I had a tearful reunion with my mother when we finally reached the village, with Jaws beaming at me proudly when I gave an abridged version of what had happened; in which, of course, I skipped over the parts were I nearly perished. Both of my parents had seen me practice my powers by now, because I figured it was better to slowly let them in on things now rather than wait for disaster to strike later on.

I didn’t have much time to stay and visit if I wanted to make it to The City on time, but we still stopped by Zephyr’s place to say goodbye. She was a lot sadder to see Tetra go than either Wulfric or I, mostly because Tetra had ended up staying at her place most freedays. This had been setup after the very first night that I had asked if Tetra could stay at my place… mother had taken one look at her, scowled at Jaws (who was about to say yes) and said no. I had been pretty shocked, but was relieved when mother promptly announced that Tetra would stay with Zephyr’s family.

When I asked Tetra later I found out she was rather relieved that things had worked out that way – she had disliked my mother at first sight, and apparently the feeling was mutual. Zephyr’s mother, on the other hand, got along with Tetra famously! She was a professional gardener who grew a whole host of strange but useful herbs, many of which Tetra had learned about from her alchemist father back in The City. They ended up spending most of their time together either out in the garden, or trading herb lore… both things that sounded INCREDIBLY boring to me.

It was just past noon by the time we left North Stone Village, the three of us escorted by a full platoon of House Flameward Warriors. We had requested that Captain Buzac choose our escort personally, and were only a little surprised when he chose to lead the expedition himself. It was nice to have him and his squad with us, even though we had to be careful what we spoke about with the other three squads present.

“So what did Lord Runax want?” Tetra asked me. I had been summoned to meet him on our way out of town, and the meeting had been… different than I had expected.

I motioned for her and Wulfric to follow me to the other side of the group, putting Captain Buzac’s squad between us and the rest of the Warriors. “Well… he mentioned that it was due to his… patronage… that I was able to attend Academy so early. Then he mentioned how he had spent a great deal of his personal fortune keeping my secret… and how things might have gone badly for me if he hadn’t stepped in to help.”

Tetra’s expression clouded over, but Wulfric nodded and said, “That’s probably true, I think.”

Snorting, Tetra scoffed, “He’s a slimy fool, who cares for nothing but his own comfort!”

I could well understand why she didn’t like him. I pursed my lips in thought, “You are both right, but… well… the strange part is what he said next.” I paused for a moment, thinking over the scene. Lord Runax, his frog-face gleaming as an oily smile nearly split his head in half. I had felt like he was about to sell me a used car… “He asked that I repay his favor… by joining House Flameward. He cautioned me that while other houses might be able to afford more, his house would certainly be the best one for my future. Then he tried to get me to promise that I would tell the elders that he, Lord Runax, was my patron, and had that he had protected and nurtured me when he learned of my plight…”

Neither of them said anything, seeming nearly as taken aback as I was by the odd request.

“That is…” Tetra started, then letting her words trail off.

“It sounds reasonable to me.” Said Wulfric. But he hadn’t been there, or seen how greasy Lord Runax could be.

Then again, even though I almost couldn’t help but dislike him… I suppose, if I really thought about it, everything he had done had been to my benefit… But it was just so HARD to trust the slimy bugger! It was almost enough to make me feel bad for him, and it’s not as if he had asked me to lie. Then there was the fact that he had cut contact with Alder after the incident, meaning he might have had no idea about the animosity between the hunter and I.

Tetra just let out a sigh and shook her head, “Well… it’s not like he hit me, or…” She stopped seeming unwilling to say anything good about the man she had served for so long.

It was easy to sympathize with her resentment; Tetra had gone from being a wealthy and important young lady in The City – who was meant to become a cultivator despite being a commoner – to the servant of a minor aristocrat stuck out at the edge of civilization. That would be enough to make anyone hate the world a little bit…

--------------------

There were aboveground bunkers built for commoner usage spread along the road to The City, most looking able to hold a dozen people at once. Captain Buzac had quietly told me that there were secret underground shelters (similar to the one we had been in a few days ago) spaced along the route as well, but their location was something which only Warriors or nobles were supposed to know; they were a last line of defense, and anyone found inside a buried shelter without reason was either promptly executed, or shipped off to the Shieldwall which held back the beasts on our north-west border.

At night we camped out next to one of the bunkers, having been told that the protocol in the event of an attack was to have any vulnerable targets (like the three of us) stay in the bunker with a single squad, while the rest of the party split up and made for the nearest place of safety. Few beasts tended to congregate at the bunkers along the road anyway, we were told, as they were generally drawn to the larger population centers – as in, the villages...

The rate of beast attacks dropped off sharply once within a certain radius of The City, and it didn’t take me long to realize that it really seemed as if my home, North Stone Village, was being used as a sacrificial target to keep the farms further south safe. I… wasn’t sure how I felt about that…

When on our second day of travel we saw a large group of Warriors approaching us with a familiar figure near the front: it was Kodan, who was apparently now in training as a Warrior himself! He was wearing the same uniform as the rest of the troupe, but he couldn’t have been more than seventeen or eighteen by now.

His troupe stopped as he continued forward, giving us a salute of greeting, and as we walked towards him I realized that our own escort had followed suit and left us to approach him alone.

“Greetings, Heller.” Kodan said with a formal salute. He still wasn’t much for smiles, and his attitude still much the same as before – respectful and impartial, even to a young kid like me. “And greetings to your companions.” He gave the same salute to both Wulfric and Tetra.

“Greetings, Kodan, it is good to see you again!” I said with a smile. He could be formal all he wanted, but I was happy to see one of the few good people I remember from my first months at Academy. “This is Tetra, and this is Wulfric. They are both thirteen this year,” I said, not bothering to mention that I was obviously much younger, “And I guess you could say they took care of me after you left.”

Kodan attempted a smile while giving them both another salute. Smiles looked strange on his orange lumpy skin, and I could see it wasn’t an expression he used often… “It is an honor to meet you, Tetra and Wulfric. I am Kodan. I met Heller at Academy in my final year.”

Wulfric was quiet, only saying a few words, but Tetra more than made up for it as we exchanged pleasantries for a moment. But it wasn’t long before Kodan abruptly changed the topic, his serious nature finally overcoming his somewhat awkward attempts at small talk.

“Heller, I come to bring a warning. It is of a serious nature, and I suggest we speak in private.”

I raised a scaly eyebrow, looking over at Tetra as she reached up and tapped the side of her horn and pursed her lips. Chuckling, I told him to just go ahead.

Kodan nodded. “I come with disturbing news from The City. Several high ranking nobles have been making inquiries about, and expressing undue interest in, a cultivator from North Stone Village who is going to be at the Black Tournament this year.” He paused for a moment, looking between the three of us. “And after putting the pieces together I believe it may be you.”

I was not as shocked as I might have been, due to the warning I had already received from Wolfram. But to be hearing this from Kodan was extremely strange.

“I went to Academy with you, Heller, and I know that while you are very smart, you are also very weak, despite what some few nobles seem to think.” Well, that was blunt.

Wulfric’s eyes went up in disbelief, while Tetra sputtered something in an indignant tone. I shook my head at them, quickly meeting their eyes as I let Kodan continue.

Kodan let out a sigh, “Lord Runax made a terrible mistake letting you join Academy so early. Some have taken it as a sign that there is something special about you, and some buffoons even connected you with the rumors of Merrik’s apprentice from a few years ago.” Shaking his head, he spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

“I don’t know what they want with you, but I doubt it will be good for you. But worry not, for when you fail in the Black Tournament I have already made arrangements for you to be taken in by House Flameward.”

Wulfric still just looked shocked, but Tetra’s expression had turned from incredulous all the way to worried. She was grinding her teeth as she looked between Kodan and I, and I could tell she had more she wanted to say to me later.

Kodan continued, “This is a singular case, Heller, and singular exceptions must be made. I know you are very intelligent, and therefore you will be allowed to cultivate as a Warrior despite not being able to excel in the tournament due to your young age.” He gave me another smile, this one meant to be comforting.

He was as sweet and earnest as a puppy, and even if I didn’t know that his heart was in the right place I doubt I could have been offended. I mean… on the surface what he was saying was absolutely correct – from what he knew I was just an ordinary kid caught up in this crazy mess against my will. It was all so touching that I almost laughed in his face.

“I… uh, I thank you, Kodan.” I already knew he was a noble from Master Jaduk, so it made sense that he might have pull among common Warriors… even though his status was low enough that he had to attend Academy away from The City.

He told us that his troop had been sent out to escort us to The City safely, because of concerns that danger might arise as a result of the ‘false’ rumors he had come across. So we carried on our journey, our numbers swelling yet again. I had a chance to speak with Kodan a few more times over the next day, but he seemed to be kept quite busy with his duties as a Warrior-trainee. I guess even nobles had to pay their due.

-----------------

A few hours later I got my first view of The City, and my mind went blank as I forgot to breathe.

It began as a faint blue-gold shimmer stretched across the horizon from one end to the next, becoming ever brighter as we approached, like an endless horizontal rainbow rising up from the ground. I felt as though I was walking towards another planet that was somehow tethered to this one, a foreign landscape of ever changing colors dancing across the sky.

I nearly stumbled, spots flashing before my eyes as I took in a sharp breath, but nobody around me said anything, each of them staring ahead of us at the impossible scenery. The only thing I could compare it to was the aurora borealis, yet even that did it little justice.

“Hits you hardest the first time, lad.” Muttered Captain Buzac, “I’d say you get used to it… but I don’t suppose that’s true.” He shook his head, “There is a saying we use in the Garrison, ‘Naught has beauty, but from afar’.”

I managed to tear my gaze away long enough to give him a questioning look, but all he did was give me a wink and say that I’d figure it out soon enough.

The further we walked the higher up into the air the spectacle in front of us arose, like walking towards a mountain range composed only of gently flowing lights. There was little conversation as we continued along the road.

And then just as the sky was darkening again I heard a small gasp from Wulfric as he stopped in his tracks momentarily. “Earth over sky.” He said gently. I looked over at Tetra, who gave me a mischievous smile before turning to Wulfric.

“Give me a boost.” She said, not even pausing as she grabbed his left shoulder and hoisted herself up a on her forearms. Wulfric kept staring forwards as Tetra let out a sign, a small tear rolling down her cheek. “Just like I remembered.” She whispered.

I wasn’t tall enough to follow her lead, and I certainly wasn’t going to ask Wulfric to pick me up… I came very close to lifting myself up with an ice wall, but discounted the idea after a few moments of serious deliberation… but I was saved when Captain Buzac decided to take matters into his own hands, reaching down to hoist me up off the ground and onto his shoulders.

I quietly suffered though the indignity of it all, trying not to show how pleased I was to have this new expanded view. I was even higher than Tetra was now, and I was about to give her a playful grin when I got distracted…

There was an island floating up above the ground.

No… no, it was a continent! It stretched as far as I could see, and my breath caught in my throat again as my mouth hung open. What the beast was this! None of the legends spoke of a flying chunk of land… How was that even possible!?

-----------------------------

I frowned at Tetra from across the makeshift table we had setup, shaking my head. “So it is just the wall’s reflection?”

Tetra grinned at me, “Remember what we told you, how it was hard to describe? But still… floating island? I’ve never heard that one before!”

Wulfric laughed, while Kodan wore his typically somber expression as he added. “Actually that isn’t an uncommon reaction for villagers seeing The City for the first time. It is only the people who have already made the journey out of The City who have seen the wall. For everyone else it is much more of a mystery.”

I gave a salute, somewhat thankful for Kodan’s addition. Wulfric and Tetra had found my questions hilarious, asking me how the beast I thought they might have missed that little detail when I had asked about The City years ago. It turns out that there are walls surrounding The City, walls that are dozens of times the height of a large man, and they are reflective for some reason. Wulfric also mentioned runes engraved along this wall, but I had a feeling it was something that had to be seen to be understood.

It was the same for the mysterious flows of color that had faded as the sun went down: Sure, they had told me I would see shining lights in the sky, but that sure as hell hadn’t prepared me for what I had seen… I mean, I still couldn’t believe it was real, and I had spent hours watching the swirling rainbow patterns climb ever higher in the sky as we approached our still-distant goal.

I was forced to resign myself to finding out for myself tomorrow – I was told we would arrive in the afternoon, only having missed most of the first day of the Black Tournament. And now the four of us were eating dinner, Kodan having come to join us after he helped his troop set up camp, and I decided to spend the time productively. Our Academy senior appeared to be well informed, and I hadn’t had much time to speak with him while we were travelling.

“Is it alright if I ask you about the Great Houses, Kodan?” I looked back at him with a smile. “I learned a little over the last few years, but I can’t say I really understand them yet.”

Kodan gave me a thoughtful look – I wasn’t sure if he had any other kind – and said, “First tell me what you do know, Heller, and I will provide what else I can.”

I raised an eyebrow, leaning back as I thought back to the years of lessons in Academy.

“We were taught that the north and south are the most dangerous regions, because they are closest to the mountains where the beasts come from, and that House Flameward protects the territory northwards all the way to where I grew up, North Stone Village. Between the village and The City there are just over a hundred farming settlements spread out across the land, providing food for the Garrison, North Stone Village, and The City. House Flameward is known for having the largest army, and the best forges.

“To the south is the territory of House Spiritwind. They have more mines than we have, but fewer farming settlements, even though the population of South Stone Village is reported to be much larger than that of North Stone Village. They have a dozen fortresses, and outposts that lead to their mines, but they rely heavily on the Merrick to keep beast populations low due to their smaller standing army.

“Most of the food that feeds The City is produced in the east, the vast territory held by House Runetail. There are thousands of farms and hundreds of smaller villages, because the east is by far the safest territory due to it being bordered primarily by the Valley of Shadow. Nothing has ever come out of the Valley of Shadow, and nothing that goes near it ever returns.

“The second safest territory is to the West, which is controlled by House Silverlight, but that is only because of the Shieldwall. All four houses work together to man the Shieldwall, and there are numerous settlements strung between it and The City that work to keep up supplies.”

My mouth felt dry as I finally finished my monologue, knowing that I had skipped over a lot of smaller details that I didn’t think were very important. I looked over at Wulfric, who had almost fallen asleep, and Tetra, who was watching Kodan intently.

Kodan nodded to me, “I see. Yes, I can tell you a bit more I suppose.” He squinted as he gazed into the fire between us, reaching down to toss another log into the blaze.

“We do have the largest army… I mean, House Flameward does. Our Cultivation Technique is the strongest, and the majority of Warriors generally choose to join House Flameward, especially if they have chosen the Path of Fire and want to live the life of a true soldier.” He smiled absently, stirring the fire, before continuing.

“We push back the beasts, as that is our calling, the Flame that banishes the darkness, relying on the Merrik only when we must. We have the most Warriors on the Shieldwall, we patrol the territory of House Runetail, and we keep safe the route to and from the Shieldwall.

“Runetail has the most wealth, as well as being the house that runs the Alchemist Guild. Their Cultivation Technique focuses on defense and speed, making them good for scouting but not much else. House Runetail nobles often choose to become scholars rather than focus on cultivation.”

I took in a deep breath, impressed. Most of this was information we hadn’t learned at Academy, especially the part about the Cultivation Technique! Wulfric seemed to be waking up as well, finally interested, as Kodan continued.

“Silverlight is known as the weakest house, but don’t take that to mean they are useless, as the Shieldwall would have fallen years ago without them. Their Cultivation Technique focuses on healing, and a noble from House Silverlight can bring a warrior back from anything short of death! Their lesser cultivators, the Warriors, can take care of smaller wounds as well as help banish fatigue, both things vitally important on a battlefield.” Kodan paused again, taking a deep breath. “Not many of them though. They can’t defend themselves, and few Warriors leave the Black Tournament wanting to become a healer.

“House Spiritwind has the strongest individual cultivators,” He said, his expression darkening, “Because the Spiritwind nobles never do anything but hide in The City and cultivate. Raolin Spiritwind, the leader of their house, is thought to be the strongest person in the world, aside from the Merrik, of course, but as far as I know he has never once fought a single beast… nor left The City.”

Kodan shook his head, his expression distant. “I think my father was stronger than him though, and I bet my uncle is too.” He suddenly started, as if realizing what he had just said, his eyes widening.

Wulfric asked the obvious question. “But I thought only the main family branch, with the best Cultivation Technique, would be able to get strong enough to rival the head of…”

Wulfric’s voice trailed off as I winced… none of us were supposed to know that there were different levels of Cultivation Techniqu…. Wait! Did Kodan just say his father and uncle…

Kodan nodded to Wulfric, seeming to misunderstand Wulfric’s hesitation. I held up a hand to silence Wulfric, giving him a sharp look, as I waited for Kodan to continue. I felt like he was about to reveal something important.

“Ahhh, well…” Said Kodan, displaying uncharacteristic hesitation, “I suppose I might as well tell you now…” He took another deep breath. “My full name is Kodan Flameward. My father was Grand High Lord Flameward, and my uncle is Regent of House Flameward until I come of age.”

I heard Tetra gasp, “I knew it!” She said as she shot to her feet, making me jump and causing Wulfric to fall over backwards off of his stool. Blood beast, well I sure as shit hadn’t known it! What the hell!

I looked over at the soldiers, prompting Kodan to follow my gaze as Tetra moved to help Wulfric up.

“Oh, they all know.” Kodan said, “as did the instructors at Academy. My father went to Academy in North Stone Village when he was a child, and he didn’t tell anyone either.” Kodan shrugged, “I apologize for misleading the three of you.”

--------------------------------

The wall itself was a single enormous structure that stretched as far as I could see to either side of our tiny party. It was a mind-bogglingly enormous stonework creation that reminded me of a skyscraper, but instead of windows it was covered in evenly spaced out glyphs. The ever changing rainbow patterned energy field was nearly invisible from this close, but we could see that the glyphs – strange patterns filled with symbols I had never seen before – were the source of the soap-bubble like dome that rose up from the walls to arch over The City.

The road lead to an opening that was large enough for an oil-tanker to pass through sideways, the entire archway covered by the same thin film that projected from the walls.

“Any beast that comes into contact with the barrier is instantly destroyed.” Explained Captain Buzac. “But it is harmless to people.” He demonstrated by walking through it, causing a slight ripple in his wake.

On the other side of the wall I could see farms and pastures that reminded me of my time in Europe, land that had been used by people for so long that there was no sense of wilderness to be found. Each tree and bush was ordered, deliberately planted, with evenly spaced groves partitioning the land into neat parcels.

When I looked back at the wall I felt a sense of vertigo, my perspective involuntarily switching to feel that the wall was the ground and I was somehow standing horizontally. I looked further upwards, enjoying the sensation, and recalled the awe I had felt the first time I visited a large city back on Earth – I think it had been called Minneapolis? Images of startlingly tall buildings and eerily empty streets filled my imagination as I wondered if any of the skyscrapers back on earth were taller than this wall. I found it impossible to judge.

Once we had crossed the open landscape on the other side of the wall, land upon which no beast had ever tread, we would enter The City itself. The architecture wasn’t anything like what I had seen in North Stone Village - these buildings were built for beauty, not for defense. It reminded me again of Europe, gorgeous stonework that soared into the sky. The barrier was even more invisible from the inside, and looking upwards all I saw was a few gently floating clouds.

I couldn’t help but grin, already starting to feel more at home in The City than I ever had in North Stone Village.