


    I heard my brother sigh, and once more wondered why the big brother was getting the reprimand.


    The smell of rich pines filled my nostrils as I breathed in a sigh of my own, and turned my attention onto the wooden platform right below the one that held the empty patriarch''s seat. The Lord of Stars was there and animatedly talking with Aura while his advisors, which included Thea, waited patiently behind them.


    Moments later, the bells chimed a second time and the court steward announced the arrival of our Patriarch.


    \"Auranos Trickhaven, third of his name, thirty-seventh Patriarch of the Trickster Pavilion,\" the steward boomed.


    Auranos appeared through the side door, and for the first time since I met him, there were no aids to help him walk. Coming up behind him were Chancellors Orryn and Kairon, both of whom looked slightly worried that there was no one to support their master.


    No, Auranos was walking on his own, and although he used a cane to do so, there was a significantly dignified aura about him that contrasted with the inherent wildness that Chris Pint exuded.


    The patriarch did not immediately sit on his throne but instead walked over to the edge of his dais and extended a welcome hand wrapped in bandages toward the patriarch of the Starfall clan.


    \"I believe this is how humans greet each other,\" he said in his soft but commanding voice.


    Despite the heavily bandaged hand, Chris Pint didn''t even hesitate to take it.


    They shook to the applause of most in the wooden hall, but I think mine was the loudest of all.


    A second seat was brought in so that the two patriarchs'' who were equal in rank could sit side by side on the top dais. This wasn''t normally done as we were in Trickster territory which meant Auranos should hold higher status, but our patriarch didn''t care about things like that. He preferred they entered into the negotiations as equals.


    Once more I was given the impression that Aura''s big brother was something else¡ªdefinitely someone worth elevating to the empty throne.


    Princess Aurana joined the chancellors in their places on the lower platforms which were close enough to run to Auranos'' side should he need assistance.


    Edo was there too. He was standing behind Aurana now but he''d been the one to bring Chris Pint''s chair in.


    Another round of pleasantries began between the two patriarchs'' and we all bore witness to the flatteries and gift-giving.


    \"I wanted to thank you properly for sharing your scent with me,\" Chris Pint laughed. He raised a hand toward Thea and gestured her forward. \"So I brought bottles of the finest scents I''ve ever sampled on my journeys in the Fayne¡­ perhaps they can help to soothe your condition.\"


    Thea carried a small gilded chest in her hands and offered it to Chancellor Kairon who stepped forward to accept it on the Auranos'' behalf.


    \"Thank you for the gesture¡­ I''m sure they will be of good use to me,\" Auranos responded genially. \"I wonder if the scent I provided has been of use to you as well.\"


    This was my question too. It was a really weird request he made of me and Aura after all.


    Chris Pint nodded seriously. \"The scent of one who survived the taint of Drakon''s Blight¡­ now I have a cure if I ever get poisoned by that damnable stuff.\"


    \"If only we all could share in the gifts you possess,\" Auranos chuckled to himself. Then he turned a curious glance at Darah and I knew he was looking for me somehow. \"Luckily, my clan has also been blessed with the legacy of the gatekeepers.\"


    Chris Pint chuckled too. \"A sprout¡­ that''s what you have. Nothing more. Up to you how you bring him up. Whether he becomes the power you desire him to be or the tool of your destruction, heh, we''re all double-edge swords, you know.\"


    By the confused stares of many onlookers, I gathered that not many knew my secret, but those were aware of my fairy gift sent me wary-eyed stares.


    Imagine being glared at by the most powerful people in the government with something that was half-expectant and half-annoyance, and tell me you wouldn''t want to shrink out of view too.


    Thankfully, the initial negotiations began and all thought of the young wielder of the sense of sight disappeared from the onlookers'' minds. Their focus turned on the battle of wits between the two clan leaders.


    \"So, I''ll lend you soldiers to help in your war against one of the biggest and baddest clans in the Fayne,\" Chris Pint began. \"And you''ll provide me with forces to ensure the southern clans don''t band together against me.\"


    Auranos nodded. \"Our long conflict with the Sunspire Dominion has dragged on for long enough¡­ we require more strength to end their threat on our western border.\"


    \"But will you stop at just the border?\" Chris Pint asked knowingly.


    He leaned back on his seat and waited for the patriarch''s response. It came after a long moment of reflection. But when the patriarch spoke, he addressed not just the Lord of Stars, but all of us who were gathered there.


    \"Too long has our kind been in conflict with one another for no reason other than a quest for power. The bodies have piled up so high that the deaths of our loved ones rival the Peak of Bloodsword Mountain,\" the patriarch stated.


    He struggled to rise from his seat but waved off any effort to help him.


    \"We fairies have been leaderless for far too long¡­ and there have been a great many dark days with no hand to guide us through¡­ I fear that if this rudderless path continues then we will not survive to see the next century,\" he proclaimed. \"We will be wiped out by our own foolish desires long before the five gates open and Ragnarok comes to claim us.\"


    Nervous murmurs permeated the hall at this pronouncement of doom and gloom.


    \"I seek an ending to this warring clans era, not for myself¡­\" the patriarch showed off his bandaged hands to the crowd and we all saw the bloody stains forming underneath the white fabric, \"but for the generation that comes after us¡­ to give them a chance to build a better world, a kingdom of the Fayne far better than the one our ancestors built.\"


    The murmurs changed, turning now into inspired awe at the injured elf who stood up straight despite his many pains, who spoke with a strong yet quiet voice that imbued all of us with feelings of hope.


    \"I do not seek the empty throne so that I might sit on it and impose my will upon the world¡­\" he turned his gaze on his fellow patriarch. \"I seek it only to right our course, to change our bloody fate¡­\"


    He paused and took a long raspy breath.


    \"And I know this path will be far bloodier than any conflict before it, and a great many will hate us for choosing it, but I will gladly take in their ire¡­ I will gladly sacrifice myself so that we might carve this future into being,\" he spoke.


    The officers and nobles of the Trickster Pavilion began to shout that they would follow the patriarch into whatever abyss he was running headlong into.


    \"Together¡­ we will unite the clans¡­ we will unite the Fayne!\" He roared louder than I''d ever heard him before.


    There wasn''t a single person there connected to the Trickster Pavilion who didn''t have their hands raised. In fact, there were even some among the Starfall clan who looked up at Auranos in awe. Even the Lord of Stars was gazing up at his fellow patriarch with a warm grin on his face.


    All of us were caught up in that inspiring moment. At least until the patriarch began to cough and cough, and then doubled over to the point where Chris Pint had to help him back to his seat which in itself was an interesting conclusion to the beginning of the summit.

 171 Flight of the Intruder

    I wasn''t sure what made me do it. Perhaps an overabundance of caution was all it was. Or maybe it was my spider-sense tingling and telling me something was up. After all, there were a lot of fresh faces in that crowd whom I''d never seen before.


    \"Oh great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable,\" I whispered.


    Luca reacted instantly to my chant, but kept his place behind me while whispering in my ear, \"What''s up?\"


    \"I don''t know yet¡­ a feeling,\" I whispered back. \"Shut up and let me focus¡­\"


    As  I gazed out at the crowd with Fool''s Insight giving me, well, insight, I saw things I could never unsee again, like Dain Hammerhand mining for buggers out of his extra-large nose while he hid behind Great General Grimthorn whose place was on the other side of the hall from Darah''s spot.


    I also saw some things that made my cheeks turn extra hot. Like Ashley, whose shieldmaiden outfit minus the armor bits revealed a little too much skin than I was used to. Her brown hair was done in a plaited style that fell of her left shoulders, revealing a long, fair neck that was nice to look at. Man, I hadn''t realized how pretty she was before and I probably lingered on her longer than I should have.


    Eventually, I looked away from Ashley and found myself gazing toward the far right, on the corner closest to the hall''s entrance. That''s where I saw him.


    A painted face hid his racial features well enough that he could hide in a crowd of elves easily. But my sight wouldn''t be fooled by even Leonardo Da Vinci himself, and so I knew that I wasn''t staring at a regular elf, but a drow who''d hidden well with makeup.


    He was unfamiliar to me, and I knew all the drow who lived within Trickster territory. I was the one who brought them here after all, and even if he was hard to deal with, Thom would have introduced me to any newcomers to his tribe.


    So, you could imagine the alarm bells ringing in my ears as I could only think of one other reason why an unknown drow would be among the court tonight.


    I stepped forward and tapped Darah on the arm.


    \"Boss, I think we''ve got an uninvited guest,\" I whispered.


    Darah glanced over her shoulder to stare at me. \"Confirm and detain¡­ and do it quietly.\"


    I nodded before stepping back. Then I turned gestured for Al and Luca to follow me.


    The three of us quickly made our way out of our spots and skirted the back walls as swiftly as we could without arousing attention. As the hall a long one, it took us longer than I would have liked to reach the entrance.


    Thoughts of the drow noticing me staring and escaping crossed my mind while I quickened my step.


    \"Al, take his left side while Luca goes for his right,\" I whispered. \"I''ll take the front. We''ll push him toward the back wall and box him in.\"


    \"Well, where is he?\" Al asked.


    I shook my head. \"He''s not here¡­\"


    Worriedly, we pushed forward and apologized to the people we brushed past in our haste. When we''d reached his spot on the back wall, we found no sight of the drow almost like he vanished into thin air.


    In a panic, I turned toward the hall''s front doors, and just barely managed to see the tail of a midnight blue cloak as its wearer exited the hall.


    \"Come on,\" I hissed.


    The three of us bolted for the door, pushing past the people a little more roughly than before. I''ll have to apologize to Aura and Darah later. Right now, catching that drow was more important.


    We reached the doors and crossed through it into the antechamber beyond. On the other end of the wooden floor was a wide entryway that led to the courtyard and I knew from memory that there would be three paths one could take from the courtyard to get outside the palace.


    \"There,\" Al called.


    We all saw the shadow moving at the end of the antechamber escaping to the outside.


    \"After it!\" Luca said, running forward first.


    Luca made it out first but we caught up with him just outside the Palanquin palace''s entryway. He was looking left and right, however, it was clear from the cluelessness plastered on his face that he didn''t see where the shadow went.


    \"Three paths,\" I huffed. \"Luca, you''re the fastest¡­ run down to the main gate and cut him off¡­ Al¡ª\"


    \"¡ªI''ll take the side route that leads to the Garden of Mana,\" he said, just before leaving. \"Dean, you take¡ª\"


    \"¡ªThe stairs to the battlements¡­ I know,\" I cut him off. \"Good luck.\"


    The three of us burst into action at the same time, each of us heading for our respective assignments.


    I made my way up the stairs I''d taken not long ago when Chris Pint dragged me up to the battlements, and only then did I think to use Eagle Eye to speed up my search.


    As I continued up the steps, I whispered the chant that activated this awesome skill in Fool''s Insight''s repertoire, \"Oh, great fool, turn all truths into one of color that all their secrets I might uncover.\"


    The night sky and palace walls were splattered in different shades of gray, allowing my sight to bring color only to things that might catch my attention like the set of glowing footsteps trailing upward to the battlements.


    No, they weren''t actual footsteps like you''d see in a videogame, but more like tell-tale signs of recent disturbances in the wood. Still, they were clear enough for me to see in glowing blue markings.


    I picked up the pace and took the steps two at a time while doubt filled my head, warning me that the trail I followed didn''t guarantee I was following the drow who''d escaped the patriarch''s hall.


    \"Shut up, brain,\" I huffed.


    I reached the landing for the first wall and glancing up, I saw two more landings above. However, the trail branched out in two. One set led upward. The other led through this landing which I remembered circled around the palace and ended at stairs leading down to the back courtyard and the Garden of Mana where Al was headed.


    A snap decision made me choose the upward path. I chose instead to believe that if I was wrong, Al would manage somehow.


    Up the steps I went and past the second landing where no trail was visible. However, the higher I got, the more I noticed that the footsteps I followed were no longer alone, but were accompanied by a variety of different foot sizes that didn''t seem to me like they belonged to a drow.


    Doubt continued to cross my mind, and I glanced behind me without stopping and wondered if I shouldn''t return the way I''d come.


    At this point, I''d made it up to the landing, which was unfortunate as I felt the crash before I saw it almost like I hit a very sturdy wall.


    Luckily, I managed not to fall backward and topple down the really high steps but instead hit the battlement floor with a thud.


    \"What the hell¡ª\"


    Then I saw what I hit.


    It was a fairy in a steel-plated armor underneath a white tabard. Printed on this tabard was a symbol I recognized because I''d seen it even on Mudgard ¡ª Lady Justice raising the hand that held the scales of balance.


    The fairy I bumped into was one I''d never seen before. It was a towering figure with skin like wood-bark and hair that was half made of leaves. Beady black eyes glowered at me from a pointy face that seemed to have been carved out of a tree.


    \"Whatchu looking at, boy?\" the tree fairy growled.


    \"You¡­ and your, um, treeness¡­ sir,\" I admitted out of half-shock.


    The tree man was surrounded by a bunch of other fairies that were all a different species; an elf, an undine, a hobgoblin, a dwarf, a satyr, and even a mean-looking sprite. The one thing that told me they were all in the same group was how they were all wearing the same gear and the same tabard.


    \"Stop that, Sandalwood,\" ordered a soft voice that was hidden behind the group.


    Sandalwood the tree man stepped aside and so did the rest of his fellows, revealing a young woman waiting behind them.


    She walked through the space they made for her while her long, braided silver hair was blown back by the passing night breeze. Her brow furrowed as soon as she stopped in front of me. Then she held out a milky smooth hand in my direction.


    I gazed up at the expressive face with its big doe eyes and dark bushy eyebrows formed in concern. Yet her small mouth was set in a reassuring smile like a big sister looking down at her kid brother. And as I took her hand and felt her warmth, all thought of the shadow I was chasing vanished from my mind.

 172 The Inquisitor

    \"Um, thanks for helping with the search, my lady,\" I said to the young woman walking beside me.


    \"Call me Rita,\" she insisted in a soft voice.


    After bumping into the Justiciars, their leader, the young woman called Rita insisted she and her team help me in my search for the drow intruder. So, I led them back down the steps and into landing I ignored before. From here, she instructed her people to branch off and search other areas and reminded them to, \"Leave no stone unturned.\"


    Some climbed back up the steps while the others went down to search the palace''s courtyard. Rita remained with me. So did the tree man I''d bumped into earlier.


    I think he was there to keep a watchful eye on me, and from the cold-eyed stare he sent my way, I got the feeling he didn''t like me one bit.


    \"And you''re certain you saw this drow escape through here?\" Rita asked me again.


    \"I''m sure,\" I said, pointing two fingers at my eyes. \"I''ve got good eyesight¡­\"


    \"I see,\" she replied.


    We continued our walk across the first landing of the palace walls in what I imagined was a leisurely stroll. It was as if she wasn''t the least bit worried that our intruder might escape. Still, I couldn''t exactly ask her to pick up the pace. I got the feeling her bodyguard wouldn''t take kindly to that.


    I sighed and hoped either Luca or Al had better luck than me.


    The wind whipped at her long silver hair as it passed, forcing her to brush it back behind her ears.


    I took this moment to examine my new companion some more.


    She was about my height and looked to be my age, but maybe she was a little older. Her silver hair was braided at the top in a crown-like fashion but fell in waves over her chest. While her companions wore armor, Rita was dressed in a pale blue robe that hung off her shoulders and clung tightly to her sporty frame. On her neck was a silver necklace whose pendant was shaped into a silver key.


    Rita was beautiful¡ªdifferent from Aura''s fairy beauty but not quite like Ashley''s girl-next-door vibe. No, her face was that of an actress in some historical epic or one of those fantasy movies that have gained popularity recently. She looked timeless and graceful with expressive eyebrows and big doe eyes the color of amber.


    Her full lips were moving, speaking words I couldn''t hear right away on account of my teenage boy''s brain and its special brand of idiocy.


    Noticing that I hadn''t replied to her, Rita slowed to a stop and glanced my way.


    \"Well?\" she asked. \"What do you think was the reason this drow infiltrated the summit?\"


    \"I¡­\" I was forced to stop walking myself to think about her question. \"It could be a number of things¡­ sabotage probably.\"


    Her eyebrow rose about half an inch high.


    \"Is that your best-educated guess?\" she asked.


    \"Well,\" my mind flashed on the masked face of Aura''s brother and the tragedy that disfigured him and killed the rest of their family, \"it could be something else¡­ something more sinister.\"


    I didn''t dare say ''assassination'' out loud. I didn''t want to jinx it.


    \"The Patriarch of the Trickster Pavilion has many enemies,\" Rita noted as she resumed our walk. \"More so now than ever before¡­\"


    \"What does that mean?\" I asked as I trailed after her.


    We were nearing the stairs that led down to the Garden of Mana. Hopefully, Al would be down there and he''d have the drow secured and ready for interrogation.


    \"The buildup of military power has led other clans to guess at the Patriarch''s intentions¡­ but that speech earlier made it clear that he intends to achieve unification, doesn''t he?\" she reminded me. \"That alone would be enough to alarm those who seek to maintain the status quo¡­\"


    It was the exact same thing Chris Pint mentioned to me earlier, and it seemed everyone was paying attention to our clan now.


    \"Hold on¡­ I didn''t see you inside the hall earlier,\" I said. \"You couldn''t have heard his speech.\"


    She pointed at her own eyes. \"Ah, yes, you did mention that you had good eyes.\"


    A knowing smile played on her lips that made me more than a little uncomfortable.


    Don''t give yourself away just to impress a pretty girl, idiot, my brain whispered.


    I chuckled nervously while scratching my head. \"Y-yeah¡­ I would have noticed someone who looked like you.\"


    There was no need to remind her about my eyesight because I could put two and two together too, and it was easy to guess who this Rita really was. After all, Aura did say the Inquisitor of the Justiciars was coming for a visit. So, no, I didn''t want to reveal myself to another Sense Knight, particularly one Chris Pint warned me about.


    Then I realized what I''d just said and felt the heat rise out of my cheeks.


    \"You''re blushing,\" Rita teased.


    \"I''m not,\" I said defensively.


    \"Don''t worry about it¡­ it''s cute,\" she said in such a casual way that I felt dumb for feeling embarrassed.


    We descended the stairs to the garden while Rita continued her explanation about the situation the clan was in.


    \"Many of the smaller clans would prefer the conflict does not spread out to them, preferring instead this deadlock that''s lasted for five hundred years,\" she explained. \"Whenever one of the bigger clans gets the idea for unification, these smaller clans often band together to ensure the bigger clan rethinks their lofty goal.\"


    \"Sounds like cowardice to me,\" I said while feeling a surge of pride for the clan Patriarch and his vision. \"All this death and war spills out into Mudgard and causes all kinds of problems for us humans too¡­\"


    \"That,\" she glanced at me with a curious look, \"is exactly what the Pilgrimage claims¡­ you wouldn''t happen to be a sympathizer, would you?\"


    I quickly shook my head. \"No¡­ I''m not interested in a Fayne for humans either, although I honestly don''t know much about them beyond that.\"


    She seemed satisfied with my response because she continued down the steps without another word regarding it.


    \"Well, drow do look the part to be doling out evil plots,\" I joked.


    She laughed a short but tinkling laughter that sounded nice to my ears.


    \"But sometimes the more obvious is usually the real threat,\" she said.


    We reached the bottom and followed the passage of wood and artistically repurposed foliage into a huge backyard that was reminiscent of the secret gardens one found around mana pools.


    It was a landscape of tiny hills and shrubbery and young redwoods combined to form a serene space that was as inviting as it was colorful. Flowers of all kinds poked out of well-trimmed brushes exuding their scents to the surrounding air. At the center of this garden was a pool, and although it didn''t glow like mana pools did, the freshwater gleamed underneath Idunn''s light.


    At the other end of the garden, Al and one of the Justiciars, the female dwarf companion of Rita, were standing side by side and debating about something.


    We crossed the wooden walkways and reached them just in time to hear their dialogue on the merits of adding a rock garden to the Garden of Mana.


    \"I guess you struck out too?\" I said after I raised a hand in greeting.


    \"Well, technically, I did find someone just not the one we were looking for,\" he said, pointing toward his new companion. Then he looked over to the two Justiciars with me, his eyes lingered on Rita. \"Looks like you found someone interesting too.\"


    \"More or less,\" I shrugged. \"You think Luca got it right then?\"


    Al shrugged back. \"Why don''t we go ask him?\"


    Our new party of five left the garden and made our way around the Palanquin Palace to reach the front courtyard.


    As we pass the main doors to the antechamber leading into the Patriarch''s Hall, I heard the loud cheers coming from inside.


    \"Looks like things were going well in there,\" I said right before I turned toward Rita and asked, \"Don''t you need to be in there?\"


    \"Perhaps later¡­ I''m finding this chase a little more exciting than having to chaperone two alpha males into playing nice,\" she admitted.


    Al and I shared a shrug before we pressed onward to the palace gates.


    The closer we got to the gates, the more we noticed the obvious disturbance there. A group of palace guards was gathered just inside the gates, standing in a loose circle around two people who were sitting on the ground.


    Worry and fear filled my brain, and I found myself running toward the crowd.


    \"Excuse me,\" I said as I slipped into the circle. \"Coming through!\"


    When I finally reached the center, I saw Luca sitting on the grass while a guard healer urged him to drink a vial of healing.


    \"Luca!\" I yelled as I rushed to my brother''s side.


    He looked up at me and then sighed. \"He got me, Dean¡­ snuck behind me just as I reached the gate and then whacked me in the head with something heavy¡­\"


    The healer raised his eyes toward me and reported that my brother had a concussion. He then showed me the back of Luca''s head which was bleeding just above the neck.


    I cursed at the sight of yet another new injury for Luca.


    \"I''ll be taking him to the guard''s infirmary for a more thorough checkup,\" the fairy healer insisted.


    \"I''ll go with you,\" I said quickly.


    \"Dean¡ª\"


    I cut Luca off before he could protest and repeated what I said last, \"I''ll go with you¡­\"


    Luca sighed and allowed himself to be carried on a stretcher which meant he must have really gotten hurt because my little brother hated stretchers.


    Before they took him away though, he apologized to me and Al.


    \"I don''t know how he got behind me¡­ I was sure I was behind the shadow we saw¡­\" he admitted.


    A thought struck me then. One I dared not say out loud. But what if the drow wasn''t alone? What if there were more of them?


    \"It''ll be okay, Luca,\" Al assured him. \"We''ll find the guy. We''ve got more help now.\"


    Luca was so out of it that he didn''t even notice our companions until Al mentioned them, and I watched as his eyes grew to saucers at the sight of Rita who, admittedly, looked like a goddess visiting us mere mortals.


    After Luca was carted away, I turned to Rita and apologized for leaving abruptly, but she simply shook her head and said, \"I understand¡­ your brother''s important to you.\"


    Before I got a chance to follow Luca, however, she reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a tiny scroll in her hand.


    \"Since you answered all my questions pretty well tonight, I figured I would reward you with a gift,\" she said, handing me the scroll in her hand. \"Beware of shadows and their ill intent.\"


    I pulled open the scroll and read its contents, and it wasn''t until I finished reading it that I felt the shock showing on my face.


    \"What''s wrong?\" Al asked.


    I passed him the scroll for him to read. At the same time, I trained my eyes on Rita.


    \"How accurate is this information?\" I asked with all urgency.


    \"I am the Inquisitor of the Justiciars,\" she said finally, although I''d already guessed that much. \"Information has a way of finding its way to me¡­ it seems your deductions were spot on, someone''s plotting foul deeds tonight.\"

 173 Clear and Present Danger

    \"Is this thing really going to work?\" I asked skeptically while glancing down at the bracelet attached to my forearm. Not the one Aura had given me, but a new one Darah attached there earlier.


    \"For the nth time, it''ll work,\" Al insisted.


    I kept my eyes on the golden loops formed in patterned swirls that went around the bracelet and remembered the magical chains that were wrapped around Luca''s neck.


    \"Luca¡­ you sure you''re good to go?\" I asked.


    I turned to face my brother who had a bandaged around his neck and nape which conveniently covered the magical chains that would be revealed by the rising of the sun which was coming very soon.


    \"No migraines and the swelling''s subsided,\" Luca answered while giving me the thumbs up. \"Besides, I want payback for that earlier ambush.\"


    I sighed heavily. There was no use insisting Luca stay back and chill as he was even more stubborn than Edo when he set his mind to it.


    \"Enough of your whining, Dapper,\" Dain growled. \"Let''s review the plan as previously discussed.\"


    \"Yes, let''s¡­ all this male bonding is beginning to make my skin crawl,\" Verania added.


    Verania''s lieutenant, a wily older pixie going by the name of Sutherland, laughed politely at his mistress'' biting wit.


    I sighed again and thought back to the moments after I shared the info the Inquisitor had given me with Darah and Grimthorn. Their decision to saddle me with my three rivals was a bad one, I thought. No way we could work together to foil this plot.


    \"The Great Generals have assigned their own guard to protect key positions within the Palanquin Palace''s grounds here and here,\" Al said, pointing out several spots in the map laid out on the table between the four of us. \"The palace guards are in charge of the gates and entryways plus the Patriarch''s quarters in the palace''s west wing.\"


    Al pointed to the spiral tower on the southern edge of the palace''s roof which the four of us and our lieutenants were currently on.


    \"Our job is to scout out the vulnerable areas between the well-protected spots,\" Al reminded us.


    \"Most of our units are patrolling outside the city¡­ we probably have fifty people between the four of us¡­ That''s not enough manpower to guard all those locations,\" Dain reminded him.


    \"Yup,\" Al agreed. \"The Palanquin Palace is ridiculously huge¡­\"


    \"We don''t have to,\" Verania interrupted. She sent an icy-stare my way. \"If what Great General Darah said was true then Dean can tell us exactly where we need to go.\"


    The three of them turned their eyes on me, and I swear I could see a hint of jealousy hidden behind their intense gazes. Even Al was looking at me with a slightly less friendly stare.


    \"That''s assuming this thing works,\" I said, raising the arm that the new bracelet was wrapped around. \"I''ve never even heard of a temporary anchor before.\"


    He tried for a smile which I assumed was born out of guilt at his earlier glare.


    \"This should keep you in the Fayne even during the day unless you take it off,\" Al explained.


    Sure enough, Sol, the Fayne''s dull yellow sun, painted the horizon in fiery orange as it rose up to the sky and bathed us in dawn''s glow ¡ª and I didn''t disappear.


    \"Holy sh**, it worked,\" I breathed in as I gazed up at Sol in disbelief. \"I''m still here¡­\"


    \"What an unfortunate but necessary evil, Verania,\" said dryly. \"Now, why don''t you used your legendary gift and impress us all with your¡­ adequateness.\"


    In a lot of ways, the Fayne was the exact opposite of Mudgard. They were like night and day, literally. And while we humans worked during the day and slept at night, fairies did the opposite. This initially had to do with some fairy species having an allergic reaction to the sun. Some troll breeds, in particular, turned to stone at the touch of sunlight. However, most fairies just preferred the magical light of Idunn over the harsh light of Sol. So while the sun was up, fairies hid in their lairs and gilded palaces and dreamt of the coming night.


    Why was this important? Well, if most fairies were asleep during the day then it would also be the perfect time for nefarious plots to come into play. Assassinations in the Fayne actually happened in broad daylight.


    This fact, I learned a few hours later, during midday, when, after choosing to tune out Verania''s ridicule and Dain''s whining, I used Fool''s Insight for the seventh time and scouted out the scenery below me.


    From my vantage point in the sky, I could see much of the Palanquin Palace''s grounds below, but zooming in was necessary for me to make out individual locations more clearly which meant I was more limited in what I could see.


    However, as my sight passed over the southern gate and its adjoining courtyard, my eyes flashed on the number of bodies lying on the ground. All of them belonged to the palace guards.


    \"Luca¡­ how many guards were stationed in the south courtyard to the right of the Garden of Mana,\" I asked quickly.


    My brother must have noticed the urgency in my voice as he looked through the stack of scrolls on our table and quickly found the information I needed.


    \"There are a hundred palace guards stationed there including two well-known captains who work directly for Chancellor Kairon,\" Luca read out loud.


    \"Well, I think they''re all dead,\" I said ominously.


    I felt rather than saw the group around me stiffen.


    \"Impossible,\" Dain breathed. \"The palace guards are elite soldiers trained specifically for defensive maneuvers¡­\"


    \"Everyone''s down¡­\" I relayed to them what I could clearly see with my bird''s eye view of the courtyard. \"I don''t know how but no one''s moving¡­ I think they''re all dead.\"


    \"You must be seeing things wrong,\" Dain insisted.


    \"I see things pretty well, you know,\" I responded with a little more hostility than usual. \"And I''m telling you that they''re all dead.\"


    There was another bout of silence following my statement which really wasn''t productive at all as we could have at least be sending sprites out to warn the other groups in the palace. It was a fact I clearly pointed out to the rest of them.


    \"Let''s send word to the council as well as to the Starfall clan''s entourage just to be safe,\" Al agreed. \"Riardon call the sprites¡ª\"


    \"¡ªCalm down, Sheridan,\" Verania warned. \"We can''t alert the council or any of our other allies about what Dapper saw¡­\"


    \"What? Why not?\" Al asked surprised.


    \"Because then we''d tip off the assassins that we know they''re coming,\" Verania explained. \"Or did you forget which groups were mentioned in the Justiciars intel?\"


    Al began to protest but then stopped himself. He, like the rest of us, knew exactly what Verania meant. It wasn''t just the drow we''d seen, there were a lot more parties involved in today''s plot, and no one knew who''d set this in motion.


    \"Assassins from the Claw, the Under Ring, The Crippling Blades, the Blood Monks, and worst of all, the Hashashin¡­\" Luca enumerated. \"These are the worst of the worst of the criminal underworld¡­\"


    \"Informing the council now will only alert these experts that we know they''re coming,\" Verania insisted again. \"But¡­ if they weren''t any wiser then we might be able to turn the tables on them.\"


    \"You want to ambush the assassins?\" I guessed.


    \"Smaller numbers don''t matter when you have the advantageous ground,\" Verania explained. \"And I have confidence in the soldiers I brought with me. I assume you three are the same.\"


    \"The council and other guards are all aware of the situation as it is,\" Dain reasoned. \"Our information might just cause chaos in an already well-planned formation.\"


    It was at this moment where I decided to release Fool''s Insight so I could look at my fellow young commanders and confirm the decision in their faces.


    By the determined look on his face, Dain had come around to Verania''s line of thinking, believing that we alone could take advantage of this situation. That was very dangerous thinking. Al, on the other hand, looked like he was still undecided. It was up to me to either agree or turn things around.


    I glanced down at the map and saw something written there that filled me with all kinds of dread.


    \"The southern courtyard¡­ it has a direct entrance to the southern wing, doesn''t it?\" I asked in a whisper.


    I expected the response I already knew the answer to.


    \"Yes,\" Al answered. \"It''s right past the Garden of Mana which is next to¡ª\"


    Al just realized what I realized, and the color drained from his face as it had with mine.


    \"Warn everyone¡­\" I ordered. \"Do it now!\"


    I jumped out of my seat and rushed toward the stairs. Luca followed quickly behind me while Al ignored Verania''s protest to hold on and think about it.


    Verania must not have known, or if she did, then she probably didn''t care. But the southern wing was home to the princess'' bedroom, and last I saw her, Aura was exhausted enough by the talks that she looked about ready to drop.


    She was probably sleeping now and was no doubt defenseless, and as I ran down the steps, the sunlight bathing me in a fiery orange glow, I prayed to whoever gods or spirits or even devils that would listen that I wasn''t too late.

 174 Into the Arms of Danger

    Luca and I rushed down the tower at a speed that was seriously dangerous when going down steep steps, but we were both willing to risk a hard fall because Aura was in danger.


    Yes, Aura. Not her brother, the Patriarch, or at least, not just him. Since they''d come in through the southern courtyard, which really was one of the most guarded gates, they must have come with a purpose, and it was more than likely they were coming for Aura first.


    I took the steps two at a time and reached the tower landing at record speed. Only once did I slow down, and that was to look over the balcony Luca and I just passed into so I could confirm the dead guards in the courtyard below me.


    No one was moving, and there was a decent amount of blood spilled on the courtyard''s natural stone floor. No, they were most likely killed very quickly.


    \"Luca¡­ watch your back,\" I said while feeling a sense of menace wash over me. \"These guys are serious professionals.\"


    \"I know¡­\" Luca answered. \"But they won''t get me again.\"


    We rushed past the balcony and past the second-floor entryway into the Palanquin Palace''s southern wing. But I slowed to a stop suddenly because the smell of blood filled the narrow hallway we''d just entered.


    Ahead of us, three shadows flickered against the sunlight filtering through the cracks in the window curtains along the left side of the hallway. Beyond them, I could see another dead body.


    \"Drow,\" Luca hissed.


    \"Warriors of the Claw,\" I agreed. \"The Scarlet Moon''s secret death squad¡­\"


    \"Let''s do this,\" Luca said as he drew his broadsword from its sheath behind his back. \"Don''t mess up and die, Dean.\"


    \"Tell that to yourself, kid who let himself get hit from behind,\" I countered.


    That was all the banter we could spare as the shadows on the walls speeded toward us.


    I drew my falchion and swung it a hundred-and-eighty degrees forward just as a shadow jumped out of the wall beside me. And even without activating Fool''s Insight, I had enough experience to know when an attack was coming. This meant my counter came at exactly the right moment, in that space of time where my opponent had already committed to his attack.


    My falchion''s shadowblade snaked into the assassin''s side, and since he was conveniently dressed in nothing more than black linen robes, my blade easily cut through him. In fact, I''d nearly sliced him in half at just above the waist.


    I heard the sound of bones crunching as something heavy slammed against it. This was instantly followed by the sound of tearing skin, which, if my hearing was accurate, was a violent and messy way to die.


    At the corner of my eye, I watched my brother pull his broadsword out of the sternum of his dead opponent. Luca had cut him from the shoulder joint downward.


    \"You''re turning into quite the gorilla,\" I noted.


    I raised an eyebrow at him. \"You realize that''s a compliment, right?\"


    \"No, it isn''t,\" Luca argued.


    The third drow assassin ¡ª yes, even with our joking around we didn''t forget about the third drow assassin ¡ª descended from the ceiling to attack us.


    It wasn''t his fault that we were prepared, but Luca and I have spent an insane amount of time training with the Blackthorns, and while Enna loved jumping at us from the sidewalls, her cousin, the annoying Thom, enjoyed sniping at our heads from above.


    In short, the drow assassin''s attack failed. He instead met his end at the point of mine and Luca''s shadowblades as we sliced upward at nearly the same time. Yes, Luca hit him first because he had extra-long arms and an extra-long sword ¡ª which a psychiatrist would deduce as Luca mentally making up for possibly less than adequate body parts ¡ª but I like to think my own attack dealt the finishing blow.


    \"It is a freaking compliment, Luca,\" I continued as soon as we''d deftly dodged the blood spray that rained down on us. \"Even John Wick trained under a ballerina¡­\"


    \"He trained under a ballerina, sure, but he was wrestling in the back room and wasn''t on stage, Dean,\" Luca argued.


    I know it seemed like that our tension had dropped during this conversation, but honestly, banter was how we brothers coped with desperate situations. Or hadn''t you readers picked up on that yet?


    After that encounter with the three drow assassins from the Claw, Luca and I didn''t run into any more invaders. It was smooth sailing all the way to the corridor where Aura''s suite was located.


    Ironically enough, we arrived to a scene that would have filled me with dread if I didn''t know the giant half-ogre and shieldmaiden who were mopping the floor with the bald hobgoblins in their priestly robes. Seriously, they were actually wearing red robes that would have looked passable for Shaolin monk uniforms.


    This kind of situation is why the parallels between the Fayne and Mudgard never ceased to amaze me.


    \"What took you so long, Dean?\" Ashley asked as she slammed her shield onto the chest of a hobgoblin blood monk and pinned him to the wall. \"Did you stop for drive-thru or something?\"


    \"Hilarious,\" I sighed while thinking everyone was a critic. Then I glanced down at the seven to eight fallen blood monks that littered the hallway and I whistled appreciatively. \"I forgot that you and Aura were having a sleepover.\"


    \"Now look who''s trying to be funny,\" Ashley said while giving me a sufficiently Arah-like eye-roll.


    Luca walked over to Ashley and bonked the opponent she''d pinned to the wall with the pommel of his broadsword.


    \"Actually, Dean was in such a panic to save Aura that he was running recklessly through the halls like a madman,\" Luca tattled.


    \"Shut up, Luca,\" I growled. \"You were doing the same thing!\"


    Luca gave me a smirk I wanted to wipe off him with a good punch to the face.


    \"As if the princess needed you to save her,\" Edo chuckled.


    He was holding the last standing blood monk by the scruff of his neck and choking the life out of the hobgoblin with one hand. It was quite an impressive feat.


    Luca''s eyes trailed the floor, and from the realization showing on his face, I deduced that he''d figured out what I figured out.


    \"There should be more of them¡­ at least three more different groups,\" he said the thought that was in my head.


    \"Probably going after other targets,\" I reasoned as I strolled over to where Edo was. \"I don''t think they''re here as allies¡­ possibly, someone put a hit out on Aura, the Patriarch and whoever else, and hired a bunch of different groups to do it¡­\"


    \"How do you figure that, Dean?\" Luca asked.


    \"The body we saw in the hallway where we fought the Claw guys¡­\" I reminded him. \"It was a dwarf dressed like those guards at the Under Ring auction house.\"


    \"You remembered how they were dressed?\" Luca shook his head at me. \"You are so meticulous it borders on creepy.\"


    \"That''s another compliment by the way,\" I grinned.


    \"There are two of those guys inside with Aura,\" Ashley said, pointing her thumb back toward the only wooden double doors in the entire hallway. \"She''s... interrogating them.\"


    \"The Under Ring assassins got here first then,\" I guessed while taking a mental note of what Ashley just said about interrogation.


    I glanced down at the dead that littered the hallway''s wooden parquet floor. Much closer to Aura''s suite, the five extra bodies here belonged to dwarves dressed in a similar fashion to the one we''d seen earlier.


    Satisfied, I told Luca to watch the front door with Ashley and Edo in case more enemies appeared while I walked into Aura''s bedroom suite.


    I guess I should have knocked first. Maybe then I wouldn''t have been so embarrassed to see Aura in her day-gown, a dress nearly as flimsy as a pixie''s gossamer wing.


    \"Sorry,\" I said, and although I wanted to, I didn''t avert my eyes. Not because I was a pervert but because Aura was up to something interesting that caught my attention. \"This is the first time I''ve seen this spell¡­ your Crown of Fire.\"


    In the last six months, Aura had devoted herself to increasing her spell list and training her mana so she could use her magic more often in a single night. One of the three spells she''d learned in that time was the Crown of Fire.


    I''d never actually seen her use it as it wasn''t a combat spell, but tonight was the perfect time to see it in action.


    You see, the Crown of Fire worked just like Wonder Woman''s Lasso of Truth.  The spellcaster who donned the crown over her head could ask a question, and whoever the question was directed at would be compelled to answer.


    At Aura''s current mastery level, she could ask three questions before the crown''s flames winked out. But three questions were more than enough if you asked the right ones.


    I was just in time to watch Aura ask her final question which was, \"Who hired you?\"


    The dwarf kneeling before her looked like a half-dazed puppy who was trying desperately not to grin. Given how Aura was scantily dressed, I wasn''t entirely sure the dopey look he gave her was because of the crown.


    \"I-I d-don''t k-know,\" the dwarf struggled to speak the words.


    He must have been trying to fight off the effects of the spell which might have been possible for someone with a stronger will like Darah, but certainly not some thug from a slave cartel.


    \"B-boss Q-qarta usually handles the details¡­ w-we''re just c-cogs in the cartel''s machine,\" he answered.


    After he said this, the burning crown floating above Aura''s golden locks decidedly winked out. The dwarf blinked like he was starting to get sober.


    I didn''t wait for permission. I dashed in there and clocked him on the head with my falchion''s wooden falcon-head pommel.


    There was a loud crack, and then the dwarf crashed forward. He would get a nasty bruise when he awoke but at least he was alive.


    I looked over my shoulder and grinned at Aura.


    \"Hi,\" I said. \"I''m here to save you.\"


    Aura''s smile reflected mine when she replied, \"You''re late.\"

 175 Assassins

    \"They''re after me more than my brother,\" Aura explained as we followed who through the adjoining corridor that connected her suite with the rest of the palace. \"At least, the bulk of them are¡­ a few will still try to attack Auranos.\"


    \"That would be the Claw,\" Edo grunted.


    He shadowed Aura like the good bodyguard he was and only went ahead of her to check every dark corner or entryway we passed before allowing her to move forward.


    \"Him surviving over their first attempt to assassinate your family, that''s been a black mark on their record ever since,\" Edo added.


    Aura nodded.


    \"So other than the three drow Luca and I killed, the rest of them might have gone for your brother,\" I reasoned. \"Sucks to be them¡­\"


    Auranos was guarded by his aunt, and Darah would make very short work assassins who weren''t at least at Azuma''s level which was highly unlikely.


    \"But the Hashashin and the Crippling Blades aren''t accounted for,\" Luca reminded us.


    \"I''ve heard tales of the Hashashin when I was training to be a shieldmaiden¡­\" Ashley said. \"The Mother Superior once told me of a story where a single warrior from that famous tribe invaded a Shieldmaiden''s Tower and slaughtered everyone inside¡­ and they didn''t know who was killing them until the hashashin revealed itself to the only survivor¡­ the Mother Superior of that fallen tower.\"


    \"They always leave one alive to spread the fear of them,\" Edo noted. \"That''s how we know they''re real¡­\"


    \"Dean,\" Luca began, but I already knew what he was going to say.


    \"Hashashin¡­ users of hashish,\" I repeated a line I''d read in a book from my world. \"On our world, the hashashin was the name for the first assassins.\"


    \"It''s the same with ours¡­\" Edo draped his glaive over his shoulder. \"If it''s after the princess then we need to get her to safety now.\"


    We all nodded in agreement, all except for Aurana who refused to leave until her brother was safe.


    She''d added a scale mail jacket over her flimsy day gown and the brown boots she wore were steel-toed. Strapped to her belt was a sword I''d never seen before but it was expected that she wouldn''t use her staff as it was the weapon of Aura and not Princess Aurana. Appearances had to be kept even in this situation.


    Basically, Aurana was dressed for battle, not escape. This meant convincing her to run might be more challenging than I figured.


    \"Is there only one hashashin?\" Luca asked. \"What if there are two and one went after Auranos?\"


    Both Ashley and Edo shook their heads.


    \"There''s always only one per assassination,\" Edo explained.


    \"And if the hit was for the princess,\" Luca continued.


    \"Then the hashashin will come for her,\" Ashley finished.


    \"You and me,\" she tapped her chest and then mine, \"we don''t run away¡­ ever, remember?\"


    \"It''s not running away,\" I reasoned while racking my brain for an excuse she might accept. \"It''s a strategic retreat¡­ finding a spot where we can ambush the sucker.\"


    Aurana raised an eyebrow at me.


    \"I took on Azuma solo¡­ I''m not afraid of no drugged up legendary killer,\" I grinned.


    This was a half-truth. I did fight Azuma solo but I wasn''t exactly feeling brave over fighting some legendary assassin. I wasn''t that foolhardy, I think.


    Aurana hesitated for another few seconds before she finally relented, and for a moment, the princess mask fell off and the Aura I knew had made an appearance in the smile she gave me.


    \"Fine¡­\" she said. \"Edo, we''ll head for the Silent Room.\"


    Edo nodded and then led the way forward.


    The Palanquin Palace was a maze of wooden corridors and naturally growing flora where awnings gave way to dense foliage that allowed very little patches of sunlight to peek through. Wooden statues of fairy guardians lined up beside walls with intricately carved mosaics.


    As we roamed through these ancient hallways, I felt certain that Luca and I would have gotten lost if we didn''t have a guide as the limit of my awareness was the shortest route to Aurana''s suite.


    No, I wasn''t planning to visit her late in the day to do something creepy. I was simply being expedient about reaching her in the nick of time if necessary which is exactly what happened today.


    We reached the second-floor meditation hall of the palace''s south wing. But Edo stopped at the entrance suddenly.


    \"What''s up, big guy?\" Luca asked.


    \"Something''s not right,\" Edo said in a hushed tone.


    \"But it looks empty,\" Luca insisted.


    \"And too quiet,\" Ashley added. \"Ambush?\"


    \"Dean, use your sight,\" Edo suggested.


    It was more like an order but I preferred my interpretation. I was the commander after all.


    I glimpsed the mediation hall from just outside the entryway. My eyes glazed over the white wood floors and thin trunks of the birches around the hall but I couldn''t tell if anything was amiss.


    \"What are you sensing, Edo?\" I asked.


    \"Bloodlust¡­\" Edo said with a finality that convinced me despite my insight showing me nothing.


    Edo''s ogre half was remarkably sensitive to bloodlust, even the pretend kind, which made it difficult to attack him from behind during training. I learned to trust this sixth sense of his which always seemed to be right.


    \"How far is it to your silent room, Aura?\" I asked.


    \"Secret panel behind the largest birch¡­\" Aura pointed it out with her hand. \"On the right side of the Meditation Hall.\"


    I calculated the distance we''d need to cross in my brain and realized we''d never make it before the hidden enemy''s blades reached us.


    \"Draw your weapons,\" I ordered. It was a proper order and not like the suggestion Edo gave earlier. \"We run ten paces into the hall and then switch to a back-to-back formation. Watch each other''s backs while we move slowly toward the large birch.\"


    The others nodded. Each one tightened grips on their weapons. Then, after a count of three, I rushed in ahead of everyone else, expecting they''d follow right after me.


    I made it barely ten paces when an arrow shot out from one of the branches of a birch.


    Fool''s Insight predicted its trajectory¡ª the spot just left of adam''s apple ¡ª and made it easy for me to swipe it away with the flat of my falchion''s shadowblade.


    \"Ambush,\" I yelled just as five naked elves dropped down from their hiding place among the birch trees branches.


    I was wrong. They weren''t completely naked after all.


    They wore loin cloths that hid their private parts, but the two she-elves among them hadn''t bothered to cover up their chests and their breasts dangled obscenely before me.


    The assassins were also covered from neck to foot in intricate tattoos whose leaf patterns formed branches and swirls around their skin. Wooden masks covered their faces, ensuring their expressions would be unreadable to someone like me who could tell an enemy''s intent with just a glance of their eyes.


    \"Crippling blades?\" Luca guessed.


    The rest of us nodded.


    \"At least it''s not the hashashin,\" Luca said with obvious relief in his voice.


    Seconds ticked by while we glared at the enemy and I assumed they were glaring back at us. I couldn''t really tell as their masks barely had slits for eyeholes.


    The killing intent rolling off them was certainly impressive, but I was used to facing down worse. In fact, some of the toughest fighting auras I''d ever taken on belonged to Edo, Luca, and Ashley who were all fighting alongside me.


    \"Perhaps we can come to an agreement,\" Aura called out to them. \"There''s no need for more death today.\"


    As if in mockery of her question, the five Crippling Blades drew curved single-edged swords from their backs, and with a weapon in each hand, they charged and quickly bridged the distance separating us.


    I blocked the first and then second slash from the masked elf that had attacked me.


    \"I don''t think they liked your question, princess,\" I joked just as I dodged a third and fourth successive slash sent my way.


    The Crippling Blades I faced was relentless in his attacks against me, and I was hard-pressed to parry and block his attacks as they came in quick bursts of continuous combos that left little room for counters.


    Maybe if I had been less experienced in deathmatches, maybe then I would have lost this fight. Sadly, this opponent had arrived almost a year too late. So, it wasn''t much of a challenge to block and dodge and wait for that one opportunity to turn the tables around. That moment came swiftly and surely, and I didn''t hesitate to take advantage.


    In the space between dodging a sword slash from one of the assassin''s shadowblades and the start of his next attack, I pushed my left shoulder toward his chest and knocked him off balance. Then, with my lead foot pushing forward, I brought my falchion down on his exposed chest.


    A weird thing happened afterward. Those leafy vine tattoos covering his skin, they actually came out of him like deadly vipers coming to life after their nests were disturbed.


    Again, if I was a little less experienced, maybe this magical defense would have been enough to catch me off guard, but I''d seen enough crazy magical powers not to feel too disturbed by the vines stretching out of the elf. Also, my falchion constantly vibrating like a chainsaw made it excellent at cutting things. The magical vines were no exception.


    I cut through his defenses and down to his chest hidden underneath as easily as a bread knife slicing into a slab of melting butter. This one strike was a deathblow that ripped into his chest, killing him almost instantly.


    There was enough time for me to say, \"It''s not the number of swords you bring but how you use it that counts,\" before he toppled over and died at my feet.


    I glanced around me and noticed my team was just about finished with their opponents too. Luca and Aurana were last, Aurana because she wasn''t as used to her sword as she was with her staff and Luca because he was obviously distracted by his opponent''s large breasts dangling in front of him.


    It was embarrassing to watch, really. My brother looked almost comical in the way he averted his eyes and missed the attack of opportunities that came his way.


    Annoyed by Luca''s poor display herself, Ashley waded into their battle and smacked her round shield over the back of the she-elf assassin''s head, knocking her out almost instantly.


    \"You were pulling your punches,\" Ashley complained.


    Luca looked sheepishly back at her and said, \"Um, sorry¡­ and thanks.\"


    Aurana, on the other hand, had just finished relieving her opponent of her weapons and knocked the she-elf down to her knees. She pointed her sword at the she-elf''s neck and politely asked her not to move.


    The thing about assassins, they weren''t afraid of dying and so death threats wouldn''t have worked on the last Crippling Blade. Of course, Aurana was just being her usual nice self and offering this she-elf a chance to live. It refused.


    In what I assumed was typical assassin fashion, the she-elf stepped into the pointy end of Aurana''s sword, allowing herself to be stabbed in the neck like it was only natural to die that way.


    Aurana let go of her weapon as her face convulsed into one of horror.


    \"Why would you do that?\" she asked, but her enemy wouldn''t be able to give her an answer as she was already dead. \"Why¡­\"


    I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it the way she often did with me when my mental state was disturbed.


    \"Let''s go,\" I said. Then I noticed Edo''s grim look and I turned to him and asked, \"What''s up?\"


    \"The bloodlust¡­ it hasn''t gone away,\" he said ominously.


    I couldn''t believe what I saw next. In fact, I refused to believe it, but it did happen. Luca, who was smiling at me from behind Edo in a way that almost distorted his features in a grotesque way, suddenly stabbed Edo in the back.

 176 Identity

    It was the weapon that Luca used to stab Edo in his lower back that caught my interest other than the act itself.


    The part of it I could see sticking out of Edo was a shadowblade with a distinctly wavy edge. I''d seen something similar before. It was a kris dagger, a weapon commonly used in arcane rituals.


    I''d never seen Luca use a dagger before much less use one preferred by fairy magicians. That was my first clue.


    Luca pulled out the kris from Edo''s back and jumped away just as Edo launched a sweeping swipe of his glaive at my brother.


    I noticed then that Edo hadn''t used his usual deadly power in that last attack. Whether it was because he was worried about hurting Luca or because his movements had gone sluggish, I wasn''t sure. It might have been the latter.


    Aurana rushed to Edo''s side but he waved her away with a hand while his other hand gripped tightly onto the glaive which was helping to keep him upright.


    At the same time, Ashley positioned herself right in front of Aurana. Her shield faced forward and aimed at my little brother.


    The only one who hadn''t moved a muscle was me.


    Even Luca had made preparations. He''d thrown his broadsword to the floor and pulled out a second kris from the bag of holding I had him carry all the time. Not a dagger like the one in his left hand, but a three-foot-long wavy shadowblade that might as well have been a sword.


    \"Luca! What the hell are you doing!\" Ashley screamed.


    My little brother remained silent. But that smile which distorted his features unnerved me. Luca would never show off that sort of malice. This was my second clue.


    \"He''s not Luca,\" I said in a voice that was barely a whisper.


    But everyone heard me because they all turned my way.


    Even Edo who was struggling to stand looked over his shoulder so he could see me and ask, \"How do you know?\"


    I didn''t. Not for sure. I tried with Fool''s Insight, but no insight came to me. Whatever and whoever it was who''d taken Luca''s place had done it perfectly. By all accounts, my brother had just betrayed us to our unseen enemy, and this more than anything else was something I couldn''t believe.


    Why did I have so much faith in Luca, you ask? Couldn''t it be possible that all the time spent in the Fayne, all the darkness he''d witness, all the death he''d cause had finally made him snap and sent him plunging down to the dark side? Sure, that would have been possible¡ªfor me, but not for Luca.


    I may exude confidence and optimism like a toddler, but Luca was moody to begin with. The kid suffered from anxiety issues, after all. And that''s how I knew he''d never go darker. Luca was constantly second-guessing himself and at war with the dark thoughts in his mind, and every time this happened, he came out winning.


    \"It''s not Luca,\" I insisted while pointing my falchion forward in a decisive manner.


    \"Are you sure about that, Dean?\" Luca asked.


    It was his voice but distorted somehow. Like something creepy was speaking from within the skin of Luca.


    \"I am going to hurt you very badly for this emotional cluster f**k you''re putting me through,\" I growled. I tightened my sword hand''s grip on my falchion. \"What did you do with the real Luca?\"


    \"B-but I am Luca, Dean!\" he said in a voice filled with regret and worry. But that sudden change was temporary as he reverted back to the twisted version of Luca. \"he-he-he-he¡­\"


    By Idunn''s light, that bastard was laughing like that damn clown from that creepy movie with all the kids fighting against it. It was also the movie that gave Luca nightmares back when we first saw it.


    \"How do you have my brother''s memories?\" I asked it.


    \"Um, maybe because he is Luca?\" Ashley suggested.


    \"He''s not,\" I reiterated.


    \"How are you so sure, Dean?\" Ashley countered.


    \"Same way I''d know if someone was impersonating you, Ash¡­ My gut,\" I reasoned.


    Ashley visibly went red in the cheeks. Why? I didn''t know. But she did come with a counter of, \"Your gut? I would have believed you more if you said your eyes were sure, idiot!\"


    \"Well my sight isn''t being really helpful right now,\" I reasoned right before I took a step forward.


    I noticed fake Luca stepping forward toward Ashley who was still shielding Aura behind her.


    It was at this moment when Edo dropped to his knees. His glaive fell off his limp hand as the rest of him threatened to topple over.


    \"Edo!\" Aurana screamed.


    \"Poison!\" Ashley yelled.


    \"Do your shieldmaiden thing then!\" I ordered. \"Heal him!\"


    \"I didn''t bring my healing tools, Dean!\" she countered.


    \"You didn''t bring your most important tool during a stakeout?\" I asked incredulously.


    \"My most important tools are my sword and my shield¡­ I''m a shieldmaiden, not Florence freaking Nightingale,\" she shot back.


    Ashley was referring to the celebrated British nurse from the old, old days. It was a pretty good comparison considering that shieldmaiden acted as healers and protectors of the less fortunate here in the Fayne.


    \"Dean¡­ my body will work through the poison on its own¡­ you better deal with this imposter by¡­ the time I wake up,\" Edo said right before he collapsed face-first on the floor.


    \"Edo!\" Aurana yelled again.


    She tried brushing past Ashley but the other girl held her back.


    \"Cool your jets, princess!\" she ordered. \"Your bodyguard is made of sturdier stuff to fall prey to some pathetic poison.\"


    True that. Being half-ogre, Edo actually had a pretty strong resistance to poison. It was one of his many innate talents he didn''t like to boast about. Dude hated being bastard. But that''s a story for another time.


    \"Aura¡­ I''ll deal with fake Luca over there¡­ you can use Healing Flame on Edo then,\" I instructed.


    Healing Flame, one of the three new spells in Aura''s repertoire, and it was a pretty impressive one too.


    \"Dean¡­ are you sure about this¡­ about him?\" she asked.


    I nodded, and without another word, I launched myself forward with my falchion raised high in one hand.


    Fake Luca didn''t move. He waited for me to get in range and then blocked my downward swing with a cross block using both his shadowblades.


    \"Are you really going to hurt me, Dean?\" Luca asked in his normal voice, the one filled with worry.


    Then the creepy smile was back, and with it was that hollow clown laugh, \"Ha-ha-ha-ha!\"


    At the end of the laughter though, I detected the exhaling of a deep breath, the kind a practitioner used right before launching an attack.


    If that little hint wasn''t enough, Fool''s Insight revealed the minuscule movements his body made in the moments right before his attack came, allowing me to predict the future a second or five ahead.


    I pulled back just in time as his kris dagger came sliding into the space where my stomach was only a second ago. Then I feinted pushing forward but pulled back just as his kris sword came crashing down the space where my head was a moment earlier, leaving him slightly off balance.


    In that gap between his last attack and his next one, I managed to charge in, shoulder first. I shoved fake Luca back with my right shoulder and then swung my sword arm forward in a rising arc that would have impressed a golf pro.


    Swing and swish. My sword''s shadowblade went up, cutting into the scale mail armor I''d spent hard-earned money gifting Luca just a few weeks ago. Man, this bastard imposter was going to pay.


    Unexpectedly, fake Luca didn''t pull away as far as I thought he would so he did take more damage than I predicted, but that meant he was close enough to counter which is why I felt a stinging sensation pierce my side.


    My eyes caught his left arm''s movement in the last second which is how I managed to twist to the left and avoid the dagger plunging straight into me.


    Following the motion of my shoulders, I went a full hundred-and-eighty degree turn and sent my falchion snaking into fake Luca''s side.


    He stepped back to avoid it. I stepped forward in response.


    Then, with a twist of my wrist, I sent that sideward slash hurtling in the other direction.


    I felt my falchion connect a second time with fake Luca''s body and smelled the iron scent of blood as it leaked out of the second cut I''d given him.


    Wouldn''t you know it; the fake bastard was willing to take that hit just to catch me unaware from above. His sword-arm came crashing down on my shoulder and it would have been a deathblow if Fool''s Insight hadn''t warned me in time.


    My sense gift really was a cheat, and I could understand why guys like Chris Pint and Rita the Inquisitor were held in such high regard. If a noob sense knight like me could walk away from critical attacks like I just did, then the sense knights who''d been at it longer could probably have dodged it all together without getting hurt.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t at their level yet, and so I did feel the cut that bit deep into my shoulder.


    \"Argh! Muddamit!\" I roared in pain.


    Then I pulled away just as he launched an attack with his dagger.


    One step, two steps, and then a third long step out of his reach. After making sure there was a good enough distance between us, I inspected my two wounds.


    The one on my right side was a shallow stab that barely scratched me but the second one cut deep into my left shoulder. Not only did it hurt to high heaven but it also made my left hand all but useless.


    \"Sh**, you''re good,\" I admitted to fake Luca. \"But you''re not Luca-good.\"


    \"Dean¡­ why do you keep insisting I''m not who I''m supposed to be?\" Luca asked with a curious expression on his face.


    It was honestly annoying to see. He had two larger wounds than me with blood pouring out of the deep cuts I gouged into him but the dude didn''t even look like he was in pain.


    \"For one thing, Luca would be screaming curses at me right now for taking a sparring session into this kind of dangerous fight,\" I reasoned.


    \"F**k you, Dean! You hurt me!\" fake Luca yelled in obvious mimicry of what I''d just said.


    It was that grotesque smile again, and the sight of it was really grating on my nerves.


    \"And if you were Luca, I''d have been beaten by now,\" I added. \"Or didn''t you know that I''ve never won a serious fight against him in all the years we''ve trained together.\"


    That was a fact that I mentioned much, much earlier in the story, I believe. And it was still true to this day. Even with Fool''s Insight, I still couldn''t beat my little brother in a sparring match.


    \"I know that, Dean,\" Luca grinned that malicious grin. \"But this isn''t just a regular spar. It''s a battle to the death.\"


    \"Wipe that smile off my brother''s face, bastard!\" I growled.


    \"You''re losing your calm, Dean,\" fake Luca responded. \"Didn''t dad tell you never to lose your calm in a fight?\"


    \"My dad also told me to kick the butt of anyone who hurts my family,\" I countered. \"So how about we put our cards on the table, hashashin¡­\"


    I wasn''t sure it would affect him, but the sudden change in expression, the raising of an eyebrow and slight frown that appeared on his face, that was just more proof that fake Luca wasn''t Luca.


    \"You think I''m the hashashin?\" Luca asked, tilting his head as he did.


    \"A master of disguise and able to blend in any scenario,\" I enumerated. \"Isn''t that how you guys are?\"


    He failed to respond.


    At the corner of my eye, I saw Aurana leaning over Edo, whispering arcane words I couldn''t quite hear. Ashley stood in front of her, ready to defend the princess if it came to it.


    I turned my focus back on fake Luca who was kind enough to wait for me, and said, \"I assume the real Luca is still in the infirmary where I left him¡­\"


    My brow furrowed heavily.


    \"He was knocked out from all the healing¡­ doc said that someone did a number on him¡­ signs of a mental attack as well as a physical one¡­\" I explained as rationally as I could. \"I should have known you were an imposter the moment you showed up at the tower looking all better¡­ but you acted exactly like him and you even have his memories¡­ Honestly, I''m impressed.\"


    Finally, instead of continuing to lie in my face, fake Luca acknowledged my deductions with a slight bow of his head.


    \"Yes, I am the hashashin,\" he admitted in a deep voice that didn''t belong to my brother. \"And your brother lives because he was not the one I came to kill.\"


    He raised his sword and pointed it at me which was right around the time where I began to feel the numbness affecting my shoulder spread out to the rest of my body. I stumbled in place, my vision swimming suddenly.


    That''s when I remembered what happened to Edo, and I sighed, \"Poison...\"


    \"You are not on my list,\" he said matter-of-factly. \"But if you do not step aside now and allow me to fulfill my contract then your death will be excruciatingly painful¡­ that is my promise.\"

 177 The Changeling

    A numbing sensation was slowly spreading from the wound on my left shoulder. It had already taken my left arm and made it useless. Pretty soon, it would take the rest of me too.


    I was already beginning to feel drowsy, and remembering how quickly Edo fell, I suspected a minute or two was all I had before I fainted too.


    In front of me, the hashashin who''d stolen Luca''s face continued to brandish his two shadowblades at me. His threat was still clear in my head. Move or die ¡ª that was his message.


    But I couldn''t move. Not when Princess Aurana was in his crosshairs. And so, with what little time was left to me, I resolved to end this fight as quickly as possible which meant a single strike filled with all my killing intent.


    I exhaled a long breath and then pointed my falchion forward with my one good hand. This was me showing the hashashin that I wasn''t about to back down.


    He got the message as I could feel a tremendous killing intent surge out of him and slam into me.


    I was used to these incredibly suffocating killing intents by now, but I did feel a sharpness from his aura that I''d never felt before. It was like standing in the way of the grim reaper''s scythe as it came slashing forward at you.


    In response, I sent out my own killing intent which I imagined had gotten considerably stronger since my fight with Jimmy Jonas.


    Our wills collided, neither of us backing down from the other, although inside my shirt I couldn''t help but sweat buckets at the thought of my time running out on me.


    I raised my falchion high at the same time as the hashashin blasted forward and hurtled himself toward me.


    Maybe a second or two was all it took for him to bridge the distance between us, but that second was all I needed to swing my shadowblade down on him.


    I noticed it earlier, his willingness to get hurt in exchange for hurting me back. It wasn''t a bad plan if you were the type to use poisons, and as long as the damage to you wasn''t fatal, you could certainly walk out the winner.


    However, I''d taken this into account already which is why I used the high-guard stance. Keeping my upper body open just long enough for him to take the bait, and as his sword and dagger came slashing forward, I stepped back a single pace at the same time as I slashed downward.


    I was suddenly out of his range but he''d extended forward enough to still be in mine and so my falchion came crashing down on his other shoulder and cut deep into him.


    Blood gushed out of his wound in a spray, and I took a second step back to avoid that. But as I felt victory within my reach, I felt a stabbing pain in my right leg, and it was only then that I saw the kris dagger poking into me. It was held there by a hand attached to an arm that was unnecessarily long.


    \"Sh**,\" I hissed, realizing too late that my enemy had another advantage I failed to take into account.


    \"You can change shape,\" I reasoned.


    The hashashin that still wore Luca''s face was much taller now than Luca ever was. His body stretched and distorted to unbelievable proportions. Even worse, the wounds I''d inflicted seemed like lesser wounds now that his form had elongated.


    \"It''s a changeling,\" Princess Aurana called from behind. \"A rare kind of fairy with the ability to change its shape and form¡­\"


    \"Great¡­ and here I thought I''d seen them all,\" I growled.


    My mind was a blur of pain and a feeling akin to some kind of anesthetic. Fool''s Insight deactivated too as it was impossible to maintain under the circumstances.


    \"You should have stepped away, Dean,\" the hashashin said in Luca''s voice.


    \"Shut up,\" I countered.


    I looked over my shoulder and noticed that Aura was finally done treating Edo. He was already beginning to stir but he would be a minute or two too late. No way would the hashashin allow him to recover in time before it finished the job.


    My eyes found Princess Aurana gazing back at me, and even through the haze beginning to cloud my mind, I couldn''t help but think of how pretty she was and how fiery she looked at this exact moment, the defiance clear in her eyes.


    And just like that, my plan to tag out and let Ashley handle the rest fizzled out as a light bulb lit up inside my head.


    \"Princess¡­ I''m going to need a blessing,\" I said as I raised myself up with the help of my falchion. \"Give me a minute¡­ will you.\"


    \"Oh, Dean,\" the hashashin dangled a finger at me. \"And here I thought you didn''t cheat¡­\"


    \"I don''t want to hear that from a poison carrying bastard like you,\" I countered.


    The hashashin lashed out at me with outstretched hands like a king cobra striking down its prey, but I managed one final trick despite my brain feeling lethargic.


    \"Oh, great fool, let my sight turn deathly cold that I might turn my foes to stone!\" I yelled.


    As the heat in my eyes washed over the hashashin, his entire form wavered suddenly. It was only for a few seconds but that was all the time Aura needed to chant her spell.


    \"Spirits of the sacred flame, I call on you to ignite the fire inside these warriors. Lend them your will of fire and send them your fiery blessing!\" she said, her voice rising with each word.


    I didn''t wait for Aura''s blessing to affect me. While she chanted, I was already moving forward and chanting myself, \"Like a bolt of lightning, carve away all defenses with a single glistening blade¡­\"


    My voice was barely a whisper but the static electricity exploding onto the edge of my shadowblade was the sound of a hundred birds chirping together.


    Stumbling, I pushed forward while my enemy remained outstretched and unmoving. At the same time, I could feel Aura''s blessing charge me with renewed strength so that my stumble became a stride.


    Bear in mind that this entire series of movements lasted no more than five seconds, which was less than the time my Basilisk''s Eye managed to hold my enemies in place since its upgrade. And despite the hashashin already showing signs of breaking away from the paralysis effect I''d given him, those five seconds were enough for me to do all the things I mentioned above and still send my falchion over his neck.


    I cut off the head of the snake with a satisfied smile plastered on my face, and although it was Luca''s head that rolled to the floor, I didn''t feel the least bit guilty. It was a first among firsts. I killed a fairy and didn''t stress about it internally.


    Suddenly, I felt chills rise up my back and felt the hairs on the back of my arms stand on end.


    \"No freaking way¡­\" I whispered right before I dodged the twin attacks of the headless hashashin. \"How are you still alive?\"


    ''It''s a changeling, Dean,\" Princess Aurana reminded me. \"They won''t die unless you can stab them in the heart!\"


    \"I could have used that info much earlier!\" I yelled back.


    Like a spring, the hashashin''s upper body was pulled back into its lower body, and from there it reformed itself until it was back to Luca''s size with a new Luca head sitting neatly on top of the neck I''d severed it from.


    Yes, it was a gross as it sounded.


    \"Muddamnit!\" I yelled as round three began.


    Luckily, Princess Aurana''s Fiery Blessing kept my mind and body protected and any further poison cuts I received from the hashashin were rendered moot, at least until the blessing winked out.


    And yes, there was cut after cut appearing on my body as the hashashin had renewed its assault in a more frenzied manner than before.


    For every cut I got, I gave back in return, and if I was against any other opponent, this fight would have been over already. But the hashashin and I continued to hack and slash at each other for the next few minutes.


    Blood seeped out of our many wounds as we began to paint that part of the meditation hall in red.


    Don''t get me wrong, each wound hurt like no one''s business, but I was lucky the hashashin had chosen a narcotic poison instead of a deadly one. Otherwise, I''d be dead by now despite the princess'' blessing.


    We''d been going at it more than two minutes when I finally broke the silence, and with it, our concentration in hacking each other into pieces.


    \"Guess what?\" I asked him.


    Seeing as he was still opting to use Luca''s personality, possibly to rile me up more, I knew he would respond with, \"What, Dean?\"


    Sucker ¡ª everyone knew never to answer a ''guess what'' question because it was bound to bite you in the ass.


    \"I win!\" I said happily just as my body finally began to slow down and I nearly stumbled forward.


    Princess Aurana''s blessing was finally losing steam, but it didn''t matter anymore because the ogre was awake and he was very pissed.


    As I fell to my knees, my mind feeling even more muddled than before, I still manage to smile at the sight of the hulking figure over fake Luca''s form.


    If that wasn''t enough to secure our win, the sound of an excited man''s voice reached my ears.


    \"Looks like you''re in need of some assistance, boyo,\" The Lord of Stars called from the entrance to the hall.


    The second voice I heard was unexpected but certainly welcome given the circumstance.


    \"And here I wanted to see more of what you can do, Dean Dapper,\" said the voice of Inquisitor Rita.


    Oh, man, the hashashin was going to get it now.

 178 The Morning After

    I was passed out while the situation resolved itself, and only just woke up to find myself lying in a bed beside Luca''s bed.


    The idiot was snoring as he slept without a care in the world which annoyed me as we''d had so much trouble fighting off against the hashashin who''d stolen his face.


    I sat up in bed thinking about counters for poisons that I would need to stock up on now. Last night''s embarrassment won''t be repeated.


    My eyes glanced around the room, and only then did I realize that we weren''t in the infirmary I left Luca in the previous night.


    We were in Princess Aurana''s suite, the pale blue walls and white gossamer curtains were similar enough. Perhaps we were in one of the adjoining rooms that led to her bed-chamber.


    That thought made me blush, and remembering the princess in her thin day-gown made that blush get even hotter.


    \"What''s with the dopey grin on your face, Dean?\" Ashley called from the open doors on the left side of the room. \"Thinking of something pervy, weren''t you?\"


    \"O-of course, not!\" I lied. \"I was poisoned, you know.\"


    \"Sure, that''s all it is,\" Ashley grinned.


    She knew I was fibbing. She''d seen my reaction to Aurana''s attire last night, after all.


    I turned away as she walked over to my bedside with a basket in her hand and saw through the open window that night had fallen yet again. This meant I''d spent a full twenty-four hours in the Fayne, something I''d never done before.


    My eyes glanced down at the hand that carried the bracelet that kept me in the Fayen but I discovered my arm was bare and that the bracelet had been removed.


    \"Apparently, those temporary anchors are bad for a visere''s health if used for too long,\" Ashley explained as she sat on the wooden chair next to the bed. \"And you were already knee-deep in health issues with the amount of poison in your bloodstream¡­ Berrian took all day just to drain it out of you.\"


    \"So that''s why I''ve been asleep so long¡­\" I understood. \"Edo got up just when the fight was getting interesting.\"


    \"Edo is a half-ogre with natural resistances¡­ you''re human, Dean¡­\" As she said this, there was a definite crease on Ashley''s forehead. \"No matter how amazing you''ve become at warfare, don''t ever forget that you''re still just human with easily breakable body parts.\"


    \"Yes-yes, mom,\" I joked.


    Calling her mom just made her frown even more.


    Her obvious concern warmed my heart, and as I stared into her face, I realized that I was beginning to notice how pretty she was more and more. No wonder Ty crushed hard on her back in the day, maybe even now.


    These teenage-boy thoughts threatened to overwhelm my composure and would have made me blush even more, and Ashley would no doubt have picked up on that. So, to avoid further embarrassment, I asked Ashley what happened after I passed out.


    \"And he would have gotten out to if he hadn''t decided to finish his business while making his escape,\" Ashley admitted.


    \"The Princess¡ª\"


    \"Was very, very angry at how injured you were from the fight,\" Ashley revealed, a shadow of something I knew was fear passed over her face. \"I''d never seen Aura go nuclear like that before¡­\"


    As interested as I was to know what happened, Ashley just teed up that comment and it demanded a response, \"Really, you don''t remember when she nearly burned down Broken Sellsword''s Canyon''s Lowtown?\"


    \"Ah, yes, that,\" Ashley admitted with a laugh.


    She continued her tale and told me that the princess herself had ended the threat of the hashashin with a wave of her magical fist, literally. Apparently, Princess Aurana had used up all her new spells that night, even going so far as to summon her last and most powerful spell, the Fire Fist.


    It was an apt name for a spell that literally called down a column of fire from the heavens to slam down onto its target like a fist smashing a bug on the floor.


    \"She really did smash him like a bug¡­ repeatedly too,\" Ashley said while miming her fist slamming onto her open palm and grinding it there. \"It probably helped that you''d injured the hashashin to the point where he was already struggling to keep Luca''s form.\"


    \"Did the princess ¡ª did Aura kill it?\" I asked.


    I assumed using the name of Princess Aurana''s alter ego was fine given where we were, and I was getting tired of saying princess all the time.


    Ashley shook her head. \"The hashashin is currently locked up in the dungeons and is being treated for burn wounds along other wounds you gave it.\"


    \"Has an interrogation been done yet?\" I asked.


    Ashley shrugged. \"Not that I know of¡­ but the Inquisitor has offered her services when it happens¡­ apparently, she and your pal, the Lord of Stars were attacked too.\"


    That caused my own brow to furrow, and I recalled the words the hashashin had given me, \"You are not on my list,\" I repeated.


    \"Apparently, there were a lot of people on his list,\" Ashley added.


    She explained that other than Aurana, the other three big names within Palanquin Palace yesterday were attacked as well.


    The Patriarch was attacked by nearly twenty members of the Claw, minus the ones fake Luca and I killed, and they''d discarded poison in favor of good old stabbing. Too bad for them that Darah herself guarded the Patriarch''s rooms.


    In the cloister garden where I once had a chat with him, Darah and Thors painted the stones with drow blood. They even left one survivor for interrogating purposes.


    Apparently, the reason there were so few Crippling Blades lying in wait to ambush Aura''s escape party was because the rest of them were attacking Chris Pint and his entourage in the palace''s east wing guest suites.


    Ashley explained that Chris Pint didn''t even bother to fight them and left the management of stopping the assassins to Thea and his other female companions.


    \"He''s got a lot of those,\" I chuckled. \"A full-on harem.\"


    Ashley caught me staring at her.


    \"Don''t even think it, Dapper, or I will smack you silly,\" Ashley warned.


    \"I wasn''t thinking it at all,\" I protested. Then I quickly changed the topic back to the earlier discussion. \"So what happened to the Crippling Blades who went after the Lord of Stars?\"


    \"I was told that the enemy didn''t last long against the Starfall clan''s elites,\" Ashley told me while her eyes narrowed. \"Somewhere down the line, we''re going to be fighting them too, won''t we?\"


    I shrugged. \"All alliances end¡­ and this one hasn''t even been finalized yet.\"


    I recalled Chris Pint''s warning while we stood together on the palace battlements and surveyed the city below.


    \"He really likes the view,\" I repeated, almost smiling to myself as I imagined that fight, if it came, was probably going to be the hardest one yet.


    \"The Under Ring also had another target besides Aura too,\" Ashley told me.


    The Under Ring''s assassins weren''t just after the head of Aura, but they tried to take out the Inquisitor too. Apparently, the Justiciars have become a thorn in the Underworld''s side, especially with regard to the slave trade, and they must have believed eliminating the woman who''d been given the nickname ''Breaker of Chains'' was the first step in ensuring the resurgence of a flourishing slave trade outside of the Undercroft.


    \"That''s a lot of good intel you have there,\" I noted.


    \"The Inquisitor discussed it with us after Aura beat the hashashin,\" Ashley explained.


    \"Breaker of Chains¡­ that is a cool title,\" I whistled.


    \"Certainly better than the Boy Touched with Fire,\" Ashley chuckled softly.


    \"I didn''t ask for that, you know,\" I countered as I leaned back on my seat. \"That bastard Ardeen Spellweaver thought of it on his own.\"


    Despite our long and at times loud conversation, Luca had barely stirred.


    Ashley explained that the mental attack that was done to him was a lot more severe than we thought. The hashashin literally siphoned his memories off him and he needed time to recuperate from that.


    While the visual of the hashashin sipping through a straw attached to Luca''s played in my mind, Ashley began unwrapping the basket in her lap.


    I peeked inside and saw that it was filled with cookies, the Mudgardian kind. Oven There were at least a dozen double chip chocolate cookies inside. They had a fresh from the oven aroma that wafted up to my nose that nearly made my mouth water in anticipation.


    \"Dude, these are my favorite,\" I whistled.


    \"Yeah, Ty told me,\" Ashley smiled, and for a second, I thought I witnessed the shadow of a blush on her cheeks.


    I blinked and they were gone, but I could have sworn I saw them.


    Ashely pulled out a cookie and offered it to me. But she pulled it away when I tried to take it from her hand.


    \"What¡ª\"


    \"¡ªYou''re injured, so just this once, I''ll feed you by hand, alright?\" she said.


    Yup, I was most definitely blushing now. But I nodded all the same as I imagined I was about to enter an entirely new territory I''ve never explored before.


    Ashley placed the cookie within inches of my face, but as I opened my mouth to take a bite, the sound of laughter reached my ears.


    I turned toward the door and found Darah standing there grinning from ear to ear.


    \"Hope we aren''t interrupting anything,\" Darah teased.


    Behind her were A sheepishly grinning Thors, and to my utter horror, Aura ¡ª her face turned away from me.

 179 Conspiracy Theory

    The grin plastered on Darah''s face at my embarrassment quickly evaporated because she''d arrived bearing grim news.


    She strode into the room while the other two followed in her wake, and while she sat on the comfy couch in front of me, Thors closed the doors and locked us in.


    \"The hashashin is dead,\" Darah reported. \"Someone killed him while he was being held in the dungeons¡­\"


    The implications of those words made all silly thoughts of girls vanish from my mind because that only meant one thing.


    \"There''s a traitor in the palace¡­\" I said, giving voice to what we were all thinking.


    The uncomfortable silence that followed was all the proof I needed. After all, who else could have gone into the dungeon to silence the assassin if not someone from the Trickster Pavilion. But that led to more questions and, honestly, too many people to consider.


    Although the Patriarch was beloved by many, there were also a lot of higher-ranking officials in both the court and the army who didn''t believe a cripple should be leading us. Never mind that the cripple had lit the fire that began our continued and successful expansion of the central region, or that Auranos himself proved to be a leader whose inner strength surpassed his mortal body. His weakening figure irked many. It was the biggest reason why Great General Garm had so many supporters in court.


    \"That''s why they went after Aura more than Auranos¡­\" I realized. \"The current heir to the patriarch''s seat¡­\"


    I turned my gaze on Aura for the first time. She was sitting next to Darah and was gazing back at me with a look that was half curious and half anxious.


    \"Our enemies believe my brother will die soon¡­\" her voice was heavy with annoyance. \"They do not know how strong he truly is.\"


    Although the rest of us in the room agreed with her about his strength, we also knew that he was slowly wasting away and the night would come when Aura would have to take his place.


    \"But who would have the resources to hire so many assassins, including a hashashin?\" Thors asked.


    \"Hashashins do not kill for gold,\" Darah argued. \"They kill because they seek to reshape the Fayne¡­\" she turned her knowing gaze on her niece. \"Because the target given to them is one who could alter the shape they seek to create.\"


    \"Great¡­ assassins with illusions of grandeur,\" I scowled.


    \"The question stands¡­ who could afford them and who could benefit from them,\" Thors proposed.


    We all knew who would benefit the most from the death of the Patriarch''s family but as he was currently stuck in the Westmarch preparing for the next war, there was a chance he wasn''t involved this time. Or if he was, then he had an agent here in court that did his bidding. This conclusion led me and probably everyone else to only one person.


    The dark looks we exchanged told me we were all thinking of the same fairy.


    \"Whoever said anything about doing it openly?\" Darah asked with a raised eyebrow.


    \"Assassins aren''t exactly open rebellion,\" I added.


    More silence ensued.


    Just thinking that a chancellor, one of the two top officials in court, was responsible for the attempted assassination of the princess and the other guests of the Patriarch was a big, big problem.


    \"We''ll need proof,\" Darah said, breaking the long silence.


    \"Which is where you come in, Dean,\" Thors added.


    \"I can''t move in court,\" I began.


    Both of them were looking pointedly back at me.


    I sighed. \"You don''t want me here in court, do you?\"


    \"Why would I need you and your gift here when I''ve got enough agents watching over the place?\" Darah chided. \"Use that big brain you like to flaunt around, boy.\"


    Only Darah could turn a compliment into something to ridicule.


    I sighed again. \"You want me in the west with Garm''s army finding proof for this conspiracy theory.\"


    Darah''s Grin would have been infectious if she wasn''t about to ask me to do something dangerous.


    \"Thors,\" she called. \"Give him the memo.\"


    A slightly apologetic looking Thors pulled out a scroll from behind him and tossed it toward me.


    I unfurled it, read its contents, and then sighed a third time.


    \"You guys realize the Foolhardies racked enough victories to already part of the next campaign right?\" I reminded them. \"I don''t see a need for this drastic measure.\"


    Ashley''s curious face beside me prompted me to pass her the scroll, and she read its contents out loud.


    \"Per order of the Patriarch¡­ Five-Hundred Man Commander Dean Dapper is hereby assigned to¡­\" Ashley''s eyes widened as she continued to read, \"as adjutant for Great General Garm under the capacity of strategic advisor¡­\"


    She turned her wide-eyed stare my way just as she tossed me back the scroll.


    \"Talk about throwing you into the lion''s den,\" Ashley chuckled.


    \"You realize wherever I go you guys follow, right?\" I corrected her.


    \"Garm''s not going to be looking at my mug every night so I''m pretty sure I''m safe,\" Ashley countered.


    I sighed a fourth time, one much heavier than the last. \"It puts me right in his line of sight... but it might get me close enough to gather evidence...\"


    \"Garm''s not going to like this\" Aura added, her face one of contemplation. \"His other officers won''t like having to listen to the opinion of a lowly five-hundred man commander either.\"


    \"That''s why he''s being temporarily promoted,\" Darah cut in, \"into a one-thousand man commander for this campaign.\"


    My ears perked up suddenly and I faced forward a little too eagerly. \"Temporary promotion, you say?\"


    Darah raised an eyebrow at me. \"Aurana is right¡­ you may have achieved a bit of fame since you became a unit leader but you''re still just a minnow swimming in an ocean of sharks¡­ this promotion will make it seem like the council, and the Patriarch by extension has shown utmost fate in your ability as a strategist.\"


    \"Meaning you''ll have to prove your worth if you''re going to keep the rank¡­ Otherwise, everyone''s going to think this promotion is undeserved,\" Thors added. \"Something like slaying a general like the last war, that should do the trick.\"


    \"No, that won''t do,\" Darah said with a shake of her head.


    \"What? Why not?\" I argued.


    \"You''ve already done that¡­\" Darah raised two fingers. \"I want two generals'' heads plus recognition that a tactic you devised for the war helped in securing a victory in a battle¡­ that''s the only way I''ll allow this promotion to stand.\"


    \"That on top of spying on Garm, you mean,\" I reminded her.


    \"Seems fair,\" Thors nodded. \"Otherwise, there''d be no point giving you a strategist post in the army.\"


    \"There will be other strategists, Dean¡­ it won''t all be on you,\" Aura encouraged.


    \"Curse your own success, boy,\" Darah laughed heartily. \"I''m expecting great things from you.\"


    \"Well,\" I turned my head toward my little brother, who, despite the noise Darah and Thors were making with their ridiculous laughter, was still sound asleep in his bed. \"The faster I rank up the better, I guess.\"


    They left a little while afterward with Ashley going with them. She left the basket of apples for me to eat later with Luca when he woke up.


    This meant I was technically alone with Aura as Luca was still out like a light. And the atmosphere had never been more awkward.


    Eventually, I found my voice and said, \"Listen¡­ about what you saw before you walked in¡­\"


    Aura shook her head and then gave me a smile that was so warm I felt like the sun was shining down on me.


    \"Congratulations on your promotion,\" she said happily. \"We''re one step closer to our goal.\"


    By changing the subject, Aura was telling me we didn''t need to talk about something so mundane. And just like that, the awkward atmosphere was gone.


    \"One more step in a thousand,\" I chuckled.


    \"A journey of a thousand steps begins with one,\" she agreed.


    ---


    It was two nights after the attack when the alliance was finally formalized in the Patriarch''s Hall. In front of a crowd of courtiers and military officers, the two patriarchs'' signed the parchment between them.


    The Inquisitor was there to mediate, and afterward, to proclaim the key points in the agreement.


    \"The first section details a non-aggression treaty between the Starfall clan and the Trickster Pavilion which is in effect from the beginning of the alliance to a total of two years,\" Inquisitor Rita read from the parchment in her hand. \"The second section details military cooperation between the two clans for a period of two years which includes provisions for the lending of military personal for their respective conflicts in their respective regions.\"


    The crowd applauded her statements as it meant we had one less clan to worry about for the next two years.


    \"This alliance also states that neither side will conduct military operations within the regions close to the other''s territories,\" Inquisitor Rita continued. \"And other than a military pact, trade considerations are also included.\"


    As the Inquisitor continued to read out the section of the alliance that dealt with trade and diplomacy, I began to notice the fiery glares pointed in my direction.


    They had been glaring at me for a while now from the other side of Al Sheridan who was standing to my right.


    I glanced back at them and said, \"What now?\"


    Neither of them spoke, but both Verania and Dain continued to sneak icy stares at me.


    \"They''re both just a tiny bit miffed that you got promoted before the rest of us,\" Al chuckled. \"And there''s also a possibility that we might be taking orders from you seeing as you''ve been transferred to a strategist post.\"


    \"Bloody nepotism, I tell you,\" Verania remarked.


    Of course, she''d think that. She knew who Aura really was after all. But if she only knew why we were being moved, perhaps then she and Dain might pity me.


    \"Congratulations by the way,\" Al said smiling.


    He offered me his hand, but when I took it, I felt him tighten his grip on mine. This prompted me to look up at his face, and that''s when I noticed the fiery glint in his eyes too.


    \"I''m not going to lose, Dean,\" he said while still smiling.


    Hearing him declare his intentions, the other two glanced back at me and gave me a similar fiery stare as if to say they were also declaring they wouldn''t lose to me.


    Man, it was good to have rivals. It really got the blood pumping.


    I gazed back at each of them in turn, a grin slowly growing on my lips, and said, \"Bring it on.\"

 180 Homecoming

    We didn''t stay for the after-party as fairy parties usually involved dancing ¡ª lots of dancing, the kind that made your toes bloody afterward. Plus, neither Aura, Luca nor I were really in the mood for revelries.


    Aura and I were bummed over the implications of the past few days. Luca was bummed because he missed it. Priorities, right?


    I mean, he should at least have been pissed that someone stole his face, but no, he was more pissed that he didn''t get to see it first-hand.


    So, we skedaddled out of Sh?rleden as quickly as we could while stealing Aura away from her duties as Princess Aurana too which was a bonus in her opinion. Especially since Chris Pint was ceaseless in his attempts to flirt with her.


    Besides, there were a lot of preparations to be made before the Foolhardies and I could make our transfer to Great General Garm''s western army official. That meant a homecoming back to the home base for some planning and a little bit of R&R.


    The trip back to Hoodwink Tower from the capital took roughly a week of night travel. We cut this down to half by having all four-hundred members of the unit travel during the day too. It was a harder march than usual but time was of the essence and no one was complaining as everyone was eager to see home for a few days.


    Ty and I spent our days in school during the peak of Spring while regaling Arah of tales of our adventure in the Fayne.


    Having Ty around really did make a difference. In fact, my nightly visits to the Fayne had gotten a lot more fun when I got to share them with him. Because of this fact, more than once, I was nearly tempted to invite Arah to join us, but that would be the height of foolishness.


    Sure, Ty and I were enjoying ourselves with things like fairy revelries but we''ve had more than a few close shaves these past six months.


    And thinking about that last campaign made me remember Dawn, the Dawn Breaker, Knight of the Sunspire Dominion. I wondered if I would see her again in the war. I hoped not. I didn''t want to have to fight her.


    \"Stop spacing, Dean,\" Arah chided. \"All I can do to help is cram Mudgardian military tactics into your brain so I''d appreciate it if you paid attention.\"


    Oh, yeah, after we told her of my new role as a tactician for the western army, Arah had made it her mission to instruct me on hundreds of military strategies from all over the world, past, present, and future. And I swear, those four days in Mudgard were akin to torture by information overload.


    That fourth night, we finally arrived at Hoodwink Tower.


    The tower had changed over the last six months. The dwarves Varda had hired to complete renovations of the broken battlements and tower wall had done a brilliant job restoring it. Not to mention the many new additions we''d added to it as part of my attempts at what was essentially SimCity.


    The first thing you''d notice was the wide dirt road that skirted its way into the main gate of the circular fifteen-foot stone wall surrounding the tower itself.


    We''d expanded the wall so the interior would be much wider than before. In fact, the space was double the size now. This was done to accommodate the unit''s barracks, stables, and the merchant shops that had started businesses in Hoodwink.


    Speaking of merchants, in the last six months, several had proven to be reliable partners for the Foolhardies and for Hoodwink Tower in general. Chief among them was Shanks who doubled as a mercenary tank for my own fire team.


    Shanks'' was a good enough manager that he could be gone for weeks at a time and his shop would operate just fine. He had reliable people under him. But I sometimes thought that he just enjoyed hanging out with us, the last people who got to know his big brother, although I wasn''t entirely sure if trolls could be sentimental like that.


    While Shanks'' general merchandise store sold everything from flower-scented bath soaps to black powder grenades, his armory continued to present a popular option for members of the Foolhardies who didn''t appreciate the brass-grade scale-mail we provided them. Particularly, guys like Qwipps who liked to stand out.


    Once, I heard him boasting to Barda that the padded hauberk he''d bought from Shanks'' armory was, in his words, \"As light as a sprite''s wings and as warm as a pixie''s bottom.\"


    Besides Shanks'' shops, there were other specialized stores too that had made their homes inside Hoodwink Tower''s interior grounds.


    The fiery-haired yellow-skinned hobgoblin, Kal Duenne, was a weapon-smith renowned in the Westmarch. He''d set up shop around the same time Shanks did, and now rivaled Shanks'' for the top monthly earnings among the merchants.


    I actually bought Luca''s new broadsword from Kal, and he''d made it extra special with mechanisms that would have made my fight with fake Luca much harder if the hashashin had known about them.


    It wasn''t just me either. A lot of my subordinates went to Kal to buy new weapons or for repairing their favorites.


    Edo, in particular, tended to come by pretty often to have the shadowblade of his glaive re-sharpened. Guys from Ashley''s squad often dropped by Kal''s to get their shields repaired too.


    Perhaps the second most important shop in our growing town was the Apothecary run by the undine, Lilipold. In the last six months, his shop was always running out of stock of healing potions.


    From the reports, I gathered the cause was almost always due to Berrian needing stock for treating injuries born from either Edo''s or Azuma''s training.


    Only a month ago, I remember Jensen telling me, \"You''re building the hardiest bunch in the Fayne, Commander, that''s for sure.\"


    To which one of his fellow flag carriers asked, \"Shouldn''t we be getting hazard pay just for showing up to training?\"


    For the exotic luxury goods you couldn''t find in the Westmarch, there was Luc''s material goods shop, which provided a really big draw among fellow merchants around the region who were in need of Starfall spices or Dominion-exclusive pelts or even Hermitage-forged steel.


    Luc, who was a very savvy pixie, also provided me with a secondary service. His dealings outside the Trickster Pavilion territory allowed him to retrieve information passed among merchants that normally wouldn''t have reached a military officer''s ears. Luc offered me these little tidbits in exchange for removing the import tax and sales tax from his exclusive wares.


    It was an easy trade. I could live with the lesser income but the intel was priceless depending on how we used it.


    The last notable shop in Hoodwink belonged to the gnome, Fantasimo, who owned an artifacts appraisal shop. His shop was extra special because it drew in crowds one might not normally find in a frontier town like ours, the nobility of Westmarch and even courtiers from central.


    The one bad trade-off is how every time a notable person of high rank visited, I was required to greet them and offer them elf-tea or some boring crap I often passed down to Aura. She was really good at social stuff.


    \"Welcome home, Kid!\" Zarz Mildew called from just outside the main gate into Hoodwink Tower. \"Hope you brought some good news.\"


    \"When have we ever brought good news after a long march?\" Qwipps interjected.


    This prompted a chuckle from most of us as there was some truth to his words.


    I rode Myth Chaser all the way up to the portcullis gate and said, \"We''re going to be busy, Zarz¡­ but first, how about a meal.\"


    \"Kitchens are already cooking, boss,\" Zarz said happily.


    I grinned appreciatively at the gnome, who, in the last six months had made himself defacto seneschal of Hoodwink Tower, and I didn''t mind that at all. He had a knack for managing the day to day business, and he still had time to tinker with new inventions he and I cooked up.


    Then I looked over my shoulder to the four hundred soldiers marching behind me. \"A hot meal and free booze for everybody!\"


    This proclamation was met with raucous cheers that made other tower visitors waiting to enter through the gate look at us with startled faces.


    We didn''t get any work done that night either. There was too much revelry going on to the point that I''d be surprised if there was a single sober soldier among the men.


    And while the soldiers made a mess of their barracks and the tower itself, my officers and I had escaped to a more relaxing spot inside the newly opened Nowhere Inn by the lakeshore.


    Aura, Luca, Edo, Varda, Ashley, Qwipps, Azuma, Xanthor, Thor, Ty, Pike, Thom, Enna, Berrian, Zarz, Shanks, and I were all gathered around a long wooden table enjoying the company while digging in on specially prepared meals courtesy of Zephyra and her siblings.


    I glanced around the common room that looked much like the old inn we''d visited in Undercroft, but newer and with nicer looking furniture.


    It was around this time when Varda raised her mug and called for a toast.


    \"To the commander and his new promotion!\" she yelled.


    There was a round of cheers, some catcalls, even some genuine praises from the group. Honestly, it just warmed my heart to have them all around me like this, and it was moments like this one that really drove the point home, the Foolhardies had become my family.


    Man, if I only knew what would happen to this family in the coming war, maybe then I would have refused Darah''s mission. Maybe things wouldn''t have turned to sh*t.

 181 The Fault in Our Stars

    "We''ve never really hung out by the lakeside, have we?" I asked.


    Idunn had been nice enough to be in her new moon phase tonight, which meant the stars above were out in full and brighter than usual. It might have been because the Fayne was devoid of smog and light pollution, but the canvas of its starry night sky was always pretty to look at.


    "Nope," Luca answered. "Never really found a reason to."


    He was sitting on the lounge chair to the right of me. His back reclined in a relaxed manner which to me was very unlike him. Luca tended to be uptight and tense.


    "We do now," Aura said.


    She was sitting by the edge of the wooden deck with her feet dangling over the water below us.


    "It''s beautiful here," she said.


    "Peace," I added.


    "Quiet," Luca added.


    "And above all," Aura smiled at us over her shoulder.


    "No Qwipps," the three of us said in unison.


    It was a harsh thing to say but Qwipps had a talent for souring up the atmosphere with his sour-graping. The dude was always thinking about the worst-case scenario. Otherwise, he was a fairly respectable squad leader I could rely on most of the time.


    The three of us sat there in silence, each lost to our own thoughts, and it wasn''t until Aura''s feet splashed against the water that I stirred from my musings.


    "Didn''t think I''d make one-thousand-man commander so soon," I said out loud, voicing the unease I''d been feeling since my meeting with Darah.


    "You and me both," Luca commented.


    He turned his head to look at me.


    "But¡­ congrats, Dean," he said, in a voice that almost sounded grateful.


    Well, his tone was understandable considering what rising up the ranks meant for us. It was a fact Aura was excited enough to voice out loud.


    "We''re one step closer to our goal," she said thoughtfully.


    "What ranks come after one-thousand-man commander, anyway?" Luca asked.


    "Two-thousand-man commander, then three-thousand-man commander, then four-thousand-man commander, then five-thousand-man commander, and then general," I enumerated using the five fingers on my right hand.


    "After general is great general which places you among the top military officials in any fairy clan," Aura pointed out.


    "But not in the Trickster Pavilion," Luca guessed.


    "No," Aura agreed. "Not in the Trickster Pavilion."


    "Marshal¡­" I reached a hand to the sky and pretended to catch a star in my fist. "It''s the title given to one of the four military pillars of the clan."


    "Like Darah," Luca whispered the name of our boss in what almost sounded like reverence. "The Marshal of the East¡­"


    Luca turned his head toward me again as his eyes searched my face for clues.


    "Is that the goal?" he asked. "To become Darah''s successor?"


    "General Thors," Aura agreed. "The first visere in the Pavilion''s history to make general¡­ he''s definitely a top candidate for my aunt''s seat if she ever decides to retire."


    Aura faced away from us, and as I stared at her back, I could almost feel the weight of the burden she carried over her shoulders. Much was expected of the princess because no one really thought Auranos would live to a ripe old age.


    It was one reason why he allowed her to fight alongside us. Auranos was a practical guy who in his youth had his fair share of battles. His sister and his heir would be no less.


    I got up from my seat and walked over to the edge of the deck.


    "Scoot over," I told Aura.


    She shuffled to the left so I could sit beside her and dip my toes into the crystal clear water of the lake below me.


    "Damn¡­ that''s cold," I said as the chill rose from my toes up to the rest of my legs.


    "Don''t be a wimp, Dean," Aura said playfully.


    We sat there for another two or three minutes in relative silence while our shoulders brushed against each other. It was nice. Of course, Luca had to ruin it by asking another question.


    "But don''t you elves have a really long lifespan?" Luca mused out loud. "Darah doesn''t even look old enough to be an aunt¡­ I don''t think she''s quitting anytime soon¡­"


    "We know," I said as I rolled my eyes at my brother''s expense.


    Aura, ever Luca''s self-styled big sister, smacked me on the arm before looking over her shoulder to address him.


    "Luca, why do you think we were sent to the west?" Aura asked.


    Luca sat up. "Um, because Darah wants us to spy on Garm, right?"


    "That''s part of it," Aura agreed. "But there''s another reason, too."


    "Do you mean the war? So we can rack up more accomplishments?" Luca guessed.


    "We could just as easily earn our stripes in the south where Great General Lavinia guards the borders against the southern clans or stay where we were in the east. The Scarlet Moon already have a foothold there after all," Aura pointed these things out to Luca. "As for spying on Garm, a more experienced unit would have been a better choice, don''t you think?"


    "But then why go through all the trouble of coming here?" Luca asked.


    I sighed. I couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Because of Garm, dude¡­" I looked over my shoulder so that Luca could see me roll my eyes at him. "Garm''s on the way out¡­ he just doesn''t know it yet."


    "My uncle has lost favor with the council for his many insubordinations¡­ and his open disrespect for my brother can''t be tolerated much longer," Aura explained in detail. "If any of the four marshals is in danger of losing their seat, it would certainly be Great General Garm."


    "Do you get it now, Luca?" I asked.


    "I get it¡­ no need to be all high-and-mighty, Dean," Luca complained.


    "Really?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Then tell me."


    I wasn''t trying to make my brother look bad. But I needed to get the point across to him as there may come a time where I won''t be around to help him. I was good, and I was only getting better, but there was always a chance that I might meet my end before our dream was fulfilled.


    Luca actually looked like he was thinking deeply about it, and I was happy enough with his response when he said, "If Garm''s in danger of losing his seat then his spot will be vacant sooner than the others¡­ and the obvious choice for a replacement would be someone from the western army who knows the state of the region¡­"


    I raised a thumbs up at Luca.


    "Exactly," I said. "It won''t be for a while¡­ but certainly in the next five years or so."


    "Wait¡­ why five years?" Luca asked.


    I glanced over at Aurana. This was her story to tell.


    Her eyes were downcast when she told Luca a secret only very few people were privileged to know.


    "My brother will be dead in five years¡­" she admitted. "The healers have done all they can but his body continues to waste away¡­"


    I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed in the same way she always did for me whenever I felt depressed.


    "Aura¡­ I''m," Luca couldn''t finish his sentence.


    He didn''t need to. He was a good kid and Aura knew what he was trying to say. She smiled at him.


    A moment of quiet contemplation between us before I decided to continue our conversation, "In that time, we have to rack accomplishment after accomplishment while serving in the western army just like Darah planned."


    "If the Foolhardies can increase our value in that time then there''s a chance for Dean to become a candidate for the seat of Marshal of the West," Aura said right before she stretched her hand to the sky and grabbed at the stars. "That''s when we begin to chase our goals in earnest."


    "If we can get rid of Garm before then and if I make Great General in five years'' time," I said, and as I heard myself say it, I almost felt like I was telling a big fat joke.


    "But¡­ that''s nearly impossible¡­ right?" Luca asked, voicing the thought that was nagging me too.


    "Haven''t you noticed yet, little brother? Everything we''ve done since we got here is to defy the odds," I said shrugging. Then I trained a steely-eyed glare toward him. "That''s why I need you to step up in the upcoming war, bro¡­ it can''t just be me. Your name has to be spoken by all under the heavens too."


    "Um, I''m not a showboat like you, Dean," Luca argued.


    Before I could give him my sharp-witted reply, Aura got between us and said, "What Dean means is that you have to get promoted too, Luca¡­ the Dapper brothers showing the world what they can do together, that''s how we achieve our dream of unification."


    Technically, that wasn''t true. The original dream Aura shared with me when we''d agreed on partnering up was to see her brother sit upon the empty throne. But that wasn''t likely to happen within the next five years, and Aura knew this. Auranos would not live to see unification. Aura would have to take his place at that time.


    I decided not to mention this to Luca. His brain was in danger of info overload, I think. Instead, I gave him a challenge. "Darah wants me to claim two general heads, right?"


    My eyes were trained on Luca''s and I held his gaze when I dropped the quest I wanted him to take on.


    "I want you to take a general''s head on your own, too," I said in all seriousness.

 182 Gods and Monsters

    "Hey, Aura, can you tell us a story?" Luca suggested. "Seeing as we''ve got such a good ambiance here tonight¡­ I wouldn''t mind learning more about the history of the Fayne."


    It had been nearly an hour since our earlier discussion where I demanded Luca slays at least one general in the upcoming war.


    In typical fashion, he called me crazy. Then he slumped back on his chair and got moody for about five minutes before he finally agreed to it.


    "I''ll just do it," Luca said like he was repeating a line from his favorite sporting goods brand.


    Satisfied with his own answer, Luca''s mood lightened, and thirty minutes later he was asking Aura to tell us a story. Honestly, I thought it was a brilliant idea.


    Aura herself looked a little worse for wear after she''d told Luca that her brother would likely die soon. Perhaps a story would help lighten her mood too.


    "What would you like to hear?" Aura asked.


    "I want to know more about the myths¡­ the great spirits who once ruled the Fayne," Luca suggested.


    "You want to know about the Eldar?" Aura asked in a contemplative voice.


    "Is that what they''re called?" I asked.


    Aura nodded.


    The toes of her feet dipped into the water and she drew a line across it while she thought about Luca''s request.


    "The priestesses say all the worlds were one once," Aura began. "In the time before the shattering."


    Aura would go on to tell us about the five great Eldar, brothers and sisters who were born of a union between earth and sky. As the children of these primordial forces, the Eldar possessed great power over nature itself.


    "Like the five elements?" Luca interjected.


    Aura shook her head. "No¡­ The Great Eldar were far more primal than that."


    She told us of the siblings and what they could do. Aur, the all-mother and leader of the Eldar, was the mistress of life. For it was from her womb that all life comes from.


    "The stories claim that she birthed all the mortal races, each one born from a union between her and her four other siblings," Aura revealed.


    "Eugh," Luca remarked, his face crunching up in disgust.


    "It''s not for us to judge the gods, Luca," I scolded.


    "You two argue over everything," Aura chuckled softly before she resumed her tale.


    Valdun, the eldest of the Eldar, was the master of magic. It was said that he went into the dreams of lesser races and taught them the first spell ¡ª which was the power to wield fire ¡ª so that they might protect themselves from the darkness.


    "Sounds similar to the story of Prometheus," I noted.


    "Shush, Dean," Luca chided. "Aura, please continue."


    Aura did as he asked and told us of Grimma, the mountain, who was master of the elements.


    "He was the tallest of them all. So tall, in fact, that his head brushed the clouds in the sky when he walked," Aura shared.


    "Hold on," I interrupted. "You said earlier that Aur mated with her siblings to birth the mortal races, right?"


    Aura nodded. "Yes."


    "Then how could she have mated with Drayna if they were both female?" I pressed.


    "Didn''t you just say it wasn''t for us to judge the gods?" Aura reminded me.


    I couldn''t help it. I hated inconsistencies in story-telling. Fortunately, Aura had an answer even for that.


    "Drayna''s nature couldn''t be contained in a single form," Aura told us. "They say she was a massive creature with many heads, each one with its own gender and personality."


    "A gender-fluid King Gedorah," I noted.


    "Nerd," Luca taunted.


    Aura ignored our sibling squabble and continued her tale as if she couldn''t stop now that she''d begun.


    "Last of the siblings, but certainly not the least, was Rahvan, master of night and day," Aura pointed up to the sky. "From his pairing with Aur came the first of the second generation of Eldar, Sol and Idunn."


    "What about Samhain?" I wondered aloud. "Who''s his daddy?"


    "Valdun," Aura whispered.


    The five siblings originally worked in unity. Each of them was content to play their roles and bring harmony to the primordial world. However, after their children came to power, Samhain in particular, the unity among the brothers and sisters began to fracture.


    "Samhain whispered into the ears of his father, Valdun, and made him resent his sister Aur who was their leader," Aura told us. "Particularly, he''d learned to resent Aur for being more beloved by the mortal races even after he had given them fire."


    "Sounds like a dick," I commented. "Reminds me of a certain chancellor and great general."


    Eventually, Valdun gave in to his son''s provocations, and his resentment toward Aur grew until even his intentions for the lesser races had grown dark. Gone was the time when he cared for the well-being of mortals. Instead, he sought to corrupt them, to change them in ways that would reflect his own corruption.


    "That was how demons were born," Aura said, shivering slightly.


    I wrapped an arm around her almost instinctively, and it wasn''t until Luca pointed out that we were getting a little too cozy by the edge of the deck when my face finally turned red from embarrassment.


    Aura seemed to be the same way, and in order to change the topic, she continued her tale of the Fayne''s myths.


    Not content with his father''s downfall, Samhain whispered into the dreams of the others too. And although Drayna and Grimma succumbed to his goading, Rahvan remained true to his role despite the seed of doubt placed in him.


    In his rage, Rahvan banished Samhain beyond the door of night which prevented him from ever seeing Sol, his first love, and would eventually lead him to Idunn, who he would later steal from the sky.


    "But Samhain''s trickery had borne fruit and war among the siblings could not be prevented," Aura added.


    Drayna marshaled her children, the dragons, to her side and built an army that could topple Aur from her seat in the sky. Not to be outdone, Grimma brought the giants under his control so he too might claim the seat of Aur. However, it was Valdum who managed to raze Aur''s sky palace with the help of his demon horde.


    Aur did her best to fight them off with the aid of the other mortal races who would eventually make up the fairy race, but the three armies arrayed against them were unstoppable forces. Slowly but surely, Aur was losing the war.


    "What about Rahvan?" Luca asked as he rose from his seat and moved over to where Aura and I were. "Why didn''t he help Aur?"


    "Rahvan represents the duality in all beings so even if he managed not to be corrupted, a part of him couldn''t help but feel resentment for Aur," Aura explained.


    Rahvan''s dual natures continued to war among themselves and he would have remained a spectator in the great war of spirits if not for the counsel of a mortal who helped him find balance in himself again.


    But Rahvan knew that even with his help, Aur might still lose, and he loved her deeply despite his earlier doubt. So, with the help of the wise mortal, Rahvan devised a plan to separate the siblings from each other and save the primordial world that would have been destroyed by their quarrel.


    "The shattering," I guessed.


    Aura nodded. "Rahvan shattered the world himself into five halves so that each sibling would have a domain to rule in where the mortals there would worship only them¡­"


    "I doubt they went willingly?" I deduced.


    "Rahvan wasn''t the strongest of his siblings but he did have mastery over night and day. Similar to how he locked Samhain behind the door of night, Rahvan locked his siblings behind doors at different times of the day," Aura explained. "Drayna when the sun was at its zenith, Grimma when the Moon was at its peak, and Valdun during the darkest hour¡­"


    "And for Aur?" Luca asked while looking completely engrossed in Aura''s tale.


    "For his beloved, Rahvan gave the moment when the sun dipped and the moon rose so that she might see her two children even for a short while," Aura added.


    To his mortal friend, he gave five keys, each one connected to five seals that could only be opened, Rahvan believed, when the five siblings had let go of their hate so that balance could be restored and the world might be whole again.


    "After he''d given his friend the keys, Rahvan locked himself in the realm of dawn along with the race his friend had belonged to. He''d grown fond of them despite the short lives they lived," Aura finished.


    "Humans¡­" I whispered.


    Aura smiled wanly at me and Luca. "Ironic, isn''t it? We treat humans as our slaves but you play such big roles in all our stories."


    "Um, those five keys¡­ they wouldn''t be the same five keys the Sense Knights were supposed to guard, right?" I asked worriedly.


    Aura shrugged. "It''s a myth, Dean¡­ so probably not."


    Then she looked thoughtfully back at me while her finger tapped on her lips.


    "Incidentally, the five Eldar siblings also represent the five senses," Aura added. "Can you guess which of them was sight?"


    Three nights later, as the Foolhardies marched out of Hoodwink Tower, I rode on Myth Chaser and gazed up at Idunn and remembered the myth Aura shared with me and Luca.


    I thought about the giants, dragons, and demons, and wondered if they were stuck on some other world much like the Fayne. The thought of it made me shudder. I had enough problems with just fairies. I didn''t need more.


    "Nah¡­ there''s no way that myth was real," I said out loud.

 183 The Night Before

    "Commander, are you in here?" Varda asked from beyond the tent flap.


    "Come in," I called.


    I had just finished reviewing the reports sent to me by our kobold spies in the region. Things were looking dire by the second.


    Varda entered the tent and strolled over to where I sat at the head of the wooden expedition table we lugged around whenever we sortied.


    "You look more troubled than when I left you, Commander," she noted as she sat on the seat to my right with her feet dangling just an inch above the floor.


    "War''s starting early," I said before pointing to the scattered papers on the table. "The skirmishes along the borders of the Westersand desert have stopped¡­"


    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Varda asked.


    I shook my head. "It means they''re unnecessary now¡­ both sides are pulling back to get ready for the big one."


    Varda tapped on the table with her fingers. "How big are we talking, Commander?"


    "Reports from the Council say that the Sunspire Dominion is bringing two-hundred thousand to the battlefront," I sighed.


    Varda whistled appreciatively. "And how many does our Western Army have now?"


    "At the moment," I checked the troop sheet on my desk, "One hundred and twenty thousand¡­ We''re expecting another forty thousand reinforcements from central so we''ll probably end up at a hundred and sixty thousand, give or take¡­"


    "That''s forty thousand less¡­ it''s not a small number," Varda noted her eyes widening slightly at this revelation.


    "No¡­ it isn''t," I agreed. "So¡­ what''s the word on troop count, supplies, and morale?"


    Varda rifled through the bundle of papers in her hand and passed me the one that held squad numbers.


    "Besides the fifty soldiers we left to guard Hoodwink Tower and our casualties from recent battles, all of our original five-hundred members are accounted for," Varda reported. "We''ve received a hundred and fifty reinforcements from the Eastern Army too¡­ From what I gather, they''re new recruits of Fort Darah."


    "Vardoom and Thors should have sent a few veterans too," I reminded her.


    Varda took a second to look through her notes before nodding her head. "Yes, there are a few veterans among them. Dwarven artificers and warriors from my uncle''s legion."


    "Good¡­" I nodded approvingly as I knew we needed more experienced soldiers in the unit. "Orryn was also supposed to send reinforcements¡­"


    "Yes, the chancellor is sending fifty volunteers from the palace guards as well as another fifty magicians from the Sh?rleden''s Magician''s Guild¡­ A hundred bodies total," Varda explained. "But they aren''t here yet. I expect they''ll meet us en route to the army''s designated gathering grounds."


    "A one-thousand-man commander who''s short a thousand men, huh," I chuckled softly to myself. "Guess we''ll just have to make up the difference later on¡­"


    This map, which was one of the three we''d received from the Pilgrimage during our trip to the Undercroft was a treasure trove of information. It would certainly prove useful later on.


    "The rally point''s the oasis Verania stole from us," I scowled. "They''re calling it the Folkor Oasis now¡­"


    "We''ll win more oases in the war, Commander," Varda assured me. "You can name them all Dapper if you like."


    The confidence in my quartermaster''s voice was heartening to me especially since I was still a little worried over the story Aura told me and Luca.


    "Zarz'' with the unit?" I asked.


    Varda looked through another piece of paper in her hands. She nodded and then said, "He''s at the rear of our supply line along with the new toys you had him design for, um," she looked through her notes, "siege warfare¡­"


    Varda raised an eyebrow at me.


    "Expecting a lot of sieges in the desert, Commander?" she asked in almost joking manner.


    "You''ll find out soon enough, Quartermaster," I chuckled. "I assume the supply line''s secure?"


    As it was Varda''s number one responsibility in the unit, she was all confidence when she gave me the thumbs up. "All good, Commander¡­ we''ll be stocked even if the army isn''t thanks to our merchant friends."


    That was reassuring to hear. In a war with this many soldiers, an exclusive supply line for the unit wasn''t a bad idea. At the very least, it meant we wouldn''t need to rely on Garm''s hand-me-downs if it came to it.


    There was one other thing to discuss with Varda, and so I asked how unit morale was holding up.


    "You should come see the men for yourself, boss," she answered.


    "Alright, I''m due to do rounds in a bit, but before that could you send Nike, Fila, and Vans over¡­ I need to send a few messages out tonight," I said.


    "Roger, Commander," Varda said, saluting me the way fairies do here in the Fayne.


    ---


    Later, after I''d given instructions to the three sprites to send messages to Darah, Al Sheridan, and Kallista, I went out of my tent in search of Luca.


    I found my brother with his men trading stories and telling jokes while most of them were gathered around a large bonfire.


    Luca''s Ravagers was the oldest squad in the unit, many of them survivors of our very first campaign against Azuma. They were veterans of one major war and several battles despite being deployed almost always at the front. A gathering of humans, elves, pixies, and dwarves also made them the most diverse squad in all the Foolhardies. They were also a pretty tight-knit crew.


    The Ravagers saw me approached and welcomed me over with mugs of rock beer. Luca scooted over and made room for me on the log he''d been sitting in. And it was only then that I noticed Pike, who wasn''t part of the unit, sitting on his other side.


    I rolled my eyes at the pair of them, which many of the men noticed, prompting them to tease their squad leader about fraternizing with another unit.


    It was very fun to watch Luca and Pike squirm under the gazes and jokes of his men, and I found the mug of rock beer in my hand was extra tasty because of it.


    "Are you two even a couple yet?" I whispered into Luca''s ear.


    The word couple made my brother''s eyes widen in obvious embarrassment, and it was a while before he was able to stutter, "W-we''re just friends, Dean¡­ Jeez¡­"


    Seeing the scowl appear on Pike''s face, I was almost certain that she didn''t think that was the case. Luca was such a clueless kid. Not that I was any different.


    A while later, Aura came and picked me up as Varda had asked her to make sure I complete my rounds and not get stuck with just one group for the whole night.


    We had tea with Aura''s Mage Hand squad. And it was the first time I got to really chat with most of it members. Apart from Donar, Varda, and Ty, I didn''t really know much about the rest.


    Strangely enough, Ty wasn''t actually with his squad, and when I asked Aura about it, she said, "He must be with Azuma right about now."


    "Azuma and Ty together?" I asked as it was a very weird combination.


    "Tiberius asked Azuma to train him because he wanted to do more than just be a magician¡­ he wanted to be able to fight too.... I believe his term was Eldritch Knight?" Aura said with a shrug.


    It was just like Ty to use such a gamer reference. An Eldritch Knight was a Dungeons and Dragons class that was a mixture of fighter and wizard. As it stood, Ty was already overpowered. I wasn''t sure I wanted him to become even more imbalanced than he already was.


    "I''ve got to see this," I said smiling.


    Aura and I made our way to Azuma''s Immortals, all of whom were viseres who''d worked for Azuma when he was our enemy. But although there was still a little friction between their squad and the rest of the unit, we''d learned to trust them to watch our backs. They were that capable.


    Azuma''s second-in-command, a guy named Leeroy Junkines, informed me that his boss had gone a ways out of camp to train the chosen one.


    "How far away?" I asked.


    "Far enough that your friend going berserk won''t endanger the camp, Commander," Leeroy explained.


    With Ty and Azuma out of the picture, I spent a few more minutes toasting the Immortals good health and fortune in the upcoming war. It was the least I could do.


    Aura and I spent the rest of that night checking on the rest of the squads, and it seemed they were all in high spirits.


    In fact, many of the Talons were already drunk when we dropped by. It got me worried about how they were all acting more and more like Qwipps especially whenever Pike wasn''t around.


    Qwipps offered me another drink which I couldn''t very well refuse, and after another toast with their squad, we moved on to Ashley''s Shield Squad.


    Like Luca''s troops, Ashley''s squad was a diverse group of elves, humans, and satyrs. They were also the most tight-knit group in the entire unit. They had to be. After all, a single member in the unit who couldn''t sync with the rest meant a weak link in Ashley''s shield wall, which I relied on heavily in battles.


    I toasted their good health as well, and at this point, I was starting to feel a little tipsy myself. That feeling would escalate rather quickly after I toasted Xanthor''s squad, Thom''s squad, Thor''s squad, and finally, Edo''s squad.


    At that point, I was on my way to passing out and having a really good dream, but could you blame me? At sixteen, I''d only recently started to drink and fairy spirits were not for the faint of heart.


    You might be wondering why the unit was even drinking while it was marching on to a new war, but that had a simple answer. Now was the only time we could drink. Tomorrow night, we would be entering Garm''s territory and would need to be on our guard despite still being in Trickster land.


    I gave my unit one last night off so that they could bond, drink, and be merry one more time before we got to the serious business of warmongering. I just didn''t expect I''d get drunk to the point that Edo, under Aura''s recommendation, had to carry me back to the command tent.


    Just remembering it the very next day was embarrassing. Even more embarrassing was the fact that aunt Lena caught me in bed while I was nursing a hangover. To say that she was furious was an understatement.


    It didn''t help that Ty arrived a few minutes later to pick me up for school looking battered and bruised.


    Aunt Lena sat us down and lectured the two of us on sneaking out of the house, getting drunk, and into fights in the middle of the night. If only she knew the truth. Perhaps then she''d have grounded me for life. Thankfully, she decided a month of chores and staying home was punishment enough.


    And while she stomped off to the living room to call Ty''s parents and inform them of our apparent misdemeanors, Ty and I grinned at each other like nothing was wrong.


    "Um, being grounded on Mudgard doesn''t actually prevent us from getting spirited away to the Fayne, right?" he asked.


    "Duh," I replied, smacking him on the shoulder for good measure. "We''ve got a war to win."

 184 A Perfect Plan

    It wasn''t long after we''d reached the rally point in the Westersand Desert when the horns of war began to echo throughout the region.


    The two armies were gathered on opposite sides of a wide stretch of desert spanning miles apart. And although we were far away from each other, both armies could see the horizon beyond was tinged with the color of our enemies.


    "So that''s what a line of two hundred thousand soldiers looks like," Luca noted.


    "Yep," I agreed. "Don''t chicken out now, Luca¡­"


    "As if," he countered. "Don''t go dying on us when you meet Garm, Dean."


    "As if," I fired back at him.


    We bumped fists afterward.


    I left Luca and Aura in charge of the unit while Varda, myself, Jensen, and a few aides made our way to the rear of the army where a command post had been set up in the place now called Folkor Oasis.


    "You have to hand it to Garm¡­ he really knows his way around fortifying a fairy fort," I whistled.


    Varda nodded wordlessly.


    I couldn''t blame her because one couldn''t look at the sight before us and not feel like it had just taken your breath away.


    The low hill whose southern slope my team and I had once climbed all the way to the top was now a well-defended position with layers upon layers of twelve-foot walls that crisscrossed around the hillside. Each wall had a gate placed in positions that were at nearly opposite ends of the gate before them. Twenty-foot towers with mounted trebuchets rose near each gate and at other locations along the walls.


    Gazing up at it from below the hill, I couldn''t help but recall an image of the white city of Gondor that I''d seen in the classic Lord of the Rings trilogy.


    "It''s Minas Tirith," I whispered.


    "What was that, Commander?" Varda asked.


    I shook my head. "Nothing¡­ Let''s get this over with."


    We joined the line of soldiers making their way through the first gate, and it would be much, much later when we''d finally reached Garm''s command tent on the hilltop. It was just outside the circle of stones that marked the entrance of the mana pool''s garden.


    I noticed the heavily armed guards that barred the way into the circle stones, and thought that Garm had that place locked tight. It was the right thing to do as mana pools were obvious temptations even for the most loyal of soldiers.


    Guarding the outside of Garm''s tent was the bearded dark-skinned satyr who''d given me attitude at the entrance to Jester''s Court many months ago.


    "Yo, One-Hundred-Man Commander," I said in greeting. "It''s been a while."


    The satyr''s eyes widened with recognition when he saw me. He scowled at first, but after noticing the shiny new officer''s badge pinned to my chest, he begrudgingly gave me a salute.


    "Apologies, Commander," he said in a high-and-might tone that suggested he wasn''t at all apologetic that he was barring my way again. "But Lord Garm is busy with his generals at the moment. I will let him know that you dropped by."


    If the rest of Garm''s officers were as pompous as this bastard, then I at least knew what to expect. It was going to be a real challenge working with these kinds of people.


    "I''m here for the meeting¡­" I pointed a thumb at my chest. "I''ve been assigned as one of the army''s strategists."


    Disbelief flashed across the face of the stubborn satyr, but his eyes darted down to my officer''s badge, the round bronze shield that was proof of my promotion, and sighed as if he couldn''t believe my meteoric rise along the ranks.


    The honest truth, I didn''t quite believe it myself. Nevertheless, I stood my ground and waited for his brain to calculate the odds of denying me entry as opposed to just giving in.


    It happened sooner rather than later, and it was with an obviously heavy heart when he stood aside to let me pass.


    "Wait here, Varda," I said before stepping forward. "I''ll be back."


    "Way to think positive, Commander," Varda encouraged.


    Her remark reminded me that Garm had tried to kill me once already, and without Grimthorn watching my back now, there was a chance that I wasn''t coming out of that tent on my own power.


    I sighed, and then pulled the tent flap open so I could walk in.


    "Excuse me, Great General," I called as I stepped into the interior of the tent and sent its inhabitants a proper salute. "One-Thousand-Man Commander Dapper reporting for duty!"


    There were three of them gathered around a wooden expedition table that was quite similar to mine. Garm was the biggest of the trio but the other two seemed cut from the same cloth.


    The fairy on Garm''s left was female. She was a dryad who seemed to have been cut out of an ancient redwood. She was that tall although she wasn''t as thick as the other two.


    The fairy on Garm''s right was a friendly, and I don''t mind admitting I was glad seeing him there. It was General Redbull.


    Redbull was the only one who returned my salute. He welcomed me into the tent without a care for the scowl his boss had just given him.


    Garm crossed his thick arms over his barrel-like chest before turning his icy stare on me.


    "If it isn''t Darah''s little spy come to spy on us, my friends," Garm scowled.


    Despite the enormous pressure sent my way, I held my ground. I knew better than to try and run when facing off against a wild beast or three.


    Redbull guffawed rather loudly, earning him a raised eyebrow from both Garm and their dryad companion.


    "I''d use him even if he was here to spy on you, Lord Garm," Redbull said unabashedly. "The boy''s got a good head on his shoulders. I''ve seen it first-hand."


    "I''d prefer if the head was no longer attached to the shoulders, Redbull," Garm said in what was obviously an open threat at my life. Then he bristled visibly. "But I don''t need Darah giving me flak for it¡­ so let''s see just how capable this runt is."


    Garm nodded to the dryad and she stretched out the map they''d been pouring over when we arrived.


    "Come here, One-Thousand-Man Commander," the dryad called while beckoning me over with a green-nailed finger.


    I walked over to the table and took my place at the opposite end of where Garm sat which I judged was just out of reach for the greatsword hanging on its rack behind him.


    "I am General Llewellyn, chief strategist for the western army," she said, pointing to herself and then the map on the table. "What you see before you is the theatre of war for this current campaign."


    I glanced down at the map and nodded.


    "As you know, this desert is fraught with peril and it can only be navigated by making use of the oases scattered in the region¡­" She pointed to several spots on the map. "There are a total of ten oases between us and the Sunspire Dominion''s army."


    My eyes searched General Llewellyn''s face, and unlike her boss, I found no hostility there. Only a genuine curiosity for what I might say. That was a relief as she might actually pay attention to what I had to say instead of dismissing me off-hand the way Garm already has.


    I spent a few moments acting like I was observing the map although I didn''t need to as the Pilgrimage''s map was much more detailed. In fact, I knew that there an eleventh oasis in this region, one to the southwest that had been hidden by a powerful illusion courtesy of the Pilgrimage.


    Of course, I kept this information to myself.


    No, I only pretended to look at the map while my eyes darted across the table toward the other documents lying around. I saw only a few and none of them were of any significant note.


    "Well?" Garm called from across the table. "What does the new strategist think?"


    "It would have been nice if there was a large central hill here," I pointed at the very center of the map. "That would have made this battle much easier."


    "There is no point in thinking about what isn''t there," General Llewellyn chided. "Think only of making use of what is there."


    I knew that. In fact, I already had a plan in mind, but it would require fracturing the army, and I said as much.


    This caught everyone''s attention, and I suspected this was something they were also considering.


    "Why make ourselves smaller when we''re already facing a much larger army?" Llewellyn asked.


    I pointed my finger on the spot that marked the dominion''s forces and traced an eastward path through the desert.


    "There''s no way such a large army can manage to cross this desert properly," I noted. "It would be different if we were fighting on the plains but not only is sand hard to march on, but the Westersand Desert is notorious for its sinkholes."


    Garm scowled, Redbull guffawed, and Llewellyn just urged me to continue.


    "Neither side will win if we march blindly toward the center¡­ the best plan is to split into smaller units and secure the oases between us and them," I said pointing back at the locations she had pointed to earlier. "It should be half and half, I think."


    "Half and half?" Redbull asked.


    "At least half the army will split up into smaller units to quickly claim the oases on our side of the battlefield," I pointed to the four oases closest to us. They were positioned to our north and south, two to each side. "The other half should quickly advance toward these oases on the western end¡­"


    I pointed to four oases closest to the enemy''s position. They were also positioned to the north and south of the Dominion''s army and were also two to each side.


    "If we manage to secure these eight oases before they do, then we''ll effectively have them trapped in a cage of our making," I reasoned. "We''d be able to attack them from the front and back this way."


    "The boy recommended the same thing you did, Llewellyn," Redbull guffawed. "But you didn''t think to suggest that last part."


    "Because it would be difficult to claim those western oases under desert conditions," Llewellyn explained. "And the enemy is no doubt thinking of a similar strategy of securing their side first."


    I nodded in agreement.


    "Sure¡­ but we can at least trick them into thinking we managed to take the furthest most oases," I pointed at the two oases closest to the enemy. "This will force them to spend time to try and reclaim these spots while we secure our actual targets¡­"


    I pointed toward the two oases right after the first two.


    "If we have these two then it''ll mean the enemy will have a difficult time advancing forward even if they deploy a similar tactic to ours¡­ they''ll be forced to try and reclaim their side first which will most likely open up the center, giving us another path forward," I finished.


    "It would be a perfect plan if it was doable..." Llewellyn noted. But how would we manage to send a unit that quickly across the desert?"


    "It can''t be done," Garm interrupted. He leaned toward the table and glared at me. "There''s no point suggesting a plan that can''t work, human."


    I thought it was ironic that he ridiculed me for being human when he was half-human himself.


    Still, I enjoyed shaking my head at him and point out that he wasn''t entirely correct.


    "I''ve got an idea for that, general," I said grinning.

 185 Glider

    It was after I''d explained my plan to them that Garm got off his butt and rose to his feet just so he could stare me down at full height.


    "I see you''re not such a useless pile of mudcrap," he growled. "You''ve certainly impressed Llewellyn¡­"


    Garm turned his gaze on his other general, but she didn''t shy away from his icy stare.


    "It''s an interesting plan, my lord," she insisted. "If the boy can pull it off¡­ it''ll prove quite the blow against our enemy early on in the campaign."


    Garm exhaled a deep breath. "Fine¡­ you''ll take charge and assign units we know can get this job done to¡ª"


    "¡ªI''d like the opportunity to take on this task, sir," I interjected.


    I don''t think Garm was used to being interrupted. His eyes were certainly threatening to bulge out of their sockets with the way he was looking at me now. Still, I pressed on. I wasn''t about to let Garm earn more glory for himself using a plan I made without my direct involvement.


    "General Redbull can attest to my unit''s competence, sir," I insisted. "We can get the job done."


    A vein on the great general''s thick neck seemed about ready to pop. Thankfully, his subordinate was level-headed enough to calm everyone down with a question.


    "Your unit cannot handle all four locations, Commander," she reminded me. "You aren''t even at full strength, are you?"


    "The unit stands ready at seven hundred men¡­ we''ve done much more with much less," I insisted.


    Llewellyn nodded thoughtfully. "Your accomplishments in the previous war were impressive¡­ but seven hundred soldiers are still not enough for this plan."


    I nodded in agreement. "Yes¡­ that''s why I''d like you to assign three units to assist us in carrying it out."


    "Which three units?" Redbull asked curiously.


    "The Millenium Hawks, Hammerhands, and¡­ Moonlight Marauders," I said, struggling to say that last unit''s name.


    "An interesting choice," Llewellyn mused. "Tell us why you choose them?"


    "I''ve worked with these commanders before¡­ and although we''re not always on good terms, I trust in their ability to make an opportunity count," I explained.


    "So¡­ you wouldn''t deny your rivals a chance to earn more glory as well, huh," Redbull mused.


    "All for the sake of victory," I insisted, and those words weren''t a lie. I would do anything to ensure victory for my side, but that didn''t necessarily mean Garm''s side either.


    From the icy stare he was giving me, the great general was thinking along those lines too. He would have to decide if the benefits that come from trusting me with this task outweighed the risks.


    "Llewellyn, your recommendation?" he asked coolly.


    "The plan is achievable and the units in question are all independent units¡­ it''ll be a small loss should we lose them in this gamble as our core forces will remain intact," she said.


    "Very well," Garm relented. "Don''t disappoint me, One-thousand-man Commander¡­"


    I saluted the great general while the bubbling anxiety inside me began to simmer down. I''d survived this first meeting with my head intact. I hoped this trend continued.


    ---


    About thirty minutes after my meeting with Garm, I found myself butting heads with the three most stubborn people after Luca.


    I''d been given a tent in the first layer of the fairy fort for meeting with Al Sheridan, Verania Folkor, and Dain Hammerhand so that I could inform them of the task we''d been set.


    "It''s a good plan, Dean, but can we pull it off?" Al asked.


    Al was the pessimist of the group. Even the best-laid plans were flawed in his eyes.


    "Of course it won''t work," Verania insisted. "This just another of Dapper''s reckless plans¡­ why they made him a strategist and not me, I''ll never know."


    Verania was the skeptic. Any plan that wasn''t hers was immediately the wrong plan.


    "It''s not just risky, it''s impossible," Dane said, stamping his foot on the expedition table in front of him. "Show me how you''ll make it possible and then I''ll consider it."


    Dain was the realist. Any plan was flawed until it wasn''t. He was the key. If I could get him to agree, then the other two would see reason, too.


    I pointed first to the center of the map where different symbols were clustered together.


    "This route leads to failure and death¡­" I insisted. "The fissures around here will prevent any large army from marching forward and going around them just leaves us vulnerable to the sinkholes peppered here¡­"


    "We already know this," Verania insisted.


    "We also know that claiming the oases is the only way to move forward," Al added.


    "Which is exactly what the enemy will be thinking as well," Dain finished.


    I pushed down the urge to roll my eyes at them for stating the obvious. Instead, I opted to point at the north and south sides of the map.


    "I noticed this back when we were trying to claim as much of the oases around the area as we could¡­ On this desert, the wind spirits are constantly in flux, especially around oases," I rotated my finger around one oasis and then traced a swirly pattern to the next. "And these spirits have created a natural air corridor that can allow swift passage to a vehicle that can make use of their currents¡­"


    "What kind of vehicle?" Dain asked, his eyes alight with curiosity.


    A grin formed on my face as I gazed out at their curious faces. Then I looked over to my quartermaster and asked, "Are they here yet?"


    "Arrived first before the rest of the supplies, Commander," Varda stated proudly. "Your theory was correct, sir."


    My grin only got wider when I turned back to my fellow young commanders and asked, "You guys want to see them?"


    ---


    The trip took us much less than it did before, and we''d arrived at the oasis valley Redbull and I claimed only a few weeks ago with time to spare before dawn.


    The valley below us was crawling with activity.


    While I''d left Luca and Aura in charge of the Foolhardies gathered at the rallying point, a second smaller force led by Edo and Azuma had split off from us earlier and made their way to this valley to await the arrival of the equipment Varda had sent this way with the help of the Shanks and Co. Merchant Caravan.


    The unit was now busy unloading the supplies that had arrived on the several dozen longboats parked around the valley''s upper rim.


    "What in blazes are those things?" Dain asked in surprise.


    "Boats¡­ in the desert?" Al asked in disbelief.


    "Impossible," Verania finished the trio''s commentary.


    "Sand gliders," I said proudly. "I call them sand gliders."


    These sand gliders had two double outriggers attached which Zarz and I had devised to glide along the desert sand while keeping the boats upright. Each glider had a single triangle-shaped sail that was perfect on surfing through high wind corridors.


    I would never openly admit it, but I''d actually gotten the idea for these gliders from an old cartoon I used to love watching when I was a kid. Luckily, with a little trial and error, Zarz managed to bring this product to life just like he had with my other out-of-this-world ideas.


    "How many can they hold? What''s their top speed? How do you navigate the winds?" Dain asked.


    His innate dwarven craftsman''s curiosity coming out and blowing away his reservations was just what I''d hoped would happen.


    "Each glider can hold up to a dozen people and still maintain its top speed, which, with perfect winds could outpace the swiftest swifthart," I explained. "As for navigation..."


    I pointed toward the rear of the closest glider where a nearly ethereal boy was waving his hand at me in greeting.


    "That''s Sora¡­ he and his sylph friends will pilot the gliders and navigate the wind corridors for us," I explained.


    "Sylphs could manage to properly guide us and increase the number of wind spirits in the corridor, effectively turning them into a highway on the desert," Al considered.


    That was the second gear finally working, I thought.


    "How many gliders would each of us get?" Verania asked, and although her eyes were narrowed, I couldn''t help but notice the smile threatening to escape her stoic face.


    "Enough for eighty to a hundred soldiers each," Varda answered for me.


    "We don''t need too many soldiers to perform the task of causing a distraction," I added. "Speed is the key."


    "You realize what you''ve created here has consequences that transcend this war, right?" Dain said, raising an eyebrow at me. "You''ve just changed the way we cross the desert¡­ Not bad, Dapper."


    Al chuckled. "I bet he didn''t even think of that while formulating this plan of his."


    "I hate that he''ll get credit for it¡­ but I guess we all get lucky once in a while," Verania finished.


    Their praises, however veiled, surprisingly warmed my heart.


    "Alright," I said finally. "Now that we have the means¡­ let''s go and get the job done."

 186 Fort Courageous

    Unlike the previous war, there were no great speeches to jumpstart the beginning of the conflict. No Braveheart moment where our leaders raised our morale with their words. No, this Trickster-Sunspire war began with a whisper.


    A single go-ahead from Garm''s second-in-command, Llewellyn, was all we got that very same night, and as the red dawn rose peeked over the horizon, the aptly named Operation Sun Eater proceeded.


    The wind whipped against my face and pulled my hair back as I sat at the very back of our glider and looked out at Sol for the second time in my life.


    I''d been wearing the fairy ring that kept me in the Fayne even during the day so that we could begin our mission as quickly as possible. Speed was the key and waiting for the next night would have been too late.


    Luckily, Ty and I had planned ahead. He would go back to Mudgard and cover for me during the day as we discussed and tell aunt Lena I was sleeping over at his place for the weekend. Arah would help him out so I wasn''t worried they''d get caught in the lie.


    "Commander, we''re nearing Point Bravo," Azuma reported.


    I glanced toward him and then at the Immortals riding the same sand glider I was in. Their faces showed only determination. It was a reassuring sight considering what we were planning to do.


    "Glad you decided to hang out during the day," I said.


    "You ordered me to stay," he said, chuckling lightly right before his face turned serious. "Don''t get used to being here in the day, Dean¡­ don''t lose sight of where you''re from."


    I shook my head. "You worry too much, old man¡­ Don''t worry, I won''t forget¡­"


    We reached Point Bravo in record time thanks to Sora and his fellow sylphs guiding us through the wind corridor that crossed through this stretch of desert like winding rivers.


    Point Bravo, that''s what we called the first of two oases mine and Al''s units were in charge of on the southwest edge of the battlefield. Incidentally, it was also closest to the enemy army''s right wing.


    Lucky for us, it was another hill-sized sand dune with an oasis at its peak. We Foolhardies were very used to hills by now. One could even say conquering and defending one had become our specialty.


    A hundred and fifty soldiers landed here under my command so we could secure this oasis before the enemy did. We would most likely be successful as I deduced that the Sunspire''s forces would prioritize oases that were further to the center of the giant battlefield.


    While I ordered the men to move our equipment to the bottom of the hill, I gazed toward the lead glider of the group that continued onward to Point Alpha.


    Al Sheridan was at its helm. He had the pinky side of his fist tapping his chest in the usual fairy salute.


    I returned his salute while mouthing, "Good luck," to him. He would need it.


    The determined faces of the fairy and human soldiers under his command told me they knew they might not be coming back and that they were more than ready to give their lives to see the plan succeed.


    "Don''t worry about them¡­ they''ll be able to escape when their task is done. Not like us," Azuma pointed out.


    "Yeah," I said, sighing. "We always get the difficult parts, don''t we?"


    "You always want the difficult parts, Commander," he reminded me. "This is your plan, remember."


    That was true and I guessed that it was because I couldn''t trust anyone else to handle the difficult parts. Call it pride, but it always had to be me managing the challenging stuff.


    I looked over at Sora, the very young sylph who was leading the glider team and ordered him to head back to the oasis valley as quickly as possible to pick up the next group of soldiers. While he and his team prepared to leave, I turned my attention to my soldiers and ordered them to begin the climb.


    Although the sand dune''s southern slope was steeper than I would have liked, the summit wasn''t terribly high up, and so we managed to climb to the oasis within the hour of our arrival.


    The oasis itself was nothing impressive, just a single watering hole surrounded by a few desert firs. But it was wide enough that a hundred men could stand around it without problems.


    "Set up here, boys," Azuma ordered.


    As we''d completed objective number one without a hitch ¡ª reaching the oasis before the enemy did ¡ª it was time to continue with our second objective, fortification.


    I was nowhere near as good as Garm when it came to fortifying a fairy fort. In fact, you could say my fort-building grades were downright abysmal. It was another reason why I brought Azuma. He was the best among my officers apart from Varda at building proper defenses.


    While Azuma managed the Immortals, I sat down by the pool of water.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I whispered and activated Fool''s Insight''s tactical-view ability.


    With my bird''s eye view, I had a good understanding of our oasis and its nearby surroundings, which at this moment, was nearly surrounded by a great line of ants close to its northern slope. Well, they looked like ants from up high.


    The Dominion soldiers cut several long lines across the stretch of desert directly north of us clueless that their enemy was already right on top of them.


    Luckily, they were far enough from our oasis that we had some room to breathe in.


    Still, seeing those thousands marching toward the center of the battlefield was a sight that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. We were certainly in for a rough time.


    "Azuma, better hurry up¡­ Fort Courageous is about to have company," I explained.


    I was referring to the small group of enemy soldiers that had just split off from the enemy line. They were slowly making their way south to Point Bravo''s oasis. Not a significant number, perhaps a hundred or less. Still, if they caught us unprepared these enemies could signal their fellows and then we''d be in deep shit.


    "Interesting name you''ve made up," Azuma noted.


    "I try my best," I responded casually.


    "Want us to take them out with arrows?" Azuma asked.


    From what I could see, Azuma and his men were already done placing barricades near the northern edge of the oasis. Ideally, we would have more time to place barricades on the slope too.


    "Better to set up the barricades on the slopes now while they''re still far away," I reasoned. "I want the trenches dug as quickly as possible too¡­ it won''t be long before they notice us¡­"


    I felt Azuma''s hand on my shoulder. "Don''t worry. We''ll get it done in time. We brought all our dwarven craftsmen for this exact purpose."


    "Hurry," I insisted.


    While Azuma and his men continued the work, I sent my sight even higher in order to cover a much wider view of the southwest battlegrounds, but even with my power evolving to new heights, Point Alpha was still out of range.


    I could only hope that Al Sheridan had managed to reach it safely and was now beginning to engage the enemy.


    Half an hour later, I heard the flapping of fairy wings and knew one of the sprites had arrived with a report.


    "Fila?" I guessed. I''d been expecting him first, after all.


    "Yes, sir!" he said excitedly. "I''ve got a report from lieutenant Dapper, sir!"


    "Go," I said.


    "Dean," I heard Luca''s voice come out of Fila''s mouth, "The cavalry''s reached the midway point. Xanthor and I are proceeding toward the southwest from here as planned. If all goes well, we should get to you within two hours."


    "Too long¡­" I whispered. "Fila!"


    "Yes, sir?" he asked.


    "Send this message back to Luca ASAP," I ordered. "Message follows ¡ª too slow! The enemy will notice us long before then. So you need to get here now¡­ ride like the wind, Luca¡­ Message ends."


    Five seconds later, Fila said, "I''ve memorized it, Commander."


    "Good¡­ go!" I ordered.


    I heard the flapping of fairy wings and knew Fila had taken flight.


    In the time it took me to hear Luca''s message, the enemy unit that was on its way to Point Bravo was by the bottom of the hill now. Thankfully, Azuma and his men were well on their way to finishing fortifications on the upper half of the northern slope.


    Our barricades were made of desert fir which had a similar color to the white sand of the desert. This made them incredibly difficult to see from a distance. My men were equally decked in white cloaks over their dark blue armor, making them just as difficult to spot from afar.


    Still, that didn''t mean the enemy wouldn''t be able to see us. It just took more time for them to notice. And when they did, boy were they in a hurry to climb.


    "Azuma¡­ we''ve got company," I called.

 187 Playing with Fire

    A stroke of luck happened just as the enemies below us began to climb.


    I saw the vanguard of their column shudder to a halt just short of being parallel to our sand dune, and I had an inkling as to what might have caused the disturbance among them.


    Zooming out as far as Fool''s Insight would allow, I just barely managed to see the middle of their line that was at this moment being attacked by a group of soldiers who''d lain in wait to ambush them.


    There were maybe fifty of them, which shouldn''t have made such a big impact against a column that numbered thousands, but the way they made use of the desert terrain of firs and sinkholes to their advantage was brilliant.


    Al must have been leading them directly; otherwise, their meager squad would have been wiped out already. Instead, they''d managed to harass the enemy enough to keep them in place. And they did it in a way that made it look like there were way more of them than there actually were.


    I couldn''t see Point Alpha even from my high vantage point as it was still a distance away from our location, but I was almost certain that the other half of Al''s hundred men were already planting the paper soldiers that would become the base for the arcane illusion of a small army conquering Point Alpha''s oasis.


    Honestly, if a large enemy force managed to conquer the oasis closest to my army''s eastern flank, I''d be worried enough to turn back and reclaim it first.


    This was exactly what we hoped would happen as it would give our own army time to take the center of the battlefield.


    And if the northern team of led by Dain and Verania was following the plan, they''d be in a similar position as us by now.


    Of course, this was in no way a perfect plan. For one, keeping the enemy within this area of the battlefield meant we would try to hold off a force that was roughly a hundred times the size we had.


    At the moment, that meant two hundred and fifty from our southern units were up against twenty thousand Dominion soldiers from their eastern flank.


    Hopefully, more of my soldiers would arrive before we were overwhelmed and had to abandon our positions because I planned to hold Point Bravo for an entire day at least.


    Since Al''s position was much closer to the enemy''s line, their job was only to harass the enemy long enough for us to set up our defenses. In that regard, they''d done an excellent job so far.


    Movement on the northern slope of Point Bravo forced me to zoom back to my oasis.


    "Yo, Azuma¡­ the enemy''s noticed us now," I reported.


    "All of them or just the soon-to-be-dead men climbing our north slope?" Azuma yelled back from his position on the northern edge of our oasis.


    "Just them for now¡­ Al''s confusing the rest of our enemies¡­ it won''t last long, though," I answered.


    "So¡­ how do you want to do this?" Azuma asked.


    It was basically a wall of wooden planks that reached past my head with horizontal murder holes placed at intervals for use of our ranged weapons.


    "How far down have you set up the barricades?" I asked.


    "About halfway up the slope¡­ we''ve got them positioned so that a large group of soldiers would have to separate into much smaller groups in order to get past them," Azuma explained.


    "Like a maze," I realized.


    "Nothing so fancy," Azuma chuckled. "But it''ll get the job done in making it difficult to climb¡­ We''re lucky the northern slope is so steep and the footing is shit¡­"


    "Don''t let them reach the first barricade¡­ they might break it before it becomes useful," I reasoned.


    "I''ve got men behind that first barricade¡­ they''re armed with those fire spears you and Zarz cooked up," Azuma pointed through the murder hole between us and down to where a line of Immortals were crouched down behind barricades whose wooden spikes were pointed toward the enemy. "They''re ready to fire on your command."


    Fire spears, that''s what we called the flame-spitting lances Zarz created with my input. He''d discovered a way to make black powder ignite in a linear path by combining it with a liquid slime that was also flammable. Basically, we''d made flame throwers that had a longer range than the original thing back on Mudgard.


    "I guess you don''t need me yet, Commander," Donar Firemonger spoke from right behind me.


    Funny he should say that as he was the muse who inspired this particular project. After all, I envisioned the fire spears after seeing how devastating Donar''s Flame Arrow Spell was.


    "Hang back, for now, Donar," I ordered. "You''ll get your turn to blaze brightly soon."


    "That''s all I ask," Donar agreed happily.


    After the pyromaniac walked away, I gave the order for the fire spears use in combat once the enemy was within range.


    "The fire spears are pretty flashy¡­ we''ll get noticed quickly by more enemies if we use them," Azuma reminded me.


    "They''ll notice us anyway once their people start dying on the slope¡­ Might as well do it now while Al''s group still has them paralyzed," I reasoned.


    We waited for the enemy to come within range, and when they did, that''s when the fireworks began. It was also when the screaming started.


    The screams of dying fairies reached my ears at the same time as the smell of burning meat wafted up to us from the middle of the northern slope.


    I watched the fire burst out of the tips of those bronze spears like a dragon unleashing its breath of fire. It must have been extremely hot as even their shields melted at the touch of the flames.


    "Geez, I''m definitely going to have nightmares of this moment¡­" I sighed.


    I joked about it but I was honestly telling the truth. But nightmares came after sleep. For now, I would have to settle with the guilt I often felt at the death of others, especially for the ones I caused.


    "Better them than us," Azuma added.


    Of the hundred enemy soldiers climbing up the sand dune, perhaps a fourth of them had just died. This quick and deadly attack was enough to instill fear in their hearts, stopping them in their tracks. Luckily, they didn''t know that fire spears took some time to reload.


    "Let''s finish them with arrows now," I said with zero enthusiasm for the task at hand.


    "Aim!" Azuma called.


    At his word, and the archers positioned to either side of us aimed their arrows at our enemies through the murder holes of our wooden walls.


    "Fire!" Azuma ordered.


    Twenty to thirty arrows sailed down to the enemy below, ensuring more death rattles would reach my ears.


    At this point, the enemy had found the courage to press on, but they''d dallied long enough that our fire spears were ready to blast them a second time, and blast them we did.


    Afterward, we launched another volley of arrows at the enemy, turning them into bloody pincushions.


    By that point, more than half of them were dead with only the stragglers remaining far below. They really weren''t prepared for us.


    "Don''t let them escape, Azuma," I ordered. "Precision shots¡­ leave none alive to report our position to the enemy."


    "Not like they don''t know we''re here already," Azuma reminded me, but he did what I asked anyway.


    Pretty soon, we''d wiped out the hundred-man unit that had climbed up the northern slope with zero casualties on our side. Like I said, they really weren''t prepared for us, and I guessed their commander had died right at the beginning.


    Still, it wasn''t all good. Our little display attracted the notice of the army northwest of our oasis, and at this point, Al''s forces had already withdrawn back to Point Alpha.


    This meant two things. Most of the enemy''s long column had doubled back with the intent of reclaiming the oasis Al''s group had claimed ¡ª all except for the vanguard which was now making its way southeast to us. They''d be here very soon, and from the looks of it, we were going up against at least a thousand soldiers.


    "Looks like Al''s distraction worked¡­" I reported. "That should buy us a few more hours before ten thousand soldiers come crashing down on us¡­"


    Azuma raised an eyebrow at me. "This plan is really reckless, Dean¡­ even for you."


    "It was the fastest way for Garm''s army to gain the advantage in the battle," I reasoned. "And if it works¡­"


    "You''ll get the glory and clear one of Darah''s conditions for you to keep your thousand-man command," Azuma noted.


    "We can do this, Azuma¡­ I have faith in our ability to hold back the tide for at least a day," I said with as much conviction as I''d hoped.


    "Commander!" someone called.


    I looked over my shoulder and saw that one of our lookouts on the southern slope was running toward us and he seemed excited.


    "The gliders¡­ have returned¡­ with reinforcements¡­ sir!" he said breathlessly as he came to a stop a foot away from slamming into the barricades. "It''s Thom''s unit."


    "Hear that, Azuma?" We''re going to be fine," I chuckled.


    When would I ever learn not to tempt fate for no sooner had I said that when the horns of war began to resound below us.


    The midday sun was high in the sky when a thousand enemy soldiers began their climb up to us.

 188 In Dire Straits

    "This oasis is no fortress¡­ if we''re to withstand that army below then we have to keep control of the battle," I said in as confident a voice as I could manage given the circumstance. "So let''s hit those bastards with everything we have!"


    As my speech ended, the cry of "Foolhardies!" rang out among the men. All of them looked back at me with the steely-eyed determination that I''d seen time and time again.


    "Incoming!" someone yelled.


    I wasn''t sure who, but we all looked up in time and watched the fireball that hurtled toward us from below.


    "Donar!" I yelled. "Take it down!"


    Donar Firemonger was a salamander pyromaniac who excelled at burning things, or if needed, putting things out.


    Such was the case now as he cast a Blade of Scorching Fire in the palms of both hands. He shot this fiery blade into the air toward the fireball.


    When these two spells collided, they canceled each other out in a wave of smoke and heat that was akin to the shockwave of a bomb explosion.


    I felt that heat graze the skin of my face, and I breathed in the hot air. This battle was far from over.


    Underneath the watchful gaze of a mid-afternoon sun, the battle for the oasis was now at full swing. We were three hundred Foolhardies against two thousand soldiers from the Sunspire Dominion.


    And in my head, I considered that lucky. After all, two thousand was way more manageable than the ten thousand we just barely managed to avoid ¡ª for now.


    I didn''t know what was happening with Al''s group at Point Alpha. It was the one flaw in my plan as not even sprites could travel the distance back and forth in time to send me intel in real-time.


    Instant communication ¡ª that was the next thing I''d ask Zarz to tackle once this battle was over.


    "Immortals! Fortify and watch for advanced forces!" Azuma yelled to his men below on the northern slope. "Let none of them through."


    The man I''d once thought my greatest rival had become a source of strength for my unit, and I felt nothing but gratitude that he''d joined up with us despite the past we shared.


    Azuma turned his gaze on me and said, "I should be down there and leading our defensive line, Commander."


    I nodded. We shook hands. Then I said, "Don''t die, Azuma¡­ we have many more battles ahead of us."


    "We''ll pull back the moment things become unmanageable," he agreed.


    And as Azuma and his guards moved to the other side of our wooden wall, I yelled out loud, "Immortals!"


    It was a cry that was repeated down the northern slope by the hundred or so soldiers who were now risking their lives to defend the oasis I''d bet today''s victory on.


    "Thom!" I called.


    The drow appeared at my side like he''d been spit out of the shadows.


    "You called, Commander?" he asked in that annoying tone that suggested he was still making fun of my title.


    He took a second longer to respond. "You are surprisingly sentimental when it comes to your comrades, Commander."


    "You''re still surprised about that?" I joked.


    "In the same way you''re still annoyed whenever I call you Commander," he joked.


    I rounded on him, "I''m not¡ª"


    But Thom had already turned his back to me and was on his way to relay my orders to the hundred Hazy Moon soldiers he''d brought with him.


    "At least he''s reliable," I sighed.


    As the day went on, the fighting only got harder with our forces below barely managing to hold the line against the tide of foes reaching up for their necks.


    The barricades we''d set up earlier helped to funnel enemies into smaller clusters that were easier for our men to engage. Although for every foe we felled, two more took their place. Sadly, in our case, with every death, the survivors had to pick up the slack.


    I watched from the murder hole of our makeshift wooden wall while my men died below, and still, I stayed where I was because Azuma insisted he would be my sword today.


    And as swords went, he might as well have been a Masamune. That''s how awesome my lieutenant was today.


    Much like Edo, Azuma was a killing machine. But where Edo was all brute force, Azuma was the embodiment of skill and finesse. Indeed, not a single foe he faced lasted more than a few seconds when he set his spear against them. And within an hour, I was almost sure he''d slain about a hundred foes.


    If only he didn''t get gassed out so quickly, maybe he''d have slain five hundred. It was his one weakness.


    Azuma''s cancer hadn''t gone away, although in the Fayne his contract with Darah sustained him enough that he could fight as fiercely as he did tonight. However, the great warrior, Azuma, had a time limit.


    But I was smart enough to take this into account. So as Azuma''s fury ebbed, a host of shadows appeared on the northern slope, and for each shadow, at least two enemy soldiers would fall.


    Thom''s katana just slashed the fairy that would have struck Azuma a lucky blow as he''d momentarily lost balance.


    Afterward, the pair of them exchanged words, and although I was far away from them, I could tell from the scowl on Azuma''s face that Thom was mocking him for his weakened state.


    "Focus, you idiots," I whispered. "Keep the enemy back¡­"


    About half an hour after Thom and his drow appeared on the slope, I received a report from our southern lookout that turned my deepening frown upside down.


    The gliders had returned, and with them came Edo and his Bastards. They''d brought the kobolds with them too.


    Honestly, this was really good news as they were a shot of adrenaline in our tired arm that not only reinforced our defenses but boosted our morale as well.


    I clasped Edo''s hand gratefully when he approached.


    "I hear you''re in need of saving again, Dean," he teased


    "About damn time," I said.


    I clasped Thor in the shoulder next.


    "You guys are just what we needed to turn this tide," I told the pair of them, and to the rest of the men behind them, "If we''re to have a chance, I''m going to need you lot to make a lot of noise!"


    Another round of cheers mixed with the howls of Thor''s kobolds.


    "And give them hell!" I roared.


    An hour after I''d made that speech, the fighting reached its fiercest point and the blood of allies and foes alike dyed the northern slope''s sand in red.


    A wheezing Azuma had been brought back to the oasis by his guards while Edo took his place as leader of the defensive line, which at this point, was getting dangerously close to the summit.


    Our barricades below lay broken and the enemy had swelled in size on the slope and climbing over their dead to reach us.


    Beyond our oasis, the column of enemy soldiers had returned and was now making a beeline toward us. Pretty soon, the two thousand we faced off against would become ten thousand.


    With Azuma down for the count and Edo and Thom with their hands full below me, I realized it was time for me to make my move.


    I unsheathed my falchion and raised it high, "Foolhardies! With me! We fight for our lives! We fight for all of us!"


    I heard the roar behind me, and it lit a fire under me the same way I''d obviously just lit a fire under my men.


    It was a gamble to lead our reserves down the slope to reinforce the defensive line for as long as we could. Thankfully, I didn''t need to do that yet. And while that last speech was wasted, the sight of the Foolhardies flag in the desert plains below was a second shot in the arm.


    I couldn''t tell who was carrying the flag, but I recognized my brother and his swifthart leading the charge. Xanthor Xor rode at his right side, and on his left was Qwipps Daggerby.


    Our cavalry had arrived, and by the looks of it, they would reach us before the enemies in the north would.


    I don''t believe the two thousand soldiers climbing up to us noticed Luca''s band until they were right below them. Despite their rear guard''s efforts to block Luca''s passage, he and his riders plowed through them like they were sticks on the wind.


    They cut through the enemy''s formations like snakes passing through tall grass, and they continued onward, past the rear guard, and up to the sand dune''s northern slope.


    I believe I''d already mentioned how steep the climb was, right? Well, color me surprised as I watched the swiftharts and centaurs easily ride up this steep slope as quickly as if they were navigating through a straight stretch of road.


    Luca and his forces continued to mow down the enemy, slashing at the backs of soldiers unprepared to face cavalry.


    Sooner rather than later, Luca himself had reached the summit just as our soldiers pulled the wooden walls back for them.


    He trotted over to where I stood, and in a way that charmed even me ¡ª his super cool big brother ¡ª Luca said, "I''ve arrived at the turn of the tide, Dean."

 189 Turn of the Tide

    Twilight had come and gone and yet the battle continued to rage on.


    Despite our earlier losses, we were now five hundred and ten souls up against the vanguard of ten thousand enemy soldiers and whatever remained of the two thousand foes we''d faced at the beginning of this battle.


    While Edo and Thom maintained the defensive line on the northern slope which at this point was located between the midpoint and summit of the hill-sized sand dune, Luca and Xanthor''s cavalry alternated with attacking the enemy formations via a horizontal charge from both the west and eastern slope.


    They aimed for the enemy''s formation that was just below our remaining and barrelled their way through the defenseless lines of soldiers while hacking at their unprotected flanks.


    The tactic worked pretty well at the beginning as the enemy was unprepared for our cavalry maneuvers. However, our foes eventually got used to our mounted warriors. And as a counter, they reinforced their sides with heavy infantry whose tower shields wouldn''t yield to a cavalry charge.


    But, there was a flaw in this counter plan. Heavy infantry worked very poorly on soft terrain like desert sand which made these soldiers easy prey for the kobolds that could run up and down the steep slope at top speed while managing to keep their footing.


    Thor had split his squad in two and sent them down either side of the enemy formation. Thor himself had taken to the right side, and with his twin scimitars in each hand, he cut a bloody line down the slope.


    As our cavalry proved ineffective, I sent word to have Luca''s and Xanthor''s squads recalled back to the top so riders and mounts could take their fill of the oasis'' watering hole.


    "Qwipps!" I called. "Time for Operation Valkyrie."


    That''s what I called the carpet bombing strategy I''d cooked up using Talons squad''s pixies.


    "Send word to Edo and Thom¡­ Tell them to take cover!" I ordered.


    Qwipps and his fellow pixies took flight, each of them with a small satchel that was filled with the Black Powder Grenades Zarz and I developed. They flew over the northern slope, and once their flightpath placed them directly over the enemy formations, they dropped their payloads and carpet-bombed the lower half of the sand dune''s northern slope.


    Explosion after explosion rocked the sand dune, flattening portions of the northern slope considerably. The screams of dying fairies accompanied the symphony of bangs and booms that reverberated across the surrounding area.


    It was painful to hear, but my resolve to keep my soldiers alive as long as possible outweighed my guilty conscience.


    However, it wasn''t a clean win for our side as many of Qwipps'' Talons fell to an onslaught of arrows and ranged spells.


    As I watched them circle back to our oasis, I knew there would be no repeat of Operation Valkyrie tonight.


    I looked to my right and noticed the grim expression on his face.


    "You realized you''ve just changed fairy warfare for good?" he scowled.


    I shook my head. "They''ve got spells that could rival a nuke¡­"


    "But you''re causing the same kind of devastation without magic," he said, still scowling. "That''s significant."


    "Let''s think about surviving the night first before discussing the ethics of warfare," I answered with a furrowed brow. "Are you ready for round two?"


    Azuma had already draped his spear across his shoulders.


    "Bring Edo and Thom up so they can rest¡­ I''ll go wild for a bit¡­" Azuma turned around and stepped past our makeshift wooden barrier. Then he glanced over his shoulder to look at me. "Let me remind you how a true warrior does battle."


    As he walked away, I yelled, "Take it easy, old man! Don''t pull a muscle or something!"


    Azuma was true to his word. He did go wild, and there wasn''t soldier on either side of the line who saw him do battle and didn''t think they were witnessing a god of war slaughtering poor fools who had the misfortune of getting in his way.


    Later, when this battle was over, Azuma''s name would be whispered in awed tones all over the Westmarch region, and his fame would skyrocket even more than when he was a thousand-man commander. But that was later. Now, we were content to watch him conduct his symphony of death.


    "I still don''t know how you beat that man, Dean," Edo said while he watched Azuma from beside me. "He''s a true warrior."


    "Sometimes, I try and look back to our duel and wonder that myself," I chuckled.


    "You probably cheated, Commander," Thom suggested.


    He was standing on my other side and looking through the same murder as us.


    "Probably," Edo agreed.


    "If you guys consider my fairy gift a cheat then sure," I reasoned.


    They both eyed me, and at exactly the same time said, "It is a cheat."


    Honestly, I couldn''t argue with that, and not for the first time, did I thank my lucky stars for the gift of insight.


    "They should be here by now," Edo said as he looked over his shoulder. "Didn''t you say they would arrive at twilight, Dean?"


    I raised a finger up. "I said Ty would arrive at twilight¡­ but Aura''s Mage Hand squad should be here soon... they were the last group the gliders picked up along with the remainder of Ashley''s Shield squad."


    "I would have thought you''d want the shieldmaiden and her troops here first, seeing as you''ve dedicated our efforts to a defensive stance throughout this battle," Thom noted.


    I didn''t feel the need to tell Thom why I left Ashley''s squad behind with Aura''s because I didn''t want him to know how worried I was with leaving Aura behind where Garm could get her. I was almost certain that he wouldn''t miss an opportunity to abduct her if he knew who Aura really was.


    No sooner had I thought this when a report from the rear told me that gliders had just been sighted. Only, these gliders had come from the west and not the east. That meant only one thing. Point Alpha was gone, and Al Sheridan''s hundred-man unit was in the midst of their escape.


    I expected Al and his crew to glide past our oasis, but the half-elf had decided to help out with what few men remained to him.


    "Good job back there," I clasped his hand. "You really caught them off guard."


    "Wish I could have done more, really," he shook my hand with a firm grip. "Lost a fourth of my men at Point Alpha."


    "You guys hang back then," I said reassuringly. "We''ve got this."


    Al glanced down below to where the fighting was so fierce that the front lines had blurred together.


    "You sure about that?" he asked in concern.


    I nodded. "We''ll need your gliders for the escape, but you don''t have to worry¡­ the chosen one''s coming."


    "Ah, the chosen one, huh," Al mused. "Wish he''d joined my unit instead¡­ He might as well be a squad of tanks."


    I wasn''t taken aback by Al''s comparison because I knew he''d lived part of his life on Mudgard.


    "I actually think Tiberius is more of a destroyer-class ship," I revealed.


    "What are you two fools talking about?" Edo asked.


    Both Al and I looked over to him and together, we said, "Modern warfare."


    It was a while later when the Mage Hand squad finally arrived on our sand gliders. At this point, the line was once again getting closer and closer to the top, and Azuma had switched out for Edo and Thom.


    "You climbed up here pretty fast," I noted.


    "Thanks to the footholds your engineers placed on the southern slope," Aura explained. "I assume it''ll be just as easy to climb down later."


    "It better be," I chuckled. "We''re going to need to make a quick getaway when the time comes."


    I looked over at Ty who was panting behind Varda as he walked and waved him over.


    "You up for some landscaping?" I asked.


    "Um, it looks like you''ve done a lot of landscaping already," he replied.


    Ty was obviously referring to the craters that peppered the lower half of the northern slope.


    "Oh, did you use Operation Valkyrie already, Commander?" Varda asked. "Mudcrap, I would have loved to have seen it for myself¡­"


    "Qwipps and his men did a good job," I answered, my brow furrowing as I remembered pixies falling from the sky in a lifeless heap. "Why don''t you go check on them¡­ they''re by the west side of the watering hole."


    Varda gave me the salute before trailing off to see her old friend.


    I turned my focus back on Ty. "I''m going to need you to make the sand dune smooth again, dude¡­"


    Ty sighed. "I''d hit our own men if I used that¡­"


    "Not if you go closer," I suggested.


    Ty''s eyes widened in alarm. "You want me to wade into that?"


    "Ash," I called.


    Ashley had been standing wordlessly beside Aura and acting the part of her bodyguard. But now the shieldmaiden turned her gaze on me, and then on Ty.


    "You want my squad guarding the chosen one while he does his thing?" she guessed.


    "Can we please stop calling me that," Ty pleaded, blushing as he did. "It''s really embarrassing¡­"


    "Yup, why don''t you take the chosen one down there," I answered Ashley while ignoring Ty''s plea. I loved teasing him with that name. "Good luck, chosen one."


    "Fine," Ashley said. "Let''s go, chosen one¡­"


    "Seriously, stop calling me that, please," Ty whined.


    Ashley ordered her squad to follow, and after a nod to Aura and me, she push past our wooden barriers and led the way down to the battle.


    "This is new," Aura said in a curious tone.


    "What is?" I asked a little distractedly.


    "You''re not covered in blood," she answered.


    "What?" I turned my head toward her in confusion.


    "You haven''t joined the frontlines like you usually do," she explained. "Are you finally conscious of your position?"


    "I¡­ I just haven''t found a reason to go down there," I admitted. "Everyone''s doing their best already¡­"


    "It''s not criticism, Dean," she said, patting me on the shoulder. "I actually prefer you leading us from on high rather than where the fighting is fiercest."


    Whatever rational I was about to give to counter her argument for me playing it safe instead of standing by the men was lost to the sound of Ty''s voice echoing around us like Gandalf shouting out a spell on the mountain top.


    "Freezing wind, scatter your breath across the sands and turn all you see into frozen lands," Ty chanted in a voice brimming with power. "Ice Age!"


    Ashley had put Ty right at the fore of our defensive line, squeezed between her shield squad and the enemy soldiers who''d been momentarily dumbfounded by the appearance of an unarmed human.


    Their mistake was giving Ty the chance to place his hands on the sand, and after he''d cast his spell, the ground in front of him turned to ice along with many of the enemy''s vanguard.


    Suddenly, what was once a sandy slope was now a frozen hillside peppered here and there with unfortunate souls that had been turned into living ice sculptures.


    "Yup¡­ Ty''s definitely a destroyer," I whispered. "Maybe even a battleship."


    "Dean¡­ I don''t think Ty''s power is enough for this," Aura said in a worried tone.


    I couldn''t blame her. We may have just turned the battle in our favor with Ty''s stunt, but the thousands of soldiers below us on the desert floor was about to be reinforced by another ten thousand.


    "I think we''ve done enough and bought enough time for Garm''s forces to take control of the battlefield," I said.


    Aura nodded wordlessly.


    "It''s time to go," I finished.

 190 The Great Escape

    Enacting an escape plan under such dire circumstances might have been difficult for most folks, but we Foolhardies were used to these kinds of situations. In fact, you could say surviving against all odds was a specialty of ours.


    Our retreat had three stages.


    The first stage was to set up barricades around the oasis itself to impede the passage of enemies once they''ve climbed over the northern slope, which at this point was half a winter wonderland already.


    Luckily the forces below didn''t have any fliers so they had no choice but to struggle and climb. Just wading through slick ice and then an uneven sand slope made even more slippery with blood would buy us a bit of time too.


    Included in this first stage were the straw soldiers we''d made to confuse the enemies, but honestly, we''d made them mostly to piss the enemy off.


    The second stage was to move our forces down the southern slope in turns while the units that remained in our vanguard held the enemy back as long as they could. This role belonged to the Bastards and the Shield squads which some would argue were the sturdiest soldiers among the unit.


    Ty hung back with the vanguard as well which added to a boost to morale. There was just something so reassuring to our people when you told them the chosen one had their back. Although the man himself could be heard complaining loudly that he wasn''t cut out to be in the front line.


    "I''m more of a long-range specialist," he explained to anyone who''d listen.


    Of course, Ashley set him straight with, "Weren''t you training with Azuma so you could learn close-quarters combat?"


    "Y-yeah¡­ that hasn''t gone well," Ty said.


    "That''s because you keep running away!" Ashley yelled as she slammed the front of her shield against a, particularly rowdy kobold. "Man up, Tiberius!


    I imagine hearing those words from your former crush was crushing to Ty. I could only hope it would fuel his future growth than weaken him more. The chosen one really needed to shape up some more.


    I heard all this because I''d remained where I was throughout the evacuation, resolving to be the last one to step off the oasis and leave no man behind.


    Sadly, Aura was pulling at my arm and urging me to come with her which kind of removed the previous choice from my hands.


    "The Commander has to survive," she reminded me. "That''s how the unit thrives."


    I don''t think she meant for it to rhyme, but the possibility that she did remained in my mind all throughout our dash from the north end of the oasis and back to the south. Yeah, the weirdest things stick to my mind in a crisis.


    As for Luca and Xanthor''s cavalries, they were already making their way down the eastern slope and ready to cover the escape of any squad that had to hightail it out of Point Brave on foot.


    The rest of us would have to march from the south of the oasis'' sand dune in an easterly line back to the safety of our side of the battlefield. This was stage three of our plan.


    If things had progressed smoothly on their end ¡ª and I was certain either Llewellyn or Redbull would make the most of the opportunity we''d given them ¡ª safety wouldn''t be too far away. At the very least, I expected the middle of our huge battlefield to be under the control of Garm''s army by now.


    "Have you heard from Verania?" I asked Al as we climbed down together on the scaffolding we''d set up at the southern slope.


    Al shook his head. "I left my sprite with her but haven''t heard anything from them yet¡­"


    "You don''t think¡­" I was afraid to say the word ''failed'' as I didn''t want to tempt fate.


    But it wasn''t Al who responded, but Aura who said, "I don''t know much about Dain, but Verania will get the job done¡­ you can count on it."


    I guess she''d know about how tough Verania was. They''d been rivals since they were kids, after all.


    We reached the bottom of the sand dune where I was glad to see that panic hadn''t settled in among the troops. This was clear in the orderly lines of injured making their way to the gliders and in the formations of soldiers ready to march the hell out of this hell hole.


    "What do you think you''re doing, old man?" I asked Azuma who I found at the head of the formation of soldiers ready to march. "You''re already gassed out."


    "I can march just as easily as the next injured man, Commander," he said stubbornly.


    I understood him why though. He lost a lot of men today and as the gliders were reserved for the injured, which meant many of his uninjured men would still be at risk from our pursuers later.


    Thankfully, Aura had a way around telling stubborn people to do what she asked.


    "Azuma, we need you protecting the injured more," she said in a reassuring voice that reminded me of my mother. "Don''t worry¡­ Dean will lead the march himself."


    It was just like Aura to volunteer me for the hard job, not that I was complaining as I did plan to lead the march which she probably assumed.


    "And to be safe, I''ll go with him," she added smoothly.


    "Hold on¡­ that''s not the plan," I interrupted. "You''re getting on those gliders."


    "Dean, my squad and I just got here, and most of us apart from Ty have done very little," she argued. "Supporting our escape is something we can manage better than a regular infantry unit can."


    "She''s right, Commander," Varda popped in from behind Azuma. "Landslides, creeping mist, overgrown shrubberies, walls of fire ¡ª you name it, we can do it!"


    I groaned. It was just like Varda to make sense at the most inconvenient of times.


    "You''ve got some strong females in your unit, Dean," Al whispered in my ear. "Must be nice¡­"


    "Um, most times, they''re a handful," I whispered back. "So your all-male team might be better."


    "Trust me, buddy," he wrapped a shoulder around my neck. "You''ve got it better."


    I asked Al to lead the glider teams out after they''d been loaded, and he was gone within the hour along with Azuma and the rest of our injured men.


    At this point, the fighting above had slowed to a crawl as Edo and Ashley were leading their forces down the southern slope while their pursuers were impeded by the many traps hidden between barricades.


    "Zarz would have loved to seen all this," I said as I accepted Myth Chaser''s reins from Luca''s hand. "He helped make it all possible."


    "Yeah, the little gnome is as crazy as you are," Luca laughed from his seat on Jade Shadow.


    My younger brother had been nice enough to drag mine and Aura''s mounts with him during his cavalry''s march. He''d even sent them to the bottom of the sand dune''s southern slope with a few guards to keep them out of harm''s way while he led the charge up the northern slope.


    I climbed up Myth Chaser and patted its neck lovingly. Then I gazed up and saw that the last of our defenders were making their way down the lower half of the southern slope with pursuers not far behind.


    "Qwipps!" I called. "Shouldn''t it have all gone kaboom by now?"


    "We used a pretty long fuse¡­ but it should happen any second now," he answered while glancing down at the hourglass in his palm. "Right about¡­ now!"


    An explosion rocked the oasis above sending both sand and water raining down on us.


    "How much black powder did you guys use?" Luca asked.


    "Three barrels worth," Qwipps answered a little too gleefully. "We planted them just beside the watering hole and right underneath a mound of sand."


    "That''s a waste of an oasis," Luca said.


    "Better us than them, Luca," Qwipps countered.


    "That''s our cue to go," I said.


    I spent one last moment gazing up at the oasis and whispered a small prayer to the Fayne''s spirits for the dead we left behind.


    It was just that kind of mission where we couldn''t afford to bring all the bodies back with us as there was barely enough space for the living. Still, we had three wagons full of our dead ¡ª the ones we''d managed to take back ¡ª ready to join the march although they weren''t nearly enough of them. We''d lost a lot of people to this plan of mine.


    Sensing the turmoil inside me, Aura placed her milky smooth hand over my sun-kissed arm and squeezed.


    "They didn''t die in vain," she assured me. "As long as we''re alive¡­ their deaths will continue to matter."


    "Thanks..." I said. Then I turned to face the surviving Foolhardies and yelled, "Let''s move out!"

 191 Red Dawn

    "And then?" General Llewellyn asked. "How did you shake off the pursuit?"


    I pointed a finger at the map spread out on the expedition table. My finger hovered over a spot I''d designated as Rally Point Echo.


    "The Millennium Hawks were lying in wait here to harass the enemies and allow our escape," I answered.


    "Impressive that they didn''t need their commander with them," Llewellyn noted. "I assume Sheridan hadn''t disembarked your desert gliders until they''d reached the safety of our front lines?"


    "You assume correctly, General," I said smiling. "His number two managed fine."


    I picked up the ceramic teacup before me and lifted it to my lips, but I took the time to smell the tea which I was told was the proper way to do it.


    "This isn''t elf-tea," I noted.


    "No, it''s not," Llewellyn answered as she took a sip of tea herself. "It''s Pine Needle Chai made from the leaves on my own hair¡­"


    I glanced at Llewellyn''s chin-length hair and noticed that the strands looked similar to pine leaves. "You''re an oreiades dryad, right? A nymph of the mountains¡­"


    "You''re well-read," she said, smiling. "Knowing thy enemy is the first step to victory?"


    I shook my head. "I don''t think you''re my enemy, General¡­"


    She raised a dark green eyebrow at me. "Truly? Don''t your loyalties lie with the Council?"


    "Of which, Great General Garm is part of," I answered.


    I guessed she was trying to see if I would slip up and admit to being against Garm, but I wasn''t about to do that when face to face with his number two.


    We enjoyed our tea for a while longer before she spoke again, "You''re an interesting human, Dean Dapper¡­ tell me, have you bedded a fairy yet?"


    I nearly spilled my tea over the map on the table.


    "E-excuse me?" I asked in confusion.


    "I asked if you''ve bedded a fairy yet?" she smirked.


    Llewellyn leaned forward, and I could swear that her chest seemed to double in size.


    "Um, I''m sixteen, ma''am," I reasoned.


    "I''ve mated with younger," she answered flatly.


    Holy sh**, I thought. Was this tall, voluptuous dryad propositioning me for sex?!


    If my cheeks could go any redder they would have. In fact, my face was so hot I gulped down the rest of the tea to try and calm myself down.


    "As you know, we nymphs like to enjoy ourselves¡­ and I have a taste for intellectual men," she said in an unabashed tone.


    I don''t think I''d ever been speechless in my life until this moment.


    Llewellyn laughed a long and hearty laugh. Then she crossed her arms and sat back on her chair looking even more like a temptress than before.


    "Let me know if the boy decides he wants to become a man," she smirked. "Teasing aside, you''ve done well, One-thousand-man Commander."


    She tossed a small purse across the table toward me.


    I pulled open the purse strings and looked inside and noticed the interior was vastly bigger than the bag would have hold normally. Inside this bag of holding ¡ª because it was obviously a bag of holding ¡ª were three big casks of with the logo for the Nymphorae which was one of the most expensive ales in the Fayne.


    "Your plan worked rather well and we''ve managed to secure the central region of the battlefield which includes the oases in the north and south," Llewellyn explained. "Now, Lord Rah will have no choice but to fight a defensive battle, taking away the advantage of his larger numbers."


    Finally finding my voice again, I asked, "Does the Great General have a plan for tomorrow''s battle?"


    "He always has a plan," Llewellyn tapped her finger over her lips. "However, I''m curious to know if you do?"


    "What did you think of my gliders?" I asked.


    "Inspired work," she answered quickly.


    "We can use them to get behind the enemy again and harass their flank," I explained.


    "They''ll be wary now that you''ve already pulled off something similar," she said, standing up afterward. "Come back to me when you''ve thought of something more concrete or decide to join me in my bed."


    And with that ominous note, I skedaddled out of her tent as quickly as I could and my way back down to the first gate of Fort Garm.


    I know, I know. How pompous do you have to be to name your temporary fort after yourself?


    Will I thought about Garm''s bad naming sense, another thought popped up in my brain. It was nearly dawn again, and I hadn''t taken off the ring on my finger that anchored me to the Fayne during the day.


    I shrugged, "One more day won''t hurt¡­ besides, I''ve got something to share with the crew."


    ---


    I wasn''t the only Foolhardies visere who stayed in the Fayne that morning. Even Ty had asked to stay so he could join the unit as we said goodbye to our fallen.


    How fitting it was that a red dawn had risen to greet us, for as fairy superstition believed, the red dawn was the result of the previous night''s bloody battle.


    "Um, then does that mean every dawn is a red dawn?" Ty asked. "I mean, isn''t every night a bloody night?"


    "You''ve got a point there, chosen one," Edo chuckled.


    "Not you too, Edo," Ty whined.


    We were gathered in the oasis valley once more, all six-hundred-and-fifteen of us.


    Since there were seven-hundred-and-fifty of us that set out on our mission, a total of one-hundred-and-thirty-five had died. Out of that number, we managed to bring back sixty-two bodies. The rest were still lying on the sand of Point Alpha''s northern slope.


    We''d built sixty-two pyres for each of our dead and laid them over it with weapons in their hands for it was fairy custom to give a warrior a weapon they could carry into the spirit realm beyond so that they might be ready to fight for the Eldar on the day of Ragnarok.


    Aura led us all in prayer, and in her white robes and flames dancing in the palms of her hands, she looked to me like an ancient priestess from ancient times.


    As a shieldmaiden, Ashley was tasked with the final rites. It was her hand that lit the pyres too.


    When that was done, and we''d each said our goodbyes to our comrades of many months, it became time for the second half of mourning the dead ¡ª the revelries.


    Fairies were like the Irish. They didn''t weep over their fallen but celebrated the lives they lived.


    This made Garm''s gift ¡ª which I suspected was actually Llewellyn''s own generosity wrapped in Garm''s name to make her boss look good ¡ª was a timely gift indeed.


    We brought out the caskets of Nymphorae and placed a cup in every hand that could hold one. And after all the cups were filled, we toasted the lives of the fairies and humans who fought alongside us and died to see our mission succeed.


    Then, at Varda''s insistence, platters of meats and soups were distributed to the soldiers, and everyone enjoyed a hearty breakfast together while people yelled out jokes and called each other names.


    Much, much later when the merrymaking had died down and the sun was high in the sky and most of the fairies were hiding inside their tents, Aura came to sit by me and Luca while we looked down at the valley from the top of the eastern slope.


    "You guys think I''ll ever see the Mudgardian sun again?" Luca asked.


    "Isn''t that the reason we''re here?" I reminded him.


    Luca sipped his cup of ale which he''d been nursing since the revelries began. My little brother wasn''t much of a drinker.


    "Yeah, but¡­" Luca sighed. "So many people died for us yesterday¡­ I''m not worth that¡­"


    "Luca," Aura''s tone was sympathetic.


    And I''m sure she would have given him some nice platitudes about him being a good kid and how everyone deserves to be free, but I didn''t want to coddle Luca when he was in a mood. He needed to hear it straight.


    "They didn''t die for you, bro," I said. "Each and every one of them fought for their own reasons just like we have¡­ They didn''t die for us¡­ They died for their own dreams."


    I smacked Luca on the shoulder with my fist.


    "So don''t go thinking this is your fault," I added. "You''re not big enough to take responsibility¡­ that''s my job."


    The three of us were silent for a long time after that. However, Aura wasn''t one to quiet for long. She especially hated awkward silences.


    "It''s our job¡­ all three of us," she answered. "We''ll share that burden with you, Commander."


    "Y-yeah," Luca agreed. "You can rely on me and Aura, Dean¡­"


    I looked over to the two of them smirking at my side and looking like they knew better than I did, and I suddenly recalled the legend of Atlas and his burden to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.


    Somehow, I didn''t think I''d end up like him. I had reliable partners in this adventure of mine ¡ª but if I knew then what would happen during this war, perhaps I would have asked them both to stay behind.

 192 A Thousand and One Hands

    "I hear Llewellyn invited you to her bed?" General Redbull chortled.


    I coughed in response. "I think she was just joking around¡­"


    My eyes darted nervously toward Aura who was riding Starlight just off to my right. Thankfully, she didn''t seem to hear Redbull''s comment.


    "Um, about the strategy tonight, General," I said, desperate to change topics in order to avoid further embarrassment. "Any special plans for the left army?"


    By the time the second night of battle rolled along, Sh?rleden''s reinforcements arrived at the desert, and it was a nice surprise that we received fifty thousand troops instead of the forty thousand that was originally promised. So now we were a hundred-and-seventy-thousand strong with a clear advantage on the battlefield since we''d secured the oases located in the center region.


    Great General Garm divided the army into a fifty-thousand-man central army, a sixty-thousand-man left army, and a sixty-thousand-man right army.


    While he remained in charge of the central army which had the enviable job of reinforcing the center region, he left command of the left and right armies to General Redbull and General Llewellyn respectively.


    The right army would engage the enemy''s left army in the north while the left army would battle the enemy''s right army in the south, all for control of the remaining oases.


    Luckily, I wouldn''t have to deal with Llewellyn for a while as my unit was part of the left army along with Al Sheridan''s Millennium Hawks.


    "I''m not really big on outmaneuvering my opponents with tactics," Redbull said as he smashed his fist into the palm of his other hand. "I''d rather crush them with force."


    He looked over his shoulder to where I rode behind him.


    "But I''m sure you''ve got a plan of your own¡­" he chuckled. "I won''t stop you as long as you keep contributing to our success."


    He was right, of course. I did have a strategy in mind, one that would ensure a swift end to the left army''s battle if everything went according to plan.


    "How do you like the soldiers I lent you?" Redbull asked.


    "They''re very capable, sir," I answered.


    Before our left army marched out, Redbull had sent four hundred soldiers to supplement our force of six hundred so that my unit could be a proper one-thousand-man unit.


    He''d trained three hundred of those soldiers personally, and they''d been part of his unit since his days as a Five-thousand-man Commander. They were a mix of satyrs, humans, gnomes, and pixies that were willing to work under me for the duration of the battle.


    Redbull didn''t send an officer with them as he trusted me to distribute these new forces among the unit''s squads. This was a bit of a challenge as introducing new recruits to an already cohesive force took time. Time we didn''t have as we were marching out that same night. Still, I did my best to manage the troops.


    The viseres were mostly sent to Azuma''s Immortals as they''d lost a lot of soldiers in the last battle. The remainder was sent Luca''s squad.


    I''d never worked with satyrs before but I heard they excelled at defense and so I sent them to supplement Edo''s and Ashley''s squads.


    As for the gnomes, I knew from my experience with Zarz that despite their small stature gnomes could pack quite a punch. However, it was also their small stature that made them difficult to use in our usual squad formations.


    Luckily, Thor''s squad was a group of bandits who excelled in hit-and-run tactics that had no need for a proper squad formation. So I sent them over to him to fill up his new hundred-man squad.


    Yeah, I promoted Thor to a temporary squad leader post since he''d done very well in the last battle. I expected that this would drive him to continue delivering good results.


    "The dwarves giving you trouble?" Redbull asked.


    The remaining hundred soldiers Redbull sent me was a dwarven unit that had lost all their officers in recent battles, and as they were leaderless, they''d been acting out and getting all rowdy within Redbull''s army. It was probably why he sent them over to me so they''d be my headache now.


    So I made them Varda''s headache. After all, it was about time the unit''s Quartermaster had her own squad to help her. Hopefully, the veteran dwarves Vardoom had sent us would help Varda get her Troublemakers into shape. Yeah, that''s the squad''s name ¡ª Varda and her naming sense.


    "Nope, Varda''s managing them just fine," I said, although I wasn''t entirely sure if that was true or not.


    Redbull chuckled loudly. "Well, make good use of them, One-thousand-man Commander. They might not be attuned to your unit yet but I picked guys who can pick up the slack when necessary."


    "I appreciate that, sir," I answered. "I trust my squad leaders to manage their new additions just fine."


    Earlier, I''d warned the officers not to let the trap of inexperience working together ruin their squad''s cohesion. We needed to avoid those kinds of mistakes at all costs.


    When I asked Redbull why he''d been so generous with supplying me his own men, he responded with, "Because there''s a big difference between being a Five-hundred-man Commander and being a One-thousand-man Commander, Dapper¡­ Do you know what that is?"


    "A thousand-man unit has the capability to affect the battle in a way five-hundred men can''t," I answered. "But I disagree, sir¡­"


    He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why''s that?"


    "It doesn''t matter to me whether I had a hundred or a thousand¡­ My tactics are at a scale big enough to affect the battlefield," I reasoned. "We proved as much in the last war."


    Redbull laughed out loud.


    "Do you hear that, April?" he nodded to his left where his adjutant rode on her swifthart. "This cheeky human''s got a pair of balls on him!"


    "I''m human too, sir," April reminded him before turning an icy stare on me. "But I agree, he is cheeky."


    ---


    Half an hour after we began our march, and we finally sighted our target.


    "General, the enemy is within sight," April Valentine called.


    Redbull''s adjutant alerted us to the enemy that had just appeared in front of us in numbers so great that they covered the horizon from one end to the other in their yellow and red banners.


    "There are more of them than the reports mentioned," I whistled.


    At a glance, I assumed they were at least eighty-thousand strong.


    "They must have received reinforcements on their side too." Redbull reached back for the handle of his battle-ax strapped to the side of his mount. Then he pulled out the wicked-looking thing and raised it forward while laughing out loud. "It doesn''t matter. We''ll kill them all!"


    I don''t think he meant for it to sound like a battle cry but the soldiers around us began to cheer together, "Kill them all! Kill them all!"


    "Well, Dean," Redbull turned his gaze on me, "You think whatever you have planned will work against that?"


    "Possibly¡­" I grinned. "So long as you do your part, General."


    "So you expect me to do the heavy lifting, huh," he laughed out loud. "This kid has such big balls, don''t you think, April?"


    April Valentine, who was riding beside Redbull, nodded her head. "Perhaps that''s why General Llewellyn wants to bed him¡­"


    This caused Redbull to laugh at my expense.


    My eyes darted nervously toward Aura once more, and this time I noticed the slight smile on her lips.


    I face-palmed myself because I knew I was going to get it later ¡ª if not from Aura then certainly from Luca or Edo or Varda or Qwipps or whoever else Aura decided to reveal this secret to.


    "A-anyway," I stuttered to change topics quickly, "If you can get their right vanguard to move forward, that''ll really help me out, General."


    Redbull laughed. "Cheeky brat¡­ alright, I''ll be your bait! You better get the job done though."


    "Yes, sir," I said in all seriousness. "We''ll nab you a general''s head for your trouble."


    Redbull''s laugh got even louder. "As I said, you''ve got big balls, Dapper."


    "Don''t be too cocky, Dean Dapper," April warned. "The enemy general of the Dominion''s right army is nearly famous for being a defensive general. He''s a strategic type like you."


    Redbull nodded. "They call him Amon, the Shield of Rah."


    "Why does everyone get a cool nickname but me?" I wondered out loud.


    "Boy Touched with Fire doesn''t really sound intimidating, huh," Redbull agreed.


    No, I wasn''t worried about this ''Shield of Rah'' as I''d faced off against dozens of strategic-type commanders before. The biggest one being Ardeen Spellweaver, the fairy responsible for giving me my lame nickname.


    "The more well-known they are, the easier it is for us to make them slip up," I reasoned.


    "Well, show me what you can do then, Dean," Redbull ordered. "Bring me a general''s head."


    "Roger," I answered.

 193 The Blazing Cannon

    "Commander, We''re nearing the drop-off point!" Shanks called from the front end of our sand glider.


    "Alright," I turned my gaze on the other soldiers in the glider. "Get ready to disembark quickly. We don''t want to alert the enemy."


    "Yes, sir!" they all said together.


    Ten minutes later and our glider had stopped at our designated rally point.


    As everyone jumped off our glider onto the sands below, I glanced behind me and saw that the other gliders were dropping off more and more soldiers. Now that most of the gliders had been returned to us by the units we''d lent them to, we were able to bring a total of four hundred soldiers along on this one trip.


    I raised four fingers high in the air, signalling for everyone to form four squad lines. These squads were Edo''s Bastards, Thom''s Hazy Moon, Thor''s unnamed squad, and Azuma''s Immortals.


    The squad leaders readied their men while I waited with my map in hand. If all was going according to plan, Luca and Aura were already in position.


    I''d split my squad into three for this battle. The first, led by me, had taken our gliders and ridden the winds west from our position south of the southern battlefront. This brought us as close to the enemy''s flank as we could get without detection.


    "Everyone''s ready, Dean," Edo said as he moved to my side.


    Azuma, Thom, and Thor arrived shortly afterward with Shanks bringing up the rear and acting as my personal bodyguard at Aura''s insistence.


    "We can''t have you dying on us now," she said when she pushed Shanks onto me earlier that night.


    I flattened my map down on the sand and pointed to our current location which was right behind a line of tall sand dunes.


    "These ridges of sand dunes will keep us out of sight long enough for us to circle around to the enemy," I explained. "We''ll need to be extra quiet now as I expect they''ll have lookouts covering their rear¡­"


    "Four hundred men against the enemy general''s defensive formations sounds like suicide, Dean," Azuma argued.


    "Don''t worry about the enemy''s formations," I said, smiling wryly at them. "Redbull will draw them forward¡­ I expect only a thousand soldiers will remain stationed close to their general."


    "Only a thousand¡­ we''ve faced worse odds," Edo said, smiling back at me right before he nodded toward Azuma. "I don''t think they''ll give us as much trouble as you did."


    Azuma returned Edo''s smirk with one of his owns. "True¡­"


    "Well, now that we''re all smiling like idiots at each other, perhaps the Commander would like to fill us in on what the other two teams are doing?" Thom asked in his usual mocking tone.


    "Don''t worry about them¡­ Just know that we''re the hammer to Aura''s anvil," I answered cryptically.


    "And Luca?" Edo asked.


    "Luca''s the spear," I replied. "Alright, let''s go¡­ and remind your squads that we''re going stealth."


    And with that vote of confidence on our teamwork, we began our slow march around the sand dunes.


    Now, I wasn''t about to attempt this daring plan without having a clear picture of the southern battlefield, and so I often had to stop while the unit moved onward so that I could send my sight above us.


    It made having Shanks around sort of useful as he''d often pick me up and carry me over his back so that I wouldn''t get left behind, which in hindsight was pretty shameful for a commander. Not that I cared. Whatever works, I always say.


    With Fool''s Insight giving me a birds-eye-view of the battlefield, I could clearly see how the flow of battle was going, and so far, the situation was as I predicted.


    General Redbull understood his part well. He positioned his left army further back than originally planned in order to pull the Dominion''s right army forward.


    Once their lines had stabilized, both armies sent out their infantry vanguard to test the other''s defenses, and while the enemy general was known for his defensive tactics, it was Redbull who seemed to be playing the defensive role in this battle.


    His vanguard of five thousand soldiers would feint and pull back over and over to prevent too many casualties while at the same time driving the enemy of ten thousand to push forward even more.


    Of course, Redbull didn''t want it to be too obvious, so he''d sent his cavalry of five thousand out early to help his vanguard out. This resulted in thousands dying on both sides but Redbull stood firm. His opponent, the so-called Shield of Rah seemed impatient to get the ball rolling.


    He''d sent out more of his soldiers forward along with their cavalry and several war machines I''d never seen before, but based on their designs ¡ª several large and round disks of clear glass lined up one by one over a long wooden wagon with each disk getting smaller and smaller at the front end ¡ª I could guess at their function.


    For an old experiment, I''d once used a magnifying glass to channel the sun''s rays in hopes of burning a box of tinder in my backyard. It took me several tries to get it done, but I did manage to light a small fire this way.


    The design of the machines I saw now told me they had a similar function with much more devastating results.


    As soon as these war machines rolled out onto the battlefield, at least half of the enemy army followed. This slowly created a wide gap of empty space between the half of the army moving forward and the half that had remained on their side of the battlefield.


    Although this was great news for me and my plan, I knew that this was a dire warning for Redbull''s left army because it meant the enemy was extremely confident in their war machines.


    "This Amon isn''t planning to stay defensive," I suddenly realized.


    "Isn''t he called the Shield of Rah?" Shanks asked. "Why would he change up his style now?"


    I shook my head. "I think it''s because everyone knows he''s a defense-oriented strategic-type general, and he''s taking advantage of that fact to try and overwhelm Redbull''s left army early in the battle¡­"


    "Isn''t that good for us, then?" Shanks wondered aloud.


    "Good for us, yeah," I answered. "But it might turn out bad for our left army¡­"


    I watched as the first sign of trouble appeared.


    Redbull had kept his forces back as promised, and it was working to drive the enemy army forward, but now that the unknown machines had come into play, things suddenly took a turn for the worst.


    The giant magnifier at the center of their formation ¡ª yeah, I gave it a name because war machine sounded too weak a descriptor for these devices of death ¡ª was the first to activate.


    Firstly, the formations in front of this magnifier split apart to create a wide corridor between the magnifier and our left army''s vanguard. Then, a small group of enemy magicians gathered at the back end of the magnifier. Together, they spent a great amount of time casting an unknown fire spell which they then channeled into the magnifier''s rear disk.


    If you can''t imagine what happened next then allow me to put it in pop-culture terms everyone can visualize.


    Basically, the fire spell passed through one disk after another, with each disk focusing the flames tighter and tighter, until at last it reached the final disk and just exploded outward in a discharge that was akin to Iron Man''s Repulsor Blasts if it had been fired from a giant Iron Man''s glove.


    Even from where we were in the rear of the enemy, the beam-like sound of an explosion reached my ears. And as this beam of flames reached our vanguard, well, even from my view up in the clouds I could see the massive explosion almost as if it was right in front of me.


    After the smoke cleared, it was clear that our vanguard survived, although it was equally clear that a single shot from the magnifier had devastated our side for I could see hundreds of charred corpses littering the ground, and I could only imagine that many more had been vaporized into nothingness.


    "What kind of sci-fi bullsh** was that?!" I snarled.


    "You saw it?" Shanks asked, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness. "What kind of weapon did the enemy just unleashed?"


    "I saw it alright," I answered. "I wish I could un-see it¡­ damn¡­"


    I quickly explained the details to Shanks and whoever else was close by, and I could hear the anxious murmurs that followed.


    "How many more times can they fire that thing?" It was Edo''s voice that asked this question.


    "I don''t know¡­ the spell they cast that the magnifier amplified took about ten to twelve minutes¡­ but Edo," my voice was almost a whisper at this point, "they''ve got three more of those things¡­"


    "If they used them in succession¡­" Edo began.


    "Then our side won''t stand a chance," Azuma finished.


    As if in answer to Azuma''s and Edo''s prediction, Redbull''s cavalry charged forward in what looked like desperate act to reach the magnifier and prevent it from firing a second time.


    That wasn''t all, the entire front line of our left army suddenly moved forward, and I could tell they wanted to bridge the distance as quickly as possible. But they wouldn''t nearly have enough time as Redbull had feinted well enough.


    No, they wouldn''t make it in time, I realized. So it was up to me and mine to ensure our victory before we lose. It was a race against time, but thankfully, we were prepared.


    "Edo, send out the signal to Aura''s and April''s troops," I ordered. "It''s time we started our own fire."

 194 Rapid Fire

    So we started the fire, and it was blazing!


    While half of Redbull''s left army and more than half of Amon''s right army clashed northeast of our position ¡ª each one looking to press the advantage over the other ¡ª Amon''s own personal guard of five thousand remained at his side in a square formation that had him squarely in the middle of it.


    Ahead of his square formation, another twenty thousand troops stood by in a standard line formation and waited for their opportunity to be called forward.


    They were a fair distance away from Amon''s guard ¡ª perhaps a hundred to a hundred-and-fifty yards away. This was standard practice in armies with such large numbers.


    Now, here''s where you''d see my brilliant plan at work.


    These twenty thousand troops were separate from the forty thousand soldiers that were in battle with our left army by about two-hundred and two-hundred-and-fifty yards.


    That wide gap between them was empty space that normally would be filled, but thanks to Redbull and my strategy, that gap that shouldn''t be there was there now, and it was just waiting to be filled ¡ª by us, of course.


    This was stage one of my plan which was basically lighting a fire under the enemy''s plump behind.


    The earth quaked beneath my feet as the sound of thousands of boots ran across the desert just east of our current position.


    "Here they come," I whispered. "Make sure we don''t fall behind, Edo!"


    "Maybe you should stop spectating and lead, Dean," Edo grumbled.


    I couldn''t agree to Edo''s suggestion as I couldn''t miss the moment for the fire starters.


    Over the sand dunes to our east, they marched, a ten thousand strong force led by April Valentine, Adjutant to General Redbull. Marching with her, and representing the Foolhardies, was a three-hundred-man unit under the command of my own adjutant, Aura, the Flame Bringer.


    I know, I know, it was a cool nickname that I thought of myself recently. Sadly, I seemed to be the only one using it ¡ª for now. I expected this battle might make Aura more famous than Aurana.


    The first stage of my plan was simple. Create a split at the front of Amon''s forces that we could use to insert a small force into. This small force was larger than initially planned as Redbull decided he didn''t just want to lend me more troops but invest in my strategy completely.


    Thus, the ten thousand troops that split off from our rear before we got close enough for the enemy to notice the disappearing act.


    Well, the enemy noticed us now, although they were slow to react. It went something like this.


    Seeing April''s troops rushing to fill the gap, Amon''s twenty thousand reserve troops had no choice but to march forward in a southeast direction to attempt to block them from flanking the forty thousand already in the midst of their battle with Redbull.


    As these two forces met in battle, just before their frontlines would clash, a violent pillar of flame and ice exploded from our side onto theirs in what I could only describe as a fantastic display of combining area-of-effect spells.


    Of course, these two spells had no doubt come from Aura and Ty who''d been practicing this type of combination magic for months now. This type of feat was standard for Ty, but Aura would have had to borrow power from her efreet to cast such a wide attack spell. It would no doubt drain her mana quicker, but the gains were too big to ignore.


    That initial attack was enough to shake up the enemy and made it easier for April''s frontline to engage and overwhelm their frontline.


    I watched from the skies as shadowblades clashed against each other in between a backdrop of broken ice and burning sands. It was a scene I would have thought worthy of an epic movie.


    In the middle of that chaos, I saw the floating efreet ¡ª who I''d already dubbed as Flamethrower in case anyone forgot ¡ª act true to his name and lob fireballs over the heads of Amon''s soldiers.


    I knew for a fact that Aura was right below Flamethrower and commanding it while guiding her unit to work together as one.


    Ashley''s shield wall was in front of her and ensuring no enemy would make it past to break Aura''s concentration.


    A giant golem rampaging to the right of the frontline caught my eye as well, and it told me Varda and her new dwarven squad were nearby and causing as much trouble for the enemy as they could.


    Then I watched as a combination of flame arrows and ice spikes soared over the battlefield and landed at the rear of the enemy''s formations. These attacks hit dozens of enemy archers just before they could let loose their arrows.


    "Looks like Donar and Ty are doing well," I noted.


    "How about you look at our position now, Commander," Shanks suggested. "You know, so we don''t suddenly run into enemy scouts."


    "We''re fine as long as we stay low for now¡­ and that means you, Shanks," I responded.


    "It would be easier to crouch down if I wasn''t carrying you, boss," he countered.


    "Just a little longer¡­ I think¡ª"


    The flash of an explosion caught my attention and my eyes darted eastward toward the Redbull''s battle where another one of those magnifiers had just blasted a charred line through the troops.


    "Sh*t¡­ we need to pick up the pace, men," I called.


    "We''re nearly at the end of the line, boss," Shanks explained. "Edo''s signaling that we should stop soon¡­"


    I took one last look at the battlefield from above, burning it like a photograph in my mind before I released Fool''s Insight and found myself back to ground-level.


    Shanks let me down, and we resumed our stealth march to the western end of the sand dunes.


    Above us, the number of scouts was beginning to increase, but we''d kept low enough that they didn''t notice our passing. But it felt like a balancing act of walking on a tight rope where one misstep would ensure we''d be discovered.


    Stealth was the key. It was the reason why I insisted that no heavy armor was allowed among the troops who were joining us. It was also why our weapons were wrapped in cloth so that any chance of them reflecting light was non-existent.


    After another ten to fifteen minutes in which I had no doubt that the enemy had fired another blast from their magnifiers, my four-hundred soldiers finally reached the corner of the sand dune.


    We stopped our march there and waited for the signal that I hoped would come soon.


    "What now, Dean?" Edo whispered. "There''s no word from Luca yet¡­"


    I gazed up at Idunn in the sky and noticed that she was nearing her zenith.


    "Won''t be long now¡­" I whispered back.


    "Lookouts above," Azuma called.


    As these enemy lookouts gazed down from their positions above us, their eyes went wide at the sight of our troops hiding below. Sadly for them, we were the last sight they''d ever see. For in the instant of our discovery, they were silenced by the shadows that had come to life beneath their feet.


    I looked up and watch as Enna danced in the moonlight as she slew two of the lookouts. Her cousin, Thom, slew the other three in quick succession.


    "All clear," Thom called from above.


    I''m sure I wasn''t the only one to breathe a sigh of relief. Now was not the time to stumble.


    My eyes gazed up, and I saw that Idunn had finally reached her zenith.


    "Luca¡­ now or never," I whispered.


    As if in answer to my call the horns of war began to play not too far from where we were. It came from the east, somewhere between our landing zone and April''s ten thousand forces.


    "Looks like Luca''s right on time," Azuma noted.


    "As expected of the boss'' little brother," Thor agreed in his gruff voice.


    "Here we go," Shanks added.


    I looked over my shoulder and gazed back at the line of men behind me.


    "I hope you''re all ready for some glory," I whispered, and although I was certain my voice wouldn''t reach the ears of the guys behind, I think they could tell from my face that I was encouraging them. "We''re going to claim another general''s head."


    My soldiers didn''t cry out an affirmative but there were many fists pumped in the air at my declaration.


    "Now we just have to wait for Luca to kindle the flames¡­" I said. "Let''s see how he''s doing."


    I called on Fool''s Insight one more time and sent my sight into the sky.


    Below me, the personal guard of Amon, Shield of Rah, was in an uproar for the southern line of their square formation had just been attacked by a four-hundred-man unit comprised of cavalry and fliers.


    Luca''s Ravagers, Xanthor''s Dash, and Qwipps'' Talons had arrived, and they''d brought kindling for the fire.

 195 Courage Under Fire

    In the words of Bane from that awesome movie, The Dark Knight Rises, "The fire rises!"


    Luca''s assault on the southern line of Amon''s personal guard got the reaction I hoped it would create ¡ª a slow dripping nervousness that one gets after one realizes that the wolf is already inside the barn house.


    Now, you might say that a ragtag group of four hundred against five-thousand highly-trained soldiers seems like suicide, but Luca and his team weren''t up against five thousand. At most, they were facing off against a thousand infantry who''d been surprised by their sudden appearance and subsequent charge.


    As for the other four thousand soldiers, they wouldn''t come to rescue their friends either. Their job was to maintain the square formation which was their absolute defense.


    Although this was the correct response, I knew it would lead to their downfall later on because, despite appearances, Luca''s unit was nothing like a ragtag group of inexperienced soldiers. They were, in fact, a highly-trained force that was used to being the underdog in every battle.


    I watched as my younger brother led his unit from the very front, his new weapon cutting easily through the heads of enemy fairies and humans alike.


    The sight of its great shadowblade sent my mind drifting back to the night we''d left Hoodwink Tower for the war front when I called Luca over to Zarz workshop in the tower''s basement.


    "Why are we here, Dean?" Luca asked a little annoyed as I''d stolen him away from quality time with Pike. "I''m not really a big fan of the death toys you and Zarz cook up, man¡­"


    "Cool your jets, lover boy," I teased. "I''ve got something that''ll make you forget that pixie''s pretty face for a while."


    Luca looked like he doubted that, and his face only made me laugh harder. My little brother who''d only recently turned fifteen a month before I turned sixteen seemed more girl-crazed than I was.


    "Zarz, unveil my birthday gift, will you," I ordered.


    "You''re a few weeks late, Dean," Luca complained, although there was a slight grin growing on his face at the mention of a birthday gift.


    "Yeah, well, this baby took a while to forge, kiddo," Zarz commented.


    He walked over to his work table and pulled on the large piece of cloth he''d placed over it in order to reveal the object hiding underneath.


    "Whoa¡­" Luca whispered. "It''s a sword-hilt¡­"


    Luca brushed fingers over the metal hilt.


    "The grip is made from dire wolf leather," I began to explain. "The jewel in the round pommel is a wind elemental aura stone which should amplify your Augmentaire. And the metal used for the base¡­"


    I picked up the sword-hilt and offered it to him.


    "That''s silver-grade elf-forged steel and this cross hilt is sturdier than your previous one," I said proudly. "Try releasing the shadowblade."


    "This is¡­" Luca seemed at a loss for words.


    "Yeah, It took a while but I was finally able replicate my master, Silent Mildew''s, iron arcane focus like the one set in the core of Dean''s falchion," Zarz said proudly.


    The shadowblade that popped out of the sword-hilt''s base was a four-and-a-half-foot double-edge blade whose charred edge glowed with a faint blue hue similar to mine. The flat of Luca''s new sword was wide enough that it could theoretically double as a narrow shield.


    "It''s a badass, vibro-sword-type claymore," I explained. "Belated happy birthday, bro!"


    That wide grin showing on Luca''s face was now a precious memory, one I carried with me into tonight''s battlefield. As I gazed down at him from on high, I thought he might be showing off a similar smile now since this was technically the first time he got to whip out his claymore outside of training because Zarz'' had kept it for maintenance during yesterday''s battle.


    "Hey, Dean," Edo called. "It''s about time we made our move."


    By this point, Luca''s cavalry while supported by Qwipps'' air force managed to penetrate deep into the Amon''s troops in the south of their square formation. They''d barrelled past the frontline and were now in space between them and the enemy''s secondary line where an enemy commander would have been leading from.


    Past this second line, however, was the interior of Amon''s square formation which would be open space that was basically a direct path to Amon and the five-hundred special forces that surrounded him.


    However, most of his forces in the interior were infantry, and against a well-trained cavalry charge there was a high chance of an infantry''s defeat.


    In order to avoid such a scenario from happening, Amon would have no choice but to have his east and west lines collapse into the southern interior to fill up the space and prevent Luca''s cavalry charge from penetrating any further.


    This was exactly what happened moments later, and it was just what I wanted. Man, it did seem like this well-known general was dancing in the palm of my hand, and I loved this feeling of strategic superiority.


    "Yeah," I answered Edo''s earlier suggestion. "Let''s get ready to move out."


    I glanced behind me toward the men, and despite the determined look on their faces, I could sense the growing unease in them. I knew they understood that this mission would be a harrowing one. It would be four-hundred against one to two thousand, and we didn''t have the luxury of mobility that Luca''s cavalry had.


    They would need some encouragement, I realized and so I assumed it was time for another speech.


    I slammed the butt of my falchion onto the electrum plate on my chest to get everyone''s attention. A little noise was fine now as the time for stealth was over.


    "We''re taking down Amon, the Shield of Rah¡­" I sent a sweeping gaze across the many faces looking back at me. "I ask you, do you have the courage? What do your hearts tell you? What can your eyes see?"


    I slammed the butt of my falchion onto my chest plate a second time for effect.


    "Anxiety? Fear? Death?" I stood up from my crouching position. "All I see is an enemy we must defeat as well as the path for our victory. For now, it is the time for action!"


    I sent my killing intent into my falchion and released the shadowblade hidden within it.


    "My sword will carve open a path forward, and in the name of Auranos, our great Patriarch, I promise you victory like always!" I pointed the tip of my sword at the men who watched me with bated breath. "Follow me¡­ or are you guys saying you''re inferior to Luca''s troops and can''t do what they''re doing now?"


    That got a rise out of them. One by one they stood, their nervousness shaking off from them as they rose.


    "As if we''d let Qwipps Daggerby outdo any of us," someone answered.


    This was met with a few laughs and ayes.


    "Bring it on," Leeroy, Azuma''s second-in-command, called. "We''re the elite of the Foolhardies."


    "Right on," Thor added.


    "Onward then¡­ to victory and to a red dawn!" I called.


    Wordlessly, the soldiers nodded and raised their weapons high.


    I faced forward once more, and without turning back, I said, "Follow my lead!"


    With zero hesitation remaining inside me, I dashed forward, turned the corner, and then sprinted across the open space toward the enemy soldiers whose attentions had been stolen away by my brother''s attack.


    Behind me, the thunderous march of hundreds of feet followed, and with them came the murderous intent of four-hundred Foolhardies who were hungry for another taste of glory.


    "Ya~~ah!" I yelled as I ran at full speed. My sword raised high.


    A resounding roar exploded behind me as my Foolhardies began to let loose their own war cries across the stretch of desert between us and our prey.


    The enemy in the western line of the square formation was too late to notice us, too late to react, and by the time they sounded their alarms, my shadowblade was a mere ten yards from drawing first blood.


    "Foolhardies!" I yelled.


    Behind me, I heard the chant roared back at me, "Foolhardies! Foolhardies!"


    Seconds later, our bodies collided with the enemy''s western line, our shadowblades singing as we swung them over the soldiers'' heads.


    A shield rose to block my attack, but it might as well have been made of paper for my falchion wouldn''t be denied its first kill. I slashed downward and cut the kobold in front of me.


    As the kobold fell in an almost slow-motion-like manner, I pushed past him and stabbed my falchion into the gut of the soldier behind him. Then I quickly pulled out my sword ¡ª the enemy''s flesh giving way to my shadowblade''s power ¡ª and pivoted to the right to avoid a spear tip aimed at my head.


    I reversed the grip of my falchion, stepped past his spear''s tip, and then cut the belly of the kobold that had attacked me.


    A quick twist of my wrist returned my falchion to its upright position, and without stopping my momentum, I slashed sideward at the next soldier to come within range.


    I hopped to the left to avoid the slash of an enemy''s blade and then hopped back to the right to counter with a slash of my own.


    Blood spurted out of the kobold whose arm I''d just severed, spraying my face with the sticky red stuff.


    I barely managed to wipe it out of my eyes before I was attacked again from the front, and after rushing forward to smack this enemy''s brow with the butt of my sword, I roared, for the fervor of battle was on me now.


    In the back of my head, I thought, Yes, the fire rises!

 196 Swift Sword

    "Follow the Commander!" I heard Thor howl into the night.


    My shadowblade came down on the back of the elf who''d just run away from me.


    "Fool, you never show your back to your enemy!" I yelled as I cut him down.


    In hindsight, I would have preferred it if they''d all just drop their weapons, turn their back on us, and run away. But, sadly, that wasn''t going to happen and this coward I just felled was as rare as the rising of a blue moon in the Fayne.


    Two more enemy soldiers arrived to block my path, and I had to parry the sword strike of one with my falchion while simultaneously gutting the other with my dagger.


    Yeah, I''d gone dual-weapon fighting in this battle just because there were so many bodies around me, and a double slash seemed more expedient than a single one.


    "Edo!" I yelled. "Clear us some room to breathe!"


    Edo came charging forward, barrelling past me with a shoulder rush that smashed into a number of enemy defenders ahead of us. Then, continuing with his destructive momentum, the half-ogre slammed the butt of his glaive down on the sand, and the force it generated exploded outward in a circle around him.


    I watched from behind him as enemy soldiers were thrown back by his assault, and asked, "What do you call that?"


    "Earthshattering blow," Edo answered while his back was to me.


    "Man, Azuma''s starting to influence you," I said. "Since when did you name your moves?"


    Edo laughed, which, in the middle of a battlefield would either make him sound crazy or insensitive. My guess was both.


    "Watch this, Dean," he called. "This next move, I call Cyclone."


    "Alright, let me see it," I encouraged.


    Edo raised his glaive to the side, and, as I expected ¡ª because who wouldn''t if you name your move the cyclone ¡ª he began to turn in a three-hundred-sixty degree arc while swinging his glaive forward.


    The fierceness of his swing was so great that I could feel the very air around me get pulled into his attack.


    "Sweet," I said.


    Like a top, Edo rotated a total of three times, and each rotation brought with it blood and death for all who were unlucky enough to be within his range. And when he''d finally stopped, the space I''d asked for was now available.


    "You know, I think Cyclone doesn''t do that move justice at all¡­ Death Cyclone sounds better," I suggested.


    Edo slammed the butt of his glaive down on the ground once more, but softer this time, with zero of his aura accompanying it. "I''ll take that under advisement."


    I looked over my shoulder to the men who''d watched the same show I did.


    "What are you all waiting for?" I pointed my falchion past Edo. "Charge into that space already!"


    Looking at them now, I was glad they''d decided to join us. They''d grown much since that time we stole Hoodwink Tower from their band of merry thieves.


    "Azuma!" I called.


    Azuma was at my side in an instant with his spear in hand.


    "You called, Dean?" he asked.


    "I need you to cover me for a few minutes. Gotta see what''s going on out there," I said.


    "Is this really the appropriate time?" he asked.


    "We''ve been at this for more than fifteen minutes and we''re still swamped by enemies¡­" I said. "There''s has to be a reason for it. Give me five minutes."


    "You''ve got three," he said, and then with a wave of his hand, he called some of his Immortals over. "Get to it, Commander."


    Immortals encircled me on all sides, and satisfied that I wasn''t about to get stabbed in the back, I knelt on the sand and closed my eyes.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I called.


    When I opened my eyes again, my sight was above the battlefield, and what I saw from there gave me a headache.


    The enemy''s square formation was mostly intact except that the enemy''s second line of reserves had marched in to reinforce the south and west lines that Luca and I had attacked. That meant way more soldiers than we could handle in the short time we needed to break through to the open space on the other side.


    If that wasn''t troubling enough, it seemed April''s and Aura''s forces in the east were slowly giving ground to the enemy they faced off with. It wouldn''t be long before all ten thousand of them would be in dire straits as their backs were up against the enemy vanguard, who thankfully, was still engaged with Redbull''s forces.


    As for Redbull''s army in the east, it looked like they''d been hit by another blast from the magnifier weapons and was in danger of losing way more men than any other units in this southern battlefield.


    I blinked out of Fool''s Insight and told Azuma what I saw.


    He took my insight, and after a short back and forth of ideas, recommended, "You should take as many men as you can and charge past this western line. The rest will stay here and keep the enemy company."


    "No," I said with a shake of my head. "That would leave whoever was left behind in even worse condition¡­"


    "We don''t have much of a choice, Dean," he insisted. "Quickness is the essence of war, remember?"


    I couldn''t think of an argument to him quoting Sun Tzu to me. It was sound logic. But we never left people behind, and leaving starting now in the midst of all this chaos meant I was essentially leaving people to die.


    "What''s that quote you always say about our men to me?" he reminded me.


    "Confront them with annihilation, and they will survive¡­ plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live¡­ When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory," I whispered one of my favorite Sun Tzu quotes.


    "Go, I''ll lead the men¡­ I''ll keep them alive," Azuma promised.


    If it was anyone else, I would have scoffed at them, but Azuma was a man of his word, and he was the best warrior in the unit.


    "Alright," Once we''re out on the other side you lead the men out of here and escape¡­" I told him.


    There was a crinkle in his eye when he smiled, and it was the first time I ever thought Azuma was old. The dude was in his thirties, sure, but his cancer was eating away at him regardless.


    We shook hands. Then I turned my back on him and yelled for Edo, Thom and, Thor to gather their best fighters, the ones who still had it in them to fight because we were breaking through the enemy''s lines.


    They managed to pick out a hundred and fifty guys who weren''t injured and still had the fire of battle in their eyes. It was a good enough number for a speed run. The rest of the unit would remain here, waiting for their chance to escape.


    "Alright you bastards, in the name of our Patriarch, I promised you victory¡­ don''t make a liar of me now!" I raised my falchion toward the front. "Follow me! We''re hunting down a general!"


    There was a collective roar around me that told me everyone was sufficiently ready to get this done.


    "Let''s go!" I yelled.


    Then I raced forward, past the soldiers who were holding the enemy back for us, and barreled into the enemy lines with only murder in my mind. I shut off the conscience that often held my strength back for swiftness was the key to keeping Azuma and the troops alive.


    Beside me, Edo and Thom seemed sufficiently motivated to raise hell. Together, we cut, hacked, and slashed our way through the enemy lines while the others followed behind us.


    I saw enemies fall, heard my soldiers cry out in pain, and smelled the blood that stuck to my armor. This was war and it was messy and cruel and desperate. It was all the things the old war movies couldn''t possibly portray.


    Eventually, after much blood had been spilled, we''d pushed past the enemy and into empty space that seemed surreal after what we''d just gone through.


    "How many¡­ did we¡­ lose?" I asked in a ragged breath.


    "A few¡­ but we''ve got more than a hundred ready and able," Edo answered from my side.


    "One last stretch of sand then, Commander?" Thom asked.


    "Yeah," I answered. "Let''s do this!"


    I ran, and the followed after me. It was a straight line to Amon and his five hundred, and as the distance shortened between us, I reminded everyone, "Steel yourselves¡­ it''s going to be another tiring one!"


    "We''re used to it," Edo roared.


    "Foolhardies!" Thor howled.


    "Foolhardies!" we all answered.

 197 Go for the Throa

    "So¡­ you know how I didn''t really use my falchion in yesterday''s battle and just led our unit from the back?" I asked to no one in particular.


    Luckily, Edo was in earshot of me, and asked the follow-up, "Yeah, so?"


    "I''m really making up for it now, aren''t I?" I asked.


    My falchion sang as it cut through the air and into the neck of the salamander warrior that had blocked my path.


    Two-hundred elite bodyguards from Amon''s personal unit ¡ª all of them badass looking salamanders whose shadowblades had been augmented by fire spirits ¡ª had come to block our path half a distance away from the basecamp of the general whose head I wanted to claim.


    And because of the fiery nature of these salamanders, the air in front of us was so hot you''d feel like you were facing off against a furnace. It made it hard to breathe.


    Still, we pressed on, with me, Edo, Thom, and Thor in the lead while our handpicked soldiers gathered around us.


    "I can''t believe we split our forces even more," Thom laughed. "This is way too reckless even for us."


    "Don''t complain!" Thor growled.


    Thor cut a cross into the chest of a salamander warrior on my immediate right in a great display of swashbuckling swordsmanship.


    "We follow the Commander''s lead for he promised us victory!" Thor continued.


    On the other side of Thor, Thom had just stabbed his katana into another warrior.


    "What a loyal mutt, you are, Thor," Thom laughed.


    "Enough with the chatter, guys!" I yelled. "Concentrate¡­ there are three-hundred fire eaters between us and Amon¡­ That''s two to three each for every one of us!"


    Just as I said this, Edo felled his fourth salamander warrior.


    "It seems I''m over quota," he noted seriously.


    Then, without missing a beat, he swung his glaive forward intending to kill more enemies.


    "Warriors, brace!" yelled the salamander leading this retinue.


    He was a stout-looking salamander with curly blonde hair that burned at the tips. But the best thing about him was that he was riding on a swifthart.


    "Enna, Thom!" I called. "I want that swifthart."


    There was little else to be said as the two drow melded into the shadows and sprinted across the desert toward the target I''d designated. The rest of us increased our assault on the enemy to cover for them and keep the attention on us.


    It was a little while later when I heard the sound of the commander''s death rattle. Thom had stabbed him from the front while Enna had taken him in the back.


    "Push forward!" I yelled.


    Without their leader, the well-trained bodyguards were suddenly rudderless. And that was the thing about well-trained soldiers ¡ª they tended to falter when the orders stopped coming because they were too well-trained to follow.


    "Your ride, Commander," Thom said dryly as he handed me the reins of the dead commander''s swifthart.


    I took it, pulled myself up, and then offered a hand to Enna.


    "Ride behind me," I said. "You can hack at our enemies while I drive."


    After we were both mounted, I turned to my soldiers who''d just broken off from the enemy''s lines, and pointed toward the Amon''s remaining two-hundred forces.


    "Let''s go!" I roared.


    At the same time, we all heard the explosion of another magnifier blast.


    "That''s not good," Enna said from behind me. It was the understatement of the year as far as I was concerned.


    We charged forward into that empty space knowing it was a race against time. But, I wasn''t overly worried because time and time again, we Foolhardies have beaten the odds, and it was during these type of clutch moments that we were capable of astonishing feats that dwarf any kind of battle sense or tactic.


    In front of us, the divide between me and Amon was getting smaller, and I realized that despite all my planning, Amon still had one tactic to him.


    "Hurry," I urged the unknown swifthart I was riding. "Before he gets away."


    I was afraid Amon, being a strategic type general, was one of those tacticians who didn''t care a bit about honor. If that was the case, all he needed to do was to escape to the east where I and my men wouldn''t be able to follow.


    But it was a needless worry for Amon hadn''t chosen to escape. Instead, he charged at us with his remaining two hundred bodyguards.


    This left me momentarily dumbfounded because two hundred soldiers wasn''t much.


    "They''re coming," Enna warned.


    "I can see that," I said.


    "Not from the front," she said tapping on my shoulder to get my attention. "They''re coming from the rear as well.


    I looked over my shoulder. "Shit¡­"


    After they''d regroup, the three-hundred we''d left behind were at our heels, chasing after us as if they were bats out of hell.


    "I believe you would call this being between a hammer and an anvil," Enna commented.


    "Well, you''re extra chatty tonight¡­" I complained.


    The enemy arrived all too soon, long before I had a chance to think up a counter ¡ª and we were suddenly in the thick of things again.


    At the head of their charge were twenty mounted soldiers, and leading them was a dark-haired, dark-skinned salamander who wielded a burning spear in his hand.


    "Enna, get ready!" I said.


    Then I charged ahead of my men and aimed the swifthart in the direction of Amon, the Shield of Rah. But before he and I could finally meet in battle, two of his followers got in my way, their shadowblades aimed at my neck.


    I blocked the first blow. Enna was kind enough to block the second. But the ferocity of their charge mixed with the force of their slashes threatened to unseat us, and we just barely managed to withstand their attacks. However, they did succeed in stopping my charge. It would cost them their lives though.


    Edo and Thom, despite being on foot had kept up with my swifthart. Then, in the next second, they engaged the two mounted salamanders, and while Edo and Thom distracted them, Enna and I went for the killing blow.


    It was about that time when Amon and the rest of his troops finally reached us, and it was like an outcropping of rocks getting struck by a mighty river, and we just barely managed to hold the line.


    "I applaud you, officer of the Trickster Pavilion!" Amon said in a raspy voice. "Your little tricks managed to reach my throat and force me to engage you myself."


    He raised an eyebrow at me just as his spear lunged for my chest.


    After I parried his attack, he laughed.


    "You must be the young commander who bested my lord at the Undercroft auction many months ago," he said. "He''s spoken of you at length, the boy touched with fire¡­ He bade all his officers strike you down if we ever met."


    I dodged a second spear attack while Enna attempted to attack him. He blocked her blow and sent the butt of his spear at her head. I parried that attack too.


    "Funny, I''m here to kill you too," I admitted.


    We exchanged another blow and then another with Enna backing me up when she could.


    Around us, the battle raged on with my guys getting the worse end of the stick as we were now beset from both our front and rear.


    The bastard, Amon, taunted me about it.


    "It seems your gamble failed, commander," he teased. "All that remains is the manner of your death and the total victory of the Dominion''s right army this night."


    "Are you sure about that?" I fired back. "Look behind you¡­"


    At first, he must have thought I was simply trying to distract him because he just scoffed at me, but after his men began shouting in alarm, Amon finally turned his head to look behind him.


    The eastern line of his square formation had been cut in half right down the middle, and passing through it were a number of riders from April''s forces.


    I realized that they must have broken off from the main battle just so they could aim for the general''s head.


    Funnily enough, the lead rider rode on a familiar-looking yellow swifthart. A creature of shadow and flame floated above her, burning a path for her to cross.


    And if Aura and her band were all that arrived, it would have been enough, but it seemed another group wanted to join the party.


    To the south, a number of riders had broken through the enemy and were now charging their way toward us at full speed. Luca rode at their head and his claymore gleamed under the spotlight of Idunn''s moon.


    "You were right the first time, Amon," I told my enemy. "My tricks have reached your throat."

 198 Bonfire

    "You want to know what the funny thing was," I sighed, "After all that planning and struggle, I didn''t even get to end the battle myself."


    "So, it really wasn''t you that dealt Amon the finishing blow?" my companion asked.


    "No, Luca did that¡­ cut his head clean off his neck with a single swing of his new claymore," I answered. "It was such a quick death that the body had dropped to the ground before the blood spurt started¡­"


    "I imagine that was a bit un-climactic for you?" my companion asked.


    I shook my head. "Nah, there was plenty of fun to be had for everyone leading up to the moment Luca did the deed."


    My companion chuckled. "I''m sure¡­ How exactly did Luca get from where he was to claim the enemy general''s head?"


    I picked up the piece of wooden stick on the ground and used it to stoke the bonfire my guest and I were sitting by.


    Below us, the sound of merrymaking was getting louder and louder.


    "Not going to tell them off for causing a ruckus?" my companion asked.


    "Nah," I chuckled. "After the night we''ve had, well, they deserve to enjoy themselves¡­ It''s almost dawn anyway¡­"


    I took a long sip of the drink in my hand and coughed it right out.


    "Easy there¡­ that''s a single malt blend. You don''t just chug it like that," my companion scolded.


    I spent another few seconds coughing, then after I was sure my throat hadn''t been burned, I took another swig of the liquid brown stuff ¡ª but slower this time.


    When I was done proving to my guest and myself that I was a man who could hold his liquor, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and said, "It is good stuff¡­"


    My companion chuckled. "So how''s about we get back to the story."


    "Where was I?" I asked.


    "You were telling me how Luca managed to beat you," my companion chuckled.


    "Ah, yes, the little brother outdoes the big brother¡­ it''s a classic tale," I chuckled too. I wasn''t about to feel bad that Luca had done a good job. In fact, I counted on it as I did tell him he had to slay a general in this war too. "Okay, so there we were knee-deep in enemies when Luca and Aurana had broken through the south and east lines¡­"


    I went on to tell my companion how Luca''s and Aura''s arrival had thrown the enemy in disarray as it was clear the hunters were about to become the hunted once again. I told him how Amon couldn''t rally his troops as Enna and I had kept him busy, attacking him relentlessly so that he couldn''t issue a single order to his men for fear of losing his life to us.


    "Aura arrived first, and that might have been the best," I explained. "She burnt a path along the enemy''s back that sent everyone into a panic and gave us even more room to breathe."


    Well, if that wasn''t a fishing expedition then I don''t know what was. But I wasn''t about to fall for his tactics. He may guess at who she really is but I have not and will never confirm it.


    "Right after that, Luca''s riders reached us, and like an arrow shot out of my own hand, he dashed right into the fray and cut down everyone between him and me and Amon," I explained. "Next thing you know, while I''m locking weapons with the dude, Luca jumps in from the back and he just cuts the guy''s head off¡­ and I don''t think he noticed I was there until after the deed was done."


    "Your brother''s got a gift for warfare, Dean," my companion whistled. "Saw it in him the first time I laid eyes on the kid¡­ It''s in the eyes¡ª"


    "Please don''t tell me you think Luca has a killer''s eyes," I countered.


    "Na-ah," my companion wagged a finger at me. "Didn''t say he had killer eyes¡­ more like determined¡­ single-minded¡­ a true berserker."


    Berserker ¡ª it was a word used to describe Luca''s reckless fighting style many times before by guys who''d trained with him like Edo and guys who trained him like Azuma. Hell, even I''d said that at one point.


    "It''s not because he''s crazy or a war freak or anything like that, man¡­ it''s his gift¡­ his stupid fairy gift makes him like that," I reasoned.


    "Yeah, I''ve stood beside and fought against viseres with gifts like that before," my companion admitted. "These guys tend to burn out quickly¡­ you should make sure your brother doesn''t go the same route."


    It was an ominous thought, one that made me take a longer swig of the whiskey in my cup.


    "How''d you even get this stuff into the Fayne?" I asked as I looked down at the remainder of the brown liquid in my cup.


    "There''s a trick to it¡­ as long as you''ve got something encased in Leprechaun gold you can bring it along with you into the Fayne," he said, as he poured himself another glass from the bottle in his other hand. "Smell that?"


    "Smells like gas actually¡­" I noted. "With a hint of wood and something smoked."


    "You''ve got a good nose," he chuckled. "Here I thought you were just good with your eyes."


    "Not as good as you, though," I tapped my nose.


    "Touch¨¦," He laughed out loud. "So what happened after your baby bro killed the general."


    "It was probably a stroke of pure genius on my part, but I yelled it out as loud as I could," I raised a fist into the air, "Luca Dapper of the Foolhardies has slain General Amon, Shield of Rah!"


    I hadn''t intended for my voice to carry down into the men below our sand dune, but those who heard my voice responded with a new war cry, "Luca! Luca! Luca!"


    "Smart," my companion agreed. "That did two things I imagine. Spread Luca''s name across the Fayne and get the enemy army to lose their morale really quickly¡­"


    "They buckled once they''d heard their general was lost, but I think Redbull rallying his troops and destroying two of the magnifiers had a part to play in or victory too," I explained.


    "No doubt," my companion sent me a curious glance, "but what did you do with the other two¡­ magnifiers, was it?"


    "Redbull destroyed the one but as a prize for the success of my plan, he''s allowing Zarz to inspect the last one before they break it," I answered.


    "Yeah, Redbull''s smart not to give it you outright," my companion mused. "I imagine a chosen one with a magnifier weapon would be something like a nuke."


    With that interesting image in both our heads, we toasted each other''s good health.


    "Okay, now will you tell me why you''re out here?" I asked. "Surely, it isn''t just so you could hear about our earlier victory¡­"


    "I was on my way to the Undercroft to liberate some slaves but you were close by so I took a detour to say hi," he answered.


    "Only you would cross so casually through a warzone without a care in the world," I laughed.


    "Yeah, well, you should be happy that I dropped by," he said conspiratorially, "Because I caught the scent of a few things on my way here you might find interesting¡­"


    I raised an eyebrow at him. "What will this intel cost me?"


    "Don''t worry, kid, you already paid it with good company and this ridiculously good barbecue here," he said just as he bit into the skewered meat he picked up from the plate between us. "Who cooked this? And how can I steal them from you?"


    "That''s a specialty of our unit''s cook, Alfie Monroe," I said proudly. "He was Mudgardian chef who got roped into becoming a visere by a pretty face."


    I recalled the face of the elf commander I slew on my very first outing with Luca, the one who''d held Alfie''s contract. Looking back on it now made me realize that it''s been over a year since Luca vanished into the Fayne. Man, it''s been a tough year.


    "So he owes you, huh?" my companion confirmed. "Guess he''ll be too loyal to get whisked away by me and mine."


    "Don''t even think about it," I said, pointing the tip of a barbecue stick at him. "So, what did you sniff out?"


    "What was his name? That guy whose butt I kicked along with Lord Rah?" my companion asked.


    "Ardeen Spellweaver¡­ why?" I asked.


    "I never forget a scent once I''ve come across it," he said while tapping on the bridge of his nose. "It just so happens¡­ while I went to pay my respects to your great general, I caught a whiff of that fairy''s scent on grumpy old Garm¡­ and it was a strong scent meaning it had been recent. No less than a day."


    "Seriously?" I asked, my brow furrowing. "That doesn''t really prove anything¡­"


    "I know¡­ which is why I sent my gals to check up on a hunch¡­ Dean," as he mentioned my name, my companion''s voice turned serious for the first time that night, "I think you''re about to get company, one you don''t want to be in¡­"


    "Are you sure about this?" my brow furrowing even more. "A hundred percent sure?"


    "Trust the nose, kiddo," he said, tapping on the tip of his nose this time. "I''m the Lord of Stars, and I can sense the stench of a badly cooked plot a mile away¡­ so watch your back."

 199 Exit Strategy

    Crazily enough, Chris Pint gave me this information right at the crack of dawn which left me little time to gather my most trusted officers in order to drop this bomb onto their laps too.


    "Are we sure the intel is accurate?" Luca asked.


    "The Lord of Stars is our ally now, Luca, so why would he feed us bad information?" Aura reminded him.


    "Why though?" Ashley asked. "He doesn''t strike me as the helpful type¡­"


    "Perhaps he just wants to mess with you, Commander?" Thom offered.


    "Only you would be that unpleasant, Thom," Thor countered.


    "Then let''s assume the intel is good, what should we do, Commander?" Varda asked.


    "Muddamnit, I hate those Scarlet Moon bastards¡­ why do they always want to complicate things," Qwipps added.


    "And the Lord of Stars is sure it was Ardeen Spellweaver''s scent?" Edo confirmed.


    "So, my former contractor is back to cause even more chaos," Azuma chuckled.


    I raised a hand to quiet all the voices that, sadly, weren''t just in my head.


    "Calm down, people," I ordered. "We always assumed Garm would try something shady¡­ so let''s figure out a strategy before I poof out of the Fayne in¡­"


    I looked down at the timepiece lying on the table we all sat around.


    "¡­ten minutes," I finished.


    Reminding everyone we were on the clock shut them all up.


    Varda raised a hand, and I nodded to her to let her know she could speak up.


    "Shouldn''t we verify the intel, Commander?" she considered.


    "Yeah, that''s the first thing we''re doing, I pointed a finger approvingly at her. "As much as I like and trust Chris Pint, game-breaking intel like this needs to be investigated¡­ Thom and Thor, you''re it."


    The two fairies ¡ª who I realized only recently really didn''t like each other ¡ª sent each other a steely-eyed glare. It was fine by me as I could just encourage them by making this a competition.


    "Your two squads are the best we have at gathering information¡­ so I want you both to gather as much of it by the time I get back tonight," I explained. "To make it fun, the one who provides the best intel gets a bonus of Leprechauns for their squad when we distribute the rewards from last night''s battle."


    This lit a fire in their torches, for sure.


    "We should contact the McCords too," Aura suggested.


    "Maybe inform our allies in this army as well," Edo suggested. "I''m not sure about Verania Folkor but Albert Sheridan and Dain Hammerhand are in the same boat as us."


    "I can understand Sheridan since he was with Darah''s camp too, but why Hammerhand?" Ashley asked.


    "Because Grimthorn''s loyalty lies with my brother and his council," Aura explained.


    "They don''t call him the Hound of Sh?rleden for nothing," Edo agreed.


    I nodded in agreement. "Varda, send Fila out to find the McCord twins asap. Then send Nike and Puma out to Al and Dain first. Afterward, Puma can head to Verania and warn her about a possible third party coming to play in this war¡­"


    "Roger, Commander¡­ be back in a jiffy," Varda said right before she stood from her chair and hurried out the tent.


    Luca''s eyes trailed after her. "Are we sure we want to send them unverified info?"


    "It may be unverified but there is precedence¡­ the Scarlet Moon interfered in our last war as well using a similar tactic," Azuma reminded Luca. "It''s not a stretch to consider they might try something similar again if there was someone willing to assist them in their endeavor¡­"


    "It won''t be Lord Rah either," I said. "That dude''s got the pride to match his title. He won''t accept help from a third party¡­ no, if there will be a betrayal, it''ll come from our own side."


    "Well, muddamn, don''t we all know a disgruntled great general who is slowly being ostracized by the ruling council?" Qwipps asked, rolling his eyes as he did.


    None of us bothered to answer him although we all agreed. If anyone would betray anyone, it would certainly be Garm.


    "Declaring himself against the council and Patriarch is a big risk," Aura mused out loud. "He would lose everything in this gamble¡­ his title, his lands, the years of trust and honor he''s built¡­"


    "None of which will matter if it eventually secures him the Patriarch''s seat," I countered.


    We were all silent again, and this awkward silence would last until Azuma broke it with a question.


    "So, what are we going to do about it, Commander?" he asked.


    I took a long glance at the map I kept sprawled over the table and took a few moments to consider our options. Eventually, though, the lightbulb inside my head lit up once again and the makings of a plan floated on the surface of my mind.


    "Qwipps, As soon as I''m gone, I want you to order Pike to take half of the Talons and travel to the oasis we''d kept hidden from everyone else," I ordered.


    "The one in the Pilgrimage''s map?" Qwipps grinned. "Gotcha."


    "Secure the oasis in case we need an escape route," I pointed at the oasis that wasn''t on any other map but ours and then dragged my finger south. "This oasis is the entrance to a narrow ravine that leads back south to Lover''s Embrace territory and away from Garm''s clutches, and it''s just the right size to fit a company as big as ours."


    "An escape route is good but isn''t that a worst-case scenario?" Ashley asked. "Tell me you''ve got other backup plans in mind."


    I picked up the cup in front of me and began to chug down the water inside it before I asked them another question.


    "What do you guys think of Redbull and Llewellyn?" I asked.


    "Only you, Aura, and Edo have actually met Llewellyn," Luca reminded me. "But Redbull seems like a stand-up guy¡­ he seems to like you too."


    "He''s at least crazy enough to let you go through with your foolhardy plans," Ashley added. "And it only cost him half his army this time."


    There were a few nods at this comment. Only Aura seemed to be shaking her head.


    "If you''re thinking of flipping either of them to our side, I''m afraid it won''t be easy if at all possible," Aura declared.


    "Redbull may appreciate our value and that''s why he''s a good general, but he''s the most stubborn satyr I know and they''re all stubborn ¡ª he won''t betray Garm for no reason and he''s probably very loyal to him," Edo expounded on Aura''s statement.


    "As for Llewellyn, well, she''s a brilliant strategist and Garm''s most trusted advisor so it would be very likely that he has already taken her into his confidence regarding any possible betrayals," Aura added. "The same could be true for Redbull¡­"


    I leaned back on my chair feeling a tiny bit frustrated by what they''d said, and although I knew it was a long shot, I hoped we might have a chance at turning one or both of them to our cause.


    "So¡­ it would be too risky to approach either one of them," Luca pondered.


    "Yes," Aura nodded. "We''d be tipping our hand¡­"


    "We''ll need a distraction in case we need to make a getaway," I said. "Azuma, work with Zarz on this and tell him it might be time for Grog soon¡­"


    Azuma nodded although he didn''t know what I meant. He would at least have an inkling of what kind of distraction we''d need.


    "We''ll work with the other independent units for now, although I''m pretty sure we''re all being watched already,?? I reasoned.


    "Yes, there is most likely already a spy among the soldiers General Redbull lent us," Thom suggested. "I think a restructure is in order."


    "Ashley, this will be your task. As a shieldmaiden you can ask questions without anyone suspecting you outright," I explained. "Take a survey of the new guys and find me any irregularities¡­ we need to know who we can take with us if necessary because I doubt everyone''s a spy."


    "Understood," she said right before her brow furrowed. "And once I identify these irregularities?"


    "Don''t do anything to tip our hand but mark them for what they are," I answered.


    It was around this time, a minute or two to dawn, when Varda finally returned with new orders from the Great General himself.


    "We''ve been ordered to sortie, Commander," Varda offered me the scroll in her hand. "It''ll be a surprise against the Dominion while they''re recuperating from their losses last night¡­"


    Luca rose from his seat. "Garm''s aware that Dean won''t be around until twilight, right?"


    "He can''t use the anchoring ring consecutively," Aura added as she too rose from her seat.


    "I said that to the messenger who''d given me the order but he said the Great General doesn''t mind if the Commander is taking a break because he believes the unit can manage without you, Commander," Varda revealed. "And that''s not all¡­"


    I pulled open the scroll and read its contents out loud. One thing really stuck out.


    "The Foolhardies will be moved to Garm''s central army vanguard," I said, feeling my voice waver with each word. I raised my eyes toward the others who were all standing now and looking back at me. "Damn, he''s got us¡­"

 200 Bedtime Worries

    I expected betrayal, the death of comrades that had stood by me for a year, or even a harrowing journey of escape while being pursued by determined foes. These were the sorts of scenarios running through my mind all day.


    So color me surprised when I returned to the Fayne later that night and found nothing amiss apart from the fact that my unit was currently in the midst of celebrating their most recent victory without me.


    It was quite the let-down because I''d been spending all of that Monday daytime worrying like an idiot when, apparently, I had nothing to worry about. Even more worrisome was the fact that they didn''t need me to win a battle, and that really stung, although I did my best to hide it.


    "Did you guys get enough rest?" I asked.


    "Sure," Luca waved away my concern with a wave of his hand. "Also, Great General Garm''s putting us in the reserves for the rest of the night as a reward for our performance today."


    "Sounds like you guys did really well¡­ although I still can''t believe Garm''s rewarding us," I guessed, but in truth, I was actually fishing.


    "We were ayt," Luca shrugged.


    Luca never said ''ayt'' unless he was trying to downplay something. It was a habit from his days as a jock where he didn''t want to upstage my top grades with his stellar athletic performance. It was unnerving to hear again after a year of not hearing it.


    Yeah, I know. I was spiraling for no good reason, but my ego was bruised just a little bit. Enough for me to grill my brother on today''s events looking for every small detail of failure I could use to make myself feel better. Yes, yes, I was a needy f**ker sometimes. But they say all the great leaders were a bit narcissistic, and I was hardly what you''d call self-absorbed¡­ right?


    Luca told me of today''s events, how he and Aura led the Foolhardies in the center army''s vanguard as they ambushed an oasis that the enemy was in the midst of fortifying, thereby destroying the hastily raised fortifications and giving the army a better chance at claiming that territory for the Trickster Pavilion in tonight''s battle.


    Strangely enough, I couldn''t find a flaw in their strategy, a strategy my officers had cooked up together ¡ª and that was the moment my neediness transformed into one of pride. I felt great pride over the fact that my guys managed to handle things so well without needing me to tell them what to do. That was growth, and I wasn''t such a dirt-bag that I couldn''t appreciate that sort of growth.


    It was only after I''d calmed down that Aura decided to tell me that she did wish I was there to lead them and that the pressure she and Luca felt trying to emulate my leadership was, in her words, "Extremely intense."


    "So, I guess we can take it easy tonight in the reserves, huh?" I asked again.


    Aura nodded. "But don''t worry. Everyone hasn''t forgotten our conversation at dawn and your orders regarding this have been followed to the letter."


    She would fill me in on how Pike had left at dawn with a few of Qwipps'' most trusted pixies, and that we were just waiting to hear word of their arrival at the secret oasis.


    "Puma, Fila and Nike returned sometime before twilight and informed me that they''d completed their assignments," Aura explained. "Fila confirmed that the McCords were nowhere in the desert area¡­ apparently, Ardeen Spellweaver''s unit is supporting the war effort against the Hermitage¡­"


    "But that makes no sense," I countered. "Chris Pint said he''d smelled Ardeen''s scent the other night¡­"


    "I know and I don''t think the Lord of Stars would lie about something like that, especially not to a fellow sense knight," Aura agreed. "But unless Ardeen Spellweaver has mastered teleportation then I don''t know what to say¡­"


    "Teleportation doesn''t exist in the Fayne. I know, I''ve looked it up many times before, but there''s no magic that allows instantaneous travel apart from the one that allows for travel between Mudgard and the Fayne," I countered. "You''ve been talking to Ty too much¡­"


    Aura laughed. "I believe his exact phrasing for it was to ''beam'' someone up?"


    After we''d laughed some more at Ty''s expense, which he didn''t know as he was out of earshot at the moment, Aura told me that Verania, Dain and, Al had been informed of the suspicions of the Scarlet Moon''s interference.


    "Both Dain and Al have sent us their thanks and informed us that they''ll keep a lookout," Aura told me.


    "And Verania?" I asked although I could already guess at her answer.


    "Verania told us to mind our own business," Aura said with a roll of her eyes.


    "Yup, that''s Verania alright," I chuckled. Then my face turned serious as I leaned into Aura and asked about Thom''s and Thor''s missions. "Any word on them?"


    Aura shook her head. "Neither of them could leave during the day''s battle so I only just watched them head out half an hour before you arrived. About fifty of their most worthy spies were sent out including the two of them¡­ we should hear more before the night ends."


    But when the night did end ¡ª with us stuck in the reserves unit with nothing to do ¡ª no words from either Thom or Thor came.


    "You haven''t heard back from your cousin, Enna?" I asked the drow who was part of my personal fire-team ¡ª my term for the special squad who joined me on my personal missions.


    "No, Commander," Enna said with a shake of her head. "But you needn''t be concerned as he tends not to send word until he has proof or no proof could be found."


    I knew she had a point and that I shouldn''t have to worry, but I couldn''t help it. That was just how I was wired. Sadly, that''s how my night ended in the Fayne, and it was a bit of a repeat to yesterday''s worrying.


    However, the very next night back in the Fayne, two things caused my furrowed brow to deepen even more.


    First, there was no word from either Thom or Thor yet again. Not even an update on their tasks. Second, the Foolhardies was ordered to remain in the central army''s reserves. Not that I didn''t mind my men getting a second night''s reprieve from battle, but that also meant another night where we weren''t earning glory on the battlefield. And from what I heard later that night, we would have been pretty useful.


    Unlike yesterday''s successful sortie into enemy territory, tonight''s battle between Garm''s fifty thousand center army and Lord Rah''s seventy thousand center army was mostly a stare down contest. Apart from a few skirmishes in the vanguard, the day ended fairly uneventful.


    The very next night was the same as the last. We Foolhardies were told to stay with the reserves while Garm barely sent out any forces to attack Rah''s position apart from the small battles at the front. In contrast, the battles in the south and north battlefronts were really ramping up.


    Thanks to our slaying of General Amon, a new, less experienced replacement had filled his shoes as leader of the now lesser fifty thousand right army.


    Yeah, we''d whittled down their numbers by at least thirty thousand soldiers. Sadly, there were still more of them than Redbull''s remaining thirty-eight thousand left army. He''d lost nearly half of his manpower in our attempt of slaying Amon.


    Still, Redbull''s army was high in morale after our big victory, and they''d managed to push the enemy''s lines in the south further back than any other battlefield.


    Meanwhile, in the north, the battle was neck and neck between Llewellyn''s fifty thousand strong right army and the Dominion''s sixty thousand strong left army. Apparently, Llewellyn, who like me was a strategic-type general, was fighting against a different type of general who used instinct to foil Llewellyn''s tactical plans.


    The battle in the north was the kind of battle where I would have inserted a wild card like the Foolhardies to shake things up. Sadly, I wasn''t the supreme leader of our army, and therefore, could only wait in the reserves while shit hit the fan.


    Oh, don''t think I didn''t try to change our fate because I did. In fact, I requested several meetings with the Great General, even using my status as one of his tacticians to get into one of his meetings, but no joy. The bastard was boxing me out.


    I could guess he didn''t want a repeat of my last two victories and he simply couldn''t trust his two subordinates in the right and left armies not to use me. So he was keeping us locked in the reserves and out of the spotlight.


    That''s how my second night in the reserves ended ¡ª with no chance to claim glory or riches.


    Finally, on the third night where we were once again told to stay put at the back of the lines, I''d heard news from both Thom and Thors who''d finally resurfaced. But with the way they disappeared, I guess I shouldn''t have been surprised when they came back with bad tidings.

 201 The Spy Gone North

    "What did you guys find out?" I asked.


    The two squad leaders, both of whom looked bedraggled and tired, gave each other knowing looks.


    It was weird how they were suddenly in sync when they were arguing like a divorced couple only a few days ago.


    Thom was the first to speak out.


    "They''re definitely here," he revealed. "Hiding to the north, behind our own lines¡­"


    "Shit," I replied.


    Thom took a sip from the water flask in his hand. Then he took a long breath and breathed in the cold desert air.


    "After we found them my men and I infiltrated their ranks," he admitted.


    That made sense, I thought. They were drow too so they''d fit in among drow units in the Scarlet Moon''s army.


    "They''ve got a hundred thousand soldiers lying in wait to ambush Lord Rah''s forces once they''re called to service by Great General Garm," Thom added. "This was confirmed by the thousand-man commander I managed to kidnap¡­"


    "What else did he tell you?" I asked.


    Thom''s eyes turned left and then right. He was obviously scanning our surroundings, but seeing as we were meeting at the top of a sand dune east of the reserve army, I wasn''t overly worried about eavesdroppers.


    We could still see the tail-end of the reserves on our left with the flag of the Foolhardies rising toward the backline.


    I had members from both Thom''s and Thor''s units return to the Foolhardies to get some rest which meant there were only a few of us now who could hear their tale.


    "Although an agreement has been made, they have yet to finalize it¡­ I believe a final requirement is yet to be provided from Garm''s end," Thom explained.


    He was surprisingly chatty. I expected him to make me work for the information he was readily giving me, but that might be more proof that our situation was direr.


    "Garm plans to defect to the Scarlet Moon," Thom revealed. "And with his victory in the Westersand, he''ll be able to rest control of the entire Westmarch away from both the Trickster Pavilion and the Sunspire Dominion¡­ and then lord over it as a governor for the Scarlet Moon."


    "More like a puppet," Luca butt in.


    I was inclined to agree with him. Whatever they promised him, I doubt they would cede total control to Garm, an outsider.


    "I¡­ I can''t believe who would go to these lengths to betray my brother and I," Aura said with downcast eyes.


    The frown on her face now was one I didn''t want to see.


    "What else did this captured commander tell you?" I urged Thom on.


    "Agents of the Scarlet Moon have been embedded into Garm''s army as their spies," Thom revealed. "I don''t believe they fully trust the Great General."


    "A traitor can''t be trusted no matter what," Edo growled.


    Thom chuckled. "Well, that''s all the intel I have¡­ Unfortunately, my source expired during the interrogation¡­"


    "I went hunting," Thom pulled out his katana''s handle and caressed it with long fingers. "I thought the hunting of a few commander heads could help sow a bit of chaos¡­"


    "How many did you get?" I asked.


    "Nine hundred-man commanders, four five-hundred-man commanders, and two thousand-man commanders," he boasted. "You''d be proud, Dean."


    "So you were the reason their guard was up," Thor said with a shake of his head.


    "What about you Thor?" I asked. "I noticed there are fewer of you that returned."


    "Like the drow, we discovered the enemy in the desert, but not their army," Thor said. "Instead, we found small units roaming the north desert¡­ and we engaged them to learn more information."


    "That''s why you lost a few people," I noted.


    Thor nodded. "Some died in the fight, and after we learned what we learned, a few others died in the escape¡­"


    "The escape?" Luca repeated.


    "I''m sorry, boss," Thor said, lowering his head as he did. "But there were too many enemies for us to fight and although we learned much, I couldn''t send you back the intel because we were forced to seek refuge with our right army¡­"


    "You were in Llewellyn''s grasp," I realized.


    "When soldiers loyal to the great bastard, Garm, learned we were members of your unit, they imprisoned me and my fellow kobolds," Thor whinnied. "And we were kept under makeshift cages for a day and a night¡­"


    "F*ck," I whispered. "Llewellyn''s an enemy after all¡­"


    Thor nodded while he continued to whinny. "She interrogated me¡­ wanted to know what I learned and if I''d passed that information to you yet¡­"


    Thor looked up at me and I could see the apparent loyalty in his eyes.


    "But I wouldn''t answer no matter what they did to me, boss," Thor said, turning around so we can see just what they''d done to him. "They cut off my tail on the second night but even then I wouldn''t speak¡­"


    A kobold''s tail was like a third arm or foot. It supported the kobold''s balance among other neat uses that a human could never have. The loss of a tail was like the loss of a limb.


    The sight of the furry stump popping out of the hole in his breeches ¡ª breeches tailored for kobold-specific wear ¡ª angered me so much I momentarily saw red.


    "Llewellyn did this to you?" Aura asked sounding and looking aghast.


    Thor whinnied again. He didn''t speak.


    I patted his head like I would my favorite dog ¡ª which was a form of endearment and wasn''t me looking down on him ¡ª and said, "You did good¡­"


    My voice cracked a bit but I didn''t mind, Thor had proven his loyalty many times over the past few months and this torture done to him would be avenged.


    "I promise, I''ll make this right," I said to him.


    He shook his head, his ears pricking up as I continued to stroke his head.


    "You caring is more than I can ask for, boss," He said. "I am your loyal servant, after all¡­"


    "How did you escape, Thor?" Aura asked in a kind tone.


    "Verania sent men in secret to break us out¡­ she told me to tell the lady," Thor turned his bright blue eyes on Aura, "that you''re even now for the information our sprite delivered to her."


    Aura''s eyes widened in surprise, and then, after her lips formed a wan smile, she said, "At least we know she''s taking things seriously¡­"


    "Not that I want to belittle our friend''s obvious sacrifice," Thom interrupted. "But you said you discovered information? I assume it was different from mine?"


    Thor nodded his head. "Yes, yes¡­ I found out that the black woman is here."


    "The black¡­ woman?" Luca asked. "Do we know anyone with that monicker?"


    "The one who slew my kobold friends in the Undercroft¡­ the one you fought in the alleyway, she is here closeby," Thor revealed.


    Then it clicked. The Lord of Stars said he''d smelled Ardeen Spellweaver''s scent when he met with Garm but what if he''d smelled someone else, someone who was always seen close to Ardeen''s side, and would possibly have carried his scent.


    The implications of why she''d have his scent made me blush, and seeing the bright apple tinge of Luca''s cheeks, I assumed he thought the same thing I did. Luckily, no one else noticed. After all, I didn''t want Aura to think I was thinking about such green-minded thoughts.


    "That''s not all¡­ I also learned that she''d been sent to Garm to receive the prisoners he''d promised them," Thor revealed.


    He''d paused afterward, and I was only half-certain that it wasn''t for dramatic effect, but a moment later, he raised a claw at Luca, then at me, and finally, at Aura.


    We didn''t need an explanation to figure out why he''d pointed at us.


    "It would make sense for Dean to be a target¡­ maybe even Luca so they can use him as a hostage to coerce Dean into whatever Ardeen Spellweaver wants him to do," Edo mused. "But why would they want Aura too?"


    "Because they know or at least suspect at who she is," Thom answered. "You three must be the final requirement the Scarlet Moon asked of Garm for their support¡­"


    Edo hefted his glaive in his hands. "Dean, I think it''s time we abandoned our post¡­ it''s too dangerous to linger."


    "You know, I think you''re right, Edo," I answered. "The safety of Aura now has to be our first priority. Let''s get out of here and report our findings to Darah."


    Some of my friends think I''m the unluckiest guy in two worlds. That might have been true. At the very least, fate tended to throw me a curveball every time I expected a straight pitch to come my way.


    Tonight was no different for no sooner had I said what I said when the sand around us exploded like tiny geysers. And even before the sand settled back onto the ground, we saw the shadowy figures that had popped out from the ground.


    Apparently, my guys had unknowingly led the enemy right to us, and now our small group was surrounded by murderous intentions.

 202 Redcap

    "Ambush!" Luca yelled.


    "We know!" I answered. "Back-to-back formation!"


    At my command, Luca, Aura, Edo, Thom, and Thor pulled pack toward me, and with our backs against each other, we formed a tight circle formation that gave us a clear three-hundred-sixty view of our immediate surroundings.


    The fairies that had jumped out of the sand were short, thickset creatures with skinny limbs armed with talons and grisly hair streaming down their shoulders. They had wide murderous-looking faces with bulbous red eyes and mouths filled with rows of fangs.


    "They''re redcaps!" Edo warned. "I hate redcaps!"


    Edo called them redcaps on account of the pointed red caps on their heads that was the signature mark for an organization of highly-proficient goblin assassins known to work exclusively with the northern clans.


    There were twenty of them, all armed to the teeth with sharp-edged shadowblades to supplement their other signature mark, the scythe-and-chain weapons they were now twirling in the air.


    "Ah, I haven''t seen a kusarigama in a very long time," Thom noted as he pointed toward the chain weapons. "These redcaps mean business."


    Somehow, I didn''t get a sense of danger from his tone, almost as if he wasn''t at all worried that we were outnumbered and in a really bad position at that moment.


    "Dodge the iron weight at the end of their chains or it''ll be hard to remove if you get entangled," Edo recommended. "Now!"


    More than a dozen heavy iron weights were launched from one end of the attackers'' chains, all of them headed toward our collective heads. Luckily, we all heeded Edo''s call and ducked at the same time to avoid them


    The sound of metal slamming against metal above us reached our ears but it was quickly replaced by the rattling of chains that were being dragged back through the air.


    "What''s the plan, Dean?" Luca asked as our heads came up once more.


    Even with Fool''s Insight activating almost instantly, seconds were all I had to take everything in and then translate all that visual information into a viable plan that hopefully wouldn''t get us all killed. But at this point, I''d become a master of on-the-fly tactics.


    "Aura, prepare your Heat Mirage and let''s give these guys something to think about," I ordered. "Edo, you watch her back until her spell''s finished."


    I raised my falchion forward and adopted the high-guard stance.


    "Luca, go Primal and bleed these bastards with your reckless attacks," I ordered. "Thor, you watch his back¡­"


    Ordering my brother to activate the new power of his fairy gift, Foolish Strength, was basically asking him to hulk out on the battlefield. It was a double-edged sword, one I loathed to use, but times were desperate.


    "Thom, cover our backs with your bow," I said lastly.


    However, none of us dodged. We didn''t need to as we''d switched mindsets from prey to predator. Edo blocked several of the heavy iron weights with a sweep of his glaive. I parried five on my own. Luca and Thor dealt with the remainder.


    We took extra care to only divert the attacks out of our way so our own shadowblades wouldn''t get entangled by the enemy''s chains. But we also had to watch out for the chains jerking our way as the enemy manipulated their weapons while in flight.


    "Spirits of the sacred flame, let hear scorch my enemy''s vision and bring to life what I envision," Aura chanted. "Heat Mirage!"


    The last of Aura''s newest spells was more of a utility spell rather than one that caused damage. However, if used in the right circumstances then it becomes far more useful than summoning an efreet and going overkill.


    With a final snapping of fingers, Aura''s spell was cast, and it was a doozy to watch.


    Suddenly, there were two of me and two of Luca and two of Edo and two of ¡ª well, you guys get the picture.


    Aura had created doppelgangers of us, and although these were nothing more than mere illusions, I bet they were more than enough to confuse the enemy ¡ª which is exactly what happened, and if things weren''t so dire, I''d have laughed out loud at this interesting spell.


    That said, I and my doppelganger charged, and just like a certain orange-jacket-wearing ninja from my favorite anime, I used the other me to distract the two redcaps who went ahead and attacked him.


    And even after their shadowblades went right through the illusion, they still kept hacking at it.


    This got me thinking ¡ª for celebrated assassins these guys were sort of dumb. Not that I was complaining as their lack of awareness made it so much easier to dispatch the two redcaps in two swings of my falchion.


    "Do not be gentle in thy fight," Luca and doppelganger Luca chanted together, "Rage, rage against evil with all thy might!"


    That was the chant that signaled Luca was now raging against the redcaps on his side, and I expected to hear many death screams soon.


    "Death to the heathen!" A redcap roared in its guttural tongue just as it leaped toward me with the scythe part of its weapon aimed for my neck.


    "I''ve never been called a heathen before!" I replied as my falchion parried his attack.


    Then came the chain that would have wrapped around my neck and choke me, but I pulled back at the last second to avoid. This, unfortunately, put me in the path of the heavy iron weight that would have knocked my head off its shoulders if Fool''s Insight hadn''t predicted the chain''s flight path.


    I ducked. "Muddamit, you guys have got some interesting moves!"


    However, before I could retaliate against my attacker, I raised my eyes to him only to find two black-feathered arrows sticking out of his back.


    "Better late than never, Thom," I yelled in gratitude.


    I looked over my shoulder to check on the others and discovered I didn''t have to worry because they were all doing just fine.


    There were four dead redcaps near Luca''s spot, and although he was bleeding from a few cuts on his arms and leg, he was eagerly hacking and slashing away at a fifth redcap with his claymore.


    Watching this scene, I kind of pitied the redcap. It was getting overwhelmed by Luca''s reckless attacks and it was only a matter of time before it ¡ª and~~d its head just went flying ¡ª geez.


    I turned away from the gruesome scene and switched to watching Thor parry the scythe a redcap had thrown at Luca''s back. Then, in a quick flick of his arm, Thor threw one of his scimitars straight into the chest of the redcap that had attacked them, killing it just like that.


    My gaze switched to Aura and Edo who worked very well together. No, I wasn''t worried about them, but I did want to see how they were doing.


    True to form, Edo had already dispatched half a dozen redcaps with his glaive, and I suspected by the way they were lined up in a loose circle around him that he''d used his Death Cyclone move that I renamed for him.


    Aura was standing where I''d left her and twirling her staff around to fire firebolts at redcaps hanging around Edo.


    A redcap managed to get under Edo and attack her but it was quickly dispatched by an arrow launched from the drow behind her.


    Immediately after he''d killed the redcap that had lunged for Aura, Thom turned in my direction and fired another arrow my way.


    Luckily, I didn''t move and let the arrow just zoom past my head to hit the redcap whose ragged breathing I could hear behind me.


    I turned around and watched the redcap ¡ª whose neck had been pierced by Thom''s arrow ¡ª stumbled to within my range. I didn''t even mean to slash at him but I did.


    The iron scent of blood wafted up to me from the body falling by my feet, causing my nose to wrinkle in disgust.


    "Let''s wrap this up!" I ordered.


    A chorus of "Ayes!" reached my ears, causing me to smile.


    Another assassination plot foiled. Well, based on the intel Thor and Thom had given me, I guess assassination probably wasn''t the end goal here. Abduction was more likely the case. Either way, the enemy failed yet again, and we Foolhardies triumphed once more.


    Speaking of the other Foolhardies, as I stood there slightly covered in redcap blood, my eyes gazing out at my surroundings while my companions slaughtered the remainder of our enemies, I noticed that to the west of us, riders bearing our banners were making haste toward our party.


    "Cavalry''s here!" I yelled.


    "Better late than never," Aura yelled back.


    "Yeah," I chuckled.


    It was very short-lived, for as I watched our riders come closer, further behind them I saw the signs of battle beginning. There was just one problem with this scenario. We were in the reserves, toward the very back of our center army''s line. So who the hell was my unit fighting against?

 203 Crisis Managemen

    "Hold the line!" I heard Ashley yell as our entourage approached the back of our unit that was now in the midst of weathering the attacks of over four thousand soldiers from Garm''s center army reserve.


    The Foolhardies had survived for this long only because my officers managed to rally our men before it was too late.


    "Luca, gather three-hundred soldiers and build me a wing to the left of Ashley''s shield wall. Edo, take three-hundred soldiers and form a right wing," I ordered. "Thom you go with Edo. Thor will join Luca."


    I looked over my to see who was left.


    Xanthor''s cavalry had come to pick us up, and they were nice enough to bring our mounts with them.


    "Xanthor, I want you to take a hundred riders and harass the enemy''s right flank once you see that we''ve secured our lines," I ordered. "For now, I want you to assist in pinning the enemy riders down¡­ thankfully, there wasn''t much cavalry in the reserves¡­ mostly heavy and light infantry."


    I glanced over at Aura next.


    "You and me will head for the center¡­ Get your squad to create some distance between us and the enemies to give our guys enough room to breathe and reform the lines then make sure your squad evacuates to the back of the center and out of enemy range," I ordered.


    Aura nodded wordlessly at me, but I saw that that she''d been gripping the reins of Starlight so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.


    She had every right to be anxious because we were in dire straits once again, but this time we''d been caught off-guard ¡ª and I didn''t think we''d ever been in that kind of crisis before.


    I rode Myth Chaser forward and past the rows of soldiers who''d moved aside to let me pass. My heart warmed at the sight of these vets, who, despite the situation, were moving in orderly fashion and in tune to the officers'' commands.


    From my peripheral, I watched as both Edo and Luca called on their men and several others in order to bring my plan to life.


    "Hurry," I whispered. "We can''t afford to dally¡­"


    I arrived just five yards away from Ashley''s shield wall. They were a group of two hundred soldiers that stretched out in single file to brace against the tide of enemies rushing at them.


    Behind this wall, Qwipps'' Talons and Varda''s Troublemakers waited to shore up the defences and spent their time lobbing arrows and stones into the enemy''s frontline.


    I dismounted and passed Myth Chaser''s reins to Jensen who was sporting an arrow wound on his right shoulder.


    How did I know it was an arrow wound, you ask? Well, that was because the arrow was still sticking out of him.


    "Give me a quick breakdown of the situation now," I ordered.


    "¡ªwhich this is," I interrupted. "Sorry, continue¡­"


    "The enemy noticed but they weren''t fast enough to get into an attack position which is why we managed to keep them back while continuing our withdrawal to the south step by step per your instructions," Jensen finished. "Of our thousand-man unit, we''ve lost forty-three so far¡­"


    "What of Redbull''s reinforcements?" I asked as they were definitely a concern given the situation.


    "Most remain loyal to the unit and don''t understand why we''re being attacked by the others," Jensen explained. "However, we''ve corralled and tied up fifty who''d begun attacking us from behind in an obvious coordinated effort with the enemy."


    "How''d you do that so quickly?" I asked.


    "The chosen one¡­ he stopped their movements by freezing them in place," Jensen said, pointing to our immediate right where a small outcropping of ice gleamed against the light of Idunn.


    "Sweet," I whistled just as I patted Jensen on the shoulder. "Good job. Now tell your boys to raise the banners¡­ let the enemy know that the Commander is back and I am pissed."


    Aura caught up with me just as I squeezed my way toward Qwipps and Varda who were finding the time to argue despite our situation.


    "Looks like Redbull wasn''t in on Garm''s plot, otherwise all his reinforcements would have gone against us," I told her.


    "Thanks the spirits for small favors," she replied. "That means we can resume south and then southwest to the oasis like you planned."


    "Pike and her team are already waiting to receive us, but maybe I should have sent Qwipps or Varda instead," I reasoned as I dropped in on the duo and smacked them both in the back of the head. "Alright, I don''t want to hear it¡­ just give me a sitrep."


    "Our line''s not going to hold much longer, Commander," Varda answered quickly. "Ashley''s doing all she can to keep the enemy from overwhelming us but they''re getting pushed back mighty easily."


    "I keep telling Varda that''s what we want to happen, Dean," Qwipps countered. But the stubborn dwarf just won''t listen¡­"


    "The retreat the Commander wants doesn''t include Ashley''s shield wall breaking down, Qwipps," Varda fired back.


    "Alright, alright, I get it¡­ you''re both right¡­ let''s leave it at that," I said, nipping this argument in the bud. "Qwipps, how many of your fliers can you count on for an aerial bombardment?"


    "A third of my squad are prepared for the manoeuvre," he answered quickly.


    "Gather those guys and head to our supply wagons and then get Shanks to set you up with some hardware¡­ I want you in the air as soon as you''re lock and loaded," I ordered.


    "The rest of my guys?" he asked in a concerned tone.


    "They''ll stick with Varda''s unit and provide range support for the front," I instructed.


    "I''m fine with that Commander, but it''ll be a waste of the dwarven heavy infantry in my unit," Varda protested.


    "You keep your range fighters but I''m taking your heavy infantry with me where I need to go," I said.


    "Sure, Commander," Varda said just before she spared me a sidelong glance, "Um, where will you be going?"


    "I''ll let you know once I figure that out," I answered.


    "Arrows incoming!" Someone yelled.


    I looked up and saw the sky go dark as arrows blanketed the sky.


    "Aura!" I screamed.


    As fast as snapping fingers, Aura raised her staff to the sky and yelled out a quick chant, "Spirits of the sacred flame defend me from those who mean me harm. Breathe life into my shield of flame!"


    A brilliant flash of light spread out above us as a series of interconnected lines and swirls appeared over our heads and took the shape of a fiery shield that covered maybe most of our frontline.


    "How much mana did you just waste for that ridiculously huge shield?" I asked.


    "Enough that I won''t be able to summon the efreet tonight," she whispered as she maintained concentration on her spell.


    Most of the enemy''s arrows burned away as they pierced Aura''s shield. The rest just bounced off. However, each one of them weakened the spell which demanded even more of Aura''s power just to maintain.


    "Release the shield after the next volley," I ordered.


    "But¡ª"


    "¡ªkeeping it up for one more volley will tell the enemy we have a mage strong enough to do just that," I interrupted her. "They''ll think twice before wasting more resources."


    Aura nodded after a few seconds. I could guess that she found no flaw in my logic.


    A second volley of arrows did come but they were fewer than the first. After Aura blocked this volley, no third attack came.


    And while Aura undid her spell, I ordered Qwipps and Varda to get on with their tasks. Then, after I''d made sure Aura wasn''t overly fatigued, I moved forward and made my way to where Ashley was.


    "How''re you guys doing?" I asked from just a few feet behind her.


    "Kind of busy, Dean," she grunted. "Hold the muddamn line, boys and girls!"


    "Ash, I''m going to need you to switch to phalanx formation once Edo and Luca have their right and left wings ready," I explained. "That way, you''ll have a smaller, sturdier line of three to four rows."


    "I know that, Dean," she replied. "Hold on!"


    Ashley shoved her shield forward just as she stabbed her spear into the space between to skewer whoever was harassing her from the other side of her wall.


    She spared a second to look over her shoulder to address me, "Just let me know when to do it¡­ my men know what to do."


    "Good," I nodded. "I''ll let you know in a bit¡­"


    I doubled back to where I''d left Aura and found a hundred heavily armored dwarves waiting for me.


    "Here''s your honor guard, Commander," Varda waved a hand at her men. "Use them as much as you want."


    "Thanks," I sat in a lotus position on the sand beside Aura. "How about you guys cover my butt and keep me safe for now¡­ I have to see what''s going from up high¡­"

 204 Phalanx

    A little less than nine-hundred Foolhardies against the remaining four-thousand soldiers of the center army''s reserves ¡ª we''d faced worse odds.


    From my vantage point in the sky, I could see how it was all arrayed.


    Our position in the back of the center army''s line was so far away from the central battlefield that I doubt Garm ¡ª who was currently leading his soldiers at the front ¡ª could know what was happening apart from reports sent to him by his subordinates in the reserves.


    If nothing else, I would make him pay for looking down on us and not handling us himself. That would be his fatal mistake.


    East of us, I saw activity on the hill fort covering Verania''s Oasis. The troops there were mobilizing as well, but since I knew they couldn''t leave that spot unattended, I doubt they''d send more than a hundred or three as reinforcements for our current enemies.


    "Just how deep does your betrayal go, Garm," I wondered aloud.


    Directly below me, our right and left wings had successfully separated from our center, creating a much larger line that could theoretically hold back the enemy attack that would have encircled us and cut off our escape.


    "Aura, can you get Jensen to send word to Luca¡­ Use the flags to move his troops down and away from the enemy while maintaining his phalanx formation," I ordered.


    "That would put our line at an angle, wouldn''t it?" Aura asked.


    "Yeah," I answered. "That''ll make the enemy overextend on the left¡­ which is what we need them to do."


    "And why do we need them to do that?" she pressed.


    "Because whoever''s in charge is currently located on their east wing," I explained. "You know what that means¡­"


    "Another round of commander hunting," Aura said, and I could just about feel her rolling her eyes at me.


    "Best way to disperse this crowd," I answered. "Let Xanthor''s guys know where to go too¡­ I want them to harass the enemy right wing''s flank as soon as they overextend themselves."


    "Roger that, Commander," Aura answered. "And what will you be doing?"


    "I''m heading to the right wing with Varda''s warriors," I said.


    The right wing, which I could see now was just beginning to clash with the enemy''s left wing, was the key. If Edo could keep the enemy occupied long enough for me and Varda''s soldiers to assault their side, we might just win this battle.


    That sounds a little too easy, I know. But the enemy, like us, had adopted a standard phalanx formation. Now, here''s the thing about the phalanx. It is extremely strong at the front where all the momentum is located, but the sides are a little less defensible on account of all the shields being aimed forward.


    This made a crack troop of heavily-armored dwarven warriors who were experienced at breaking walls the ideal hammer for such a task.


    "Roger, Commander," Varda answered. "Happy hunting!"


    "Send a runner to Ashley," I added. "Tell her to switch to phalanx now."


    "We''ve got this, Commander," Varda finished. "Go do what you do best already!"


    With that vote of confidence, I zoomed out of tactical view and back to solid ground although I kept Fool''s Insight activated in combat mode as I was pretty sure I''d need it later.


    "Aura, you and half your squad are with me. Leave the other half with Donar here in the center to support the center," I commanded.


    ---


    I and a hundred and fifty soldiers arrived at Edo''s right wing just in time as the battle intensified.


    The enemy commander seemed hell-bent on obliterating our right wing with his left wing which had about one-thousand-and-one-hundred soldiers more than we did. To me, this just meant challenging but doable.


    "How''s it going?" I asked Edo who was busy decapitating a few satyr heads with his glaive.


    "Did you just come here to be annoying?" Edo asked


    He''d just stabbed a heavily armored satyr in the stomach with his glaive with such strength that the shadowblade punched right into the enemy''s gut and out the back. It was the very definition of impalement.


    "And here I thought you''d be happy with the reinforcements I brought along!" I swung my falchion into the side of the satyr who had just appeared in front of me. "They''re a very¡­ sturdy group."


    My falchion''s shadowblade cut deep into the enemy, causing him to shriek in pain just long enough for Edo to decapitate him too.


    "Nice assist," I said.


    "You''re not staying," Edo guessed. "Hold on."


    The half-ogre slammed the butt of his glaive down on the hard sand, and the force it generated exploded outward in a half-circle in front of him. This had the comical effect of blowing away several of the enemies in front of us.


    "I''ll hold them off for as long as I can, but you better hurry," Edo said. "It''s still four thousand against us¡­"


    "We''ve faced off against bigger odds," I said patting him on his free arm. "I don''t suppose you know who we''re up against."


    "Barducius the Tri-Horn," Edo answered quickly.


    It was just like Edo to be treasure trove of information when it came to officers in the Pavilion. I suspected that he''d memorized every officer name from every army in the clan just to be helpful to Aura.


    I was just about to say thank you when I stopped. "Wait¡­ why''s he called the tri-horn?"


    "He didn''t think two large horns was enough and so he had a third metal horn embedded onto his brow," Edo chuckled.


    "Dude''s committed," I chuckled back.


    We each dispatched another enemy soldier, but pixies this time, and the sight of them made me remember Qwipps'' task.


    As if on cue, the sound of explosions rocked the ground nearby bringing with it the scent of burnt flesh and sulfur in the air.


    "Bombardment''s started," Edo noted.


    "Yeah," I agreed. "Still not as cool as Ty''s icicles or Aura''s fireballs though."


    "If you two are done chatting in the most conspicuous spot of this battlefield, perhaps it''s time for us to move on?" Aura chided.


    She twirled her staff once, then twice, and a third time, with each rotation spitting out a firebolt at the enemies charging at us.


    "Aura, keep your mages with Edo''s unit and begin bombardment from here," I said. "But I''m bringing Ty with me."


    A hundred and ten soldiers followed me to the right of Edo''s right wing and into open desert. From there, we turned north and hooked our way into the enemy''s right flank.


    "Hey, Ty, do you remember that old movie, Snowpiercer?" I asked while I ran at the head of heavily armored dwarves.


    "Um, is that the train movie where they couldn''t stop because the world had turned to ice?" he asked as he tried to catch up to me.


    "Yeah," I answered. "Think you can pull something like that off now?"


    "That depends¡­" he huffed. "What do you want me to do?"


    "An ice train ramming into the enemy would be nice," I huffed back. "Maybe a ray of frost that can freeze them before they can mount a defense?"


    At this point, the enemy soldiers had noticed us and started to shift some of their shields our way in an attempt to repel us.


    I could have told them it wouldn''t work because I brought the chosen one with me, but I''d rather it was a surprise.


    Above the heads of the enemy''s heavy infantry, I saw a satyr with a ridiculously looking metal horn attached to his forehead.


    "Target sighted," I yelled to the troops behind me, and then I spared a glance at Ty who''d sped up to run alongside me and said, "Well, can you do it?"


    "I can''t do the train, but," Ty stopped abruptly, and while I continued to run forward, he opted to raise both hands forward Hadouken-style, and said, "I can try that ray of frost thing!"


    The thing about Ty''s magic that I''ve only just begun to notice was how it never seemed to follow the Fayne''s standards. No chants required, almost zero casting time, and above all, no fixed structure. It was almost like all he needed was his imagination and the magic, or rather, the spirits just listened. It was actually really awesome, and in cases like this one, really useful.


    Now, if I could just get Ty to use an element other than water, perhaps then he''d be unstoppable. Unfortunately, other than the time he''d summoned the Lord of Darkness, Ty hasn''t shown a hint of inclination for spells other than his ice magic.


    Oh, but the one thing Ty did need to cast his magic, believe it or not, was a name for his spells. The name helped to visualize what he wanted to be done, and in this case, Ty chose a rather appropriate name, "Snowpiercer!"


    I didn''t see the spell come to life, but I did see the ray of white energy zoom past my left ear and explode onto the enemy''s hastily formed shield wall.


    "Boom!" I yelled. "Now we''re talking!"

 205 Bullhead

    Breaking through frozen statues was far easier to do than hacking at live bodies. In fact, Ty''s Snowpiercer spell was so strong, he''d cut a line of frozen enemy soldiers that extended past their hastily made shield wall.


    "It really does feel like taking candy from a baby," I said just as I smashed the butt of my falchion onto the frozen shield of a satyr warrior.


    "What have you got against babies, Commander?" one of the heavy infantry dwarves asked me just as he rammed his rather thick bulwark shield against the frozen soldier to the right of my frozen soldier and smashed him into pieces. "Didn''t think you were the cruel type."


    "The commander''s a well-known tactician, Blitzen," said the dwarf on my left. "Of course he''s got a dark side to him¡­ how else can he think up such crazy plans that can kill thousands of fairies in a single night?"


    "You''ve got a point there, Floki," Blitzen nodded sullenly. "Shit, and here I thought we were saved from crazy commanders¡­"


    Floki, the dwarf to my immediate right, slammed his mace up the groin of an elven soldier who had only been frozen from the waist down ¡ª just imagine the pain he must have felt as the dwarf smashed his crown jewels.


    It was only after he''d done that when he addressed Blitzen''s comment, "Yup, our commander''s one crazy motherfu¡ª"


    "Can you guys not talk about me when I''m right beside you?" I asked with a shake of my head.


    The satyr directly in front of me hadn''t been frozen to the point he couldn''t move, but he was still too slow to dodge the combination of slashes I''d just unleashed on him. He dropped dead on the ground moments later.


    Watching him fall sent that familiar feeling of guilt knocking on my brain. This made me sigh in relief. I was starting to worry that I was beginning to be desensitized to killing. It was nice to know I was still affected by it no matter how badly. It helped to remind me why I was fighting.


    "Commander?" Floki called. "Are you alright?"


    "Ye-yeah," I tore my eyes away from the dead husk lying at my feet. "Let''s keep at it."


    Although the battle to destroy the enemy''s phalanx by breaking into their side began in our favor, the enemy soldiers quickly rallied and formed a second shield wall behind the guys'' Ty had frozen. This left me thinking that the enemy commander was at least competent.


    Sadly, I wasn''t done unleashing Ty on their ass, and as I watched spear-size icicles drop down on their heads from the sky, I imagined Ty to be that cheat power a protagonist gets in those popular novels about transmigration.


    This thought made me chuckle to myself as I realized I was technically transmigrating to another world every night. That was so~~o meta.


    The two dwarves on either side of me glanced nervously in my direction.


    "I call it just like I see it," Floki nodded in agreement.


    "Can you two please shut up and keep your shields up while you''re at it," I growled. "Give me a few seconds to get my bearings¡­"


    I sent my vision up to tactical view mode once more and took a quick survey of how things were going on my side of this battlefield.


    Our hundred guys had managed to push in deep into the enemy''s left wing like a dagger that had pierced all the way into a man''s heart. Because of our success, Edo''s own forces were managing to push the enemy phalanx''s line back inch by inch.


    It was now terribly obvious that the enemy left wing''s formation would crumble soon which I thought was an embarrassment given there were over a thousand of them and just a little over three hundred of us.


    "Commander, I think I spotted the target," Floki said. "Big guy with a phallus on his forehead¡­ he''s making his way here, sir."


    "Idiot!" Blitzen roared. "That''s not a d*ck¡­ it''s a¡­ what the hell is that?"


    Their jabbering broke my concentration and I was forced to release my tactical view without seeing how the left and center of our unit was faring.


    "Didn''t I say no¡ª"


    The sight of Barducius the Tri-Horn''s head looming ever closer almost made me laugh out loud. Floki was right, the dude''s ornament in the center looked exactly like a skinny phallus.


    "Dapper!" Barducius roared from about five lines of soldiers away. "I''ve come to claim your head in the name of Great General Garm!"


    "Way to admit to treason, dickwad!" I yelled an appropriate curse at him.


    He roared like the rampaging bull he seemed to be and began wading through his soldiers so he could get to me.


    "This enemy commander isn''t so smart¡­ he coming right toward us," Floki reasoned.


    I shook my head. "It''s because he''s confident he can win¡­ brace yourselves, dwarves."


    It wasn''t just Blitzen and Floki who''d heeded my call, the eighteen other dwarves lined up on either side of me suddenly tensed up. As one, they shoved their shields forward and held the line despite the larger enemies shoving against them.


    "Ty!" I yelled. "Keep reining icicles down on these treacherous scumbags!"


    This seemed to rile Barducius up even more, and it wasn''t long until he and I were face-to-face between our lines. To all present, a commander''s duel was about to begin.


    "We''re not the traitors!" he spat in my face. "You and all those fools who serve the frail patriarch are the traitors!"


    "You''d rather we all fight for a selfish muscle-head like Garm who''s willing to betray his own clan just to get ahead?" I asked wryly.


    My falchion clashed against his longsword, and our shadowblades ground against each other as we locked swords.


    "A filthy Mudgardian like you wouldn''t understand¡­ we fairies have no love for weakness and those too weak to stand," he growled, spittle flying onto my face like drizzle from a morning downpour.


    "You do know that your boss is a half breed, right?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "That makes him half-Mudgardian."


    "Insolent brat!" he spouted the same platitudes b-rate villains love to scream into a loveable protagonist''s face. "You know nothing of Garm!"


    He stepped back and drew me forward just so he could slam the front of his shield at my right shoulder. But I''d seen it coming a mile away, and stepped to the side just as his shield arrived.


    This caused him to lose his balance, leaving me with the chance to do something nasty to him.


    My mind flashed on Floki''s earlier attack against the half-frozen elf, and my knee came rising up between Barducius'' chainmail skirt and up to his groin area. Sadly, the satyr was too big for me, and I had to settle for striking his inner thigh.


    It was a good enough hit that it caused my enemy to stumble, and while he tried to regain his balance, I launched a slash that struck his other thigh. It was a crucial hit that would limit his movement.


    "You have no chance of winning against me, Dean Dapper!" he roared.


    With a burst of strength I wasn''t prepared for, he sent his longsword crashing into my falchion ¡ª and although I managed to block his attack, I was pushed about four feet away, right toward the back of my own line.


    "Son of a¡­" I scowled. "This bastard''s almost as strong as Edo¡­"


    "How long are you planning to stand there looking all dazzled by me?" he shouted, just as he jumped forward and sent his longsword down on my head.


    I dodged to the right but immediately pivoted back to the left to send my left shoulder slamming into his shield.


    I know what you''re thinking, why pull a crazy stunt like that? It''s not like flesh and bone can stand up against a metal shield ¡ª but I needed to get back within range while keeping away from his line of sight just long enough to stab him in his other thigh.


    "Argh!" he yelled.


    He pulled away from me but with both thighs injured he''d lost his balance momentarily. However, I chose not to capitalize on this weakness and instead decided to taunt him some more.


    "Too bad, Four-Thousand-Man Commander Barducius¡­ it looks like your promotion''s not going to last much longer," I taunted. "Just about as long as it takes for me to chop off your head¡­ which I''ll do right after I cut off that gross thing you''ve got on your brow."


    "Fool! No way I would die in a place like this¡­ not after my lord has recognized my strength!" he roared one final time right before he charged forward with his shield.


    Azuma had a saying, "If you''re going to hack and slash at someone then your falchion will certainly do¡­ but if you want to win with the fine finesse of a piercing strike then a spear is the way to go¡­"


    If only he could see me now, I bet he''d be surprised.


    I pulled my sword arm back just long enough for me to send all my killing intent into my sword


    Then I whispered, ""Like a bolt of lightning, carve away all defenses with a single glistening blade!"


    Finally, I sent my augmented falchion, sheathed as it was in a coat of lightning, straight into Barducius shield, through it, and into the chest of the raging bull beyond it.

 206 Nothing But Trouble

    "One-thousand-man Commander Dean Dapper has slain the detestable shitbag, Barducius!" Floki yelled.


    "You traitorous scum no longer have a leader!" Blitzen added.


    Although what they said was true, somehow, I didn''t think the way they said it would demoralize the enemy.


    A few moments ago, my falchion pierced through Barducius'' shield and dove right into his chest behind the shield. In fact, the force of my piercing strike was so strong that the shadowblade''s tip broke through his back.


    That''s when the dwarves began to shout my victory, and that''s about when the enemy soldiers went berserk. Of the two things that could happen when a commander dies, the enemy chose the one where they would fight until their last breath so they might join their leader in death.


    To be honest, the thought of fighting more than three thousand suicidal fairies was frightening. So it was a relief when Barducius used his dying breath to keep his soldiers from committing suicide. Ironically, this also kept us alive.


    "Soldiers of Barducius!" he yelled while he coughed up blood and while my falchion was still sticking out of him. "I command you to cease¡­ all aggressive actions!"


    At the sound of his voice, his soldiers paused.


    "This death¡­ is mine¡­ alone," he roared. "You¡­ will not¡­ follow me¡­"


    I could see his head over his shield, and I saw the steely-eyed glare he sent me then.


    "Dean¡­ Dapper¡­ you have won¡­ tonight," he rasped. "Run¡­ run while you can¡­ for tomorrow will bring more death¡­"


    Those steely eyes turned mournful, almost as if he''d realized his time was spent. Now was the moment of his passing.


    "I die as I live... a warrior," he whispered. "My men¡ª"


    "¡ªwon''t die tonight if they stop fighting," I answered his unspoken plea. "You have my word, Commander¡­"


    A slight nod of the head right before the eyes turned dull and glassy. The life


    I thought he was just a traitorous fool, nothing more than an errand boy for Garm. But an officer who can think of his men and their safety even in the face of his own mortality ¡ª that dude deserved respect.


    So I pulled falchion out of his chest, and this caused him to fall forward. So I caught him and lay him gingerly on the ground with all the respect he was due.


    "Commander, we should¡ª"


    "¡ªNot another word, Floki," I said quietly.


    I moved my hand across Barducius'' face and shut his still open eyelids to a close. And after I stood aside, several of his soldiers fell to his side and wept for their dead commander.


    "Huh, guess he wasn''t so bad after all, right?" I wondered aloud.


    "Uh, he was pretty bad, Commander," Blitzen commented.


    "Yup, a real creep to the end¡­ just look at that thing on his head," Floki added.


    I sighed. Varda''s soldiers seemed to have adopted their squad leader''s lack of tact.


    Soon afterward, the fighting did stop, although it took a while for our left wing and the enemy''s right wing to hear about it, meaning there was a lot more senseless death on that side of the battlefield.


    Garm''s reserved army who had lost close to a thousand men in this conflict retreated to the west in an effort to hook up with their great general and report that they had failed in their attempt to destroy the Foolhardies.


    The Foolhardies lost quite a few soldiers ourselves. Edo''s right wing lost seventy soldiers. Ashley''s center unit lost another fifty men and combined with the forty-two that fell before I took command, which totaled to ninety-two soldiers for the center. Luca''s west wing, where the battle was bloodiest, lost one-hundred-and-twenty-three souls. Add the fifty reinforcements from Redbull who betrayed us plus another hundred-and-sixty-five total dead from our battle against Amon, and our thousand-man unit was now down to an even five-hundred fairies and viseres.


    Our deaths had mostly come from those reinforcements we''d received before this war began, but as they''d shed their blood for us and fought at our side we counted them true Foolhardies. They''re loss definitely stung.


    So we carried as many of them as we could with us while we marched south in the hope of escaping Garm''s clutches once and for all. If only the bastard would accommodate us. Sadly, he was a bastard to the end.


    Dawn had not yet arrived by the time we crossed into the back of the southern battlefront where the Garm army''s left wing and what remained of the Rah army''s right wing continued to clash.


    "Do you think we should try and reach out to Redbull?" Aura asked as she rode Starlight on my right side. "He didn''t seem to be part of Garm''s plot¡­ perhaps we can reason with him?"


    "Do you really want to risk it?" I asked.


    It took a moment, but Aura lowered her head and said, "No¡­ we can''t."


    "Yeah¡­ Hopefully, we''ll see him again under less dire circumstances," I said.


    "When are we ever not in a dire circumstance?" Luca asked.


    He was riding Jade Shadow on my left.


    I sighed. "Yeah¡­ good question."


    We''d made it all the way past Redbull''s battlefield and were making steady progress southwest and toward the secret oasis when trouble reared its ugly head once again.


    Far to our rear a new threat loomed, one that stretched across the horizon.


    "Enemy contact!" Qwipps'' voice echoed somewhere in the middle of our unit formation.


    "Luca, take Myth Chaser''s reins and lead us forward¡­ I''ve got to check this out," I instructed.


    "Dean¡­ dawn''s not far off," he said. "And not all our visere''s have anchors¡­"


    "I know¡­" It was the last thing I said before I reactivated Fool''s Insight and sent my vision upward.


    "Argh¡­" I grunted.


    "Dean?" Aura''s voice sounded alarmed. "What''s wrong?"


    "I''m alright," I answered. "I''m just at my limit¡­ Tactical view takes a lot out of me when I use it too much..."


    With my tactical view, I saw many things I wish I could unsee. At least then, my heart wouldn''t be racing so much afterward.


    The army that chased after us was roughly the same size as the one we''d faced before with a few glaring differences.


    These guys had cavalry and the banners soaring above them had the red, upward-facing, double-bladed scimitar that was Garm''s symbol.


    "I don''t believe it¡­" I whispered.


    "What don''t you believe?" Aura asked.


    "I guess he understands our value now," I guessed. "Otherwise, he wouldn''t be coming after us himself now¡­"


    "Great General Garm''s leading that army?" Luca asked.


    "Yup," I answered.


    "Shit¡­ how much dire can circumstances get?" Luca asked.


    "Best not to tempt fate, little brother," I scolded him. "On the bright side, I don''t see more than four thousand¡­"


    "Are they the same group from the reserve army?" Luca asked.


    The gleaming armor wrapped around the cavalry Garm led and the equally well-uniformed infantry¡ª blue gambesons and centurion helmet ¡ª behind them told me that wasn''t the case. These guys were elite, most likely the members of his personal guard.


    "Nope¡­ he must''ve switched out the reserves with his personal unit and left the main army in the hands of his other lieutenants¡­ he must really want to get at us," I reasoned.


    "Here''s hoping Rah burns his ass for leaving the fight," Luca commented. "I wouldn''t mind our center army getting trounced tonight."


    "That probably won''t happen¡­ you''re forgetting something," I countered.


    "What?" Luca asked, sounding confused.


    I wasn''t entirely right the first time. Observing them longer made me realize perhaps only three thousand soldiers belonged to Garm''s personal unit. The remaining thousand wore scarlet robes over their dark armor. Apart from Garm''s banner, a second banner soared in the sky. It was a crescent moon surrounded by a purple field ¡ª the symbol of the Scarlet Moon clan.


    Then I saw a third banner fluttering in the wind and immediately felt a chill rise up my spine. It was a black hand, like a handprint, over a field of scarlet.


    "Didn''t the intel say that Ardeen Spellweaver and the Black Hand were at war with the Armitage?" I asked.


    "Yes," Aura answered. "Why?"


    "Well, either that war ended early or they''d sent someone to bring the fight to us," I explained.


    "The Black Rider!" Luca and Aura said at the same time.


    I nodded as it was my guess too, and although I couldn''t see individuals from so high up, I imagined she was riding alongside Garm and discussing their evil plan to take Aura, Luca, and me captive ¡ª if that was still their plan. In their shoes, I''d call myself too troublesome and just want to take me out.


    "Dean, it''s an hour and a half, maybe less before dawn arrives," Luca warned.


    I fiddled with the bracelet I kept hidden in the pocket of my coat.


    "Looks like I''m staying here for the day¡­" I answered. "Tell Varda to distribute the dawn bracelets, and make sure Ty''s got one too¡­ We''re going to need him."

 207 March or Die

    It really was a question of "Will they or won''t they?"


    Will they catch up or won''t they? Will they kill each other or won''t they? Will they escape or won''t they?


    See, so many scenarios for this one gruelling escape.


    Dawn had come and gone, and our march across the desert continued at double our usual pace. We had no choice as we were being chased by a rather stubborn fool.


    Great General Garm hounded our heels, and although we managed to keep away for now, every hour brought him ever closer.


    "You know, if we don''t shake off Garm soon he''ll chase us all the way to our secret oasis," Luca commented.


    He was riding his swifthart to the left of me and readying to take our cavalry back to delay the enemy for as long as they could without incurring casualties.


    I know, I know, sounds like wishful thinking, but it wasn''t. Luca and I had a pretty good plan.


    "Hopefully, the traps we set along the way will help somewhat," Aura added.


    She was riding her swifthart to my right and readying to lead her Magehand ahead of us using the few sand gliders we had left so she could set up the traps that might stall our enemy.


    "If you two manage to get your jobs done quickly, we''ll make it out of this okay," I reasoned. "Get to it¡­ and take care, please¡­"


    "I''ve never heard you sound so worried before, Dean," Aura said in a light tone.


    "You don''t have to worry, Dean," Luca assured me. "We''ll get the job done."


    On that final note, each of them took a hundred soldiers and left my side ¡ª Luca to the north and Aura to the southwest.


    "What do you think the odds of us getting through this alive are, Commander?" Varda asked me.


    She and her much smaller swifthart ¡ª the kind that could accommodate a dwarf''s smaller stature ¡ª had replaced Luca on my left side.


    "Heck if I know," I lied.


    I knew that the odds weren''t great but she didn''t need to hear me say it because I was certain she knew it too. The situation was dire and there was just no point in confirming her worst fears.


    "We''ll get through it," I managed to say.


    "You don''t really lie so well, Dean," Qwipps commented.


    He had replaced Aura on my right.


    "Muddamit," Qwipps cursed. "It''s just another day for the Foolhardies, huh¡­"


    I looked up at the dull glow of the Fayne''s sun and said, "Yup¡­ just another day."


    One thing had happened with the rising of the dawn. We''d lost over a hundred soldiers including most of Azuma''s Immortals. Since they were all viseres, most of them didn''t carry a sun ring that would allow them to stay during the day.


    I could have probably gone with them, but I was afraid of leaving Luca, Aura, and the rest of my unit in such dire circumstances. Azuma had stayed behind as well. So did Ty, which was a real boon for his magic played a huge role in the traps Aura planned to set.


    Now, instead of the original five-hundred soldiers I marched south with, our main force was down to two-hundred. But our smaller numbers also meant we moved faster than originally planned, and it was nearly lunch before our enemy managed to get within striking distance of us.


    It was at this point that the first stage of the plan bore fruit.


    Luca and his mounted Ravagers along with Xanthor''s Dash Riders, a total of a hundred cavalry, had stayed to the rear of our march this whole time. But now they were turning around to engage the enemy cavalry that was getting ever closer.


    "Steady, boy," I told Myth Chaser as I caressed his neck. "I need you to make sure I don''t get thrown off while I check on Luca, okay?"


    Myth Chaser grunted with an affirmative. It gave me enough confidence to close my eyes and leave him in the driver''s seat.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I whispered.


    This was immediately followed by a stabbing pain in my irises that was indicative of overusing my fairy gift, causing me to cry out in pain.


    "Are you alright, Commander?" Varda asked in concern.


    "Fine¡­" I breathed. "Watch the road for me."


    Once the pain had subsided, I opened my eyes and saw that I''d successfully activated tactical view.


    From on high I watched Luca''s cavalry while in arrow formation charge at our enemy. However, just as they were about to hit the enemy cavalry''s front, Luca and Xanthor split their forces in two with each of them leading half to the right and left sides.


    This allowed them to narrowly avoid a head on clash with the enemy cavalry which some might think was an act of cowardice, but it was all part of the plan.


    Just as they each swerved to the sides, both Xanthor''s and Luca''s riders dropped their payloads on the path of the enemy cavalry''s charge.


    I watched with grim satisfaction as the first of their riders reached our black powder grenades, and in the next second, get blown into pieces by the ensuing explosions.


    Boom, boom, boom! My vision was covered in dust cloud after dust cloud as the explosions rocked the desert floor. And although I couldn''t hear them, I was mostly certain that the pained screams of riders and their mounts could be heard for miles around.


    "What a waste of good swiftharts," I noted.


    "Muddamit," Qwipps explained. "I didn''t think that would work!"


    "Although dropping them from the skies is way more effective," I said. "Our guys were too close to the fireworks like this¡­"


    "Is our cavalry safe, Commander?" Varda asked.


    I searched the ground for signs of my men, and was happy to report to Varda that their evasive maneuvers had proved successful.


    "How about the enemy cavalry?" Varda asked again.


    "There''s still a lot of them¡­ but I''m guessing Garm will think twice before overreaching a second time," I answered.


    "Too bad, he wasn''t leading the charge himself, huh, Dean," Qwipps chuckled.


    "Y-yeah," I said half-heartedly.


    I suspect that if Garm had in fact been leading the charge, then Luca''s attack might have failed. Once again I was thankful that the great general continued to underestimate us.


    "Jensen!" I called at the same time as I disengaged Fool''s Insight.


    Somewhere close behind me, in one of the wagons we''d loaned from Shanks'' company to ferry our injured soldiers across the desert, I heard him answer back, "Yes, commander?"


    "Raise the flag and order the cavalry back," I ordered. "Then let everyone know to pack in tighter. I don''t want anyone straying from the path now, you hear?"


    Our formation was as narrow as we could make it without extending our line long enough to get attacked in the rear.


    Garm''s cavalry managed to attack our backs a second time, and then a third, but their dwindling number now made it easier for Luca''s cavalry to beat them back.


    It became obvious to me then that the great general was keeping more and more of his cavalry back. I suspected that he was expecting another brazen attack to come, and was simply waiting to counterattack whatever we had planned.


    It was past lunch now. We were nearing our destination. This was also around the time when the first of Aura''s traps finally made an appearance.


    The reason for our narrow formation became apparent in this stretch of desert. While we marched harmlessly across the sandy floor, the army that followed us didn''t fare so well.


    As soon as their right and left wings reached an area we''d just crossed, all hell broke loose.


    The right wing triggered fire mines left behind by Aura''s fire magicians. And although she herself wasn''t proficient in arcane traps, the explosive power of these fire mines told me she''d lent her own mana to the making of the mine''s runes.


    The left wing trigged ice mines left behind by the chosen one himself, and the icicles that exploded out of the ground were like the spires of an ice palace.


    Fire and ice danced across the desert floor, and any other army would have expired by now. But no, they were being led by Garm, and the half-elf was stubborn, and seemingly unkillable, for while our arcane traps decimated the enemy''s left and right wing, his center forces remained mostly intact.


    "I see them, Commander," Varda called. "The gliders are parked at the entrance to the oasis leading into the gorge¡­ um, but they''re not alone¡­"


    "You mean Pike''s team is with them now, Varda?" Qwipps asked.


    I didn''t need to hear Varda''s reply to know that wasn''t the case because I could see the situation for myself.


    A ways to the south of us, we saw the towering sandstone cliffs that marked the southern mountain range of the Westersand Desert. A desert gorge cut right into the middle of these cliffs, and at its entrance we could see the desert firs of the secret oasis.


    More than a dozen banners floated high above the oasis as well as atop either side of the thirty-foot cliff walls. But they weren''t our banners. No, these banners ¡ª all of which were of a red cross painted over a white field ¡ª belonged to another group.


    "Okay¡­ who invited the Pilgrimage to this party?" I asked.

 208 Surprise, Surprise

    Like the Templars of the old Crusades, the thousands of pilgrims in their white tabards with the red cross plastered over the front were a sight to see.


    Knights in shiny armor with their swords and shields at the ready stood like watchful sentinels in front of the oasis while archers in white gambesons lined up along the top of the cliffs, white-fletched arrows notched to their bows.


    Along with the myriad of banners fluttering in the wind, their line stretched across the length of the cliff wall. It was a daunting show of military power that caused even me to feel just a little bit worried.


    Yes, I was confused by their appearance but the fact that Aura''s squad was lined up alongside the Pilgrimage''s forces looking like they weren''t prisoners gave me hope that we''d just gotten some much-needed support from the human-centric group notoriously known to hate fairies.


    "So¡­ what do we do, Commander?" Varda asked.


    It took me a moment or two to make a decision. But after confirming once again that Aura ¡ª who was standing at the very front of her troops and was waving back at us in a gesture of welcome ¡ª wasn''t clapped in chains, I shrugged and said, "We march onward!"


    Cautiously, our unit continued our march south toward the oasis. And although we''d slowed our pace somewhat, it didn''t seem to be a problem as Garm''s personal unit of nearly four-thousand elites had stopped their pursuit and were now in the midst of switching to a more standard formation.


    I understood his caution because I could tell just from a brief glance that there were around ten thousand pilgrims guarding the oasis. Rushing in now without proper preparation would ensure death for Garm''s troops even if they were his elites ¡ª especially since we''d whittled down their numbers a little with our earlier traps.


    On my peripheral, I watch Luca approach on Jade Shadow. He''d ridden hard and fast to reach my side.


    "Are you sure about this?" he asked hastily.


    I shrugged. "I''m trusting in Aura¡­ She''d never lead us into a trap¡­"


    "Yeah, I know," Luca spared me a sidelong glance, "so maybe you should sound more convincing next time someone asks."


    Our unit marched until we were within the range of the pilgrims'' arrows. They didn''t fire on us. So we continued onward while relief flooded into me, and I bet I wasn''t the only one. You could tell from the nervous faces of the soldiers near me that they''d all been expecting the worse to happen.


    After they''d switched their formations to a conventional offensive with a much longer frontline, Garm''s four-thousand-man unit began to resume its march. However, they now had several riders leading from the front at a good distance away from the main army.


    "Luca, pass me a mana potion, will you," I said. "I need my sight working properly again¡­"


    Luca pulled out a small vial from the bag of holding slung around his waist and passed it gingerly into my expecting hands.


    As I poured the vial''s contents into my mouth, my tongue savored the sweet taste of tropical fruit before it went down my throat. Mana potions tasted differently to everybody and often took the flavor of one''s favorite drink which in my case was a mango shake.


    "Thanks," I said to Luca after I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.


    Moments later, the sight before me made my eyes grow wide with momentary terror, and I was afraid I''d led my men to their deaths. This fear subsided as quickly as it had come, however, as I realized that the arrows the pilgrims on the cliff had just launched into the afternoon sky wouldn???t come down on our location. No, those arrows were meant for another target.


    I turned around just in time to watch a hail of arrows land down on Garm''s frontline which had just stepped into arrow range.


    The heavy infantry at the front of the line raised their shields to block the attack, and although they were mostly successful at repelling the pilgrims'' arrows, a few frontline soldiers still toppled over and died on the sands.


    After the volley of arrows was over, there was a booming yell for "Halt!" from a familiar voice that I could hear even from where I sat on my mount.


    Garm''s command was instantly followed, and then, in unison, their frontline took three steps back. This ensured that the next volley of arrows fell harmlessly on the sands three to four feet away from their front.


    Although Garm''s timely action saved more of his men, I couldn''t help but think that killing them wasn''t the intention. Otherwise, there would have been no need for a second volley to confirm the range of the archers on the cliff. No, it was almost like the pilgrims had marked a line that would force Garm in place. If so, that was definitely done to help us out.


    I glanced back at the cliffs and searched the line of archers for their leader, and that''s when I saw the masked fellow that stood apart from the rest. For some reason, I knew he was responsible for that assist.


    "Thanks," I whispered although I doubt he''d ever see it.


    We took advantage of Garm''s wariness to march forward by finally bridging the distance between our unit and the Pilgrims waiting in front of the oasis.


    A short distance ahead of this line of visere warriors who bore a stark resemblance to the Templars of old were two people on swifthart mounts.


    I instantly recognized Aura as she rode atop Starlight, her golden hair blown back by the humid desert wind.


    Aura had planted the Foolhardies banner on the desert floor so it could flutter in the wind next to the banner of the Pilgrimage. This was a sign that we were allied, or at least not enemies ¡ª yet.


    I raised a fist in the air which was a signal for my unit to stop the march and hold in position.


    "Luca and Varda with me," I said.


    Then I urged Myth Chaser forward and rode to where Aura and her companion waited. And the closer I got to them, the more certain I was that I''d seen him before.


    He had tanned skin and a narrow face with Asian features framed by dark, curly hair. But he was no longer wearing the simple white robe he''d worn when I first met him at Ty''s auction. Now he was decked like a knight ready for battle.


    "It''s Liu Xiang, the Pilgrimage officer we met at the Undercroft," Luca realized.


    Man, I was a second from saying his name out loud, but Luca beat me to it.


    "Greetings, One-thousand-man Commander Dapper," Liu Xiang said as he raised a hand in greeting.


    I mirrored his gesture, but spoke to Aura first, "You okay?"


    She nodded. "Liu Xiang has given us all due courtesy."


    The stiffness in her voice told me there was more to it but that we couldn''t get into it at the moment.


    "I didn''t think I''d see you again so soon, Mr. Xiang," I said.


    "Surely you jest¡­ it has been several months since we met at the auction," he chuckled.


    There was no hostility in him. Nothing but warmth flowed out of this man, almost like I was meeting an old friend in a long time.


    "It is impressive how much you''ve accomplished in such a short amount of time," he continued.


    "You''ve been keeping tabs on me," I realized.


    "Your success within the Trickster Pavilion has piqued the interest of my superiors," he admitted.


    "Is this why you''re here then?" I asked.


    "Partly," he said. "We recently intercepted intel that suggested Great General Garm would defect to the Scarlet Moon in this conflict and we thought to warn you of this double-cross."


    "Doesn''t explain the army at your back though," Luca noted loudly.


    "Yeah, what he said," I added. "A messenger could have sufficed."


    Liu Xiang sent me an apologetic smile. "Sadly, we were too late in receiving our intel, and so it was recommended by our new strategist that we come to your aid as she''d assumed your unit would become one of the great general''s main targets and would need reinforcements in order to escape his clutches."


    That was exactly what happened which left me with the impression that the Pilgrimage strategist was a good one. That was either a good thing or a very bad thing. I wasn''t sure.


    My musings were interrupted when my attention was stolen by the arrival of another pilgrim on a dark brown swifthart.


    It was the masked fellow from the cliffs. But I was wrong in thinking he was a guy. She was a woman in a similar padded white vest as the archers on the cliffs. She had long dark hair that framed a face that was covered by a fox mask.


    "Ah, Kitsune, I was just talking about you," Liu Xiang said. "May I introduce Commander Dean Dapper, leader of the Foolhardies, and his companions, Varda Coldstone, The masked mage Aura, and¡ª"


    "Luca¡­it''s really you," Kitsune breathed a sigh of relief.


    There was something about that voice that made my heart shudder in discomfort. I knew that voice despite the mask muffling its sound because I''ve heard it often enough, ever since we were eight-years-old.


    "Muddamit¡­" I said. "What the hell are you doing here?"


    Kitsune pulled off her mask and revealed her face ¡ª the stern face of a very pretty Asian girl. It was Arah.

 209 Two Friends

    Arah raised an eyebrow at me before saying, "Hello to you too, Dean."


    She wasn''t even a little bit uncomfortable by this sudden reveal, something I, Luca, or Aura could wrap around our heads. We all had the same dumbfounded expressions splashed across our faces.


    "You¡­ You¡­" Seriously, I was at a loss for words.


    "Yes, I''m in the Fayne," Arah answered the unasked question.


    "Why¡­ you¡­" I hadn''t realized how much shock could dull my speech patterns.


    "Yes, I didn''t tell you, and no, I''m not sorry for going behind your back," she answered almost like she was reading my mind because these were the exact questions I wanted to ask.


    I pointed at her. Then, unable to bring the words forth from my tongue-tied mouth, I pointed to Liu Xiang before pointing at back at Arah.


    Mercifully, Arah shook her head.


    "No, I didn''t join the Pilgrimage. I''m only working with them temporarily so I could assist you guys without letting you know that I was in the Fayne¡­" Arah addressed Aura when she spoke, possibly to assure Aura that she wasn''t a fairy hating racist. "I didn''t expect us to meet on my first mission¡­ but there was no other choice but to come and rescue you myself."


    "We didn''t¡­" Again, my words wouldn''t come.


    "Yes, you did, and Liu Xiang helped me convince the Charlatan to send you aid," Arah explained. "They''re very interested in you and Luca by the way¡­ disturbingly so."


    Liu Xiang cleared his throat.


    "As I''ve already stated, our interest lies in your recent achievements," he clarified. "The success of the Dapper brothers in the Fayne is something all humans, viseres and slaves, can look up to."


    I was surprised with how he made it sound like me and Luca were people to root for. It was as if they''d pinned hopes on us or something which was insane as we weren''t doing what we were doing for the betterment of mankind in the Fayne.


    Despite the number of questions increasing inside my brain, the only thing I managed to say out loud was, "Charlatan?"


    "The Charlatan is our illustrious leader," Liu Xiang revealed. "He told me to send you his regards and hoped to meet you in the near future."


    "Um," I didn''t know how to respond to that either. Honestly, something was wrong with my brain, and I know what caused it.


    I turned baleful eyes at Arah. "How¡ª"


    "It was easy," Arah answered before I could even finish my sentence. "After I realized how deep-rooted Mudgard''s link to the Fayne really was, making contact with people who were connected to the other side was as simple as surfing social media."


    "Our recruiters contacted Kitsune after they noticed her researching the Fayne, and we recruited her after we discovered she had close ties to you," Liu Xiang admitted. "Sadly, she turned us down."


    "Like I said, I''m only with them so I can help you and Ty save Luca," Arah repeated.


    "Because you and Dean would have been against it¡­ You''d probably keep telling me how dangerous it is here," Arah answered.


    "Well, why do you think now?" Finally, my voice was back, and I expect annoyance at how smug Arah sounded for duping us was the cause. I pointed a thumb behind me toward the enemy army readying to attack us. "There''s a high chance that we would have died today¡­"


    "Which is why I''m here to save you, stupid!" she countered.


    "You''re the stupid one, stupid!" I fired back at her.


    "Perhaps the two of you can have this argument after we''ve dealt with our current dilemma," Liu Xiang interrupted.


    "He''s right, Commander," Varda said, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. "I''m not particularly happy with it either, but maybe we can defeat Garm''s smaller force with the Pilgrimage''s help¡­"


    "But¡­ aren''t these guys anti-fairy¡­" Luca said worriedly.


    "They''ve treated our people fairly so far," Aura explained. "And Varda''s right, we need their help if we''re going to escape from my uncle with our lives intact. Garm''s not known for giving up¡­"


    She was right. If anything, Garm was an even bigger wild bull than Redbull was.


    "Liu Xiang," I said finally. "We''d like to officially request the Pilgrimage''s assistance."


    While still smiling, Liu Xiang shook his head.


    "You misunderstand, Commander Dapper," he said. "Our auxiliary force is already at your disposal. In fact, for this engagement, we would like for you to lead the ten thousand soldiers into battle."


    "Wh-what¡­" Once again, the shock of what I was hearing had taken my voice away from me.


    "Like I said, we are interested in your well-being, and the Charlatan would like me to see first-hand how you take command in battle," Liu Xiang. "Of course, I and Kitsune will assist you since you''re unfamiliar with our soldiers different strengths."


    Part of me wanted to scream out loud that too much was happening too fast, but another part of me, the leader in me, was getting excited at the possibility of leading a force as big as this one. Didn''t that technically make me a general?


    I felt a hand grasp my arm and squeeze, and I looked to my right and found Aura had steered Starlight to Myth Chaser''s side.


    "We''ll follow your lead as always, Commander," she said with eyes alight with trust.


    "Yup, even though most of your plans end up a little too crazy," Varda added.


    "Don''t encourage him, Varda," Luca sighed. Then he glanced sideways at me. "Technically, if you do agree to their offer, won''t that make you a temporary general?"


    Luca said the thought out loud. Not me. So I was allowed to feel a little pride at the thought.


    "Don''t let that get to your head, Dean," Arah chuckled.


    I glared at her because I wasn''t about to forgive her for this foolish stunt she pulled, at least not yet.


    "You sure you can keep up with my tactics?" I challenged.


    "Puhlease, my tactics could run circles around your tactics," she fired back at me.


    "This isn''t Starcraft or Chess or Call of Duty, Arah¡­ These are real people who will die if we f*ck up," I chided her as she was being a little too smug.


    That did the trick. It was one thing to be smart and be a great chest player ¡ª which Arah certainly was ¡ª but it was another thing to carry the weight of lives on your shoulders. It was a fact that drove me to tears and frustration that first time I led the Foolhardies against Azuma.


    Thankfully, the splash of uncertainty that momentarily appeared on Arah''s face comforted me. At the very least, she was self-aware of the challenge before her.


    "I know, Dean¡­" she said with a determined voice that matched the change in her expression. "But I will handle my sh*t if it means bringing you guys home."


    "Why did you do this? Why put yourself in harm''s way?" I asked frustrated.


    "Because we''re friends," she stated matter-of-factly.


    And just like that, whatever annoyance I''d felt appearance evaporated.


    I sighed just before I smiled at her. "Alright, Kitsune, tell me what kind of fire power you brought with you."


    Arah returned my smile before answering, "The Pilgrimage brought their big guns just to impress you, Dean¡­ and they are an impressive operation."


    The temporary pilgrim strategist wasn''t kidding. The army they''d brought with them really was impressive.


    At the front stood the three-thousand heavy infantry, and they all wore matching electrum-grade chainmail armor underneath their pilgrim tabards. They wore heavy metal helmets shaped like buckets with slits where the eyes would be. The sword and kite-shields they held in each hand were all silver-tier too.


    The three-thousand light infantry behind the heavy infantry all wore electrum-grade cuirasses which they combined with padded jackets, metal armguards, steel-toed boots, and barbute helmets. Their collective weapons of choice were two-handed halberds.


    On the cliffs above, two thousand archers, all in padded white armor and barbute helmets, each carried steel crossbows that you''d be hard-pressed to find in the Fayne because fairies had a particular love for the wooden longbow.


    "They''re repeating crossbows but unlike any design seen in Mudgard," Arah explained. "Each one can fire five bolts as fast as a colt with a maximum range of three-hundred meters."


    "Human science combined with fairy technology, huh?" I guessed.


    "Probably the same thing you''ve been doing with that gnome friend of yours," Arah agreed.


    "But we''d never thought to bring gunpowder into the Fayne as it would set a dangerous precedent, but I understand you''ve already done this very thing, Dean," Liu Xiang interrupted.


    "Black powder isn''t gunpowder¡­ it''s totally a Fayne product," I said defensively. "Give me some credit. I know what kind of implications bringing gunpowder to the Fayne would have."


    This was a half-truth as I really was thinking of making gunpowder when Zarz and I stumbled instead on the black powder recipe.


    Behind the infantry and waiting by the entrance to the gorge was a cavalry unit of fifteen hundred swifthart riders. They wore similar gear as the heavy infantry but with lances instead of swords.


    To round off the army were the five-hundred support and supply staff, all of whom were humans dressed in white pilgrim robes. In fact, there wasn''t a single fairy among them apart from my unit which I divided into squads and positioned among other units of similar types.


    "Impressed yet?" Arah asked playfully.


    "Yup, they''re definitely something else," I said. "At least in terms of equipment and discipline¡­ but how are they in a fight?"


    "Honestly, that might be a challenge," Arah admitted. "From what I''ve learned, the Pilgrimage usually deals in hit-and-run tactics¡­ this standing army is more of an experiment."


    "So they''re mostly amateurs at warfare," I guessed.


    "Which is where you and the Foolhardies come in," Arah admitted. "Dean¡­ there''s more to it¡­"


    "They want to recruit me," I answered, guessing as much. "They want me to fight for human interests in the Fayne against the fairy clans."


    Arah nodded wordlessly.


    "Well, that''s a problem for another day," I reasoned. "Right now, we''ve got a great general to frighten away¡­ care to join me and Aura when we meet him?"

 210 Strange Negotiations

    The space between two armies is usually the spot where the most blood is shed. However, at the start of every conflict, this same space is used as chance for de-escalation. More often than not, unfortunately, it''s the spot where leaders come to taunt each other and show off which of them had bigger balls.


    That late afternoon was no exception as we came face to face with Great General Garm Trickhaven, Marshall of the West and member of the Trickster''s Ruling Council. Well, I should say former member for it was very clear to me that this bastard was a traitorous snake who''d just betrayed his clan to its worst enemy.


    As soon as our two parties met at the center space between the two armies, I stared daggers at the half-elf who I suspected held a bit of giant''s blood in him. How else could he be so damn bulky?


    Garm sent a steely-eyed glare back at me, and if I wasn''t so numb to the feeling of someone much stronger than me giving me the stink-eye ¡ª because I''ve had a lot of those encounters over the past year ¡ª I might actually have pissed my pants. That was how menacing his aura was.


    Still, I managed to hold my ground while keeping Myth Chaser steady despite his foot-stomping display of nervousness.


    I glanced to the right of Garm and noticed he''d brought the Masked Rider with him. She was another one of my rivals, someone I owed a beating to.


    "Traitor," Aura hissed, and I''d never before heard her sound so angry.


    I glanced sideways at her, and despite the mask partially hiding her face, Aura bit her lip in a sign of obvious frustration.


    "And so you give yourself away, niece," Garm answered in a voice that was neither angry nor caring.


    Aura didn''t respond. She just glared at him from behind her mask with her clear blue eyes.


    I cleared my throat to get everyone''s attention.


    "You''re outnumbered general," I said casually. "If you''d like to turn tail and run, now would be the time to do it."


    Even when he''d addressed Aura, Garm''s eyes never left mine. If anything, he''d narrowed them even more at my comment.


    "You really are all bravado, aren''t you, boy," he commented.


    Why does every bad guy I ever meet call me boy as if it were some derogatory term? Yeah, I was a boy, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy who could whoop most people''s butts, just saying.


    Garm raised his hand forward. "Do you think those fools you have behind you will scare me? They''re nothing more than ants waiting to be crushed under the heel of my boot."


    "Ah, I see we''re going to compare d*ck sizes now, huh," I bantered. "Just to remind you, your earlier victories in your war with the Dominion happened because of me."


    Huh, as dastardly devious evil plans went, that was a good one, if it were true, and it probably was. This thought made me sweat a little, but I soldiered on.


    "Puhlease," I scoffed. "Haven''t you heard the saying, every day is an opportunity to improve¡­ So all I need to do is surpass the me of yesterday that I might surpass your expectations of me."


    "Then you may yet entertain me tonight," Garm guffawed. "Try your best at least make this battle less boring."


    "Why are you doing this?" It was Aura again, and this time, there were tears falling down her cheeks. "Why would you betray your own family¡­"


    For the first time, Garm turned his eyes away from me and onto her, and for a split second, I thought I saw genuine concern there although it was quickly replaced by pity.


    "Your father and I were never on good terms¡­ I was always the half-breed, the shame of the family who was born to a mother who''d been raped by human scum," he admitted almost like he couldn''t help himself. "Indeed, it was a surprise for your father and the rest of them when I climbed all the way to my seat of Great General. They never did think I''d amount to much¡­"


    His face turned hard and angry.


    "So tell me, niece," Garm continued, "why would I be loyal to a house that has shunned me since my birth?"


    "Auranos and I have never shunned you," Aura insisted. "Even after you challenged him for the seat of Patriarch and lost, my brother didn''t strip you of your title."


    I don''t think Aura realized that she''d just given herself away.


    "Your brother is soft and weak¡­ like his father before him," Garm mocked. "It was my brother''s undoing, and it''ll be Auranos'' fate as well."


    "So this is all just a hungry power grab from the dude who got left out during playtime when he was a kid?" I interrupted them because I couldn''t keep watching Aura get emotional like that. She was the calm one. I was the emotional one. That was our dynamic. "That''s as clich¨¦ as clich¨¦ gets¡­ what an unoriginal story¡­"


    Yep, mocking him definitely allowed me to steal Garm''s attention again, and that icy stare he sent my way also sent a chill running up my spine.


    "We have definitive proof now that you''ve aligned yourself with the Scarlet Moon," I pointed at his companion, "and betrayed the clan¡­ I''ll make sure Darah learns about your betrayal."


    At the mention of Darah, there was a visible change in Grimthorn''s face, almost as if he''d been worried for a second there.


    I suspected Darah and Garm had quite the past, and I would have to ask her later just what kind of troubles did she visit on Garm when they were younger ¡ª assuming I survived.


    "What makes you think you''ll get the chance?" Garm asked, his eyebrow rising. "I will give you one chance to surrender now. Put yourself, my niece, and your slave brother into my custody and I shall spare the lives of your men¡­"


    At his demand, I turned my head to his companion and asked the question eating away at me since I''d learned I was one of their targets, "I understand wanting Aura. You can use her as a hostage to make Auranos capitulate to your demands¡­ but why me and Luca? What''s our significance?"


    I didn''t expect her to respond. After all, she''d been silent through all our meetings. So I was pleasantly when she did, and in a high-pitched voice that really ruined her image as a stoic, katana-wielding bad-ass.


    "There is worth in owning the one who possesses the gift of sight," she answered.


    "And since everyone knows you jumped into the Fayne to save your brother, he''s the key to controlling you," Garm added. "To be honest, I''d rather kill you here and now for all the trouble you''ve caused but the Scarlet Moon thinks very highly of your abilities."


    Once again, it was all about my fairy gift which was almost always the reason people were interested of me.


    "You look like you want to say that there''s more to you than your fairy gift?" Garm guessed, and correctly too. "But isn''t it true that your success can be attributed to your gift of sight?"


    His words stung because they were also right. I wouldn''t have managed to get this far without Fool''s Insight. Heck, I''d probably be dead by now.


    "I see I''ve touched a nerve," Garm laughed.


    "Surrender to us now, and we will treat you fairly," the masked rider added. "You may even have the same luxuries you possess now¡­"


    "And, Aura?" I asked. Not that I was planning to switch sides or anything, but it would be nice to know the enemy''s evil plan. "What happens to her and the rest of my men?"


    Although Garm scowled at the possibility of me capitulating ¡ª he was really raring for a fight ¡ª the masked rider seemed piqued by my interest.


    "As you guessed, we will use the princess to force her brother to abdicate the throne¡­ Great General Garm shall ascend to Patriarch, allowing the Scarlet Moon and the Trickster Pavilion to form a lasting alliance," the masked rider explained.


    "Alliance?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "Don''t you mean puppet? Isn''t that what it really is?"


    They drow eyes hidden behind her masked narrowed slightly at me, but I ignored her and turned my smouldering gaze on Garm instead.


    "And you''re really on-board with this? Don''t you have more self-respect for yourself?" I taunted.


    "You know nothing, boy," Garm spat at me. "I am an equal to the Scarlet Moon!"


    "Sure, you are," I said mockingly. "But you won''t get what you want¡­ because you''re going to lose this battle."


    I glanced to my left, to Aura who''d calmed down somewhat. If nothing else, I would ensure she??d escape Garm''s clutches. Afterward, I faced my enemies with renewed determination.


    "Here are my demands," I said. "You have until twilight to turn around and walk away or we will destroy all of you¡­"


    "Your threats mean nothing to¡ª"


    "¡ªI wasn''t finished," I said. Then I pointed at Garm. "Before we let you leave, you, great general, must cross this battlefield, present yourself before my army, put your head between your legs, and kiss your own ass."


    I heard a repressed chuckle from my masked companion to my right, and figured she knew that I''d just used the line from one of our favourite classic war movies, Braveheart.


    It goes without saying that this last statement of mine ended negotiations abruptly. Garm would have attacked me then and there if the masked rider hadn''t held him back.


    We took that opportunity to turn our mounts around and ride back to our army.


    "Did you really have to rile him up like that?" Aura asked as we made our way back.


    "It''s a tried and tested strategy, infuriate your enemy to force him into making mistakes," Arah explained for me. "And that line would certainly piss him off¡­ good choice."


    "Thanks," I said, although I knew that wasn''t enough to trip Garm up. "Now that you''ve met Garm, what do you think our chances are?"


    "I''d say it''s still fifty-fifty," Arah answered. "It''ll depend on whether or not we can withstand their attacks and whittle down their numbers enough to force them to retreat."


    "Yeah, I think it''ll be tight too," I answered. "Welcome to the Fayne, Arah. Hope you survive the experience."

 211 Tactics

    "Are you sure about this, Dean?" Aura asked.


    "It''s the only way I can see us remotely winning this battle," I answered. "Even with our superior numbers, we''re still up against a great general. He''s at least worth a thousand warriors on his own¡­"


    A memory flashed in my mind, Darah and Spellweaver in a deathmatch that wrecked the area around them.


    "Besides, we''ve already received word that Garm''s received a thousand reinforcements from the Scarlet Moon¡­ He now has five-thousand troops and if we drag this battle out more enemies might arrive," I added. "No, this is our best way to win."


    "Because for our side victory lies in the escape," Arah agreed. "At least, that''s what we want Great General Garm to think."


    "Yeah, that''ll mean he''ll want to chase after us even if we make it obvious that we''re heading into the gorge," I said.


    "That''s where we''ll take them on," Arah added. "It''ll be a race against time to see if we can make our opponents retreat before they receive more reinforcements."


    "Well, aren''t you two in sync," Liu Xiang noted. He dropped the butt of his glaive on the oasis'' sandy floor. "Use us however you will, Commander Dapper."


    "I plan to," I answered.


    ---


    It was unspoken between us, but both Garm''s army and ours waited until twilight before we resumed hostilities.


    Of course, my side fired the first bullet, but maybe it would be more appropriate to say icicle.


    After a brief reunion with Arah that left Ty flabbergasted, he eventually calmed down enough to listen to mine and Arah''s plan which started with him riling up Garm''s troops.


    The sun had just set. It was then that Ty raised his hand, and in a manly voice that was out of character for him, he began to sing.


    "Rain, make it rain! Oh, make it rain! Make it rain down, lord!" Ty sang as he gathered the magic into his hand and released it into the air.


    "Someone just ripped off Ed Sheeran," Arah whispered to me.


    She, Aura, Liu Xiang, and I were all watching from the top of the cliff to the right of the gorge entrance.


    "Ty''s always been a fan," I chuckled.


    Ty''s song summoned a swirl of dark clouds above us that was so thick it momentarily blocked Idunn''s light. Then came the rain, but it was no ordinary rain. Ty had infused the clouds with his arcane signature and so what fell down on our enemies were icicles no larger than raindrops, but they might as well have been bullets.


    "So¡­ this is Ty, the chosen one," Arah whistled. "He''s finally being useful."


    "I''d say he''s about the level of a predator drone," I compared.


    "Like I said, Ty''s being useful," Arah repeated. "Will wonders never cease¡­"


    It was then that his heavy infantry began their march forward with several front units adopting the turtle formation.


    "That''ll make it difficult for our archers to penetrate them," I guessed.


    "Not our archers," Arah insisted. "They may be amateurs in warfare but the Pilgrimage has the best toys¡­ all they need is someone good enough to lead them."


    "Indeed," Liu Xiang agreed with her assessment.


    My mind circled back to earlier when I''d appointed two of my squad leaders to lead the two groups of archers on both sides of the clifftop.


    "Qwipps, your squad will join the archers on the left cliff," I instructed. "Thom, your squad will join the archers on the right cliff."


    "I suppose we''ll have to follow the orders of whoever''s in-charge there?" Thom asked.


    I shook my head. "I''ve already gotten permission from Liu Xiang. You guys are in charge, and you only follow my orders. Got it?"


    "Muddamit, that''s a lot of responsibility, Dean," Qwipps sighed.


    "Don''t worry¡­ I''ve got a plan," I said, raising two fingers for them. "One clip of bolts worth of volleys¡­ that''s all I need from you at the start."


    The sound of over a thousand bolts whistling through the air sent my mind back to the present.


    I watched as their sheer number blocked out Idunn''s light a second time, mere moments after Ty''s cloud had dispersed. And I could only imagine what the enemy below us was thinking when they saw what I saw.


    First were Ty''s bullets. Now it was arrows launched from two thousand steel crossbows. It didn''t matter how sturdy the enemy''s shields were, all who were within range were peppered.


    "Turtle formation¡­ gotta love it," I sighed. "I remember the days when we used to employ that strategy."


    After the first volley, the enemy infantry resumed their march. But as they looked up at the sky a second time, they realized it was once again filled with bolts.


    They stopped their march and braised for impact, and when the volley was over, they looked more like porcupines now than turtles.


    "Those bolts are incredibly strong," Aura noted.


    "They''re forged from pure iron," Liu Xiang revealed. "This makes them heavier and hardier than arrows with shadowblade tips."


    The enemy infantry''s march resumed again, only to be stopped by the third volley of arrows raining down from above. And this time, many soldiers dropped to the sandy floor, their bodies peppered by arrows.


    "The shields can''t hold up to this barrage," Aura realized. "Although I doubt this is enough to stop my uncle."


    Too right she was. For no sooner had she said them when arcane shields ¡ª similar to her own spell ¡ª appeared over the heads of the different heavy infantry units marching forward.


    "That''s that¡­" I said.


    "Yes," Arah agreed. "We should send out the signal to the units below."


    I nodded in agreement.


    The fourth volley of arrows attacked the enemy but their arcane shields held. Moreover, the enemy cavalry began its march forward as well. Leading them was a man who was waving around a greatsword that was nearly as tall as he was.


    "The tiger''s taken the bait," Arah said.


    "We better pick up the pace then," I answered. "Send our cavalry to hold them off if we need to."


    "You want Luca to go against Garm?" Arah asked, uncertain.


    "Luca can take at least one solid hit from Garm and survive," I reasoned. "I did."


    "Dean has more faith in Luca than he lets on most times," Aura told Arah.


    "Yeah, I know¡­ he''s secretly a doting big brother," Arah agreed.


    "Can we postpone the girl talk until after we survive?" I sighed.


    Our orders were already being followed down below as wave after wave of our light and heavy infantry units began to march back into the mouth of the gorge behind the oasis.


    Still, six thousand troops moving into one path about as narrow as a four-lane road was creating a bottleneck that meant more time was needed.


    Although the fifth volley of arrows continued to slow the enemy infantry down, their cavalry pressed forward despite the threat from above.


    That''s when I raised my hand, and as the flags relayed my orders below, I watched as our Foolhardies cavalry, as well as a third of the Pilgrimage cavalry, begin their march forward. Luca was the lead rider with Xanthor and Azuma flanking him.


    As my eyes homed in on my little brother, I silently prayed to whichever spirits would listen to watch over him.


    "How are your eyes?" Aura asked.


    "They''re not in top condition, but I''ve rested enough that I can manage a Basilisk''s eye along with the usual tactical view," I answered.


    "We should be turning back now too, Dean," Arah reminded me.


    "You two go ahead¡­ and tell Qwipps and Thom to head out after their last volley," I said. "I need to watch over this next engagement¡­"


    "Don''t stay too long," Arah said. "We need you at the center path to bait Great General Garm in."


    I nodded wordlessly as my focus continued to stick to the two cavalries that were about to meet in the open field barely forty yards away from the oasis.


    "You should go with Arah," I said.


    "I''ll stay and watch too," Aura answered.


    The back of our hands brushed.


    "Thanks," I said.


    Aura and I watched as the cavalries met, their shadowblades raking against their opponents'' own weapons. Nearly a hundred fell to the other''s charge while hundreds more locked shadowblades in what would begin a dance of death I was all too familiar with.


    In the middle of this melee, Luca and Garm had just collided, and it was a credit to my brother that he''d stopped Garm''s charge and the greatsword that had swung down at full force with his claymore.


    Even from afar, I could see that Luca struggled, and even Jade Shadow underneath him nearly buckled at the strength of his opponent. What''s more, while Luca had to use both his hands to block Garm''s attack, Garm only needed one to nearly overwhelm my brother.


    But that''s why I didn''t send him in alone. Just to play it safe, I sent the guy who rivaled Edo as the unit''s top killing machine to help Luca out. I sent Azuma, the Immortal.


    "He''s been such a big strength for the unit that I almost forgot how frightening it was to go against him," I said.


    "Is this battle drugging up bad memories for you?" Aura asked wryly.


    I shook my head. "Only good memories now¡­ Mostly about how reliable a fighter Azuma is."


    "That''s certainly true right now," Aura agreed.


    A scene from a fighting game flitted across the surface of my mind ¡ª Azuma and Luca versus Great General Garm, fight!

 212 Cavalry Charge

    Cavalry battles were all about mobility, and even a one on one fight on swifthart-back meant anyone standing still was at a disadvantage. At least, that''s how it should have been. But a great general was a great general because he could defy the norm.


    Garm sat back on his brown swifthart while he parried attacks from both sides with his greatsword. A spear thrust on the right, a claymore''s swing on the left, neither could land a hit on him.


    "I always thought Garm was an instinctual type general like Grimthorn," I said out loud. "I didn''t think he was even more extreme than that¡­"


    "He''s a strength-type general," Aura guessed. "One who overwhelms his opponents with absolute power¡­"


    "They''re crazy rare because everyone knows that tactics can trump strength any day," I added. "But it happens in sports too. Guys like M.J. or T.W. who show up and just destroy the competition¡­ when inconceivable strength demolishes any kind of strategy you set against it¡­"


    This theory was being proven on the battlefield below as we spoke.


    Our cavalry had more than twice the number Garm''s cavalry did, but it was our side that was losing riders despite Xanthor''s leadership.


    I guessed this was due to Garm''s overwhelming strength, and the inspiration it gave his men to fight ever harder just like when Jordan plays his best and his teammates supplement his strength.


    Still, Luca and Azuma were keeping Garm in one spot. That was all I could ask for at the moment.


    I watched as Azuma launched a combination of spear thrusts aimed at critical points to Garm''s right side. His head, his shoulder, his ribs, his thigh, and his shin ¡ª all were blown back by Garm''s greatsword.


    Luca tried to take advantage of Garm''s focus by aiming a swing at Garm''s exposed neck, but the great general smacked the flat of Luca''s blade upward with an uppercut from his gauntleted left fist. It was an incredibly display of martial prowess.


    However, my brother wasn''t deterred. After his claymore was sent upward, Luca just changed the angle of his attack with a twist of his wrist and sent his shadowblade crashing down on Garm''s head.


    That''s when Garm''s greastword came swinging from the right to parry Luca''s attack which meant an opening for Azuma to strike.


    Azuma launched a spinning spear attack at Garm''s side that should have had the piercing strength of a power drill but it was blown back by the force of garm''s left fist swinging to the right.


    "He blocked that attack with just wind pressure¡­" I realized while wondering what it would feel like to get smacked by a fist like that.


    "Are you worried for Luca and Azuma?" Aura asked.


    I glanced down at the oasis below and saw that more than half of our troops had escaped into the gorge. "They just need to hold him off a bit longer¡­"


    Slowly but surely, the number of riders on both side was beginning to drop as the fighting only got fiercer.


    Unfortunately, the enemy''s heavy infantry were moving quicker now that they''d drop the turtle formation and opted for the standard phalanx march. This might have had something to do with our archers already moving toward the rear with only a few left to provide covering fire for our cavalry.


    It was around this time when I watched Azuma get blown back by the heavy swing of Garm''s greatsword. This was bad as Azuma had been the one to repel most of Garm''s attacks which kept him and Luca relatively unscathed so far.


    "Azuma''s nearing his limit," Aura noted.


    "He''d be a perfect warrior if his stamina wasn''t so damn short," I scowled. "If only we could transfer energy to him like the Magesong clan did for him before."


    Aura smacked me in the shoulder.


    "Don''t you even¡ª"


    "¡ªI was kidding," I said in a pacifying tone. "I was the one who stopped that evil practice, remember?"


    "Just as long as you remember," she reminded me. "I don''t ever want to see children used that way ever again¡­"


    "I know," I answered.


    Our focus returned to the fight where Luca was now in a one-on-one with Garm.


    "Come on, little bro," I said, glancing down below where I discovered that only the vanguard units were left in the oasis. "Just a little more time for Zarz and Ty to set things up¡­"


    Luca and Garm exchanged sword blows. Their thick shadowblades screeched against each other. One, two, three, four, five exchanges in which Luca managed to hold on.


    It was an impressive sight to watch, my little brother holding his own against a great general in a fight so intense that Azuma ¡ª who had finally gained a bit of his breath back ¡ª couldn''t even find an opening to join in.


    Luca slashed down. Garm blocked with the flat of his greatsword. Luca roared, and it was a roar so loud that even Aura and I heard it from our spot on the clifftop.


    "He''s activated Foolish Strength," Aura commented. "Do you think it''ll be enough?"


    I shrugged. "We''re about to find out¡­"


    Luca pushed down on his claymore, increasing the force of his attack. Surprisingly enough, this forced Garm to raised his left hand over the flat of his shadowblade to brace against Luca''s assault.


    "All this time he''s been holding that ridiculously huge sword in one hand," I said, sounding hopeful now.


    As Luca continued to push his claymore down on Garm''s greatsword the very ground underneath their mounts began to crack from the pressure of their struggle.


    And yet still Garm would not fall. In fact, even from afar, I could see that he was slowly raising his sword inch by inch. This meant Luca was losing their contest of strength.


    Wham!


    I imagined that was the sound Azuma''s spear made as he slammed its pole down on Luca''s claymore. Like a hammer, it drove Luca''s shadowblade down, which finally helped it to break their sword lock.


    Luca''s claymore dove into Garm''s right shoulder, penetrating the armor and into the flesh underneath ¡ª and it looked to be a pretty deep cut.


    I pumped my fist in the air in triumph, and that''s when all hell broke loose.


    Garm''s scream which was like a lion''s roar exploded outward and stunned those around him including Luca and Azuma.


    It was only for a moment, but a moment was all the great general needed to pull out Luca''s claymore from his right shoulder with his left hand while simultaneously unleashing a flurry of blows directed at his two opponents with his right sword arm.


    "Noo~o!" I yelled for it was all I could do given the distance between me and them.


    The sight of my brother''s blood flying out as each cut Garm landed on his body from his quick blows was a horror to my eyes.


    Azuma faired a little better as he managed to block maybe half of Garm''s attacks with his spear. Still, he too was bleeding from too many wounds.


    In fact, it was a miracle that their swifharts weren''t included in what I could only describe as Garm''s version of an Omni-slash.


    At the same time, a flare had been launched in the sky, signaling our cavalry that it was time to pack up and leave. But how could Luca or Azuma escape when they were both so heavily wounded?


    Luca nearly toppled out of his seat but Azuma reached out and grabbed him to keep him on Jade Shadow.


    I could see Azuma screaming something into Luca''s ear, probably telling him to hold on.


    In front of them, Garm had raised his greatsword a second time. He was about to swing it down.


    Azuma raised his spear to block the attack but even I could see his right arm was shaking. He was too hurt.


    Garm swung down ¡ª and it was right then that half-a-dozen shadowblades appeared to block his attack.


    A dozen riders had ridden to Azuma''s and Luca''s rescue, and I recognized them as viseres from Luca''s Ravagers. They were men who had been with the Foolhardies since its inception.


    While six of them tried to hold Garm back, the other six helped to escort Azuma and Luca out of Garm''s reach and back to the rest of our cavalry that was in the midst of escape.


    Marco, Paulo, Julies, Daryl, Esteban, and Todou ¡ª these were the names of the six men who stayed behind to face off against Garm knowing fully well that they were going to die.


    "Damn¡­" Tears pooled beneath my eyes as I watched them go down one by one. "Muddamnit¡­"


    Luca and Azuma had been picked up by the rest of the cavalry and moved to the center where they could be protected by Garm''s cavalry who chased after our riders.


    Garm, after he''d killed my six men, was charging forward as well. And while Xanthor''s formation could hold back the enemy cavalry, I doubt they could stop Garm if he rampaged right through them.


    It was then that I saw the remaining six viseres from the dozen who''d rescue Luca turn back to charge at Garm.


    Lira, Lawrence, Migo, Kyle, Betty, and Ronnie were their names. Two of them fell to the enemy riders they had to run past to get to Garm. The other four met their deaths with the help of Garm''s greatsword.


    However, their sacrifice allowed the remainder of our cavalry to escape back into the oasis and into the gorge beyond.


    Those of Garm''s cavalry who were right behind them triggered the black powder Zarz had left there to greet them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    My ears rang from the sound of the explosions and I could barely hear Aura screaming that it was time to go. But it was the pain in my palms that kept me focused. Sticky liquid pooled underneath my fingers, the ones that had cut into my palm when I''d balled my hands into fists.


    "You will be avenged," I whispered.

 213 The Strategis

    "How''s Luca?" I asked.


    "He''s in recovery, Commander," Berrian Berrygrove answered. "I''ve healed him enough that he''s no longer in critical condition but I don''t think he''ll be ready for the plan¡­"


    I patted Berrian on the shoulder. "You''ve done great, thanks. But you and your team might be working on overtime later."


    "We''ll be prepared, Commander," Berrian insisted right before he gave me the fairy salute.


    I glanced over my shoulder and grinned at the man in bandages behind me. "You can rest too if you want¡­ don''t know if a mummy will be useful in this next half of the battle."


    "You''re funny," Azuma growled. "I''ll be ready. Just point me where I can have a rematch with Garm."


    It relieved me to hear Azuma was up for another round despite his wounds, and since I couldn''t express enough how thankful I was that he''d saved Luca, I decided I''d give him exactly what he wanted instead.


    "Conserve your strength then," I said quietly. "You''ll get your turn."


    Then I glanced over at Arah and asked her to begin the briefing while we had room to breathe.


    "We''ve successfully lured Great General Garm into the gorge," Arah reported to the gathered group of squad leaders from both my Foolhardies and the Pilgrims. "His scouts are already probing the paths and they''ll report back that there are five routes along what they''ll discover is actually a series of interconnected canyons surrounded by these sheer cliffs that are larger than the cliff entrance of the gorge."


    "It''s basically an ant farm," I noted.


    Arah agreed. Then she pointed her stick on the map laid out on the ground before us.


    "These five points is where we make our attack," she said, pointing to the middle of each path. "Two thousand soldiers at each path to repel the forces Great General Garm launches at us."


    A hand went up. It belonged to Edo who I''d never seen act polite at any of the strategy meetings I was in-charge of.


    "We all know Garm''s a strength-type general," Edo reminded us. "What''s to stop him from leading his entire army down one route?"


    "The paths are too narrow to accommodate a large force," I answered. "He''d be leaving his sides and flank ripe for an ambush that would overwhelm them¡­"


    "That also means he can''t ignore the other paths in case we decide to flank him," Arah added. "No, he''ll have to plug all paths with his own soldiers."


    Another hand was raised. This one belonged to Qwipps, who, like Edo, had never shown me this kind of courtesy before.


    "What if he just waits at the mouth of the gorge until he has more reinforcements?" Qwipps asked in a polite tone that really was unlike the potty-mouthed bastard I was used to.


    "He can''t," I answered for Arah. "He knows that if he waits too long we''ll just slip by and escape."


    "Which it is," Aura supplied.


    "Which it is," Arah agreed.


    "Who''ll be taking command of the different routes?" Liu Xiang asked.


    Finally, here was someone who didn''t need to raise their hand or show politeness to Arah. I know, I was being petty, but everything academic was a competition between me and Arah. Strategizing was no different.


    Arah pointed to each of the routes from left to right while mentioning who would be in charge for each one.


    "Lieutenant Edo will lead the left-most path as it''s the widest one of the five," Arah said. "We''ll give you two thousand soldiers divided into heavy infantry, light infantry, archers, and cavalry to go with your original squad."


    "Being the widest path means Garm will probably plug it with the most soldiers," I added.


    "Which also means it might be the bloodiest next to whichever path Great General Garm is on¡­" Arah looked over at Edo with an apologetic smile. "Dean tells me you''re the best one to hold a tide back?"


    I swear that if Edo''s skin wasn''t so grey he''d have blushed at her compliment.


    Of course, there were a lot of pronounced coughs as many of my squad leaders disagreed with Arah''s pronouncement.


    "Moving on," Arah cleared her throat, "Commander Liu Xiang will lead the second path on the left¡­ As it''s the narrowest path among the five, you''ll receive one-thousand-and-five-hundred troops divided into heavy infantry, light infantry, cavalry, and archers as well."


    Liu Xiang bowed his head. "You are most generous."


    Arah pointed to the right-most path on the map. "Miss Williams will lead another two-thousand forces to secure this route. We made sure you received soldiers most used to the shield."


    "Thanks, and you can just call me Ashley, Arah," Ashley replied. "We''re both from midtown so there''s no need to sound so formal."


    Arah acknowledged her request with a nod before moving onto the second to the right path.


    "Thom will be in charge of this route," Arah said. "You''ll be supplemented by two thousand soldiers composed of light infantry, cavalry, and archers. You''ll also get the bulk of our archer units because the path you''ll be on is elevated toward the middle."


    "Making a ranged unit more useful," Thom concurred.


    Arah nodded right before pointing to the middle route and glancing over to me.


    "Yeah, I''ll take this route," I answered.


    "You''ll have two thousand soldiers worth of heavy infantry, light infantry, archers, and the remainder of the cavalry units," Arah explained.


    "I''ll need them¡­ I expect Garm to come at me himself," I answered. "As Edo said, Garm''s a strength-type so tactics and instinct be damned. He''ll be gunning for me because he knows taking me down is the fastest way to end this battle."


    "How will he know where you are though?" Ashley asked.


    "We''re going to plant a giant flag right where he can see it," I said chuckling.


    "Yup, he thinks you''re arrogant enough to do just that," Aura added.


    "I concur," Varda added.


    There was a round of agreements after Varda that made me want to smack them all in the head for playing light of such a tense situation.


    "Qwipps, you''ll act as Edo''s second," I answered. Varda will go with Ashley, Xanthor with Liu Xiang, and Thor with Thom."


    "I assume I''m with you?" Aura asked a question she probably already knew the answer to.


    "Yup," I nodded. "Azuma will join us in the reserves¡­"


    I glanced over at Arah and pointed to the back of my central path where all routes merged into one once more.


    "You and the command post will hang back here on this hill," I said.


    "I know," she answered. "It''s got a clear vantage point of all five routes¡­ and you guys will be able to see the flags too."


    "You memorized our commands already?" Ashley asked.


    "Of course," Arah answered. "I need to prove my worth as a strategist tonight¡­ or you guys won''t be satisfied having me around."


    Everyone was looking at her with something close to apprehension but Arah didn''t flinch.


    "I know that the burden a strategist carries is heavy," she admitted. "But I won''t back down from it¡­ after all," she glanced over to me, "this is the only way I can fight alongside my friends."


    There was a brief moment of awkward silence that was quickly beaten back by several grins, and Ashley asking, "You''ve got some good friends, Dapper."


    Before we left for our posts, I took Arah aside and said, "Are you sure about this? You talked about burdens but the weight of lives is no joke¡­ Decisions you make will most certainly lead to someone''s death¡­ ours and theirs. "I looked concernedly at her. "So, I''ll ask again, are you sure you want to be a part of this?"


    Arah nodded wordlessly, and I knew that was all the answer I was going to get because if she was anything like me, right about now, there would be too many butterflies in her stomach.


    "Stay safe," I said.


    ---


    "Well, he took the bait," Aura said.


    "Yup," I answered.


    "How many soldiers do we have again?" she asked.


    "Two thousand," I answered.


    "Why doesn''t that seem like we have enough?" she asked.


    "Because the bastard''s brought the bulk of his forces down this central path¡­" I reasoned.


    Just looking at the three thousand soldiers gathering at the mouth of the central path was giving me a migraine.


    "He had a little over five thousand soldiers after the twilight which means he only sent around five-hundred men each to the other routes along the canyon," I realized. "He''s outplayed us¡­"


    It was a strange thing to say considering Garm wasn''t a strategic-type of general. Something was definitely wrong with this scenario.


    "Won''t that make it easier for our other units to overwhelm the enemy?" Aura asked.


    I glanced over at her and notice she was biting her lip again. It seemed to be a habit she''d formed after she''d met Garm earlier.


    "I don''t know¡­ it''ll depend who Garm sent to lead those other units and how fast our guys can beat them, if ever," I reasoned. "One thing''s for sure¡­ whether or not we win this battle will depend on time now¡­"

 214 Sword and Shield

    "Well?" I asked Nike who''d just floated down to my eye level.


    "Reporting for Strategist Kitsune, Commander," Nike said as she gave me the fairy salute.


    "She''s really sticking to Kitsune, huh," I noted. "Alright, Nike, give me the report."


    "Dean, I can''t believe you were right about this," Nike complained in Arah''s voice.


    "Right about what?" Aura asked.


    She was in her usual spot on my right and mounted on Starlight.


    "I predicted Garm might pull a fast one and send the bulk of his forces wherever I was because he would be under the assumption that you would be with me," I answered in one quick breath.


    "It''s time for plan B," Nike said in Arah''s voice. "Hold the line until Edo''s forces arrive in time to flank the enemy. You''ll be receiving reinforcements from the other units as planned¡­ Message ends."


    "Nike, I need you to send my reply," I said. "Message, Plan B is a go¡­ Maneuver at your discretion."


    I watched Nike zoom into the air before turning my eyes back on the three thousand enemy troops at the mouth of our path.


    "So¡­ how do you want to do this?" Aura asked.


    "I''ll go hold the line," I said. "You stay here and manage our forces. Send word to Azuma that he needs to take command of the cavalry."


    "You should be leading from here, Commander," she reminded me.


    "I can''t," I replied. "These pilgrims won''t trust a leader who hides behind them. They''ll follow the guy willing to risk his life alongside them."


    I dismounted from Myth Chaser and passed her reins to Jensen. Then I accepted the kite shield he offered me.


    "Tell Ty to join me upfront will you," I said.


    "Are you sure?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, it''s about time the chosen one made use of his close-quarters training," I chuckled.


    Then I was off and moving past the lines of soldiers who made way for me, each of them looking back at their new commander with something I imagined was a mixture of expectation and worry.


    I didn''t know most of these people, I thought. How am I supposed to lead them?


    While these worrisome thoughts crossed my mind, my feet had dragged me to our front where the heavy infantry were gathered. It was here where I heard a familiar voice call out to me.


    "You''re late, Commander," said a tall blonde man with bright blue eyes and a full, shaggy beard on his face tanned face.


    I stared at him. "Ian Grimmjaw?"


    My eyes went past Ian to the gathered soldiers around him.


    "Armie Hammerfall, Tina Lovegood, Jasper Crank, Augie Lootmaister, Jill Valentino¡­" I whispered their names in surprise as I thought they''d gone with Edo''s unit. "Miko Amada, Channel Crow, Link Albuquerque, Raffy Diaz, Dario Dunkirky¡­ aren''t you Ravagers a sight for sore eyes."


    "Our squad leader asked us to watch out for his big brother while he''s off the line," Ian answered.


    Behind Ian, I could see even more familiar faces popped out at me. They were all of Luca''s Ravagers who didn''t sacrifice their lives to rescue Luca and Azuma.


    "Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys¡­ Look on them as your own beloved sons and they will stand by you even onto death," I recited, a grin growing on my face as renewed confidence flowed through me.


    I would have to thank Luca later on for sending me such reliable backup.


    "Sun Tzu?" Ian asked.


    "Who else?" I asked as I hefted my shield with my left hand while my other hand raised my falchion high. "Alright, you ravaging bastards, let''s go to war!"


    They all raised their weapons high and cheered along with me. And it wasn''t just the Ravagers, but the pilgrims around us. They too were caught up by my morale-boosting roar. Hopefully, it would help tide us for what was to come.


    We all felt the rumble beneath our feet, and I heard someone around me shout, "Earthquake!"


    But I just smiled and yelled in an even louder voice, "Battle formation!"


    I made my way to the front of the line and saw that Garm''s own heavy infantry had begun their march forward in what was the standard practice for this kind of warfare.


    "Just no imagination, this guy," I said right before I glanced behind me and roared, "I want a tight phalanx formation. No gaps!"


    The Ravagers around me quickly followed my instructions. This was repeated down the lines to my left and right, a total of five hundred heavy infantry from end to end. It was just about the right size from one half of the chasm wall to the other.


    "Here he comes," Ian pointed with his spear.


    A single, bulky form walked ahead of his soldiers. His greatsword was draped over his shoulders. His hair was being blown back by the wind. I had to admit, he cut an impressive figure, Great General Garm.


    It didn''t even surprise me that he opted to walk among his men instead of on his mount like before because I knew his very presence ahead of them was filling his men with confidence. Why else would they continue to yell, "Garm, Garm, Garm!"


    Unfortunately, Garm''s swagger had the opposite effect on my soldiers who weren''t Foolhardies. These pilgrims who''d never gone to war before were all starting to look very nervous.


    "Those of you who don''t know the drill yet," I said as I stepped forward and out of the line. "This is where we hold the line!"


    I actually drew a line in the sand behind me with my falchion for emphasis.


    "This is where our fight begins!" I said, raising my voice while at the same time pointing toward Garm with the tip of my sword. "And this is where they end!"


    The Ravagers were the first to yell in unison. "Foolhardies!"


    This was followed by the raising of a thousand spears in the air from the first, second, and third line.


    Garm''s soldiers were quickly bridging the gap between us. But our morale held steady.


    "Let''s earn our shields, brothers!" a pilgrim on my right yelled.


    "We will be baptized through the blood of our foes!" a pilgrim on my left yelled.


    "We''ll kill em'' all!" someone behind me roared.


    "Death to the fay!" another answered.


    Less than forty yards separated us from our enemy now, and the anticipation was reaching boiling point.


    "Damn, these pilgrims are intense," I chuckled just as Ian passed me a spare spear. "I like it."


    Garm was close enough now that I could see his pearly white teeth grinning maniacally at me.


    "Vengeance for Luca," I said.


    "For Lira and Lawrence," Ian added.


    "For Marco, Paulo, and all the rest," I agreed.


    Garm raised his greatsword high with one hand, and for that single moment, it felt like the whole world went silent, almost as if time had suddenly stopped. Then he lowered his greatsword in our direction, and his men began to charge.


    "Hold!" I yelled.


    The enemy was around twenty feet away now running at full speed toward us, their weapons raised and ready to cause some damage.


    "No matter what, we hold this line!" I yelled again.


    The enemy was fifteen feet away now, and their faces were a mixture of rage and contempt for me and mine.


    I closed my eyes then and searched for the power hidden inside me. When I opened my eyes once again, the great cluster of soldiers in front of me ¡ª these runners who were barely ten feet away now ¡ª all of them had suddenly stopped moving.


    Yeah, I''d just cast Basilisk''s Eye on all of them, which, with my recent growth could now affect all enemies within a wide cone of ten feet in front of me. But this move was definitely going to cost me.


    "Step forward!" I yelled despite the sudden surge of pain shooting up my eyes.


    We all moved as one, and as one, we stepped forward and sent our spears straight into the chest of the immobile enemies, killing them instantly.


    Their comrades didn''t like that one bit. Those who avoided my gaze continued their charge and rammed their shields against ours.


    "Brace for impact!" I yelled.


    Wham!


    I felt a heavy weight slam against my shield, then another, and then another. It was like bracing against a great wave, and I could almost feel myself give way to it. But then I heard the grunting from the men beside me, and saw that they hadn''t given in. So how could I?


    I gritted my teeth, pressed against my back foot, and pushed my shoulder forward ¡ª and this time, I felt the wave waver in front of me.


    Without looking over my shield, I thrust my spear forward and felt the shadowblade sink deep into someone''s flesh. Unfortunately, the weapon had embedded itself too securely on my opponent, and I lost my grip on it as I was pushed back once more.


    "Enough of this," I hissed. "Ian! I''m going to go wild! Plug the hole!"


    "Roger, Commander!" Ian answered. "Give them hell."


    I reactivated Fool''s Insight a second time, and felt that surge of pain rise up my irises once more. Still, combat mode was the least straining of my gift''s abilities and it was exactly what I needed in close quarters combat.


    I slammed my shield forward one last time just before I let it go and pushed kicked it onto whoever was bracing against me. Then, as my left hand was finally free, I punched the first face that popped out at me right before I drove my falchion into his chest.


    "Commander Dapper''s on the move!" Ian yelled. "Someone plug the hole!"


    I pushed past our line and slice into one, two, and then three soldiers, and was already moving forward before their bodies dropped to the floor.


    My intention was to carve a bloody path that would ease the pressure on my men and then flow back into the shield wall. Fine a new weak spot in our line and strike out again.


    Sadly, Garm just wouldn''t accommodate me.


    He''d appeared from above, a giant shadow blocking out Idunn''s light momentarily just before he touched down right in front of me with his greatsword slashing down at my head.


    Instead of leaping out of the way ¡ª which still would have gotten me hurt ¡ª I stepped even closer to him instead and sent my falchion crashing up to the spot right above his greatsword''s hilt. This effectively stopped his attack midway.


    Our shadowblades locked. He glared at me. I glared back at him.


    "Fancy meeting you here, Great General!" I said.

 215 The Strong Man

    Garm''s eyes went wide with surprise, and I could guess why.


    When we first met, the Great General and I had a duel where I was supposed to stop his attack in order to win. I managed it, although it was a struggle that nearly caused me to pass out. Now, months afterward, stopping his greatsword''s downward slash seemed almost easy, at least that''s what he thought.


    Imagine having to precisely attack a small part of a weapon in order to unbalance its momentum. That wasn''t an easy feat at all, and it would have been impossible without Fool''s Insight.


    Garm didn''t know that though, and I was content with him thinking even for a moment that I was his match. Seeding doubt in an opponent''s mind, after all, is a principle of warfare.


    "So, you''ve gotten better at fighting, boy," he spat in my face.


    "Or maybe you just got lamer," I fired back at him.


    Now, despite this display of attempted bravado, I was feeling very intimidated. Thankfully, Garm was so focused on my face he wasn''t paying attention to my shaking boots.


    I was confident in my skills for sure, but we''re talking of a guy who was at Darah''s level here, and I''ve never beaten her in a duel. I was self-aware enough to know I couldn''t beat Garm yet either. But I could probably keep him occupied long enough for my men to beat his. At least, that was my plan. Plus, I was expecting backup soon ¡ª the ''chosen one'' and ''war god'' kind.


    Garm pressed his greatsword down on my falchion, and I could feel the muscles in my arms tightening to brace against the increased weight.


    Suddenly, my survival sense tingled, and I broke the blade lock in order to pull away from the left hook that I just noticed on my peripheral.


    I took a single step back, allowing me to avoid the hook but leaving me vulnerable to a second downward slash from his greatsword.


    Thankfully, I managed to block this in time, but unlike earlier, the force of Garm''s swing drove me back toward my own unit''s shield wall.


    My back slammed hard into a friendly''s shield, and I heard the voice of Ian when he asked, "You alright there, Commander?"


    "Fine¡­" I pushed off his shield and readied myself for a counterattack. "Send word to Ty and Azuma, will you? Tell them to get their asses here now please!"


    I jumped forward with falchion raised high in both hands.


    The path to Garm was clear almost like the soldiers fighting around us had instinctively given us a wide berth.


    My falchion swung down on his chest plate but he easily blocked it with the flat of his greatsword.


    However, my attack was more than a single polished strike as Garm was about to find out.


    I moved my lead foot to the right, and following the momentum of my forward dash, I twisted my wrists to the left and slashed sideward.


    I then moved my back foot to the right as well which now put me on his left side. I twisted my wrists to the right this time and sent a diagonal slash from upper right to lower left at Garm''s unprotected left side.


    The tip of his greatsword came out of nowhere and would have skewered me in the forehead if I hadn''t turned my whole body around in the nick of time.


    I spun around to Garm''s back and repeated the same diagonal slash I''d intended to attack his left side with.


    Although he wore a rather bulky breastplate that was thick even in the back, I was confident my falchion''s vibro-function could break through his defense.


    Sadly, that wasn''t the case at all.


    As soon as my shadowblade reached his armored back, sparks began to fly similar to when a chainsaw met extra-strong steel beams. It was clear that I would need minutes to break through it. Minutes I didn''t have.


    Garm reacted with a backward elbow that was again aimed at my head. Insight caused me to dodge to the right.


    As his momentum caused him to turn to his left, I moved my right foot to the right just so I could rake my falchion''s shadowblade across his lower back.


    Sparks flew. My weapon still couldn''t penetrate it. So I changed tactic.


    At the same time as I moved toward his right side, I aimed my next slash at the space between his leg armor ¡ª and finally, I drew blood, although it was merely a tiny cut that wouldn''t have deterred the giant physique of my opponent.


    Now, before Garm could slash at my neck and decapitate me, I''d already ducked down and sent the tip of my falchion rising up to his unprotected chin as I realized his armor might be a little too sturdy for my silver-tier sword.


    Garm''s left hook flew my way a second time, but I knew my attack was faster. I would reach his head first before that fist hit my right shoulder.


    It really was regrettable that I''d forgotten about the air pressure he could create with a single fist.


    I felt the wave strike my shoulder, and in an instant, I released the tension in my muscles and forced my entire body to fall to the left in order to cushion the blow I knew was coming. It only half worked.


    The impact from the air pressure was already enough to blow me back so I managed to avoid Garm''s fist. Only, that air pressure was enough to bring forth intense pain, the kind that might have dislocated my arm if I''d caught it unaware.


    Point to Fool''s Insight once again, I thought as I skidded to a stop five feet to the left of Garm. "All that effort for one lousy cut¡­"


    And yes, if you were paying attention to that blow-by-blow account, I did just perform a combo that went all the way around him ¡ª all within a matter of seconds it took someone to take two bites of a sandwich. So it was really vexing that I only managed a single clean hit at that time.


    "Impressive¡­ I see you have a future as a dancer," Garm chuckled.


    He left me no time to think up a cool verbal counter though as he launched himself into the air a second time in the style of Superman.


    I jumped forward to get out of his way, but just like the man of steel, Garm slammed his left fist onto the ground in an attack that would level the sand beneath us, rendering my escape moot.


    Sand exploded out of Garm''s point of impact which momentarily caused my vision to blur.


    I stumbled and just about caught myself before crashing onto an enemy soldier who''d found the courage to interfere in our match with a thrust of his spear.


    As the spear tip came rushing forward, I ducked, slid my lead foot forward, and gutted the interloper.


    That''s when my survival sense tingled a second time.


    I manage to pull out my falchion from the dead enemy soldier''s gut and duck at the same time, which meant I narrowly avoided the greatsword that swung above me.


    Then I turned around and swept my falchion to the right, but Garm had already stepped back.


    In return, his greatsword''s shadowblade came swinging down on me once more, and so I rolled to the right to avoid it.


    As the greatsword''s tip slammed onto the desert floor, more sand flew into the sky. This obscured Garm''s vision long enough for me to attack his right side.


    My falchion swung down on his outstretched sword arm.


    Blood spurted out of the cut I''d made on his forearm, but it came at a cost.


    Somehow, Garm had tightened his muscles at the moment of impact, causing my shadowblade to get stuck in place despite its vibro-function.


    I managed a, "You''ve got to be kidding me," right before I felt the impact of Garm''s fist in my gut.


    Imagine getting hit by a car head-on and you''ll have an inkling of what just happened to me.


    I slammed into the back of an enemy soldier, knocked him over, fell backward on the sand, and continued flipping backward until I knocked over a few more enemy soldiers to the left of my shield wall.


    In my head, underneath the screams of pain bouncing up and down my brain and echoing throughout the rest of my body, a thought came to mind which I voiced out a moment later despite the taste of blood in my mouth. "Now I knew how bowling balls feel."


    My vision cleared just in time for me to watch Garm''s fist come barrelling toward me once more.


    I tried to get up, but the dizziness from all those backward spins made my feet wobbly, and I barely managed to sit up before Garm was on me yet again.


    He launched his left fist forward.


    I braced for impact.


    It didn''t come. A wall of ice had gotten in its way.


    Ty pulled me to my feet.


    "Dude, didn''t you say we were going to fight him together?" Ty reminded me.


    I knew I couldn''t take Garm alone but what choice did I have at the time.


    "Yeah, well, you were late¡­" I spat out the blood inside my mouth. "Ty¡­ your wall''s breaking."


    "Ye-yeah¡­ we should pull back some more," Ty said.


    We stepped back while watching the thick ice crack under the pressure of Garm''s fist on the other side of it. Seconds later, that wall came crashing down, revealing a very smug-looking Garm with his fist in a forward stance that wouldn''t be uncommon at a karate studio.


    However, both Ty and I were already in battle stances of our own. I with my falchion raised in front of me and Ty with the tip of his staff pointed forward.


    "Let''s try this again," I said. "Three versus one this time."


    My pronouncement left Garm momentarily confused, but then the spear tip coming from his blind spot which he narrowly dodged by tilting his head to the side brought clarity to Garm''s face.


    "You sneaky little mudstains," Garm hissed as his hand came up to wipe at the blood from the cut that grazed his cheek. "Fine, come at me all together then!"

 216 Attack on Titan

    If we were in an MMORPG, three on one would be a respectable situation considering we were up against a boss who was probably ten to twenty levels too high for us to challenge right now. And yet I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of guilt at this ganging up we were about to do.


    This feeling lasted only about as long as it took Garm to laugh in our faces while yelling out to his troops, "No one interferes¡­ these three fools are my prey."


    That certainly washed away any mixed feelings I might have had about honor and stuff.


    "Triangle formation," I said quickly. "Azuma will tank him, I''ll back him up, and Ty attacks with long-range spells."


    An instant was all it took for the three of us to get in formation with Azuma in front of me and Ty.


    Now, although I wanted to keep track of the larger battle, I would have to trust in Aura and Arah to keep the unit together for any less than my full attention would put me, Ty, and Azuma in a really tough spot, the kind you don''t come back from.


    "Here we go, here we go," Ty said to psyche himself up.


    "Come at me, fools!" Garm growled.


    That''s when Azuma launched a combination of attacks with his spear that even I found hard to follow. However, for each thrust or slash he sent at Garm, each one was deflected or blocked by Garm''s greatsword.


    "More!" Garm roared at Azuma. "Come on, human, they told me you were a true warrior!"


    Garm''s taunts only fuelled Azuma to try harder. He increased his speed and spun his spear around and around, and then used the momentum he''d created with the rotations to deliver blow after blow at Garm.


    The great general managed to block one, two, and three, but wasn''t fast enough to block spinning attack number four whose shadowblade raked across his cheek and drew blood.


    Garm spat at Azuma''s face, and although Azuma dodged the disgusting projectile, Garm capitalized on the moment and sent his greatsword on a side sweep arc toward Azuma''s outstretched neck.


    That''s when I slipped in and blocked deflected the attack by sending my falchion crashing down on the flat of Garm''s shadowblade.


    At the same time, Ty screamed, "Frost Ray!"


    A beam of white energy launched from his outstretched hand and smacked Azuma on the right shoulder. Ice formed around the target area and caused Azuma''s sword arm to waver just as he attempted to block Azuma''s spear thrust.


    Azuma''s spear tip grazed Garm''s armor but didn''t penetrate through the thick metal.


    "Aim for the chinks in the armor¡­ the rest of it is just too hard," I explained just as I ducked to avoid the left hook that I thought had been aimed at me.


    Garm''s left fist smashed the ice that clung to his right shoulder, breaking it into pieces and freeing his sword arm once more.


    "His armor must be adamantine grade then," Azuma spat. "Ty, keep trying to immobilize him!"


    So as I gazed back at the dark blue chest plate emblazoned with Garm''s symbol and its silver filigree, I found a new appreciation for what we were attempting to achieve. We were three soldiers of flesh and bone against a titan, and if we succeeded, we''d be the stuff of legends.


    With this thought in my head, I renewed my attacks on Garm''s unprotected sides while Azuma kept his attention like a proper tank should.


    I reopened the cut I''d made earlier on his right leg and then proceeded to run around his back and repeat the process on his left head.


    Why go through all that trouble, you ask? Why not just attack his head while he was distracted? Like I said, Garm might as well have been a titan and everyone knows you bring a titan down by forcing it to its knees first.


    "Frost Ray! Frost Ray! Frost Ray!" Ty yelled repeatedly.


    With each spell cast, a ray of white energy would smash again and again into Garm''s armored form. And although these attacks would barely hurt him and proved no more than inconveniences to Garm, the constant need to break off the ice that grew on his body was starting to show on his face in the form of annoyance.


    Quick as a viper, Garm slammed his shoulder and pushed Azuma aside so could hurl his greatsword toward Ty who''d been hiding in the rear.


    It was obvious from his panic expression that Ty wouldn''t be able to duck or create an arcane shield in time, but I was too far away to assist him.


    Luckily, Azuma, despite losing his balance, managed to throw his spear and deflect Garm''s greatsword from reaching Ty.


    This caused Garm to turn his wrath on Azuma instead.


    Garm''s right fist came hurtling toward Azuma head, but my martial arts teacher simply ducked right before sliding forward even further into Garm''s range so he could deliver a rising uppercut up to Garm''s chin.


    For the first time since our fight began, Garm head snapped back, but even in that awkward position, he managed to grab at Azuma''s shoulder with his left hand.


    However, as he pulled Azuma toward him in what would either be a punch from his right fist or a knee from his right leg, I slashed down at his outstretched left arm.


    Garm roared as he pulled away from Azuma. Too bad for him, he''d stepped back into the ice mine that Ty had just cast.


    An explosion of ice spikes managed to unbalance Garm long enough for Azuma to jump toward him.


    While in mid-air, he reached out with his right hand, and like Thor''s hammer from the movies, Azuma''s spear came flying toward him. He caught the weapon just as he came within range of Garm, and then, he thrust the spear toward Garm''s shoulder.


    I wasn''t being idle either by the way. While Azuma performed his cool martial arts move, I''d called on the elements to grace my sword with the power of Augmentare.


    "Like a bolt of lightning, carve away all defences with a single glistening blade," I whispered.


    Azuma swung his spear down on Garm''s front side while I launched a rising slash at Garm''s back. And if that wasn''t enough, Ty had cast a second ice mine right underneath Garm that was already in the midst of exploding.


    It did explode, but so did Garm.


    Garm slammed his foot onto the ground, and the force of his stomp caused the sand to explode upward, destroying Ty''s ice mine and pushing both me and Azuma back for good measure.


    I stabbed the ground in order to not get blown away, but the sand was everywhere and my eyes were momentarily useless.


    A hand broke through the layer of sand in the air and grabbed my neck, and the next thing I knew I was being pulled forward and then launched away.


    I crashed into Ty moments later, and as our bodies collided, I felt my friend go limp from the impact. Ty, our heavy hitter, was down for the count.


    Even worse, the impact caused me to lose my focus and with it, the last embers of Fool''s Insight winked out.


    The backlash from using it all day and night caused intense pain to shoot up my eyes, forcing me to cry out in pain for an entirely different reason from my body getting beat up after slamming into Ty.


    Despite this pain, my vision didn''t get blurry which was a small mercy considering my condition and the situation we were in.


    So, it was in full color that I watched the curtain of sand particles subside only to give way to Garm slamming Azuma onto the ground. With his right hand wrapped around Azuma''s neck, Garm unleashed a flurry of blows with his other hand that made me cringe with each impact.


    "Stop!" I managed to say.


    I picked up my falchion once again, and then pulled myself up despite the protest of my bones. Then I limped my way to Garm.


    He raised his head and sent me a death-stare that stopped me in my tracks. It would have held me there too if I hadn''t seen his bloody fist. Underneath Garm, Azuma wasn''t moving.


    I was about to fly at Garm in a rage but then I saw something that stopped me in my tracks a second time.


    "Too frightened to avenge your little friends, boy?" Garm taunted. "Come on¡­ I haven''t bloodied myself enough on you fools."


    Oh, how I relished this next part for it seemed I would get the last laugh after all.


    "Hey, a*shole¡­ I win," I said, smiling despite the pain exploding out of my eyes. "On your left¡­"


    Garm wouldn''t be distracted, however, at least until he heard the raucous cheers coming from behind him. That''s when he decided I wasn''t bluffing and turned around. The sight he saw then made his face crunch up in apparent disgust.


    A thousand more soldiers bearing the banners of the Foolhardies and the Pilgrimage crashed into the flank of Garm''s men. We''d held out long enough.

 217 The Retrea

    A part of me thought that Garm might actually retaliate against me and Azuma because of his imminent defeat, but the man didn''t rise to the title of great general by being careless with his soldiers.


    Even if he stuck around to try and defeat my unit, Edo''s unit had already broken his back, and without him leading the charge, they would get wiped out.


    He gambled. He lost. Now, he was willing to move on. If nothing else, I could respect that about him.


    "It seems playtime is over, boy¡­" Garm reached a hand forward, and like Azuma''s spear, his greatsword flew back to him. "Tell my niece she''s won this round¡­ but this victory will cost her dearly."


    Just like that, Garm sheathed his greatsword and walked away from us. I would watch his retreating back up until the Black Rider arrived with an extra mount for him to ride on. She gave me one steely-eyed glare, but like Garm, she didn''t attack me anymore either.


    Together, they rallied their frontline troops and charged back to the rear to rescue what remained of their flank.


    The crisis averted, I limped over to Azuma and checked to see if he was breathing.


    His eyes were close and his face was bloody and bruised but his chest heaved up and down. Looks like Garm had only knocked him out.


    I realized then that Azuma had gotten much weaker since I first met him. The Azuma of then could have fought toe to toe with Garm without mine or Ty''s help. But that was before when he just couldn''t die no matter what wound you inflicted on him. The Azuma of now was frailer, and I''d like to think it was just cancer keeping him down. I was afraid to think it was we who were holding him back from his potential.


    My brow furrowed. "Ty?"


    "He-here," he answered groggily.


    "Could you make an ice pack for Azuma?" I asked. "And can someone call Ian for me!"


    Ian Grimmjaw never arrived. It was Tina Lovegood¡ªthe ax-wielding, curly-haired, and glasses-wearing teammate of Luca¡ªwho answered my summons. It was also she who informed me that Ian had passed away. He''d been skewered by a pike in the throat from an assailant who''d gotten a lucky shot.


    I lowered my head in frustration. My brow furrowed even more. This was the nature of our job. We were warriors. But, whether they were my teammate or an enemy I slew myself, every death stung all the same after the battle was over. I doubt I''d ever stop feeling that way, and I hoped I never would.


    Tina and a few other Ravagers helped me get Azuma and Ty back to the rear while our frontline, under Arah''s guidance, continued to hound the enemy''s heel.


    Yet, despite the nearly six thousand troops attacking their flank, Garm managed to lead the remainder of his forces into breaking through Edo''s lines, thereby escaping the pincer attack and fleeing back past the mouth of the gorge.


    "One thing''s bothering me though," I said.


    "What?" Aura asked as she dabbed a wet cloth onto Azuma''s brow. The concern on her face at our injured comrade was touching to see.


    "He chased us all the way south¡­ why was he so quick to flee now?" I asked.


    Aura shrugged. "I''m not sure¡­ maybe he was too pressed for time?"


    She was half-right as it turned out.


    Back when we''d repelled the attacks of Garm''s reserve army, I''d sent Fila on a mission to Great General Grimthorn and Darah with a message explaining the details of Garm''s betrayal. And despite a lack of physical evidence of his betrayal at the time, the word of the princess of the Trickster Pavilion and her Sense Knight was taken into consideration.


    The truth, however, was far simpler than that. The ruling council had already decided at the time to strip Garm of his title, and so they''d already had an army in reserve, ready to charge west at a moment''s notice. Darah had been tasked with this job.


    As soon as she got my message, she marched west with a seventy-thousand strong army from central along with a writ from the council that would take away all Garm''s authority. Although no one believed Garm would step down quietly, and Darah had expected a battle.


    A battle did occur, but not with Garm. The battle came in the form of a fifty-thousand strong Scarlet Moon army that had been waiting in the northern wastes of the Westersand Desert to make their move.


    They intercepted Darah''s march and stalled her long enough for Garm to return to his forces, gather those loyal to him, and then flee north to lands outside the Trickster??s territory.


    Of course, I wasn''t aware of most of this until the next night. I''d hear about it later from Fila who''d had a message from Darah telling me, "You suck! How could you let Garm escape your clutches when he was already within your reach?"


    Nope, that message came later. At the moment, I was too busy leading the remainder of my borrowed army south and away from the Westersand Desert.


    After we''d exited the southern mountain range, our unit and Liu Xiang''s army of pilgrims would finally part ways but not before I insisted that Arah come with us. I expected them to disagree but they were quick to let her go actually.


    "Kitsune has admirable performed two of the three tasks we''d set for her," Liu Xiang.


    "Two of the three?" I asked.


    "Help them connect with you and assist in the training of their army," Arah said while she raised two fingers. "Luckily, I managed to hit two birds with one stone. Train their army in a real battle plus help them team up with you."


    She turned her two raised fingers into the peace sign and showed it to me.


    "And the third?" I asked, still unsure about this deal she made with them.


    "The third will come later," Liu Xiang answered. "To fulfill Kitsune''s contract, we require that you meet with our leader, the Charlatan, in the near future."


    "Kitsune''s contract?" I asked again.


    This was turning into a round of twenty-one questions. There were too many things about the Pilgrimage and Arah''s situation that I just didn''t know about.


    "She contracted us to bring her into the Fayne," Liu Xiang explained. "We knew she was a close acquaintance of yours and deemed it a good investment."


    I set Arah my best imitation of the Rock''s smoldering gaze.


    "You made a deal with them just to jump into the Fayne?" I wrapped my arms around my chest. "Are you insane?"


    "You wouldn''t take me," she shot back. "I had to find an alternative¡­ I wasn''t about to let you and Ty get into trouble while waiting helplessly at home like some damsel in distress, Dean!"


    I sighed. We''d had this argument a number of times already on two different worlds no less.


    "If I meet with this Charlatan¡­ you''ll release Arah''s contract?" I asked Liu Xiang. "What does that mean, exactly?"


    "The price for coming to the Fayne through our services is worth this much." Liu Xiang brought out a roll of parchment and unfurled it so he could show me the number. "As you can see, it isn''t a small sum at all."


    My eyes were as round as Oreos.


    "Th-this price¡­ Isn''t it extortion," I reasoned. "No way could a high school girl pay that much money¡­"


    Ty, who''d been standing quietly between me and Arah leaned over to me to get a look at the parchment. "S-so many zeros¡­"


    I turned on Arah and slapped at the paper in Liu Xiang''s hand.


    "And you accepted this kind of deal?" I asked incredulously.


    "The things they asked of me were pretty easy to accomplish. So why wouldn''t I?" Arah just shrugged. Then her brow furrowed. "Unless you''re saying you won''t meet with the Charlatan?"


    "Of course I''ll meet with him," I said without hesitating. "How else am I going to keep you from acquiring such a huge debt?"


    It was only for a moment, but Arah smiled after I''d said what I said.


    "Thanks, Dean," she said in a voice that was barely a whisper.


    "Alright, Liu Xiang, when do we meet your boss?" I continued.


    "We will contact you at a later date," he replied.


    "And that''s all you want?" I pressed. "For me to meet him?"


    "Well," Liu Xiang''s eyes darted toward Aura. "We would like you to bring your brother and the princess as well."


    He raised his hands in surrender before we could protest.


    "The Charlatan only seeks a discussion¡­ we have no plans to harm you or your friends," he promised.


    "Alright," Aura answered for me. "I''ll go if it means helping Arah."


    And with that proclamation, we parted ways with the Pilgrimage. They continued in a western direction while we traveled southeast.


    "Where are we going? Arah asked.


    I looked up at the night sky. Idunn was barely past its zenith which meant dawn would take a while longer to arrive. That wasn''t an issue though. We had another hearth we could all rest in.


    "Home," I answered.

 218 Loyal Servants

    It was roughly an hour before dawn when we decided to rest in a grassy field that was far enough from the Westermarch war-front that Garm wouldn''t be able to send anyone after us.


    To those fairies and viseres who''d been up since the previous night, this choice was a welcome boon. We were all tired, and many of us had been injured too.


    Azuma and Luca were both recuperating in the healer''s wagon along with two dozen others of our most heavily injured. They were all under the care of Berrian Berrygrove, the elf leader of our small but highly capable healer''s squad, and his assistant, Ernak, the drow apothecary who''d originally been part of Thom''s group.


    I bought liquor from Shanks'' caravan out of my own pocket to give the men to help boost their morale somewhat. Not that they needed it. Beating back a great general and escaping the clutches of the Scarlet Moon once again had already been enough of a morale booster.


    Something interesting happened in this camp as well. Aura had agreed to take Arah on as her third contracted visere, and so a short ceremony was held in the Commander''s tent to complete this.


    While they were surrounded by my squad leaders and Ty, Arah knelt on the carpet in front of Aura and offered our elven princess a golden ring I recognized as one of her favorite jewelry. It had been given to Arah by her mother in the eighth grade during the one semester where she''d gotten the top grades in our year. Of course, that was the year my dad died which was probably why my grades dipped, but I never gave that excuse out loud.


    "Please take this treasured item as a sign of my fealty and my desire to serve as a visere for House Trickhaven of the Trickster Pavilion," Arah swore.


    I noticed that her oath was an oath of loyalty to Aura''s house and not just Aura''s. It was a contrast to mine which was an oath of partnership with Aura, and Ty''s, which had been a more general oath for the clan.


    No, I wasn''t being anal about it. These things were important to take note of because the devil was always in the details.


    Aura took the ring from Arah''s hand and clipped it onto the necklace I''d given her so that there were now three things hanging from it, my mother''s locket, Ty''s star charm, and now, Arah''s ring.


    I, Aurana Trickhaven, princess of the Trickster Pavilion, recognize your resolve, Arah Lin Tan, and accept you as a visere of the clan," Arah said, smiling warmly at the girl who she''d met only a year ago but had obviously grown very fond of.


    Varda passed Aura a steel-grade sword that was the standard weapon we gave to our high-ranking Foolhardies. Nope, I was wrong. After a closer look, it wasn''t one of our standard swords at all. It looked pricier than the cheap stuff we gave out.


    Aura offered this sword with both hands to Arah.


    "This is Thistle, a named blade I once carried when I was training to become a shieldmaiden," Aura explained. "I give it to you as a sign of respect and a symbol of our partnership."


    Arah accepted the sword while a tear rolled down her left eye.


    She lowered her head when she spoke next, "I will strive to be worthy of this honor you give me."


    "I know you will," Aura answered. Then she clasped her on her forearm and added, "Welcome to the trickster pavilion."


    We all gave Arah a round of applause and each clapped her on the shoulder in a gesture of welcome.


    However, Ty had to ruin the auspicious moment with his comment, "You get a cool looking sword but I only got a tree branch?"


    "Well, maybe you should use the staff Zarz made out of that tree branch more often, Ty," Varda countered.


    Everyone laughed.


    "I''m just glad someone who''s less inclined to reckless plans is joining the team," Ashley added.


    "Yes, it is rather tiring having to fight for our lives in every engagement," Thom agreed.


    "Wait¡­ are you guys saying we''re free of Dean''s foolhardiness?" Qwipps asked in a serious tone.


    Everyone just looked at him like he was being ridiculous.


    Qwipps sighed. "What a fleeting dream this was¡­"


    We all laughed, and that was how our battle in the Westersand ended.


    Coming home to Mudgard was a little strange now that everything I had to look forward to was in the Fayne. My best friends, my brother, and the girl of my dreams¡­ yup, the Fayne had it all.


    But, as I walked over to my bedroom door and opened it, I caught the scent of bacon wafting up from the kitchen and had to re-evaluate my earlier thought. And as aunt Lena called me down for breakfast, I realized there were some things to look forward to in Mudgard after all.


    "I''m coming!" I yelled. "Can you make me an omelet too?"


    ---


    On our return to the Fayne the following night, my friends and I were greeted to a surprise.


    Al Sheridan and his Millenium Hawks had arrived during the day to come to our aid. Late as they were, I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.


    What''s more, Al came with the news that I was desperate to hear.


    "Redbull came to me last night and told me to take my unit and escape from the battlefield," Al revealed to us.


    We were sitting in my command tent while the rest of the camp was in the midst of packing our gear and readying the unit for the march back to Hoodwink.


    Along with me and Al, Aura, Edo, Varda, Ashley, and Arah ¡ª who the team agreed would take the role of our new tactician ¡ª were seated around the table. His adjutant, Riardon, and another one of his squad leaders, a redcap named Callistan, were also present for this meeting.


    "When I asked him why he was sending us away he told me that the battle was no longer about the war¡­ and loyalists to the patriarch had to escape now before it was too late," Al continued.


    He took a sip of the drink we''d offered him. His eyes widened as his tongue tasted the refreshingly sweet carbonated liquid.


    "I-is this¡­ cola?" he asked in surprise.


    "The Fayne''s version at least. Made by our unit''s chef, Alfie," Ashley explained. "A little too sweet for me though."


    "Let''s stay on topic, guys," I sighed. Then I leaned forward and added, "So¡­ Redbull knew what was happening but he wasn''t completely on board with it¡­"


    Al nodded. "He didn''t tell me much though. I would only learn about your battle to escape Garm after Verania sent me a message earlier in the day¡­ It''s why we rushed over to help you guys."


    "How would she have known, though?" I asked.


    ???Before she became a military officer, Verania served her aunt as one of her top spies," Aura explained. "She excels at playing the great game."


    The idea that Verania had a leg up on me was disconcerting, and I resolved to find my own spymaster for the Foolhardies. Thom would be an excellent candidate if he wasn''t so damn conceited.


    "I take it Verania and Dain managed to flee as well?" I asked.


    "They''d joined up with Darah''s army before the night was over," Al explained just before taking another sip of cola. "Man, I miss this taste¡­"


    "Still, learning that Great General Darah was so close¡­ we could have gone to her instead of relying on the Pilgrimage for our escape," Edo said as he leaned back on the central pole of the command tent. Then he glanced over at Arah and smirked. "I guess it all worked out in the end."


    "I can''t wait to hear you tell Darah that you teamed up with the Pilgrimage," Al laughed. "She hates those guys¡­ best be prepared, Dean."


    "Sh-shut up!" I said quickly. "And don''t tell her anything¡­ I''ll manage¡­ I think."


    As we marched back to Hoodwink Tower, I received word from Fila, who''d just returned from delivering his message to Darah, that the plan to capture Garm had failed.


    Apparently, the Scarlet Moon had held her up long enough for Garm to escape with nearly twenty thousand of his most loyal soldiers.


    Even worse, the rest of the army he left behind had been forced to retreat from the remainder of the Dominion army, resulting in the Trickster Pavilion''s defeat in the Westersand, which meant we''d just ceded back to them all the territory we''d gained over the last few months.


    It was incredibly frustrating as we had the advantage in that war. At least until Garm decided to turn traitor.


    So instead of pursuing Garm north, Darah had to march her army west and rally what remained of the troops to stop Lord Rah from taking more of our territory in the Westmarch. But, luckily, her timely arrival caused Lord Rah to take pause.


    An armistice was agreed upon by the two leaders, and a demilitarized zone was put up at the eastern entrance to the Westersand Desert. This meant a new defensive line was also being set up, and wouldn''t you know it, the Foolhardies had been called in to be part of it.


    But, that was for my guys to handle for now. I, unfortunately, had been summoned back to Sh?rleden by the council along with the other officers who''d remained loyal to the clan during Garm''s betrayal.

 219 Distant Vision

    I was floating above a place I''d never been to before. It had an environment of frigid weather where snow carpeted the both the rocks and ground. The surrounding sky was covered in dark clouds, and the wind, which despite my astral form, was bitingly cold.


    It caused me to shiver slightly.


    No, the wind probably wasn''t the reason. Perhaps the thing I could see protruding out of the rock was what made me nervous instead.


    They were giant double doors so large they covered the entire side of the cliff face to the left of the mountainous peak I''d found myself in.


    On the doors, a series of carvings depicted scenes of death and destruction on a scale even I''d never seen before. It was a world on fire where blue and red giants stomped on the tiny humanoid figures underneath them.


    In front of these doors, two figures were huddled close together.


    One of them was a stranger to me. He had a tall frame that was wrapped from head to foot in a thick black hood and coat that hid its features from my eyes.


    The other one was a female with skin so dark it was blue. Her short white hair was shaved at the sides. She had a beautiful face with a chiselled jawline, and her pale eyes underneath dark brows were silver in hue.


    I knew that face. It was the face of Great General Morrigan, one of the military leaders of the Scarlet Moon.


    Despite the cold surrounding her, she was wearing her snug black vest layered with black scales on the chest and shoulders. It seemed the red cloak was all she had to protect her from the elements, but she didn''t seem bothered by the chill.


    Morrigan was conversing with the cloaked stranger in hushed tones, but my astral form could hear them loud and clear.


    "I don''t quite understand your excursion in the central region," the stranger said. He had a male voice. "Was the point to acquire Great General Garm? I didn''t think he was such an important piece¡­"


    "Garm has a legitimate claim to the seat of the Trickster Pavilion''s patriarch," Morrigan explained. "That will be useful in sowing discord within their clan."


    "Your obsession with that clan continues to elude me," the stranger admitted. "I pray it doesn''t side track you from the plan¡­ the great game is already afoot."


    Morrigan shook her head. "I haven''t forgotten my responsibilities¡­ One could say differently about you and your own obsession with the brothers."


    I couldn''t see his face, but something told me that stranger was showing off a frown right about now.


    "I have done very little, but yes, I have assisted them somewhat, although indirectly," the man answered. "The boy is important. His brother too is a candidate. They can be groomed."


    Morrigan smirked. "Yes, he has shown an aptitude at foiling our plans¡­ things would be easier if we had the chosen one in our hands by now. I believe you''re at fault for losing him as well¡­"


    Morrigan placed a hand over the door but her fingers didn''t touch it.


    "They''re restless on that side now," she noted. "I can feel their eagerness¡­"


    The stranger turned his head to the door as well.


    "They aren''t the only ones¡­" he replied after a moment of pause. "One of the keys is already in our possession¡­ the others will be ours in time."


    "While the boy may be manageable, the other three will not be easy opponents," Morrigan replied. "They will not relinquish their charge to us without many sacrifices."


    "Many sacrifices are being prepared," the stranger chuckled. "For now, we''ll focus our attentions on acquiring the fifth¡­"


    "Ah," Morrigan raised a finger. "Several candidates have already been found¡­ one of them will surely awaken to the gift."


    It was at this point when I drifted closer to them as their conversation, although gibberish to me, seemed extremely important, and I wanted to get closer so as not to miss anything. That was a wrong choice.


    "It seems a fly has intruded in our meeting, the strange said.


    They both turned to look my way. I don''t know how, but they noticed my presence.


    "Clever little fly," Morrigan chuckled.


    Then she raised a hand, and from her palm, something sharp and dark sprung forth. It came toward me with blinding speed. And as soon as this arcane projectile pierced into my chest, I woke up with a scream.


    "Dean, it''s alright," someone said while arms held me down. "You''re back. You''re safe¡­"


    I blinked, and my vision cleared as the spell came undone.


    My eyes searched my surroundings, revealing the wooden beams of the ceiling above. Aura and Arah had been sitting opposite sides of the cot I''d been laying in. A brass bowl lay next to my right hand. Next to it was a cup filled with sticks of incense that were still alight and spilling a calming floral scent into the room.


    I sat up groggily and wrapped a hand over my brow. "Remind me not to try that again¡­"


    "You''re the one who wanted to see if you could glean new secrets from your gift of sight," Aura reminded me.


    "I know¡­ maybe stop me next time," I sighed.


    "Well, did you actually see anything like that time when you saw Ty get kidnapped?" Arah asked.


    I glanced over at her and sighed once more. "Yup¡­ I can''t make sense of it though¡­"


    The next hour was spent with me explaining to them what I''d seen and heard followed by a discussion that made as little sense as my dream.


    "While ominous looking doors seem fascinating," Arah interjected, "I''m more concerned with these keys and this fifth gifted¡­ you both realize what they were probably referring to, right?"


    How could we not. Aura and I were intimately familiar with the legend of the five Sense Knights and the five keys they were supposed to be protecting.


    "You think it''s really that?" I asked. "I was sort of hoping they were nothing more than fairy tales¡­"


    "Fairy tale or not, if Morrigan believes in it, then it''ll mean trouble for us regardless," Aura frowned.


    "Besides, you''ve already met two other Sense Knights, right?" Arah pointed out. "So there''s most likely some truth to the legends¡­"


    That was what I was afraid of. Honestly, I had enough of a worry dealing with saving Luca. I''d rather not get tangled up in some prophecy or legend or whatever the hell Morrigan and her companion was up to.


    "A fifth," Aura repeated. "What do you think that means?"


    We were all quiet for several moments before Arah broke the silence with her deductions.


    "It most likely means the fifth Sense Knight, right?" Arah guessed. "If we assume smell, taste, and sight are already taken. The likely answer is that either touch or hearing is the fifth gift."


    "Hearing might already be taken," I answered.


    I recalled Darah and I having a conversation about a Sense Knight whose name shouldn''t be spoken less he heard it. It was all very Voldemort to be honest.


    "Then the only thing left to worry about are these keys," Arah pressed on. "If we assume the keys exist then the seals probably exist too."


    "You think those doors I saw were the seals?" I guessed.


    "Seems likely, but I''m not sure¡­" Arah answered. "Anything you want to add, Aura?"


    "I''ve never heard of these doors you speak of, Dean¡­ I''ve never read anything like it in the family''s archives," Aura admitted. "Perhaps the library in the Great Tower may have more info¡­ and although our clan is friendly with the Skycraper clan, it''ll be difficult to visit as they''re further to the west and past the blockade in the Westersand Desert¡­"


    Her brow furrowed as she thought more about it.


    "Perhaps we can ask Ashley¡­ she is a shieldmaiden, and they''re also responsible for remembering our history," Aura added.


    The sound of an explosion rocked our room. It was quickly followed by raucous cheering from just outside.


    "Looks like they''re at it again," Arah noted.


    "Every freaking night," I growled.


    "Don''t let it bother you so much," Aura suggested as she too got up at the same time as I did. "They most likely detonated their spells just outside our territory."


    "Yup," Arah nodded while a frown was plastered on her lips. "Those Dominion idiots just want to rile us up¡­ don''t let it get to you, Commander."


    I crossed the small room and pulled open the door. Outside, I could see the men lining the wall in front of me with their hands raised. They were cheering for something they could see directly below the wall.


    "For mud''s sake," I exhaled, "What''s happening now?"


    I walked over the stone floors and over to the wall, brushing past the two Foolhardies recruits who were in my way so I could see what everyone else could see.


    A few months after the Sunspire-Trickster war, the wall that protected the clan''s territory in the Westmarch had been completed just on the opposite side of another wall that had been built by the Sunspire Dominion to close the entrance to the Westersand Desert.


    Both our walls were twenty feet high and many miles wide with a short stretch of barren earth between us which had been designated by our leaders as a demilitarized zone.


    Units in the Westmarch like my one-thousand-man unit were on rotation to man our wall. This month was our turn. Unfortunately, the enemy on the other side were pretty annoying and were always taunting us.


    I''d learned this was because the commander on the other side was fairly young like me and had been part of the war too. But we''d never met as we were in the south battlefield and they''d fought in the north battlefield.


    However, the fact that the Foolhardies had distinguished themselves in battle was a cause of great ire for the commanders of the enemy army, which meant trouble for me and my guys every time it was our turn to man the wall.


    This time though, something was different. For as I watched from below, it was then that I noticed that the enemy commander had finally come down to the barren field herself.


    I recognized her of course. It was Dawn the Dawnbreaker.


    Standing opposite her with his hand holding onto the claymore strapped to his back was Luca.


    "Muddamit," I sighed. "Darah''s going to kill me if we start another war¡­"

 220 In the Heat of the Nigh

    "That Idiot!" I yelled.


    Down below, the tension between Luca and Dawn was like a match just waiting to be lit. Unfortunately, the people and wall surrounding them were the oil. Just one spark and it would all go kaput.


    I grabbed onto the nearest bundle of rope I could find and then tossed it over the wall.


    "This line secure?" I asked one of the new recruits who standing was standing close by.


    "Ye-yes, C-commander," he answered nervously.


    It was a little surreal that a human who looked to be a few years older than me was stammering in my presence. It was a bit hard to get used to although it happened every time now. I guessed surviving a fight with a great general made me a bit more famous.


    "Dean!" Arah had just come out of the command room. "What''s going on?"


    She joined me on the wall. Aura followed right behind her. Both of them looked down.


    "Is that¡­ Luca?" Arah asked in disbelief.


    "Isn''t that the Dawnbreaker?" Aura added in a tone that mirrored Arah''s.


    "Yeah¡­ you two prepare the men in case things get hot and heavy," I said. Then I turned back to the new recruit I''d spoken to earlier. "Gather your team and follow me down there, soldier."


    Without waiting for a reply I slung the rope over my waist and jumped over the wall.


    No, I wasn''t committing suicide if that''s what you readers are thinking. I was just rappelling down the twenty-foot wall to get to the barren landscape below.


    Halfway down the wall, I heard the screams from both sides of the forces gathered there, soldiers egging their leaders on, new recruits cursing and taunting the enemies on the opposite side ¡ª juvenile stuff really.


    Luca was usually level-headed enough not to give into name-calling, but an incident from the other night had really shortened my little brother''s fuse.


    It all had to do with Pike.


    We''d sent her and a small team of flyers over the wall for recon work. Sadly, a fresh pixie recruit named Zidane was a little too eager to impress his superiors. He''d flown too closely to the Dominion''s wall, was discovered. and then shot at. His wing got clipped and he fell from a height of thirty feet. He would have died from the fall if Pike hadn''t swooped in to save him.


    Unfortunately, this brought her low enough for someone to get a lucky shot, and she''d been pierced in the left shoulder for her trouble. The wound was pretty close to the heart too which made her return to our side while wounded and carrying an invalid a really remarkable feat, one that earned her a lot of attention from the unit higher ups.


    In fact, I''d been planning to promote her to full squad leader soon as I needed another flight capable squad working separately from Qwipp''s Talons. It would have to wait until she was back on the active roster however.


    Honestly, fifteen-year-old Luca was really all hormones and teenage angst. It was a stage I was lucky enough to miss on account of having to be responsible and all.


    Which brings us back to tonight where my little brother was now in the demilitarized zone and staring down at the enemy officer who I knew from experience was a bit of a loose cannon herself.


    My feet hit the dirt, and I was just beginning to unravel the knots of the rope on my waist when the sound of metal clashing against metal reached my ears.


    I turned around in horror and found Luca and Dawn with their blades locked against each other.


    "Those stupid idiots," I cursed.


    On the wall opposite ours, a small group of Dominion soldiers were already climbing down their wall. Above me, a similar scene was playing out as well.


    I didn''t have time to wait. I dashed forward just as they broke their sword lock and sent their greatswords crashing onto each other a second time.


    "Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I whispered while I ran.


    The sound of Shadowblades grating on each other was like a nail raking across a chalkboard. It was at this time when Fool''s Insight''s combat mode activated.


    "Damn," I pulled out my falchion from its sheathe and then pulled my sword arm back just as I yelled, "Quit it, you jerks!"


    I threw my falchion forward in the trajectory given to me by insight''s analysis of the distance plus wind factor.


    It spun forward like a wheel and angled at just the right moment so that it cut right into the space between Luca and Dawn.


    This sudden appearance stopped them both in their tracks just as they were about to slash down at each other for the third time.


    Now came the hard part.


    I raised my sword hand forward, and like Darah had instructed me, willed the air elemental spirits inside the spirit stones Zarz had attached to my sword-hilt to return to me.


    The tricky part was not to get sliced up by my own weapon, and it was always a little unnerving when it was soaring right back toward me.


    Luckily, I did manage to catch it and upright too. This might have even made me look cool to the two pairs of eyes that were now staring back at me.


    "Are you two idiots trying to start another war?" I yelled at them. "Stand down already!"


    Although Luca immediately deflated at my reprimand, I was a little surprised that Dawn ¡ª who was a two-thousand-man commander in the Dominion army ¡ª too had visibly conceded as well. She dropped her sword and bowed apologetically to me.


    My men had just dropped down to the barren floor but I held up a hand to keep them from charging. Dawn had done likewise to the twenty soldiers who''d arrived to back her up.


    "I didn''t come here to fight," she said quickly.


    I walked over to her and Luca.


    "So why''d you draw your sword?" I asked as I stopped beside them.


    "I wasn''t given a choice¡­" Her eyes darted toward Luca and back to me. "There was a misunderstanding¡­"


    In response, I glared at my brother. "Well?"


    It was a long moment later before Luca responded, "The enemy soldiers were firing arrows at our wall¡ª"


    "¡ªwhich is what they do every night to taunt us," I reminded him. "What was so different now?"


    "Usually the arrows just land on the ground but tonight," as he spoke my brother''s face hardened, "one of those arrows hit our wall, Dean¡­"


    That''s when I realized that Luca had been more affected by Pike''s injury than I thought. The sight of arrows hitting our wall, even if it didn''t actually go over it to hurt our soldiers, must have jump-started his protective side.


    "I saw that their commander had come out and thought they were readying to attack us," he reasoned. "So I went to confront her and things got a little heated."


    "Your brother demanded compensation for the other night''s fiasco," Dawn explained.


    "What kind of compensation?" I asked while still eyeing my brother warily.


    "A confrontation with the soldier who''d hurt one of your officers¡­" Dawn sheathed her greatsword. "You understand that I couldn''t allow it."


    The fact that Luca had just lowered his head told me he knew his justification was flimsy at best. He knew he was in the wrong.


    "One week latrine duty," I said to him. "And I want you to tell the unit exactly why you''re being punished and what you did wrong¡­ might actually help to cool their heads and keep them from the juvenile mudcrap they''ve been pulling every night¡­"


    Luca nodded wordlessly.


    I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, which I hoped convey that I wasn''t really mad at him. I just needed to be strict in front of an enemy commander.


    "Head back up to the wall, Luca," I ordered. "I''ll handle this."


    Luca''s eyes looked up at mine for the first time since he lowered his head.


    "Dean, I¡ª"


    "I''ve got this," I nodded to him.


    He sighed once. Then he returned his claymore to the strap on his back and walked back toward our side of the line.


    Satisfied that the situation had de-escalated, I turned my attentions now on Dawn and scanned her face.


    The tall redheaded half-elf with the pretty face ¡ª high cheekbones and a spattering of freckles across her cheeks and perfectly straight nose ¡ª was exactly how I remembered her.


    She was looking back at me with something like a half-smirk on her pretty lips.


    It wasn''t lost on me that I''d gotten flustered during our first meeting which had also been our first duel. Finding out that the warrior who gave me such a difficult time was one of the prettiest girls I''d ever seen made me somewhat flustered. And my reaction to her reveal was equally embarrassing. Now, however, I was determined to look like a respectable commander.


    "So, why were you taking a stroll down here?" I asked. "I''m assuming it was to get my attention?"


    "They told me you were smart," she said while her green eyes appraised me. "It didn''t seem that way on our first meeting."


    I blushed at her dig. It was something only Aura managed to do to me.


    "I was just caught off guard," I said defensively, and desperate to change topics, I quickly added, "So what do you want from me?"


    "It''s not what I want," she said as she pulled a tiny scroll from the sash at her waist. "It''s what my Lord Rah wants that matters here."


    She offered me the scroll which I took gingerly from her hands.


    Curious, I unfurled the scroll, and the short message written within it caused my heart to still for half a moment.


    I glanced back at Dawn. "Is this for real?"


    "What do you think?" She replied.

 221 Midtown Moments

    "Hold up, Luca really picked a fight with the enemy commander last night?" Ty asked again.


    He was leaning over to his left with a hand over his mouth so that no one else in class could hear our conversation. Not that it mattered as the other sophomores rarely listened to the chitchat of the three nerds sitting at the back of 10th Grade World History.


    Arah, who was sitting on the seat to the other side of me, nodded her head at Ty''s question. "He was really lucky Dean got there before things got too serious¡­"


    "Man, I wish I was there to see it," Ty said, slumping back into his own seat. "Donar had me memorising the rituals from the Book of Fay Arcanum again¡­"


    The idea of Ty sitting alone in a room while Donar Firemonger taught him magic one-oh-one most nights now and then having to sit through the slog-fest of Mr. Tenor''s class made me pat him sympathetically on his back.


    "On the bright side, there haven''t been any deaths, injuries, or magic-induced accidents in a while," I reminded him. "Let''s enjoy this lull while it lasts, yeah?"


    Ty chuckled softly to himself. "I guess this is the longest break we''ve had from war, isn''t it?"


    "War is coming soon enough¡­" Arah sounded so ominous that watching her scribble down notes from Mr. Ternor''s lessons on the Peloponnesian War was a little surreal. "So, have you decided what to do with the scroll the Dominion commander gave you?"


    "I sent it to Darah," I answered. "Above my pay grade really¡­"


    "What note?" Ty asked.


    "The scroll that had a message on it requesting a meeting between Lord Rah and Great General Darah to discuss the possibility of Sunspire Dominion and Trickster Pavilion alliance," Arah replied offhandedly. She was still busy with her note taking.


    "An Alliance?!" Ty repeated in surprise.


    Unfortunately, his loud voice caught everyone''s attention, and as all eyes turned on him, Ty was visibly trying to shrink his tall form back into his seat.


    "I was actually just getting to the old Greek alliances during the war, Mr. Cruz," Mr. Tenor said in a wheezy voice. "Perhaps you can join me up front and poi t out to your classmates which states had allied with Sparta against Athens?"


    He beckoned Ty over with the pointer in his hand, forcing Ty to reluctantly get up from his seat. His eyes glazed over the expectant class before landing on me.


    "Help," he mouthed.


    ---


    Mr. Tenor had held Ty up after class so he could be reprimanded properly for disturbing lessons with what Tenor called, "Innane teenage babbling."


    This meant Arah and I had to wait for him outside the classroom before we could all leave Midtown High for the afternoon.


    "Candidates," Arah said under her breath while her eyes glazed over the students moving across the hallway.


    "What?" I asked in confusion.


    My eyes turned on a small group of freshmen hanging around on the other side of the hallway, and the intensity of my stare might have been the reason they scampered off quickly.


    "Mudcrap," I said. "You actually think the candidates they were talking about could from Midtown? No way¡­"


    I glanced up at the white ceiling and the florescent lights above. Then I turned my head over to the white-washed walls and the appropriately dressed kids in their white sleeves and khaki pants who all looked like they were just going through the motions. Nope, if magic existed in Mudgard, Midtown High was not the place you''d go to find it.


    "This place is as mundane as it gets," I said out loud.


    "You''re from Midtown," she reminded me. "So is Ty, the so-called ''Chosen One''."


    "Yeah, sure," I conceded. "But, Arah, lightning doesn''t strike the same place twice."


    "It does in the Fayne, Dean," she countered.


    Our debate would have continued if Ty hadn''t escaped through the classroom door at that exact moment with both his fists pumped into the air.


    "Free~eedomm~m!" he called to us.


    This earned him another reprimand from Mr. Tenor who was still inside the classroom.


    "No shouting in the hallways, Mr. Cruz!" Tenor called after him.


    But the three of us were already gone and on our way out of the Mundaneness that was Midtown High.


    ---


    "Does aunt Lena even ask where you get your cash now?" Ty asked while he gazed down at the pile of Leprechauns I''d dropped down on the counter. "I mean, has she even seen how big your bank account is now?"


    "Nope and nope," I said satisfactorily while knowing Ty had to fabricate a part-time job just so he could justify to his dad why he''d been spending wads of cash on his brand new gaming rig. "I don''t flaunt my earnings the way you do."


    The shop we were in had the bland interior of a local arts and crafts shop. Displays of locally-made tools and figurines lined the immaculately clean shelves on either side of the walls. Stacks of old movie videos and vinyl discs could be found in carefully labelled containers. On the old retro gadget shelf I liked to frequent, one could find an old Playstation One sitting snugly between an Atari and a Nintendo Family Computer.


    The man opposite the counter, a muscular, bald-headed, tan-skinned, middle-aged man with a goatee named Byron, was a Lep Trader affiliated with Shanks'' General Merchandise Store back in the Fayne.


    "This amount of Leprechauns totals around this much, Dean-o," he said as he raised his analogue calculator to my eye-level.


    "That''s just way too many zeroes for a teenager to make in a month," Ty whistled. "You really should give me a raise, Dean¡­"


    "I pay you enough," I countered. "You''ll just waste it if I give you any more."


    I placed my thumb on the scanned Byron pushed over the counter toward me.


    "I''ll take two thousand in hundred dollar bills now and you can put the rest in my savings account as usual, Byron," I instructed.


    "Sure, Dean-o," Byron said happily. "Anything else I can do for you kiddos?"


    "Actually," Arah raised a hand. "You guys have a delivery service, right, Byron?"


    "Of course," he said as he raised his arms wide, "Guaranteed one night express shipment to any location in the Fayne except for the Isle of Shields that lie across the Gemsea and Dwarzamor which lies past the Iron Mountain Range¡­ My guys would need at least a week to cross the Mines of Morgan which is the safest route through the mountains ¡­"


    Arah dropped a shopping bag full of girl clothes onto the counter.


    "I''d like for these dresses to be shipped to Hoodwink Tower in the Westmarch," she said. Then she glanced sideways at my and Ty as we were both giving her a questioning look. "I promised Aura I''d send her samples of the latest styles to add to her wardrobe."


    Byron inspected Arah''s package with a fine-tooth comb before asking the obvious question, "It''s just these dresses and shoes right? No contraband?"


    As he said this, he pointed to a poster in the back wall that was carefully hidden from view so that mundane shoppers wouldn''t take notice of it.


    It was a list of contraband that wasn''t allowed in the Fayne which included all sorts of drugs, firearms, tech stuff, teddy bears, Dungeons and Dragons items, and My Little Pony memorabilia.


    Arah spared one glance at the poster, paused at the end, reread the last item on the list out loud, and then shrug. "Nope, it''s just the clothes."


    "Alright," Byron said as he took the shopping bag off the counter. "I''ll find a gold chest for this so you guys can be on your way."


    "Thanks, Byron!" Arah said happily.


    ---


    Thirty minutes later,and we found ourselves sitting in our favourite booth at Ed''s Chocolate Bar opposite my two favourite spies, Collin and Connor McCord.


    I slid two envelopes over the table to them.


    "A thousand bucks each as usual," I said.


    "Why are you paying them again?" Arah asked. "Don''t they already get paid by the unit''s coffers every end of the month?"


    Admitting to Arah that I was feeling guilty over the twins risking their lives for us all the time and giving them a bonus whenever I could might get me an earful from my unit''s tactician. So I just shrugged back at her.


    "You''re such a softy, Dean," she teased, obviously hinting that she understood my line of thinking regardless of any admission on my part.


    "Anyways," I cleared my throat, "What''s so urgent that we had to meet now?"


    Connor, the less dependable twin, spoke first.


    "You''re being watched," he blurted out.


    This caused his brother to smack him in the head.


    "That''s not verified, idiot," Collin chided Connor.


    "So¡­ which is it?" I asked nervously.


    "What Connor means is that your school is currently under observation by Scarlet Moon observers," Collin corrected.


    Observers, it was a word ¡ª which if used in context to the Fayne ¡ª was a word I hated from the very bottom of my heart. Observers were what you called fairies that watched young humans they thought were promising right before they kidnapped them.


    My eyes narrowed into slits. "Why?"


    "That''s the thing¡­" Collin scratched his head. "We''re not exactly sure why¡­ and that''s why Connor thinks it might be because of you guys but it doesn''t make sense as fairies are forbidden to attack viseres in Mudgard."


    "We overheard General Spellweaver talk about it with one of his lieutenants recently," Connor added. "Something about finding candidates in Midtown High."


    As the words ''Midtown High'' reached my ears, I suddenly felt like I wanted to puke. Beside me, Arah''s hand had grasped my shirt sleeve. But I refused to look at her despite how hard she pulled on it.


    "Mudcrap," I sighed.

 222 A-Lis

    "Sorry for putting you in the spotlight, Dean," the guy beside me chuckled.


    Nope, I was definitely sure he wasn''t sorry but I didn''t mind. It has been a while since I''d done anything so mundane and normal. Plus, other than Ty and Arah, this guy was someone I could count as one of my few friends on Mudgard.


    "It''s fine, Rufus," I said. "I don''t mind managing our class event for the school''s cultural festival. "But, damn, why did they all vote to do a wrestling match?"


    "I know right?" Rufus, the only other male redhead in school combed a hand through his wavy locks. "I''d love to help you set it up but my responsibilities with the student council... well, they''re getting pretty heavy."


    "Goes with the title, Mr. VP," I chuckled.


    Rufus'' put his hands together in an apologetic gesture.


    "Although, I imagine our classroom won''t have enough space for a wrestling ring," I began.


    "Alright, alright," Rufus answered after getting my drift. "I''ll make sure you guys get a slot time to use the main gym in the sports complex."


    "Nice doing business with you, buddy," I offered him my hand.


    Rufus shook it. "Sure, sure¡­ Update me when you can."


    I watched Rufus'' back as he walked away and sighed.


    "If only all my problems could be resolved as quickly¡­" I said.


    I pulled up my phone and sent a message to Ty asking for an update. He responded seconds later with a really long reply that roughly read,


    "I''m getting nowhere here¡­ how do you even recognize who could be a candidate among hundreds of students?" Ty wrote in his reply.


    He sent a follow-up message right afterward.


    "I mean, do they have horns or something? Glowing eyes? Anything?" he added.


    I replied with, "You''re the chosen one¡­ maybe use the force or something?"


    "Um, dude, I was named for a Star Trek character¡­" he replied. "And I can''t use the force!"


    "I know, dude!" I responded. "But as the only human to have magical abilities on par with fairies maybe you can sense for some kind of fay potential in others¡­"


    His final reply came much longer. "Fine¡­ I''ll try¡­"


    A few seconds later, Arah sent me a text too.


    "No suspicious people entering the school¡­ I''m worried they might be canvassing for potential candidates somewhere else," her text read.


    "The twins were specific about the location¡­ Midtown High," I replied. "Keep watching the front gate for now."


    Ty''s efforts eventually yielded zilch. He did not in fact have the ability to sense the possibility of the gift in anyone.


    I, on the other hand, in between leading the class'' planning committee for our wrestling event, had browsed through the list of top students in my school. Lo and behold, the top name on that list, at least academically, was me.


    Arah was a close second but she couldn''t be the candidate. Rufus was in the top ten but that kid was as straight and narrow as an arrow in flight. The others were a variety of athletes, social justice warriors, and intellectuals. No one really jumped out as a possible candidate to be a sense knight.


    So, after spending an entire fruitless day staking out the school, I was now in for another long night repeating what I''d done earlier. What was it that Albert Einstein once said?


    "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result," I whispered.


    "What?" the girl sitting beside me asked.


    Technically, she wasn''t a girl considering she was now fifty-one years old, but Aura who was currently decked in a black hoodie and matching black jeans looked pretty much like a teenager on her way to a party.


    "That''s how we humans define insanity," I answered.


    We were sitting on one of the bus stop benches outside Midtown High''s campus and waiting for Varda and Qwipps to finish unlocking the front gate for us.


    "Are you sure we should have brought these two along?" I asked again.


    "Before he joined the unit, Qwipps was an excellent burglar and you know how good Varda is with her hands," Aura reminded me.


    As she said this, Varda let out an excited giggle that I assumed meant they''d completed the current task.


    "Wish Edo was here to keep those two in line though," I sighed.


    "Arah''s relatively new so she''ll need Edo''s support to manage the unit while you and I are here??" Aura got up and dusted off her skin tight jeans. "It''s not as comfortable as it looks¡­"


    "Yeah, well, I understand fashion isn''t about comfort," I chuckled.


    I got up from the bench and then looked behind me to the other two members of my thieving party.


    "Ty, you take Enna and Varda roam around campus and make sure we''re alone. Aura, Qwipps, and I will head for records... Maybe there''s something there that will help identify our targets."


    "Man, we''re actually breaking into school," Ty sighed. "Feels unreal."


    "I know right," I agreed.


    ---


    "So, what exactly are we looking for?" I pulled open one of the metal file cabinets inside the records room.


    Midtown High made a point to keep copies of student records on both print and digital as a safety measure. This worked in our favor because breaking into a room was much easier than breaking into a computer.


    "There are certain criteria fairies look for in humans we want to bring into the Fayne," Aura replied.


    "Looks, intellect, and bloodline," Qwipps added.


    "Yes, but those are just surface qualities, Qwipps," Aura corrected him. "What we really look for in humans is their potential for growth."


    "And how does one figure out someone''s potential?" I pulled out a folder and checked the information on the file. It belonged to some random freshman I''d never heard of. On the file, something caught my eye. It was a reference to the student getting detention for posting racist comments on social media. "You''re looking at our digital footprint¡­"


    Aura beamed at me. "Yes."


    She pulled out a smartphone from her jacket pocket, something I''d never seen her use before, and showed it to me. The screen was showing a Friendbook profile ¡ª mine.


    "Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, S.A.T. scores, the food you eat, the places you visit, even your secret desires," she cited. "You humans have made it very easy for us to read about your lives. This helps us predict how you would act in certain situations."


    "Like in a battlefield," I realized.


    Aura nodded again.


    "You''re looking for warriors," I continued.


    Aura nodded a third time.


    "We look for other things too but essentially we fairies view humans as a resource for our conflicts," Aura admitted. "But you already know that."


    "And Luca?" I asked.


    My voice was a little less cordial than I would have liked it to be but the information she was dropping on me was a little upsetting.


    A shadow of doubt appeared on Aura''s face, one I tried to push away with a smile.


    "Sorry," I apologized. "It''s just¡­"


    "I know, Dean," she replied quickly.


    Seconds of uncomfortable silence was broken by Qwipps coughing loudly and obviously ¡ª this jumpstarted Aura back into explanation mode.


    "Luca''s a legacy," she continued. "A potential that''s been marked by fay since birth and groomed to become whatever the fay need him to be."


    The thought of Luca being groomed for warfare just irked me some more. But I managed not to sound like a dick when I replied.


    "Is that what we''re looking for?" I asked.


    Aura shook her head.


    "Potentials would have been taken at an earlier age like Luca was¡­ But if we''re looking for a high school student then that means whoever it is probably hasn''t been approached yet," Aura insisted.


    "They''re somewhere here in all of this mess then," Qwipps pointed toward the numerous file cabinets. "Muddammit, I knew I should have switched places with Pike."


    "I assume we''re here to look at aptitude scores then?" I asked. "That''s how we find this A-list Morrigan''s after?"


    "Yes," Aura agreed. "We can look through someone''s social life through your social media machine and match any potentials with what we find here and then cross¡ª"


    The sound of breaking glass and yelling reached our ears. Looks like we weren''t alone in the school after all.

 223 Night School

    "Wait, you''re saying a whole squad of dark elves invaded Midtown High last night?" Arah confirmed.


    "The appropriate term is drow, you know. Calling them dark elves is considered offensive," Ty corrected.


    "Shut up, Tyberius," Arah scolded. "Seriously though, Dean, what the hell do a bunch of dark elves want with our school?"


    "That''s where things get complicated," I answered.


    While the three of sat there gazing into the bonfire that one of my visere guards had been kind enough to start for us, I began to tell Arah about what exactly transpired on the previous night when my fire-team and I repelled the attacks of the secret drow death squad known as the Claw.


    "Wait, wasn''t the Claw among the assassins that tried to attack Aura during the summit with the Starfall clan?" Arah interjected.


    "Yup," I answered right before I frowned. "Now, will you shut up¡­ I''m trying to tell the story here."


    "Oh, sorry. Continue," Arah said as she mimed zipping her lips together.


    After hearing the sound of battle, we rushed outside of the records room and made our way to where we could hear Varda spitting curses like a typical dwarf would have which was south of our current position.


    "Muddamn drow bastards!" Varda roared.


    "Muds, the mouth on that one," Qwipps chuckled, although his face was full of worry for his best friend. "I''ll go first!"


    He spread his wings and zoomed across the hall ahead of me and Aura while I yelled after him not to get turned around.


    The closer we got to the fighting, the more I could hear the screams. Particularly Ty''s as he was most likely the weakest link in whatever was happening.


    They may call him the Chosen One in the Fayne, but here on Mudgard where the elemental spirits are incredibly scarce ¡ª possibly due to mankind polluting the planet way too much ¡ª he might as well have been a dime-store magician who could barely make water sprout from his hands.


    I turned left into the next hallway and charged forward, my sword hand grasping for my falchion ¡ª and that''s when I realized I''d left it in the Fayne.


    I skidded to a stop, suddenly feeling naked.


    In front of me, Varda, Enna, and Qwipps had engaged the nine shadows whose forms were barely discernable under the pale light of Mudgard''s moon peeking through the open windows of the hallway.


    There was one body on the ground. It was dressed in the scarlet robes that the Claw liked to dress in.


    Ty was cowering behind Enna with his back against the wall. In his hands was a mop he brandished left and right as if to keep away the deadly shadows standing beyond his protector.


    "Hold up," Arah interrupted my story, bringing us back to the present. "Ty can''t use magic in Mudgard?"


    She turned a smoldering gaze at him.


    "You said you could!" she accused.


    Arah punched him in the shoulder.


    "You''ve been boasting for months how you could create ice glaciers at the snap of your fingers," she reminded him.


    As my two friends argued about Ty''s tall tales, I gazed past the wall of the demilitarization zone that my unit was currently assigned to protect and looked up at Idunn while feeling a sense of nostalgia come over me.


    This was how we were long before we met Aura. Just three kids arguing over the smallest thing while hanging out under a starry sky without a care in the world. And now we literally had the weight of a world on our shoulders, or at least that''s how it felt most times. Man, things were so much simpler back then.


    Arah''s voice turned my attention back on her.


    "So, how exactly did you two survive when you were both useless in that fight?" Arak asked.


    I frowned. "We weren''t useless. At least I wasn''t¡­"


    "Hey!" Ty protested. "Not cool, man! I helped too!"


    Actually, that wasn''t such a tall tale because he really did help.


    Remember the Claw member who was dead on the ground beneath Enna''s feet? Well, his weapon was also lying on the ground a few feet in front of him which was right by Ty''s own feet. Why he hadn''t bothered to pick this up and use it instead of the broom he was brandishing around was beyond me, but at least that meant I could take it.


    "Ty!" I pointed down on the ground. "Kick that over to me now!"


    My yell caught the attention of the two drow that had hung back from the fighting. They dashed toward me, their pointed blades aimed at my defenseless butt.


    Heat grazed the right side of my face as a Firebolt zoomed past and smacked the chest of the drow on the right, causing it to be blown back by the force of Aura''s attack.


    "Thank you!" I yelled just as I dashed forward myself.


    The second drow''s blade swung forward.


    I ducked at the last second and dropped to the floor so I could catch the weapon that was sliding toward me courtesy of Ty. Then I picked it up, jumped to my feet, and swung the blade around.


    The clang of shadowblades crashing into each other reached my ears as the drow and my borrowed weapon locked blades.


    We pulled away from each other which was good for me but very bad for the drow. It seemed to have forgotten the Firebolt-throwing elf behind it.


    "Kablam!" I yelled as I smacked my fist into my open palm for effect. "Aura''s Firebolt smacked it in the back just as I pushed forward and skewered the bastard with the sword in my hands."


    "Kablam?" Arah asked with an eyebrow raised high.


    "Are you really going to nag me on my choice of sound effects?" I asked while raising an eyebrow of my own.


    "Sorry, sorry¡­ force of habit," she admitted. "Wait¡­"


    She glanced from me to Ty and she definitely gave him the stink eye.


    "How come Aura can use magic but you can''t?" Arah asked.


    "Um, it''s probably because she''s a fairy?" Ty shrugged. "I haven''t really asked."


    Another round of arguing began with Arah pointing out that learning about his weaknesses and how to overcome them was part of Ty''s responsibility.


    I didn''t have the heart to butt in and tell them I knew why Aura could cast spells willy-nilly without the use of elemental spirits. It was her Hearthwood Staff which like all gold-tier weapons had a unique trait, casting a single spell that had been enchanted into it. And it didn''t need elemental spirits to work. Just the user''s mana which in a fairy like Aura was abundant no matter what world she was in.


    Eventually, the argument died down and I managed to return to my story. There wasn''t much else to say other than the fact that we cleaned house.


    Don''t get me wrong, by no means was it easy, but my team, despite their eccentricities, were the best of the best. So, a stab and slash in the just the right spot as well as a Fist of Stone and Firebolt exploding at just the right moment ¡ª and we''d pretty much wrapped things up.


    Nearly twenty minutes later and we were all soaked in sweat. Ten bodies lay beneath our feet with dark blood pooling underneath them.


    The smell of it all made my nose wrinkle in displeasure.


    "Man, the janitor''s going to have a rough morning when he sees all this," I sighed.


    "He won''t." Aura answered. "We''ll call in the cleaners once we''re done here."


    The cleaners, a word I learned was the reason most of the world wasn''t aware of the many fairy incursions into Mudgard. They were humans working for the fay whose job it was to dispose of bodies and clean up fay-related incidents like this obvious crime scene we were in.


    "Yeah, they''re going to need a lot of bleach to get rid of this stuff," I said.


    The laugh that had started in my throat died there as the smell of something burning floated up to my nose.


    "Aura, did you Firebolt something you shouldn''t have?" I asked.


    Aura sent me a raised eyebrow that was very reminiscent of Arah.


    "I don''t miss my shots, Dean," she said.


    I was hoping she would say yes. After all, telling her off for burning school property was less upsetting than the alternative.


    "Shit," I hissed.


    Then I began to run, my feet retracing their steps all the way back to Records where I skidded to a stop in front of the open door.


    "Shit," I said again.


    It was only then that I realized that the Claw were nothing more than a distraction for while we were fighting with them, someone had come in here and done damage even Cleaners would have a hard time repairing.


    The records room was on fire.

 224 The Message

    "Sometimes I think you have the most rotten luck, Dean," Arah noted after she''d read my story.


    I nodded in agreement as there have been one too many close calls in my life this past year.


    "It''s not all a loss," I answered.


    "The Claw burning the one place we could find clues in wasn''t a total loss?" Arah reminded me. "How so?"


    Right at that moment, Aura was walking toward us and I noticed the rolled up scroll in her hand with its unbroken seal.


    I got up from my seat next to the fire, but I remembered to answer Arah''s question right afterward.


    "We figured out which group of teens they''re after," I answered.


    "Who? Tell me," Arah asked impatiently.


    I reached out a hand to receive the scroll from Aura.


    "Sophomores¡­ they''re looking for one of us," I replied in an ominous tone.


    "How in blazes would you know that?" she asked as she too got up. "Did you read the signs in the fire or something?"


    I knew Arah was making a joke, but I actually thought she''d hit near the mark on that one.


    "Actually, I did, yeah," I chuckled.


    I inspected the seal in the scroll. It belonged to the Council which meant I was probably getting new orders. This made me sigh deeply as sudden orders often meant something wicked this way comes.


    "I watched the fire raging inside the records room for a full five seconds before I decided to gamble on luck and activate Eagle Vision," I explained. "Lo and behold, the golden glow that appeared whenever I needed insight lit up a file cabinet for three Sophomore classes¡­ including ours."


    From the corner of my eye, I could see Arah shaking her head at me.


    "You didn''t think to use Eagle Vision while you were in there the first time?" she criticised.


    "I know, I know," I shrugged. "I''m pretty beat up about it too¡­ I really need to use that ability more often so I can get the hang of it some more¡­"


    "You should be using it all the time," Aura cut in.


    "Exactly," Arah agreed. "Who doesn''t use the most effective investigative tool in their bag of tricks?"


    I frowned at the pair of them.


    As these two got closer and closer, they''d gotten into the habit of ganging up on me whenever I made a booboo. It wasn''t helping my confidence at all.


    "A little help here, Ty," I called to my friend who''d remained in his seat and staring into the bonfire.


    "I''m not getting in between you and A-squared," he said.


    That was a mistake, one I was very happy he made as neither girls liked the nickname Ty and I had given them. And while their wrath had now turned on him, I broke the seal on the scroll and examined the contents written within.


    At the end of my examination, I let out a long and troubled breath. "As if I didn''t have other things to worry about¡­"


    "Looks like we''re heading home," Aura noted.


    Home, it was her word for Hoodwink Tower, which, funnily enough, was how I thought of the place too nowadays. Over the past few months, I''d grown to feel at home in that once derelict tower and the town growing around it even more than the home I grew up in which to me had become a cold and lonely place full of lost memories and ghosts.


    Aunt Lena was barely home because her job had long hours, and I barely rest my head on my pillow before I''m whisked away to the Fayne. No, home was no longer home for me. It hadn''t been since Luca vanished.


    Speaking of Luca, I hadn''t seen much of my brother tonight, and as I wondered where he was hiding, Aura tapped on my shoulder to get my attention.


    "Darah''s coming to inspect Hoodwink," she noted.


    I nodded wordlessly as I always dreaded seeing my old master. She tended to boss me around like no one else could, and although she tolerated my affable way of doing things, more often than not, my actions end up getting me smacked in the head by one of her fists. And a punch from Ironfist Darah meant a world of hurt for whoever got hit ¡ª me.


    "The timing''s odd," Arah added. "Why would they want us to pull out of the demilitarized zone now just for an inspection¡­"


    "Dain''s unit is coming to replace us," I said.


    "I know, but we were supposed to man this post for another month," Arah reminded me. "It seems odd to change orders now especially when all the clan borders are on high alert."


    Arah''s words brought home the fact that the Trickster Pavilion was currently in the midst of an internal feud, one born from the betrayal of one of its most celebrated generals.


    Garm''s replacement hadn''t been chosen yet, and with no Marshal of the West to keep the order in the Westmarch, the clan''s western region was slowly devolving into a state of lawlessness. To counteract this vacuum, more and more seasoned soldiers had been dispatched to the west, leaving our borders in the south and east weakened somewhat.


    Even great generals like Darah and Grimthorn had to periodically travel from their respective posts to the Westmarch in order to show strength to those who would take advantage of the new status quo. It was most likely the reason Darah wanted to visit Hoodwink, although I suspected there was more to it. Like Arah said, the timing was strange.


    "We''ll have to prepare for your aunt''s arrival," I frowned.


    "I''ll take care of that when we return to Hoodwink," Aura said with a smile that always took my breath away. "So you can focus on the situation back on Mudgard¡­"


    "Thanks," I whispered while I attempted to smile back. The best I could manage was a lopsided grin that, strangely enough, just made Aura''s smile grow even wider.


    Seconds past while we gazed into each other''s eyes, and I swear that we might have done it all night if Arah hadn''t cleared her throat pretty loudly.


    I looked away as my cheeks began to burn. Then I turned to face Arah who I knew was staring at me with judgy eyes.


    "Spread the word¡­ we''re pulling out of the wall as soon as Dain''s guys get here," I ordered.


    "Roger, roger," Arah answered, and although she hadn''t said anything, I could swear that the grin playing on her lips was a promise that much teasing was coming soon.


    Arah left first, and as Aura went to follow after her, I gazed wistfully at the back of her golden hair and wondered just how that last interaction could have gone better.


    Maybe if it was just the two of us and the stars were out in full and I had a basket of her favorite food, maybe then.


    "Stare at her any harder and you might accidentally cast Basilisk''s Eye on her," Ty chuckled at my side.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about, man," I lied.


    "Sure you don''t," he tapped me gingerly on the shoulder. "And I''m not the Chosen One."


    The very next day after class I was in the middle of a meeting with the other members of our class'' Wrestling Match Planning Committee, and while Rufus droned on about safety measures, my mind was adrift with the memory of golden locks and starry skies.


    "Maybe I should steal a page from Luca''s book and just go for it," I wondered.

 225 Old School

    Dain Hammerhand and his unit, The Steel Cloaks, arrived two nights later to relieve us of our post along the Trickster''s side of the demilitarized zone.


    I found it odd that Dawn''s unit on the other side of the line had also been recalled the same as us. And it made me wonder if something big was also happening on the side of the Sunspire Dominion.


    Now, while my unit made its way back to Hoodwink during the next four nights, I spent those same four days managing my class'' big activity for the school festival.


    "Sorry!" one of my female classmates yelled as she''d nearly bumped into Rufus who was walking with a stack of papers in his hands that might as well have been a pillar made of paper. "I d-didn''t see you there, vice-prez!"


    "No problem, Julie," he waved her concern away with a pearly white smile.


    The very next second, Rufus dumped the pile of papers on my desk.


    "Here," he said.


    "Here, what?" I asked in confusion.


    "Safety permit, construction permit, school night activity permit, and a bunch of other permits you''ll need to bring the wrestling match to life," Rufus explained.


    "Thanks," I eyed the stack of papers with some unease. "I think¡­"


    Rufus crashed onto the seat next to mine and then sighed in such a heavy way that I felt kind of sorry for the guy.


    "You okay, dude?" I asked. "Because you look like shit¡­"


    "Did the bags under my eyes give me away?" Rufus chuckled softly. "Yeah¡­ I''m just tired. I''m on too many committees at the moment¡­ and I haven''t really gotten much sleep¡­"


    "Overworking yourself, huh?" I asked concerned.


    I knew what it was like to overwork. Hell, I''ve been doing it every day since I arrived in the Fayne.


    "I''ll be fine¡­" he insisted. "Once I''m able to sleep again¡­"


    "Wait¡­ you haven''t been sleeping?" I asked.


    No wonder he looked like a zombie. The handsome guy I''ve known since middle school never had sunken cheeks like the one he sported now.


    Rufus hesitated, but seeing the sincerity in my eyes, he whispered, "Y-yeah¡­ been having nightmares¡­"


    "What kind of nightmares?" I asked curiously.


    "Kid''s stuff really¡­" he replied with a sigh. "Monsters from old fairy tales¡­"


    My brow furrowed.


    Nightmares, monsters, and fairy tales in the same sentence was not something I wanted to hear in daylight. However, before I could question him further, Julie, the Korean girl who''d avoided colliding with Rufus asked me to check the delivery details on the ring we were borrowing from her uncle''s boxing gym.


    "Sorry, man," I said as I got up. "We''ll talk later, yeah?"


    "Yeah, sure," Rufus smiled wanly. "Hey, Dean¡­"


    I paused and glanced over my shoulder. "Yeah?"


    "I hear we''re doing a royal rumble style match¡­ that''s cool!" Rufus sent me the thumbs up.


    After school, Arah, Ty and I were making our way home when we were forced to stop near the entrance to the school for a crowd of students had gathered just inside the gate. And they were all noticeably uneasy.


    "What''s going on?" Ty asked the first kid we reached.


    "There''s a group of strange dudes hanging outside the gate," a brown-haired boy with freckles on his nose replied. "We think they''re some kind of gang¡­ they didn''t listen when campus security asked them to go away¡­"


    "Looks like they''re waiting to gang up on someone," the kid next to him added. "Sh*t, wouldn''t want to be whoever it is¡­"


    I checked my watch. It was half-past five and the sun hadn''t set yet. So whatever this is might not be at all related to me and my friends. I hoped.


    "Let''s go," I said. "We can''t be here when the sun sets¡­"


    The three of us pushed our way through the crowd, who, after finally noticing someone was brave enough to step out of the safety of the school and into whatever trouble lay beyond, parted for us like we were Moses and they were the Red Sea.


    "Um, everyone''s looking at us¡­" Ty whispered.


    "Just keep walking, Tyberius," Arah instructed. "We''ll be out of here soon¡­ Oh no¡­"


    Arah''s words mirrored the panic I felt inside for now I knew for sure that this incident was in fact related to us.


    Unfortunately, they saw me at the same time as we noticed them.


    About two dozen grown men all in different kinds of civilian clothes formed two neat lines that began from outside the school gate to the black van idling on the side of the road.


    They all bowed respectfully toward me right after they opened up a path to let me and my friends through.


    "I''m going to kill him," I whispered.


    "Dude, isn''t that Jensen waiting by the car¡­" Ty realized.


    "Those idiots¡­" I growled. "This isn''t some kind of old school gang war movie..."


    Arah could only shake her head. "Talk about conspicuous¡­"


    As Jensen opened the car door for me, he sent me an apologetic smile.


    "It''s not on you, Jensen," I pointed to the individual sitting cozily in the back seat. "It''s on him¡­ how did they even let you out of the hospital?"


    "I broke out," Azuma chuckled which caused him to cough afterward.


    "Why?" was all I could ask Azuma after Arah, Ty, and I were safely seated inside the van and the driver had started the engine.


    He coughed. Then he coughed some more. And only after he was done with his fit did he pass me the manila folder in his hand.


    I opened it and found several photos of men and women I''d never seen before. All of them were human.


    "Who are they?" I asked.


    "Viseres of the Scarlet Moon," Azuma answered.


    My eyes narrowed after I heard his answer. "How do you know this?"


    "Some of the people in those photos are viseres who followed Ardeen Spellweaver after the fall of the Magesong Clan," Azuma explained. He coughed once, then he continued with, "Some of them are still on my contact list¡­ and they were nice enough to warn me about what''s been happening in your school."


    That''s when I noticed that the photos taken had been taken at a specific place ¡ª Midtown High.


    I passed Arah the ones I''d already finished looking at while taking mental notes on the composition. Most of the photos had been taken inside campus grounds while these Scarlet Moon lackeys roamed my school during the day.


    "That''s what the show of force was for," Arah guessed. "To point out to our enemies that Midtown High is under our protection¡­"


    Azuma nodded.


    "So did the Yakuza thing work?" Ty asked.


    Arah shook her head. "Probably not¡­ It''ll only make them more cautious¡­ but at least they won''t be moving as freely as before and now we know what they look like¡­"


    Azuma nodded in agreement. "Whoever it is they''re after¡­ let''s not make it easy for them."


    The second to the last photo in the folder was a scene in the student council''s office.


    The visere in the photo ¡ª a woman in a neat business suit ¡ª was talking to the president, but Rufus and the other members of the council could be seen in the shot too.


    I passed the folder to Arah. "Order the guys in your unit to roam outside campus starting tomorrow¡­ I want them to grab one of the guys in the photos if they ever show up near Midtown High again. It''s about time we get some answers for ourselves."


    "Do you want them roughed up?" Azuma asked.


    "Just enough to spill the beans," I answered. "You handle this personally, Azuma¡­ I''ve got to focus on the other thing¡­"


    "Ah, Darah''s coming tonight, isn''t she," he replied.


    "Yeah," I sighed. "It''s going to be hectic in Hoodwink tonight¡­"

 226 Smackdown!

    "Stop fidgeting," I scolded Luca. "It''ll be fine¡­"


    "Tell that to the sweat dripping down your face," Luca countered. Then he sighed. "She''s here to scold us¡­ isn''t she?"


    "Probably," I answered while my eyes searched the sky.


    Luca and I were waiting on the roof of Hoodwink Tower for Great General Darah to arrive. The others were down in the Great Hall, where I left managing the banquet planned for Darah''s visit to Aura and Arah.


    Yes, it is exactly what you''re thinking, dear reader. I was hoping a hearty meal and copious amounts of alcohol would soften Darah up a bit ¡ª might even decommission that iron fist of hers for the rest of the night.


    Why would I go to such trouble just to appease her, you ask? Well, that''s because Luca was right. Yeah, Darah was definitely arriving because she had major clan business in the Westmarch, but that didn''t mean she wouldn''t tie up a few loose strings during her visit.


    I know my unit did pretty well in the last war. Hell, the council even commended us for our efforts, even gave me a raise. Not that I know what to do with all the money I''ve accumulated. But Darah had been very tight lipped about the whole affair. Especially since there were a number of things she wouldn''t have approved of. Losing to Garm in our three-on-one would be chief among them. Working with the Pilgrimage, that was probably high up on the list as well. In truth, any number perceived failures was enough to get my head smacked by that damn Iron Fist.


    "She''ll turn both of our personal losses to Garm into an excuse for more¡­ training," Luca guessed.


    My little brother was shaking in his boots, and he was right to feel that way. After all, Darah didn''t know the meaning of the word ''moderation''.


    "Luca, it''ll be¡ª"


    My assurances were cut short by the sight of a winged deer-like creature circling the skies above. It was Darah''s peryton. It was flanked on both sides by a dozen pegasi.


    "They know our roof isn''t big enough to fit all of their party, right?" Luca asked.


    "Probably," I answered.


    Luca and I stepped back as the peryton began to land, its flapping wings sending the wind in every direction ¡ª forcing us to cover our eyes with our arms.


    By the time my vision cleared, I was staring into the grinning face of the golden-haired Great General Darah who was standing right in front of me.


    She was backlit, like a superhero''s silhouette produced from the brilliant light of Idunn above her.


    "You two look scrawnier than I last saw you," Darah noted. "Is my niece not feeding you enough?"


    "It''s good to see you too, ma''am," I answered right before Luca and I saluted her.


    As Darah saluted us back, two more pegasi managed to land on our roof while the remaining ten circled their way down to the tower grounds.


    "On, no," I whispered.


    "Dapper!" called the short and very rotund dwarf with the great beard covering half his face. "I hear you''ve been running my niece ragged."


    "You couldn''t bring Thors with you instead?" I frowned.


    Thor manages the eastern territories in my absence," Darah stated matter-of-factly. "Plus, it seemed more interesting to bring Vardoom with me."


    The other person standing beside the grumbling dwarf was another one of Darah''s officers. She was a pretty fairy with long, flowing watery hair and skin as blue as the deep blue sea.


    It had been a while since I''d seen Four-Thousand-man Commander Unna Ra Lara, the nicest of Darah''s officers. So when she waved at me, I waved back.


    "Alright, enough of the pleasantries," Darah said as she brushed past me and made her way toward the stairs that led down into the tower interior. "I assume you have a training room in this base of yours."


    Both Luca and I groaned at exactly the same time.


    Darah glanced over her shoulder. "It''s been a while since I''ve showed you two some love."


    ---


    "Come on, Luca," Darah yelled at my little brother while her foot was lodged right at my throat. "You''ll need to do much better if you want to save your brother from a bruised wind pipe."


    For added emphasis, Darah increased the pressure of her foot on my neck.


    "Tap¡­ out," I wheezed, and I managed to tap the mat as well, but Darah wasn''t about to let me go after she''d smacked me to the ground with a few well-placed blows of her fists.


    "See," Darah called. "Dean''s getting delirious¡­ he actually thinks I might let him go."


    "Let him go, general," Luca warned.


    It wasn''t very convincing as even I could see his hands shaking while he held his claymore aloft.


    "Make me," Darah countered.


    Luca charged with his claymore raised high.


    Einstein said that doing things over and over again and expecting a different result was the very definition of insanity. If that was the case, then my little brother was clearly insane.


    This was his fifth attempt to charge Darah from the front, the last of which, caused me to rescue him and get myself pinned down for my efforts.


    So color me surprised when instead of getting right into Darah''s range, Luca opted to fling his claymore right at her.


    Even Darah looked momentarily thrown back, although it was easy enough for her to parry the flying greatsword with just her fist.


    I saw it, the build-up of arcane energy flowing into her fist just at the moment before its impact with Luca''s weapon.


    However, in the time it took Darah to swat the claymore away like it was nothing more than a gnat, Luca had already slid under her guard.


    He''d used the claymore as a feint while he performed a sliding tackle aimed at the leg that held me captive.


    It was a good idea, and if it were anyone else it might even have worked. But Luca failed to take into account the fact that Darah had two fists. And as he slid forward to rescue me, Darah''s other fist came slamming down his back in a wallop that made me grit my teeth to watch.


    "And this is why you lost to Garm," Darah said with a shake of her head. "You''re both brilliant in warfare but you lack experience in duels."


    She kept us both pinned in that awkward position while she explained what we did wrong against her and what we should have done instead.


    And just to be a rebel, I said, "I can see your underwear¡­"


    This earned me another smack in the head, of course.


    And while the pain reverberated across my skull, I heard Darah say, "Looks like you haven''t had nearly enough training¡­ we???ll go again."


    It was nearly an hour later when Commander Unna accompanied by Aura appeared in the training hall. By that time, both Luca and I were so battered and bruised that I imagined Berrian''s healing potions would have little effect on us.


    Aura knelt at my side with a face that was equal parts concerned and amused.


    "Are you okay?" she asked.


    I sat up. "Now you arrive¡­ after I look like this?"


    "I was under strict orders not to interrupt the great general''s playtime," she answered in an amused tone.


    Aura dabbed a wet towel over my brow. It was nice. Sadly, this dream-like situation was quickly interrupted by her aunt.


    "Get yourself cleaned, Dean," she ordered. "I want you in the meeting with me."


    "Meeting?" I asked confused.


    "Ah, yes," Aura answered for Darah. "It seems like my aunt invited a very important guest tonight¡­ I wish she''d told us. We could have made the tower look more appropriate¡­"


    "Yes, it''ll be a sore spot for him that this place is such a mess," Darah laughed.


    "Who''s here, Aura?" I asked worriedly.


    I could only imagine what kind of monster did Darah invite into our home this time.


    Aura sighed. "Lord Rah''s here¡­"

 227 The Alliance

    "You again," Lord Rah looked me over with an imperious eye.


    "Nice to see you again, Lord Rah," I said as genially as I could while the memory of the bastard trying to ambush me and my friends outside the Undercroft remained fresh in my mind.


    Aura and I were standing behind Darah while she lounged on her chair at the head of the Great Hall''s long table. Opposite us was Lord Rah. Standing behind him was Dawn, the Dawnbreaker. Everyone else had cleared the room so whatever was discussed would remain between the five of us.


    Dawn nodded her head toward me. It was most likely her version of a warm handshake. I smiled back at her although that might not have been the best move since Aura noticed it as well. It would be just my luck if she misunderstood.


    It was just typical of Darah to look at ease while everyone around her was tense. Perhaps one day, after all the battles had hardened me enough, I too would be relaxed in these types of situations.


    "So¡­" Darah played around with the knife in her hands. "What brings you to my neck of the woods, Rah?"


    "You know very well why I''m here, Darah," Rah said in a snippy tone.


    "The Scarlet Moon," Darah answered confidently.


    "The Scarlet Moon," Lord Rah repeated.


    "The Scarlet Moon?" I asked confused.


    Lord Rah''s eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his gaze on me.


    "Um, shutting up now," I whispered.


    He waited a few more seconds, probably ensuring I was done with dumb questions, before continuing his explanation. "The Scarlet Moon have interfered in the affairs of the central regions long enough¡­ They have become a thorn on all our backsides."


    I rolled my eyes. He could have just said ''butts''.


    "Nice of you to finally notice what my clan''s been dealing with for the last two hundred years¡­" Darah chuckled softly.


    Darah sat forward and set her elbows on the table. Her hands clasped together, their fingers intertwined.


    "But you didn''t call me all this way so we could both gripe about the injustices of the Scarlet Moon," Darah continued. "So again¡­ why did you request this meeting, Rah?"


    Rah tapped long fingers against the wood of my table. Yes, I would like to point that fact out. And yet I was a simple observer in this exchange.


    "It has come to my clan''s attention that you have recently allied yourselves with that group of failures," Lord Rah said.


    And I noticed he spat the word ''that'' like it was some kind of nasty word.


    "The Starfall clan," Darah answered.


    That''s when it clicked in my head. Rah hated the leader of the Starfall clan, my senior Sense Knight, the Lord of Stars.


    "Yes¡­" Lord Rah answered.


    "If we''re discussing allies," Darah replied, "Then I already know that you''ve allied yourselves with the Mighty Federation in the Northwest."


    "That alliance will benefit your clan as well should these negotiations prove fruitful," Lord Rah answered.


    "And here we come to the heart of the matter," Darah smiled. "You seek a grand alliance¡­ one that might challenge the might of the Scarlet Moon in the north."


    Lord Rah nodded silently.


    "Holy¡­" I stopped myself just as Rah''s eyes glanced toward me.


    Darah chuckled.


    "My strategist is right to be surprised, Rah," Darah continued. "It has been five hundred years since more than two clans have allied with each other¡­ not since the coming of the empty throne¡­"


    Lord Rah laughed a long and hearty laugh.


    "You think too small, Darah," he said after he''d finished laughing. "I do not speak of an alliance between four clans¡­ I speak of an alliance of eight ¡ª a third of the remaining twenty-one fairy clans."


    Even Darah looked momentarily taken aback. I''m pretty sure Aura and I looked like we''d just had our minds blown, which was the case.


    It was a while later when Darah asked her question, "Who else would join such an unthinkable proposal?"


    Darah slapped the table.


    "The Hermitage¡­" she answered her own question.


    Lord Rah nodded. "The Hermitage is already at war with the Scarlet Moon¡­ and they''re already allied with the Chariot Lords of Wheel Nation."


    "And the remaining two?" Darah asked, and although I couldn''t see her face from my spot behind her, I was pretty sure she had an eyebrow raised at Lord Rah.


    "I believe the Skyscraper clan can be coerced into joining this alliance for they too have had recent¡­ difficulties with the Scarlet Moon," Lord Rah answered. "I believe it will be up to you to convince the final member of our grand alliance to join us."


    Darah was quiet for a long moment. Long enough for Lord Rah to decide we needed a clue to whatever he was talking about.


    "In the not so distant past, this structure," as he said relic, Lord Rah''s eyes travelled across the room, "was the derelict home of brigands and thieves¡­ Now it is flourishing, a growing center of trade here in the eastern side of the Westmarch."


    Lord Rah''s fingers continued to tap on the table ¡ª and I could have sworn he was drumming the beat to the happy birthday song.


    "It has come to my clan''s attention that this growth is in part due to your flourishing trade with Broken Sellsword''s Canyon¡ª"


    "¡ªWhich is a base of operations for the Lover''s Embrace," I finished for him just before I realized that I''d once again interrupted one of the most powerful beings in one of the largest clans in the Fayne.


    I sighed, realizing that I might as well push forward with the budding idea inside my mind.


    "You want us to use our contacts with their clan to convince the Lover''s Embrace to join the alliance too," I deduced.


    It took a second longer than natural for Lord Rah to answer, "Yes," and I assumed it was because he thought talking to me, a lowly one-thousand-man commander, was beneath him.


    To make myself feel better, I recalled the moment Lord Rah got his butt kicked by Chris Pint, the Lord of Stars.


    "You are already well-connected to one of their clan''s chief operators within the central region," Lord Rah insisted. "I see no reason why she would not help you gain an audience with Embrace''s leadership."


    Darah glanced over her shoulder to me.


    "Is it possible, Dean?" Darah asked.


    "Y¡­yes, ma''am," I answered.


    I neglected to tell them that the possibility wasn''t very high. In all my dealings with Kallista, not once did she offer any info on her clan. But Darah and Lord Rah didn''t need to know that.


    Darah turned back to Lord Rah. She too drummed her fingers on the table as if in mimicry of him.


    "Assuming we can get all our eggs in one basket and this grand alliance actually happens¡­ to what end?" she asked.


    "To the end of the Scarlet Moon," Lord Rah answered quickly. "It''ll be a great war the likes of which has never been seen before¡­ One that''ll shake the very foundations of the Fayne¡­"


    I doubt Lord Rah knew how accurate his statement would turn out to be. In fact, this ''Great War'' he proposed to Darah would be the catalyst for an event Aura had once mentioned to me and Luca while we sat underneath a starry sky ¡ª I believe she called it Ragnarok.