We stand on a patch of sand in the middle of a vast, sunless ocean. We feel the dark waves crashing around us while wondering why it feels cold.

The ocean knows nothing. It does not fear, it does not betray, it does not forgive and it does not remember. It just is.

Shut it.

Can you feel it? The waves are still small. Though they only reach our ankles, it is cold nonetheless. Being able to notice that much shows that we are sentient.

A few begin to realize something, so they ask questions. ‘Does anyone else dislike the cold? Why must we accept this suffering? Let us build a platform to keep our legs dry. Let us make warm clothes and shoes.’

I said shut it.

Yet no one is asking the most important question. Busily trying to keep the cold away, no one has looked down long enough to see the clues under our own feet. The sand is slowly being washed away. The beach is shrinking with every passing day. Do you see it?

“I’m trying to sleep here! … Huh?”

I wake up in the silence of night. Surrounding me is the familiar sight of hundreds of men and pack animals sleeping around campfires. Further away, tents are set up for the commanders and other VIPs. Other than the guards who are on night duty, a few soldiers are still awake. They glance at me briefly and then return to playing cards under the orange light from their campfire.

“What was I…? Ugh, my head.” I complain while rubbing my eyes and forehead.

The past few nights have been miserable once again. It’s more bearable than the first time, but waking up with a throbbing headache on a regular basis is incredibly annoying. It puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day and makes this trip even bleaker than it already was. If only I could figure out what the cause is. To think I was able to unlock many secrets of the universe and mastered magic that few even know exists, yet I’m stumped by a mere headache…

“Rigel? Are you alright?” A familiar voice calls my name.

“I’m fine, Nashira. Just had a weird dream is all. Sorry for bothering you.” She nods gently and pulls her head back into the covers of her tent.

Nashira is currently ‘resting’ in a small tent near me. She created it using enchanted fabric similar to the one used to bind her books and tools into easy-to-carry bags. With proper mana control, the cloth can be molded and hardened into whatever shape one desires.

The other tents are made out of ordinary linen or cotton fabric and supported by wooden poles anchored into the ground. They must be packed in the morning, unpacked at night and the materials have to be carried with us. Since this takes a considerable amount of effort, only important people such as military officers, priests and rich merchants get to sleep under a tent at night. Ordinary soldiers have to settle for the naked sky. Rain and wind are a problem on some nights, but after living in the forest for over 2 months, I have gotten used to it.

I lie back down on the ground and try to rest. My headache is starting to fade but I can’t fall asleep right away. While on my back, I stare at the starry sky above. There are few clouds tonight, which means that thousands of stars are visible, shining like little pearls. If one pays close enough attention, a faint cloud-like shape is visible. It covers the entire sky, stretching like a band from one end of the horizon to the other. I wonder what that is. People call it the Milky Way, but nothing is really known about it. Scholars have pushed forward many theories on the nature of stars, their predictable movements and the influence they have on us. However, none of them meet the standards of what I consider credible or useful.

After some time with only my thoughts, I begin to feel tired again. My eyes close on their own and my consciousness drifts away.

Roughly one month has passed since we left Mount Olympus. The 1000-strong army continues to make steady progress through the countryside. I spend most of the day reading as I walk. I shuffle through some of the books and notes that Nashira brought along, with her permission of course. Most of the research notes are written in a language I don’t recognize. The ones which I can read were written after we met.

Meanwhile, Nashira is busy scribbling on a piece of paper while riding a horse. She is not using ink. At first glance, it looks like she’s scratching the paper with her long nails. The truth is that she’s using magic, specifically arcane manipulation, in order to write. She is creating translations of her notes. This started about two weeks after we met, when I was participating in her research.

“I believe this may be useful to you in the near future. They are written in your language. Your knowledge of mana theory is extensive so you should be able to understand them, but if there is something unclear then I will try to explain.” she said as she handed me a small stack of papers.

To receive teaching directly from the legendary Chaos Mage, I bet Alex would chew off his own fingers out of envy if he knew. She knows more than just chaos magic. It wasn’t clear from the historical records, but after seeing her laboratory and the kind of work she does, I’m quite certain that Nashira knows more about magic than any human alive.

For one in my position, the irony is hard not to laugh at. We humans consider ourselves the masters of this world, as decreed by the gods themselves. Our ingenuity has allowed us to build towering castles and a thriving civilization that knows no equal. Our only enemies are other humans. Yet, our combined efforts in magic were outstripped by a single being that is not very different from a human. Alex aside, my former teachers and classmates would refuse to believe it even if they saw the proof with their own eyes. There is only one thing that doesn’t sit well with me though. I don’t like feeling like a leech. I’m already indebted as it stands. Well, since she’s coming with us, there may eventually be something I can do as compensation.

“The mana capacitor performs a reversal of the tertiary wave fluctuation, resulting in an amplified chain reaction that is detected by the main modulator. Note: there is a substantial risk of destabilization and system corruption if the experiment regulator cannot maintain full synchronization with the mana buffer.

These notes are definitely in my language, but somehow it doesn’t feel like it… Oh well.”

Lately I’ve been getting intimidating glares from random soldiers that pass me by. Someone overheard my joke about being engaged to Nashira and the rumour spread like wildfire. They saw the relaxed manner in which we talk and took this as confirmation of the rumor. Now it’s like I’ve become their enemy or something. I didn’t take away your goddess, guys! It’s just a misunderstanding! Well, that’s what I felt like saying, but I doubt it would help anyway. Many people really seem to believe that she is somehow divine in origin. There are legends about gods that came down to interact with humans directly and also stories of demi-gods such as Heracles, the son of Zeus. How did they come to the same conclusion about Nashira? It’s probably because of her appearance. As far as I know, she hasn’t done anything that could be interpreted as godlike. They’re correct to think that she is more than human, but they couldn’t be further from the truth.

A few of the braver ones tried to gain her attention. One particular man came up to her in shiny, full-body plate armor. He knelt down on one leg in the way that one would address a princess. He offered a bouquet of colorful flowers and pledged his undying love in the most dramatic way.

“Your beauty is boundless like the sky. Your eyes shine brighter than any diamond. I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes upon you! It would be my life’s honor if you would grant me your hand in marriage!”

He said something like that. I watched the whole scene from a distance with a bemused smile. It’s not every day that you get to see something like this, not to mention I was curious to hear the response. Even though I know more about Nashira than anyone else here, that’s not saying much. The man in question is fairly handsome and young. He has good manners and is fairly well-spoken. His brilliant plate armor suggests that he is of high rank or simply rich. I’m sure any princess would gladly accept his proposal.

“Thank you for the kind words. Unfortunately, I must decline the offer. I am sorry.” She bowed her head as she apologized.

“Please, may I know the reason why?” he pleaded.

“Our fates diverge and lead down different paths. To defy them is to invite disaster upon us. Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”

She spoke calmly, with a hint of pity in her eyes. The man’s confusion was clear, but he accepted the answer and did not press further. He simply lowered his head and walked away dejected. I don’t think he was expecting a positive answer, but his pride demanded that he try anyway. I can respect that. It’s better than the rest of those guys who just stare longingly at her back.

To him and other spectators, Nashira’s answer may have felt like a poetic way of turning a man down. However, I suspect there is a deeper meaning. Nashira is by far the most honest person I know. She has never lied, joked or said anything misleading. Furthermore, she has extraordinary knowledge and experience that was accumulated over centuries. Her words should not be taken lightly regardless of context. She truly believes everything she says. The first time she asked me about the concept of fate, I didn’t think much of it. However, since then she mentioned that word 2 more times. There must be more to it and something tells me that it has nothing to do with romance.

“Fate, eh? I wonder what she believes her fate is. It can’t be just magic research…”

Nashira never mentioned any sort of close relationship to anyone and she might’ve said so if asked directly, but none ever did ask. Refusing the marriage offer from that impressive-looking man was taken as further confirmation that she’s already engaged. As a result, the amount of mean glares I receive increased further.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

Our march has been smooth so far, but that is about to end. We are coming up on our first major obstacle, Tyrin Castle. Although not very big, it looks imposing when compared to the flat countryside and small houses. Built out of dark grey bricks, the main structure is around 30 meters high with four towers that rise up to 50 meters, one at each corner. It sits in the center of Tyrin, the town from which the castle draws its name. A reasonably high stone wall surrounds the whole complex. There are no ramparts and the fortifications are not very impressive, probably because this region is deep inside Amisos and has not been threatened by an army in a long time.

The lord of this castle, Count Olsen Faustina something or other, has elected to be our enemy. A messenger was sent to him some time ago and still hasn’t returned. A scouting team confirmed plenty of troop movements around the walls. Nearby farms were abandoned and everything of value was taken within the walls. There were too many farm animals to fit them all in, so they killed the remaining ones and left them to rot so that our army can’t make use of them. It may seem stupid at first, but it follows the logic of ends that justify the means. They don’t know our exact numbers, so they simply barricaded themselves inside the walls and are hoping to starve us out.

The lengths they went to in order to achieve this… In truth, our 1000 soldiers have no chance of breaking this castle effectively.

“To surround them and deploy a proper siege formation, we would need to have at least 3 times their numbers. By our estimates, they have nearly 1000 soldiers and militia stationed, so the ratio is 1 to 1. We don’t have the numbers or equipment needed to break through the walls, so brute force is out of the question. The commanders have decided to remain on guard until we receive reinforcements. Until then, we will continue to track enemy movements. Everyone should be prepared to respond to any situation that arises. That is all.”

This was Asher’s assessment, given to all 80 members of Bloodmoon. It’s a reasonable analysis but there are 3 major problems with this plan. First, we are running out of food while in hostile territory. The enemy is secure behind their walls. Meanwhile we could be attacked from any direction at any time. It’s simply not possible to scan the area 24 hours a day. Soldiers have to be prepared to fight on short notice, thus increasing stress and decreasing morale. Second, we don’t know how long it will take for reinforcements to get here. It could take weeks if they’re slow. If the enemy is competent, they will take advantage of that time and deal a decisive blow. Third, this plan isn’t really a plan. Waiting is the default course of action when you don’t know what to do. We’re basically sitting ducks. Therefore, I approach Asher to voice my concerns.

“Are you questioning the captain’s orders? Who do you think you are?” Inaya interrupts loudly. I’m a tolerant person, but she’s starting to get on my nerves.

“Settle down, Inaya” says Asher with a hand-waving gesture. She closes her mouth and takes a step back while still glaring at me. “Rigel, what you said is right on the mark. Now then, what do you think we should do?”

“I would use magic to sneak into that castle. Burn down their food reserves, eliminate officers, trigger a stampede of animals and just cause as much chaos as possible. Bonus points if we manage to kill Count Faustina, as that will crush their morale and likely result in surrender.”

“Hey newbie, you make it sound easy but could you even turn those words into action—” Inaya interjects again but stop talking when Asher raises his hand.

“Their walls are heavily guarded and the Count has a number of mages under his command that would detect your presence.”

“That’s not a problem. I happen to have a way of camouflaging my aura. They will not suspect a thing.”

“Oh really now! You’re just making stuff up—”

“Inaya, that’s enough.” He turns back toward me. After pondering for a minute, he continues. “I was thinking of something similar to that, but since you volunteered then I will let you try your way first. What do you say? Will you do it?”

“Of course. I’ve been looking for a chance to stretch my legs.”

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

While Rigel was preparing for his mission, an obviously irritated and confused Inaya approached Asher.

“Captain, I’m against this. Entrusting such a delicate task to a recruit, especially one whose loyalty hasn’t been fully verified, is not the normal way Bloodmoon operates.”

Asher sighs deeply. “You think I don’t know what I’m doing? Why are you so persistent when it’s something related to that young man? It’s not like you.”

“He appeared out of nowhere, knows dark and arcane magic and supposedly defeated a barbarian attack on his own. Calling it suspicious is an understatement. I’m certain he is a spy. He likely has friends inside Tyrin castle and will betray us as soon as he crosses those walls” Inaya explains with a determined look.

“It would be unfortunate if that happens, but I find it unlikely. He has shown a great deal of concern for civilians, both in our country and more recently in Delfoi. I’ve kept a close watch on him the entire time. His behavior has been the opposite of what a spy would do.”

“There is something else too.”

“Let’s hear it” says Asher with his arms crossed.

“Information has reached us about a certain wanted man with blond hair and green eyes. I looked into it and it turns out that the late King Leo Artemia has a son named Rigel with that description. Although Artemia is a common name in this country, this is too much of a coincidence.”

Asher has a blank look on his face, devoid of any emotion. He looks away idly for a few moments and then returns his gaze to the woman in front of him.

“That’s an interesting theory you have, but I don’t see how it’s relevant to the matter at hand.”

“Captain!” She shouts, now genuinely distressed.

“Qasim is the one who obtained this information and it’s something that only I need to worry about. Keep it to yourself. I don’t want to hear that you caused unnecessary trouble. You’re better than this. I prefer soldiers who are able to think for themselves, but you are nearing the point of insubordination. Understand?” His grim tone reinforces the warning.

“Understood, sir...”

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Once the preparations were finished, Rigel waited for nighttime in order to maximize his chances of success. As discussed earlier, he is going to infiltrate Tyrin and hinder the enemy forces in any way he can. He talks briefly to Nashira before departing. He then travels on foot in a wide circle around the town, until he reaches a forested area at the northern tip of Tyrin.

A shadow is following him at a distance. Using magic to silence her footsteps and blend her presence into the surroundings, Inaya keeps her eyes fixated on Rigel. Although she gave up trying to convince the captain, she will not simply stand by and let things run their course. She firmly believes that the young man called Rigel is a dangerous unknown. The first time she saw him fight in Delfoi, she was stunned by his exceptional use of magic. Deep inside her heart, she knows that it’s a level of mastery which she will never be able to reach.

Inaya was born 34 years ago in a small town in Zamora. Her father was an ordinary merchant and her mother a simple housewife. As the head of the house, the father wanted her to marry and inherit the family business. He gave her the best education he could afford and raised her to be a confident and capable young woman. Through contact with mages, she learned that she has an aptitude for magic at age 11. She disregarded her father’s wishes and began to study magic as a profession. Over time, the discord between the two of them reached a breaking point, resulting in her running away from home at age 20. For the next few years, she wandered from town to town, learning magic at an impressive rate with persistent effort, inborn talent and a strong mind. This paid off at 29 years-old, when she met a warrior named Henin Asher. He recognized the value of her skills and allowed her to join Bloodmoon.

Inaya holds a great deal of respect and admiration for her captain. Over time, she began to think that her feelings for him may be love. She will never say it outright however, as military rules do not allow intimate relationships between a captain and his subordinate. During her 5 years as a member of Bloodmoon, she was content with simply being by his side.

Things began to change when the young man named Rigel arrived in Batna. She was present inside the inn when Rigel came in with a woman of unparalleled beauty and acted disrespectful toward her captain. That incident, and the ones that followed, created a profound disdain inside her heart. After the event at Delfoi, envy was added to the list. How is it possible that someone like this could be better at magic than me, who worked so hard for much longer? She could not accept it. Because of the strange circumstances surrounding him, Inaya convinced herself that he is a danger to Bloodmoon and the man she cares for.

Unable to convince the captain, she decided to follow Rigel in order to obtain definitive proof of treachery. Inaya has years of experience in Bloodmoon and has accomplished many tasks which required stealth. She is determined to expose him without him even being aware. The natural aura of the forest acts as cover, allowing her to follow undetected. She pays close attention in case Rigel uses a detection spell like ‘Shadow Boundary’, but in the end no such precautions were taken.

After roughly an hour of walking at a quick pace, Rigel arrives on a small hill overlooking the forest with a decent view of the castle. He takes out a spy glass and studies Tyrin for a minute before returning it to his robe. Inaya is silently observing him from a distance.

What is he planning to do from this far away? He’s careless and full of openings, she thinks. He’s not qualified to be part of Bloodmoon.

Just then, Rigel turns his head and looks in her direction. His eyes are aimed directly at her hiding spot. A sly grin appears on his face. Inaya feels cold sweat going down her back.

He knows I’m here? Impossible! It’s dark and I didn’t make any mistakes!

Rigel returns his gaze to the town and starts advancing quickly. His figure disappears over the curvature of the hilltop. Inaya rushes after him, but after reaching the top…

He’s gone! Where did he go!?

He is nowhere to be seen. The darkness is setting in. She can’t see any shadow or hint of movement in the trees below. Abandoning the idea of stealth, she starts sprinting in the same direction she last saw him. She keeps running until the edge of the forest. The walls of Tyrin are visible in the distance, but no sign of Rigel. It’s like he vanished into the night.