Every floor of the Towers of Day or Night has an area called the Wilds. It is an untameable land, but those with the will to do so can live there indefinitely. The reason their will rarely lasts more than a few months is that they’ve left behind unresolved issues. Their failure is because they lack a pure heart and a clear mind.

~Cernunnos, Lord of the Wild Things

After burying Barnes, Crow’s heart wasn’t in the Yule festival. The Maddox clan had all gathered, and many people were laughing and exchanging gifts. Plenty of others were drinking and dancing. They even hired some people to produce snow. It was nearly perfect.

It was just that this was the first time he truly lost someone close to him. Losing his mother was hard, but he knew she was still alive. Now that Barnes had died, it shattered the naïve belief that no one he loved could die. He worried more now than ever about his mother and father.

“Did you give out all your gifts?” Mara asked, approaching him from behind. Her voice was soft, as she knew what had happened. She wasn’t sure how to talk to him, so she chose not to bring up Barnes at all.

“All but one,” he said, handing over a small box.

She opened it and saw a wood carving. The base looked like water, and out of it came the top half of a woman, her wet clothes tightly clung to her. It was the day they were swimming in the hidden valley. There was no face on the woman, but Mara instantly knew it was her. As she held it, she could feel it calming her heart, filling her with happiness and a sense of oneness with the world.

“Pervert,” she muttered, but tears rolled down her face. Crow gently wiped them away, but her eyes never left her gift. It was the best thing anyone had ever given her. As her aura synced with it, she could feel magic inside of it connecting her. However, she couldn’t help but notice the amount of detail he put into her bust and burst out laughing.

Crow looked over and then down at the curvy figuring and laughed along with her.

“Are things well with you and your sister?” Crow asked.

“I didn’t have time to thank you. It was the best gift I’ve ever received until this one. We talked for hours, and she even asked about us. Before we parted, she wanted me to tell you she was sorry about what she did to Song Xue. She always regretted doing that.”

“I’m glad you two are talking.”

“I’m grateful that you apologized to her first. I know that wasn’t easy, but I’ve engraved it into my heart,” Mara grinned. “How about the Song sisters? What did you do for them?”

“Don’t get jealous…” Crow said and told her what she gifted them. Mara’s eyes widened and she started laughing.

“You really are going to be hard to deal with, Golden Mouth.” Was Mara’s response.

***

Song Xue was in the hidden courtyard, practicing with her daggers. Even after Song Lin arrived, she didn’t stop, nor did she speak. The whole place was colder than outside, and it was snowing out because of Yule.

“You really will not see him? It might be your last chance for the next two years.” Song Lin asked. She wasn’t sure what to do. On the one hand, she pined after that foolish boy. Despite the way he ravaged her, there were many intimate moments between the peaks and valleys of their passion. Things that even made her blush thinking about. She was human and had desires like one, but she stayed away. Not that she feared Crow would do or say something, and she was sure he wouldn’t even blame her for ignoring him. It was all because of Song Xue.

Song Lin knew something else had happened that day but didn’t know what. Her sister had changed and became colder, and there was no way it was because of the incident. Lin knew her sister, had raised her like a daughter and knew every bit of her personality.

“He left you a gift,” Song Lin finally said, and that seemed to spark interest.

“He gave you one too, right?”

“Talk to me. What is your problem, really? You already told me that as long as you were first in his heart, that it was enough. The whole time we… did that, he worried about you. Knowing what he did—it doesn’t matter, he doesn’t deserve your wrath.”

“Not that easy. I’m confused. I don’t know why I’m angry. I just don’t know why y-you did that with him.”

“It had to be done. Maybe I could have used a local tramp, but they’d have blabbed and hurt his reputation. Who could have done it? I’m sorry for lying to you about what would happen. I offered him a way out, but he really didn’t have another choice. He wanted to be stronger to protect you—us, everyone.”

Song Xue’s shoulders sagged. It was all so reasonable, but she couldn’t let go of the anger. It wasn’t even jealousy—it felt like hate, which conflicted with how she really felt. She always felt like Crow belonged to her, but she knew she couldn’t have gone through what Song Lin did. She wasn’t stupid and saw Lin’s body afterward. Even empathized with the physical and mental trauma and event like that had on Song Lin.

“In this life,” Song Lin said softly to her sister. “You will always be first in my heart. I’m in a marriage agreement I have no way out of—short of killing that man. I have no way of having happiness. You are like my daughter, and everything I do has always been for you.”

Song Xue turned and ran over to her sister, throwing herself into her arms.

“It’ll be fine,” Song Xue muttered, still clinging to her sister. “He can suffer without my presence a few more days.”

“No, he can’t,” Song Lin sighed. “Haven’t you read the note he left at least?”

“No…”

“He has become the disciple of a wandering expert. He leaves as soon as he is out of the trial. With his condition, early elimination is all but certain. He’ll leave before you even finish your trial.”

Song Xue’s heart fell out of her chest. Running back to her room, with Song Lin in tow. She first flipped open the lid of the long box sitting on her bed. Both girls saw an exquisite bow carved out of white wood with a wolf’s head carved into it. Along the flat front side of the recurve bow, she saw letters she recognized as the ancient language of the Droiadh.

Song Lin traced her fingers across the beautiful bow and felt the cold icy energy hidden within. “By the gods, did he make this?”

Song Xue tore open the card that came with it and immediately saw Crow’s sloppy handwriting. He thought his penmanship was amazing, but she never had the heart to tell him it was awful.

My Faelan,

I’ve thought about what to give you and realized your biggest weakness was your lack of range. You are a huntress, a wolf, and every huntress needs a bow. I made this bow from Winter Ice Yew, which is augmented by your natural affinity with ice. It will both calm your heart and hide your aura.

I call it the Snow Wolf’s Bite in remembrance of the bite you left on me. If that bite is the last gift I ever receive from you, I don’t blame you, and I’ll keep it forever.

We are bonded, linked beyond the heavens, I’m sure of this. You were right. I’m too weak to fight fate and the heavens in my current condition. I must retreat to go forward, which is something I fear more than everything I’ve faced. I fear that by doing this, I might lose you forever. And staying, I fear that I’ll harm your own growth and still lose you forever.

Knowing we must separate for a time saddens me. I wish I could stay by your side indefinitely. Wish I could go back to being that little kid chasing you around the courtyard. The boy that danced with the most beautiful girl in the history of all Flower Festivals.

Wait for me,

Crow

A sob escaped Song Xue’s lips, followed by another, and tears poured down her face. Song Lin was there and hugged her sister while reading the letter. Not even Lin could prevent herself from crying. It was a beautiful letter and very much represented how Crow treated those he saw as family. Song Lin’s letter from him was just as sentimental, and she couldn’t help but feel her heart pounding thinking about the words he’d written her. If she had been on the fence about her feelings for Crow, that had ended the moment she found a carved figurine in her gift box.

“What did he give you?”

“A carving. Somehow, he carved our mother. It doesn’t have a face, but the aura is definitely her.” Song Lin pulled it out for Xue’er to see. It was a woman dressed in a simple robe. In her hand was an object that felt like both a flower and a sword. It gave off a majestic aura, like that of a benevolent queen.

“That’s mom?”

“It is.”

“How did he do that?”

“I do not know. If I were to guess, fate brought us here a long time ago, so we’d cross paths with him. Maybe he was always destined to be our savior. I don’t know how else he could achieve this. He also gave us these.” Song Lin pulled out two wooden tokens with a seemingly simple Celtic Knot carved into them. “He calls them Soul Tokens. If you smear your blood on it and push your Source energy into it, it takes an imprint of your soul. It can locate you, and if you die, the token will shatter.”

Song Xue took one and did as instructed before handing it over to Song Lin, who did the same thing.

“Go. See him before the trial.”

“He said—I can’t. I want to, but something is wrong with me. If I see him, I might do something I’ll regret.”

“He only said that he had to leave. He never said that you two couldn’t talk. No matter what happens, I doubt he’d ever be able to escape you,” Song Lin chuckled.

Song Xue blushed. “Did-did it hurt?”

Song Lin flushed pink, knowing what her sister was asking, but nodded.

“What is on your foolish mind?” Song Lin coughed, not comfortable with the question. “It’ll hurt, but not like… that. Stop messing with me. I love you, but right now, you need to go talk to him. No matter how you feel right now, trust me, don’t let him leave wondering. At the very least, say goodbye.”

“Fine, but I know you’ve been avoiding him because of me. No man will ever split us sisters up, so you have to go talk to him too.”

“I will now go.” Song Lin shoved Xue’er out the door. “You better thank him for that bow.” She shouted at Song Xue’s parting back.

Stepping out of the private lodge, she saw that someone had summoned snow for this affair. It had snowed long enough that the ground cover rose above her ankles. She’d always loved the snow and raised her head to look up into the boughs of Father Oak. Taken by the mesmerizing beauty of the snow falling among the floating lanterns that were now giving off a blue light. They looked like stars in the sky. The winter landscape was magical.

Not even realizing she was doing it, she turned multiple times and danced in the snow. The snowflakes swirled around her as she moved, and she laughed in pure joy. During one of her turns, she stumbled, and warm hands caught her. Crow’s face was before her own, somehow always there when she needed him. Her hand rested on his chest, their breath fogged and intermingled.

The anger and hate and the confusing feelings she’d felt since the Shores slowly disappeared. It was like watching a wound heal before her eyes. No power could undo their bond, and she now knew it was foolish to try. But this was the first time she really felt it, and she suddenly realized that Crow’s incident that night wasn’t so simple. He hadn’t told her everything that happened—no, that’s not fair. She never gave him the chance to explain, and he shouldered the pain without complaint.

“Nothing to say?” She asked breathlessly, realizing she was still in his arms and made no attempt to leave them.

He put his forehead against hers, and his warm green eyes stared into her ice blue ones. “I’m afraid to say the wrong thing.”

“Don’t be, little bird. I’ve been a fool,” she whispered. “Do you really see me that way? Like your letter?”

“Always,” Crow smiled.

Following her own instincts, she kissed him. Her cool lips against his fiery ones and felt him tense slightly before giving himself all to her. The snow continued to fall, and it seemed like the moment could last forever. Crow wished it’d last forever. Song Xue pulled away from the kiss and rested her head against his chest, and he held her. Neither saying anything, just letting the snow cover them.

Finally, Song Xue sighed and nuzzled against him before pushing him away. “The bow… Snow Wolf’s Bite?”

Crow laughed awkwardly. “It is a recurve bow. Each piece of wood was Soul Carved alternating between ice and aura concealment. As long as your opponent isn’t a grade higher than you, they won’t be able to sense you.”

“It is too precious—”

“No, it isn’t. Faelan?” Crow asked and pulled a pin out of her hair. It was one he noticed before with a wolf’s head on one end. “May I take this with me? Two years isn’t a long time, but…”

“Pfft, you already took it and messed up my hair.” Song Xue’s eyes softened. “Don’t lose it, or I’ll never forgive you. My sister said it was my dad’s.”

Crow’s hand curled around it protectively. “Wait for the day I return it.”

“Mmnn,” Song Xue smiled and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. “I will always wait for you. Don’t let me down.”

It was a picturesque sight that would stay with Crow for the years to come. Moments later, the doorway was empty, and Crow was left alone in the courtyard.

“Good,” Otto said, slapping him on the back. Crow did not know where the big guy even came from and nearly shouted out loud because he was so startled. “Now talk Song Lin. Fix.”

“You are a pain in the ass, big brother. Stop being so sneaky. I don’t like it,” Crow grinned, and Otto laughed. “I got something for you, too, big guy.”

Crow pulled out a carving made from a lightning-infused wood that he’d coerced out of Mugna. The design was the Druid’s Double Spiral, which was meant to balance opposing forces. Crow had no idea why that design came out, and stranger still, he felt compelled to coil wire around the spirals. It hung from a leather thong so Otto could wear it around his neck.

Either way, holding it filled Crow with the desire to battle. It had gained a pretty intense battle intent. The moment Otto grabbed it, Crow could practically see the cloudiness fading from Otto’s eyes.

“Otto like. Think better. What do?”

“I imbued it with my battle intent from my first arena fight, and add that with the lightning-infused Ashwood, it felt like it was meant for you. Capturing battle intent would have destroyed normal wood, so I’m not sure why this type of wood was necessary. The effect is minor, but later I’ll create a better one for you.”

“No. This good. Better. Not want fight. Want think. Otto thank—”

“Don’t insult me. We are brothers. No thanks needed. Also, while you are at Sky Torn Sect, look for lightning abilities or techniques. I have a feeling they’ll help you greatly.”

“Elder give technique,” Otto held up the technique from inside the Sweet Onion. The one that Otto found when they’d gone to the upper floors. Elder Quinn mentioned vetting Otto, so they must have decided to let him have it.

“Good, what does that do?”

“See.” Otto handed it over.

The technique was called Little Man Big Fist, which seemed silly at first. When he read what it did, Crow couldn’t help but shiver. If Otto could learn this, he’d be frightening. The gist of the technique was to shrink or condense one’s body to give their attacks explosive power. Otto was still growing, and if he shrunk down to Crow’s height, that would make his already powerful strength grow nearly exponentially. The downside was the more mass he tried to condense, the harder it became.

Crow couldn’t find Song Lin, so he went to the only place he hadn’t checked yet, the House of Danu.

***

Song Lin felt listless, and her thoughts kept drifting to Crow. She came to the House of Danu to distract herself, but she struggled to focus on her alchemy. It was because Crow would leave after the trial, and she wasn’t sure if she’d get to talk to him before then.

Luthais had come to check on the patients and to pass out some gifts. Seeing Song Lin, he could tell by her posture that she was distracted and whatever she was creating probably would fail. More than that, he was a Medik, and he knew the body better than anyone, so he was aware that she’d lost her virginity recently. Once he realized it, a strange thought came to him, which he tried to dismiss, but he couldn’t shake it.

Crow walked in and saw Luthais first, and while he greeted him, Song Lin’s mixture became unstable. Luthais’ head snapped toward the mana fluctuations only to see Song Lin staring at Crow. It was at that moment that he realized his idea wasn’t as far-fetched as he thought. After the mixture was destroyed, all three of them were looking back and forth between each other. Luthais finally spoke.

“Speak, what is this?”

“Err…” Crow’s face went bright red.

“It was a necessary step for his cultivation,” Song Lin said.

“Crow, after all she’s done for you, you—”

“Uncle, you misunderstand,” Crow said hurriedly.

“Be calm, Luthais. I knew this would happen and allowed it. Please don’t mention it to anyone, and Crow has already said I’ll be his second wife. I’m willing.” Song Lin’s quiet voice was like a bomb in the room.

“S-second wife?” Luthais asked.

“My sister, she claims first. Their bond is strong enough that no one else dares claim first. Not even that Mara woman.”

“Woah—what!?” Crow asked, not sure what the hell was going on anymore.

Luthais looked between the two and thought about what was just said and then looked at Crow’s confused face once more. A squeaking sound escaped his lips.

“Uncle? Are you well—”

“HA HAHAHA!” Luthais’ laughter boomed throughout all of the House of Danu. Even the patients that were lying in near lethargic states perked up. “Damn, boy. Not even your father has your kind of fearlessness.”

Luthais kept laughing, and Crow looked at Song Lin, not sure what was happening. She smiled sweetly at him and moved to stand closer to him.

“Go on, go talk,” Crow’s uncle finally stated after catching his breath. “And Crow, you’d best be very careful. Women might not have the physical power of a man, but most are more fierce and deadly if crossed.”

“Lute!” Song Lin snapped. The older man’s eyes went round, and he backed up a step.

“See,” he whispered conspiratorially. Then he shook his head, still smiling, and walked back to the front of the healing house.

“Come on,” she grabbed Crow’s arm and drug him into her alchemy lab. It was sealed and soundproof. The room had to be strong enough to survive a blast. Mixtures were okay outside of this room because they wouldn’t explode. Using advanced alchemy techniques required more protection. Even the lab down in the False Dawn’s workshop had many formations for this reason.

Once the door was shut, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

“I was wondering if you’d come to see me,” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

“I only held off because I didn’t want to anger Song Xue anymore than she was, but I didn’t want to leave without talking to you first. She seems to be…better.”

“What really happened with you two?”

“Do you believe karma between people can be severed?”

“While that is a scary thought, I’m not sure. My people believe you can balance the scales with someone and renounce all ties. This is considered severing karma with a person. I personally don’t believe it’s so easy.”

“Something tried to destroy the connection between us. At first, I thought it might be the heavens, but now I have my doubts. Regardless, it damaged our bond. The vision I received was concerning that event. I think it was some cosmic balancing of the scales. Giving me a way to see how to fix the damage done.”

Crow was finding it hard to focus. Her body was pressed against his, and he could smell the fragrant plants she’d been working with mixed with her sweet smell. His hands clenched her robes a little tighter and pressed their bodies together even more. Song Lin was much more powerful than him, and she could stop him at any time.

“Is it better now?”

“I… believe she might be. Still need to leave, but at least I don’t feel as burdened.”

“I’ll miss you too. In two years, if Luthais can remove my Shield successfully, I’ll appear at Sunstar and wait for you, or you for me.”

“What is Sunstar?”

“There is a trial that you must pass to form your Shield. It is within the tower, a place called Ascent. If you do not have a Shield, you are brought to another realm. They call it the Trial of Ascent. Once you enter that place, you either succeed or find yourself forcibly removed from the area. Remember, you should reach the trial right as it opens. If you cannot complete the trial by the time it closes, you’ll also be forcibly removed. If you cannot succeed in that time, you’ll need to wait another two years to attempt it again.”

“Will it really take three months to pass?”

“No, but there are other benefits there. So if you have more time, it is worth exploring. Once you’ve succeeded, you’ll climb a set of stairs that eventually joins with the Stairs of Ascent. They are different and hard to explain. It is only when you walk up those stairs that your Shield starts to take shape. Take your time because you’ve already passed the trial at that point. I wished I hadn’t rushed those stairs, but I had to go back to the town where I hid Song Xue. You’ll understand when you get there. The Stairs of Ascent transcend realms, and a whole other world awaits you on the other side. At the top of the stairs is Sunstar, a city created by all races, and peace is maintained very strictly. It is not a place to act frivolously. There are also some academies run jointly by many sects. Anyone can attend classes, and they’ll teach you everything you need to know about the tower. I recommend attending a few if you arrive before us.”

“How will I find you then?”

“There is an inn called Seventh Talon. You probably won’t be able to get a room there, but they run a message service. You can leave a message for someone, and they’ll hold onto it. We’ll communicate that way. Or—make more of those token things. Then I can track you down.”

Crow nodded, that wasn’t a bad idea, but those things were extremely taxing to create. He did have one he’d already tagged with his essence, but he’d intended to give it to the Maddox clan. Instead, this was actually more practical. One hand still around her waist, he reached into his pouch and produced the token, which she took and put away.

“Are you recovered from your arena fight?” She asked.

“Yes, why?”

She grinned at him and undid the clasp on her robe.

“By your traditions, since I’ve already acknowledged you as my husband, you must either accept or reject me as your wife…” Her robe fell away, exposing her porcelain skin, and Crow accepted his fate. Multiple times.

Hours later, she was gently cleaning his body with a damp cloth she dipped into hot soapy water. He’d already done the same for her. Cleaning of the body was also part of the wedding ritual. It was a way for each to explore the body of the other, exposing sensitive places and details about each other that no one else would know.

The entire process was intimate, and neither felt awkward in the slightest.

“Thank you, husband,” she said when he finished and pressed her lips against his. “Now, you should go. If you stay any longer, people will suspect too much.”

“Tomorrow is the Trial of Tur Briste, and once I’m eliminated, I won’t have time to say goodbye. Stay safe, and if all goes well, we’ll meet in a few years. If it doesn’t, you’ll know.” Crow told her, indicating that should he fail, he’ll probably die and shatter his token.

Song Lin hugged him once more, her emotions in turmoil, mostly wondering when she’d had fallen for this boy. One thing she trusted, he would do everything he promised or die trying. It was enough to win her heart. She didn’t even feel upset that her bond wasn’t as strong as his and Xue’er. In this life, she’d never expected to marry. Had the Song clan still existed, no one would marry her, even if that evil fiance of hers had died. Her people were a superstitious lot and wouldn’t touch a widow.

Crow pulled away and reluctantly left. On his way out, he saw his uncle watching him and laughing. Crow could only shake his head and smile in return. Song Lin was the last of his unresolved concerns. The final conflict to clear his heart and mind for the trial and journey ahead. Crow had every bit of faith that his people would arrive at Sunstar in two years, and now he could focus on making sure he passed the Trial of Ascension so he could join them.