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Paladins of Valor and Flame

Promissio Devotionis

There was something irritating about having retrieved an artifact of great power that belonged the very God of Fire and not being able to brag about it. While everyone else from Pinnacle College was able to boast about their latest accomplishments in the past month, Wood and the rest of his students making up the Godslayers had little they could honestly claim. Due to the nature of their deal with the Association, the retrieval of Firefeather and the means by which they obtained it had to remain a secret. That meant that none of the chaperones were allowed to grant any of the four students any points for their efforts no matter how much they wanted to.

Wood, Skye and JD were sitting at a miserable F despite everything they had done. It was still not a passing grade. Kane, in the meantime, somehow managed to hover around an A-minus. How he managed to do that still baffled Wood but he guessed it had something to do with the fact that the black Ursus wasn’t restricted like the other three.

As Wood sat in his Incendian Social Studies class alongside JD and Skye, he felt the seething energies off Vulcan hanging by his hip, the unbridled and barely contained power from Skye itching to get out and the absolute absence of any magical energies from JD. All three of them couldn’t unleash their full potential for one reason or another and it had taken them nearly three months to just scrape to an F.

He wasn’t really paying attention to the class. Over the past few months, he had scooped up all the low hanging fruit in terms of points to get his grades. The simple stuff that he could learn in a few days, get tested on and get points without committing to long-term course material. Now, as they were approaching their first semester break, he knew he’d have to pick courses he’d actually have to put effort into and study for. While it was still possible for students to duck in and out of courses, the lecturers and professors were not going to repeat themselves for beginners. After the first break, everything covered in the basics of the first semester was assumed knowledge. Then it got harder from there.

His rubric glimmered in his clawed hands, slowly scrolling through the various courses he had so far earned points in. This was a game of strategy. The chaperones could only grant a certain number of points and while Aria and the others would gladly hand them over, without decent course-work, they would just barely scrape at a C-minus. That was assuming they could earn every point that their chaperones were granted. While he could be satisfied with a passing grade, there was still a competitive edge to the burly, green Draconis that grew envious every time he heard his classmates boasting about how they managed to beat back a Darkened skirmish down at Chillfarn, attended a magnificent twilight gala over at Mirecragg or prevented a Sultan’s assassination over at Glasterah and were still pulling much higher grades than him.

No. A C-minus would not cut it. He wanted to excel. Though he barely made it into this year’s class, he would not be left behind.

“Not again,” he mumbled to himself.

“I take it you’re not going to continue with this course?” Skye asked who sat to his right. He glanced over to his feline friend and offered a faint smile.

“Not at the top of my priority list,” he admitted softly while their professor continued about something about the city state known as Clockwork far to the south. “What classes are you thinking of taking?”

Skye naturally listed of magic-heavy courses. Pyromancy Runes, Hybrid Pyromancy and even a course on Spiritual Pyromancy. He was going to continue taking the Art of the Fiery Fist alongside JD as he felt he needed some form of close-ranged combat and couldn’t rely on his magic alone. They had long agreed they would take more general courses like Written Communication and Mathematics together but from there, they were splitting off.

Wood nodded slowly and nudged JD while pretending to pay attention to what the professor was talking about. “What about you, bud? Any idea what classes you’ll take?”

“I’m going to continue with Incendian Gourmet Cooking,” JD said brightly, rubbing his paws together while licking his muzzle. “You get to eat what you cook.”

After having those meatballs on a stick, JD had fallen in love with Incendian cuisine. Though the rest of his classes were equally eccentric. Potions and Poisons which was a global class that explored various biological components local to the current Station Pinnacle was visiting and how they could be used in potioncraft. It was class that demanded commitment. Then he was also taking Anatomy XIII which, like P&P, demanded that he stick with it for each year as he would have to study local anatomy every year. JD was going for long-commitment classes. There was one he that was Station-specific, however, called ‘Incendian Fire Dancing’. Apparently that involved learning the various dances across the Station.

That still left Wood with the question of what he wanted to do. If asked back when he was a child, he would’ve spouted ambitions of taking over the family business, becoming a weaponsmith or a highly successful manager for his family business. But now… Resolving the apocalyptic prophecy was one thing but if how little reward they got for retrieving Firefeather was any indication, he wouldn’t be able to rest on his laurels forever. All he had to think about was Roran or even Aria. Both were heroes yet here they were, either barely remembered or fighting hard as the demand for their assistance became a necessity.

“Mr. Bladebreaker!”

Wood fought off the instinct to look surprised as he knew that was an admission of guilt. Instead, he glanced up from his rubric lazily, lifting a hand into the air.

“Present,” he declared to the soft chuckles of his classmates.

Irritated, the professor huffed and asked, “Can you tell me the defining feature of Clockwork that gave it it’s name?”

Thankfully, he had been paying partial attention to the class so he was able to give a solid answer. “The practically indestructible clock tower sitting in the middle of the town,” he replied.

Further irritation on the professor’s face. “Correct. You get a point. An extra five if you can tell me how it was made.”

This particular Social Studies professor was renowned for being stingy with points. Wood didn’t see the value in giving the answer for a meager five points. He was just about to hit the first quarter of the year so there was still time to get more point to get that coveted ‘A’ grade. He wasn’t scraping for them yet.

“Magic?” he offered lamely, again to the laughter of his classmates.

“What kind of magic?” insisted the professor.

Wood glanced over to Skye, knowing full well that his knowledgeable friend would have the answer.

“Oh no,” chastised their lecturer. “You are not going to rely on Mr. King for answers. But if you’re so reliant on your friends chattering back there, why don’t we ask Mr. Clarke? Five points to all three of you if you get the answer right, Mr. Clarke. Ten points off if you get it wrong.”

Wood fought back the urge to bare his fangs. That was completely unfair.

JD offered a weak smile. “Chronomancy,” he replied curtly. “I mean, indestructible clock tower. Time. It kind of writes itself.”

It kind of did and Wood was ashamed at himself for not coming up with it sooner.

“You’re right,” the professor huffed. “But only a point each. For your lip.”

JD held up his paw. “Can I make it five if I mention that the clocktower was initially built as a symbol of Temporal’s commitment to peace between the three factions on the Incendian mainland?”

That got the professor to quirk an eyebrow at him, prompting him to continue. Wood found himself fascinated as JD went on to say that before the Chronomancers went crazy and attempted to take over the world, they were a political and military powerhouse. Considered one of the world’s major superpowers alongside Haven. They saw how the Custodia Lupus, Custodia Vampiri and Church of the Tower were constantly at odds with one another over territory. The Chronomancers built Clockwork right in the middle of their territories, basically where all three intersected and made it a sort of neutral crossroads. Under the guise of being a merchant town, Clockwork quickly became a bustling metropolis under the protection of the Chronomancers. Many apparently considered it a power play but when the Chronomancer known as Milleniar the Counting Chronomancer Time Locked an entire clock tower in the middle of the town, they saw it as a gift and a monument to lasting peace.

“Then the Purge of Time happened,” JD said with a shrug. “Milleniar actually took over Clockwork and made it his center of operations. With all major roads going through the town, the three major armies were cut off from one another. It would take them weeks to move their armies undetected from the watchful gaze of the Chronomancer’s Station-wide embargo. That is, of course, until the fateful Battle of Clockwork where the Last Chronomancer -”

Their professor waved his hands at JD, beckoning him to silence. “Yes, yes. We’re here to discuss the social significance of this town not it’s history. That’s another class. Though, begrudgingly, you all get five points each. An extra one to you, Mr. Clarke. For name dropping.”

“Bastard,” mumbled Wood. He did turn to JD and gave him a nod of appreciation. The Red Lightning gave him a wink back as the class continued.

This time, the burly green dragon wearing an open vest over his torso did pay attention to the class. The lecture veered quickly to how Clockwork was ruled by a mayor that was democratically elected every three years and every citizen was expected to vote. Contrasts were drawn between how the Apex Clericus Solis was only selected by the one who held office previously and the moment they were given the Red Crown, they were expected to create a list of likely successors. Then there was further contrast given to King Leandros of the Custodia Lupus who had remained ruler of the Werewolves of Fire since even before the Purge of Time or how Lord Phalgymr of the Custodia Vampiri had a similar standing but ultimate power was given to the Vampiri House that held the most power - which was more often than not, Phalgymr’s House of the Twilight Bloom.

The lecture called back to his lessons back at the Bladebreaker Manor before and during his early education. Appearances were everything and social constructs such as ‘democracy’ and ‘elections’ were drilled into him as mazes and networks that needed to be navigated. Every Stations, every nation, every city and every clique had their own rules and biases that was bound to their identities. More than anything, he needed to appeal to that identity to make those people receptive to whatever he was saying.

Of course, this was all before the Fall of Haven which resulted in him Falling, being kicked out of his magnificent mansion and being forced to live with JD and Alex. Not that he minded. Living with the two wolves - and Kane - had opened his eyes to the fact that he didn’t need to manipulate people all the time. It was okay to offend. Being yourself was better than being a social whore.

At least that’s how Kane put it.

There was a knock to the classroom door and their professor looked relieved. “Ah! At long last. Class, I’d like to introduce you to a few guests that I’ve been dying to introduce you to.”

He headed over to the door and pulled it open with a flourish.

The moment Wood saw the black cloaks and single pauldrons, his scales began to itch and he could swear Vulcan shrank back against his hip to try and make itself more as inconspicuous as possible. Skye placed a paw on his leg under the table while JD leaned closer but without touching him.

Five Paladins of the Church of the Tower entered the classroom, each of them from a different species and with different experiences. All of them were dressed in long, black cloaks with red trim to signify that they belonged to the Incendian Paladin Order. They all had a single pauldron intricately designed with the ominous emblem of the Church emblazoned upon it. Amongst them was a single man dressed in white, his military-esque jacket trailing with twin coattails and his posture straight and strict. This man stepped in front of the Paladins.

“Good afternoon, students,” announced the man with the neatly shaved buzz-cut and sharp goatee. “My name is Marshal Char Blythe. I am the Marshall of this squad of Paladins.”

“Can anyone tell me what a Marshal and Squad are?” asked their professor.

Wood growled and spoke without raising his hand. “After the Purge of Time and after so many Paladins Fell, the Church signed an agreement with the military that Paladins are no longer allowed to run around on their own. They are to be grouped into, at most, teams of six that will be overseen by a single military-assigned officer with training in psychology and Psychomancy to gage the mental state of the Paladins at all times and report to his superiors if any of the Paladins are on the verge of Falling.”

“Correct,” commented the professor, looking shocked that Wood gave such a concise response. “What you failed to mention, though, is that the Marshals are also in charge of making sure that their charges are psychologically healthy. He’s their therapist out in the field. Isn’t that right, Marshal Blythe?”

The man in white offered a brief smile. “Correct, Professor Layman. It is a partnership. I look after them and they look after me. We are a symbol of the symbiotic relationship between the Church and Generals.” He swept his white-gloved hands towards the Paladins behind him. “Allow me to introduce my team…”

One by one, they went through each of the Paladins. Naturally, each Paladin had their Valor; the supposedly divine weapons granted to them by the Mother Goddess that were both indestructible and singled them out from the masses as being blessed in some way. Vulcan had once been a Valor but after Wood succumbed to despair and rage, it was corrupted by his ‘evil’ thoughts and was corrupted into a Sin. Of course, his case was a little unique.

Now, ordinarily, Valors suppressed and collected dark emotions to keep their Paladins pure. However, if a Paladin were ever to be overcome by their malicious urges, they would Fall and all those pent up emotions would break free and grant incredible power while simultaneously dealing serious damage to the Paladin’s psyche. Since Wood gained his Valor and Fell in less than five minutes, there was nothing for Vulcan to unleash.

So… Wood pretty much stayed the same… Except for having the ability to transform into a giant dragon at will. Something he discovered much later.

Many would advocate for the safe release and healthy acceptance of the more mortal aspects of having a heart and free will for Paladins instead of suppressing their base instincts. Fallen were accepted into modern society as victims of the Church’s dogma and abuse even though they were still treated with a modicum of stigma. But the Church had insisted that Paladins remain pure and instead pursue the goal of ascending to becoming a Templar like Aria. Templars were on another level. They were just so instinctively pure or at peace with their own emotions that their Valors had truly become that - a symbol of their valor. It became impossible for them to become corrupted and for their Valor to become a Sin. Still, the risk of a psychological breakdown existed so that was where Marshals came in.

They basically were there to guide Paladins to becoming Templars.

Or have them committed.

“The Marshal and his Paladins will be doing a tour of Pinnacle up until the break,” continued the professor. “So please, take every opportunity you can to get to know and learn from them. While we won’t be holding tests on what they tell you, you never know what kinds of things you might learn that will help in your future endeavors.”

Wood rolled his eyes. “We get enough lectures from Tanar and Aria,” he rumbled softly to himself.

“Before we go,” Marshal Blythe said. “We’d like to please see…” He check a scroll he was holding. “… Mr Jack Denver Clarke, Mr Skye King and Mr Wood Bladebreaker after this class.”

Immediately, Wood’s heart sank and he could feel his friends’ organs do the same.

“Aw shit…” he mumbled.

?

?

?

Lunch Break

Everyone including the professor filed out of the classroom leaving Skye alongside his two friends with the Paladins and their Marshal. He wasn’t one to give complete and utter faith to the Church but he recognized their power and influence even now after the Fall had severely diminished them. Keeping slightly behind Wood and JD, he approached the Paladins, appraising each of them in turn.

Apart from Marshal Blythe, there was only one other human, a bulky woman with a long, blue-colored fringe that draped over the left side of her face while the rest of her hair was sable. The tallest of them was a powerfully built Equus and next came a lupine but judging by the digitigrade stance and slight haunch in how he stood, this wolf was actually a werewolf - likely a member of the Custodia Lupus given the longer, pointed ears and thicker fur. The two remaining members were a male Vulpunus who wore a large, black, broad-brimmed hat and hid most of his features and a female Avios of the swan variety.

“What do you want?” grunted Wood.

“Wood!” chastised Skye even though he remained behind. “With all due respect, sir,” he said apologetically. “He doesn’t mean to be rude. He’s just -”

“A Fallen,” replied the woman with the blue fringe. During the lecture, she had introduced herself as Alleria Penfire. Skye scanned his knowledge about this particular Paladin. Given the moniker the Bluefire Paladin, she uniquely had two sets of Valors that were treated as one - Coldburn. The bracers she wore had a flame motif amongst the black and gold metal while the high-heeled metal boots were trimmed with an icy blue. The bracers could emit scorching flames while the boots summoned freezing ice. Despite the dual elements, she couldn’t combine them into the legendary Bluefire Technique.

Alleria spoke with a playfulness that fit her easy-going smile. “Don’t worry…” She waved a finger at Wood. “I’m going to guess… King?”

“Bladebreaker,” Wood corrected with a snarl.

“Right. Well, don’t worry. We don’t judge. We Paladins and Fallen form two sides of the same coin. We all start as Paladins but while some of us Fall, others rise and become Templars.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” grunted the dragon, his eyes shifting away from Alleria. “Answer the question. What the hell do you want with us? Why are you even here?”

Another voice interrupted their conversation.

“I called them here.”

Aria stepped into the classroom with Tanar surprisingly absent. The Paladins all made a welcoming sign in accordance to their station - pressing their dominant hand over their chest, raising three fingers to their lips to kiss it and then holding up their index finger into the air. Aria repeated the gesture only after kissing her lips, she held up her thumb, middle finger and pinkie; the greetings for Church officials from the First Station of Tower Thirteen to the Thirteenth Station. Used to be the greeting was universally used when the Church was in power but it fell out of fashion with their fall from grace.

“You did?” Skye asked. “What for?”

“Lady Valkyrie was concerned for your safety after you had successfully retrieved the legendary Talon of the Fire God,” Marshal Blythe responded, genuine concern coming from his lips. “It occurred to her and the Church that even though the blade was been placed in a secure location, antagonistic parties might try to get to you or use you to coax the location out of those who know.”

Wood lifted an eyebrow. “So you’re meant to be our bodyguards to keep people from trying to intimidate or torture us?” He scoffed. “Don’t know if you’ve heard but we survived the fucking Lost Fleet of Incendius and a rogue Inquisitor. We can handle ourselves.”

“But can you handle a god?” countered Char, countering with his own raised eyebrow. “It’s in the name. The Talon of the Fire God. Adramalech is supposedly involved. As are fanatics who are devoted to him. Have you heard of the cult known as Adramalech’s Wings?”

Skye had. “They’re supposed to be a group of zealots that are obsessed with the Fire God. So much so that they undergo insane levels of genetic, cybernetic and magical mutations to bring themselves closer to him. They graft pieces of other species that naturally channel Pyromancy onto themselves to ‘be closer to the Fire’.” He shuddered. “I recall this medical journal of one insane cultist who killed Red Draconis on purpose and then grafted their heads onto his body. He supposedly put two heads on his shoulders and then replaced his hands with them as well.”

The Lupus gagged. “Dude… Were the heads… alive?”

The towering wolf - taller than even Wood - was named Eaton Slater. As a member of the Custodia Lupus and a Paladin, he had a duty to protect the southern border of the Incendian Mainland from the Darkened, a race of light-hating people who dwell in the near-perfect darkness past the frozen gates of Chillfarn. His slate-gray fur was thick, perfectly suited for the frozen wastes. This matched his Valor, Comet, a mace that could channel a blistering light and ice greater than even Alleria.

“No,” answered Skye with a shake of his head. “The heads were barely functional and certainly not conscious. Like many of the Wings, though, the mutations took a psychological strain on the host and he went insane.” The Tigris’ eyes went wide. “Oh no… you don’t think that if any of the cultists hear about FireFeather…”

“It’s a potential possibility,” Aria responded. “I spoke with your other chaperones as we’re all in agreement that we need to tighten security a little. At least until the news about the discovery goes a little colder.”

“The Church has also expressed interest in adding security to the blade,” added the Vulpunus beneath the broad-brimmed hat. Trevor Ford was his name. With a lean, muscled build, he was compact and screamed speed. His bright green eyes were friendly but sharp as was the silver rapier he held by his side, Atropos. Perhaps as an opposite to Eaton, Ford focused entirely on the Element of Darkness and this was channeled through his blade.

“Of course they would be,” rumbled Wood. “I mean, let’s face it. What’s more heretical than a Fallen than a blade the proves the existence of another god apart from the Mother Goddess?”

“Watch it, whelp,” growled the Equus. “You’re entitled to your beliefs as so are we. So back off.” Named Vengeance Wren or ‘Ven’ as he preferred to be called, the Equus came from a mining town. Tall and heavily muscled from years working the mines, Ven’s black fur barely hid his corded muscles while intense yellow eyes brought on from being exposed to firon - a unique metal unique to Incendius - burned with an intensity of a barely contained blaze. Unlike many of the other Paladins, however, Ven’s Valor was not a weapon but the black chestplate he wore emblazoned with a fiery circle. Named Liberation, the armor granted him mastery over the earth beyond what his natural skills in Geomancy afforded.

“Belief and faith turns to ignorance in the face of facts,” Wood growled back.

A soft, melodic note sang through the air and though no words were actually spoken, they all heard the voice of the last Paladin, Melody Yule, echoing through their minds.

“Please, stop this fighting. We are here to offer our assistance not antagonize heroes who have done so much already.”

Skye glanced over to her, the collar around her neck with the sole light-blue gemstone embedded in it glowing. The swan had lost her voice but her Valor, Crescendo, enabled her to communicate through music. Somehow, the Valor emitted sounds akin to an orchestral opera that carried her thoughts. This worked well with her skills in Hydromancy and Aeromancy, spreading and concentrating the magic spells with her voice alone.

“She’s right,” Aria insisted. “Wood, this was no insult to your skills or your ability to defend yourself but we know people will be after FireFeather. People with greater power and influence than the minor factions we have already encountered.”

“You call Rahl and Maxwell ‘minor’?” Wood scoffed.

“Comparatively, yes. Rahl was isolated to the Lost Fleet. Maxwell was a lone wolf and had no backing. Think about what would have happened if Rahl was not insane or Maxwell had all of the support of those he turned against.”

Noteworthy was the Angel’s tendency to opt out of going into details about their recent adventures. Skye glanced over to the Paladins who seemed curious and suspicious but didn’t press the issue. He could detect that they were not here exactly by choice. Their auras were not entirely hostile… more… reluctant.

“We don’t need them,” grunted Wood. “We can take care of ourselves. Right Skye?”

The Tigris jumped a little at being singled out and held up his paws. “I’m not sure, Wood. Considering what could be coming, we should be making friends, not enemies.”

Wood growled in annoyance. “Goddamnit… What about you, JD? What do you…?”

It was at that moment that they noticed that the Red Lightning hadn’t said a word throughout the entire exchange and was actually missing from the room. Even the Paladins were surprised. After the initial shock, though, Skye knew that his flighty friend had likely grown bored and was now doing something else. True to his suspicions, the door to the classroom sprang open and JD came in carrying a few small cartons while a savory-sweet smell wafted through the air. There was a wooden skewer stuffed into his muzzle that he was suckling on.

“Oh good, you’re still here,” announced the Wulfun, striding forward. He held up the boxes. They were filled with hot, fresh Firbar Skewers. “I was getting hungry and it’s about lunch time. I thought you guys would want something to eat too.”

A squeal erupted from Alleria. “Ooooooh! Are those Firbar Skewers!?”

“Fresh from the Spicy Boar down at the Sunrise District.”

She inclined her head to the side in surprise. “That’s really far away… How’d you get there, order this and then come back?” Despite her protestations, she still grabbed two of the skewers and began munching on them.

“I run really fast,” answered the Wulfun enigmatically. “That and I ordered these before hand. I was going to eat them all myself but seeing as there’s plenty to go around…”

“You can’t eat all to these,” grunted Ven, grabbing a few skewers himself.

“I have to. I can’t use magic but the skills that I can use require a lot of Force energy. It’s why I’m so short.” To emphasize his point, red bolts of lightning crackled out from his shoulders. “Without the use if the Illuminus Weizar, I have to focus a lot and expend more energy to do even simple stuff like that. Means I’ve got to eat a lot too.”

Skye and Wood already knew this but it was clear JD was offering exposition as a peace offering to the Paladins. Even Wood had to relent as he plucked a few skewers for himself and began munching on them. Skye helped himself to one while Char and Trevor did the same. Aria and Melody politely declined.

“Oh god…” hummed Alleria, her cheeks flushed with enjoyment and mouth full of the savory-sweet meatballs. “These are as good as I remember. I just love how juicy the meatballs are! And the sauce!”

“I love the crisp texture of the batter around the meatball,” JD replied, taking a skewer for himself. “Who would’ve thought about cooking a meatball, coating it in a batter and then deep frying it! It’s amazing!”

Aria chuckled softly to herself and when Wood glared at her, she waved his concerns off. “It is truly amazing how something as simple as food can unite people.”

Or JD, Skye thought to himself. Not for the first time, he had to wonder if his friend’s timing was not intentional. Timing and intention. Just as they were about to part on heated terms, JD came in bearing a peace offering that got them all to simmer down.

“You know,” huffed Wood. “I guess I wouldn’t mind you folks hanging around. Just as long as you don’t go trying to convert us or some shit.”

“We understand that relationships with the Church have soured given recent events,” Char answered, politely dabbing his lips with a napkin. “We won’t interfere with your education. But if you don’t mind, I’ll assign Alleria to you three.” He glanced over to Melody and the other Paladins. “Melody, why don’t you accompany Lady Valkyrie. Ven, I hear that Kane Fenn and the Demon Prince, Rayne Noam, is somewhere to be found on campus. Go find them both. Rayne already knows our intentions so hopefully he can smooth things over with Mr. Fenn. Trevor, seek out Hunter Hart. I will protect Alexander Clarke.”

“Don’t let him get you drunk,” JD warned.

Wood’s features immediately sourced and his shoulders slouched. Skye rolled his eyes as puzzled looks were thrown his way.

“I know I’m part of the military and not beholden to the Church’s strict rules about inebriation…” began Char warily. “But why shouldn’t I let your father get me drunk?”

“Because then the next inevitable step is he’ll get you naked and in bed,” Wood rumbled, running a paw down his face. “Trust me, it’s happened more than once. I live with JD and Kane. Between Alex and Kane, we basically have some stranger walking out of their rooms barely naked almost every day of the week.”

“Sometimes they both have people over,” JD said, happily chewing on another meatball. “Kane is bi so you better watch out to, Ven. He can be very persuasive.”

Ven stopped halfway through biting his meatball, eyes boggling.

“I… I see,” Char muttered. He coughed to clear his throat. “Thank you for the food, Jack.”

“JD. Just call me JD.”

“Right. Thank you, JD. We have our assignments. Hopefully our efforts will not be needed.”

The Paladins left alongside Aria with only the Bluefire Paladin remaining with the trio of students. They left the classroom - there was technically no eating allowed in said classroom - and finished off what few skewers were left on their way to the campus cafeteria.

Given that Pinnacle acted both as a college and a boarding school of sorts, the cafeteria was enormous. Capable of housing three hundred people dining all at once, it had three floors of open-space with various assortments of tables arranged around a central column. This column was large enough for the multiple restaurants to house their kitchens and staff.

Each floor had their own themed offerings. The first floor was more for local cuisine from a Havenese perspective. Nothing as spicy or herbaceous as authentic Incendian food, of course, but still an approximation that was more palatable to the Havense palette which often required a lot of magic into its making. The second floor was for more traditional Havenese food - the kinds of meals that were magically animated, had some alluring gimmicks or high-concept tastes like ‘the bittersweet of graduation’ or ‘the peppery anticipation of the last day before the break’. The third and last floor was reserved for an open market. In case people wanted to buy their own produce - both imported from other Stations or locally sourced - and make their own meals, they could.

With it being so close to noon, the cafeteria was packed but there was still a table of four that they could claim. Skye scanned his rubric against the table, effectively reserving the space for themselves for the next hour. The Firbar Skewers were a nice appetizer but it had only served to whet his appetite and he was now itching for something a little more substantial. Since the table was reserved, they were now free to head off on their own and find whatever food they wanted.

Skye wasn’t feeling particularly spicy after the skewers so he went up to the second floor for some Havenese food. An emerald salad called his name and after a few minutes, he walked back down to the first floor carrying a white tray and a bowl filled with salad greens that were glistening and transparent like they were made of jewels. All the other vegetables like the peppers, carrots, peas and corn were similarly enchanted. There was even a little sparkling effect that left the salad emitting a fountain of glistening stars. This was why he enjoyed Havenese food. Taste and spectacle.

Of course, the greens were crisp and moist and tingled on his tongue with the flavor of fresh spring. It was hard to describe such abstract tastes but it just immediately brought to mind morning dew on a grassy rolling plain after a spring drizzle. He instinctively found himself closing his eyes, sighing in contentment and blushing as he was taken to that peaceful, serene moment.

BAM!

Wood was back and so was Alleria. They both sat opposite to one another, grinning maliciously across the table while gripping bowls of what looked like stewed chillies. The smell coming off the stew burned Skye’s nostrils, forcing him to reel back and hold a paw against his nose.

“Goddess!” he cried. “What is that!?”

“Ironfrost Chili,” Alleria said with a savage grin. “The Custodia Lupus are notorious for having the spiciest food in terms of raw heat down in the snowy south. They have to so they can stay warm. This is what they call ‘pup-level’.”

“You’re brave to take the challenge,” Wood said through his savage grin. Despite his confidence, there was a little bit of sweat collecting on his brow, giving his green scales a light sheen. “I am a Green Draconis, you know. My acid can break down shit quickly.”

“Yeah? Well I am the Bluefire Paladin. My ice can cool down anything.”

Skye sighed to himself and scooted as far back as his chair would let him without being out of reach of his salad. “So let me guess… the one who can eat the most or stand the heat the longest has the biggest penis?” He pierced a salad leaf with his fork and waved it absently like he was ushering a new race with a flag. “Ready…? Set. Go.”

The two immediately began shoveling the chili down their throats. Skye could actually see their faces turn red - even Wood whose green scales would usually hide such discoloration. They barely got about a quarter of the way down before Wood threw his head back and let out a cry.

“Fuck!”

Seeing this, Alleria pulled back as well, fanning her face. “Blaze! It’s burning my eyes!” Somehow, through the tears, she managed to grin and point at the dragon. “Ha! I win!”

“I haven’t given up yet, bitch!” Wood snarled and dove back in, prompting Alleria to do the same.

JD arrived at that moment carrying a plate of what looked like a vegetarian curry of some sort. Warm, fluffy rice sat on one side of the place while the other side had a dark, brownish-gold curry with pieces of carrots, potatoes and peas floating inside. A thick coating of cheese that had been broiled to have a golden brown covering sat above the curry to form a crust.

“Am I going to have to temporarily disable someone’s sense of taste again?” asked the Red Lightning.

“Maybe you can disable their limbs,” Skye suggested as the wolf sat next to him. “That way they can stop shoveling molten magma into their mouths.”

“I think that’ll just compel them to dive in face first. What are they eating?”

“Some Lupus chili. Apparently it’s the ‘pup-level’.” He glanced over at JD’s plate. “What did you get?”

“Ironically, some curry from Mirecragg, a delicacy of the Custodia Vampiri.” JD grabbed a spoonful of rice and curry and took a bite. His eyes widened and he let out a soft ‘oooh’ of satisfaction. “Wow. It’s so flavorful and warm. Herbacious without being spicy.”

Skye grabbed a spoon and took a bite out of the curry himself. Like his friend, he sighed as the myriad of spices from the curry was given a cloud-like texture from the rice. The vegetables were still crisp and offered explosions of freshness and sweetness while the broiled cheese added a bold savoriness that gave the flavor more body and heft. A well-balanced flavor.

“That’s amazing,” he sighed.

BAM!

The two competitors across from them slammed their bowls on the table, both of them panting, sweating and looking like they were about to pass out from heatstroke.

“Again!” the two shouted in unison.

“Hold on…” Skye warned, holding up his paws. He entreated the spirits in the food the two had just consumed to quickly metabolize the spices and start healing their bodies. A soft, greenish glow encased the competitors. Their expressions softened as the heat that was burning their mouths and throats began to ebb. “You two better stop this or the next time you go to the bathroom, you’ll set fire to the entire plumbing system.”

“Fine,” huffed Wood, pointing at Alleria. “But just so you know, I can eat two more of those bowls easy.”

“Two? Ha! I can eat five!” countered the Bluefire Paladin.

“Why don’t we turn this competition into something a little more productive?” Skye asked, glancing around the cafeteria for something to direct all this energy towards. His eyes settled on a large bulletin board on the far side of the facility and his eyes glimmered. “How about we take up a mission?”

Wood’s expression immediately soured. “Really? We’re not that desperate for points.”

Alleria glanced over in confusion and followed Skye’s gaze. “Missions? What are those?”

“Right, forgot Pinnacle has only been to Incendius once before.”

The large, green dragon explained - surprisingly keeping any snide remarks back - that Pinnacle serviced the community while also providing education to students. Locals of the Station they were visiting could submit requests that would be vetted by the college’s staff and posted on local bulletin boards. These became missions and could be as simple as finding a lost cat, helping with gardening, picking herbs to something as complicated as hunting down a notorious monster or something else. Each type of mission was ranked from F to A in terms of difficulty. The highest class of mission - O-class missions - were never supposed to be taken by students alone and needed at least one chaperone or member of staff.

“Missions actually offers less points the higher the rank,” explained Wood. “Pinnacle doesn’t want students endangering themselves for something huge and stupid especially because it takes more time. But they also know that at this point in the year, most students are focusing more on their actual studies than going out and putting themselves in danger. So a lot of the requests right now are probably worth only a few points and take a lot of time.” The dragon waved his paw absently. “There’s no point in taking them now.”

A big, black, steel-toled boot suddenly fell on the table. “Beg to differ,” Kane Fenn declared loudly. “You take every opportunity to grab as many points as you can. That kind of attitude is what leaves you behind.”

The huge, black ursus gave Wood a wink before leveling his gaze at Alleria. “And you must be one of the Paladin babysitters that have been assigned to us.” He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. “You should tell that big, sexy horse man that was assigned to me and Rayne that he really should stop talking shop about fist fighting with our demonic combat teacher and pay attention to where his charges are going.”

“How did you slip away?” exclaimed Alleria. “Ven is usually very perceptive.”

“Simple,” Kane said with a grin. “I just hit him with a…” He softened his voice and raised it a pitch. “…Oh cool, you know all about the Ars Ignea Puglio, right? Can you show me some moves? Maybe spar with Rayne?” Kane laughed. “Man… those two went at it. Still are.”

“Told you he was persuasive,” JD giggled.

As Alleria looked despondent, Kane set down a few pieces of parchment on the table. “I grabbed these missions from the board. Still find it wild that they use actual scrolls here for authenticity.” He waved a paw over the three pieces “I was going to try and get these done today. Rack up the points. But if you boys want, I could part with one.”

Alleria arched an eyebrow at him. “How generous. Also, I am a girl.”

Kane returned the arched eyebrow. “Really? With a flat chest like that?”

She was already out of her seat before Skye quickly pulled her down. “He’s baiting you,” warned the Tigris. “He’ll probably coax you into showing him what a ‘woman you are’ and next thing you know, you’ll wake up in his bed, naked and full of regret.”

The bear grinned savagely. “Aw, way to ruin the fun, Stripes. Maybe you ought to make it up to me.”

Alleria sat back down, hugging herself. “Gross…”

JD reached over the table and grabbed one of the scrolls. “This one looks good. Nice, simple and worth a decent amount of points. Just F-class too.”

Wood took the parchment. “Just got to go up to some hot springs outside of Corona and check some stones to make sure they are directing the water and providing enough heat. Easy enough.”

The Bluefire Paladin jumped to her feet. “Great! Let’s do that. We will help the community and get you all some points.”

“Just be careful,” Kane said, swiping up the remaining requests. “Don’t get sucked into doing more than what the mission states. You’re dealing with people here. People who don’t pay for your services. They’re basically getting free labor. That’s a slippery slope.”

Alleria reeled back from Kane. “That’s so jaded.”

“It’s the truth.”

?

?

A Routine Mission

The job description was simple and would offer a measly fifty points. Not enough to get any of them up a grade but still more than they would be able to reasonably obtain for the rest of the afternoon. All they needed to do was go to one of the many hot springs outside of Corona along the mountainside and help a local proprietor with an issue they were having. Apparently, the hot springs were not as hot as they used to be and their task was to figure out why.

“So… according to this…” JD said, regarding the parchment detailing the request. “Our destination is the Harimuka Hot Springs. It’s on the eastern face of the mountains about thirty miles away from where we are now.” He glanced up at the tram station and then back up the line to the floating Pinnacle. “That’s if we walk…”

“What if we run?” suggested Alleria.

Skye’s whiskers visibly drooped. “I can fly but even the spirits would be a little annoyed at me if I flew thirty miles.”

Wood snorted and rolled his shoulders. He began stripping off his shirt and tossing them to JD. “We’ll just take Vulcan Air.”

Alleria inclined her head to the side. “What’s Vulcan -”

She was cut off immediately as Wood stripped naked, right in the middle of the very public station. JD scrambled to grab all his clothes and weapons before dashing away. Wood let out a ferocious roar as a wave of dark green energies exploded from him, momentarily obscuring him from view. There were a few cries of surprise and people scampering away but there was little harm done thankfully. When the dust settled, Wood was revealed in his full draconic form. The titanic, quadrupedal, green dragon equipped with cannons on his forearms and armor across his back caused civilians watching to immediately shy away. Pinnacle students, however, merely shrugged and went on their way. Many already knew who Wood was or were just unfazed by a transformation.

“Hop on,” rumbled the dragon. “Unless you don’t like the idea of riding a Phantasm.”

“That’s… That’s amazing!” Alleria exclaimed. “I always thought that a Fallen’s Phantasm was something separate from them. An entirely different entity they controlled.”

Wood grunted as he crouched down, on all fours, allowing the three to slip onto his back. “I’m an unusual Fallen, remember? Fell almost immediately after I got my Valor. Your theologians can claim that because I Fell so quickly that my Phantasm isn’t fully formed. I just like to say I’m accepting of my sins that we’re one.” He rose, spreading his broad wings. “Hold on.”

JD tucked the parchment into his pocket before gripping onto one of the handles along Wood’s armor, tightening his legs around his friend’s broad back. The dragon jumped into the air with his powerful legs and began beating his wings. A mix of magic and sheer strength allowed Wood to lift off the ground and start soaring towards their destination.

Winds howled around JD’s ears, shearing against his fur as Wood began to accelerate. Thankfully, Skye quickly began casting a protective spell around them, buffeting the winds in a bubble that protected them not only from the high speeds but also the harsh light of the Sun Spire and chill from being so high up.

“This is amazing!” laughed Alleria, spreading her arms wide. “I’ve never ridden on a dragon’s back before!”

“Most dragons won’t let you,” rumbled Wood. “They say that the Draconis are descended from the Great Dragons but we’re an entirely different species. Yeah, we sort of look alike but it _’s just racists looking on the surface. Draconis are native to Phi, the Eighth Station and the Station of Force. Great Dragons spawned from the raw elemental magic in each Station, supposedly created by the Gods when_ Tower Thirteen was whole._ ”_

“Great Dragons also don’t have the same level of sentience or intelligence as Draconis,” quipped Skye. “Basically very instinctual if clever animals.”

“Doesn’t mean you should underestimate them. Great Dragons wield magic naturally. Just like Draconis. That makes them dangerous. They can weave spells without invoking the Illuminus Weizar_. All on instinct. You could get close to killing one and then -_ bam!” Wood swerved in the air for emphasis, making each of his passengers grip him tightly. “The bastard or bitch pulls off some spell you never knew about just to make sure they survive.”

“Sounds like you know a lot about dragons,” Alleria said.

JD decided to fill the gap there as Wood became pensive and silent. “The Bladebreakers have this tradition. A coming of age ceremony. When a Bladebreaker reaches their sixteenth birthday, they mark a dragon that they’ll hunt. Two years later, on their eighteenth, they’ll go and find that dragon and try to kill it.”

“That’s sick!”

JD glanced over his shoulder. “Actually, it helps the environment a lot. Dragons breed like crazy and mate each year. One dragon could produce a clutch of up to twenty eggs. They reach maturity at five years old. Imagine a wild, instinctual creature as big as Wood is now eating everything to fuel its huge body and breathing fire, ice or lightning all over the place.”

The Bluefire Paladin cocked her head to the side. “I guess I never thought about it that way before. We don’t get may dragons here on Incendius. Those that I do know about are the Ash Dragons in the Searanti Archipelago and the Sand Dragons up in the Sunless Lands. The biggest flying reptiles we have are the Fire Drakes down south.”

“Even the Sand Dragons up in the Sunless Lands are devastating,” Skye replied. “I read somewhere that the females can be so big if allowed that you can build entire cities on their backs.”

“Whatever,” grunted Wood. “Fact is, I was taught how to kill a dragon from an early age.”

“Which dragon did you kill?” asked Alleria. “What type? Was it hard?”

JD tapped her shoulder lightly. “Wood Fell before that happened,” he said gently. “Was kicked out of the Bladebreaker household and has been living with me, my dad and Kane since then. He never went through the ceremony.”

Her expression turned to one of sympathy. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It is what it is. Bet there’s some irony that I get to be a Great Dragon when I summon my Phantasm instead of having killed one but I don’t give a shit about some cosmic humor. I get all this power. Power that no Bladebreaker ever had.”

“And you’ve achieved more than any Bladebreaker has, I’m sure,” Alleria said, gently patting Wood’s back. “You found the Lost Fleet of Incendius and retrieved the Talon of the Fire God. That’s not nothing.”

JD winced and again pulled Alleria back slightly without saying a word. Thankfully, all Wood did was grunt and tell them to hold on as he began his descent. Thirty miles on dragon back was barely a thirty minute ride. JD made a few jokes about traffic and avoiding tolls which lightened the mood.

Below them were the large heated pools of the Harimuka Hot Springs. Other similar facilities dotted the mountain range that Corona spawned from. Fresh water melted from the icy mountain tops, poured down in wild rivers and somehow got heated by the Sun Spire’s magic into the waiting pools. The pleasant mixture of cool mountain air and hot water made such facilities an attractive tourist destination if said tourists were not bothered by public bathing.

They landed a little way down the road from the facility. Wood transformed back into his Draconis shape and JD handed him his clothes which he hastily put on before hobbling after the team towards the large, wooden doors leading to the facility. Interestingly, the walls themselves were made out of dried bamboo and the arch leading to the facility was emblazoned with Diatollian characters. Just beyond the gates were the large, red arch-like structures known as Torii Gates that was quite prominent amongst Diatollian architecture.

“Fascinating,” hummed Skye as they passed through the gates. “I know Diatollia puts a huge emphasis on water. Hot springs like this are really expensive over there.”

“I can imagine,” added Alleria. “The Station of the Moon is dominated by silvery sands. Not a lot of water there. It’s like their currency. Hydromancers are considered minor nobility and the Emperor is usually the one that controls the most water. I hear they tend not to waste water on bathing but are one of the cleanest people out there because of it.”

Shukuchi was a technique developed amongst the Diatollians and as one of JD’s signature skills, he had invested a lot of time studying the culture of the Second Station. Finding a hot spring facility on Incendius built around Diatollian influence was really surprising. Hot springs on the Second Station were like the most exclusive and extravagant thing anyone could do. Using water on bathing was considered a luxury and spending it on scented, heated water for bathing was the pinnacle of such extravagance.

After passing through the gates, they headed up to a large, wooden facility where a sign clearly said ‘please take off your footwear’. Being barefoot already, JD felt a little self-conscious drugging muck and dirt into the facility so he made an effort to wipe his feet on the rug while the others removed their boots and shoes.

A kindly, elderly Symian greeted them; her posture was slouched, dressed in a traditional Diatollian robe known as a yukata. It was a silky piece with long, flowing sleeves that all appeared to be seamlessly a single piece of cloth but was really four pieces with all the connecting parts hidden by a belt or sash around her waist. The colors on her robe were bright, vibrant and summery; all alluding to her residence on the Station of the Sun. She smiled at them, light, milky, blue eyes shining on her sapien face, her brown fur tinged with little bits of gray that matched the black hair she had tied in a tight bun.

“Welcome,” she began with a thick Diatollian accent, rolling her L’s to the point where they sounded more like R’s. “This is the Harimuka Onsen. The Harimuka Hot Springs.” She then proceeded to offer a bow.

JD, knowing all about Diatollian culture, bowed in return but given that he was a student on their request, he made sure he bowed lower than she did. In Incendian or even Havenese culture, the roles of honor would be reversed. Since the host was asking them for assistance, the host would be the one bowing lower. In Diatollian, it was the reverse. ‘It is an honor to serve’ was a common idiom repeated amongst Diatollians.

“Clear and pure,” he greeted.

The woman straightened and gave him a craggy smile. “Clear and pure, young one.”

When given a quizzical look from the others, JD quickly explained that in Diatollia, the phrase ‘clear and pure’ was a very formal and polite greeting but one reserved for foreigners. It was considered an insult to use the version - seiketsude junsuina - if you were not born and raised in Diatollia.

The hostess let out a bright, mirthful laugh as she stood up. “Oh my, you know your Diatollian culture.”

“I kind of had a vested interest in picking it up after a certain life event,” JD responded, straightening. “If you’ll excuse me, my name is Jack Denver Clarke. This is Wood Bladebreaker, Skye King and Paladin Alleria Pennfire. We were at Pinnacle College and picked up your request.” He reached into his pocket and fished out the parchment. “I understand that you need us to have a look at why the water running into your springs hasn’t been as hot as before?”

The hostess took the parchment and nodded after perusing it briefly. “Yes. If you’ll please follow me.”

She shuffled away from the counter, leading them towards the back where the actual hot springs were. While looking very traditional, the facility had some advanced facilities like showers for cooling off, dry and wet saunas, massage rooms and even somewhere you could have some light tea in traditional Diatollian fashion. It became increasingly warm, however, as they stepped into the rear where the actual hot springs were.

The hostess pushed aside a traditional paper door to reveal the large, stone pools that served as the hot springs. Rushing water funneled down from the mountainside. The water gathered in a larger pool out of reach of the public before eventually pumping into the pools that people could bathe in. The water was clear, still and steaming. There was a slightly sweet, floral scent in the air from the oils mixed into the water. At this time of day, there were few people in the pools but none of them paid attention to the four students as the hostess led them to the read pool where the raw, hot water was pouring into.

“Have a look here,” she said, holding up her paw towards the steaming water. JD followed her gesture, feeling the steam rise up towards his paw pads and soak into his red fur. The others did the same.

“Notice anything?” she asked.

“It’s pretty hot,” Alleria commented, pulling back her armored hands. “I can feel it through my gauntlets.”

“Not hot enough,” JD commented, glancing up to the waterfall feeding the larger pool. “The way this normally works is that the raw, hot water would come into this pool. It should be too hot for someone to safely be exposed to. Magic and some filters are then applied to cool it and feed into the public pools. But this…”

He dipped his finger into the ‘raw’ pool. It was hot but not unbearable. Nothing that would melt skin or even be above a hot bath. In an open air environment like this, the water should be much hotter because once it fell into the public pools, it would drop in temperature rapidly.

“… this isn’t nearly hot enough.” He turned to the hostess. “How does the water normally get heated up?”

She gave him a gentle smile and looked up towards the Sun Spire. “Heat from the Sun Spire melts water from the glaciers higher up the mountains. That is usually enough to provide all the heat we need but recently… it seems like the temperature has dropped. I don’t know why.”

“Are you the only one experiencing this?” asked Alleria. “I would hate to think that there is something wrong with the Sun Spire.”

The hostess shook her head. “As far as I am aware, we are the only ones. Though I would not think that any of the other facilities would tell us if their water suddenly began running cold.”

“The problem must come from upstream,” Skye suggested, looking up the side of the mountain. “There are spirits in the water and they speak of… interference.” He grimaced a little and waved a paw over his left ear like he was swatting away a persist fly. “It’s muddled. Naturally occurring spirits often come clearly but those that have recently been touched by magic come in… confused and their voices are distorted. Unnatural.”

Both Alleria and their hostess gave the Tigris a worried look so JD took over.

“If you’ll permit us, we’d like to investigate up the mountain.”

The elderly Symian gave him a gentle smile. “Our property ends about half a mile up. You’re welcome to explore that area but beyond that, I’m afraid that you will be far from our protection.”

Wood pounded his chest with a fist. “We can take care of ourselves. And you can be sure we’ll get your water back to normal temperatures!”

She bowed at them. “Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate it.”

JD returned the bow, once again making sure that he was lower than her. “The honor is ours.”

With those words, the hostess excused herself so that she would return to her duties while the small party headed around the main pool and started heading up the mountain. It was only after they had started heading up the gentle slope of the mountain did the questions start.

“You know a lot about Diatollian culture,” observed Alleria. “Are you a weebo?”

JD flinched at the slur but only stalled his stride by half-a-second. “How much do you know about my combat techniques?”

“Not much,” she admitted. “Usually Trevor is the one that studies our opponents and gives us tactical advice alongside Char. I just hit stuff. Why?”

Without warning, JD activated Shukuchi, immediately disappearing from where he was walking about five feet in front of Alleria and reappearing behind her. Before she could blink in surprise, he was tapping her shoulder and walking past her. She jumped and instinctively spun, swinging a fist at him. Again, he activated Shukuchi, slipping into her blind spot which was right behind her other shoulder. This time, he flicked her ear lightly before dancing away.

“What the…?” he blurted.

Wood strode past her, looking smug. “Shukuchi. It’s a Diatollian technique. JD uses pure Force to instantly teleport behind a target’s blind spot.”

“Only caveat is that the target has to be moving,” Skye chimed in. “But JD has refined it to the point that even the smallest movement is enough for him to target you. He can even use it on inanimate objects, dodging bullets by literally appearing behind them.”

Alleria gave JD a look caught between terror and awe. “That’s insane. You’re invulnerable.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” JD answered with a shrug. “I can’t use it on pure energy. Like fireballs or something. Also, it takes a lot of Force energy. Doctors say one of the reasons I’m unusually short for a Wulfun is because I use most of my body’s on my techniques that there’s not enough to fuel my growth.”

“You’re a Wulfun? I thought you were a Vulpunus.”

That felt like a stab to the heart. “My features are broader, my ears larger and my tail doesn’t taper. I’m a Wulfun.”

He heard Skye lean towards Alleria and whisper, “It’s a sensitive subject.”

Just to show his irritation, he channeled his Force energy to physically manifest into bolts of crimson lightning that crackled all over his arms. “Just to be clear, Shukuchi isn’t my only technique. But to answer your original question…” He continued up the path. The ground grew a little wilder with underbrush and the trees around them grew thicker casting a cooling shade over them. “… because I can’t use magic naturally, I started looking into other techniques that would bring me up to par with everyone else. Every Station actually has an alternate to classic magic. Diatollian arts was the one I started with.”

“What kind of magic doesn’t use the Illuminus Weizar here on Incendius?

“Manaburn,” JD answered instantaneously. “You channel your Spirit and configure it to disrupt someone else’s magical energies. Your energy burns away theirs. Basically you sacrifice some of your own to burn away someone else’s.” He scratched behind his left ear. “Really risky and seldom practiced but the trade-off is usually pretty good.”

“Spirit energy is more powerful than Force,” agreed Alleria. “You could probably burn away someone’s Force reserves really quickly. But you’d be sacrificing things like your emotions, memories and very soul to pull it off.”

Considering how he had died and reset the timeline multiple times, JD knew he had more than enough Spirit to use Manaburn. However, the theory sounded much easier than practice. It took him years to even be able to use Shukuchi and years still to reach the level of expertise he had now. This was to the exclusion of all else. Really, apart from using Shukuchi and Manifest Lightning, he could do little else. This was in contrast to the versatility of his other classmates and friends.

“In the process of learning Shukuchi, I picked up a few things about Diatollian culture,” JD supplied. He glanced over his shoulder and offered a beaming grin at Alleria. “Maybe you can teach me a bit more about Incendian culture? Might help me learn more about Manaburn.”

The wary looks between Skye and Wood didn’t slip his attention but he kept silent about it.

“Sure,” Alleria beamed in return. “What did you want to know about?”

“Why don’t we start with you? What’s your story?”

They approached the bamboo wall denoting the edge of the property. JD let his paw hover over the river that fed to the main pool further back. The water was a little hotter but like the source pool below, it wasn’t nearly as hot as it should be. Together with the others, he climbed over the rocks denoting the edge of the river and headed off the property.

“I’m Incendian born and raised,” offered the Bluefire Paladin. “I’m just thirty-two summers old.”

JD did some quick calculations. When the Fall of Haven occurred fifteen years ago, she would have been seventeen while he was just turning six. A small smile touched his lips at how carefree their lives had been back then. Hanging out at Wood’s mansion all the time while his dad went to work or Skye’s uncle and auntie went to man their family shop. Even then Kane was rebellious though he wasn’t living with the Clarke’s yet. That came after the Fall just about the time Kane hit eighteen.

“Were you already serving as a Paladin when the Fall happened?” he asked.

“Sort of,” Alleria answered. “I got my Valor when I was just a baby. Barely a few years old.” Sorrow tinged her next words. “My family owned this little farm on the outskirts of Incendius to the south. According to the clerics and the other Paladins who found me, the Mother Goddess granted me Coldburn at an early age for my purity of soul. However, my parents were selfish and they hid me from the world. They didn’t want to lose me to the Church. The holy energies could not be controlled without the Church’s instruction and I burned down our home. Them with it.”

Wood snorted in derision.

Before another argument could break out, JD said, “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure that wasn’t your intention. I mean, you were a toddler.”

“It just goes to prove that there is nothing that can keep you from divine will and trying to avert fate is just asking to make things worse.”

Thinking back to the Machine and all the times he has rewritten ‘fate’ by going back ten minutes into the past and doing something different made him question her conviction. However, he kept that to himself. No one else knew about his ability and he intended to keep it that way. Though he could tell another argument was quickly on the rise. Neither Wood nor Skye believed in some divine plan set into motion by the gods.

His eyes drifted up the river and he pointed. “I see steam up ahead. I think that’s where the water is hottest.”

That alone was enough to curb any heated arguments and they hurried their pace over the slippery rocks along the river’s shore, up a gently sloping hill. The air became more humid as they approached where the water was visibly steaming. Strangely, it wasn’t like the hot spring’s water was pooling into a smaller lake and then pouring down the slope. It was just a continuous river.

“The Gray Peaks aren’t volcanic,” mused Skye, pacing up the river. “So these wouldn’t be traditional hot springs.” He held out his paws towards the sky. “The heat from the Sun Spire is pretty normal too. If it was hot enough to actually heat up the water to make hot springs, this place wouldn’t be so lush and green.”

“So what’s heating up the water?” Wood asked.

The Tigris glanced down at the rocks at their feet. They were perfectly black, smooth and highly polished. He reached down and grabbed one. For a moment he closed his eyes, likely communing with the spirits of the rock. JD glanced over to the rocks in the water itself and reached into the luke-warm water to grab one.

“Mantlite,” Skye announced.

“What?” Alleria asked. “Some kind of special rock?”

“Yes. Normally, it looks like just a normal black rock but when exposed to water, it produced an incredible amount of magical heat. Enough that you wouldn’t be able to touch it.”

“Then that explains it,” JD said, tossing Skye the pebble he had obtained. “This isn’t Mantlite.”

Skye caught it and compared the two rocks side by side. “You’re right.” Then he glanced around. “Someone has taken great pains to swap out the Mantlite with ordinary pebbles.”

JD opened his muzzle to say, “Who would do that?” when he suddenly found himself in the golden environment of the Machine, cogs ticking around him.

“What the…?” he exclaimed, glancing around. “Why am I suddenly here?” He looked to where Haamiah, the God of Time, stood over his throne.

“You died.”

Stunned by the announcement, he turned back towards the cogs. “What? How?” Time was frozen at a moment where an arrow had pierced the side of his head, piercing his brain and instantly killing him.

“Oh… That’s just annoying,” JD grumbled, dramatically rolling up his sleeves. “I’m going back in.”

“Mantlite,” Skye announced again.

JD perked his ears. The arrow had come from his left but he didn’t turn in that direction to avoid alerting the assassin.

“What?” came Alleria’s question. “Some kind of special rock?”

Something he had failed to mention to the others was that his refinement of Shukuchi came with a subtle advantage. He didn’t have to see the movement of something to move himself behind it. Much like radar or echolocation, he could send out his Spirit in an area around himself to detect movement around him and once he found something, then he could use his Force to latch onto it and activate Shukuchi. This was completely invisible to anyone else not in the know. It was how he could tell where everyone was even in the dark or instantly teleport behind someone who tried to take him by surprise. If he was moving, the area of influence was much smaller but if he stood still, he could detect significant movement within about thirty-feet of him.

“Yes,” Skye lectured. “Normally, it looks like just a normal black rock but when exposed to water, it produced an incredible amount of magical heat. Enough that you wouldn’t be able to touch it.”

He found the assailant. Whoever it was just drew a bowstring.

“That explains it,” he said, tossing Skye the pebble. “This isn’t Mantlite.”

“You’re right,” Skye said as he examined the two rocks. “Someone has taken great pains to swap out the Mantlite with ordinary pebbles.”

He was about to active Shukuchi when he sensed something else…

… a few others were drawing bows.

“Oh shi -”

Then he died.

Back to the Machine and JD crossed his arms in frustration. “… it…” He finished. “That one archer wasn’t the only one aiming at us. There are others.” He pinched the bridge of his muzzle. “Okay… How do I fix this? Go back farther? No… They probably had their sights on us long before we got in range. Before ten minutes for sure.” He tapped the side of his head. “Think… How can I approach this…?”

A plan formed in his head and he nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Once again, he was in the machine.

“Yes,” Skye answered to Alleria’s question. “Normally, it looks like just a normal black rock but when exposed to water, it produced an incredible amount of magical heat. Enough that you wouldn’t be able to touch it.”

“That explains it,” JD said, but this time he didn’t throw the rock at Skye. Instead, he just tossed it absently into the air. “I just fished this out of the river. Not a single burn.”

Skye leaned down towards the river and plucked a similar rock from the waters, his eyes widening. “You’re right! This isn’t Mantlite.”

At that moment, JD felt movement and he immediately moved. The arrow aimed at his head could be easily avoided but the other three with him were unaware of the projectiles aimed at him. So he needed to move them all. He tossed the rock in his paw at Wood’s head. The dragon didn’t have time to flinch until after the arrow aimed at his head was deflected by the pebble. Skye, who was still bent over the river, was pushed right into the water as JD vaulted over him. The Red Lightning swept his legs out in a circle, colliding with Alleria’s knee - above her armored boot - and knocking her back. This made sure that both Skye and Alleria’s heads avoided being skewered by the arrows.

“Gotcha,” JD growled. He drew one of the blades of Validation and immediately activated Skukuchi, red lightning crackling over his body. He appeared behind the assassin that would have hit him, finding a leather-glad Ursus bandit. He stabbed the bear right through the back, making sure his blade cut upwards right through the spinal cord. He was channeling his Force energy through it so it did no physical damage but the shock to the magical network would be enough to disable the man for a short while.

Then he was gone, doing the same against the three other archers that had aimed at them. Bandits were suddenly bursting out from the underbrush, surrounding Wood, Alleria and a freshly-wet Skye. JD returned to their side, drawing the second blade of Validation. Now that he element of surprise was gone, they could fight on even footing.

“Stop!” barked a commanding, femanine voice.

Alleria lifted her gaze, her jaw dropping open. “I know that voice…”

From the shadows of the woods, a woman dressed in deep, purple, leather from her toes all the way up to halfway up her enormous bust emerged. Her long, flowing, black hair had tinges of bright purple at the end that matched her blazing, dark, purple eyes. Supple, dark-brown skin was exposed wherever leather didn’t cover while her lips were a dark rose in color.

“Alleria?” asked the woman. “Alleria Pennfire?”

“Urellia!” exclaimed the Paladin, spreading her arms wide. She immediately bounded over to the woman and the two caught each other in an affectionate embrace. The bandits and Pinnacle students all regarded the two in confusion.

“Uhm… Care to explain,” JD asked.

“Of course,” Alleria chuckled, turning back towards them. “Everyone, this is Urellia. She’s a demon and leader of the Ashwood Bandits!”

“And everyone,” said the demoness, gesturing at Alleria. “I’m ashamed none of you recognized Alleria! Seriously! Don’t any of you remember what she did for us during the Fall?”

JD would have fallen to the ground in laughter if he hadn’t died twice to this misunderstanding. Still, he offered a bright grin. “Oh cool! You do you know Rayne Noam?”

“You mean the Demon Prince Amon?” laughed Urellia. “Of course I know him. Where is that asshole?”

“Funny you should ask…”

?

?

?

The Secret Project

“You know, any bigger and we’d up to upgrade the classification,” Hunter mused as the pored over the blueprints.

Tanar scratched his chin as he paced around the large table in the middle of the workshop. Ever since Hunter had become a renowned blacksmith on Incendius, many - especially those in Haven - had been interested in his weapons that could use Pyromancy without using someone’s own magical reserves. Thankfully, he was able to mass-produce several of his more basic products and ship them off with Tanar’s help. Over the past few months - when they weren’t discovering lost haunted fleets and undermining immoral capitalist elites - they had been working together on Hunter’s brand.

Since Tanar could learn everything there was about an object by touching it with Chaosrender, he was able to replicate everything about Hunter’s designs with ease. The two of them had been able to keep up with demand by maintaining that the Wulfun was still developing and optimizing his tools so what he could produce was limited.

That only really made what he did sell all the more exclusive and expensive. Hunter was stunned at the money he was getting and was at a loss on what to do with it all…

…until Tanar came up with a secret project.

The Leomian leaned over the blueprints and tapped one part of it. “I don’t think we will be able to help it. Considering our needs, we might just have to make it bigger.”

Hunter grimaced. “That’ll make it really hard to pass inspection. The Fall made sure that everything of this size and above needs to be registered. The cost alone of registration is astronomical.”

He glanced over the blueprints again. “I could probably get some leeway on that given I’m a Paladin and Aria, is a global hero, could probably have any fees waved off. Especially since we’ve had to keep our last adventure a secret.”

The gray Wulfun looked unconvinced. “We’re dealing with possibilities here, Tanar. You know I don’t dealing in ‘what-ifs’.” He groaned and turned around, regarding the enormous machine currently hidden beneath a tarp. “Besides, if we make it bigger, it’ll be really hard to hide it in this workshop.”

The small workshop once belonged to Loffraine Ulbermasque but after his ‘disappearance’, it had gone up to auction. Hunter had scooped it up as a base of operations for his blacksmithing work… and as a means to hide their little project.

“How about we worry about the technicalities later?” suggested Tanar with a smile. “Let’s make it as big as we can until the next size limit and then let’s reassess.” When Hunter gave him a side-long glance, he said, “We know we can’t stick with the current limit. The engines alone put us nearly a quarter of the way past our limit. Then we need a warp drive. That’s half of it on just mobility alone and we haven’t even talked about the physics engine.”

Hunter groaned but nodded in understanding.

They both froze when they heard the door to the front of the workshop let out a tell-tale chime. With a nod at one another and headed over. The storefront had a little bit more of a Havenese flair to it than the typical wood or stone facade of Incendian shops. There was a lot more metal and clean, smooth designs. This was just the front, of course. The workshop in the back was mostly made of brick and mortar.

Tanar was surprised when he found a Vulpunus with a large, black, broad-brimmed hat standing at the counter, the black cloak of a Paladin over his slim shoulders and a black and red pauldron of an Incendian on his left shoulder.

“Paladin,” greeted Tanar. “A pleasure to have you here. To what do we owe the honor?”

The fox gave him a toothy grin. “You, in fact, my fellow Paladin. And you as well, Mr. Hart.” He nodded at Hunter. He took off his had, revealing coppery, brown hair tied back in a ponytail. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Trevor Ford. Paladin of Incendius.”

That name was very familiar to him. Before coming to Incendius, Tanar had made sure to scan the records to know about every Paladin on Incendius. After the Fall, there really were few full-fledged Paladins left so it wasn’t that much of a task. Once there would have been upwards of five thousand Paladins patrolling Incendius. Now, they barely had a hundred. The same could be said of the other Stations though Haven - as the seat of the Church - still benefited of having a thousand Valor-wielders.

“The Shadow Saber Paladin,” Tanar intoned. “As I recall, you are currently assigned to the squad consisting of the Bluefire Paladin, the Earthen Bulwark Paladin, the Cometfall Paladin and the Song of the Sea Paladin. Under the watchful gaze of Marshal Char Blythe.”

Ford was surprised but nodded at Tanar’s knowledge. “Correct, sir. You know your Incendian Paladins.”

“Let’s just say I like to know everything about a man when I enter his home,” Tanar responded guardedly. His feline eyes gazed about the rest of the store. “Considering you’re not here with the rest of your squad, I take it this is a social visit?”

“On the contrary.” Trevor put his hat back on. “After your recent activities in retrieving the Talon of the Fire God, the Church thought it prudent to offer you and your own squad protection. My squad has been assigned - with the express blessing of Lady Aria Valkyrie - to provide guard over you all.”

Tanar arched one eyebrow. Such a claim would be easy enough to verify especially if Ford was name-dropping Aria. This was not a lie. Aria had mentioned something about buying some good will from the Church. He suspected this was that attempt. If the Church wasn’t trying to figure out where FireFeather was by sending some Paladins to cozy up to them, then at the very least they were sending someone to keep an eye on the team that had - so far - undertaken adventures that were of religious significance.

“I hope you’re not looking to figure out where FireFeather is,” Hunter said.

Ford chuckled and shook his head. “Oh no. I know that information is closely guarded and for good reason. I just want to make sure those in the know are not attacked or coerced.” He leaned against the glass counter, various tools that Hunter had created on display beneath him. “I must say, you’ve made quite the name for yourself, Mr. Hart. Already people are calling you the ‘Hero Blacksmith’. The wolf that goes out and saves people while simultaneously building and crafting tools inspired by his own adventures.”

“They… are…?” Hunter asked cautiously.

The fox pointed at one of the items on display. “This, for instance. Is this not the Nullfire Field Generator you developed? A grenade of sorts that emits a Nullfire field capable of stopping all flames within a certain radius? Inspired by that battle with the rogue Inquisitor Effrine La’Dulton.”

It was not but that was the story that Hunter had spun. The NFGs were, in fact, inspired from their fight against Maxwell Magmillion. Since the Firefighter could control all flames around him, none of them could use their Pyromancy-based weapons or abilities. Similarly, any open flames played to Maxwell’s advantage. So Hunter was inspired to create something that nullified all fire around him. Tanar was the one that refined the idea and marketed it in such a way to be more appealing to the general populace. The Leomian was particularly proud of advising people to have at least one with them in their homes in case a rogue fire every broke out. Property damage could be kept to a minimum and there would be no need for hefty fire extinguishers. Just push the button and throw.

Havense and Xaos corporations were already expressing interest.

“You’ve done your homework,” quipped Hunter.

“The Copycat Paladin is not the only one that likes to study hosts,” Ford said, winking at Tanar.

That pseudonym left a bitter taste in Tanar’s muzzle, making his whiskers twitch. Chaosrender was more than just a tool that enabled him to copy other people’s techniques but it was what he had become known and notorious for. During his day in the Academy, he was teased for being one armed or the fact that people only ever saw him copying other’s abilities. No one ever saw the hard work he put into developing his own skills and many automatically assumed that whatever he developed was just someone else’s that he had copied.

That was why he was eternally grateful to Hunter for developing Flarecaster and the Codex Infernis for him. These tools - while able to absorb Pyromancy - proved to others that he could stand on his own without a Valor’s abilities.

“Thank you for your kind words,” Tanar said, barely above a growl. “But as you can see, we are perfectly safe here and as you know, we can handle ourselves. Your guardianship is not needed.”

“Sadly, it’s my job,” Trevor said. “I’m perfectly fine just sitting here vetting customers if needed. Though if I can be of an assistance, I’d be happy to lend it.” He peered over their shoulders to the workshop behind them. “What are you working on right now?”

Tanar resisted the urge to exchange glances with Hunter. He had to think quickly, however. If Ford did go to the back - and they had no reason to deny him access - he was likely to see the pieces of scrap metal, anti-gravity devices and maybe even the blueprints. He needed to think of an excuse quickly.

“A drone,” he supplied.

Hunter inched himself right into the periphery of the lion’s vision, a clear look of confusion and accusation on his features.

“A… drone…?” Trevor repeated.

“Correct,” Tanar responded, keeping his composure while his mind was secretly reeling. “Hunter did some self-reflection and noticed that during his big fights, he is often juggling between maintaining his momentum to generate enough power to build his constructs, building his constructs or defending himself.” He puffed out his chest and lifted his head, trying to put on an air of arrogance. “With some coaching from myself, we determined that the best way to ease the burden of juggling all of these roles, he should have an automated drone alongside him. One that can fill one of the three roles he shifts between while he focuses on the other two.”

Hunter quietly mouthed ‘what the fuck?’, his muzzle out of Trevor’s view.

The fox glanced away, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Interesting… That’s a unique role. Combat engineers generally stay far from the front lines providing support for the warriors in the front and only ever engaging in combat in an emergency. With such a tactic, though, you could continue to provide support while still engaging in combat or even double your production.” He lifted his gaze, eyes shining. “That’s an amazing idea! What is your machine called?”

That, Tanar balked. “Uuuuhm…”

“ The Remote Assault Scout and Combat Assistant Lancer,” Hunter provided quickly. “Or RASCAL.”

“Lancer?” repeated Trevor.

“They’re a type of drone that the Havenese combat engineers use. Generally they’re big, bulky, unmanned drones that can deliver surgical strikes while the actual pilot remains out of harm’s way. RASCAL, though, will be designed to both scout enemy positions, provide covering support and assist the engineer in building stuff on the field.”

Tanar held back his sigh of relief.

“Can I see?”

Now the two of them exchanged glances.

“Sure…?” Hunter ventured.

“I don’t… see why not…?” echoed Tanar, stepping aside and gesturing towards the door to the workshop.

Ford, seemingly oblivious to their exchange, jumped over the counter and headed into the workshop.

When he was mostly out of earshot, Hunter leaned towards Tanar. “What was that!? I’m not working on a drone!”

“No. You’re working on something without a permit and is potentially illegal!” he hissed back. “If it weren’t for the fact that I already have the paperwork in the works, I wouldn’t even be onboard for this venture!”

“This ‘venture’ was your idea!”

“No. You were the one that started it. I just found out and decided to help you make it above board!”

“You’re the one that insisted we make it bigger!”

Ford suddenly shouted from the workshop. “What exactly are you building this drone out of?”

Both of them panicked, Tanar’s whiskers going rigid and his tail fluffing out. “Okay,” he whispered back to Hunter. “I’m going to distract him. You gather every piece of evidence you can on our work and leave. Don’t come back for… like… three hours or something.”

“What are you going to do?” Hunter asked warily.

Tanar shrugged. “Talk. Just talk. A lot.”

He straightened and strode into the workshop. Ford was at the table, regarding the blueprints.

“Those are blueprints for an experimental ship we found here on Incendius in the archives,” Tanar said curtly. “What few know or realize is that every Station actually has a different gravitational pull. It’s most evident when you compare Haven to Arret. In Haven, entire pieces of land the size of multiple cities float in the air thanks to magic but there are also titanic trees that, if the gravity was any higher, would cause them to crush themselves under their own weight. In Arret, however, the gravity is slightly higher and you can feel it when you transition from the Station of the Divine. The same is here on Incendius. Gravity here is slightly higher than in Haven and while making RASCAL out of materials native to this Station is the ultimate goal, using the technology of Haven is not necessarily the way to go.”

“That makes sense,” Ford mused. “So you’re studying Havenese airships and starships to see how they would cope both on-Station and in Havenese simulated atmospheres.” He ran his fingers over the blueprints. “I must say, though, I can see why this ship was experimental. Half of it is taken up by the engine systems alone. One stray hit and the entire thing would explode.”

“Yeah…” laughed Hunter nervously. “And adding extra armor plating would only make it heavier thus demanding more engine power. Then we’re back to square one.”

“Have you considered Real-Time Armor Generators?”

Tanar glanced over at Hunter who arched his eyebrows.

“You mean basically sticking Matter Converters onto the hull and allowing an artificial intelligence to generate plates of armor in real-time when under attack?” asked the engineer. “I had but then the weight and demand would shift to the reactor.”

Ford raised his head an grinned. “Ah, that’s where Incendian expertise in power generation comes into play.” He held up one paw. A black flame appeared between his fingers. “We’re the Station of the Sun. Generating fire and power is in our blood. The single most powerful Pyromancy spell was invented here.”

“Nova Supremis,” supplied Tanar. “The spell that can generate it’s own star.”

“Exactly. We’re experts in creating energy.” Ford waved the paw holding the ball of black flame in an arc over his head, creating a bow of black flames. “Incendius is rich with energy-generating flora and fauna. A lot of the minerals are even good at storing or producing energy magically. Mantlite or Stones of Eternal Fire for instance are good sources though the latter is pretty rare. If you can find an easy source of fuel that you can put on a ship to generate the power you need, you might be able to keep it light-weight while also using something as advanced as the armor generators.”

He could see the cogs turning in Hunter’s mind already ticking but he was conscious that they were talking about starships and the topic was for a drone.

“Let’s not forget that this is for a combat drone,” he said quickly. “One that’s portable as well. Compacting that level of complexity into a mobile platform might make it too much of a liability. Imagine cramming the power of a star into something that could have a malfunction or get shot out of the air. Dying in a thermonuclear blast because a bird decided to fly into a drone’s propellers is not what I’d like on my tombstone.”

Hunter shook his head, as if coming to a realization. “No. But maybe it doesn’t have to be…”

The engineer bounded over to the table, bringing out his Sequencer. “What if the drone was small and cheap enough that it could be produced quickly and effectively?” He waggled a finger through the air. “Real-Time Armor Generators are basically just highly specialized and complicated Matter Converters with an AI guiding it. If I can reconfigure something like that to generate the drone around it, I could basically throw it like a grenade and it’ll build RASCAL around it. It’d have a limited battery life but once it powers down or is destroyed, the Matter Converter will reabsorb it and it can be reused after being charged using the momentum and friction physics that I’ve applied to my other weapons!”

He clapped his paws together. “That’s it!”

Tanar was both impressed at Hunter’s ingenuity and a little exasperated that the Wulfun was now inspired into making their fake drone a reality. He gently grasped Hunter’s shoulders and guided him through the door. “Okay, okay. You’re overstimulated. You know how you get. Why don’t you go out, grab some lunch and we’ll talk again once you’ve had some clarity.”

Hunter wasn’t really listening as he began muttering to himself over his crystal Sequencer, already making plans to building RASCAL. This was one of the reasons Tanar wanted the genius but obsessive wolf out of the workshop while Ford was here. Something could set off Hunter and he would spiral and obsess about it. One wrong word and Hunter could very well be spilling the secret.

Once he was sure Hunter was out of the workshop, he turned back to Ford.

“Sorry about that,” he sighed. “Hunter is a fantastic combatant but he tends to get into his own head at times. Quite neurotic.” He folded his good arm across his chest. “But this talk of food has gotten me hungry. Have you had lunch?”

Ford beamed at him. “No. I know this fantastic shop up at the Dawn District. They offer discounts to Paladins and make a fantastic sandwich.”

“Sounds pleasant.”

Together, they left the workshop behind and headed up the city to the Dawn District. Once upon a time, the Church’s influence could be seen all over Corona. Now, it was pushed back to the Dawn District. The Fall had ravaged Corona and much of the city’s vaunted architecture had been destroyed in the non-stop sieges. When the Generals restored order, they gave people free reign to design their own homes around their own themes. The Dawn District was the only section of the city that hadn’t been obliterated by the war so it was the only part that maintained much of the winged facades and sun-shaped doorways that Corona had once been known for.

The store that Ford mentioned was called the ‘Sundrop Spoon’. It was a quaint little three storey bistro. The floors were made of the ashen-gray Ashwood that was common on the outskirts of Corona from the aptly named Ashwood Forest. The first floor was dominated by the kitchen and an indoor dining area that was organized and decorated with many paintings and motifs of the Sun Goddess Apollia. The second floor was entirely made for dining but had a balcony for some exterior dining. The third and final floor was a rooftop garden where a bar was built though currently sat empty. Patrons did go up to the third floor for some coffee and cool drinks. It was on the third floor that they sat down on some warm, white, metal chairs. Ford ordered a sandwich and Tanar, not knowing what it was, ordered the same.

“So tell me about yourself, Trevor,” Tanar greeted as their waitress left.

“Not much to say,” responded Ford with a shrug, setting down his hat. “I was born a nobleman’s son. A minor lord far to the south on the border of the Vampiri lands. I spent my childhood amongst members of the Vampiri. It was where I learned the finer art of swordsmanship. I enter the Starblade Competition every year.”

When asked to clarify what the Starblade Competition was, Ford explained it was a swordsmanship competition held on the south-eastern islands of Verandieme. Swords from all over Incendius would attend to compete in one-on-one battles. These were not fencing competitions the likes of which other Stations enjoy. These were real blades without magic that drew blood.

“Is that how you got your Valor?”

“No, that came later,” answered Trevor sadly. “I had a sister. Her name was Ophelia. She was just four years younger than me but she was born with a severe learning disability that prevented her from developing mentally more than a toddler. It was estimated she would never reach womanhood.”

Tanar inclined his head, ears flicked forward as their waitress arrived with some cooling lemonade for them to drink.

“While I was a nobleman’s son, we couldn’t afford both finery and all the expensive treatments my sister needed let alone a trip up to, say, Haven or Xaos to have her completely cured. Of course, I tried. The reason I tried for the Starblade was to win enough money to give her the treatment eventually.”

“But…?” Tanar ventured warily.

“But, about twenty years ago, she took a turn for the worse,” sighed the fox, finally removing his hat. “My parents loved her. Cared for her and she was the sweetest thing in the world. However, sometimes the Mother Goddess just calls for her children and my dear Ophelia began to fade rapidly. Perhaps it was the Mother Goddess telling me to win the Starblade for once because that was when she gave me Atropos. Of course, I couldn’t use it in my fights but it inspired me and I eventually did win the competition. It wouldn’t have been enough to see her cured but it would have prolonged her life.”

“You would’ve become a Paladin as well,” Tanar said. “The Church, even back then, would have given you a stipend and provided care for your sister.”

Ford gave him a sad smile. “Indeed but, again, the Mother Goddess called Ophelia home. She saw me with the trophy once before she died. Almost like she was holding on for years just to finally see me win.”

Tanar lowered his gaze, reaching up towards Chaosrender and the phantom of an arm that had been there. “It seems a commonality amongst Paladins that we get our Valors and come into our own only through tragedy.”

“I took it as inspiration,” Trevor stated. “My sister was freeing me, letting me go so that I could be the best Paladin I could be. I endeavor to make the world a better place for people like her.”

The lion lifted his eyes again and smile at Trevor’s inspiring words. “That’s truly amazing, Paladin Ford.”

“Thank you.” Their food arrived just as Trevor decided to take a sip of his lemonade. Tanar could swear he saw the fox’s eyes turn a little glassy from tears. “But let’s turn the subject to less somber and serious subjects. You’ve been here three months now, yes? How familiar are you with Pyromancy?”

“Familiar enough to understand what the Talon of the Fire God is and it’s significance on Incendius if that’s what you’re asking.”

Ford picked up the sandwich and bit into it. A strong, sweet, peppery smell came off from the spread that rested atop spiced meats and peppery greens. It was aromatic. Tanar fought the urge to bite into his own for now. He wanted to know what the fox had to say.

“I was more interested if you understand the Principles of Fire Magic.”

That made him tilted his head slightly. Only then did he pick up his meal. “Every form of magic has it’s own guiding principles,” he intoned as if reading directly from a book. “These principles dictate how that form of magic is used and is generally the foundation of all invocations and uses of it spells. Deomancy, the magic of Creation, for example has three; Summoning, Restoration and Stasis.” He looked past his sandwich at Ford, trying to gage where this line of questioning was heading. “Pyromancy has four. Heat, Intensity, Ash and Ignition.”

Ford, through a muzzle full of the peppery bread said, “Describe them to me.”

Was this some sort of test? Was Ford trying to probe him for his knowledge on Pyromancy or was he trying to gage if he was worthy of protecting FireFeather? Was Ford jealous that he got to see the magnificent sword?

“They’re all pretty self-explanatory.”

“Humor me,” came the snappy demand.

“Alright…” Tanar coughed a little as he bit into the bread. There was a lot of spice in it and a lingering heat that made him choke slightly. “Heat is the governing principle that dictates what you burn with your fire. Focusing on Heat can literally be the difference between generating a ‘cold’ fire or one as intense as a star. It isn’t ‘how hot it burns’ but just how it burns. Does it melt metal? Does it turn earth into magma? What are you burning and what do you leave behind? It’s about control.”

Ford nodded but didn’t say anything leading Tanar to continue.

“Intensity is just that. How intense does your fire burn. It is the magic of amplification. Intensity can be used to inspire people, empower other spells or strengthen others. Ash is the magic that controls what is left after something is burned. The Searanti are great practitioners of ash magic. Lastly, Ignition is the magic that provides that initial spark. The light in the darkness. The power to start a revolution or insert a fragment of doubt in a dictator. Knowing when and where to ignite a fire is just as important and is often the most overlooked but crucial part of Pyromancy.”

The fox nodded. “Explain how all four are used to cast a spell of Pyromancy.”

There was a reason for this but Tanar couldn’t figure it out. He needed to stall for time.

“It’ll start with using Deomancy as my basis. Deomancy is the magic of Creation. But to create something, you first need to summon it into existence and then maintain it through stasis. Lastly, keeping your summoned object in top shape is done through Restoration. In Pyromancy, you need to know where to ignite your flame, know how hot it will burn and how far it will burn. Lastly, you need to know what to do with what remains in the ashes.”

He leaned forward. “Why are you asking me this, Ford? What’s with all these questions?”

The Paladin lowered his sandwich, licking the spicy spread from his fingertips and claws. “All too often, especially here on Incendius, people only focus on Heat, Intensity and Ignition. Few bother with what remains. In the ashes. We Paladins, Tanar, were burned by the Fall of Haven. The Church, everything it stood for, the golden ideal and pristine facade that it one portrayed was burned down and the festering corrupting was left exposed for all to see. Unfortunately, those of us who had nothing to do with the corrupt forces were lumped in the same ashes as the monsters that were burned down by the Generals.”

He lifted a finger at Tanar. “You and your group are a blazing comet through the sky. You inspire others and attract onlookers. But you also leave a trail of destruction in your wake.” Ford rose from his seat, pulling some gold pieces from his cloak and dropping it on the table. “Just please remember to think of those you leave behind in your wake. Because as to streak across the sky, you are simultaneously setting the world afire. You look ahead but behind you are vast swathes of ash where the rest of us wallow. Think of us while you go on your grand adventures.”

Then Shadow Saber Paladin turned and headed out, leaving Tanar stunned…

… and a little guilty over recent events.

How had his actions reflected on the rest of the Paladin Order?

Were other Paladins now being held up to standards only he had achieved thus far with the help of others?

?

Lady Ashwood

Craters were smoking, the earth recently scorched. Dark, chaotic energies crackled through the air while ash made from singed grass and burnt tree trunks drifted in the wind like black snow. The simulation within the combat simulator had been a peaceful, calm, grassy plain with the trees supposedly marking the limits of said simulation but after Kane had antagonized Vengeance Wren into fighting Rayne, the artificial intelligence in charge of creating the environment sensed that it could start darkening the skies and rolling in some dark cloud for dramatic effect.

To his credit, Ven was not a bad combatant. He was quite talented and his Valor, Liberation, only enhanced his master of Geomancy. Ven also proved to be quite skilled at other forms of magic that touched upon Geomancy. The few chunks of molten rock that had crashed into the ground and several tonnes of sand that buried the grass a few feet away was a testament to that.

However, despite all these skills, Ven was no matched for a Demon Prince.

The Equus lay on his back a few feet away, spread eagled and gazing at the sky above him, panting with one eye shut and blood dripping out from the corner of his muzzle. Rayne, on the other hand, stood perfectly unharmed, absently dusting off some ash and sand from his shoulders.

“You… you…” panted Ven. “You are a… a… a monster.”

Rayne shrugged dismissively. “You don’t get to be a Demon Prince for millennia without some skill or knowing how to deal with a Paladin.”

Ven propped himself up on his elbows. “You make it sound like you weren’t always a Demon Prince.”

The pugilist waved his hand through the air and a glistening console of light appeared in front of him. A few commands and the little pocket dimension that served as their combat arena vanished, leaving them once more in the small room filled with white panels. “Did you ever hear about the Great Demonic Deception?”

“Who hasn’t?” Ven mumbled, rising up off the cold floor and wiping the blood off his lips with his sleeves. “Harm Chronos, the Last Chronomancer, over the past few millennia, had been systematically dismantling the demonic hierarchy. When demons die, their soul doesn’t die with them and they simply return to the Void where they use the chaotic energies to reconstitute themselves. It could take years but eventually, they’ll return. Same as before it they want. But Chronos knew this. He found willing people that could absorb the very Spirit of the Demon Hierarchy, granting them the memories of demon lords and their manipulation of Chaos and planted them amongst the Demons of Wrath.”

Rayne nodded. “Chronos and his new demon lords would start calming the almost instinctive demonic desire to invade Tower Thirteen and whisper prospects of peace and harmony with the rest of the world. Over thousands of years, the entire hierarchy was replaced and a large number of the demons were ready to end the war that had been going on since Wrath, the Twelfth Station of Tower Thirteen, had been destroyed.”

But then the Fall happened. Despite all his skills and abilities, Harm Chronos could not be everywhere. As he focused on bringing peace amongst the demonic tribes, the Custodia Goetia began making their moves. The few demonic hold-outs obsessed with attacking the rest of Tower Thirteen - none of them demonic lords - staged an attack en masse afraid of their ‘very way of life’ being snuffed out. Aided by the Custodia Goetia, this led to the Fall of Haven.

“Are you saying you were once human?” asked Ven. “You absorbed the very soul of the Demon Prince Amon?”

Rayne laughed and shook his head. “No. I’m the original. The one and only Demon Prince. But if you recall the stories about me, I never attacked the forces of the Church or any other Station. I was known as the -”

“Loner Prince,” finished Ven. “I remember. You were supposed never to have an army or anyone backing you. But you were always feared. Stories were that if Amon ever entered the battlefield, everyone was doomed. Demon and mortal alike.”

That made him chuckle again. “There’s a reason for that. You know about a demon’s Aura?”

“Basically how your power manifests. Each demon generates it differently but those amongst the demon royalty are better at it that most and can generally generate their Auras faster than other demons.” Ven inclined his head to the side. “How do you generate it?”

Digging deep into his instincts as teacher, Rayne reached a hand out to the equine. “I’ll throw the question back at you. How do you think I generate it?”

Ven took his hand and stood to his feet. “From how we fought, seems like you build momentum with every strike. Regardless of whether or not you hit, your Aura just grows stronger.” He blew out his cheeks and let out the air between his lips, letting out a little nicker as he did so. “That is a frightening power.”

Rayne held up a finger. “Here’s the secret. That isn’t it.” When Ven’s brow furrowed, he said, “The reason why I was called the Loner Prince isn’t because I chose to be alone. Other demons left me alone because of how I generate my Aura.” He released Ven’s hand and started striding for the door. “Unlike other demons, I learned how to switch my source of power on the fly.”

Though he preferred to perpetuate the assumption that he generated power for his Aura through momentum and motion, the truth was far simpler. He just kept switching where he obtained his strength from. Having studied other demons in his time, he learned from them, learned their strengths and weaknesses and grew to adopt them all into his fighting styles. The other demons recognized this soon enough and openly avoided him so that he didn’t get any stronger.

Hence the title of Loner Prince.

As he approached the door to exit the combat simulator, the air to his right rippled with dark, chaotic energies. A black nebula appeared with crackling crimson lightning and from it, a little bat-like creature appeared. Its spherical body had no arms or legs and just a pair of black, feathered wings. It perched itself on his shoulder and opened a mouth that cross its entire diameter, sharp teeth spawning from its purple gums.

“Amon, darling, it’s me. Urellia.”

The voice the came from the golem was familiar indeed.

“What’s that?” Ven asked. Rayne held up a finger, indicating silence as the recording came through.

“I find myself with the pleasure of being in the presence of three of your students and my dear Alleria. She said you might know of her. The Bluefire Paladin? Your name has been dropped multiple times and I thought it rude not to invite you over for a little lunch. Come to my base. I’m sure you remember the place. See you. Ciao.”

Then the black, winged ball dissolved into a cloud of dust.

Rayne sighed to himself, pressing two fingers against his temples and shaking his head. “As vivacious as ever, I see.” He waved a hand over his shoulder at Ven. “Sounds like I’ve been summoned. As we know, every demon has to respond to a summons. You might want to see if you can find Kane.”

Ven swore as he realized Kane had indeed given him the slip and they left the simulators together. They parted ways at one of the quads and Rayne took the gondola back down to Corona proper. Incendians were still highly suspicious and while it would have been simple to switch to his demonic form and make his way to Urellia’s home, he would likely cause a panic and probably the wrath of some officials upon him. So, as he disembarked the gondola and onto the station, he took a deep breath and focused his Aura around himself.

“One-percent,” he said calmly. “That should be enough.”

A faint, purple light radiated out of him, barely perceptible even upon close inspection. He took a few seconds to make sure his Aura was stabilized. Being able to switch the source of his power on the fly made sure that his Aura tended to be a little more unstable than most other demons. In battle, that usually wasn’t too much a problem but when he had to focus and keep his Aura under control, to use it for precision, he needed time to focus.

Once he was satisfied, he opened his eyes and focused his gaze on the distant Ashwood Forest. In an instant, he was gone from the average observer’s eyes. In reality, he was dashing down the street at near-imperceptible speeds. He had to bolt up the side of a building and leap upon the tiled rooftops to avoid colliding with any of the citizens but soon enough, he was shooting through Corona like lightning. Nothing as fast as JD’s instant teleportation but still fast enough that within thirty minutes, he was reaching the walls of the city and darting through farmlands.

In another fifteen minutes, he was approaching the Ashwood Forest so called because during the Fall of Haven, the entire forest had been reduced to ash and it was only through the combined help of a particular succubus that it was restored in such a short time. It only took another five minutes before he was approaching the Fort Ashwood.

The mighty, wooden structure served as the home of Lady Urellia, the very same succubus who - like Rayne - had defected from under the thumb of the Demon King and had come to the aid Tower Thirteen. Urellia had actually found a group of bandits hiding in what had once been the forest and recruited them into the fight. They executed hit-and-run raids against the rear guard of an upstart bishop’s forces seeking to claim the Sun Spire. For their assistance, the General had granted all the bandits amnesty and granted Urellia the territory of the Ashwood Forest. Now, she was basically a duchess in her own right and those former bandits served as her staff and soldiers. They protected Corona’s southwestern border.

The enormous structure was protected by a tall, brown-gray palisade. Wooden homes with dried leaves for rooftops decorated the interior of the fort. Towering watch towers kept an eye out for approaching invaders. One of the soldiers on those towers spotted him and immediately shouted a warning upon his approach. He identified himself and a horn was blown through the fort. The large gate was pulled open and Rayne walked through. That revealed the squat fortress at the middle of the domain. Unlike the other facilities, it was made entirely out of stone. Almost a castle in its own right. Crude but certainly efficient. Nothing close to the extravagant and menacing brothel that Urellia once ran in the remnants of Wrath.

No one escorted him up to the fort. All the people around him were tough, lightly armored and scarred in some way. Men and women a like of all races were present. Weapons were always within arm’s reach but there were no faces of grim menace or quiet supplication. They were always just on the verge of smiling and welcoming despite their wary approach to him. Dirty and covered in mud with the stench of body odor and wet leaves in the air, these soldiers looked more like a militia than a true fighting force. However, Rayne smelled the crackling spice of demonic energies amongst them.

He passed a garden of sorts and watched as a man plucked a tomato from some vines. With a wave of his hand, blue-red lightning erupted from his fingertips and suddenly, another tomato grew from that very same vine. Not too far away, a woman was preparing a large stew. The fire went out but she immediately ignited it again with another quick cast of crackling energies. Across the way, there were what appeared to be twins who were seeing to their similarly built axes. They drew lines with their fingers across the silvery blades, dark magic following their nails as they enchanted it with their misery.

When he approached the fort, he was momentarily stopped by some guards. They conversed with one another before opening the large doors for him. Immediately after, he was greeting by the scent of venison and roasted rabbit. A long wooden table stretched out in the middle of the stone hall. Urellia sat at the head of the table while JD, Wood, Skye and Alleria occupied some of the other seats.

“The guest of honor has finally arrived!” Urellia announced, a slight flush to her cheeks indicating that she had a bit to drink. “All Hail Amon! The Loner Prince, the Heir of Nothing and the most Feared Demon Prince in all of Wrath!”

“High praise from Agares’ concubine,” Rayne said, striding forward and pulling back a seat next to Skye. “Pop quiz, kids. What do you think Urellia’s source of power is? What does she drain from around her to power her Aura?”

Alleria raised her hand but Urellia hushed her. Clearly she already knew.

“Is it good food?” JD asked, munching through some rabbit. “Because this is amazing! We don’t have rabbits on Haven. Jackalopes but they are way more gamy than this!”

“No,” Rayne sighed. “Take this seriously. There’s five points for the one that gets it.”

At the prospect of points, Wood answered eagerly. “She’s a succubus, right? Sex? Does she have sex with people? Is that why everyone here is so happy?”

Urellia coughed into her glass of wine. “I wish. And frankly, I find it offensive you’d stereotype me as just another succubus.”

Wood ducked, ears folding back. “Sorry…” he mumbled softly.

“Is it…” Skye began softly. “… plight? Suffering?” Rayne cocked an eyebrow at him. “It’s just… something I’ve noticed around here. Everyone is… sort of happy. Like they’re just on the verge of breaking out into song. Even the Spirits are…” He scratched his cheek. “Not happy or even content. It’s like… they keep telling themselves that they’re happy over and over again and believe it.”

Rayne smiled at his student. “That’s exactly it. Urellia draws power from misery. Five points, Skye.”

As the Tigris’ rubric chimed, Wood threw a baleful gaze at Urellia. “So you’re artificially making these people happy to keep them content and dependent on you?”

Urellia raised her wine glass to her lips. “You’re pretty narrow-minded for a Fallen, you know that?” She took a sip before lowering the glass. “Demonic magic is unlike other forms of spellcraft. It comes with a direct cost and doesn’t rely on your Force or Spirit. I merely taught everyone how to turn their own suffering into magic. That’s why they’re just on the verge of being happy. Because they make themselves as miserable as is tolerable and then use that misery to power their magic. They never make it too easy on themselves and drift on the verge of poverty so that they can be powerful.”

“When you think about it, it’s the ultimate form of discipline,” Alleria chimed in. “You have the power to make yourself rich and powerful but the moment you do, the moment you become happy or satisfied, you lose all your power.”

“Probably why I never rose higher than becoming a Demon Lord’s assistant,” sighed the succubus. “But then again, we got rid of that horrible hierarchy when we started planning to defect, didn’t we, Amon. Else I would be cowering in front of you right now.”

Rayne huffed softly and grabbed a little sweet roll off the table and bit into it. The crust was flaky and tasted delicious. A buttery custard filled the center. Not quite sweet but with a tinge of savoriness. “Where is Boris these days?”

“Boris?” Wood asked.

“Boris Starborn. He was once a Paladin who Fell and eventually absorbed the Demon Lord Agares’ soul into his own, mantling his role as the Returner of the Lost.”

Urellia did not know where Boris was but last she heard, the Demon Lord was acting as some sort of immortal hero who wandered the Stations adopting different roles and helping out people where he could. Apparently, the Demon Lord enjoyed hiding his identity for as long as possible before it was eventually revealed if ever.

“So what brought you to the attention to my students and one lucky Paladin?” Rayne asked, quirking an eyebrow. “In fact, how do you know Alleria?”

Urellia smiled fondly at the Bluefire Paladin before turning back to Rayne. “During the Fall.” She pierced a piece of venison with a wooden fork and began spinning the skewered meat absently in the air. “A young, sparky Paladin eager to prove herself but still bearing the brainwashing of the Church, heard of my defection and took it upon herself to keep an eye on me.”

“I wasn’t that suspicious,” huffed Alleria, returning the smile. “You have to admit, you were doing some shady business.”

“I was attacking the forces of that pompous ass from behind and retreating back into the forest before he could strike back. I had minimal losses.”

“That’s impressive,” Skye quipped. “I heard about that fight. Bishop du’Vienne has over three thousand men and women fighting for him. It wouldn’t have been enough to conquer Corona but wasn’t he part of some weird triumvirate that was trying to usurp the Church?”

Alleria and Urellia exchanged glanced. “The Brotherhood of the Three Suns,” they said in unison.

Urellia raised one finger. “Du’Vienne attacked from outside and created an embargo around Corona.” She raised a second one. “Cardinal Cindercrest rallied Corona against Du’Vienne, manipulating the populace against his ‘enemy’ while simultaneously propelling his own agenda.” Then she raised a third finger. “Then there was the so-called ‘General Darkfire’. He was the mastermind. The member of the Custodia Goetia who was pulling the strings and manipulating the other two. Posed as a member of the Custodia Solis and used his influence to twist those two idiots to do his bidding. Convinced them both that they needed to tear down the current status quo to make things better.”

Alleria began sending out quick punches. “But we showed them all. Bam!” She let out a swift punch that launched her cup towards Urellia. The demoness had enough time to flinch before crimson lightning crackled behind her and JD caught the empty cup before it hit her, leaning over her shoulder. He set the cup back down as Alleria gave the succubus an a apologetic look. “What I mean to say is that we beat du’Vienne. He led us to Cindercrest and then when he fell, we went after Darkfire.”

“And why were you up in the mountains near a Diatollian hot spring?” Wood asked.

Urellia finally ate the piece of venison she had been twirling around on her fork, showing off her sharp, fanged teeth. “Same reason you were, I suspect. Mantlite.”

Rayne searched his knowledge about Mantlite. A mineral native to Incendius that grew unbearable hot at the touch of water. It couldn’t be used in jewelry as even a drop of sweat could trigger its magical effect causing severe burns if not addressed quickly. Its only real purpose was for cheap, efficient sources of power. There were industrious entrepreneur who had discovered that they could use Mantlite to generate power and steam. One of the reasons Incendius barely got past the age of steam engines was because of the overabundance of similar power sources. They didn’t need to resort to coal, nuclear energy or some other power source.

“You’ve been stealing the stuff to sabotage that poor woman’s hot springs?” Wood accused.

Urellia regarded him with a level of disbelief. “Please. I may be a demon and my troops power their spells with misery but I am not about to go around stealing some petty rocks from people just to sabotage an unhygienic communal bath.” She shook her head as she picked up her cup. “No. We recently intercepted some bandits trying to make their way through our forest with a bunch of Mantlite. Didn’t say where they were going but they were going south. I thought I’d do my citizen’s duty and investigate.”

“Then why did you shoot at us!?”

Rayne regarded his fellow demon. “You shot at some students and a Paladin?”

“Don’t know who you can trust these days,” answered Urellia with a shrug. “Or who is disguised as whom. If you recall, the Goetia weren’t exactly forthcoming with their identities.”

Alleria waved a hand absently. “Besides, no one got hurt!

Mantlite wasn’t sought actively in any other Station and it was common enough on Incendius that it wasn’t a rare commodity. There were entire mining towns that made their fortune off finding veins of Mantlite and shipping them all over Incendius. The Sunless Lands consumed an immense amount of Mantlite given they couldn’t benefit off the light given off by the Sun Spire. It was common enough not to be expensive but critical enough that everyone needed it. Why anyone would risk life and limb - particularly against the wrath of a powerful demoness - just to get a few heated rocks was beyond him.

Maybe he just didn’t understand non-demons like he thought he did… or perhaps there was some other reason for the need of Mantlite.

“What did you find?” he asked.

“Not much. Just that the stones have been replaced by non-reactive rocks.” She nodded towards Wood, JD and Skye. “Probably why these sweet, little things got a mission to see why the hot springs’ water started cooling down.”

Stealing naturally-occurring Mantlite from some rivers likely wouldn’t be illegal. Those rivers didn’t belong to anyone after all especially if the Mantlite was found far enough upstream that it was outside the establishment’s property. Undoubtedly inconsiderate but not illegal.

Skye caught on the same thought.

“Wait… the loss of Mantlite was past the hot spring’s walls. Technically, they weren’t stealing anything… No one claimed it.”

“Exactly the problem, my little kitty,” cooed Urellia. “By the word of the law, nothing illegal was done.”

‘Then we can’t fulfill the request!” exclaimed Wood. “We wasted this day for nothing!”

Not the most altruistic perspective. Perhaps the dragon was hanging around with Kane too much. Then again, there was nothing to stop that. They all lived under the same house. Under the same influence. Alex wasn’t exactly a shining example of selflessness either.

“So why don’t we just move the Mantlite into the property?” JD asked innocently.

Everyone turned towards the Red Lightning, just staring at him at the seemingly simple suggestion.

“What…?” Alleria asked.

JD shrugged, lifting a finger into the air. “I mean… Urellia intercepted some Mantlite, right? If she still has them, why don’t we bring them back to inside the hot spring property? Put them in the water? Doesn’t matter where the water gets heated up as long as it’s hot, right? Might be we don’t need as much either because it’s closer to the hot springs itself and doesn’t have to travel downstream.”

Again, he got blank stares from those around the table except for Rayne who regarded the crimson wolf with a bemused smile.

Urellia threw her head back, tossing her sable and purple hair into the air like a dark rainbow. “Now that is thinking worthy of a demon! Outside the box with a hint of being a smartass to simultaneously piss everyone off while also making them feel like idiots for not thinking of it sooner.” She slapped the table. “I’ve still got that Mantlite. It’s honestly not worth the hassle to sell. You guys will have to ship it off to your client though.”

“We can do that,” Wood said with a grin, likely thinking of his draconic form.

“Thank you so much, Urellia!” exclaimed the Bluefire Paladin. “This means so much!”

The succubus waved away her thanks. “Like I said, the Mantlite is just taking space and selling it would cost more than what we’d get back from the investment. Besides…” She grinned. “I might just pay a visit to this Diatollian hot spring. Sounds like a wonderful place to relax and unwind.”

“I’m sure it is,” Rayne chuckled behind a cup. “Now let’s enjoy this meal. Further business can wait.”

While far from the lavished or magical meals served on Pinnacle, Urellia’s spread was more wholesome and down-to-earth. Not nearly as heavily spiced as normal Incendian food but still incredibly flavorful. When the meal was over, Urellia suggested that they make plans to move the Mantlite and they headed out of the fortress to where they were keeping the supplies. Wood stirred up some commotion when he transformed into his Phantasm form next to the storehouse but with Urellia there, there wasn’t panic. The Pinnacle students went to work attaching the small shipment of magic, heated rocks onto Wood’s flanks while Alleria and Rayne helped.

It was during the commotion, when one of Urellia’s soldiers wandered up to Alleria and whispered something into her ear. Her features darkened immediately and when she whirled around to ask further questions, that man was already heading off into the crowd. Rayne approached her, hefting a bag of Mantlite.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said dismissively.

“Lying is not very becoming of a Paladin,” he chastised. “Keep giving into your darker impulses and you might just fall.” He nudged her lightly with an elbow. “Now, what was it?”

She sighed and regarded him from over her shoulder. “Whoever that was just told me to meet him at my family farm tonight. Apparently wanted to tell me something about the ‘truth’ regarding my parents.”

The demon prince glanced over at Wood and then back to Alleria. “You should go.”

Only then did she turn to him entirely. “You think so?”

“I do.” He set down the bag. “For one thing, I’ve had the pleasure and displeasure of knowing multiple Paladins and Fallen alike. Both teeter on a knife’s edge mostly because they have so much power at their fingertips. Giving into temptation is an ever-present specter that is always whispering in your ear and scraping at the edges of your mind. You’re not doing yourself any favors by opening yourself to ‘truths’ or living in denial. The more you know about yourself, the more resolute you will be in whatever path you take.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips. “This isn’t just your attempt to get me to Fall, is it?”

“For you to Fall now would be disastrous,” he said, pointing at her armored gloves. “You’ve been a Paladin for over a decade. That is a lot of emotions repressed by those things. A Fallen with that kind of power would be extremely dangerous.” He picked up the bag of Mantlite again. “Take it from me, learn how to manage yourself. Take time to be selfish and think about your own mental and emotional health every now and then. Utter devotion to a cause is admirable but you’ll achieve more if you actually live than to die a martyr.”

He turned around to head back to Wood. “If it makes you feel any better, I can come with you.”

Her smile grew broader. “I would really appreciate that.”

Returning the smile, he said, “It’s a date.”

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