The gates of the citadel lood high above, silver-etched stone worn smooth by centuries of sun, rain, and war. Enormous statues of winged lions flanked the entrance, each holding aloft the city’s crest, an open eye wreathed in flas.
Kai and Vepice approached at a casual pace, though their hearts were not nearly as relaxed.
Vepice glanced up at him, her features altered beneath the Mirage’s Veil. Blonde hair now curled loosely around her shoulders, her skin fair and unmarred by travel, and her deep, reflective eyes had been replaced by a warm, earthy brown. Her pointed ears had rounded, giving her the illusion of a well-bred rchant’s daughter. Kai, now donning the guise of Luke, his city-born alter ego and academy student, was similarly mundane in appearance, though the subtle weight of his aura would still set off alarm bells for anyone particularly sensitive to mana.
"Do I really look like a noble?" she asked, voice tinged with uncertainty.
"You look like soone who’s used to clean floors and clean air," Kai said. "Which is perfect. In this city, class matters more than na."
The guards didn’t even flinch as they stepped forward, eyes flicking briefly to the pair before one of them held out a gloved hand. "Papers or guild ID."
Kai blinked. He fished through his pocket, then grimaced. "Oh. Right. Forgot I had this."
’I should drop off those wyvern eggs while I’m here.’
He held out his bronze-rimd adventurer’s plate. The sigil glead in the sun’s light. The guard scanned it with a flick of his mana sense, then nodded and waved them through. "Welco back to the Citadel of Forne, Luke. Don’t cause trouble."
"We never do," Kai lied.
Vepice’s eyes drank it in, the impossible wealth, the careless laughter, the elegance of it all. A sight she hadn’t seen since being discarded by her master, and long before.
Kai leaned close. "Did you ever get to see this before?"
She shook her head mutely.
"Well, it gets worse the higher up you go. The noise. The slls. It’s a lot."
"Well, I’m excited!"
Kai saw it, now. Her eyes weren’t showing fear, but the thrill of excitent.
Their destination wasn’t far: the central Adventurers’ Guildhall, marked by a spire of twisted silver that caught the afternoon light. Inside, the large marble foyer bustled with ard individuals, maps floating in midair, and magical trays ferrying potions and scrolls.
Kai strolled up to the reception desk where a familiar woman with copper curls and rectangular glasses was scribbling into a glowing ledger.
Tiff glanced up and blinked, her eyes narrowing.
"Luke?"
"In the flesh," Kai replied.
"And you brought a friend?" She raised a brow at Vepice, who offered a curt nod.
"I’m here to deliver sothing. Rember the deal the Guildmaster made with about those wyvern eggs?"
Tiff tilted her head, confused. "The Guildmaster... Oh! That ridiculous bet over wyvern nesting grounds in the Northern Fangs? You’re serious?"
Kai reached into his shadow space, drawing gasps as his hand disappeared into a small portal.
Then, one by one, the eggs erged, smooth and heavy with weight and latent mana. Twenty in total, carefully laid out in a neat line on the polished stone floor.
The guild hall fell into a stunned hush.
Tiff stood frozen, mouth slightly agape. "You’re kidding..."
"Fifteen might have been a guess," Kai said casually. "Turns out it was twenty."
"Joel!"
A male receptionist bolted over from the other counter, nearly dropping the stack of parchnts he was carrying.
"Yes?"
"Scan them. Now."
Joel channeled light magic towards the eggs. Warm golden strands of illumination wrapped around each egg, revealing pulsing veins, slumbering fetuses, and tiny flickers of soul fla. His jaw dropped.
"Eighteen are viable," he said softly. "Two have no heartbeat, but... these are real. They’re all real."
Tiff stared at the eggs like they were bars of gold. "Get the Guildmaster. Now."
Joel didn’t need to be told twice.
While waiting, Kai leaned casually against the counter, arms folded, as if this wasn’t a politically explosive mont. Vepice stood beside him, quietly gripping the hem of her cloak.
"You okay?" Kai asked her quietly.
She nodded. "Just... watching."
"What do you see?"
Vepice’s voice was faint. "A thousand things I never thought I’d see."
Before he could answer, the heavy door to the back office opened, and the Guildmaster strode out, grey-bearded and broad-shouldered, dressed in deep navy robes lined with steel-threaded sigils. His eyes were sharp as ever, but widened slightly when he saw the eggs.
"I take it you’re here to fulfill your claim?" he asked.
Kai nodded.
The Guildmaster and Tiff turned around, leading Kai to one of the back rooms again. The mont Kai sat down, the Guildmaster continued speaking.
"You’ve outdone yourself. I suppose it’s ti to hold up our end. I can na you and your companion as Silver Sigil adventurers today, and you’ll receive a thousand gold for the eggs. The Kingdom’s wyvern fleet has been... underfunded. This changes things."
"I’m glad I could be of use," Kai said. "As for the coin, only half of it needs to co to ."
The Guildmaster’s brow lifted. "The rest... to her?" He eyed Vepice.
"No. Kleo Carmine, the other adventurer I defeated the wyverns with. She’ll be staying at the Eldridge estate."
"Very well. I’ll see to it myself."
"As for the Sigil rank," Kai added, "I assu you’ll need to test ?"
"Ordinarily, yes, but our ranking adjudicator is currently representing the Guild in the Arena of Kings. It would take so ti."
Kai’s lips twitched. "That’s convenient. I’ll be entering the arena myself."
"Under what na?"
Without a word, Kai activated his illusion and shifted. He made sure not to show his true face between the shift of faces. The new face was sharp-jawed and tanned, with stormy grey eyes and sandy hair. A face that hadn’t walked the streets in years.
"Alex Trunsdale," he said.
The Guildmaster chuckled. "Creative."
’Ah, so he knew the kid?’ Kai questioned internally.
"If I beat your adjudicator, or the one who defeats them, you’ll recognise the victory?"
"Of course. His na is Redford. You’ll know him by the flas. He doesn’t fight cleanly."
"Good," Kai said, eyes gleaming. "Neither do I."
---
As Kai and Vepice stepped out of the guildhall, dusk had begun to gather. The city lights flickered to life, glowing softly like stars fallen to earth.
"So... ’Alex Trunsdale’?" Vepice asked, amused.
Kai didn’t answer for a mont.
"He was real," he said. "I saw him in his grandmother’s mories. He’s been long-since dead, though."
"Should I be worried?" she asked.
Kai gave her a crooked smile. "Probably... nah, I didn’t kill him."
Reviews
All reviews (0)