Hours later, the lunarians still surrounded the lake.
Their horses paced nervously along the muddy shore while torchlight rippled across the black water. Above them, floating spell-orbs drifted through the mist like pale moons, casting silver reflections over the lake where Aerys and Callius floated almost motionless beneath the surface.
The cold had become unbearable long ago.
Aerys could no longer feel his fingers and Every breath hurt now. His muscles trembled violently beneath the freezing water while thin layers of ice formed along the edges of his sleeves, Callius drifted beside him, lips blue.
After several hours, Aerys murmured to Callius:
"Rosis should have lit it by now."
"Rosis will lit it. Have faith... my good sir... have faith."
"We should already be back."
"Well, it was a better plan than mine, anyway."
Aerys raised his voice, despite his teeth chattering:
"You seem bored yong lady," Aerys shouted eventually through chattering teeth. "Come swim with us."
Rhaella laughed from shore
yes that was her name ,Even from this distance, Aerys could see the amusement in her fox-bright eyes.
"And die of hypothermia?" she called back. "No thank you. I'm from lunarys , not celerion ."
Golden sparks danced lazily around her fingers as she spoke, essence. Aerys didn't know what kind of magic she specialized in, but her mastery of essence was precise and elegant. The complete opposite of Celerion's.
She laughs from the riverbank. "I would rather warm myself in your castle, by a nice fire. Like this one, you see?"
She points to something behind us,A column of smoke rose into the night sky Thick and Black Far too large to miss.
then turns to talk with three of her companions
Finally.
Aerys straightened slightly in the water.
"those idiots!" he shouted loud enough for every rider to hear. "they just revealed our position !"
The laughter along the shore vanished instantly. Several riders turned toward Rhaella.
Callius grinned weakly through his exhaustion.
"When we get back," he muttered, "I'm drowning Rosis in his own shit."
Rhaella's expression sharpened immediately.
Orders exploded across the shoreline.
Within seconds, most of the lunarians wheeled their horses around and galloped toward the distant smoke. Their glowing spears left streaks of blue lightning behind them as they vanished into the dark valleys below.
Only two guards remained behind Two boys with spears and tired expressions.
"Rhaella is the real deal," Callius whispers, shivering. "She's creepy , She reminds me of my mom."
"You're totally crazy."
He nods, agreeing with me.
"The plan seems to be working, Provided we get out of the lake without getting captured."
Night has now completely fallen. Through the darkness, the first howls of wolves reach their ears. Aerys was counting on sneaking out of the water, but their guards were waiting for them. They were not lingering idlely near the fire. They patrol around the lake in the dark .
The valley slowly fell silent again , Then the wolves began howling.
The sound echoed through the mountains like something ancient waking beneath the earth , One of the guards frowned , The second tightened his grip on his weapon.
Aerys saw movement first.
A shadow Low and Fast. Then came the scream.
Blue lightning flashed violently across the shoreline as one guard collapsed clutching his throat. The second barely had time to turn before a massive black wolf slammed into him hard enough to throw him into the mud ,The beast tore through him with terrifying speed.
Not a wolf , a litle fiend. The darkness swallowed everything again moments later. Silence followed.
Then came the distant a familiar voice emerged from shore.
"Clear."
Aerys dragged himself out of the freezing water beside Callius, both of them collapsing into mud and reeds while their bodies shook uncontrollably.
sevrius " fiend " stepped from the shadows wearing the skinned hide of the wolf he had killed . The fur nearly swallowed his small frame entirely. Mud covered his uniform, his face, even his teeth.
Callius immediately stumbled toward him and wrapped both arms around him dramatically.
"fiend," he whispered emotionally. "You magnificent psychopath."
sevrius shoved him away with visible disgust.
"Has he eaten poisonous mushrooms?" he asked Aerys flatly.
Aerys ignored him and looked toward the unconscious guards instead.
"You kill them?"
sevrius tilted his head,The boys still breathed, Barely.
"Should I have?"
"No," Aerys and Callius answered together instantly.
The healers arrived seconds later in flashes of pale gold light, lifting the wounded lunarians skyward before vanishing once more into the clouds above the Academie.
sevrius crouched beside the fire while they stripped the guards of dry clothing .
"Your plan sucks," he announced. "No leverage."
Aerys pulled on a lunarians cloak still warm from its former owner.
"If lunaris destroys Titos, they take our territory too."
"Yes," Aerys replied. "That's the point."
"And the standard."
That's a risk.
Goblin smirked slightly.
"I stole it already."
Silence.
Then Callius burst into hysterical laughter so violently he nearly fell back into the lake.
"You stole it?"
"What did you think I was doing this whole time?" Goblin snapped. "Masturbating in bushes?"
Aerys and Callius exchanged a glance.
"…More or less," Aerys admitted.
sevrius looked deeply offended.
Minutes later, the three boys rode east beneath the twin moons wearing stolen lunarian cloaks painted with mud and ash .
Callius rode like he had been born in the saddle, Aerys did not The horse beneath him seemed personally insulted by his existence.
The land changed gradually as they crossed lunaris territory.
celerion possessed stone, ash, smoke and hunger.
lunaris possessed civilization. Rolling hills spread beneath moonlight covered in olive groves and flowering fields. Windmills turned slowly in the distance beside streams illuminated by floating lantern-spells. Small spirit-lights hovered above the roads like captive stars guiding travelers home.
Aerys hated all of it immediately.The lunaris fortress rose from the hills ahead carved from pale sandstone glowing softly beneath enchanted braziers. Tall owl statues lined the walls while blue wards shimmered faintly across the battlements like transparent silk.
they quickly reach their fort,. Then A sentry appeared overhead on the ramparts, a voice orders them to stop. Sevrius, less presentable with his wolf's fur , watches their rear.
Aerys shout:
"We've found celerion ! Hey! Open those damned gates!"
"The password," the sentinel softly asks.
"Shit-for-brains," Aerys answered instantly.
Luckily, Svrius heard it the last time he prowled the area.
"mperfect. Where are Rhaella and the others?
"Gone to steal their standard!" The fools didn't even have horses. We might even take their castle right away!
The guard takes the bait.
"Great! Rhaella is a real demon. Come on, Jun has prepared dinner , Go find a bite in the kitchen and join me, if you want. I'm bored as a dead rat."
The gates opened.Inside, everything felt Clean and Organized.
some cadets carried bowls of warm milk and fresh bread through peaceful courtyards while soft golden lanterns floated overhead beneath vine-covered arches. Olive trees grew between marble columns. Water flowed through carved channels glowing faintly with purification runes.
Magic everywhere Useful magic Not weapons Not violence.
Callius stared openly.
"I hate them," he muttered.
"Same," Aerys answered.
They split apart immediately , Callius headed toward the kitchens.
Aerys searched for the war room.He found it on the second floor overlooking the dark plains below.
A massive enchanted atlas floated above the center table, glowing with shifting lights representing discovered Houses and territory lines.
lunaris had already marked House Celerion with conquest sigils. Another fortress farther south carried the symbol of Diana.
And one name appeared repeatedly across lunaris's exploits boards.
Gregor, Eight captured slaves, Nine healers descents.
Aerys smelled smoke Then heard screaming downstairs ,Callius had started the fire , Aerys stepped calmly into the center of the room and began destroying everything . He split the enchanted map in half with his slingBlade. Crystal memory tablets shattered across the floor. Owl statues exploded beneath swings of a stolen axe while magical projection circles sparked violently and died.
Then he carved one word directly into lunaris's command table.
CELERION
Deep enough to splinter the wood completely,The doors burst open behind him.
A terrified girl froze at the sight of him standing there covered in mud and smoke with glowing red slingBlade in hand.
"Are you Jun?" he asked.
"N-no…"
"Can you cook?"
Despite herself, she laughed nervously.
Three boys charged up the stairs behind her wielding lightning-spears , Aerys roared like a beast. The nearest one immediately turned and fled.
"Enemies!" he screamed. "enemies are here!"
Panic erupted throughout the fortress. spells activated accidentally across the hallways as terrified lunarians collided into one another. Someone triggered defensive wards too early, sealing entire corridors shut while smoke spread through the upper floors.
Aerys grabbed the cook, slung her over his shoulder, and ran downstairs through the chaos. Callius waited outside among the gardens beside six stolen horses and an actively burning stable.
He stared at the unconscious girl.
"…Why are you kidnapping her?"
"She can cook."
Callius laughed so hard he nearly fell off his horse, Behind them, cadets descended fully into madness.
they sprinted through smoke-filled corridors convinced enemies had invaded in force. Fire exploded overhead while frightened horses smashed through stable doors. Blue alarm sigils flashed across towers as students armed themselves blindly against enemies who barely existed.
Then fiend emerged from darkness carrying lunaris's stolen standard beneath one arm while furious riders chased him on foot through the smoke.he had suspected that the castle possessed a A small hidden exit at the rear, through which someone charged with protecting something, a standard for example, could try to escape. And That's exactly what happened.
sevrius howled, . Behind him, the lunarians, pursuing him with their lances. But this time, they were on foot, and Aerys's groupe were on horseback. They had no chance of recovering the standard. With the cook still unconscious, lying across Aerys's hores's back, the three of them set off again towards the wild mountains, under the starry sky, laughing, joking and shouting like lunatics while flames consumed the lunaris fortress behind them.