Liera gazed at the sword inside the glass case. Ornate carvings run along its length, beneath a thick layer of rust. How many had fallen prey to it? How much blood had it tasted? Her father’s quarters were full of old weapons and armour ridden with dents. Some of them were new, shining despite the darkened sky and the storm raging outside. What a weird taste in war trophies. Vince’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“And the man you met said his name is Leylin, you’re sure of that?”

“Positive,” Blake replied.

Vince leaned back in his chair, seeming troubled. The man had changed from what Liera remembered. His face had lost its healthy brown colour and faded to an ashy gray. Time had dyed his unkempt blonde hair with streaks of white and carved wrinkles across his face. It had claimed some of the grit and confidence he used to have. Even the blue of his eyes had somehow dulled. Despite how pitiful he looked, it didn’t lessen her bitterness.

“You’ve heard the name before?” Liera asked.

“Can’t say I have.”

“We’ve known that he had something to do with Rane’s disappearance for some time now,” Liera sneered. “Not that you’d care.” She teetered between hatred and understanding whenever she saw Vince. Sometimes she just wished he’d treat them as his children rather than his subordinates, and she made sure to drive the point across whenever she could.

Vince gripped the arms of his chair, knuckles turning white. “How dare you?”

“Oh?” She held back a chuckle. “Look at you, trying to act offended.” She walked a bit closer and placed a hand on his desk. “Tell me, did it hurt at all when you left us in Danira? Did you sleep soundly at night knowing you’ve left two orphaned children behind and another one lost?”

"I slept just fine." Blood dripped from Vince's palm, and the white wood of his chair splintered. "Because I knew I did it all for your sake. I taught you everything I could."

"You're either delusional or willfully ignorant.” She debated pushing him more. This wasn’t what they were here for, but the spite and resentment she’d build up for years couldn’t wait any longer. “We were kids! We didn't need techniques or battle training, but a parent. Someone to protect us."

Vince slammed a hand on the table. "I couldn't protect my own son!" He grabbed a handful of his hair. "Look at me, Liera. How much longer do you think I have? Even if I live to see an Oath’s end… Who will protect you afterwards?"

Liera fell silent. She felt a tinge of pity surface and tried to deny it. She'd made a decision long ago, not to ever forgive him.

“Enough.” Blake cut the argument short. “This is about Rane. Not you two.”

“Of course,” Liera said, backing away. “Problem is, we still have no clue where he is.”

Vince rubbed his temples and sat back down. “Not for a lack of trying, I’ll tell you that.”

Liera sighed. “Why did you have us transferred here then, commander?” She painted the word slightly. Always excuses. She’d grown bored of them. Should Vince really invest himself in tracking Rane, they’d have found him already. Or his body. That was always a possibility.

Vince knit his eyebrows. “Whether the man you met can be trusted or not, this cannot be a coincidence. ” He struggled over the right words. “I have reasons to believe a Pureblooded family has turned on Silyra, and your ‘Leylin’ just named the man I suspect the most.”

“What?” That caught her by surprise. Even if Leylin had warned them, she had a hard time believing it. Originally she thought it’d be a corrupt noble or a wealthy merchant. A person with that much power and information betraying them… The prospect alone scared her. “Don’t they know what will happen if Andre breaks the treaty?”

Vince let out a deep sigh. “Of course they do. But why would they care? Animals can’t see beyond a piece of meat laid in front of them… It was foolish to think they had any sense of loyalty in the first place.”

She felt Blake stir. That last part must have hurt his pride. “Is that what we are?” he asked. “A piece of meat?”

“That’s what they seem to think, Andre and Caelus’ family.” Vince sat back on the edge of his chair. “May the Arbiter pass harsh judgement on them,” His knee fidgeted, as if the man was eager to throw himself in battle. He would too, despite his age. Liera was sure of it. That was the only part of him she still respected.

“We need hard evidence for the Lawforge to pass judgement,” Blake said in a rare moment of brilliance.

“Which is why I’ve asked for you.” Vince rose and motioned for them to follow.

Silver metal ran through brick in the barracks, forming a vaulted ceiling so high it would take a spearman to scrape. Danira had to be rebuilt each time the borders shifted. Grand though it was, the capital had an unrivalled ancientness in comparison. Liera expected one of the heroes of antiquity she had read about to walk past them.

“Every ten years, Silyra sends diplomats and ambassadors to the heart of the Andren empire, to discuss terms,” Vince said. “The ultimate goal is the extension of the peace treaty to last another decade. That is vital, no matter the tribute given or the privilege forfeited.” They took a sharp turn, away from the main section of the building. Less offices here, more cabinets, but the same high ceiling.

Liera raised an eyebrow at that. “Do we strike you as the diplomatic types?”

“You will both have a different mission.” He came to a halt before the door of a supply closet and scanned the surroundings. “Come. It will be easier to explain once everyone is present. We’re going to meet with some of my most trusted allies.” Vince swung the door open and walked inside. The room was as unimpressive as its entrance, nothing more than a small table, a chair, and a dozen brooms leaning against a wall. Their arrival did draw some attention from the man inside though. And what a giant of a man he was, two metres tall and clad in armour of silver that beggared their own.

“Vince!” His voice was deeper than Liera had imagined, and she had imagined pretty deep. The man moved to hug her father, holding Vince’s head to his chest like a caring mother.

“Toshimir, my friend!” Vince returned the embrace.

Liera had heard the name before. Grand commander of the standing Silyran army and the only man to outrank her father in the military. Truth be told, she imagined their relationship to be different. Not as friendly, perhaps.

Toshimir turned to face her and Blake. “These must be your trusted aides, Blake and Liera. So young!” There was no ridicule behind the word, but Liera frowned nonetheless. They also happened to be Vince’s children, but he had forgotten to mention the fact. Would they bring shame to his oh, so renowned name? She kept her displeasure hidden though, and delivered a practised half-bow.

“But where is Asah?” Vince asked.

“Right here,” Toshimir pointed beneath the table. A body lay next to its legs. Liera blinked twice. A body turned over, lacking legs entirely. The ashfen woman had grey skin and hair white as snow. Was she a prisoner that held information? Still, to cut off her limbs… that was too savage, even for her.

Toshimir went down on one knee with difficulty. Liera wondered if it was the armor or his sheer size that made his movements seem so awkward. “Asah,” he said and nudged her shoulder. “We are all ready.”

A muffled grumble was all he got in response. He rubbed the back of his head and stood, lifting the table with him and moving it aside. The glow of the lampstone flooded Asah, and the woman turned around with a grunt, finally facing them. Her face was as ravaged as her body, features covered in thick cuts and scars, but her eyes were a pure, emerald green.

“I’m up,” she groaned, and her eyes lit up when she saw them. “Oh, hello children! Are you lost?”

It somehow irked Liera that she held them so lightly and called them ‘children’. After ten years in training they couldn’t be called children. Poor woman must have gone insane in captivity. “We’re not children,” Liera said, “nor are we lost.” She turned to Vince, expecting an explanation, but he simply smiled.

“Blake and Liera.” Vince introduced them again and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Liera yanked herself away. “They’ll escort us to Andre.”

“Ah, of course. I’m sorry!” Asah said. “Toshi, help me up!”

“I’ve told you not to call me that…” Toshimir held her up from the waist and sat her on the lone chair in the room. “I thought your standing aid would have been fixed by now.”

“It’s been ready for about two days.”

Toshimir let out a sigh. “And you didn’t tell me… why?”

“You never asked.” Asah smiled and hugged his leg. “Plus, you’re warm.”

“I swear I’m gonna hit you.”

“Excuse me!” Liera raised her voice. “I thought we had gathered to investigate treason. If you’d stop fooling around, maybe we could come up with a plan.” The room grew quiet at that.

“Right,” Asah said. “Vince and I have an idea.”

Liera cast a sideways glance at her father. Of course they’d be the last to know. “You do?” she asked. “Could you share it with us then?”

“We have an informant in Andre,” Vince said. “An Ashfen noble willing to tell us which Silyran family is feeding information to the Emperor.”

“Why would they do that?” Liera asked. It made no sense to betray the country that would win the war, should it happen. No point being on the losing side.

“Political benefits,” Asah said, “and a considerable amount of gold.” Asah knit her brows and the smile left her face for the first time. “On the condition that we meet him personally. In Andre.”

“Could be a trap,” Blake said.

“True.” Vince stepped forward. “But we’re running out of options. At this point it’s just a risk we’ll have to take. Andre has allowed for four ambassadors to renew the peace treaty. That’s our pretext, and our way in.”

“I’ll stay behind,” Toshimir said. “Some new leads have turned up. Hopefully I’ll have found the traitor before you even reach Andre. That way you’ll only have the peace treaty to worry about.”

Liera found herself agreeing. The prospect of a trip to Andre excited her, no matter how dangerous. She had spent all her life fighting this giant, formless enemy without ever seeing its true colours. Only one problem remained. “What are our missions? Don’t tell me you brought us all this way so we could play bodyguard.”

“Part of your mission is to pretend you’re a simple guard, Liera,” Vince said, “but your true task will be to establish contact. We do not know how the Ashfen intends to reach out, nor their outer appearance.”

“What about me?” Blake asked. He seemed almost excited. “What will I do?”

Toshimir spoke up. “It’s an Andren custom for there to be a contest of strength between members of the younger generation. No need to worry though. Think of it as a friendly bout instead of a battle. The emperor is a fan of swordplay, so try to be flashy.”

“Sounds simple enough.” Blake smiled and leaned back against the wall.

There was a brief silence before Liera turned to Asah. “So… Who are you, exactly?”

“You really have told them nothing, Vince,” Asah said with a laugh. “I’m Silyra’s third archmage.”

Now the Ashfen was pulling her leg. Her hand itched to pull the dagger from her belt and find out the truth the only way she knew how. She looked around the room, checking for grins, but found none. Vince was staring at her wide-eyed, motioning for her to stop.

“I know I don’t look the part,” Asah grinned, “but I’ll prove it soon.” She raised her hands in the air, the intelligent smirk reverting back to a child-like expression. “Come here, Toshi!”

Toshimir sighed, but picked her up nonetheless. “I’ll leave the next part to you, Vince.” He bent under the door frame with Asah on his back.

The three of them were left alone again. Liera went on the offensive. A suspicion had slithered into her mind. "What are you trying to pull? Is this all a tasteless joke?"

"You're too narrow minded. Why can’t she be an archmage? Is it because she's crippled or because she's an ashfen?" Vince pushed the closet aside, and something in the wall clicked. The wall caved in, revealing a dark corridor leading downward. "There's much you don't know."

Liera and Blake stared at the entrance, then at each other. Blake stepped forward first, entering the corridor. Vince cast an almost pleading stare in her direction. It only made her want to refuse him more, but curiosity was a trait that ran in the family. “Fine… I’ll bite.” She entered the passage and Vince moved the closet back in place behind them.

“What are you going to show us anyway?” Blake asked.

“The real reason we risk our lives to wage war.” Vince stared ahead and widened his strides. “What sustains this city.”

Vince paused at an intersection, and Liera could hear the storm that raged above them. Low rumbling sounds were cut short by each thunder’s roar. Were they underneath the city? Liera walked closer to the wall. The etchings carved deep into the stones around them shed a faint light on the otherwise dark corridors. Their symbols were all foreign to her.

“What are these?” she asked.

“Who knows? Some say they are remnants of a by-gone age. Silyra has been rebuilt atop itself many times. It’s only natural that some ruins of what the city used to be remain.” Vince motioned to the central path. “Others claim that they are riddles left behind by the Arbiter himself. All agree though, that if you listen closely, you can hear the heartbeat of the city run through them every night.”

Blake placed an ear to the stone and frowned. “It’s only distant rumbling and the howling of the wind.”

“You’d need complete silence,” Vince said and took him by the hand like a child. “But don’t worry. There’s another grand spectacle to witness.”

Liera followed them quietly and her thoughts drifted to Rane. Would Leylin truly give him back to them in exchange for Caelus? It was too much of a coincidence, aligned too perfectly. Stairs replaced the smooth stone and paved the way upward as the corridor turned narrow. They had reached street level, where slits in the walls allowed peeks outside and let in the humid, chilly air.

The gaps in the stone widened as they climbed, turning from slits to windows. Liera caught glimpses of the dark world outside. Lightning spread on the city’s barrier like webs of white, and the thunder that followed threatened to shatter the night sky. The rain crushed against rooftops in sudden downpours that lasted only a moment. Then, the defences would repair themselves and the rainwater would stop.

“More than five hundred million souls have found shelter in this city,” Vince said. “Humanity’s greatest refuge, and the last true stronghold against Andre.”

The stone steps turned winding and steeper. Liera could see buildings stretching out to the horizon whenever lightning flashed. The people that roamed the streets below seemed like ants. Thunder crackled overhead, deafening. Liera raised her voice. “Why are you telling us all this?”

“To prepare you.” Vince looked up the flight of stairs, towards the unknown. “You’re about to learn one of the most well kept secrets in Silyran history. Normally one has to be a mage and swear an Oath of secrecy, but Asah has made an exception for you two.”

Vince walked past two constructs. They ignored him, staring at the stairs below with their large, fluorescent eyes.

“Let me ask you this. Why would Andre go to such lengths to conquer a kingdom like ours? There are much richer lands with not even a quarter of the force Silyra has. Yet we are the ones oppressed, driven away from a world we used to own.”

The staircase curved inward, the spiral in its design now visible. Rain invaded through the slits violently, making the stones below their feet glisten with moisture. They were nearing the top hidden in the clouds.

“I think... it’s hatred.” Blake spoke after a long silence. “Ashfen fought bloody battles to be freed of slavery. Perhaps now that their past enemy is gone, they turn to its descendant for retribution.”

Liera shook her head. “That’s what is being used to manipulate them. The promise of vengeance and cleansing.”

Vince came to a sudden stop. “You’re both wrong.”

The stairs ended at double doors made of green metal, several times the size of a man. Liera recognized it. Mage’s bane, they called it in Danira. Blightsteel. The walls around the entrance were the same sickly green. She looked down. Even the steps they walked on were made of it.

“They’re driven by something much more fearsome than hatred.” Vince placed a hand on each door and pushed. “Faith.”

Liera gazed at the space in front of them, trying to make out its details, but the darkness hid everything beyond arm’s reach. She felt shivers run down her back, and a force pulling her forward. Like a moth to the flame, she inched closer, but her father gripped her hand. They waited. What for, Liera did not know, and she didn’t dare ask. The space before them felt eerie. Sacred.

There was a second of silence, and the sound of the previous fulminations faded away. She saw flashes of light boiling inside clouds, dangerously close to the glass roof overhead. A flash of lightning tore through the sky.

In that brief moment of light, she saw a beast formed of silver and mist. Three horns protruded over its head and a glimmering gemheart graced the chest of a serpent-like body bound by ethereal chains. It opened its eyes. They were pure white, like the mountain snow. The light faded and the rumbling of thunder began again.

Liera gazed ahead, eyes wide and hair standing on end. What had she seen? Vince pushed her behind his back. The beast roared, voice overlapping with the rolling thunder. Liera gripped her father’s hand and the side of her eyes watered. The beast’s frigid breath crushed against her chest and forced her back. She let it drive her away and push her outside. They withdrew from the room and the door shut behind them.

Liera dropped to her hands and knees, panting. Blake leaned on the wall and blinked a couple of times.

“What– What was that?”

"The god they worship." Vince secured the door. The dark circles under his eyes seemed more prominent as he gazed at it. "An aspect, as they call it, that used to govern over all life."

She pointed at the door and raised her voice, not to be heard over the storm, but out of anger. “What’s it doing here?”

“It’s a prisoner of war now, captured long ago.” Vince sighed and sat on the steps. "There's a gap in our history. Dark ages, with little to no records of events or surviving transcripts. What we do know, is that humanity was once more pushed to the brink of extinction. We waged war, and our enemies," Vince looked over his shoulder, "were gods."

“Gods?” Blake’s eyes went wide. “You mean there’s more than one of these things?”

“There were, but they are now believed extinct. This is the only one remaining.”

“Then we should kill it,” Liera said, punctuating every word. “Shatter their faith and crush the morale of the soldiers. They might hate us all the more, but you said it yourself. Faith blinds in a dangerous way.”

Vince laughed. “Why do you think it’s imprisoned in the first place? It’s because we can’t kill it. There were entire dynasties whose single ambition was to end this creature’s life. They all failed. Wounds disappear like a lie, and the gem at its chest absorbs all types of spells. The best we can do is keep it contained and harvest its power. The entire city runs on its magic, from the highest mage tower to the most remote farmland. We harvest parts of its body to create weapons and artifacts of great power. Ah! The miraculous salve spread throughout the kingdom.” Vince produced some from his breast pocket. “In the academy, they teach you it comes from a rare plant, cultivated only in Silyra’s secret gardens. In truth, it is made of diluted Aspect blood. Horns, claws, skin and blood. An endless, regenerating supply of materials.”

“Why not let them have it then?” Blake asked. “We could make it part of the peace treaty.”

“Have you been listening to a word I’ve said?” Vince snapped, perhaps more harshly than he meant to. “If this thing is set free, humanity will cease to exist. The whole world as we know it, will cease to exist. We have denied its existence for millenia, and that is what we will continue to do.”

Liera struggled for ideas. If it was truly immortal, what could they do? “The andrean emperor, does he know of his god’s nature? There’s no guarantee that they can contain it either.”

“He’s a cunning, unpredictable man. There’s no telling what will happen if he ever frees the aspect. This is why I brought you here. Asah and I will parley with him, but it’s important that you know what we are fighting for.” Vince stood and motioned for them to follow. “Speak of this to no one, but always remember what we must protect. It’s not the borders, the king or the people.”

Liera glanced at the doors as they grew distant.

“It’s this tower, and the world itself.”