While the mood within their group had improved considerably, that did not mean their problems were solved. Aren looked at a nearby white defensive wall tinted blue. Its size was massive, though rather average when compared to other cities he had seen in the Sands. From his cracked window, it felt close enough to touch, even if it was still a few buildings away.

  Aren sighed at the state of their accommodation. The door to his room was ill-fitted and squeaked every time it moved. The upper floors were made of wood he did not trust to bear his weight, and the roof was constantly leaking through newly formed holes. Marie had nearly lost control of her aura when she first saw the place.

  The governor had offered the Exemplar a room in his palace, and she had the option of staying at the temple as well, but this was the only building available to the Luminous One. Both of those, and any other well-maintained mansion in the city, were filled to the brim, housing villagers sheltering from the Rain Season.

  “At least it’s clean,” Aren said to himself, sitting down on the bed after changing his clothes.

  He had just returned from his daily training, which he managed to do in a small courtyard behind the building. The rain was getting harsh, and after staying in it for two hours his skin stung, though it would get better soon. By now it was becoming a routine, and he grew restless if he skipped it.

  He was exempt from defending the walls due to being a mage, the same applied to Mar’tei, but the warriors rotated shifts between guarding the mansion and manning the walls. Each day brought a new horde of monsters, and the defenders continued to loose massive ballista bolts and arrows every second. The release of the heavy strings was audible even here, a steady rhythm as he closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to recover.

  After a few minutes, Aren got up and stepped outside. He walked to the end of the hallway, where the largest room in the building sat. The two warriors standing guard nodded to him and knocked on the door. After a quick exchange, he was let inside.

  Crina was leaning against a pillowed chair, her face slightly pale. She had insisted on attending the morning prayer despite her condition, and he was not allowed to use any magic on her either. Leaving the city, even for a moment, was not possible. The gates had been closed tightly.

  The water was turning the sand into lakes and rivers. By the time they were closing in on the city, they had already been trudging through ankle-high water. The sand that had not been washed away felt like clay underfoot, and bedrock was becoming visible in places. Visibility had decreased as well. To normal eyes, distant shapes were blurred.

  Aren sat down on the only carpet in the building, taking one of the few cushions that actually felt soft.

  “Aren, please tell Marie we won’t be kicking villagers from any of the mansions,” Crina said as soon as he settled.

  “Marie, we won’t be kicking villagers from the comfy mansion they’ll likely never get to visit again,” Aren said. “It won’t improve anyone’s opinion of us, and I doubt they’d thank us for making them come to this building.”

  “This is not proper lodging for the Luminous One,” Marie said.

  “Can I decide that?” Crina asked. “I understand that you worry about how staying here will affect our standing, but I don’t see how forcing people out of other places will help.”

  “Anything we do would only exacerbate the alienation we are currently experiencing,” Aren said. “I could fix this building with magic and make it proper, but any use of magic would only raise the stigma further. I think even appearing publicly with me causes the negative opinions to solidify.”

  “We can’t hide the Sunbearer,” Marie stated.

  “I know,” Aren grimaced, then turned to Crina. “Did the governor at least hear you out yesterday?”

  “Not fully,” Crina said, her voice souring. “Like most southern cities, Orvalin follows the holy tenets to the letter. There aren’t any obvious issues I could confront the governor about, but like many others, it has stalled in its growth.

  “With the Sun’s blessings being offered freely to the populace, the city’s income has dwindled over the last few generations, and instead of changing and adapting, they have stayed the same. In the north, the governors started developing mines, city-owned crafts, and other ventures.”

  “Governor Sara doesn’t seem interested in changing her ways, though. She truly believes that being pious will be enough. I had hoped to change that, but in the current situation it’s impossible… they won’t even hear me out on pressing issues, much less on a topic as vague and large as their own economy,” Crina complained.

  “So… pray harder and hope the economy fixes itself? That is ambitious,” Aren joked, but it wasn’t well received by either of the women. “If we had some way to showcase your faithfulness in one go…”

  “Anything that is not within the Luminous One’s duty will be frowned upon,” Marie said, looking at him with a judging expression.

  “Could we do some light show while Crina is praying? I could stop the rain for a moment, scare monsters away for a time,” Aren said.

  “We will not fake a miracle,” Marie said firmly, with a hint of scorn.

  “Right, could have guessed that. Sorry, just theorizing,” Aren responded quickly.

  “If the Luminous One’s goal can’t be achieved without trickery, then it means it’s not yet time to accomplish it,” Marie said. “If the Sun is willing, the way will light itself.”

  After those words, the mood turned contemplative. In those words, Crina was already doing everything she could at the moment. Her guards were helping with the city’s defense, she was attending prayer, and although no one had used it yet, her doors were open to all.

  Aren was sure it was what everyone had on their mind, and his outsider perspective was of limited use here. For a moment, an image of Crina sacrificing his heretical mage heart with bloody hands on a burning altar popped into his head, like Vapunga’s priests did with their own sinners, and he tried not to find it amusing. Still, it was true. He was a major issue here, a Sunbearer who was a mage and not an officially baptized follower of the faith.

  Getting properly baptized was out of the question, and Aren doubted the exemplar would allow Ren to receive fake light suffusion. He did not have it in himself to become a true worshipper. He would think about the problem, but he doubted that anything short of a serious proof of faith would be enough to convince the traditionalists.

  Turning his head to Crina, he watched her rest, clearly drained from the effects of the disease and holy healing. Maybe he could do something about this. He didn’t know much about medicine or alchemy, neither was his expertise, but he didn’t need to reinvent the wheel.

  “Marie, do you know if the tonic’s effects can be separated?” Aren asked.

  “What do you mean?” Marie asked.

  “I mean that using just holy healing is clearly not helping,” Aren said. “We have painkillers from your pharmacists, but I doubt they can restore life energy spent in the healing or consumed by the disease.”

  Marie’s eyes flashed with understanding. “The tonic first enhances the usage of the person’s vitality to strengthen their growth, then speeds up metabolism to increase life energy production.”

  “Indeed. If we could only utilize the second part,” Aren proposed.

  “We will need the help of the local temple for that,” Marie nodded. “But they won’t refuse me, and I won’t need to explain myself.”

  After a moment, she stood up. “Protect the Luminous One. I will inform Donnavan that he is in charge while I’m gone.”

  “Thank you,” Crina smiled at both of them, but she was clearly starting to feel weak.

  “You should rest, Luminous One. I won’t be gone for long,” Marie said, then looked at him. “Don’t disturb her.”

  “I will be quiet as a mouse,” Aren said.

  Satisfied, Marie left. Aren turned to his friend, who, instead of taking the chance to sleep, stared at him.

  “Should I help you move to the bed so you can sleep better?” Aren offered.

  Crina took a moment to respond, the noise of the constantly falling rain filling the room. She nodded. “If I could bother you.”

  “It’s not a bother,” Aren said, offering his hand and helping her up with ease.

  “I don’t think we were ever left alone peacefully in private,” Crina said mid-step.

  “That’s true. It was always something happening, and your situation requires guards to be around at all times,” Aren said.

  “Marie won’t leave my side unless she has to. Her duty is more important to her than anything else,” Crina said. “And when we snuck out, Mar’tei was with us too.”

  Aren helped her sit down on her bed. She silently slid along it by herself and settled down.

  “Can I ask you about something you didn’t want to talk about before?” Crina said, curious through her tiredness.

  “What was it?” Aren prompted.

  “When you proposed the second scouting party. No… sorry, I don’t want to bring something painful up,” Crina said.

  “Ah, that,” Aren said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “It’s fine. What do you want to know? I will preface this by saying it is pretty pathetic, a total failure born of my lack of action.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I wanted to become an archmage and confess. I worked hard to earn my title, but I failed at the most important thing, keeping in contact,” Aren chuckled.

  “In the meantime, Leila had been living her life and fell in love with another friend of mine, one of our adventuring comrades, Galdren. Now that I think about it, she was always the one who visited me, while I only kept her updated on my research.”

  “So on the day I wanted to confess, she asked me for advice on how to approach Galdren, and well, you know how it ended,” Aren said.

  “I would say I’m sorry, but I’m quite thankful you were there to save me,” Crina said with a smile. “I do feel bad for you.”

  “There is light behind every shadow,” Aren said, pretending to sound wise.

  “You have been listening to the parables.”

  “Depending on who is telling them.”

  “I will take that compliment,” Crina said, then blushed as she asked her next question. “I don’t know much about love. I have only read a few books and know what the parables say. What made you fall for her?”

  “I had this conversation with Bar’tik, and well, I’m not sure anymore,” Aren said. “I have been with Leilara for nearly all my life and I certainly care for her and love her. I admit she is beautiful and mighty, but I never felt the spark of passion some people describe.”

  “But you must have had some moment when you thought she was the one,” Crina insisted.

  Aren thought for a moment then nodded, “Once I became an apprentice to a powerful wizard, my father worried about the stories of mages who lost themselves in their research and died alone in their towers. Our talk resulted in making a life plan.

  “It was something I worked on and updated over the years. Becoming an archmage and freeing humanity from monsters became part of it. Very few archmages managed to remain single throughout their lives, whether due to politics or other machinations, so I wanted to be proactive and think about it ahead of time.

  “I was twenty-three, and my list of female friends had only one name on it. I respected Leila greatly and thought of her as my equal. I decided it was the best choice. I thought we could make the world better together. Only now do I realize there was not much romance in it. The kind of passionate attraction I have seen others feel was something I never had.”

  Aren stayed silent for a moment. “Maybe Bar’tik was right that it was not true love. I never stopped to think about what would make Leila happy. I assumed she was like me. She worked hard to make our home village a better, more stable place and, by extension, our country, and she trained relentlessly. So maybe it was all a misunderstanding, and me stubbornly trying to apply my plan to her.”

  Crina took a moment to speak, then she took his hand reassuringly. “I don’t know anything personally, but I think each person has their own way of loving. Not everyone needs to feel butterflies in their stomach, as some story described. How do you feel now, knowing she is interested in someone else?”

  “Now, I have accepted it,” Aren said, looking at his fingers. “If it makes her happy, I will be fine. I trust Galdren too.”

  “Then I think it’s alright,” Crina said. “As you said, you care for her, and I think it’s also normal to feel lost in a case like that.”

  “Thanks,” Aren said, relaxing and looking at the ceiling. “With that settled, I’m left with a far less serious concern. A rather persistent young princess.”

  “Who?”

  “Fifth Princess Arianne,” Aren said. “She is eighteen and has been interested in me since she saw me at my ennoblement. Once she reached marrying age, she had been trying to convince her father to initiate official courtship. Now that I’m an archmage, well, if I’m single, I can only avoid it for so long until politics force my hand.”

  “That’s… huh,” was all Crina said.

  “Yes, indeed,” Aren laughed. “She is a good student, not great at magic but smart, and can probably take an administrative position within the country, but I’m not really interested if I’m honest.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I never really thought about it,” Aren said. “The politics of it sound more tiring than anything else.”

  “I see…”

  Crina’s replies were getting shorter, and Aren figured she was becoming tired.

  “Go to sleep,” Aren said. “I will be here. Quiet.”

  “Thanks,” Crina said, closing her eyes.

  She must really have been tired, as her breathing evened out quickly. Then Aren realized she was still holding his hand. Not wanting to wake her, he stayed in place. After a moment, he decided to meditate, but after a minute he realized another problem.

  He couldn’t meditate and stay aware of his surroundings without using mana. That would make the point of keeping watch somewhat pointless. He tried to focus on his sense of hearing instead, but after the twentieth obtrusive thought, he gave up.

  He wondered if Donnavan was keeping watch outside. If the man stepped into the room, he would have an excuse to move as well. Crina’s hand was pleasant to touch. It was warm and soft, with just a few callouses from working with fabrics, a result of having spent most of her life indoors due to her sickness.

  Despite starting to feel quite stiff, he stayed there, not wanting to interrupt his friend’s rest. She did look peaceful at least, the painkillers must have dulled some of the pain. With a little resignation, he continued to stare into nothing, thinking about his plans for his new spell. It was starting to slowly come together, but the stay in the city would prolong it. He could still theorize about it, at least.

  After an unknown amount of time, a loud noise suddenly pulled him out of his peaceful mulling. He was sure it came from street level below the window, overlooking an alleyway rather than the main street. Seeing that it hadn’t woken Crina, he slowly withdrew his hand from under hers and got up, walking to the window.

  There, he saw a small figure in a cloak being held down by a holy warrior and Wes. Aren looked confused until he noticed a spilled can of paint flowing along the ground because of the rain. As he wondered what to do about it, he heard Crina stirring awake.

  “Something wrong?” she asked, looking around the room. “The Sun is coming down.”

  “I don’t know how you can tell in this rain,” Aren said.

  “It will get worse,” the young woman shrugged and looked at him expectantly.

  “I think someone wanted to vandalize the building. Looks like a kid or a teen,” Aren said. “Wes has them under control, and they’re coming into the building.”

  “Can you ask Donnavan to bring them here?” Crina asked as she moved to stand. “I would rather deal with this before Marie returns.”

  “I understand fully,” Aren nodded and knocked on the door.

  One of the holy warriors looked inside, and Aren asked for Donnavan, only to realize the officer had been standing just out of his line of sight. He wondered how long the man had been there as Donnavan stepped inside and knelt in front of Crina.

  “Has the commotion outside disturbed your rest, Luminous One?” Donnavan asked.

  “Don’t worry about it, Donnavan. Is it really just a child?” the young woman asked.

  “I was about to investigate the details myself,” Donnavan answered.

  “Then I will come with you,” Crina announced, and seeing the concerned looks, she added, “I’m feeling better now. I did manage a few hours of peaceful sleep.”

  Choosing not to argue, the officer nodded and led them both to the ground level of the building. There, a teenage boy knelt on the floor, his cloak pulled back from his head. His defiant eyes met theirs with scorn, though his face paled when he noticed Crina. Wes and his companion knelt upon seeing her. Several other warriors stood around the entrance hall, guarding it.

  “Luminous One, Master Donnavan, Sunbearer,” the holy warrior beside Wes announced. “We were returning from our shift at the wall when we noticed this… child defacing the wall with unholy scribbles.”

  “Unholy?” Crina asked.

  “We would not dare repeat such words,” the man said quickly.

  “Do I have to go outside, Sunblade Yom?” Crina asked.

  “I…” The man faltered, visibly troubled.

  Wes coughed. “Luminous One, I can spare Yom this discomfort. The message can be taken as: ‘Bringer of bad luck, leave our city.’”

  Crina nodded. “Thank you.”

  Aren noticed the holy warrior’s dark cheeks flush red. He knew the different groups had begun interacting with one another more. It was good that those bonds were forming. They would only grow stronger when truly needed, like in the defense of a city against monsters.

  “Young man,” Crina addressed the boy. “Why did you do this?”

  The young vandal remained silent, doing his best to avoid looking at the religious figure.

  “Answer the—!” one of the holy warriors shouted, but Crina raised her hand.

  “You have the courage to sully my residence, yet not to speak those words to my face,” Crina said, her voice firm, scolding rather than condemning. “I swear your situation will not worsen because of what you say.”

  The boy opened his mouth in anger, then closed it again. He hesitated, but when he met Crina’s eyes, serious yet kind, he finally spoke.

  “My parents said you are a bringer of bad luck. That you may be the Luminous One, but your fate will bring doom upon us. Then they both fell sick. They will get better once you leave, I’m sure of it.”

  Crina ignored the remarks about herself. “The priests will not attend to them?”

  “They were already healed once this year, and the priests are busy tending to the wounded warriors,” the boy replied. Then he dropped to his knees. “Please leave. I cannot lose them.”

  “I see,” Crina said softly. “If you accept a punishment from me, I promise the priests here will heal your parents.”

  The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, then worry. “Punishment?”

  Crina’s slow nod was grave. “You will wash and restore the wall, then you will spread the word that we will heal anyone the temple’s priests cannot attend to and guide them here.”

  The young teen’s mouth fell open. “That’s it?”

  “What is your name, young man?” Crina asked.

  “I… it’s Uro,” he said cautiously.

  “Uro, I swear it upon the One Sun. Will you accept?” Crina asked. For a moment, the boy’s eyes brightened, then clouded with shame and tears.

  “I will,” he whispered. “I will. I’m sorry.”

  Crina stepped closer. “Now go. My companions will accompany you to bring your parents here.” She nodded to two warriors in the room, then smiled. “And next time, if you must draw on someone’s wall, pick something nicer, like a flower.”

  Water poured over Aren’s clothes like a waterfall. It was hard to breathe, and he hadn’t felt dry for days. It was the fourth day of their stay in the city, and the rain had grown so intense that he could no longer see the end of the small back courtyard where he trained. Everything was bathed in silver light and the sun no longer looked gold.

  Still, he continued. Others were fighting on the walls every day. Bar’tik had returned yesterday, covered in his own blood. He had been stalling a powerful beast until someone stepped in to help him. Mar’tei was consuming book after book that Aren had prepared for her, adjusting spells for her casting and feeding her mind vault. Meanwhile, his own research had stalled. Without the chance to practice real magic, there was little he could accomplish.

  He ran a small test, constructing a stable mana crystal in his soul. By condensing and shaping mana, he created a structure that could connect to his mind vault and feed it his resonances. It was a technique for using passive magic in the air without needing anything to engrave upon. Its applications were limited and mana consumption was high, but for him it could serve as a suitable avatar for his new construct. Once placed in his soul with constant access to mana, it could remain active indefinitely.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Aren blinked as some water splashed into his eye while he got up from pushups. The rain was strong enough to leave red marks on his skin if he stayed outside too long. Stepping under a roof, he shook as much water from his clothes as he could and entered the building, only to witness a growing commotion.

  Warriors were gathering quickly in the entry hall, while Crina watched over the proceedings. Marie stood beside her. Aren navigated carefully through the crowd, avoiding collisions. Meeting someone head-on while speedwalking, especially a life practitioner, rarely ended well for a normal person.

  “What is happening?” Aren asked.

  Crina greeted him, but her usual smile was replaced with worry. “Part of the street collapsed into the underground reservoir, taking some of the buildings with it. We are organizing to help.”

  “I see. I’m ready to go then,” Aren said, deciding not to change if he was going to get wet again.

  “I don’t think you’ll be able to offer much help,” Marie said. “It will be mostly physical work.”

  “I may not be able to lift boulders of my size, but I can still help, even if only by securing the survivors,” Aren said, motioning to his relic. “And I can create scaffolding or steps if needed.”

  After a moment, Marie nodded, and Aren turned to stand with the other warriors.

  “I will go too then,” Crina said. “That way everyone can go.”

  “But your condition—” Marie protested.

  “Is better. The altered tonic has helped a lot, even if it makes me constantly hungry,” Crina replied, smiling with more energy than she had shown lately.

  Aren knew she was still in pain and that the tonic wasn’t as effective as his magic. He said nothing. Instead, using his increased proficiency with the barriers, he created a large, purple, shimmering umbrella directly above his friend’s head.

  She nodded gratefully at him. “It will be fine, Marie. Let’s go, the people need help.”

  Marie did not argue further. As soon as they arrived, Aren scanned the area for damage and decided what to address first. The hole leading to the qanat was deep, and raging water washed over the rubble that had fallen in. The entire long street above had given way. Once again, he wished he could fix everything instantly with magic, but that was not possible.

  Dozens of buildings had lost their entire front walls. Cries pierced his ears despite the thundering rain. Tents had already been set up for the injured, and anyone who could was working tirelessly. Labourers and warriors alike lifted giant boulders and helped secure the walls. Seeing the urgency, Aren ran along the formed ravine and quickly created supports to prevent further slumping and to keep the remaining walls from collapsing.

  He then began helping search for survivors and removing smaller boulders alongside the laborers who had come to assist. Most of them were first-stage and above, much stronger than him, despite not being warriors, but he did his best to offer support.

  He climbed a purple scaffolding he had created to reach a large hole in a collapsed building. People hesitated to step onto his barriers, but when he shouted that it was holy power and waved his inactive black band, they reluctantly followed him, carrying their children along.

  His head felt light from managing so many barriers at once, many formed into complex shapes. Then he heard a voice. Looking down into the deep hole, he saw a young man trying to shout, his words reduced to a hoarse croak as his chest was pinned beneath a massive piece of rubble. The stone he lay on teetered dangerously, on the verge of being swept away by the rushing water below.

  “He… help,” the man croaked, his form barely visible through the rain, even though Aren was directly above him.

  Aren quickly looked around, but everyone nearby was busy. With little time to think, he created a ladder of energy and slid down, stopping just above the stone platform. He formed another barrier to stand on and moved to lift the large boulder.

  It proved far too heavy for his normal strength. Thinking quickly, he created a lever mechanism with his barrier and pushed on it. His head felt light, but he gritted his teeth and ignored the pain, focusing on his actions and keeping all the necessary barriers active.

  Finally, after a painful moment, the boulder lifted and dropped into the water. Helping the man up, Aren saw that his arm was bent at an unnatural angle and knew he wouldn’t be able to climb on his own. He knelt and motioned for him to get onto his back. Then, securing him with a purple barrier harness, he began climbing back up the ladder.

  Each rung felt higher than the last. The man’s weight dragged at his shoulders, pulling him backward and forcing Aren to lean close to the ladder. His arms burned. His thighs trembled with every step, while the conjured ladder remained perfectly still beneath his grip.

  Halfway up, his breath turned ragged. The world narrowed to the purple glow beneath his hands and the next rung above. Each pull grew heavier than the last, but he climbed anyway.

  Finally, when he was near the top, he felt a thick hand grab his forearm and lift him. A pair of dark red eyes watched him as he was set on the ground. Surprise overtook him for a moment as he stared at Marc, the warrior begrudgingly motioning with his head toward the priests’ station. Nodding, Aren carefully let down the injured man, then supporting him, quickly walked over and handed him to the priests.

  His legs wobbled once he relaxed, relieved of the heavy weight, but he caught himself against a nearby wall. A strange heat spread through his body, yet he ignored it and nodded to Crina, who was watching from nearby, her face pale and strained. Mar’tei was tending to the injured and glanced his way with a worried expression, but he shook his head. Aren then pushed himself away from the wall and went back to do what he could.

  The stone floor was damp as Aren collapsed in the entrance hall of their building. The Sun was setting by now, and they had just secured the street, the governor’s men taking over housing and assigning supplies to the displaced. They were also the ones left to account for anyone still missing, only once the rain calmed could people be spared to dive and search for those who had drowned.

  Their mansion didn’t have enough space to house everyone, but Crina still invited enough to fill the hallways and rooms, and those were only the ones willing to take shelter from the rain here. Aren had to find a small patch of empty floor before collapsing himself. He didn’t have the strength to climb the stairs to his room; his body felt wrung out and overheated at the same time.

  “Sunbearer?” a woman’s voice called.

  Slowly, he turned and looked up to see a woman watching him, a young girl standing by her side.

  “Thank you for helping me and my family get out,” the woman said, her emotions still raw from the experience. “We were shopping for food when the street collapsed and got trapped, and the roof was making terrifying noises until you created those purple pillars.”

  “I’m happy you’re okay,” he said.

  Looking around, he saw Mar’tei and the other holy warriors passing bowls of hot soup to everyone. He tried to get up to take one, but his body refused to obey, a strange heat radiating from his navel.

  Noticing this, the woman offered, “I’ll bring you some,” and headed out before he could protest.

  Then, just as he was left alone, the heat doubled and pain spiked through his entire body. He tried to keep his worry rational as he searched for the source of the disturbance. The mana permeating his body was forced apart as his life force stirred in his channels, and then surged outward in mass.

  He contorted, his mana not wanting to make space to accommodate the new volume of life energy. Every nerve cell that had been accustomed to housing mana now screamed as it refused to be pushed back into his soul. He had heard that the first stage of life enforcement was painful for mages, but this was far more intense than he had expected. Was it because his mana was denser than that of a normal mage?

  Each cell of his body was transformed. Where they had usually contained only a small amount of life energy, they could now hold much more, while at the same time, his mana struggled for space. He tried to relax, to let his mana return to his soul, but it was a difficult process while his body thrashed on the ground, limbs tangling and flailing.

  “Sunbearer!?” someone screamed, but he couldn’t pay attention to it.

  “Aren!?” Mar’tei shouted, kneeling beside him. She reached out to touch him, but he unconsciously swatted her hand away. “Any healer here!?”

  With one eye, he saw a priest trying to approach. He tried to motion for them to stop, but his lack of control made it impossible. If he were healed now, the process could backfire and leave him incapacitated.

  Luckily, Donnavan stepped in front of him, stopping the priest. He knelt down, securing Aren on his side and holding him steady to prevent further movement. With that, Aren was able to focus on calming himself and letting his body do what it needed, while he reined in his mana. It was instinct to keep his body suffused with mana, and now he was fighting against it.

  After several painful moments, his life force did its work, the pool of energy he had been building during training finally spent. Now, every cell in his body could hold much more of the life-giving force, and it would replenish far faster. He let his mana return to his body and felt that he could contain more as well, not by much, but enough to be noticeable.

  With pained effort, he lifted himself to sit as he was released. He felt refreshed, exhausted, pained, and strangely full of energy all at once. His head felt like a jumble too, his brain had not been spared from the process.

  “That was the most violent ascension to first stage I have ever seen,” Donnavan commented. “Are you fine?”

  “Yes. My mana refused to move out of the way at first,” Aren explained, massaging his temples.

  “You should rest in your bed. I made sure your room remained untouched,” the officer said. “I will have food brought there.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not sure if I’m hungry,” Aren said, then a loud rumble echoed from his stomach.

  Aren stretched his arms as a dark purple-red energy, bordering on magenta, strengthened him. He moved to lift a heavy barrel full of water, and while it was not easy, he managed it with effort. The only issue was that he had to empty his body of mana to use it. It was impossible to cast spells while manipulating life energy at the same time.

  Still, it was an amazing feeling. Even without manually channeling life energy into his body, he felt stronger than before the change. Returning his body to its natural, mana-filled state, he moved to continue testing and establish his new baseline.

  Just as he was about to add another heavy sack of flour atop a pile he was lifting, a voice interrupted him.

  “Playing with food?” Lan asked, a knowing smirk visible on his face.

  “I offered to do inventory, may as well figure out what my body is capable of,” Aren replied. “And the rain is kind of intense right now.”

  “We are at the peak,” Lan acknowledged. “Anyway, the Exemplar is calling a gathering in the entry hall. We had a visitor from the governor.”

  Aren nodded, jotting a note on a piece of paper to mark where he had stopped. Then he turned to follow the fellow adventurer.

  “I was at the wall yesterday, but I heard your barriers saved many people,” Lan commented. “Even without magic, you were able to prevent the rest of the street from collapsing.”

  Aren shrugged. “I could have done it faster with magic, but I did what I could.”

  Lan smiled. “So, are you feeling like dancing in the sunshine? Ready to embrace the path of the warrior?”

  “I feel great, thank you, but no, that path is closed to me. Although I do wonder how much the efficiency of my enhancing spells has increased,” Aren answered. Then his face fell. “I heard there are rumors it’s Crina’s bad fortune that brought this disaster.”

  “Indeed,” Lan said, his expression grim. “Ungrateful, considering the Luminous One offered all the assistance she could.”

  “Some people were thankful yesterday. The healing we offered to the public did help our image a little,” Aren said, opening the side door to the entrance hall. “People tend to gravitate toward negativity in hard times, it’s easier when there’s something to blame.”

  The two men stepped into the room, already filled with people. Marie and Crina stood at the top of the stairs, dressed in their ceremonial attire. When Crina noticed him, she waved him over, and he climbed the steps to stand beside her.

  “Are we heading out?” he asked, taking in their clothes.

  “Yes, the governor has invited us to a prayer,” Crina said.

  Aren’s eyes widened. The governor had extended the invitation only to the Exemplar multiple times, but Marie had always refused, citing the need to remain at the Luminous One’s side at all times.

  “Is that a good sign? Does it have something to do with yesterday?” Aren asked.

  “It is certainly related to what we did yesterday,” Marie said. “Whether it will be good depends on his intentions, but I do not think the governor will attempt anything with me present.”

  “I should go change clothes then.” Aren nodded to both of them and, hearing no objection, walked to his room.

  He put on the usual suit he wore to morning prayer every day. It was hard to keep it dry, but so was everything else, even his bed felt damp in this weather. The rain was now so heavy that it was difficult to see a person more than a few steps away. The silver sun continued to shine through, assaulting them with its heat at the same time.

  He had heard that by now the Sun’s River would be impassable. All the water from the desert would be flowing into it, creating a white wall of steam that would scald anyone who tried to cross. It was why the desert remained dry throughout the year, the water escaping into the canyon and leaving none behind except in a few natural or artificial reservoirs.

  Ready, he stepped out behind Crina, holding a large reinforced umbrella as they walked through the city toward the governor’s palace. It was difficult to keep steady, it felt like standing under a waterfall.

  Removing the mana from his body, he reinforced his arms and shoulders with life energy, the sensation feeling like second nature. Instantly he felt stronger, and the umbrella stopped swaying.

  It was a shame his life energy would not progress unless he kept his body clear of mana at all times, but this was enough for him. He was never going to become a warrior, yet having an easier time like this, when unable to rely on his magic, was reassuring. He would not be collapsing like he had in Balthen ever again.

  “That’s a pretty color,” Crina commented, looking at his arms. “It fits you.”

  “Thanks,” Aren said. He hadn’t thought about it, but the aura did match his natural eye color.

  “I was ushered to my room yesterday by Marie, but I heard your ascension was difficult,” the young woman said with visible worry.

  “Well, being a mage has its own complications. Larger quantities of life energy and mana don’t like existing in the same body, but I feel fine” Aren assured her. “I feel physically healthier than ever, though I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to keep up with how much food my body demanded afterward.”

  “How are you feeling today?” Aren asked.

  “Better. The new tonics were a great idea,” Crina smiled.

  He offered his hand to help her climb onto her platform and then followed behind it. It was a long trek to the palace from so close to the walls, and Crina’s health wasn’t up to it. Her face no longer had the ghostly tint, but she still got tired easily. The stone tiles were also slippery, as water constantly flowed down them toward the drains. After yesterday, trusting the street came somewhat hesitantly.

  Their arrival at the palace was treated appropriately, welcoming both Marie and Crina as he was used to seeing before. The palace was large, slightly smaller than Balthen’s, but its blue and golden accents fit Aren’s sense of aesthetics better. He repeated the memorized words of the prayers as he theorized what the sudden change in their treatment might mean.

  He didn’t have to wait long, as instantly after the prayer finished, the governor approached them, the temple’s high priest following behind. Both their graying hair looked thin today, and their eyes betrayed that they had something serious on their minds, even as they held forced smiles on their faces.

  “Holy Exemplar, Luminous One, and their companion, may I invite you to a chat about today’s reading?” the governor said, tilting her head in greeting.

  Crina’s eyes widened noticeably, but she nodded. “I’m honored by your invitation, Governor Sara.”

  Marie nodded in agreement, and they were led to a lavishly decorated room. Golden symbols of the One Sun adorned the walls, and even the floor tiles were engraved with holy imagery. The room felt pious, if a little oppressive.

  He sat next to Crina, and it was clear both people opposite him were eyeing his black band. Both of them looked uncomfortable with his presence.

  The governor clasped her hands together and lowered her head. “Let me preface by thanking both of you for helping out our city yesterday, despite our cold welcome.”

  “I won’t be quick to excuse your behavior by calling it simply a ‘cold welcome,’” Marie said sternly, her posture aggressive even as she sat.

  “I understand. I’m not making excuses. It was my inability to keep my heart open to the Sun’s will that led to this,” the governor said. “I will prepare more fitting arrangements for you immediately.”

  “That’s unnecessary,” Crina replied. “Thank you, Governor, but displacing people during the peak of the rain is unnecessary. I would prefer to know what led to the events of yesterday.”

  “That’s… we are still investigating, Luminous One,” the governor said.

  “Yet you must have some idea,” Marie spoke, her voice taking on a golden sheen.

  “I… Holy Exemplar, there are more pressing matters we need to discuss,” the governor’s voice was pleading.

  Marie didn’t answer, instead turning her eyes to the high priest, who, if he could, would have curled upon himself.

  “Governor Sara,” the high priest’s voice trembled, caught in an impossible situation between two forces he couldn’t oppose. In the end, his loyalty to the Exemplar won. “I think we need to put everything to light, these are not times to stand apart because of hidden secrets.”

  The governor’s soured face deepened, but she nodded. “I have been cutting the maintenance budget for the qanats for years. Last year, an investigation discovered a few troubling areas, but I ignored them, prioritizing the preparation for the Rain Season instead.”

  Marie’s face was disapproving, but she did not find any falsehoods. “And it led to the deaths of your citizens.”

  The governor gritted her teeth. “I know, Holy Exemplar. Our budget has been declining for decades now, I did not wish to increase the required tributes again.”

  Crina nodded. “I understand this was not your intention, but your actions have not been aimed at improving your economy. I held discussions with the scholars and scribes at the Sun’s Peak while preparing for my journey and consulted merchants on how cities can generate their own income. If you wish, we can discuss possible options together.”

  Marie stayed silent, and the governor knew this was her offered way out. With swallowed pride, she nodded. “I would be grateful to, but first there is another issue I need to raise during this meeting.”

  The Exemplar stopped her. “One more thing. Besmirching rumors have been floating around the city that the collapse was the Luminous One’s fault. You will need to publicize the facts that led to it once your investigation is finished.”

  The governor’s face paled, but she nodded. “I swear under the Sun that I will, if we survive. The Sunseer has seen a horde of beasts heading this way, led by two sixth-stage beasts, and one that he is certain is a dragon-class worm.”

  The air felt heavy as Aren sat begrudgingly in the hastily set-up infirmary of their mansion. They had even removed some nonfundamental walls to enlarge the space. Marie had ordered him to sit out the attack, one of them needed to deal with the worm, and the other still had to protect the Luminous One. The Exemplar also didn’t want him to reveal that he was an archmage and playing the dark warrior card again was unlikely to work.

  Crina sat next to him, along with Mar’tei. The two women were clearly worried. The plan was for the city’s sixth-stage life practitioner and Donnavan to take one beast each, with support from fifth-stage warriors. Marie would fight the worm, and the warriors would hold back the monster tide for as long as needed.

  The warriors’ faces were grim as they left, but none faltered. Even the few holy warriors Marie had left to guard the priests and Crina were willing to defend the city. In a situation like this, Aren was sure that few adventurers and guards in Vo’Teol would try to use the attack as a distraction to escape. Meanwhile the populace remained trapped, unable to evacuate due to the rain, which would crush any normal person if they stayed outside too long.

  If the wall were breached, he would act, that was the compromise he settled on after an argument with Marie. He still didn’t feel satisfied with it, and neither did the Exemplar.

  “Looking grim like this won’t help anything,” Mar’tei said, trying to lighten the mood despite her own worry, mostly for her brother. Even the berserker didn’t have his usual cheer about the upcoming fight and remained serious throughout their planning sessions.

  “We did have two days’ warning,” Aren said.

  He couldn’t do much beyond offering strategic advice over the last two days. None of the warriors here were used to applying life enforcement to gear that had passive magic on it, so he couldn’t reinforce their arms. The walls were supposedly equipped with their own defenses, so he was denied there as well.

  “It will be fine,” Crina said, still, her hands were joined in silent prayer.

  “As long as nothing goes wrong or surprises us,” Aren said.

  “Oh, for the ancestors’ sake, if it happens we will deal with it,” Marie said. “Well… mostly you. But worrying now won’t help. Believe in those who will be fighting. I would rather be out there as well.”

  Then the first volley struck, and less than a few minutes later, the first patients arrived. They were warriors of the first and second stages, their bodies riddled with sand coyote bites and claw marks, the main force of the horde. A few looked pale, with large leech bites visible on their chests and necks.

  Others bore dozens of smaller cuts across their bodies from the legs of centipedes that had tried to crush their spines. Fighting in water that easily reached their waists was difficult, as they only had the chance to experience this once a year and usually stayed safely on the walls.

  Today they couldn’t let the monsters swarm the walls, as some of the beasts could easily climb them. Holding the horde back to some degree was necessary so those atop the ramparts could stop the rest. Aren was sure other field hospitals were in a similar situation.

  He couldn’t do anything for them. Mar’tei moved to offer first aid where she could. The priests were already busy, knowing they had to pace themselves for the long day ahead.

  After thirty minutes, a familiar face appeared in the room, and Mar’tei approached her.

  “Hann, how is it going?” the young mage asked the woman, who was carrying in the injured man and helped lie him down.

  “It’s progressing as planned,” the holy warrior said. “The two beasts are being pinned down and wounded, while the Holy Exemplar is holding the momentum against her opponent. Victory is within sight. She shines like the Sun itself, lighting the battlefield for all of us.”

  Hann’s eyes shined with reverence, “I need to go back now.”

  “Fight well, thank you,” Mar’tei said.

  Yet despite those words, the stream of injured didn’t lessen. Aren knew that fighting monsters this strong could take a very long time unless they were overpowered quickly. The warriors had to weaken them first and wait for an opening. Then the first fatally injured warrior was brought in.

  The priests shook their heads regretfully as the holy warrior bled out from a torn-out arm and a deep gut wound, his organs barely hanging inside him. Aren felt it when his soul left the body. Being a mage, he was sensitive to this, and he knew that people who wielded holy power had souls that didn’t linger after death, unlike life practitioners and mages, whose souls remained the longest.

  Then Lan burst into the room, carrying his injured brother, who had multiple deep wounds in his chest, and dragging Bar’tik with free hand, still in his azure bear-boar form. Lan looked worse for wear but was uninjured.

  “What happened?” Mar’tei asked, quickly noticing the trail of blood her brother left.

  “They need healing, but I think they’ll live,” Lan said with a weak smile. “The muscle head ascended to the fourth stage too, here goes my advantage. Your brother did something as well, for a moment, he doubled in size. The two of them surprised the six-stage coyote and held its limbs together with the other warriors. Master Donnavan finished it off.”

  “They will need congratulations when they wake up,” Aren said.

  Lan nodded weakly. “Ha, well, I was still first, so I can be gracious. I will go back—”

  Aren interrupted the warrior by summoning a large defensive barrier with his relic around everyone. He sensed a massive surge of mana approaching their building. Then his barrier absorbed a powerful blast of earth and energy, along with the rubble it carried, crashing into them. The shockwave was strong enough to momentarily halt the falling rain.

  His barrier survived, but theirs and the nearby buildings did not. Looking up, Aren saw an elder earth wyrm, a nearly seventh-stage equivalent monster that used elemental sorcery. Its large torso, covered in dark, gleaming scales harder than metal, looked deformed compared to its smaller limbs. Its wings flapped mightily to keep it aloft. Two sets of slit eyes watched them as its flat face grinned, revealing multiple rows of thick teeth.

  The Sun Watcher’s golden body collided with the beast in a flurry of flames, but Aren knew the construct could only delay it. He was proven right, the wyrm looked only slightly charred and annoyed as it slammed the metal construct aside. Then it scanned the area for a target. Survivors of the initial attack staggered through the debris, some dazed and disoriented, while others ran from nearby houses, desperate to escape.

  “Well, shit,” Aren cursed. He couldn’t wait any longer with his magic.

  “I’ll try something!” Crina shouted and ran out of his barrier.

  Aren’s mind reeled. She ran through the rain and leapt toward a collapsed boy, his temple bleeding. The beast was already gathering another breath, its gaze fixed directly on the young woman. Aren knew it was preparing a concentrated attack that his barrier relic was unlikely to stop.

  Just as he reached for his mana to summon a defensive barrier, Aren was surprised again. Crina pulled a talisman from beneath her clothes, and it glowed with golden energy, forming a defensive fiery shield around her. He hesitated, sensing its immense power even from a distance. The people around them froze as well, recognizing the holy power.

  When the dragon’s shockwave breath struck the barrier, it held firm. The force washed over the area, cracking the stone tiles of the street and leaving a crater, but the golden barrier remained intact. Then it gathered energy, and a wave of fire shot forward and engulfed the beast. Its scales blackened and fell away as it shielded its face with its wings.

  It was enough to wound the beast, and it became wary of attacking again. Then the golden construct struck once more, firing a thick beam of energy. The wyrm roared in annoyance and rose upward, still fixed on Crina. Aren felt the mana gathering within it and knew the next attack would be even stronger.

  The holy construct stopped next to Crina and released its holy energy, which joined the barrier. Its light brightened and pierced through the rain, blinding most onlookers.

  He kept his eyes on Crina and felt a tug at his wrist. His relic wanted to be used, somehow he just knew it, and he obeyed. Its power merged with the golden shield, causing it to brighten once again.

  Then the beast released a powerful roar, striking the golden barrier. This time, it didn’t pause. The continuous assault strained against the mighty defense.

  Aren didn’t see a winner, but he understood what Crina was doing. She had decided to use the holy relic she had mentioned once to prevent his cover from being blown. If he revealed his archmage prowess, it could create far more problems for both of them. If people learned that the Exemplar had secretly brought in a new Archmage to protect the Luminous One, it would lead to far more than simple political complications.

  But they didn’t have time to wait for support, and Aren didn’t know how long the relic could hold back the beast. Then an idea struck him, he had one shot at this, and it had to happen while the two mighty forces were still locked in their contest of power. His mana flowed freely toward his relic, but he had just enough for what he was planning. A nearly dark purple barrier enveloped his black band, blocking any mana from reaching it, much like he had done when he contained the red mist.

  Mana surged upward like a torrent of energy. It would probably have triggered alarms, but those were already active because of the wyrm. Nearly his entire volume of mana was flowing, and it was difficult to control without some magic to enhance his focus, but then, he was an archmage.

  The mana began to crystallize into a wide, spanning circle, larger than half the city. The structure was simple, with only a few formations guiding the flow. Aren then created another, smaller circle beneath it, and then a third. Three thick rings formed, and he let his mana surge through them.

  The rain ceased, and the water coalesced into three circular discs high in the air, too high for anyone below to see what was happening. He heard a shift on the battlefield as the warriors adapted to the improved visibility, surprising the beast with their increased coordination.

  Then the water discs began to bend. The world darkened as the light focused into a single point. The beast, still locked in its own struggle, didn’t notice the rising heat, until it was too late. In a single instant, all the light converged into a visible spear of pure light that burned through its scales faster than the eye could follow, leaving nothing behind, not even ash, as the monster disappeared. The beam continued, melting stone and plunging deep into the qanats below, while thick, hissing steam rose from the destruction.

  Aren stopped feeding the circles his mana, and the rain resumed in a heavy wave. It further disturbed the battlefield, and he saw a large golden light, most likely belonging to Marie, perhaps her domain. He wondered what her aspect could be, but a wave of dizziness hit him, and blood dripped freely from his nose.

  Still, he forced himself to remain upright. He had less than a tenth of his mana remaining, but he still needed to protect Crina just in case. The way the monster had behaved wasn’t natural, it should have destroyed the city in blind rage, not fixated on a single target.

  His strengthened constitution kept him steady as he walked over to the young woman, extending his purple shield to cover her. Her thin white toga clung to her body, soaked through by the rain, and he deliberately kept his gaze fixed on her face.

  He offered her his hand. Crina accepted it, though she still stared at the sky in surprise. Aren removed his black scarf, unfolding it into a wide cloth, and draped it over her shoulders. He then gently lifted the fallen child. Luckily, the boy’s breathing was stable.

  Aren glanced around and saw the figures of the onlookers through the dense rain, staring in stunned silence. Then, one after another, they sank to their knees in prayer.

  Had he overdone it?

  “Had I overdone it?” Aren muttered.

  “That was you!?” Crina asked. Her question was only audible to him through the heavy rain.

  “I used the loophole I discovered. It was passive magic, used nearly my entire pool,” Aren explained.

  “I see.” Her expression settled, but a disappointment crossed it. “I thought it was a miracle.”

  Aren hesitated. “Sorry… Marie won’t be happy either.”

  “No, don’t worry about it, it will be fine… I think?” the young woman shook her head focusing. “We can worry about that later."

  "Thank you. Marie told me the relic was mostly defensive, so I wasn’t sure it could actually defeat the beast.” She smiled at him, then noticed the blood running from his nose. “Wait. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Maybe.” Aren exhaled slowly. “My head feels light.” He didn’t sway, this new stronger body was useful if it helped him stay conscious through mana deprivation. “We should head to the nearest medical station, though. Get the injured there.”

  Crina nodded. Then another golden flash blinded them as the wall itself shone, followed by loud cheering from the battlefield. The people around them thanked the Sun aloud and bowed to Crina as she passed. Aren smiled through the fog in his mind. The rain would soon stop.