Finally, shadows.
Liron smiled, lying in the shadow of a temple. Bran sat next to him on the ground while Shae preferred the step leading up to the head of the temple. Unlike the two boys, she tried to keep her clothes clean. They all watched Emma switch between illusions, cutting down the time it took her to summon one after another.
She wasted no time acting out her disguises, training her Conduit's speed. After that, she created new faces, fusing parts from the ones she had memorized. At first, her creations had an uncanny air around them, missing the human spark. Like an imposter that tried but failed to appear human. But Emma had honed her imagination through her music. While a new art form, it remained a form of expression. And if there was one thing Emma had mastered, it was letting the world know what she felt.
"I'm a genius!" she declared, wearing a created face. She returned to her normal self. "I'll be an Archmage in a fuckin' week."
"Yeah!" Bran said. He worked on Liron's belt, repairing it. He threw up his fist.
Liron slapped him against his chest. "Don't encourage her. She'll end up as mad as Gabriella."
"Angin mentioned her in his report. She… sounds interesting."
Liron snorted. "Aye to that."
Shae stood up. She circled Emma, examining her. Emma frowned, wavering at the attention of her superior. "Impressive, I agree," Shae said, her hands folded behind her back. "But you have yet to develop a martial or destructive spell. You will struggle in a fight without your brother."
"But that's why we work so well together. I do the smarts, and he hits things like a drunken boar."
"I'd throw some yellow snow at you if I could."
Emma grimaced, old memories woken that should have remained sleeping.
Shae ignored their exchange. "I agree. Your spells complement each other, but you have to prepare yourself for all eventualities. Liron trains controlled applications of his Magic, for example. And you…"
Shae feinted a punch at Emma, making her jump and squeal. She had no grace and nearly dropped to the ground. The fox emerged, blessing Liron with a delightful grin. Harras, Liron never grew tired of it. And seeing it aimed at someone else, that someone else being Emma, too, filled his heart with a simple joy.
"Come," Shae said, summoning her talons. "You have avoided sparring for too long."
Emma groaned, pulling out the short sword Bran had given her. The young smith had sworn to equip her with all the weaponry she would need until she could defend herself with Magic.
Liron smiled at the sight of his sister receiving the same treatment he had grown accustomed to. Dancing with Shae had brought him countless bruises but also a better grasp of his skills. Her unrelenting barrage had shown him his limitations and had taught him humility. He had grown stronger, his fencing sharper, and his spells more precise.
Shae had commented on his improvements, surprised at their quick pace. Her praise, music to his ears. Nearly as beautiful as hearing Emma getting her ass thrown into the sand. Her colorful usage of language made even Bran pause.
While Liron and Emma shared many things, their love for sparring, they did not. Liron adored the constant challenge, having to think on his feet. Sparring Shae did not just test his martial and fencing skills but also his mind. Angin had called Magic madness, but Liron found an exhilarating flow in it. His spells and Conduits had their limitations, but his creativity had none. There was always another way to use his Magic, and Shae forced him to find it.
How long until Liron could push back against the Empire and the Qyoral? How much longer until a madman like Adenius would fall to a single hau of his sword, all his machinations cleaved into two? Riding on Everon's back, summoning the power of an Archmage alongside the strength of a Knight Dracon. Ekon would learn of him anew, but they would forget the vision of the man who stood atop the Silver Moon with Ekon burning. They would remember him as the hero he was supposed to be. As the Avenger of Kupferrang and the Peacebringer. The one to end the Eternal War and free this world from the Empire and its many evils.
"The fuck you're grinnin' at, you arrogant ass?" Emma shouted at Liron. The short exchanges with Shae had drenched her in sweat. One glimpse at her brother's expression, and she had read the thoughts ruling supreme in his head.
"The fuck you're lookin' at, you ass?" Liron laughed.
Emma jerked back towards Shae. The sly fox feinted, baiting Emma into throwing a sloppy hau. Liron flicked his tongue. He had taught her the most basic sword slashes, and she had not worked on them. Her lack of discipline cost her.
Shae danced around her, using her wind to move. She grabbed Emma around the hip from behind and heaved her off her feet. Without a wasted motion, Shae twisted around, slamming Emma with her back into the sand.
Emma yelped, throwing her hands in front of her face. "Harras, please! I surrender! You imperial dog have broken my will. I will tell you everything you want to know about the Resistance."
Shae raised an eyebrow, her lips pressed into a thin line. Emma begged on the ground for a few seconds more, the illusion perfect. Liron could not tell when she had cast it. To Shae's eyes, her sparring partner lay defeated on the ground, confirming her loss. But to Liron and Bran, Emma sneaked around, grinning from ear to ear, her short sword grasped in both hands.
But to outsmart a fox, one had to think several steps ahead. Something Emma had yet to practice.
Shae predicted her exact tactics; no need to rely on her wind to tell her where she was. She held Emma by her wrists as she performed a downward hau. Without turning, Shae slammed her elbow into Emma's stomach. A simple attack, one unfit for a warrior and artist of Shae's standing. One had to earn her mastery, and if her opponent insulted her with such a lacking deception, they received a fitting response.
"Better," Shae said. "But you have yet to truly understand the extent of your potential."
"What… what do you mean?" Emma managed to say, holding her stomach.
"Your spells rely on fooling your opponent's perception. You could create smaller illusions around your hands and weapon, making it appear as if you strike from a different angle than you do. It would be perfect to take trained opponents off guard and use their own skill and ability to read your intentions against them."
"That's a great idea," Liron said. "Em, its basically what Shae and I are doin'. That's the controlled applications Shae spoke about."
Emma coughed, getting up to her knees. "Uh, someone practiced big words again."
Liron simply grinned.
Emma stood up, staring at her brother. The air shifted around her, revealing she had veiled herself in a subtle illusion. As her spell disappeared, her two middle fingers became visible, aimed at Liron the entire time.
Shae nodded. "Exactly. This is what I meant. It will not suffice to harm a stronger opponent, but this will prove itself crucial."
Bran raised an arm, waiting until Shae nodded towards him. "I get your point and all, but why does she need a destructive spell? I will just build weapons for her that she'll use. No need for spells to do that work."
"Weapons strong enough to defeat a Qa'an? Or a Fides?"
Bran raised his chin. "Don't insult me. I'll build something for her that'll do the trick."
Emma pointed at Bran. "Aye, that's what I'm talkin' about!"
"Her magic couldn't harm a fly," Bran continued. "You would have an easier time killin' someone by beatin' them up with a cushion. She'd just focus on workin' this illusion thing and what you told her."
Emma's smile wavered, not fancying the comparison.
Shae sighed. "You have a point. Then we will have to rely on your craftsmanship, Bran. Well, but this doesn't mean we can stop working on…"
An agent rushed out of one of the temples. The rest of their group mapped the insides of the temples as they helped Emma. Al Pakris had a vast system of underground tunnels. A maze connecting each spot, baffling in its complexity. Zonis had said they would need hours to fully comprehend its structure.
The agent came to a halt in front of them, horror carved into her features. "Adenius," she said, "he has made his move."
Liron jumped to his legs, embers appearing around his hands. "What has he done?"
"The army… he took it over."
"What?!" Shae asked. "This… this is impossible. He is Inquisition. Military would never give control over to him."
"There was an explosion in their camp last night. We don't know the details, but our scouts could confirm that the Warpriest leading the army died, and Adenius' apprentice took over."
"Tobées?" Emma asked, shocked. "The little guy?"
The agent nodded. "He's Adenius' puppet. He does everything the Inquisitors tell him to do. The army is coming in our direction, following our traces."
"But what's with the Qyoral?" Liron asked. "If he marches towards us, they will attack."
Bran looked at the ground, thinking. "Aye, but not right away. They will watch Adenius' moves and attack after gettin' a picture of him. Gives Adenius enough time to get to us and get the job done. There will be blood, but only after we are the first to shed it."
Their greatest shield had become useless. Adenius had shredded it away from them.
"What are they doin' exactly?" Liron asked, his heart beating heavy in his chest.
"Adenius spreads his army wide," the agent said. "Their only objective is finding us. He knows we are at Al Pakris. It's obvious where our traces lead. They are only a few hours away. If we don't move away now, we can't escape without being spotted by a soldier. And once they have, Adenius will send everything he has after us."
"And with an army nearby, our Nexuse won't work," Emma said. "We won't be able to tell Angin where to find us. But… but couldn't Shae get us away with her Conduit?"
Shae shook her head. "No, I need to stay light to fly. My Conduit is still too weak. I can carry one person at most, and even then I will be slowed and have to fly lower. They will see us immediately."
"Even if she could, it wouldn't matter," Bran said. "We chose Al Parkis 'cause it gives us the best chance at winning. There's nothing close by that we could run to. Once the imperial army is after us, the Qyoral will notice and join the hunt before too long. Whatever the Empire is huntin', they will make sure to take away from 'em."
"So we need to contact Angin right now," Emma said. "So we can get to talk to him before the army gets too close."
"We don't even have that much time," Shae said, her face strained as she checked her Nexus. "Adenius has activated the Battlebliss in his soldiers. He pushed it to its extreme. I already have problems connecting to someone else. He has increased the size and strength of the army's interference radius. We have less than an hour before we will be cut off."
Liron chewed on his lower lip. "Soldiers on Battlebliss are faster, too, right? So we can't even outrun them."
Shae nodded, paling.
Liron had to give it to Adenius. He had shattered their plans with one single move. The hunter had become the hunted yet again.