The road to Cindralis stretched endlessly ahead, a long ribbon of dirt and stone winding through the verdant hills. The sky hung heavy with clouds, threatening rain but never quite delivering it, as if the heavens themselves hesitated to burden the travellers any more than they already carried.
Leon kicked a stray rock ahead of him with a grumble. His pack felt twice as heavy as it had this morning, and every step seemed to drag.
"Tell me again why we're walking to Solmaria instead of just teleporting there like sensible people," Leon muttered, glaring at the road as if it had personally offended him. "We have arcane casters. We've done it before. Why the hell are we slogging through mud like peasants?"
At that, half the Crimson Vow turned to him with varying degrees of exasperation and amusement.
"Because," Lyra started in her usual calm, knowing tone, "Arcane spatial manipulation isn't as simple as you make it sound, Leon."
Selene snorted. "Yeah, unless you want to wind up fused with a tree trunk or halfway inside a boulder. Which, actually, sounds like a fitting end for you."
Leon shot her a look. "I'm just saying it could be faster."
"Faster to the afterlife, maybe," Iris added with a smirk, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"Spatial gates require fixed anchors on both sides," Lyra continued, patient as ever, though a teasing smile tugged at her lips. "The last time we used one, it was a pre-established path created by the Mage Order. Out here? No anchors. No sigils. One miscalculation and—"
She sliced a finger across her throat for emphasis.
Velis, trailing a few paces behind with Sylva, said nothing, but her faint smile suggested she found the conversation entertaining in its own way. Kieran, walking lazily with his hands behind his head, shrugged.
"I don't know," the rogue mused. "I'd pay good coin to see Leon stuck halfway through a rock. Just for the comedy value."
Leon grumbled something under his breath.
"It's also exhausting," Sylva added quietly. "Long-distance spatial magic drains the caster's life force if done without proper conduits. It's why only high-circle arcanists and court magi attempt it regularly. We're better off walking."
Leon sighed dramatically. "Magic sucks."
"You use magic," Iris pointed out.
"Reinforcement magic," Leon shot back. "You don't see me tearing holes in the fabric of reality, do you?"
"That's because you'd botch it and vaporize us all," Selene said, grinning.
Lyra's voice softened as she spoke again. "Besides, traveling like this lets us stay under the radar. You remember what happened last time we drew attention in a border town."
A grim silence fell for a beat too long before Kieran, ever the defuser, piped up.
"Hey, did you know in the old texts, elemental casters were called the 'Swordless Knights'? Because their magic was considered noble combat?"
Selene rolled her eyes. "And then history realized a fireball to the face isn't exactly chivalrous."
A collective chuckle rose around the group.
Leon gave in with a half-smile. "Fine. But when my feet fall off, I expect Velis to carry me."
Velis didn't so much as glance at him, but she did give a small, almost imperceptible nod that left Leon feeling strangely unsettled.
As they walked, Kieran sidled up next to Leon, keeping his voice low. "You really don't pay attention in Lyra's lessons, do you?"
"Lessons are boring," Leon replied. "I get by fine with my fists and reinforcement spells."
Kieran laughed softly. "It's not just about throwing magic around. Elemental magic's the flashy one — fire, lightning, ice — you see it in the arenas. Arcane's more subtle. Spatial rifts, illusions, reinforcement. Trickery and precision over brute force."
"Divine magic's rarer," Leon said, proving he did, in fact, retain some knowledge. "Mostly healers and clerics."
"Right. Then there's Blood Magic. That one's all deals and sacrifices. Messy stuff. Only cultists and dark sorcerers touch it."
"And Forbidden Magic," Leon finished, his voice dropping. "That's the one no one talks about. The one that warps reality."
"Smart boy," Kieran smirked. "Even knowing a name of a Forbidden spell is supposed to invite misfortune. The demons still practice it, though. Supposedly."
Leon thought about Velis for a moment. How her power never quite felt like anything else he'd seen. She claimed Arcane magic, but sometimes… sometimes it felt older. Hungrier.
He let the thought pass.
* * * * *
By dusk, the road turned to gravel and thorny scrub. The group made camp beneath a craggy outcropping of stone. As they ate, Lyra produced an old, tattered map.
"We'll reach Cindralis by midday tomorrow," she announced. "From there, we resupply, gather information, and move on to Solmaria."
"Good," Darius grunted. "I'm tired of chasing ghosts."
Leon watched the flickering firelight dance across the map's surface. Lines and markings hinted at places not listed on modern charts. He caught a faded note scrawled in the margins.
'Beware the Hollow Forest. The sleepers stir.'
A chill ran up his spine, though no one else seemed to notice.
As the fire burned lower, he caught Velis watching him again from across the flames. Silver eyes reflecting the light, face unreadable.
Leon looked away first.
* * * * *
Kieran, who had been quiet for most of the walk, glanced sideways at Lyra, who trailed slightly behind the others as usual. She was toying with the chain on her wrist again, her pale face unreadable.
He fell into step beside her, keeping his voice low. "Hey. Been wondering… how'd you and Velis meet?"
Lyra's fingers stilled. She didn't look up, but after a long pause, she answered, voice barely a whisper.
"She… found me. On the outskirts of Eldoria. I was… hurt. She treated my wounds."
Kieran arched a brow. "Huh. And you took her in just like that?"
Lyra gave a tiny nod. "Yeah. Said she didn't have anyone either. She was an orphan."
Kieran frowned at that. Something about it felt… off. "So both of you were out there alone? And now you're traveling together?"
Lyra said nothing.
"She's strong for a kid," Kieran pressed, his voice soft but edged with curiosity. "Where'd she learn to fight like that?"
"I… don't know," Lyra replied after a long moment. "It just… happened."
Another lie. Smoothly spoken, but Kieran caught the flicker in her eyes. She wasn't good at lying — not to him.
He was about to press further, to toss out another question and pry a little deeper, when Velis's voice rang out ahead.
"We've made it."
The group slowed as they crested a gentle rise. There, stretched out before them, was the city of Cindralis.
Stone walls framed the city's outer limits, with watchtowers dotting the perimeter like silent sentinels. The warm glow of lanterns lit the main gates as the evening bells tolled faintly in the distance.
A soft ripple of relief passed through the group.
"Finally," Leon muttered, though his voice lacked its earlier bite.
As they began the final stretch toward the city, Kieran cast one last glance at Lyra. She kept her eyes fixed ahead, silent as ever.
He wasn't sure what it was she was hiding — but whatever it was, it wouldn't stay buried forever.