The castle was buzzing harder than a bee orgy.
Zaiya walked through the stone halls with a confident sway in her hips, practically radiating energy. Her obsidian and crimson armor shimmered with enchantments, and both Kael and Thalor flanked her like the godsdamn divine consorts they now were.
"You're glowing," Gailia said, pausing mid strawberry chomp. "Like, you look like you ate happiness."
Zaiya smirked. "I did. Twice. And they're both walking beside me."
Kael growled low in his throat and winked, while Thalor merely smirked and nodded like the smug magical bastard he was.
They joined the breakfast table where the Six were already deep into chaos.
Kaleb had two kids hanging off his biceps, cheering as he flexed. Liam was sulking into his coffee until Rhiannan casually bit his earlobe and whispered something that made him groan audibly. Arwen was attempting to build a toast tower with enchanted butter that kept sliding off the bread, and Sable was actively threatening to burn the toast tower down with hellfire if it slid onto his lap one more time.
Mo? Oh Mo was currently giving the bacon a pep talk.
"Listen to me you salty greasy miracle, you don't burn on me today, I'm watching..."
"Mo," Reyna deadpanned, "are you fighting your breakfast again?"
"I fight for it, actually," he replied with dramatic flair, holding up a crispy piece like it was Excalibur. "And for the record, this bacon chose violence."
Reyna and Torvax sat nearby with their newly bonded third, the sassy water elemental beauty named Neriah, who was currently using magic to shape the syrup into tiny ocean waves on her waffle. "If anyone needs hydration before the trial, come see me," she said sweetly, winking at a nearby soldier who nearly fainted into his hashbrowns.
Zaiya slid into a seat beside Rhiannan and nodded respectfully. "We ready to light some souls on fire?"
Rhiannan grinned, her magic already sparkling at her fingertips. "You know it, Bloodrage."
She stood, brushing off crumbs and conjuring a floating projection of Faenet Live as a hush fell over the courtyard. Thousands were watching.
Rhiannan's Voice Amplified:
"Today we begin the second trial...the Trial by Flame.
This one's not for the faint of heart, or weak of will. It tests your heart, your magic, and your warrior spirit. This is where we separate the lucky from the legendary.
Only the elite will pass.
And if you're afraid...good. You should be.
The Goddess is watching. We all are."
The crowd roared.
Banners waved. People cheered. A fire elemental literally burst into flame from excitement (he was fine, he did that a lot apparently).
The countdown read: 1 HOUR.
While Rhiannan spoke with Sasha and the mages to finalize the arena, the Six scattered to help inspect every contestant for tampering, glyphs, dark marks, or hidden sabotage. This time, there would be no loopholes.
None of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows of the far turret.
Yet.
Zaiya strutted into the breakfast hall, her new mates flanking her like gods of war and sun. Her crimson dreadlocks bounced with every confident step, and her smile said one thing: she'd been thoroughly ruined last night...in the best way possible.
Kael, the lion shifter, glared down anyone who dared glance too long at his mate while still managing to wink at the kitchen maid. Thalor, the golden skinned Sun Elf warlock, trailed a warm hand along Zaiya's spine and whispered a joke in her ear that made her snort and swat him on the chest.
The six were already seated at the high table with Reyna, Torvax, and Nahlia. Rhiannan looked up and grinned. "Look who finally decided to get their asses out of bed."
"Some of us needed more recovery time than others," Kael said smoothly, smirking. "Your war room has very firm walls, by the way."
"Unlike Thalor," Zaiya shot back with a wink, making the table groan and laugh.
Mo nearly choked on her faeberry jelly toast. "I swear to gods, you people keep waking up the castle with your moaning. Sasha sent me an alert titled 'ALERT: THROES OF PASSION DRAGON WING LEVEL.'"
"I hope she recorded it," Thalor mused, taking a bite of buttered bread.
"She did," Sasha chimed through a nearby holopanel. "Rated it five stars. Would recommend again."
Kaleb grinned around a mouthful of eggs. "You're lucky I was too tired to get jealous last night."
Arwen reached for another slice of enchanted bacon. "Speak for yourself. I damn near punched the wall."
Liam sipped his coffee. "I'm just waiting for my turn to break something."
Rhiannan rolled her eyes. "Alright, you horny bastards, focus. We've got a goddess damned Trial of Flame to run today."
"Trial of Flame!" Mo announced, holding up a flaming scone dramatically. "We test the heart, the fire, the power, the BATTLE JUICE!"
"Battle juice?" Nahlia asked, blinking.
"He means magic," Reyna clarified, rubbing her temples.
Torvax just growled in approval. "I like him."
Once the laughter settled, Rhiannan stood and stepped up onto the platform Sasha had activated. The holopanels throughout the room came to life, streaming her image across Faenet.
"Attention to all remaining contestants," she began, voice amplified and full of divine confidence. "You have made it this far. That alone is worthy of praise. But today, we test more than survival. Today we test fire. Passion. Skill. Magic. Heart. Today is the Trial of Flame."
Faenet EXPLODED with hashtags:
#TrialOfFlame 🔥 #GoddessWatch 👑 #TeamNyxar 🖤 #TorvaxThirstTrap ❄️ #BlightEmberBurns 🔥 #SashaKnowsAll 📡
"Everyone must report for magical inspection within the hour," Rhiannan continued. "No sabotage. No markings. If you have a weird mole that starts whispering? Let us know. Sasha will be watching."
"I will," Sasha echoed ominously.
"Gear up. Hydrate. Pray to the gods or your lucky socks. And remember…"
She raised her cup of chaos coffee. "Only the fiercest will rise from these flames."
The castle burst into motion. Contestants lined up for inspections. Mo chased a squirrel who may or may not have been a shifter in disguise. Torvax showed off his axe and flexed shirtless, causing a spike in Faenet engagement. Kael and Thalor exchanged stories with the rebel leaders, and Zaiya...goddess bless her...kept running her fingers through her mates' hair like they were pets and she was the queen of the fucking world.
Rhiannan sat back beside Reyna, a little dazed, a little happy.
"Ready to burn the world down?" she asked.
Reyna smiled. "Only if it's in the name of something better."