Alaric stared at the man before him with a neutral expression. His muscles were still aching from his ordeal with the demon stampede and he wasn’t in the mood to start arguing.

  He’d actually come to stop the fighting but now it seemed the fighting was directed towards him. It registered a second after locking eyes with Bumi that he’d been the source of this arguing from the start. His presence didn’t help things… unless he said something.

  The room boiled and quivered in the sweltering heat rolling out of distorted fissures surrounding Bumi. He was a man of lean build—tall, with just the right amount of muscle, scars and grit to make anyone believe he was an adventurer at first glance. This man had been in many battles. Alaric could tell simply from the way his body reacted. He was on his guard.

  Alaric’s arrival had caught him off-guard and the man had reacted swiftly, unfazed by the surprise as though to say he would not make the same mistake again.

  “Call if off?” Alaric repeated the man’s words, just to make sure he’d heard him right.

  “You heard me!” Bumi growled, “Call it off. Everyone here is planning to follow you on this suicide mission and for what? You’re just a rookie. You’ve never seen death. What makes you think you can take on a Heaven-Crested Eagle? Those beasts live in nests too high for a human to reach and never live alone. You’ll be dead before their hellish twisters have the chance to grind your bones to splinters.”

  Alaric was silent for a short moment, his mind lingering on the fact that this man claimed he’d never seen death even when the more important information was, in fact, that twisters the Eagles were capable of making.

  No, he was offended. To some extent, the man was right. Most people of Alaric’s age had never seen death. But Alaric wasn’t most people. The face of Jared’s empty eyes still haunted his mind, reminding him of a life that was never lived. He was learning to ignore it… but that’s what scared him even more.

  “What rank are you, Sir?” Alaric asked after taking a deep breath.

  “Gold-rank!” Bumi bellowed.

  “And yet you’re afraid of a Gold-ranked quest?” Alaric furrowed his brows.

  “This is different. It’s not even about the quest. It’s the demons. They are different. Everything’s different. The Emperor’s Men show up and next, a horde of demons. Demons that many haven’t been seen in over a decade. You’d be a fool to ignore an omen like that,” the man growled.

  Alaric stared into the man’s eyes for a moment before sighing, “I’ll not force anyone to follow me. But I’m still going.”

  Bumi’s eyes went hot with rage while the heat went up, “And you think that solves anything?”

  “I don’t care. You might be okay with living within your walls, keeping yourself safe within the confines of the Holy Barrier but I’m not. There is nothing wrong with seeking power through caution and experience… but don’t, for a second, think that everyone’s wired that way. I need that Storm Orb for my alchemist… and I will get it for him,” Alaric spoke back with the same energy.

  The pair stared at each other for a little while longer. This time, the world seemed to cave and struggle under the presence of an unknown pressure fighting back Bumi’s heat.

  Bumi balled his fists and gritted his teeth before letting out a heavy sigh. His shoulders slumped and he took his seat, grumbling, “So stubborn! He’s got about the intelligence of a boar in heat.”

  The room returned to its normal temperature and everyone could breathe again. The intense unknown pressure vanished as well, allowing everyone to return to the table.

  Bumi wouldn’t look Alaric in the eyes now. Eyes flittering all over the place, he said in a gruntled tone, “Well, you can stop wasting time now. Let’s discuss the plan.”

  Alaric blinked a few times, ‘Wait… just like that!’

  [ Just like that. ] his guardian responded smugly.

  The boy looked around and saw how everyone took their seats without batting an eyelash. Scarlett smacked his back on her way to her seat, “You’re either very brave or very stupid.”

  The boy nodded but remained confused, [ Since when are people allowed to have such hot tempers? And I mean that literally too. ]

  [ He was merely testing your resolve. ] his guardian responded with a chuckle.

  As Alaric approached the table, a woman intercepted him and extended her hand. Other than Bumi, she was the only other new face at the gathering. Her face was warm, cupped on both sides by the cutest deep blue hair he’d ever seen. There was a gentle air about her and as soon as the boy shook her hand, he could think of one reason for that.

  Unlike everyone else here, she’d never held a sword before. Body Tempering was responsible for getting rid of most of the callouses and scars that came with training… but in the presence of one such as her, it was impossible to miss the extraordinarily soft cool palms, untouched by the rough hilt of a sword, “My name’s Maple. Nice to meet the boy Sariah has been going on about.”

  “Alistair,” Alaric smiled.

  “I know. Heard all about you,” the woman responded before skipping over to Bumi’s side.

  Alaric took a seat between Leon and Scarlett facing Bumi and Maple with a tight smile, “Thank you for helping us on this mission.”

  Bumi scoffed, “I’m only doing this for the Storm Orbs. No one’s had the guts to go after them in a while. Supply’s dwindling, demand’s rising. There’s a deal to be struck and I don’t want to miss out on it.”

  Sariah walked in moments later with a large plate of food and a cup of water, “You must be starving, dear. Eat up before we get messy over the details of battle and ruin your appetite.”

  It was at that moment that Alaric realised just how hungry he was. It was already past noon and he hadn’t put a shred of food into his stomach. He was starving indeed… So much so that it took a few minutes before he was ready to form any coherent words again.

  The group sat down and planning began.

  “First things first. Transport and route,” Bumi was the first to speak.

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  Sariah took a seat at the head of the table and leaned forward, “There is a creek south of Melbourne. It’s further from the nests of the Heaven-Crested Eagle’s nest but the wind and water will musk our scents. Plus, the ground is sturdier for the horses.”

  “That creek is home to a few aquatic aetherbeasts,” Bumi replied.

  “I could freeze the water when we get there. Put all the beasts to sleep while we make our way through,” Maple pitched in.

  “A good suggestion but disrupting the flow of water can get messy. Besides, that will only blow our cover. The water must be flowing if we want it to mask our scents from the Eagles as we approach the nests,” Leon shook his head, “Not to mention, we won’t follow the creek for long. We’ll eventually break off at a valley where the wind blows away from the nests and make our move.”

  “That’s all true…” Bumi pursed his lips while Maple nodded, “What about taking the Northern route? Most of the nests are built on the Southern cliffs. The Eagles would only see us coming when we’re close enough.”

  “That would add an entire day to our journey, unfortunately,” Sariah explained.

  Alaric was still trying to understand how everyone had turned cooperative while he was eating his food when Scarlett spoke up, “Does it matter what kind of Aquatic Aetherbeasts live in the creek? It’s still just a creek. Dangerous creatures of water don’t make homes in shallow waters.”

  Bumi chuckled at this, “You’ll be surprised at what you can find. Don’t forget that Aether Beasts aren’t dangerous just because they are beasts. Their powers are what makes them so dangerous.”

  Alaric nodded. They both made good points indeed. He couldn’t argue with either one of them. ‘Oh, this food is so nice,’ he mentally moaned as he took a sip of his tea.

  [ Pay attention ]

  [ I am paying attention. From what I can tell, there is still much to discuss. Why are we sneaking into the nests anyway? Won’t we have to fight the Heaven-Crested Eagles eventually? ] he thought to himself.

  The thought echoed through his mind for a bit and he furrowed his eyebrows, “You have an idea, boy?”

  Alaric looked up at Bumi and noticed everyone was looking at him. It was just a thought… but now he was sure about it. This was the answer, “If no one will do it, I’ll do it. I’ll be the bait.”

  There was a moment of silence before Leon spoke up, “I admire the courage, Alistair… but no one’s asking you to do that.”

  “Then what’s the point of sneaking up on the Heaven-Crested Eagles? They’ll be in their nests, won’t they? You need someone to draw them out while you get the Storm Orbs,” Alaric continued.

  “That would make this all easier but what makes you think you’re qualified for that position?” Bumi asked.

  “I can speak the Old Tongue. Aether Beasts understand it and because of that, they can’t ignore me,” he replied, “If it doesn’t work, we go with plan B.”

  “And what’s plan B?”

  “Anger them and have them chase me into the Barren Mountains,” Alaric responded, “I’m a faster runner than you give me credit for.”

  Bumi stared at the boy for a bit before turning to Sariah and Leon, “I’ve never heard the Old Tongue used in such a way. Are you buying this or do you also think it’s a misguided sense of bravado?”

  Leon rubbed his forehead with a sigh, “Alistair’s surprised me a few times so far. He did aid in killing a Three-Cut Bone Tiger. Those bastards are fast.”

  Scarlett coughed loud enough to draw attention, “Lucy and I will bail him out of his suicide mission if he fails. All things considered, a diversion would go a long way in helping us get to the Storm Orbs.”

  Sariah nodded, “Then that’s it then. Alistair will play decoy while the rest of us work on getting the Storm Orbs. Stay on your guard though. A fight is inevitable. Next, we’ll talk elixirs, weapons and transportation…”

  Alaric started to realise this was going to take a while before he felt his attention drawn away from the conversation and to a pair of innocent eyes outside the window. The eyes belonged to a white-haired girl who looked completely out of place standing outside with her hands waving about.

  Alaric felt his blood go cold. ‘How did she find this place?’

  “Excuse me. I’ll be back in a moment,” Alaric said gently, then walked away and out the door. Eyes followed him till he was out the door before they turned back to the meeting, as though nothing had just happened.

  Only Leon took a second look at the door with a bit of curiosity. Had he imagined it… or had someone just gone through it?

  Outside, Alaric met with a rather excited Lucy dressed in civilian clothing. On her, the seemingly normal clothes looked absolutely stunning. Her blue eyes were a lot brighter than Alaric remembered them and she smelled like freshly-picked roses… ‘How was that even possible?’

  “Am I interrupting?” the girl asked him when they were a safe distance from the house.

  “I’m not sure. You’re a part of the mission we’re discussing so technically you should be involved in this part,” Alaric said with a confused face, “I can invite you in though.”

  The girl shook her head, “Planning’s not my thing. I’d rather get filled in on the details on our way to the nests of the Heaven-Crested Eagles. I came here to see you.”

  Alaric raised a brow at her, “Really? And how, pray tell, did you find this place?”

  “My Inborn Ability allows me to slip past through perceptions. That includes the perceptions of magic spells like the one that protects this house,” the girl responded, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about it.”

  “Not even…”

  “Not even the Matriarch.”

  “How did you…”

  “…know that you were going to say Matriarch? I’ve lived under her shadow for years. I know when someone’s started to fear me because of her,” Lucy spat, “Do you fear me, Alistair?”

  “No… I don’t fear you,” the boy responded quietly. Considering no one had come to get him yet, he understood the girl had used her power on them.

  If he left with her now, no one would know. And if somewhere she betrayed him in the city, no one would know. If, for some reason, she managed to lure him to the Emperor’s Men without anyone noticing, still no one would know.

  “You’re plenty frightening without the Matriarch helping you,” he responded.

  The girl chuckled to herself, “You’re sharp. Should I take it you don’t want to go with me?”

  ‘Go with her. When did I say I wanted to go anywhere?’ the boy wanted to scream. His gut screamed something else though… and he wasn’t happy about it. His confusion soared…

  Alaric shook his head, “No… That’s not it. I would come with you if I had everyone coming along.”

  “You don’t trust me?” she raised a brow at him.

  “I do… but my opinion alone isn’t enough to justify my leaving with you,” Alaric looked back to the house and to the girl.

  The two were stuck in an awkward silence for a bit. The spark of excitement in her face vanished for just a bit. Looking away from him, she grumbled in the most childish tone he’d ever had her take, “It wouldn’t be fun with everyone.”

  ‘I can’t figure this girl out. She’s even worse than Scarlett,’ Alaric mentally screamed. How were youngsters his age this difficult to understand? They weren’t old enough to have complicated personalities like adults were fond of having.

  The boy ran a hand through his hair, “My gut tells me I can trust you… and for a while now, people I trust have been telling me to trust my gut—” Lucy’s face lit up, “—but I refuse to bend to the naiveté that comes with such a decision. I… need to know I can trust you.”

  “The Matriarch doesn’t allow me to leave the Sisters of Fragrance. I have never known a friend… but when I met you, I figured I wasn’t meant to be alone. You radiate so much hope it’s blinding. I was in my room when I thought of you, so I came on a whim.

  If you can’t trust me, then trust my nature. My powers only fix what’s broken. I’m not a destroyer. I was blessed with Holy Magic… or so I’ve been told my whole life. That has to count for something,” the girl pleaded, “I would never lie to you.”

  Alaric sighed.

  [ Alia… what do I do? ]

  [ What does your gut tell you, Little Prince? ]

  [ That Lucy would never hurt a fly to save her own life. ] he cried.

  [ Then she is telling the truth. ] the guardian replied flippantly. To Alia, this wasn’t even a matter of discussion. Alaric’s gut feelings were absolute… but that only worked to confuse the boy even more. Sensing his turmoil, the guardian added, [ There are many confusing things in this world. You can ponder a decision of whether to trust or not for days and never come to an answer, even when all the information is right in front of you… but when nothing will give you the right answer, it will stare you straight in the eye. When you look into the eyes of a dying animal, you see its fear, its dying hopes, its despair but how can you tell? Nothing tells you that but your gut. For you, Alaric, that gut feeling roars inside you like a neverending clap of thunder. All you have to do… is listen. ]

  The boy took in a deep breath and stared at the girl. His shoulders fell at his side and he threw his hands up in defeat, “Just this once.”

  “YAY!” Lucy squealed, hopped up and engulfed him in a tight hug, “Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve always wanted to visit the city with a friend. There is so much I want to show you. Let’s hurry!”

  With that, the boy was dragged away and into the messy chaos of Melbourne.