“... armour check, you’re good, Martin,” said Frances, taking a step back.

Martin nodded and did an experimental check of his visor. “Thanks. Elizabeth, your armor’s looking good too. You might need to get that shield and chainmail replaced with something heavier, though.”

Elizabeth sighed. “I’d love to, but my armour stipend isn’t very big.”

“Wait, I thought they paid and equipped us,” said Frances.

“Yes, but to a limit. They know I have some room to grow and reforging armour… is expensive.” Elizabeth grumbled and tightened her belt. “I’ll manage for the moment.”

Ayax growled, “That’s stupid. Also, I should be coming with you.”

“Ayax, I’d love to have you with us, but if you forfeit, they might realize something is wrong.” Frances touched Ivy’s Sting briefly and glanced at Elizabeth. “If you need anything, Elizabeth, just tell me and I’ll ask Edana for help.”

“Thanks, Frances. Igraine has offered to help me out too, though. I’m just worried about our classmates.” Elizabeth took a deep breath and patted the coil of the rope she had hitched to her belt. “Alright, let’s go over the four big signals again. As agreed, Frances makes the final call. Let’s say she does this.”

Elizabeth stuck her index finger out and twirled it around, before using two fingers to point to a direction.

“Run,” said Frances.

“Get out,” said Martin. Elizabeth grinned. The knight said, “My turn. What’s the signal for capturing them alive?”

Frances and Elizabeth both pointed and then with one hand, made a chopping motion.

“Correct. Frances, your turn?” Martin said.

Frances pointed and then drew her hand across her neck as if slitting her throat.

“Eliminate,” said Martin.

“Kill them. God, I hope we don’t have to,” Elizabeth muttered. She took a deep breath, “Finally, what’s the signal for watch and listen?”

Both Martin and Frances both made a fist, before bringing it up to their ear. Elizabeth nodded and smiled, somewhat uneasily.

Ayax watched this all, her stoic expression looking very mask-like. Her arms crossed, her tail clinging close to her legs.

“Stay safe, please,” Ayax murmured, looking away.

“We will.” Frances hesitated, before raising her arms. Ayax smirked but embraced her cousin. “Go beat Ophelia.”

Ayax chuckled. “You will be avenged.”

Smiling briefly, the three teens left the room and headed to the stables of the Windwhistler house. Edana met them there. She was carrying a wooden box shut with a clasp, which she offered them.

“Alexander will track James from his house. You’re following Basil who is still at his house. When they meet up with their contact, you can record them with this.” Edana opened the box to show a crystal potion jar closed by a crystal stopper. “Take off the stopper and just channel magic into it to activate it. It’ll record their voice in the direction of the lid.”

“Thanks, mom.” Frances hugged her mother, savouring her tender touch, and the kiss that she planted on her brow. “Is everybody on alert?”

Edana winked and showed her daughter that she was carrying Poker. “Yes. We have people guarding important targets like the harbour, the city square, our houses, and our ships.” She pursed her lips. “Half of the Windwhistler Strike Fleet is actually on patrol outside Erlenberg, in case the Alavari decide to launch a sneak attack.”

“That’s good. I’ll see you soon, mom. Say hi to Grandmother for me,” said Frances.

With that, the group got onto a carriage, to whatever the day was going to bring.

Basil lived with the rest of the Voidsailors in a massive mansion and grounds surrounded by a great iron and brick fence. From what they could see past the barren, but still thick hedges and snow-capped trees that provided privacy for the grounds, the place was more like a palace.

While it wasn’t against the law to be armed, once the carriage carried them to the mansion, the three companions made sure to hide their armour and arms under heavy winter fur coats. They also made sure not to loiter just around the entrance but did several circuits.

Basil, in a dark green coat with ermine lining, left while the trio was passing by the front entrance. He glanced over his shoulder, but the three didn’t react other than to continue their path.

Only when did he start to walk did they all breathe out and begin to follow him.

Igraine had given Elizabeth in training on how to follow targets, which was proving useful because there weren’t a lot of people on the streets. Many were at the tournament or celebrating the winter indoors. The three thus kept their distance.

There were some close calls. Basil sometimes looked back over his shoulder, at which, the teens had to act natural and continue to walk toward the man as if nothing was wrong. That also meant though that they sometimes had to vary their lineup.

At one point, Frances cast an illusion spell to change the colour of their fur coats and released it later. They weren’t a hundred percent sure that the Voidsailor hadn’t noticed, but he didn’t make a sign he had.

Then Basil made a left turn off of the main street into a smaller side-street.

Still following him from a distance, the teens peeked around the corner to find him entering a house. It was a row house, similar to a modern world townhouse, with a small courtyard in front, barred by an iron gate. Basil closed the gate behind him and went inside.

Frances motioned her friends to halt and pulled out her mirror. Focusing on it, she thought of Alexander, who had a similar mirror.

“Alexander, we’ve tracked Basil to a small rowhouse on Hightail street Are you there?”

“Yes. We’re on the rooftops. We tracked James to that same house. Do you see me up here?”

Frances looked up and saw Alexander’s hand waving from just over the roof ledge. After a brief look around to check if anybody was watching them. Frances whispered, “I see you. We’ll attempt to infiltrate and record.”

“Got it. Fire a signal flare if you need assistance. Good hunting,” said Alexander.

Taking a deep breath, Frances glanced at Martin and Elizabeth who nodded. They headed for the house.

Unlocking the courtyard door was simple. While Frances watched the windows, which were all curtained, Martin watched the streets, and Elizabeth picked the lock. They slid in, closing the door without a sound behind them.

“I have point,” Elizabeth hissed.

They advanced to the ground floor windows of the house. They weren’t curtained and revealed a small lounge room. Frances slowly pushed the window shutters up with her magic, and Martin helped Elizabeth hop in. The Otherworlder helped pull her friends in and the three tip-toed into the house.

In the lounge room, they’d come into, the furniture showed an unusual lack of use. A thin layer of dust covered everything from chair to table, to sofa.

Without a sound, using hand signals and taps on their shoulders to communicate, the three crept out of the lounge into the foyer. They could hear voices now, frustrated and loud, coming from the ground floor dining room toward the back of the house. The sounds were being channelled to the foyer by the hallway.

Creeping by the wall, with Elizabeth leading, the trio came down the hallway and halted just before the hallway turned right to the dining room. They could hear the speakers quite clearly now, so Frances pulled out the recording device and began to pour magic into it.

“Don’t blame me. I’ve been staying low and within my own contacts. You two were careless,” hissed a woman with a husky voice.

“Look, Basil, Aiva, it doesn’t matter who is to blame. We have a problem. We now know that what’s going on today will immediately cast us in suspicion. How do we resolve that?” an older man asked.

Today? Frances swallowed but continued to focus on pushing her magic into the device.

“Basil, does your family suspect you or are they just rumours?” Aiva asked.

“Father… might. He’s angry at me. Same with my older brother and a number of my other family,” said Basil.

Aiva purred thoughtfully,“Hmm, your wife?”

There was a loud sigh. “She understands what is at stake for Erlenberg if we don’t assist you and Thorgoth.”

“That’s very worrying, Basil. It’s just rumors on my end but you’re saying Oscar suspects you?” said the older male.

“Yes, James. It’s bad. Worst comes to worst you shouldn’t step in to protect me. It’ll just draw more suspicion.”

“That we can agree.” Aiva paused. “I think the best way is to extract you and your family and let you be the scapegoat. That’ll take the heat off of James. Thankfully, because of the operation today we have enough assets in town to get you out tonight.”

“We can’t just steal one of the ships?”

“No. This is a smash-and-grab raid on as many ships as possible in Erlenberg harbour. We won’t have anybody there left to steal any more vessels. Just enough to get you and your immediate family on a small boat out of here,” Aiva explained.

As Martin and Elizabeth froze, Frances nearly lost concentration on her magic as everything clicked.

Of course, the Alavari were after Erlenberg’s ships. They were Erlenberg’s greatest military asset. They could prevent, or severely hinder an invasion of the republic. They could launch raids on the Alavari. They were the lifeline of trade between the human kingdoms.

“I still have no idea how you are going to be able to pull this off, even with my fleet conveniently in port and the crew on leave,” James said.

Aiva laughed, a deep almost bassy sound from deep in her chest. “Let’s say that the mercenaries you put me in contact with helped a lot, so thank you for that. Basil, you better get going, though. You need to pack. James, I’m going to go over instructions on what to do after the raid and what to say, so that you don’t draw too much attention, alright?”

Frances stopped recording and tapped Elizabeth’s shoulder to get her attention. She raised her hand, pointed at the entrance to the dining room and chopped down.

Elizabeth and Martin nodded in confirmation, and the three moved forward.

The plan to breach into the dining room was simple. Elizabeth had family members that worked as police officers and they had told her how to use flashbangs. Now, there was no such device in Durannon. However, Frances could cast a spell into the room that would produce a flash and a loud bang.

The only problem was that it needed to be charged. So Elizabeth and Martin took positions in front of Frances as she took a deep breath, pulled her wand out, and sang.

“What the… what’s that noise?” Basil asked. Frances flowed from note to note, watching the bright white ball of energy build at the tip of her wand.

“It’s… a mage casting. You were followed! You fucking idiots!” Aiva roared.

Frances finished the last note and made a flinging motion with Ivy’s Sting, sending the ball flying into the room. The trio could hear the sound of chairs being scraped before a bright white flash and a sound like the bang of a pop gun but magnified a hundred times, shook the house.

The teens charged in, rounding the corner to take their targets in custody.

The three had been sitting in the kitchen-dining room area around a small table, which did have a back door out of the house. Basil was clutching his ears, yelling incoherently. James was on his feet and was charging at Elizabeth, drawing a dagger from his belt. He made a wild stab. Elizabeth grabbed onto the half-orc’s shoulder and wrist and flung him into the ground.

The half-troll half-orc woman, who had to be Aiva, had a bright green magic shield up, and a wand in her hand. She was staggering, but somehow she yelled a Word of Power.

Frances threw her magic into armour and pushed Martin aside. Aiva’s green arrow smashed into the blue shields of the magical brigandine and thrust the smaller girl back, but she kept her balance. The troll-orc, snarling, ran ducking under a sword swing from Martin. She couldn’t quite dodge his follow-up cut, however.

Aiva let out a feral cry that didn’t seem quite normal, as the blade cut deep into her shoulder. Yet, amazingly, she didn’t stop moving. She threw a series of knives at Martin’s face, forcing the knight to dodge. He hadn’t put his visor down because he needed to see. Frances fired a bolt of magic that hit the Alavari’s shoulder, spinning her around.

And yet the troll-orc powered on, throwing the back door open and dropping a vial onto the ground. As it smashed open, smoke poured out, blinding Frances and her friends as she escaped.

Frances was about to run after her, but Elizabeth grabbed her shoulder. “Frances, we can leave Alexander to chase her, we need more information about the attack and let everybody know.”

Nodding, Frances spun on her heels and raced back into the house. James was still unconscious, but Martin had Basil at swordpoint.

“Talk! What do you know about the attack?”

“What attack?” Basil yelled loudly, hands still nursing his ears.

“We have a recording of your involvement. Talk or it’ll be worse for you!” Martin bellowed.

Basil, although still groggy, seemed to curl up as he began to process what Martin said. “Aiva didn’t tell us everything. We just know several teams are heading to burn as many ships they can get their hands on and steal the best ones. Those belonging to the Seaskimmers and Windwhistlers.”

Frances paused as she opened her mirror. She knew she was still missing information and her lack of experience with naval warfare wasn’t helping. Any attempt to steal, even to burn the ships in Erlenberg was going to be opposed. The Alavari must have a backup somehow, or a plan to mitigate that.

Shoving those thoughts aside for a moment, Frances focused on her mirror and watched as Alexander’s face came into view. “Alexander, we’ve got the recording. Are you chasing the one who ran from the house?”

“I have people on it. What happened?” demanded the troll.

“James and Basil were meeting with an Alavari agent, but we had to move in to capture them because they are going to raid the ships in the harbour right now. They’re prioritizing capture or destruction of warships.”

The troll stared, and lightly slapped his own cheek. “I’ll alert the port, and muster our soldiers. You alert Edana and then get yourself over there now! Use the horses we brought, they’re at the street entrance with a guard!”

“Yes sir!” Frances saluted.

Ayax stared a smirking Ophelia down, her staff at the ready. The referee was reading out the rules to the two contestants.

The troll knew this fight wasn’t important. Her cousin, her friends and one of her new fathers were fighting the actual battle. She knew she shouldn’t be so distracted, but she was worried for them all.

It was nice that her other new dad, Dom, was in the stands. He was unmistakable. Somehow he was styling a purple suit and looked good in it and was holding a huge placard with Ayax’s name written in glitter across it. Oh, and he’d also paid for the seats behind him to be vacated so that the spectators behind him weren’t blocked.

That was how Ayax saw Edana spring to her feet, holding a hand mirror, her face pale. Grand-aunt Eleanor looked up, confused, but her daughter yelled something to her that seemed to galvanize every single Windwhistler sitting around them to rise to their feet and clamber towards the exits.

“M’am, I’m sorry to interrupt, but something’s wrong,” said Ayax.

The referee glared at Ayax. “Miss, this is the Winter Tournament, a sacred—”

That was when her adoptive father, Dom, who’d run to the edge of the stands and yelled, “Ayax, hang the Tournament! They’re burning the ships in the harbour!”

She didn’t think twice. Ayax ran toward the wall, ignoring the yells of the referee, and singing, made a leap. Her magic threw her up toward the wall, where her father caught her and pulled her onto the stands. They raced up to the exit.

Yet, even as Ayax felt her boots slap against the ground, she could see a change in the Tawantinsuyu Memorial Stadium. A wave of panic, of people screaming, of people racing for the exits as the news spread like wildfire.

They plunged through the tunnels and into the sunlight. Obstructed by buildings, Ayax could see a column of smoke starting to rise in the distance.

“Dad, we’re never going to make the—” Ayax blinked as stablehands led a horse carriage to them. “What the—”

“A just in case. Ayax you’re with me. Mom, send us as many reinforcements as we can,” Edana said. She leapt into the carriage and Ayax numbly followed her.

Eleanor, voice thick with emotion, cried out, “Edana, stay safe. Go!” She shut the door and Ayax heard her yell something to the carriage driver, who cracked his whip.

The carriage shot forward, bumping up and down the cobblestone roads and Ayax had to try to find her balance in the carriage. When she did, she found herself staring as Edana began to rip off her day dress, revealing she had a shirt and trousers underneath.

“Ayax, quit staring and help me into my armour! It’ll be hard enough trying to get it on in a carriage!” Edana yelled, the dress still over her head.

Ayax nodded and did her best to try, but the older woman was moving so much faster, the best she could do was undo some ties. “Where’s your armour—”

“Chest to my left! Gambeson first, then leg greaves!” The troll found the chest on the carriage floor, and opened to find armour clearly meant to evoke that of a dragon, and obediently helped the Firehand get into gear.

The Firehand shut the visor to her dragon-headed helm and snapped, “Right, you’re next, chest underneath your seat. Move!”

After some shuffling, Ayax pulled the seat cover open and found a quilted jacket and helmet.

“It’s not much, but it’ll offer some protection. Stay close to me, or Frances’s group.” Edana paused and suddenly grabbed Ayax’s shoulders. “Ayax, if you don’t want to fight, you need to tell me now. We might be fighting Alavari. There’s no shame in refusing.”

“I’ve killed, aunt—”

“In rage, out of vengeance and not in a war. You’re headed into a war,” Edana hissed.

“Like my cousin and my friends, like my father once did. I can take it. I’m not sitting this one out.”

The scary, armoured form of one of the most powerful mages in Durannon, sagged. “A Windwhistler through and through. Now, don’t do anything stupid, and protect yourself first and foremost.”

Ayax suddenly didn’t feel so sure of her decision. There was a gravity in Edana’s advice to her. Yet, the thought of her cousin and friends going to battle without her… in her home… that was an anathema to her.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” Edana threw the carriage window open and looked through. “Driver, I’m coming up!” Chanting a song, the Firehand flew up to the carriage seat. Ayax had to shut the door and wait, teeth chattering all the way, as the carriage flew toward its destination.

To war.